Calimshan
Overview
Calishite Society
Calishite culture is a complex system of expectations and customs built up over centuries of immigration and cultural interaction, warfare, and empire building. Many of these nuances of proper social behavior are often lost on adventurers traveling from other nations, and Calishites of most social classes often see no need to enlighten muddle-headed barbarians of the correct way to act. Only if one does business with outsiders often is it best to teach business partners on the ways of the Calishite world. But before one delves into Calishite culture, it is best to learn how Calishite culture views others.Calimshan and Outsiders
As one of the oldest cultures that survived the Calamity, Calimshan takes a rather simpleminded view of the rest of the inhabitants of Ekrune and the Pacjour Sea region. During the first few centuries of the building of Calimshan, the region was flourishing and growing at an amazing rate, where as the nations to the south (Damara, Kymos, and Rashemen) and the civilizations to the West (Illuskar and the fortress towns of the Expanse) were little more than places where (in Calishite words) “your ancestors beat each other with sticks and rocks, casting spells quaintly but never truly civilizing”. The arrogance of a Calishite is one of the most ingrained social attitudes, and one which is truly hard to waver, no matter what wonders are beholden outside the Syl-Pasha’s land. Calishite’s hold their cultural identity as immortal, as Calimshan has been a land decimated by war many times, but every time they have bounced back stronger than ever. In a Calishite’s mind, his nation has endured warfare and terror greater than any other nation, and will endure long after your nation is simply dust beneath his boots.Calimshan and Money
Many folks see Calimshan as a culture of greed and avarice, where the gaining of wealth is the primary motivator. While this may be true for merchants elsewhere (especially in the nation of Chondath), it is too simple of an assertion in the case of Calimshan. In Calimshan, the true purpose of wealth is to acquire the luxuries and lifestyle that money can buy. The pursuit of money is only acceptable in order to reach a level of comfort where a person never has to work hard again or do something they do not wish to do. In other words, Calishites labor until they are rich enough to never work again. The lifestyle of the idle rich is the ultimate Calishite goal. Calishites often appreciate industry and initiative, but only when it is focused on a direct goal. Many frown at those who do more than is necessary or those who fritter away their efforts at needless tasks. “He does what he does not have to” is a well-known Calishite insult. It conveys that the person spoken about does not understand what is important and is wasting time, effort, and money for no good reason. However, those who believed that a life of luxury is nothing but sugared dates and scented baths have not learned their lesson on the way to the top. In Calimshan, being rich often takes a sharp mind and wit, or at least, someone's sharp mind and wit. To maintain such a life, the rich must truly be well planned, diverting funds to themselves through legitimate or illegal means, bribe the right people, keep the right connections, come up with new schemes to make their money grow, while also planning and destroying their enemies plans (who are also trying to destroy the plans listed for them). While the dream of idle life is often fantasized, it is often a deadly and dangerous life.Calishite Social Classes
Slaves - The lowest class is that of a slave. They retain no rights and are treated like animals. They are very often given no respect except what is agreed upon by themselves and their fellow slaves. Cattle are often treated better than slaves simply because cattle can often be raised and sold for a higher price than many cheap slaves. However, even in this lower class, a separate class system is recognized between the four types of slaves; labor slaves, personal slaves, house slaves, and harem slaves. Labor slaves are the lowest of the low, said to be fit only to toil at physical or menial tasks. Personal slaves are above labor slaves, they are body servants or attendants of upper class folk. Their status is higher simply because they are responsible for caring for upper class persons; keeping them clean, well-groomed, and well-dressed. House slaves work as general servants, cooks, and basic staff of an owners home, though this could include slave staff at temples or other organizations and buildings. Among all slaves, Harem slaves hold the highest status among the slaves, both for the amenities they enjoy in their lifestyles and the attention they both give and receive from their masters. See this link - Slavery in Calimshan Labor Class - Next up on the social scale, though still not high enough to count as people in the eyes of the ruling class, are the destitute and working poor. This class includes many occupations, from highly placed palace servants to dungsweepers. At the upper end includes those who rule over their same class, such as plantation overseers. What separates this class from slaves is their freedom, which those of the labor class steadfastly cling to as a point of pride, even though slaves may technically be better fed or housed depending on the job. The Skilled Labor Class - Next up the scale and at the low end of the middle classes are the skilled laborers and rank and file military. Artisans, craftsfolk, and scribes are members of this class, as many of them cannot pick and choose who they are paid by or pursue their crafts purely for their own enjoyment. Until they are proven and impress those of higher station, many among this class are treated as mere laborers. Still their specific skills make them more valuable than laborers in many situations. The Merchant Class - The class whose members make up most of the Calishite middle class covers the broadest range of people and occupations, though the majority are merchants. This goes from a scale of low end shopkeepers who are treated little better than laborers, to guildmasters commonly called “pashas” who are so highly regarded that they are often part of the upper class. Between the two extremes sit landowners, apothecaries and doctors, and priests of all sects. The Military Class - Military (mostly military officers) are equal in class status to the merchant class. However, the military is afforded a slightly higher regard than the merchant class due to the military’s close support for the Rhimod bloodline, as well as Calimshans warlike attitude in the past. Many outsiders mistake villa guards and personal bodyguards for members of the military class; and more often than not; such militias are armed and trained house slaves loyal only to their owner. Merchants are given far greater respect from the people than the military. Both classes’ upper ranks are technically considered upper class though most of the military is middle to lower class. This comes from a long standing practice of placing lesser sons (non heirs) in positions of military power, to keep common folks from controlling the military. The Advisor Class - The upper class of Calishite society is nearly a phantom class as many of its members also belong to other classes and have finagled their way into positions of power. In effect, anyone of skilled labor class to military class who has the ear and works with a ruler can be considered to belong to the advisor class. People often come and go from the advisor class swiftly unless given a proper title. The official advisors of the ruling class are those who rules sectors of a city of large rural areas. Druzirs, or precinct bosses, are the lowest official government posts of this class, often elder military men or pashas. The sabbalads (mayors) command three or more druzirs, and then in turn they report to the vizars, and also sometimes to sultans. The Ruling Class - The ruling class is the greatest and most powerful social class. It comprises the true rulers of Calimshan, the yshahs, the ynamalikkar, the vizars, the sultans, and the greatest ruler of all rulers, the Syl-Pasha of Calimshan. Among these, the vizars (chancellors) serve the sultans (princes) and the qysar (Emperor/Dragon King, though the person who holds this title is often just called the Syl-Pasha (Leader of Leaders)) as go betweens to the pashas and merchants, and oversee the urban sabbalads (mayors) and druzirs. The sultans, often elder children of the Syl-Pasha, oversee the military of the city and the nation and are often nearby as revered as the Syl-Pasha himself. The more rural yshahs (dukes) are often commoners who have risen to the height of controlling large plantations and tracts of grazing land; they are often formerly merchants. Ynamalikkar (landed gentry/lesser princes) are younger scions of the Syl-Pasha; they are often absentee rulers over large, thinly populated and rural areas. The Syl-Pasha of Calimshan is the ultimate ruler of Calimshan, his vizars and sultans, and all they survey. There is nothing or no one beyond the reach of them within their borders, and their word is the ultimate law. However, this authority rests at the top of the top of a conniving and shifting pyramid of power, and everyone below to Syl-Pasha is vying with everyone against everyone to move closer to the top. Thus, the Syl-Pasha must by necessity be the craftiest of souls among the greedy - or at least be advised by those who fit the bill. The Syl-Pasha is often called Pasha, a title that confuses many outsiders, as the title pasha is a much lower ranked one.Calishite Customs and Traditions
The true culture of Calimshan is only barely scratched by discussing the classes and titles of its people. The distinctiveness of Calishite culture is shown most powerfully in its customs and traditions, which have been preserved in its society for hundreds of years.“Face” and Pride
Few others on Aralla are as proud as Calishites are, and to many other cultures it is their only defining feature. Saving face and bolstering one’s pride are of great importance in Calimshan. Calishites must be treated as their title demands and as their public face deserves. Even though people might be the cruelest slave lords or the most loathsome peddlers of drugs or poisons, if they present themselves as honest businessmen with only the kindest of intentions, that is how they must treated in Calimshan. “Face” in Calimshan is both a bit of roleplaying and a subtle protection to keep one’s enemies from knowing too much. No matter what one may know of a person’s private affairs they must politely remain private and cannot be brought to light unless the person themselves brings them up. Often, nearly everyone knows something hidden about someone else, but they cannot publicly acknowledge any of it. It is considered to be the ultimate act of rudeness to point out when the trust does not match the public image someone has. Thus, an extravagant party could be attended by many potential trading partners all complimenting their host on his beautiful home and good fortune, while all knowing that the host has spent every last gold piece on the party in the hope of restoring his business. His friends will know to quietly establish deals with him and for him, while his enemies will revel in the ability to take advantage of their host’s generosity and not strike alliances with him. Personal pride and pride in one’s family and work are the main reason for this custom. In a society where every social move is scrutinized by one’s enemies and everyone outside one’s family is an enemy, sometimes all a person has is his or her pride. Once someone loses face, they also lose status. If the fall is great enough, they may be relegated to a lower social class, where the climb to restore wealth and position is far steeper and more difficult. While many outsiders look at the custom of “face” and see it as preening arrogance coupled with bald face lies, Calishites see it for what it is; an attempt to merely maintain one’s social position at all costs. Privacy is the most precious resource in Calimshan, for it allows the abandonment of “face” and the ability to do whatever it takes to further one’s goals. The best way to manipulate and destroy foes in Calimshan is to dig out the secrets behind their public faces and reveal them through untraceable agents. This is a potentially dangerous maneuver to oneself, though, for if the info is tracked back to its origin, Calishite societal customs demand equal ruin of both the one doing the spying and the target of the spying; the spies for daring to break face, and the targets for failing to live up to it. In addition, the one who revealed the secrets would face the revenge plots of his or her ruined targets and anyone associated with them.The Family
One’s immediate family (spouse and children) is the most important asset of all to a Calishite. The roles of both spouses are usually relegated based upon the position or job of one of them, with one spouse being the breadwinner and face of the family, and one managing the family itself. The breadwinner is responsible for the purchase and upkeep of the home and for maintaining the standard of living for their spouse and children. If one’s business takes a downturn, the children are the first deprived of luxuries, then the spouse, and lastly oneself. The reason for this is to maintain a healthy appearance within the social circle one travels and to thereby allow the failure to swiftly be fixed by newer deals made. Of course, the lack of obvious wealth displayed by oneself and their family is a dead giveaway to someone's poor financial state, but the rule of “face” demands it is never mentioned to someone’s face. The other spouse who is managing the family itself maintains the cleanliness and opulence of the home, raises heirs of the house, and manages the funds for said heirs and house. Of course, if this spouse is of a higher social class they may have servants who perform the actual chores, but this spouse is ultimately responsible for the servants’ performance in this duties. Within this role, a spouse can easily manipulate both the course of their spouses and children’s social and financial livelihoods, and to insult one’s spouse genuinely is said to bring disaster to a house. A great many powerful people have been brought down by the activities of their slighted spouses, whether the ruin came from a loss of finances due to them, blood feuds, or the intrigues of romance. The children’s roles within a household are as anything from pawns, to be used and discarded, to fully educated and loyal heirs whose duty is to sustain their parent’s house. Until the age of majority (16 years), a Calishite child must obey every command and request of either spouse. To openly (or even secretly) disobey one’s parents is a shameful act that, depending on the age of the transgressor, could lead to serious punishments. Children are always educated at home unless their aptitude for magic allows them to be schooled in the Art formally. All children receive basic education at home, but that can range anywhere from learning to speak Common and Calishite to and education equal to a ruler. The parents are not always the educators, and if they can afford it, they will hire tutors or vizars to educate their children. Upon reaching the age of majority, a child has five years in which to secure a marriage or relationship with another house of at least equal social class, and must also often establish themselves in a trade acceptable to the parents and earn enough to afford their own home. Those who fail to either marry or establish themselves may linger in their parents’ home in a state of disgrace, living there at their parents’ mercy is a shameful charity (which is frowned upon by Calishite society). In extreme situations, they may be ejected from their household into the streets, sent away to foreign lands, or simply disowned and treated as if they did not exist.The “Host”
If a person wants to be able to speak on equal terms with anyone of any social class, the best way (without penalty for trivializing others’ titles) is to be their host. As the host, a person can and must speak with every guest as if they were equals; this obviously does not apply to slaves. Accepting an invitation to someone’s house or party ties a person’s hands against doing any harm to said host, the host’s home, or family. None of these changes are considered breaks in the norm, to receive such a grant from someone's company is a burden of responsibility (especially if an upper class patron is answering the invitation of a host of a lower class). Hosts have many expectations placed upon them; enforced even more strongly than many of the Syl-Pasha’s laws. In the interest of keeping “face”, a host must always set as elaborate and expensive a table as they can provide. If a host is of a lower class than his greater guest, the host’s generosity must make up for the social difference between them, thus paying for the privilege of traveling even on the fringes of a higher social circle. Hosts must protect their guests from all harm, for any injuries suffered by a guest are attributed to the host as if he had done the harm directly. A host must provide for any travel expenses all guests incur to attend a function they sponsor, and many hosts send carriages (or even magic carpets, if they are so wealthy to afford them) to their guests’ homes and have them escorted. Finally, any harm visited upon a guest in transit is also attributed to the host; many a rising merchant has fallen because his guests were assassinated by rivals. A reverse of this custom applies to patrons of a shop or business, even though the shop owner could technically be regarded as a “host” of sorts. Anyone who crosses the threshold of a store (or tavern, inn, warehouse, etc.) cannot do the business, employees, or owner any harm. For their part, employees and owners must provide as much or as little assistance as the customer desires. Calishite thieves are said to never enter any place of business through the door, most often entering via windows or chimneys or breaking holes in the roof to avoid this social taboo.Food and Meals
No matter how high or low in station a person is, everyone in Calimshan (who can afford or find one) usually eats at least one high-sun (noon) meal. The meal often consists of one beverage (from water to fine wine), one piece of bread (ranging from a dry piece the size of a fist to huge loaves of honeyed bread), and one piece of fruit (often a dried fruit to imported and fine fruits from all over Ekrune). This has formed the minimal meal for all since the days of the first century AC. The evening meal begins (and sometimes ends) with a chicken or fish broth, full of vegetables and roots, with a side of hot bread. For those who can afford it, broth is followed by a meat course, usually mutton, fish, or chicken, seasoned with onions and garlic, and consumed with pickle paste or yogurt. Chicken sausages are also popular. Many of the kinder temples provide a high-sun meal to those who cannot afford it, while nearby pashas and sultans feast on dove’s hearts and other delicacies to supplement their basic diets. Whether rich or poor, all Calishites follow their meals with strong coffee. Ideally imported from Asora, it is drunk black and mixed with ground nuts and spices. Coffee could be considered a national obsession, and all Calishites consider themselves connoisseurs, spending hours debating the merits of various vendors and brewing techniques. Eating is always done with the right hand, whether using a utensil or not. Serving food or merely taking food from a server is always done with the left hand. To refuse food when it is offered is a great insult to your host. Many foreigners or adventurers may be suspicious of these actions, but poisoning a person’s food or wine is not common at all in Calimshan. In fact, the reasoning behind the strong custom of not harming a guest is a reaction to the many poisoning deaths common during the first two ages.Magic
Magic is so predominant in Calimshan that even the lowest of slaves is unimpressed by simple magics. Calishites seem to even be jaded compared to the rest of Aralla, since it takes spectacular, or at least unique magic to excite them. Their views of magic stem from their constant contact with the incredibly magical city of Gusthaven, as well as the magical knowledge and power held by the upper classes. It is also used in many ways in everyday life, such as for serving wine or cleaning the home. This does not mean magic is not important to Calishites, but that they deal with magic as a skill. If of common birth, magic’s practitioners are ranked among the skilled labor or military classes. Since knowledge of magic is just another skill, wizards are often looked upon as sages or mercenaries, either trading their knowledge or their skills for money or position. As wielders of magic grow in experience and influence, they are afforded greater social status and often manipulate themselves into vizar positions with little effort.Religion
Whereas other lands shun certain gods due to their evil natures while claiming tolerance for all, in reality only embracing the benevolent powers, Calimshan sees itself as the greatest land on Aralla because it accepts all creeds and religions—though it gives much more weight to its own creeds above all others. With a cultural imperative to have the biggest and best—or at least most civilized—of everything, the country has contained major temples to the lion's share of deities ever worshiped in Ekrune. Calimshan's temple priests often reflect the age of their houses of worship and the Calishite love of custom by adhering to antiquated traditions, even though this marks them as out of step with more progressive sects of their faiths. Religion provides motivation and purpose for Calishites in the same way it does others on Aralla. There are only two traditions within the Qysar’s domain that apply to religion: One’s faith cannot affect one’s trade relations, and temples or clergy are not barred from secular offices. A deal can never be changed or disallowed merely due the religion of either party in it. This practice keeps much of the trade that flows through Calimshan. Temples in Calimshan sponsor and openly own various businesses, the proceeds of which aid temples and their priests.The “Harem”
The oddest of social customs in Calimshan, at least from the view of outsiders is the harem, a collection of male or female slaves and servants dedicated to only two purposes: the pleasure and entertaining of guests and family, and the guaranteed succession of an heir for the house. Jhasin and Jhasina are the words in Calishite for what are often merely called harem slaves. The words loosely translate to “handsome” and “beauty”, as a striking appearance is the most obvious characteristic that separates them from other slaves. In fact, the jhasinnar and jhassinni have a higher station than other slaves and are arguably sitting higher socially than many in the labor class. The education of a harem slave makes the best of them equal in social value to those in the skilled labor class, for they are often versed in song, dance, art, storytelling, and other duties.Calishite Politics and Power
Outsiders are often very confused by Calimshan. The apparent inconsistencies in its titles, its strange power structures, and how authority is organized and obtained make little sense to them. Indeed, the webs of intrigue spun by all of the power groups and powerful folk within the cities of Calimshan are so intricate and interwoven that it would be useless that few insiders, let alone those on the outside, can even fathom half of what is in play at any given time. The main point of confusion (among other lesser ones) lies in the inconsistencies between the titles held by traveling Calishite businessmen and those who actually wield authority.Titles and Sovereignty
In a land where egos are large and arrogance is more common than bread, titles mean all and nothing to those in control. Within Calishite society, one’s name and titles are linked with one’s honor, and they are equally important to one’s social standing. The ability to wield actual authority is all, and what a person chooses to call themselves matters little to the ones holding greater power over them, provided the person does not challenge the capacity or jurisdiction of his betters. Since around 700 AC, strict observance of exact hierarchies and grants of title have fallen lax among the ruling classes. Rulers and nobility adopt whatever titles suit their fancy, and can even enforce the use of adopted titles within their territories. However, unless these titles are officially recognized by Calimport’s court by the Syl-Pasha, the titles are impressive sounding but meaningless. It is simple for a city ruler to decide he wishes to be called the Caleph (King) of that city; it is another thing entirely for him to be recognized by the ruling class in Calimport or another city as simply the sultan of that city. The laxness over titles is slowly changing though, with the ascension of the Syl-Pasha Jukhan yn Jaasima el Rhimod. In his overt negotiations to solidify his power base throughout the country, he is also slyly hinting to those around him that a return to the formal and strictly upheld hierarchy of titles of the past is on him mind. Calishite Titles| Title | Type of Title | Basic Equivalent in Modern Day |
| Aksar | Military | Soldier |
| Musar | Military | Sergeant |
| Djawal | Military | Knight, Noble Soldier |
| Chawal | Military | Lieutenant |
| Saref | Military | Janissary or Slave Champion |
| Amhir | Naval Military | Commander |
| Yuzas | Military | Captain |
| Shyk | Military | Major |
| Vizar | Bureaucratic | Chancellor or Advisor |
| Pasha | Bureaucratic | Guildmaster or Business Leader |
| Rysal | Naval Military | Ship Captain |
| Syl- | Noble | Prefix meaning "lord of" of "leader" |
| Druzir | Noble | Neighborhood Leader |
| Sabbalad | Noble | Mayor or Local Official |
| Balak | Military | Colonel |
| Ralbahr | Naval Military | Admiral |
| Qayadin | Military | General |
| Massatyr | Noble | Baron |
| Ruatsa | Noble | Count |
| Yshah | Noble | Duke |
| Ynamalik | Noble | Lesser Prince |
| Sultan | Noble | Prince |
| Caleph | Noble | King |
| Qysar | Noble | Emperor |
- Syl-Pasha Jukhan yn Jaasima el Rhimod
The Annuv
One facet of the proper observation of Calishite titling that is barely recognized by foreigners is the annuv, a hand gesture which is far more important among the upper classes than has been previously noted. Upper-class Calishites have attached to them all the titles of those beneath them as part of their own title, but to refer to all of those titles in conversation or in less-than-official court documents would be wasteful of paper and time. When a Calishite of the same class refers to a nobleman of lengthy titles, she or he can dispense with them by using the annuv to show the proper respect. Verbally, the speaker most often uses the first title, but can show equal respect through the use of the highest title. Then, using his or her left hand, all fingertips touching together, the speaker rotates that hand toward his or her heart as many times as the referred person has titles in addition to the one named. In other words, a vizar speaking of the Qysar's first son, could call him "sultan," but then would have to quickly perform four annuvs because the sultan has influence and title over the qayadin, the balak, the sabbalad, and the druzir titles. To perform fewer annuvs than is proper is a mark of disrespect that can have grave consequences for the speaker.Commoner Titles
When addressing someone unknown to the speaker, the person being spoken to is often given the generic title of Tabarif (male) or Tabarifa (female), both of which translate as honorable stranger, if the one being addressed is of obviously greater status and wealth than the speaker. Rafayam (male) and Rafayar (female) denote a greater respect for the subject from a speaker of a lower station, and translate as exalted sir/madam. Variant generic titles used across the Empire of Calimshan also include honorifics such as Alimarif (learned stranger) for a wizard or Sadidrif (powerful/strong stranger) for a fighter if the person addressed appears to be such a person. The only barely respectable title of Gharab (foreigner) is saved for those obviously not of Calishite descent and perhaps not worthy of any respect at all. Dahyarif (misplaced stranger) is moderately better, but it is used to convey that someone is obviously out of place in a certain setting and perhaps is to be pitied. Musadhyar (hapless strangers) are folk pointed out by the form of address used to speak of them as obvious targets for thievery or plots. In fact, an indirect way of accusing someone of being a thief is to call him or her a Muzha-dahyarif (shady person who does not belong) or a Tamramujah (greedy intruder), rather than using the common and direct word Sharakh, or lowly thief. Many of these forms of address are obviously not titles of distinction or particular courtesy, and used on the wrong persons could spell the death of the speakers.The Ruling Powers
The Pasha of Calimport (Qysar, also called the Syl-Pasha) - The Qysar of Calimshan rules over all of its people and has no fewer than seven official titles: Syl-Pasha of All Pashas, Syl-Sabbalad of Sabbalads, Syl-Ralbahr of the Navy, Syl-Qayadin of the Armies, Syl-Ynamalikk of the Lands of Three Rivers, Syl-Sultan of the Cities, and Caleph of Our People. Across Aralla he is known as the pasha of Calimport, after his seat of power and the recognized largest city on the continent. Most Calishites tend to refer to him as the Syl-Pasha, rather than just pasha of Calimport, to avoid any implied insult in reference to the superiority of his position. While most outsiders assume the Syl-Pasha’s rule to be absolute (as they presume the rule of those before him was), in reality Jukhan el Rhimod is one of the only people to come close to this potential in over 3 centuries. Before now, Syl-Pasha’s power was mostly held in the hands of their vizars and the pashas below them. Many made convenient places to tuck the pasha’s useless offspring into so that they did not interfere with true power players, even though such positions commanded a higher social status than those actually in control had. The situation has changed in the last several decades in modern day Calimport and other nearby cities. Here, the Syl-Pasha and his children now hold the highest positions both title and in real authority. The governmental restructurings that have made this situation a reality have not been easy, as they disrupt centuries old status quo. They have happened, however, and most expect that similar changes will pull together cities above the White River and below Zazesspur in the next decade or so. If they do not, either a new pasha’s dynasty will begin or veiled threats from Calimport will become more obvious and deadly for those who stand between the Syl-Pasha and absolute rule. The Syl-Pasha has spent the last decade reinforcing his rule by appointing or marrying his sons and daughters into positions of authority in Calimport and all the other cities of Calimshan. Given the surprising and strong loyalty shown to Jukhan by his children, authority in Calimshan is becoming centralized once more. And with one steadfast will driving the nation, it may actually become an imperial power.The Advisors
Those who belong to the ruling and advisor class hold the most immediate titles under the Qysar. Advisors previously held, and in some cases, still hold the actual power in governmental authority. From highest to lowest rank, the advisor rulers are sultans, ynamalikkar, yshahs, vizars, sabbalads, and druzirs. The truth of which title holds more power is fluid and complex in many cases. The Syl-Pasha Jukhan, after pulling authority from the advisor class during his rule, recognizes the need to watch them all closely, so he regularly spies on those beneath him through independent agents.The Sultans
As they are presented to foreigners, sultans are the “princes” of the realm, whether they are blood kin of the Syl-Pasha or merely good friends and allies, they hold to first rank below the Qysar. They often vie for the greatest authority in the Qysar’s court with his syl-vizar, though they all have their own personal areas of influence and control. Most sultans also hold other lesser titles, though they are often military ranks of less social rank. The sultans of Calimshan are all city dwellers, all the better to be close to their leader. Their primary role is to direct the military forces of their cities and the army and navy of Calimshan in general. They oversee as well the sabbalads of their cities. While the Syl-Pasha keeps direct command of some personal troops and his palace guard, all other military personnel answer to the sultan. 10 of his 17 older sons are all sultans in Calimport, Daraqadim, Zazesspur, Hanama, Saibayya, Zallusan, Nemesse, Grabby’s Reach, Myratma, and Nizwarin.The Ynamlikkir
The ynamalikkar are the social equals of the sultans and are equivalent to a wealthy landed nobility. Even though they are social equals of the urban sultans, they have less power as they operate outside of cities and are removed from the main places of political power. A ynamalik often only carries two titles: Syl-Yshah of two or more shanates (land divisions ruled by yshahs) and ynamilik of whatever region is their home. Their regions are often 10 times the size of a city’s region ruled by a sultan though they rarely have half the population, and most rural areas they rule are sparsely populated by slaves. Their main responsibilities include the protection of the plantations in rural areas, where much of Calimshan’s produce is grown. They must also maintain patrols of armed warriors to police and protect the trade roads. All in all, there are no fewer than 20 Ynamlikkir ruling over about two or three yshahs each.The Yshahs
A subordinate of a ynamalik in Calimshan, they are similar to a duke in power, however in actual clout, they are similar to a count, baron, or even a mere lord. The Yshahs are the overseers and masters of the plantations and other enterprises outside the cities. Politically rather low in influence (less than their social lessers, the pashas), they rarely enter the cities, where they are often looked at as country squires. Each Yshahs rules a shanate, a land division of a minimum of 5 square miles, but are often much more. They are responsible for food production on their own and their ynamalik’s plantations. However, given the importance of social status in Calimshan, few Calishites are willing to take on the additional work of supervising mining operations or direct the collection of wild spices in the foothills. These activities, while fiscally sound and often profitable than farming overtaxed land, constitute working too hard, a social sin in the pasha’s domain.The Vizars
As the most active agents of all levels of government, they hold together the government for the syl-pasha and their own interests, serving as middle men between the Qysar, Sultans, Sabbalads, and Druzirs, who hold political and military power, and the pashas and merchants, who wield economic clout. While socially the most prominent vizars are considered to be barely a step above the druzirs, therefore located near the bottom of the upper class. They are often invaluable and irreplaceable advisors. Vizars can have wildly different levels of social and political influence. Some vizars oversee but one sabbalad in a city. In Calimport, other vizars do not directly oversee any lessers but are syl-vizars over their fellows, allowing them to fulfill the Calishite dream of the least effort possible for the most cozy life. The most priceless and precarious position of the Syl-Pasha’s court advisor is held by Syl-Vizar Santad el Khalen. As sultans are seen as military princes under the Syl-Pasha, vizars are seen like classic merchant princes, as their influence is tied to money and knowledge.The Sabbalads
The “mayors” of Calimshan, their main responsibility is to oversee at least three druzirs and their drudachs. They are also the most common link between Calimshan’s government and the truly criminal dealings of the country’s underworld. In contrast to the sinister figure of the urban sabbalad, a sabbalad can also be the mayor of a village located in a shanate that is not directly part of a yshah’s plantation. Many of these villages provide services and resources that allow them to maintain their independence.The Druzirs
Before the recent changes made by Syl-Pasha Jukhan, the title druzir was simply a mere word and had little attached authority. However, in recent decades, druzirs have been given back the powers they used to have, and a druzir now rules their drudach like the Pasha rules all Calimshan. A drudach is what would be called a ward in a Chondathan or Damaran city. Each Calishite city or town has anywhere from 1 to a 1000 drudachs. The size of these drudachs varies by location, but the general rule is that a drudach contains at least 500 of lower class or above and no fewer than 10 buildings. Some small villages are no larger than a drudach, and thus are ruled by druzirs while some are big enough to be ruled by sabbalads. Within each drudach, the druzir is responsible for overseeing the smooth operation of trade, the safety of the public (at least the people who count), and the prosperity of the drudach’s citizens. A druzir cannot command troops of greater standing than the amlakkar allotted by his sabbalad or greater superior, and also are made to collect taxes and tariffs. In Calimport alone, over 100 druzirs hold power, and many are also pashas or military officers, or shadier figures in the criminal underworld.The Pashas
The pashas of Calimshan are often seen as the true movers and shakers of the realm. This is mostly true. This most flexible of titles carries the most variable grant of power, since pashas are rarely tied down by a particular requirement so they can focus on profit. Pashas control the guilds and businesses, and with them they control much more than mere coin.In fact, since they are not tied down to a specific territory like druzir or sabbalad, pashas often wield far more power than either of their superiors because their businesses cover a large area. Even with the new mandates and the new census, no accurate count of how many pashas there are within Calimshan exist.Law and Order
Compared to other realms where order and law are forces for good, Calimshan is a cesspool of corruption, graft, and greed. Its laws tend to support this structure. All the forces of law and order in Calimshan are structured to maintain the status quo of the Syl-Pasha’s rule and the slave state. While not totally immoral, unfair, or evil, Calishite laws and those who enforce them are harsh and unforgiving.Military Ranks and Orders
The Amlakkar The Farisans El Nallojal El Sadimmin El Qysaganni El Sikaena El GhadabaanThe Pasha’s Laws
Despite its very lawful and rigid structure, the laws of Calimshan are few and mostly unwritten. For more than a thousand years, the Syl-Pasha’s will (or that of a sultan or vizar) was deemed lawful enough to decide what was a crime and what was the appropriate punishment for it. Despite the lack of a uniform legal code, the amount of overt crime is far smaller in Calimshan that most would guess. Calishites maintain that this is because of the deterrent value of Calishite punishment: All penalties are harsh, and they always have been. Even the theft of a loaf of bread can see justice legally enacted by the owner of the baked goods stand, who is entitled to take anywhere from a finger to the whole hand of the person who stole from them. Typical penalties range from brandings and whippings (never in public, to save face) to the amputation of limbs to executions by beheading, to permanent enslavement. Corporal punishments are usually carried out by the wronged party or an amlak upon those of lower or middle class, and a military officer if of the upper class. Imprisonment is only done instead of enslavement if the person’s enslavement would lead to more unrest or political chaos.The Arcane Truth
Written down first by the first Syl-Pasha Jizar the Dragon and later updated and upheld by the Arcana Pansophical, the chief priority of these powerful arcane specialists is to maintain the “Truth of Magic,” a strict code enacted to never again allow the rampant misuse of magic seen during the early years after the Calamity. General members are referred to as “Guides,” while the higher circle of members who deal in judgment and oversight are called “Makers.” At least one member is established at each place of arcane learning. Membership is largely kept secret unless out of necessity, though the existence of the order is relatively common knowledge. Anyone found to be practicing magic is logged and checked up on routinely, as misuse of magic is grounds for arrest, judgment by the Makers, and punishment outside of the local law. Even so, their reach and oversight are not without limits, and many dark and terrible dealings manage to go unseen by the Arcana Pansophical. The Pansophical’s myriad rules on the use and misuse of magic are detailed at length in centuries of amendments to the full text of the Truth of Magic.Crime and Punishment through Foreign Eyes
For the most part, a Calishite penal code does not exist, objective and fair laws, if they were decreed or enacted at all, have not existed or been enforced since the 6th century AC. Many rangers and Cloaks (the anti-slaver guild of adventurers that started the Chondathan revolution and are now a popular adventurers guild throughout Chondath and Damara) state that in Calimshan, like in the wilderness, the law is very simple: The strong prey on the weak; might makes right; and you are only truly safe when you respect territory and do not attempt to take what is claimed by a strong opponent. Even many paladins of Harrus, who wish to uphold and honor all laws, recognize the laxness and subjective nature of law in Calimshan. Still, Cloaks and many others give these points of advice to those traveling in Calimshan.- Never make direct eye contact with someone far above your social rank. If an adventurer stares into the eyes of a Yshah or someone with more authority, they are insulting the ruler by placing themselves at the ruler’s level. While some Calishite rulers laugh at the audacity of outsiders and think it more funny than anything, the more typical reaction is to call for the immediate banishment from the building or even the city if the reaction is severe enough. While often only done by the most cruel of rulers, technically the ruler could call for the immediate arrest of the person and cost them a hefty fine. This rule also applies to pashas who run powerful guilds, although for the sake of business face, this is usually not done.
- On the topic of eye contact, to make eye contact with one’s spouse without their permission in the middle of having a conversation with the first spouse (if the second spouse is not part of the conversation) is as scandalous as having an affair, and many jealous husbands have fought duels of honor with confused adventurers and wanderers over this.
- Never publicly contradict any amlak (member of the watch), soldier, military sailor, or person of pasha social status or above unless you wish to be thrown in a cell or executed on trumped-up charges. Such folk often watch for outsiders to bully, and they do so often. They trust that legitimate merchants and folk worthy of doing business within Calimshan know where to go and what to do before and after dark. Anyone who is obviously not Calishite and is doing something unusual or strange or who is just in the wrong place at the wrong time often becomes a target of this.
- Failure to meet a debt, theft of someone’s property, or bearing false witness to authorities are all crimes with punishments that vary depending on the people involved and where the crime occurs. Among low class folk and in seedier city areas, the punishment usually takes the form of indentured servitude, full enslavement, the severing of a limb, or a duel of honor against the wronged party. The accused party always has the choice of weapons in these duels, but the wronged party always chooses the time of the duel. Thus, duels of honor in lower class crimes can technically be ambushes. Only in high society do fair fights occur, as honor is an important aspect.
- Revealing apparently criminal activities to the authorities should not be done lightly. The line between illegal and legal in Calimshan is so blurred that many foreigners assume they are one and the same. This is not true, but revealing criminal activities to the authorities can lead to many woes. Often, honest folk become celebrated friends of the authority for a short time, before being identified and killed or plotted against by the criminal party. Should the authority secretly support this illegal activity, the exposer is oftentimes just killed.
- If all else fails, and you are branded an outlaw by a city, just leave the city. What few outsiders remember about Calimshan is the strange focus that the population has for urban areas over everywhere else in the nation. If a criminal flees to the Sere, the Cliffgan woods, or the Cliffgan mountains, they are merely commuting their death sentences to the wild instead of to the city, in the opinion of most city folk. Such people mostly just assume that fled criminals are dead in several weeks and do not even attempt to pursue them or even report their activities to other cities. Unless criminals return to the same city and encounter people who recognize them, they have little chance of being caught.
The Underworld’s Code of Behavior
Given that so many important people have ties to or participate in the Calishite underworld, it isn’t surprising that the “laws” for organized crime are similar to the nation’s laws. In fact, the underworld code is slightly more forgiving than the law, along with being more clearly defined. Some of the primary rules are:- A person’s family is always beyond harm unless family members are involved in the business at hand. To harm innocents only results in seeing nearly everyone rise against you and destroy you. In the underworld far more than in national politics, maintaining the status quo is paramount. This rule is similar to the veiled threat that hangs over the head of most military commanders, whose families live under the Syl-Pasha.
- Meetings between opposing groups are only secure if held within temples or holy places. Lies cannot be told on holy ground (unless it is a god of trickery or lies), and equal donations to a meeting place must be made by all parties involved for the privilege of allowing peaceful talks. Of course, much thought is put into the location of these meetings, as a deity may favor one group over another. So far, this has led to a general trend toward meetings occurring more often in temples that serve neutral gods.
- No matter what a person’s legal title, his or her underworld title and status is held separately. This practice has led to much confusion over titles and exactly how much power a person holds.
- All criminal activities are discussed either at night, below ground, or in a specific room of someone’s home designated solely for that purpose during the day. Those in the underworld are caught openly discussing illegal business in inappropriate settings, their superiors often brand or tattoo them to remind them of the clandestine nature of their business. Anyone who breaks this rule more than once is obviously a criminal to the naked eye, and a loose-lipped one at that.
Money and Coins
Since time immemorial, money has served as a symbol of power among the tents, bazaars, and khanduqs of Calimshan. It is said that more coins have been minted in Calimshan than exist in the coffers of everywhere on Ekrune combined (excluding the hoards of dragons). In modern Calimshan, coins of all manner of shapes, sizes, and makes change hands constantly, for nearly any currency known and recognized across Aralla is used by Calimshan’s merchants. Modern Calishite coins are minted separately to different designs and are called different names in all the major regions of Calimshan. This practice is a remnant of the former relative independence of many places in Calimshan compared to the rule of the Syl-Pasha. However, the growing adoption of slang terms for coins of similar metal, based on those issued from Calimport, is proof of some unity of terminology between Calishite traders. For now, coins have been standardized in shape so that that copper and silver coins are triangular, gold coins are circular, and platinum coins are square.Money Lending and Money Changing
Money lenders have been conducting business in Calimshan since the early 3rd age, and they are often the most highly placed and powerful of citizens. In fact, finding a money lender who is not at least a druzir (if not a pasha) is a give-away they are new to the business. Changing one currency to another is the bread and butter trade of Calishite money lenders. There is no lack of foreign currency within Calimshan and few Calishite traders do not accept them. However, folks often need specific types of currency in large quantities or denominations. Most money lenders clear a flat 20% profit from these transactions, though if the desired type of coin is rare it may be as high as 30%. As in many nations, trade bars and jewelry are the currency of choice when purchases are made for costs higher than would be easy to pay for in coin. Coin Names| Region | Copper | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
| South | Jade | Topaz | Beryl | Pearl |
| Central | Hatchling | Wyrmling | Dragon | Great Wyrm |
| North | Rassine | Messine | Narcene | Redolene |
Charity and the Poor
Generosity is expected by all levels of Calishite society, but donating or accepting charity is not considered anything less than detestable by any except the most destitute. While in Chondath (another society that would be considered a merchant society) some may use charity to enhance their social standing and their public image, Calishites see giving to charity for the most part to simply be a waste of money. After, in Calimshan if one wishes to not be poverty stricken, one must work to earn money. There is never a lack of places to work in cities, villages, or plantations, and someone is always looking for dockhands, sewer workers, house servants, or people to perform menial jobs. So Calishites see poor folk as lacking in industry and character, and should be ashamed to ask for money without working for it.Civilized Calimshan
While many are unconvinced that Calimshan is civilized at all, given its fundamental support of slavery, its peoples’ abilities to control their environment and surroundings are all that is needed to prove otherwise. Over the last 1100 years, many things, both great and small, have become intrinsic parts of Calishite culture. Below are many things that make Calimshan great, from buildings and architecture to monasteries and settlements.Architecture
Many features of Calishite architecture are unique in Ekrune. In general, people throughout Ekrune think of Calishite architecture as being composed of lots of domes, towers, and arches. To the casual observer, this is correct. There is, however, more to find if one looks. Calishite brickwork is often very stylized and decorative, whether stone, mud brick, or more expensive and treasured glazed tile or stone. Unlike many utilitarian eastern structures, many Calishite buildings have stood for a very long time, and as part of their upkeep, they have been ornamented and their stonework enhanced. Ornamental masonry often used massive bricks and form patterns constituting a wall or places a decorative brickwork facade over a structural brick core. Decorative bricks are often set at varying depths to create striking texture effects with light and shadow in the sun. Very little paint or additional color ornament is used in Calishite architecture because of the wide use of advanced glazing techniques using exotic and wondrous colors on stone and tile. The knowledge of how to mix glazes of certain colors, apply them, and fire them to a particular pattern on certain materials is a skilled trade by itself. Mixing different colors of specially shaped glazed tiles in patterns along domes of walls is not only accepted, but encouraged/ Thus, many a pasha’s villa has peacock-blue roof tiles or phoenix-tail-red minarets, as the colors of one's home are further indications of one’s status. Though some eastern and southern folks that frequently joke that garish results of the practice prove that all Calishites are colorblind. Another popular symbol of Calishite architecture are pierced screens, such as in windows. Given the hot summers in Ekrune, Calishite buildings are constructed to promote air circulation for cooling purposes and often have backup inner windows for the winter (despite winters not being truly harsh until you go north in Calimshan). Screens are often laid out in intricate, seemingly woven patterns, and are often made from wood, carved stone, and sometimes even metal. Depending on the screen, the holes can go from inch wide to 8-inch-wide apertures. Screens also make great defensive tools, as archers can easily fire out of a screen’s holes while the screen offers limited protection. Screens can even be magically enhanced with other properties, such as allowing certain folk to pass through as if it did not exist, to glow white hot under the touch of a thief, or just perfuming the air as it flows. Domed buildings are among the key architectural features of Calimshan. The typical modern form of dome adds load bearing corners so the dome can rest on an octagonal, rather than a rectangular base. Some buildings transform this interior octagon into other shapes via a facade or other brickwork to create unique visual effects for viewers of the dome (inside and out). Alongside domes, arches and pillars are prevalent in all but the most basic of Calishite architecture. Pillars often support the arches, since there are fewer interior walls to bear the load within Calishite buildings. Both arches and pillars can range from smooth to elaborately decorative in shape or ornament. Minarets are everywhere one looks across the country. These tall, slim towers sport few windows but always have a number of jutting or inset parapets through which air can pass. They make great watchtowers, which is their primary function in cities and on trade roads. From the third age onwards, dragons and drakes have become like the gargoyles of southern buildings, and they adorn the corners of thousands of buildings much in the same way. Mosaics are Calishite decoration at its most refined, elegant, and splendid. Few interior floors or walls do not feature mosaics in abstract patterns or forming representative pictures of grace and lush color. Many external garden paths, pools, and fountains are also adorned with multicolored stone-chip decorations. Long held as a trade secret among Calishite mages, many mosaics of certain styles, patterns, and materials can be enchanted with effects as wide as the mosaics themselves. The largest mosaic pattern in Calimshan is the floor of the Pasha’s Palace in Calimport. If seen from above, you could note a dragon’s tail in the courtyard and twisting throughout much of the first floor, its body reaching into every room, and it’s head cocked as if listening in on the pasha’s throne room. This single mosaic creature covers nearly an entire mile!Cemetery Architecture
The majority of grave sites in Calimshan are mass graves with few markers, for the resting places of slaves are usually inconsequential to all in Calimshan but the worms. These sites do not feature any architecture at all, though they can be contained within standard cemeteries if it is more trouble to transport the dead slaves out of the city. Cemeteries follow unique architectural rules all their own. They are always walled enclosures with interior walkways raised at least five above ground level - the level of the actual graves and tombs. Gates into a cemetery are always flanked by statues of cats, seen as guardians of the dead in old Calishite legends. City cemeteries are also usually home to hundreds of cats at all times, and harming a cat within a cemetery is heavily taboo if not called a crime of law by an amlak or vizar. Common markhouts (tombs) are single-level mud-brick buildings with a glazed tile or stone frieze at the base of their small domes with a screened doorway that faces east (but does not open since it is sealed after the interment of the deceased in their sarcophagus). The color and brightness of the glazing reveals the status of the deceased, The markhout is then further sealed by being enclosed in a 5-foot-high solid wall, the 6-inch-wide to 5-foot-wide top of which becomes part of the maze of cemetery walkways. Only thieves, mourners, cats, and the dead walk on the same level as the tombs.Caravanserais
Despite its relatively active trade routes, the wilds of Calimshan can still be incredibly dangerous. Calimshan was among the first powers whose traders ventured into unknown lands. What made the roads safe and kept trade stable for all the years of war and battling were the rural caravanserais. Out on the road, the toughest time was night, when everyone in a caravan was at risk from bandits, predators, or other dangers in the darkness. Other issues for traders were the inclement weather and absence of recognizable shrines for all to use for prayers to their deities. Starting as simple walled enclosures within which caravans could make stops for the night, caravanserai grew to take on additional roles and fill some of these needs. Some folk abandoned the harsh life on the road to tend to the growing rest stops. Standard formats of caravanserai took form in the 3rd Age, and has changed little since that time. While some remain intact, most remain only as ruins, destroyed by war and raids, or converted into Khanduqs or structures of another purpose. From the outside, caravanserai looked like small forts, and they were built nearly as strong as some of them. The external walls and at least half of the interior of any caravanserai were always constructed of stone or mud brick for defense. The walls (glazing and decoration absent) were never less than eight feet thick, and the singular gate leading inside often had a double portcullis to prevent its capture. Each caravanserai had from one to four minaret towers of no less than four stories in height, so caravans could be seen from far away and receptions could be prepared by those who watched for them. The ground levels of the caravanserai contained the stables and warehouse for caravan goods, which either remained in the wagons for further travel or were unloaded for sale to passing merchants. The upper stories were the living quarters, guest rooms, dining areas, and taproom. The central courtyard was almost always alive with activity any time of day or night. The central pools and walls made a natural place to gather, though rarely when the blazing highsun heat beat down directly overhead in the summer. The pools provided water for animals and humans alike. Many caravanserai provide special services to travelers to lure them to a particular site rather than that of a rival. Some even made their own ales and wines, others provided entertainment of a wide variety, and still others took up manufacturing efforts, turning raw materials into goods.Khanduqs
By the height of the 4th age in Calimshan, caravanserai dotted the hills and plains of the Pacjour Sea region. As trade started ending Calimshan’s isolation in its safeholds, more and more folk began settling near or around the caravanserai, and villages and towns rose around the former rest stops. At this time (and to this day), caravanserai developed a great many advanced amenities as standard features within their large enclosures: numerous warehouses for goods raw materials, stables, inns, shrines, and even impromptu market when multiple caravans met. Once caravanserais and settlements came together to create new cities and towns, the trading post and inn took on new forms and functions. Within the walls of a city or town, these areas of amenities became known as khanduqs. The urban locations of the enclosed and organized khanduqs resulted in a number of changes in the functions and features of the old caravanserai template. The minarets no longer were necessary for defense, as the community itself provided the security, and they became largely decorative homes for the khanduq owner or full temples of a specific deity. A second gate often pierced the wall opposite the main gate, allowing the free flow of traffic through the khanduq and into the city around it. Stabling animals became a lesser function, while the space devoted to the warehousing of goods rose. The khanduq provided cheap temporary housing and meals near one’s important goods, but the stables, taverns, and entertainment enterprises moved into the community rather than stay only restricted to the khanduq. Moneychangers took up residence inside or set up stands nearby to serve the need to exchange coins. In addition, khanduqs provided a concealed and wall-defending safehold for concentrated valuables - as the trade in gems and jewelry grew, so did the need for heightened security, especially far from one’s home.Markets
As could be expected, the khanduqs and caravanserais gave way to the modern markets that Calishites know today. Open-air tent and cart markets at first collected at the fringes of the professional and permanent khanduqs and were a hodgepodge of vendors and goods. Modern Calishite markets in the larger cities and even in many smaller towns are strictly regulated, and there are certain protocols and the rules that are followed. Foodstuffs are almost without fail sold from open-air carts, not booths enclosed by ceilings or tents. Calimshan birthed the “bazaar”, a structure where goods of a certain type are sold in proximity to each other specific streets, leading to the leather bazaar, the metalwork bazaar, the sages’ bazaar, and so forth. Bazaars are usually near khanduqs and caravanserai in a webwork of streets that grow in a set patterns. Closest to and often flanking the primary gate of the permanent commercial structure (the khanduq or caravanserai) are foodstuffs; followed on either side by spice merchants and vintners; then leatherworkers, weavers, and tailors; then armorers and smiths - which are strategically kept away from the gates of a khanduq. These street bazaars radiate out from their permanent core structures, and encircling them all are lesser commercial goods and services, from mercenaries seeking employment and sages dispensing advice, to lamp and equipment sellers or scribes looking for books to copy for fees. Bear in mind that, while candles and incense might be sold from a bazaar next to a temple and the booksellers near them peddle scholarly wares, the items of greatest value from both common groups are bought and sold within the permanent markets of the khanduq. Common clothes and textiles are found among their bazaars, but furs, rare silks, and precious fabrics would be sold within the safer, more expensive, and more exclusive khanduq courtyard markets (if not through a direct deal with some particular khanduq’s vizar). Calishites, unlike the Chondathans that broke off from them, never begin a trade at less than 300% of what they are willing to accept as a price, and anyone who pays initially declared rates in a Calishite market is likely branded a fool and also swamed upon as an easy; “he pays first offer” is a polite Calishite phrase that suggests a subject is foolish or naive.Cities and Towns
Calimshan’s cities are all distinct and individual in nature. Unlike their eastern cousins, the cities and settlements of Calimshan all follow certain structural basics. While some villages fall outside this rule, nearly every settlement in Calimshan is walled and fortified. Inside the walls, their shapes may be different, but they are all organized the same. Calimshan’s way of differentiating a city from a town has less to do with the population numbers and more to do with the amount of money generated by the settlement. Thus, while their sizes and population do make them metropolises and could rival the capitals of smaller nations, towns like Nizwarin are treated as lesser communities as they are not in great places for trading. Changes of fortune and influxes of trade can and do change the status of a community, and thus many towns have been cities and vice-versa, though Calimport has been a city from it’s first founding by Jizar the Dragon.Internal City Organization
Every city, town, village, and settlement of more than a dozen buildings shares the precinct structure established during the First Age, though it is better known among Calishites as the drudach system. From above, Calishite towns and cities look like puzzles pieced together with the boundaries of many miniature towns (the drudachs) interconnecting into a larger whole. Depending on the size and opulence of a settlement, it can contain anywhere from one to over 100 drudachs. Unless a village consists of only one drudach, the community is divided up by clearly marked boundaries into several drudachs, which could be anything from a low row of stones or a wooden fence (in small rural towns and villages) to the city standard of 3 foot high and 5 foot wide mud brick or stone walls. While the physical size of a drudach is rarely an issue, all drudachs must contain at least:- At least one religious area (shrine, temple, or other holy site)
- Living quarters for those dependent on the sites within the drudach
- One place for refreshment (well or fountain, tavern, inn, or feasthall)
- Either a marketplace (tent market or khanduq) or an administrative building for the greater settlement plus one other service building (blacksmith, armorer, guildhouse, etc.)
- At least one site must also be allowed for the quartering of the amlakkar, the drudach’s watch of at least 13 to 25 persons
Population Figures
The following statement by Vizar Achmed el Imnt, (census-taker of Calimport), conveys some of the difficulties inherent in obtaining accurate censuses in Calimshan. “Previous reports on the populations living within the syl-pasha’s land were altered ridiculously. As his honorable majesty Syl-Pasha Jukhan el Rhimod has deemed it, we have now restored the sensible methods of the early ages in counting our people. Whereas before all slaves and dependent rural families were counted among a city’s population, we now only consider and count those citizens of worth within a city. The previous way of counting used those inflated census numbers to excessively tax (and vex) the lesser pashas, vizars, and sultans. The enlightened nature of Syl-Pasha Rhimod allows us all the witness the true nature of Calimshan unclouded by the irrelevancies of the worthless and the rabble.” While often unmentioned among the population figures given within a city and town breakdowns, here are the general figures for the number of slaves and indigent poor within and around Calimshan.- Within the cities, one to two slaves per citizen is the norm, this average factors in the large numbers of urban poor against those with dozens of slaves. Realistically, the number of people living in a city could be double or more what is noted for the population.
- Outside of a city or town, people too poor to live within the settlement tend to congregate near it for safety. These farmers, peddlers, and beggars add an additional 15% to most population figures.
- The inhabitants of the shanates and their plantations might triple the population figures of all the settlements combined if they were added to urban figures. 85% of the people in those shanates are slaves, another 13% are indentured servants, and 2% are owners and overseers.
Attire and Armaments
What immediately strikes those not from the Empire of Calimshan is the distinctive manner in which those from Calimshan dress. Calishite clothing is always loose and airy for comfort in the general heat of the hot summers, as well as being able to be packed for the cooler winters, but the choices of what specific garments one wears depends on wealth and social position. A keffiyeh is a traditional head cloth worn by nearly everyone across Calimshan. It covers the head and hangs down by the neck, it protects the face, head, and hair from the harsh sun. It is secured on the head with a set of cords, a skullcap (covered by a turban), or turban wrap. In some cases, a turban alone is worn by itself or over a skullcap. Among the higher classes, turbans are often secured by an ornate brooch. Slaves, however, are denied even the simplest of head coverings. Many members of the lower classes wear simple cotton or wool trousers and light linen shirts or tunics, if any shirt is worn at all in the summer is the common masculine clothing. Also standard is a vest worn open over a shirt, and the more embroidery one can afford to decorate the vest, the better. Common feminine clothing includes trousers, tunics, blouses, and sometimes vests, or they wear what is called a caftan, a full body robe, and many higher class caftans come with a veil for the face. For jewelry, face rings are often common, as well as bracelets and anklets. Worn by many people to protect against inclement weather is a jellaba, a heavier woolen and fabric robe that hangs down to the feet, if they can afford it. The moneyed classes wear similar clothes to the lower classes, although with greater dye and embroidery (often with metallic thread of gold or silver woven into silk). While sashes are often worn by nearly everyone in the Empire, only those of the ruling class are allowed to wear sashes of a golden color or containing gold thread. In summer months, all those of lower classes tend to go barefoot if not wearing armor most of the time, though the slightly higher class often wear sandals. In colder months, boots become common among most citizens, and slaves are also equipped with primitive boots. Few folks wear boots in the summer, due to the heat, and use is limited to exclusively armor based. Given the heat of the region, armor is only worn if a person is expecting trouble. Those who wear armor in the summer prefer a light chain mail employed with a shield. Standard armor worn in more northern climates can be worn here as well, but without a rest or a way of cooling off, a person can become incredibly uncomfortable. Commonly sold, armor is often enchanted to reduce heat. All weaponry is available and common in Calimshan, those some are easier to find than others. Scimitars are the standard bladed weapon for warriors in these parts, and most armor and weapons are more ornamental and beautifully designed than other places. In the last 2 centuries, firearms have become more and more common and gunsmithing has become a popular trade in many large cities.Power Groups
The government and upper class folk of Calimshan’s cities are not the only folk with political and social influence. While the ruling class, led by the syl-pasha. Tries desperately to hold on to and control all the power with an iron grip, much of it slips through their fingers and into the hands of many others. While they are not formally considered ruling powers by anyone, these power groups remain, and people remain well aware of their influence.Adventuring Companies
In and of themselves, adventurers do not formally comprise groups among the Empire. They wield a not significant amount of social and monetary influence, however, as they are sources of both legendary tales and wondrous lost magic. Adventurers were once outlawed during the 5th Age to 6th Age, but they are now only moderately censured, as many of them were either “barbarians” from the northern or eastern lands or wanderers and escaped slaves. Still, with the right sponsors and patrons, an adventuring company can easily find itself mixing with the ruling classes, entertaining them with recent exploits and perhaps displaying a magnificent piece of jewelry or item. Many adventurers laugh at themselves or each other for traveling in these circles, swearing they never thought they would stoop to being “trained bards for the pashas”. Still, when money is scarce and they are in need of a commission, smart parties seek wealthy employers. The Clenched Fist The Shining Scimitars of Mullivan The Slayers Take The Pathfinder Society - The Pathfinders are not common in Calimshan, in accordance with their general free spirits and opposition to slavery.Other Power Groups
The Rundeen The Janessar The Hakkari The Nadhari The Night ParadeDemography and Population
Total Population : 11,132,630 non-slave citizens in 1200 AC
Races (Citizen) -
81% Human (Majority Calishite, Minority Chondathan, Illuskan, Kymosian, Damaran)
8% Dwarf (Majority Hill Dwarves, Minority Mountain Dwarves)
3% Orc (Majority Tuskbreaker, Very Small Minority Tribal)
3% Elf (Majority High Elves, Minority Wood Elves, Very Small Minority Wild Elves)
2% Half Elf
2% Halfling
1% Others (Free Tieflings and Elemental Races, Beastfolk, Drow, Aasimar, Gnomes, etc.)
Races (Slave) -
28% Elemental Races (Majority Undine and Oread, Minority Slyph and Ifrit)
26% Planetouched Races (Majority Tieflings, Minority Aasimar)
15% Goblinoids and Orcs (Majority Hobgoblins, Minority Bugbears and Orcs)
13% Beastfolk (Majority Deerfolk and Bearfolk, Minority all others)
11 % Human (Majority Calishite, Minority Chondathan, Illuskan, Kymosian)
6% Dwarf (Majority Duergar, Minority Hill and Mountain Dwarves)
1% Others (Wild Elf, Drow, etc.)
Founding Date
101 AC
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Demonym
Calishite
Leader Title
Head of State
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Currency
Metal Coinage
Official Languages
Related Traditions
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
