Al’Hasier

47% human, 28% rasz’ii, 5% oread, 5% ifrit, 5% sylph, 5% undine, 3% suli, 2% other

An ancient and proud nation, Al-Hasier has stood tall since the first days of the Battle of the Fall.  The land carries a deep spiritual connection to the four elements wielded by Hakiim el-Akram, the noble hero whose sacrifice paved the way for ultimate victory over the Nameless Dark.  Many ancient secrets are hidden beneath the ever-shifting sands, hinting of civilizations that predate modern history.  It’s people are hard-working, loyal, and spiritual.

Government: Each of the four elemental cities are governed by an autocratic ruler said to be the inheritors to a portion of Hakiim el-Akram’s varied essence.  These rulers govern in accordance with their elemental philosophy.  The typical citizen cannot expect to have a voice in the political process or in governance, though coin has always been an easy way to influence the people in power.  Numerous advisers, merchant-princes, and other powerful patrons hold the ears of each of the rulers, influencing them as best they can with varying degrees of success.  The nomadic tribes and remote villages that exist outside the primary cities tend to be small and governed by the local village patriarch.

Economy: Each of the cities are known for their own craftsmanship but the largest economic factor in Al-Hasier is the Rasz’ii Merchant Consortium, a unified guild of craftsmen large and small that hold a monopoly on airship travel and trade with other countries.  Rasz’ii craftsmanship fetches a high price both domestically and abroad, and Al-Hasier is famous for its exotic foods, priceless gems, and artifacts of intrigue.  Ruin delving and archaeology is also a heavy draw in Al-Hasier, as many of the secrets from the Antravarcia and the Tenebrous Age lie buried beneath the sands of Al-Hasier, waiting for those canny enough to unlock their mysteries to bring them to light.

Religion/Spirituality: Each of the four elemental cities are highly influenced by the element’s philosophy, though Hakiim el-Akram is the patron hero of Al’Hasier and is offered due reverence as well.  The rasz’ii pantheon (adopted from Arna) also holds some sway here, though is mostly fading into antiquity.  Nomads who wander the desert often worship it as a spiritual successor to Hakiim, the legendary hero whose sacrifice was pivotal in the final battle against the Nameless Dark.  All Al-Hasierians are both frightened and reverent of the weather and the desert, knowing that if it turns wrathful, even their mightiest cities may be enveloped by the ever-shifting sands.

Faith Alignment Portfolio/Philosophy
Air CN Chance, freedom, respite
Earth LN Creation, discipline, strength
Fire NE Bewitchment, consumption, power
Water NG Civilization, healing, life
Desert N Death, dualism, ancient wisdom

Lifestyle: Slavery is outlawed in all the major cities of Al-Hasier, though nomadic tribes and outer villages are free to practice such trade and indentured servitude is a common punishment in Jhaddi.  Though daily life tends to vary greatly by city, all Al-Hasierians are expected to be productive members of society and to learn a skill or trade.  The people of the deserts subside on a diet of dried meats and grains.  Fruits and vegetables are considered delicacies and typically fetch a high price on the market.  Most houses in Al-Hasier carry some sort of spiritual shrine typically honoring Hakiim el-Akram and the desert.  Crimes and punishments tend to vary by city with Dubala and Jhaddi being the strictest.

Diplomacy: Al-Hasier does not have any official ties to other countries as a unified nation, though each of the primary cities and the Rasz’ii Merchant Consortium has a variety of individual relationships with neighboring countries.  Most cities are content to keep to themselves, comforted in the knowledge that the unforgiving desert prevents most foreign nations from taking an interest in their country.  The Consortium maintains friendly and neutral ties with nearly every other nation their airships can reach.  Mirasat, the City of the Free, has a tense relationship with Mortannia due to the amount of refugees that migrate there and Soha maintains a private trading pact with Avalon and Kennichi Teshigawa’s fief in Kentaku.

Military/Defense: Each of the main elemental cities holds its own standing army, and the Consortium boasts an impressive mercenary force mostly stationed in Sadij.  Though no foreign nation has ever tried to invade, local legends speak of when ancient horrors rose up in the dunes that the desert itself would come to the defense of the nation, blanketing fiendish forces in blinding sand and blistering wind.  The most common problem for residents of Al-Hasier are the numerous jackalwere clans that roam the deserts, seemingly vanishing and re-appearing at will to conduct raids on caravans and outer villages.  The cities are quick to unite against an existential threat against Al-Hasier, though such an occurrence has not happened for nearly eight centuries during the Primordial Crisis when native Al-Hasierians were wracked by terrible nightmares and spontaneously transmuting to base elemental components.

Geography/Borders: Most of Al-Hasier is covered in an ever shifting wasteland of sand and dust which have long since choked out most of the flora that covered the once fertile land.  The dunes themselves seem to shift with time, subject to the capricious winds that blow through the land and the will of the desert itself.  Permanent landmarks are few and far between, but nevertheless the people of the sands have carved out small fiefdoms among the unforgiving wastes.

  • Sadij, the Hub (central) – The Hub is a relatively new city on Al-Hasier’s landscape. Located centrally in the midst of sprawling dunes, the tall towers of Sadij rise from the desert like giant blades piercing against the sky.  The heart of the Rasz’ii Merchant Consortium, this city boasts of being the largest known marketplace on all of Zenith and is host to the Providence Games, a bi-annual celebration of arms, magic, and skill that draws competitors far and wide for fantastic prizes.  Built upon the ruins of Old Sadij, which was laid to waste nearly a millennium ago by wrathful genie armies in response to mortal greed and tainted manipulations.
    • N Plutocracy Metropolis; Defensible, Financial Center, Good Roads, legendary marketplace, prosperous, strategic location
  • Soha, Ocean’s Jewel (south) – Sprawled along Al-Hasier’s southern coast is the metropolitan city of Soha. Though openly benevolent and welcoming, the encompassing philosophy of Water has drawn many to its walls and the city often lacks enough resources to fully care for all of the refugees that come there.  Still, it boasts a thriving marketplace, easy travel by boat to other countries, and plenty of nurturing water.
    • NG Magical Metropolis; Academic, majestic, population surge, prosperous, romantic, therapeutic
  • Jhaddi, Earth’s Cradle (north) – Nestled in a fertile crescent valley, the walled city of Jhaddi is both fertile and highly ordered. Built in several tiers along the valley walls in resplendant white sandstone, the hanging gardens of Jhaddi draw visitors from near and far.  The philosophy of Earth is highly ordered towards law and order and this is reflected in the numerous statutes, laws, and dicta that govern the local civic order.
    • LN Military Large City; Abundant, famed breeders, insular, peacebonding, planned community
  • Mirasat, City of the Free (east) – The windswept Free City of Mirasat lies on the eastern verges of the desert before it melts into the plains and forests of southern Mortannia. It is a common stop-over for merchants and travelers, though few find the chaotic nature of the city comfortable enough to make a home here.  It is the home to many a vagabond and refugee who seeks to disappear, finding easy camaraderie with the other free-spirited folk.  Being close in proximity to Mortannia, the city has a large population of refugees seeking freedom from their oppressive homeland.
    • CN Autocracy Small City; Artist’s Colony, Free City, gambling, infamous
  • Dubala, the Crucible (west) – Amidst the western badlands of Al-Hasier the ebony city of Dubala stands stark against the wastes. Done up in black stone and stark colors, the city seems oppressive at first, but its rich culture and abundant night life are a rich and welcome change from the harshness of the desert.  Travelers are good to be wary here, for the philosophy of Fire is off-putting at best to many folk.  Public executions (by means of burning pyres) are a common sight.
    • NE Overlord Small City; Eldritch, Insular, magically attuned, well-educated

Variants: There is a variant human species for those hailing from Al-Hasier.

Prominent Figures:

  • Khavin al-Jabaii (Earth, Male Human Monk [Weapon Adept]) – Disciplined and severe, Khavin rules over Jhaddi with a velvet-padded iron fist. Though not cruel, he is not swayed by tales of the heart or any extenuating circumstances.  Once a year he holds a friendly but intense sparring tournament in the central square of Jhaddi, inviting any and all challengers to dance with his adamantine scimitar.
  • Arrir ibn Sani (Air, Male Rasz’ii Bard) – Arrir is a leader borne of and beholden only to his people. Though there is a royal palace in Mirasat, the young rasz’ii caliph is rarely seen within.  He often tours the many taverns and brothels of the city, performing on his citar while his mate dances along.  Despite this, he takes his duties in defending the city seriously and will fight to the death to defend the freedom of his people.
  • Naida La’ra Al-Surai (Fire, Female Ifrit Sorcerer [Fire Elemental]) – Personifying the ambitious nature of flames, Naida is a perfect embodiment of the philosophy of fire. Seductive and powerful, she has skillfully deflected the assassination attempts that come with her position and has a habit of making an example out of those who would dare cross her.  There are rumors that she is related to Isis, the Matron of Soha, but implying as such is a sure-fire way to earn Naida’s fiery ire.
  • Isis (Water, Female Suli Oracle [Waves]) – The matron of Soha is a mysterious but altruistic woman who spends much of her time sequestered in her divination chambers. Most of the day-to-day management of the city is tended by her apprentices, leaving her time to reflect on the peculiar visions she sees in the waves.  She is always wary of existential threats to Al-Hasier, and fears that a dark tide will soon wash over the land.
  • The Council of Coins (20 individual members, varying races/genders/alignments/classes) – The economic masters of the Rasz’ii Merchant Consortium consists of a council of merchant princes drawn from the most prominent families in Al-Hasier and beyond. In addition to their duties guiding the Consortium’s foreign ventures, the council is also charged with the day-to-day business of Sadij.  And despite the legendary feuds and political back-biting, Sadij’s civic organizations run like an exquisitely oiled machine.

Additional Landmarks:

  • Dunes of the Lost – This portion of the desert is perpetually shrouded in a thick layer of low-hanging fog. While it can be pleasant to feel the cool moisture upon one’s skin, it is incredibly easy to become lost in the featureless expanse.  A tribe of nomads who adhere to strange esoteric religions is said to reside in an illusory city somewhere in the depths of the mist.  Whether those rumors are true or not, a small permanent settlement resides at the edge of the mists, mostly as a stopping point for the bold or foolhardy as they try to traverse the dunes.
  • Lake of Shrouds – Beyond the Dunes of the Lost likes the Lake of Shrouds, the southern shore of what is known as the Misty Lake in Schattenburg. To date no vessel has managed to successfully navigate the immense inland sea from one country to another, though many have tried only to never be seen again.  The place is treated as holy by the local nomads, and they often attribute an intelligent will to the life-giving waters of the lake.  Numerous small islands, dotted with odd and seemingly alien ruins dot the inner sea, few of which have been charted successfully.
  • Broken Steppes – The land north of Dubala is said to have once been a mighty mountain peak, blasted into an immense field of jagged rocks in times long since passed. Uninhabitable to all but the most fire and lava resistant monsters, this land is seen as a holy site for most worshippers of Fire.  The truly devout make pilgrimages here, often without the aid of protective magic, to meditate at the Crucible: a holy lava pool purported to link directly to the elemental plane of Fire.
  • Blistering Wastes – The soft sands of Al-Hasier give way to rocky scrubland in the west near Dubala. Very little life thrives here, leaving room only for insects and the occasional wandering undead.  Ruined remains of semi-permanent settlements dot the wastes, indicating that it was not always such a harsh and lifeless place.
  • Expanse of Kur’aj – A sunken pit in the middle of the desert that scholars believe to have once been a large lake in ancient times. The major trade route between Mirasat and Sadij passes through here, though most caravans make their way quickly through the supposedly cursed lands.   Travelers report all kind of eerie haunting sounds at night there, and more than a few careless caravan guards have been drawn away by siren calls, never to be seen again.
  • Red Rook Ridge – A collection of red sandstone mesas and rock cliffs stand against the shores of the Sea of Broken Fangs. Far too irregular to be a natural formation, scholars have long puzzled at what could possibly be the purpose of these strange standing stones.  Some of them bear significant cave structures that go far beneath the sands but spelunkers have yet to reveal anything of particular use.  Recently, smugglers out of Kurtala have been known to use this place to hide illicit goods.
  • Sea of Broken Fangs – The sea between Al-Hasier and Avalon is littered with hundreds if not thousands of tiny rocky islands, some of which no larger than the vessels that sail these seas. Navigable routes between the two countries have been successfully charted, but much of the sea remains unexplored, the tropical islands bearing home to mysteries dating back several millennia.  Pirates are known to ply these waters, though few are foolish or bold enough to attack the Avalonian navy.  Many rare and exotic wares, be they relics or natural flora and fauna, often find their way to the markets in Soha, or Kurtala if the goods are more illicit.
  • Kurtala (CN Anarchic Small Town) – The free city of Kurtala advertises itself as a free port and resort city for travelers. In truth, it is a lawless place where pirates sell their illicit goods, slavers sell their wares outside of Soha’s moral eye, and all manner of delights both legal and illegal can be found.  Kurtala is ruled by the strong, and whatever alliance of cartels and criminals can hold power is typically in charge.  Though Kurtala can be dangerous to the unwary, it is actually a perfectly safe place for those who show some spine and can defend what is theirs.