Abasid Caliphate (Ab-uh-sid)
The Abasid Caliphate, otherwise known as the Eternal Kingdom, is a large country that occupies much of the eastern part of the continent of Zalas. They are currently ruled by a caliph named Sshossal. The caliphate is known to be an isolationist country that generally stays within their own borders preferring not to become engaged with the politics of the neighboring nations. The nation is one of the oldest countries within the known world due to its founding extremely shortly after the Conjoining of the Stars. The country is known to be a very advanced society focusing on science and astrology with their studies of the heavens and stars. In turn the nation is known to chiefly venerate the god Tarsen due to his control over the heavens. The country is known for its extremely inhospitable desert aptly named the Undying Desert. The main species of the nation are Dark Elves, Deep Gnomes, Leonin, and Yuan-Ti.
Structure
The Caliphate is an absolute monarchy ruled by a Caliph who alternates his time between the two capitals of the nation spending around half the year in each. He has appointed rulers from the heads of the major noble families to govern the rest of the cities of the Caliphate. They are responsible for the daily governanace, where as the Caliph focuses on national issues.
Culture
The Abasidi are known to be a very standoffish society in general. While the nation does accept outsiders in for trade and settlement, the people of the caliphate are known to be not very welcoming and a bit cold but not outright hostile. Their culture revolves around the desert in which they live, with villages ready to pack and leave in a moments notice and the permanent settlements ready to close down in order to weather a sandstorm that appears. To outsiders the people may seem lazy due in large part because the society shuts down during the day time. Most scholars agree however that this is not true and that the people are simply adapted to the desert where any unnecessary expenditure of energy could be lethal in the wrong circumstances. The cities and towns of the caliphate really take off at night where all the settlements seem to come alive once the sun sets. Those that have earned the trust of the Abasidi people and ingratiated themselves into their culture tell tales of lavish parties and family like belonging even amongst strangers.
History
The Caliphate was formed in the year 1101 AC by the great warlord named Shosti the Great. He rebelled against the nation in power during the first 100 years after the conjoining. His rebellion eventually succeeded and he formed the Caliphate that has endured since then. The nation is one of the oldest in the world being formed so shortly after the Conjoining. The nation has stood so solidly for so long due to the inhospitable nature of the desert they live within making contact by outsiders difficult and invasion by foreign nations almost impossible. The nation has largely stayed within the borders of the desert and has instead focused much of its time with building the massive pyramids that now dot the land. Recently however the nation has been sending more and more scouts into the lands of the neighboring nations with unknown intent.
Demography and Population
The population is hugely centered around the few permanent settlements that occupy the desert which cluster around the different oases of the desert. There are also large populations of nomadic tribes that wander from place to place throughout the desert going from watering hole to watering hole. The population is almost exclusively made up of Yuan-Ti, Dark Elves, Leonin, and Deep Gnomes. The Yuan-Ti make up around forty percent of the population with the elves and gnomes making up around twenty percent each. Leonin make up around ten percent. The rest of the population is made up of a number of different minority species.
Territories
The Caliphate occupies the entirety of the Undying Desert in the eastern part of the continent of Zalas. They rule from the edge of the Northern Plains in the west all the way to the Eastern Sea. They also have de facto control of the large valley that lies between the Northern Grey Mountains and Southern Grey Mountains.
Religion
The Caliphate is a deeply religious society, but they harness that energy into studying the stars and astrological signs. This in turn leads them to chiefly venerate the god Tarsen. He is the god of the Heavens and Stars and it is he who is said to send messages and portents of coming events. The Abasidi are known to do advanced studies of these astrological events and track star position in order to gain some glimpse into what the future might hold. They are known to be very superstitious as well seeing good and bad omens in seemingly innocuous things, but especially in any sort of astrological event. Shooting stars are said to be a sign of coming good fortunes and if spotted are celebrated like a holiday. Aside from worship of Tarsen, worship of the gods Emus and Tanes is also very common.
Foreign Relations
The Caliphate is has frosty relations with the Golden Khanate, and The Dread Lords. Relations with the Khanate are cold due to the Khanates incursions into the Caliphates' territory in the past. The isolated nature of the Caliphate and unwillingness to trade on a large scale prevents relations with The Dread Lords from developing further.
Relations with the Free Cities are hostile but not outright at war. The Cities broke away from the Caliphate in the past and they have resisted attempts from the Caliphate at reintegrating.
The Caliphate essentially only has nominal relations with the Listuroni Sultanate, the Tangir Sultanate and the Kingdom of Sildra-Tor due in large part to the distances between the nations.
Relations with the Ashiri Empire are nonexistent due to the isolated nature of the Empire.
The Desert burns all
Maps
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Abasid Caliphate
Map of the Abasid Caliphate and the Undying Desert.
Founding Date
1035 AC
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Alternative Names
The Caliphate, The Desert Kingdom, The Eternal Kingdom
Demonym
Abasidi
Leader Title
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Barter system
Gazetteer
Al-Bashir, Amsu, Maat, Pyramid of the Moon, Pyramid of the Sun, Sum-Akra, Tun-Ra
Currency
The nation has no official currency as the economy is almost entirely run by a barter system.
Official State Religion
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Related Ranks & Titles
Neighboring Nations
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
Comments