Friday, November 30, 2018

History of Samarkand: The Khanate Civil War


The Khanate Civil War
Truthfully, the Khanate was falling apart for decades but with the destruction of Nebulon's Tower, the Khan sought to fill her coffers through picking fights in the Eastern lands, butting heads with her steppe cousins.
The skirmishes lead to battles and the battle to wars and the wars to the gates of Samarkand.


The Jalpiqul, lead by the hero Rasul, sided with the steppe orcs, while the Cingibi remained loyal, having greatly benefited from the current administration.
At the Battle of the Gate, Rasul was slain but the clans took the barbican and overran the city. Rasul would later become an elvish national hero, worshipped by a new brand of elves, the Batiir,or  those who've sworn eternal holy war on their oppressors.


The Rape of Samarkand wasn't the end of the war. It didn’t stop until both sides had torn the other to pieces, bathing the land in blood and bones.
The end came by human iron as a member of the Court of Heaven, Faradûn, united the human population and overthrew the broken orc rulers and established himself the new Khan of Samarkand.
Unable to fight back, the orcs retreated to the hill where the remains of Lazar's towers were: the area largely abandoned even decades after the sorcerer's death.

Faradûn Khan was as benevolent as a priest king could be, passing legislation that gave freed elves free movement within the city and finishing the Eastern wall.
He overthrew the Najam of the Court of Heaven but made it the title of the high priest of Savash’kisi.
He took residence in the old Khan's palace and turned the Fire Temple into a Sun Temple for the glory of his deity.

Tensions began to rise between gnome, elf, and human as the Slave District, unable to climb further up the sides of Mount Zafer, turned down, surrounding the Court of Heaven and the sacred site of the Sky Cult with poor squalor.
After several crack downs, the Jalpiqul began to build into the mountain, carving out cave homes in the living rock.


The death of Faradûn marked the beginning of the Golden Age of Samarkand.

Next: The Golden Age
Samarkand at the end of the Khanate Civil War

Thursday, November 29, 2018

History of Samarkand: the Khanate Era

This era begins sometime after the Court of Heaven is established. It's is a mini golden age: trade begins to flood in from across the sea and the population booms.
But not all fortune is favorable and the Okeana's curse rears its ugly head.

From beyond the Salt Sea of Thazruk the Dragon Horde comes. Lead by the vicious Uldrek Khan, the orcish horde cuts a path through the surrounding lands.

As rumors of the destruction reach Samarkand, the Court of Heaven and the Najam begin to shore up defenses, building walls and fortifications.
But this only serves to heighten tensions between the gnomes and the humans as the humans plan to build all the way up to Mount Zafer, the ancient perch of the Roc Riders and holy ground to the Sky Cult.
The humans press any way and start to fortify along the Eastern river, but their efforts are sabotaged by gnomish resistance fighters who've already sold their blades to the Khan.

And so Samarkand burns. The fort of the Cinder Cingibi is thrown down and the city is burned.

The population wait in fear only to watch the orcish horde split in two, half returning and half occupying the ruins of the fort.

Now is the Age of the Khan


The orcs bring their foreign god, an ancient dragon, Atesh, building a high altar to him out of the remains of the fort. Some merchants and opportunist adopt this new deity and the slave markets flourish with the spoils of conquest to the Eternal Fire.


Several generations pass. The cliffs of Mount Zafer become overrun by freed elven slaves and trade becomes regular again. The orcish warlords, too stupid to take the helm of government and perfectly happy to simply let the gold flow in, let the Court of Heaven rule, though the seat of Najam is now occupied by the prophet of the Dragon Cult.

The grand daughter of Uldrek Khan, though, aspires to greatness and with the help of eunuch named Mazyar, she embarks on a series of ambitious building projects.
The first is a fine palace encircling the Fire Temple to honor her ancestors and honor the Eternal Fire. Next, a wall to encircle the orcish camp, who made the sloops around the Fire Temple their permanent home.
Flush with the prestige, and with the prodding of Mazyar, she begins work on Nebulon's town, a 3/4 mile high monument to the power of the khanate.
It is finished on the 200th anniversary of the founding of Samarkand (though it is only 200 years since the orcish invasion so not technically the founding but what can you do?)




Lazar the Insane was a private man. A power wizard by all accounts but a chronic introvert but a rather antagonist person if provoked.
He'd moved into an old abandoned watch tower at the then edge of city and set about doing his research, hoping to be left alone with his torture equipment and collection of plush animals.
Lazar loved his schedule. He had his food brought to him but every week, like clockwork, he'd nip down to the tavern, have some sweet yams and sujamma and then return to his tower.

While almost every week. One week, he went for his usually excursion only to find the place in ashes. He tried to sit at a still standing table but nobody came to wait on him. And that damned youth music was especially loud. All it sounded like, to his ears, was the screams of pain as people died. What is the world coming to?

Rather upset, he returned to his tower in a bad mood.

That bad mood last 200 years.

To get his anger out, Lazar the Insane would climb his tower every morning, and either blast pure magical power into the air while cackling at the sky or throw baby animals from the top.
But nothing help.

One day, as he was about to drop a child from the heights of his workshop, his attention was grabbed by what was happening on the hill just north of his.
Some rival wizard had the gull to build his own tower. And right next to Lazar's. What nerve! He dropped the kid (like the kid's mother was begging) and begin to concoct a plan. He would wait and bide his time.
On the day that the tower was completed, he launched all his magical power at it, completely destroying it and much of the surrounding hillside. That will show that upstart Nebulon not to enter his territory.

After Lazar went for sweet yams and sujamma, feeling much better




With the tower in ruins, the Khan, looked to recoup the loss. Deeply in debt and staring rivals who were sharpening their blades in the face, she once again sought the advice of her most trusted advisor, Mazyar the Builder.
He said that the best thing to do was to get the people on her side and to do that, she must feed them and he knew how.

Canals, he said, with a flourish of his hands. Building freshwater canals across the otherwise rather arid landscape would make for more farmable land and, he told her, it would give fresh water to populous.
And so the construction of the Great Canals of Samarkand begin.

Now, nobody knows for sure if this was done on purpose but Mazyar routed the main channel right through the elvish ghetto, displacing an already upset portion of the population.
And they rioted, storming the grain silos and burning the Fire Temple.

Later scholars would appreciate the irony but nobody thought it was funny at the time.

The orcs we're divided, and soon they'd rip the city in two.


Next: The Khanate Civil War


Samarkand at the end of the Khanate Era

History of Samarkand: the Founding Era

The Founding Era
The Gnome Titans moved into the area, lead by their Liwa to combat the growing halfing invasions. It was part of two sister forts, one where the river empties to the ocean and one up north at a ford before the mountains become too treacherous to cross.

The Cinder Cingibi force built the red pentagonal fort in the top center of the map and the bridge to allow easier crossings.


After the burning of the sister fort, the current Liwa contacted his cousin, Alsyd Aintisariun (Later known as Lord Victorious), a famed gnomish Roc Rider to help shore up the faltering gnomish line.
Victorious built a nest for himself and his most trusted men on the highest cliff face in the local area (you can see the remains to the far left, sort of top area in purple). The Cinder General commissioned 4 imposing Roc statues, one for each corner of the next, for his eyrie

With Victorious's help, the gnome Titans were able to all but destroyed the local halfing threat, as well as the majority of its population on the peninsula.


Peace came and with it the wives and children of the Roc Riders. A small settlement grew as the base of Eyrie. Soon other gnomes came.

In awe of the magnificent birds, the small town commissioned a 5th statue to be put on Victorious's favorite perch, to stand beside his beast when he came to visit.

Years past and the Roc Riders grew bored and so, one day, he departed with his men to find more exciting pastures.


Two generations past and while the Eyrie fell into disarray, the gnomish town grew, expanding its fields beyond the river, helping the Cinder Cingibi build watchtowers, bridges, and a wall spanning the mouth of the canyon.

Dwarfs on the horse golems also began to track the area though they were few and far between, mining establishing their colonies up on the mountains where the copper veins were rich. That is, until humans from across the sea began to show up.

The Cingibi began to forget the Nakhninery, the household gods they originally worshipped in favor of Yerknk’i Tery, the Lord of Sky, and the city became known to travelers as Sama'rkand, the Sky Born City.


Because the Liwa of the gnomish fort took little care of the city administration, the little gnomish settlement grew in wealth but not the infrastructure necessary to defend it and so, to no one's surprise, the Al’bahar struck, burning the town and overrunning the native population.

They settled the town, destroying the gnomish burrows, and forcing the natives to the rocky outcroppings under the fort.

The Al’bahar brought with them a strange goddess, full of fury and power and on a hill overlooking the docks they built her a temple, sacrificing their loot for her divine protection.


Time past, as it does and the invaders became settlers and the settlers became natives.

Tensions between the Cingibi and the Al’bahari began to relax with the humans securely on top. Still the gnomes began storing their grain in the Titan fort in case the humans got any ideas.
During this time the Bodur built a workshop at the bottom of the hill and the Eyrie continued to fall into disrepair, though the religious life of the Samarkand began to grew. Both the Sky Cult and the Cult of Nakhn found favor with the gnomes, while worship of the Sun Cult held the hearts of the native human settlers, who became known at this time as the Korsan.
But the religious face of the city was changing: the Nakhninery Cult began to find converts in the ruling Al’bahar, who renamed them “Djinn” after their own tongue. The worship of these household gods soon outstripped the Ocean Cult among the majority of the sailors. Every street and block became sacred to the Djinn, watched over by their careful eyes.


The Shamen of the Djinn, the ooluu dil, or the Dead Tongues, became extremely influential, even going so far as to start small riots against the Najam, the leader of Samarkand.
Worried that he'd be overthrown and shrewd like the spider, the Najam brought the Dead Tongues together in a ruling body to given him council and pass laws. He called it Mahkamat Aljana, the Court of Heaven.


Thus ended the Found Era.

Next: The Khanate Era

Samarkand at the end of the Founding Era

Monday, November 26, 2018

Ethnic Groups of Samarkand

Samarkand has had a long and storied past, being at the center of the world, and so finds itself a melting pot for those that have come to it, whether in peace or in war.

Humans

Humans make up the majority of the population, both commoner and noble

Korsan

Originating from the primitive inhabitants of the Shield of Strakos, the Korsan were the first human settlers of Samarkand and came during the Found Era. Originally, they came as explorers but settled when they started trading in earnest with the Bodur Nomads (see the Dwarf section).
They built the Common Docks and brought ship building technology with them. The modern Samarkandi navy is built using traditional Korsan diagonal sails to this day.

The Korsan today still maintain their status as traders and merchants. They also devoutly worship the sun god, Savash'kisi.

The Korsan wear colorful clothes, with a traditional "sea veil", a strip of clothe originally used to protect the face from sun and sea on ocean voyages, and a light jacket over a simple tunic. Korsans typically choose color combinations others would describe as garish (yellow and purple, green and red).

The Korsan is dark skinned, with dark eyes but with lighter colored hair, red being the most common.

Naming Convention: Persian. They'll often have patronize using the conjunction Ba (meaning "Son of"), so a common fully name with be Amir Ba Saman.

Al'bahar

These are the second wave of human immigrants to Samarkand and came late in the Found Era as invaders. During their hay-day, they were the ruling class, though they adopted Gnomish cultures, including their clothes and, overtime, the adoption of the Gnomish household gods, which they renamed Djinn.

During their time, the Najam of Samarkand established the Court of Heaven, where the Dead Tongues could pass laws for the city.
They would shortly loose power to the invading Orc Khans

The Al'bahar of today form the bottom caste of freed people in Samarkand, with most being the crafters and tradesmen of the city. The worship the Djinn as a rule and many Al'bahar still hold power in the Court of Heaven.

The Al'bahar are a simple people, often wearing a loose knee-length linen tunic over undergarments of cotton. They often wear a straw hat. Their clothing and hat is usually hemmed with a different color or fringed, the knots and symbols in the clothe prayers to their Djinn.

Al'bahari are light skinned compared to other Samarkandi, like their cousins across the sea, but they often have full, rich tans from working in the sun. They have dark hair and eyes.

Naming Convention: Ottoman. The Al'bahar have no surnames.

Magnesians

The last human comer to Samarkand, the Magnesians (or Magnates) came from the Shield of Strakos after the death of Azadah Breath-of-Fire and capitalized on the growing tensions between the Istanuians (see Dwarf section) and the Si'adi (see Hobgoblin section).

While their reign has been a rough one (being overthrown and reestablished again in the last 50 years), they've managed to put their foot firmly on the throat of the rebels. The peace has allowed them to expanding trade and guild powers within the city.

Currently the Magnesian, Euthydemus, rules as Khan of the city, proclaiming himself to be the son of Okeana and avatar of the sea goddess. Still, after his predecessor, Midylos Khan, was deposed for his religious persecution, he's taken a more laid back stance towards other cults.

The ruling class of Samarkand blends the simple dress of their homeland, robes and shawls, with the rich fabrics and textures native to the Samarkand elite through the ages. As such, their clothing tends to be rich and ornate in execution while simple at its base.

They sport curly beards and grow their hair long, but keep them in tight curls as well. They're tan naturally.

Naming Convention: Byzantine

Gnomes

The Gnomes were the original inhabitants of Samarkand and while they've become a minority in their own city, they still remain a powerful selection of the population

Cinder Cingibi

The origin inhabitants of Samarkand, these were the Gnome Titan Skylords that set up an outpost on the peninsula, though truthfully, they've never identified themselves as Samarkandi or even cared about the city as a whole, seeing it as more of a side project taken on by their less warlike cousins.

The Cinder Cingibi know no nationality or homeland and so those found in the city are only passing through as best.

They're, as a rule, part of the Sky Cult, worshiping the Father of Winds, who first taught them to master the Rocs they fly.

Their dress is loose fitting robes and turbans, sometimes with a shawl over their face to protect from the sun. Often it is bloodstained from their battles, but other than that, unadorned.

Naming Convention: Arabic. While they don't have last names, Cinder Cingibi earn titles and monikers.

Cingibi

The Cingibi are often referred to as "Little Brother", not only by the Cinder Cingibi, but also by other races. During the Founding Era, they helped the Roc Riders, but since the departure of  Alsyd Aintisariun (commonly called Lord Victorious), they've hitched their wagons to other powers, including the Khanates (see the Orc section) and the Batiir (see Elf section).

The Cingibi now make their living as craftsman, making up the bulk of that caste, though many have branched into trading, often allying themselves with the Bodur or Si'adi.

Today's Cingibi continue to worship their ancestors as household gods, called the Nakhninery. These Nakhn are binding threads for the Cingibi's family and hold the borrow together. A Cingibi will always help a family member in case they invoke the ire of the Nakhn.

Cingibi dress much like the Korsan do, with bright colors, however they often forego the sea veil in favor of their traditional loose turban.

Naming Convention: Armenian

Jadid

These are a more radical section of Cingibi, following the Sky Cult even after Lord Victorious abandoned Samarkand. They've grown increasingly hostile to the Magnates and the Korsans after successive religious purges and have founded a community outside the walls of the city.

The Jadid was a small cult until the Purge of Altars during the reign of Azadah Breath-of-Fire where gnomes, tired of being second class citizens, began to rally behind the teachings of the cult and its talk of gnomish dominance and the return of the Cinder Cingibi.

Numerous Jadid nationalist riots have taken place, including one that lead to the overthrow of Midylos Khan.

Since then, they've been found to have their hands in almost every revolutionary plot against the Magnates, including the Batiir and the Sons of Fire. Despite the Watchman's Guild formed to specifically root them out, they still continue their underhanded tactics. 

Their dress is loose fitting robes and turbans, sometimes with a shawl over their face to protect from the sun. Often it is bloodstained from their battles, but other than that, unadorned.

Naming Convention: Arabic. Cingibi that become Jadid give themselves Arabic names to represent their rebirth.

Elves

Elves are relatively new comers to the city, with most being imported as slaves during the Khanate Era. They still serve as slaves but freed elves can be found in the slums and ghettos

Hadim

The Hadim are the eunuchs that form the administrative caste of Samarkand and are pulled from the slave markets, castrated and then taught the ways of government. Often they're given special roles that they become masters in, such as copying texts, engineering, or warfare.

The Hadim were originally instituted by the Orcish Khans as an extension of their tribal practices of "pruning" royal lines before enslaving them. However, overtime, the Hadim became powerful in its own right, with their power climaxing with Mazyar the Builder, who caused the Khanate Civil War.

The Hadim wear their traditional custom dress, signifying their rank. Without exception, they wear a white cylindrical hat with, banded with gold, and a cox comb of feathers to set them apart as hands of the Khan. A light coat over a knee-length robe, both often made of fine material and rich colors is often worn as well.

Hadim worship the gods of the current ruling class, more out of duty to them than the gods. The current favorite is Okeana, but its rumored that some still worship the dragon god Atesh.

Naming Convention: Hadim are given new names upon their castration so regardless of their origin, often being simply being called after their job, such as Scribe, or All-See (in the case of the military scryers)

Jalpiqul

The Jalpiqul make up the bulk of the elven Samarkand population, being general slaves. Their long lives make them a solid investment, especially for large institutions, such as the cults and the guilds. Most Jalpiqul are even allowed some rights under the government, such as being immune to the draft, but still lack fundamental rights, like the ability to be in a position of leadership or own land.

Still, many have found their homes on the slopes of Mount Zafar, which has become a major elvish slums.

Even free elves will fall under this category, as the only difference in life is that they get paid. Under the law, there's very little distinction between an enslaved elf and a free elf.

The Jalpiqul believe that their gods were killed a long time ago before the Founding Era of Samarkand, their divine essence left to their children, so the Jalpiqul tend to worship other's gods, though worship of the Djinn has become more common.

The Jalpiqul are poor as a rule and so most wear a short course linen cloak or shawl and straw hat to protect against the sun, with linen shorts and sandals. Possible a rope belt around the outside waist to keep the cloak from billowing about.

Naming Convention: Kazakh

Batiir

These are those that have joined the resistance movement to free their elvish brethren. They dream of ages past, when elven kind lived in harmony with the world, and which to return to their homeland, but not before destroying those they brought the demise of their kingdom.

The first recording of the Batiir was during end of the reign of Soheil Khan Ba Faradun, where Cults of Rasul began cropping up in the Zafar District. Racial tensions between the free elves and the Jadid had become to escalate as the elven slums began creeping up Mount Zafar, ground sacred to the Sky Cult and so Rasul, hero of the Battle of the Gate, became a rallying cry for the freed elves.

Free elves began to worship other ancient heroes as well, branded themselves with the mark of their patron, earning them the name Branded Heroes, or Batiir.

Azadah Breath-of-Fire would outlaw the religion and actively hunt it out, however, this was kind of her deal so it's not like this really stands out as just elvish persecution.

Today, the Batiir Cult is underground with the Watchman's Guild and the Court of Heaven still hunting it down.

Besides the brand of their patron, Batiir look no different than other elves.

Naming Convention: Kazakh

Orcs

Besides Humans, Orcs have probably had the biggest impact on Samarkand, both its culture and its government.

Terbishites

The Orcs originally came to Samarkand as conquering warlords from beyond the Salt Sea, under the Uldrek the Undying, who made the city the seat of his capital because of its splendor and richness. However, the richness was corrupting, some warned and so Uldrek returned to the Steppe with his son, and left his daughter Terbish, to rule as Khan in his stead.

The Terbishites proper, however, didn't emerge until the Khanite Civil War, where the grandson of Uldrek, Torgan Khan, returned to take what he thought was his. The Terbishites were those that sided with the current Khan.

The war was brutal, nearly razing Samarkand to the ground, but in the end, both sides lost, with the Terbishites and Khanates pushed together into the Kule District, where they continue their blood struggle to this day.

Today the Terbishites are known mostly as the Keepers of the Sacred Fire in the Temple of Atesh. Despite being the less xenophobic of the orc clans, they still wear their ancient costume, leader and hides, and still speak their own language, though one person in every Zuun being designated as Speaker to converse with the outside world.

The Terbishites, like the Khanates, still worship the Eternal Fire, manifest in the dragon god, Atesh, and even elect their own Khan, who they claim is the rightful heir of Samarkand and the Dragon Horde

Naming Convention: Mongol

Khanates

Pestered by their city dwelling cousins, these invaders first came to Samarkand to put a stop to the aggression, but were dragged into a lengthy war. These were lead by Kuzhuk Khan, grandson of Uldrek. It was told that Kuzhuk didn't care to rule the city and should they win, that his decedents would return to the Steppe, but not before salting the fields and erecting a shrine to Atesh to show that the Horde was unbreakable.

But the war dragged on, and as far as the two sides are concerned, still drags on today.

The Khanates now make their temporary home in the Kule District, though they keep their nomadic lifestyle by moving from house to house, while they try and perform genocide on their cousins. They care little for Samarkand or its problems, being only really increased in total revenge.

They often raid outside the District to collect food and things they need to survive.

Until the Terbishites, the Khanates still retain deep roots to their scavenger past and so don't necessarily go out of their way to wear 'traditional' horde clothing, instead simply wearing whatever they can loot.

Naming Convention: Mongol

Samarkandi Orcs

While the term "Samarkandi" represents every ethnic group that calls the city its home, only one group has adopted it and have gone out of their way to use it, and that's the Orcs that have left the clans and are trying to make a leaving in this new world.

In this, they make grand strides to adopt Korsan and Al'bahar modes of dress, customs, and gods (though worship of the Djinn, being ancestor spirits by nature, it lacking), leaving behind their language to adopt others as their "native" tongue.

The Samarkandi Orcs find jobs where they can, often as general labors, doing work that is too physically taxing for Jalpiqul, or as part of the military and Watchman's Guild.

They're extremely loyal to the city itself and the Khan by extension and the Khan's own bodyguard is made up of a majority of Samarkandi orcs.

Naming Convention: Samarkandi Orcs will most often adopt Korsan or Al'bahar names.

Dwarves

While they have long since been in the area, the Dwarves of Samarkand has always maintained a careful neutrality during the history of the city, but now with Hobgoblin encroachment, they've been pulled closer than arm's length.

Bodur

The Bodur are nomads who've actually been in the area since before the Founding Era because of its rich copper and zinc deposits that were needed to build their effigents. They even built a workshop on the slopes below the Palace Hill that remains in operation today.

Despite the Orcish Khans wresting control of the mines from their hands, the Bodur nomads remained unattached to the city's power struggles, simply picking up their gear and leaving until things had settled down.

That was until the reign of Azadah Breath-of-Fire. Because of their strict honor code and the fact that they traveled all over the known world, the Bodur had become a sort of ad hoc bank, where you could gain a token from any caravan and cash it in at any other caravan. During the expansion of the empire, this outstripped their profits from effigent production.

So, when the Si'adi came rolling into town, the Bodur were not happy about losing their customers.

And so, the Bodur charted the Effigent Guild and the Guild of Silver, to counteract the Si'adi's power in their city.

The Bodur worship the Istanu, who fights with the primordial abyss, Alalus, by ripping off parts of its flesh and crafting that into everything there is. They believe in creation as a form of worship, a way to defeat evil in all its forms.

Bodur wear rugged traveling clothes, stained with concoctions and burnt from their experiments. They can little for show and pomp, only caring about the practical side of things. This makes them off putting to most people who deal with them as they don't subscribe to everyday niceties.

Name Convention: Hittite

Istanuians

During the height of the tension between the Bodur and the Si'adi, there was a tipping point: the Day of Shadow, where the sun was blotted out. Some dwarves, convinced that this was a sign that the sun now thought that it had the power to deny its light to all, swore an oath to put it in its place.

They swore to kill the sun and create a new one. These became the Istanuians, who wear masks of brass and gold to symbolize the new sun that will come.

The Istanuians wage war with the Si'adi, performing terrorist acts by burning down sun temples and targeting Si'adi merchants in the city walls.

They're actively hunted by the military and Watchman's Guild.

Name Convention: Hittite

Hobgoblin

The newest comers on the scene, the Hobgoblins came as traders and bankers, invited specifically to the city and so most live in the lap of luxury, able to enjoy all the delights Samarkand has to offer. Still, their ruthless heritage isn't behind them.

Si'adi

These are the Hobgoblin bankers that form a ruthless coalition which has begun to solidify into a monopoly on minting and exchanging coin. 

Coming from a desert to the south, they've made their living first as warriors and then, as trade increased, as a stopping point for ships rounding the Horn of the World.

The Si'adi worship their sun god, Akhenatan, lord of earth and sky. Salvation in the cult is only gained by monetary donation and so the Si'adi are very keen on amass wealth for the new world.

Si'adi have adopted Korsan dress, though they openly parade their weapons and wear gold torcs around their upper arms to remember the debt they have to their creator for making them.

Naming Convention: Ancient Egyptian