Calimshan
Calimshan is a land obsessed with wealth and unimpressed by magic. Its people are heirs to an old empire founded by genies, and now fear such creatures and ban them from their lands. Familiar with displays of magic, they see the Art as any other skill that can be learned. Some say the blood of the efreet runs in some Calishites, giving them sorcerous powers and a talent for fire magic.
Calimshan is renowned for its chauvinism, exotic markets, thieves’ guilds, decadent harems, desert landscape, and wealthy ruling class, as well as its enormous population and many slaves.
LIFE AND SOCIETY
Most Calishites rely upon mercantilism for their livelihood. The cutthroat politics of Calimshan involve backstabbing, layers of deception, and numerous advisors. The current ruler, Syl-Pasha Ralan el Pesarkhal (NE human male Wiz7/Rog12), reached his current position through lies, murder, and blackmail. Calishites are obsessed with titles and status, and an inappropriate look or remark from a person of lower station results in severe punishment.
The people of Calimshan seek wealth not for wealth itself, but for the comforts and status it brings. Calishites believe that wealth is the reward for a life of work, and they look down upon those who rely upon charity or “adventuring” to support themselves.
Arcane magic is relatively common here, to the extent that half of the imperial guard are wizards. However, despite a reputation for being a land of genies, Calishites avoid evocation magic (except for the efreet-descended sorcerers), planar magic, and teleportation, preferring conventional methods such as flying carpets.
The business underworld comprises an important aspect of Calishite culture. Because a person’s power on the surface and her influence in the underworld are considered two separate things, titles and ranks may vary greatly. The underworld is the only place in Calimshan where women are treated as equals to men. The rules for negotiations and meetings between underworld rivals are complex and delicate, involving proper forms of address, lying, and courtesy to the host.
MAJOR GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES
Calimshan extends along the northern coast of the Shining Sea for more than five hundred miles and includes all land south of the River Agis and the Marching Mountains.
Calim Desert: This expanse of sand, salt, and rocks is not a natural desert, but the blasted battleground of two powerful imprisoned genies. When the minds of the genies become active, the desert rages with violent sandstorms. The sands hide the ruins of great cities, which are said to still hold ancient treasures.
Forest of Mir: This forest grows on rough, hilly terrain and is dense with a variety of monsters. Large numbers of evil goblinkin and smaller giants live here, establishing petty fiefdoms and occasionally raiding to the north or south. In the northern part of the forest, a decaying mythal around Myth Unnohyr guards magical treasures, but the mythal turns helpful magic into harmful effects. Three Vhaeraunian drow settlements exist just under the surface near the foothills of the Marching Mountains.
Marching Mountains: This forested mountain range has protected Calimshan’s northern border for centuries, although its resident orcs and ogres organize large raids every few years. Groups called the Janessar have military outposts in the mountains, using them as bases for their activities, most of which involve the betterment of the common folk of Calimshan, particularly the freeing of slaves.
Spider Swamp: This hot, fetid swamp was formed when a great marid (water genie) was slain near two sluggish rivers. Inhabited by monstrous spiders, aranea (who trade for fine silk and rare herbs), bullywugs, and lizardfolk, the swamp is avoided by all but the most foolhardy. In the northern part of the swamp is Lost Ajhuutal, a submerged aranea city. A third of the three hundred aranea living here worship Zanassu (an aspect of the drow deity Selvetarm) and tend toward neutral evil alignment and aggressive tendencies.
IMPORTANT SITES
Calimshan is unthinkably ancient, the oldest of all human lands still in existence. Ancient ruins and magical palaces can be found in many places in Calimshan, now forgotten.
Almraiven (Metropolis, 43,652): This port city is home to the country’s largest shipbuilding facility. Aside from its whirlwind of mercantile and guild activity, wizards and sorcerers know Almraiven best as the premier center for magical study within Calimshan, a role the city has held for over three thousand years.
Calimport (Metropolis, 192,795): In addition to its huge population of permanent free citizens, Calimshan draws large numbers of seasonal residents and transient traders. One of the oldest continuously populated cities in Faerûn, it contains two great arenas, large palaces, and impressive examples of just about any sort of building found elsewhere, including auction houses for slaves.
Memnon (Metropolis, 29,101): Founded by the army of the efreet, Memnon is a garrison city, fishing port, trade stop, and the secondary port for the country’s navy. Memnon’s warships and soldiers defend Calimshan from northern aggression and any evils that dig themselves free from ruined Memnonnar across the river. The city’s outer walls are made of a dark, smooth rock that absorbs heat and shrugs off wear.
Suldolphor (Metropolis, 143,687): A wealthy and intrigue-ridden city, Suldolphor is almost independent of Calimshan’s rule, grudgingly paying taxes so its citizens may be left alone. Located on the strait connecting the Shining Sea to the Lake of Steam, the city is important to both Calimshan’s trade and defense.
REGIONAL HISTORY
Calimshan has long been the dominant power of southwest Faerûn, with a tumultuous recorded history spanning nine thousand years. It has always been a hot, damp, verdant land, suitable for growing olives and dates and grazing by huge herds of livestock. Its forests are filled with fragrant carving-woods, and its sandbars and coastal shoals bristle with oysters, crabs, edible fish, and rocks harboring both gems and metals. In short, Calimshan has always been a land worth fighting for—and so there has been much fighting for it.
In ancient times, the great forest Keltormir cloaked the region and was home to warring giants and elves. Humans also lurked in hiding among the trees, and the dwarves founded Deep Shanatar and flourished beneath the earth.
Then came the mighty djinn from “otherwhere,” geniekin and their halfling and human slaves led by the djinni Calim. They founded the Calim Empire, clearing trees from the lands south and west of the Marching Mountains, slaughtering or driving out dragons, and establishing a domain whose borders correspond with the Calimshan of today.
The djinni ruled over humans in the Calim Caliphates for a thousand years before an efreeti of great power, Memnon, arrived from another “otherwhere” and established the realm of Memnonnar. The two empires broke into all-out war in the Era of Skyfire, a protracted struggle that so damaged the land that the elves used a form of great high magic to bind the spirits of Calim and Memnon into the ground and air, leaving them to struggle to this day in the sandy waste of their endless battle: the Calim Desert.
Humans and dwarves overthrew the few remaining geniekin in mere decades. Coram the Warrior founded the realm of Coramshan over the ruins of the genie empire. Riddled by intrigues and dynastic strife, it soon fell under the sway of evil human priests, but arose again as the reunited realm of Calimshan.
Ylveraasahlisar the Rose Dragon conquered Calimshan and ruled for over a century before being slain—whereupon beholders seized power. Humans drove the beholders out and established colonies across western Faerûn, but plagues weakened their empire. Tethyr and the Vilhon Reach shook off Calimshan’s rule and became independent.
Human power in Calimshan peaked under the Shoon dynasty of a thousand years past. In more recent times, Calimshan has seen a Rage of Dragons (1018 DR), a Black Horde of orcs that slew its ruling Syl-Pasha (1235 DR), and the Time of Troubles (1358 DR), when the criminal underworld of Calimport was rocked by the death of all Bhaal-worshiping assassins.
The current ruler of Calimshan, Syl-Pasha Persakhal, has made an alliance with Tethyr. He hopes to study its ways—and then annex the land.
Capital: Calimport
Population: 5,339,520 (humans 94%, half-orcs 2%, halflings 2%, half-elves 1%)
Government: Autocracy
Religions: Anachtyr (Tyr), Azuth, Bhaelros (Talos), Ibrandul (dead god, now an aspect of Shar), Ilmater, Shar, Sharess
Imports: Food, slaves, wizards
Exports: Armor, books, gems, jewelry, leather goods, mercenaries, minor magic items, pearls, pottery, rare herbs, rope, ships, silk, spices, weapons, wine
Alignment: LN, N, NE
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