Qadirax
The easternmost nation of the Inner Sea region, Qadira is both a foothold and a gateway—the beginning or ending of the lucrative overland trade routes that cross vast Casmaron, and the farthest arm of a powerful empire that looms large, ever ready to swallow the independent nations of the Inner Sea.
Long ago, the high deserts of Qadira were home to nomadic herders who mingled with local genies and elementals, giving rise to a large population of geniekin. Even today it’s not uncommon for geniekin to be born to parents who may have otherwise had no idea of their elemental ancestry. Qadira’s early inhabitants created little in the way of permanent settlements. When the armies of the Padishah Empire of Kelesh rolled west into the region, seeking a trade port along the Inner Sea, these scattered bands had little choice but to assimilate into their conquerors’ society.
By far the invaders’ greatest influence on the region was the introduction of their Keleshite empire’s patron goddess, Sarenrae. With her dervishes wielding healing light and righteous steel, the Dawnflower spread across the Inner Sea like a grass fire, finding legions of converts while sparking wars in northern Garund. This dichotomy between healing and harm was felt even within Qadira itself, where Sarenrae’s faith is the state religion, as the goddess’s emphasis on forgiveness clashed with Kelesh’s expansionist tendencies. Most recently, the church’s push to abolish slavery—a crusade that seems poised on the brink of victory—has made its priests unwelcome in slaving ports like Sedeq, where bottled djinn, shaitans trapped in amber, humanoid prisoners, and caged monsters all line the slave block.
As the point of Kelesh’s spear, Qadira earns little love from its neighbors. Nobody inside or outside its borders has forgotten the way the empire swooped in to annex Osirion for millennia, or its centuries of brutal warfare with Taldor to the north. Of late, the rise of Grand Princess Eutropia as a strong ruler in Taldor has forced Satrap Xerbystes II to quiet his saber rattling. While the prideful satrap might wish otherwise, final command of the nation’s armies belongs not to him but to his vizier Hebizid Vraj. Hebizid was appointed by the Padishah Emperor himself and able to overrule the satrap, should Xerbystes make decisions against the empire’s interest. The satrap focuses instead on economic victories and defending the hundred stone watchtowers along the contested border. He satisfies his martial desires with the Peerless, a hand-selected group of heroes who undertake impossible missions into the nation’s wild places for their monarch’s glory and entertainment.
Ordinary Qadirans are just as proud as their leaders, and with good reason: each day they see their shores flooded with visitors who gape at the marvels of the Keleshite empire, from its animated siege engines and flying carpets to bands of genie mercenaries and great elemental-powered sandships that sail the dunes on phantom winds. Caravans arrive daily in Katheer, showcasing creatures and knowledge unseen in the west, and the Venicaan College of Medicaments and Chirurgery blends magic and medical science to train the greatest healers for thousands of miles. Most Qadirans are legendarily persuasive, confident, and concerned with luxury and status, yet also honorable and generous. Hospitality is both sacred and formalized, with breaches of etiquette risking deadly feuds. Even criminals observe these codes of conduct.
Outside of the great caravan cities, Qadiran settlements are small and must defend themselves against feral giants, draconic beasts, angry elementals, and the other creatures of the desert. Sometimes residents are able to live in harmony with these strange creatures, such as in the scholarly enclave of Gurat, where a cyclops prophet called the Mouthpiece speaks invaluable truths to the satrap and is guarded by a thousand deaf soldiers. Legends also speak of independent settlements of geniekin high in the Zho Mountains, still resisting the empire’s control. Though the settlements are hidden by powerful illusion spells, adventurers occasionally stumble across them, or they may reveal themselves to the worthy in moments of need. The more common outcome for adventurers, however, is finding only ruins, like those of Al-Bashir, whose resident harpies devour unwary caravans, or of lost Shadun, where shadows with burning eyes walk the ashen streets. Most practical caravan leaders headed through Qadira’s deserts hire plenty of guards, making the nation a popular destination for both foreign mercenaries and elite local sellswords.
Long ago, the high deserts of Qadira were home to nomadic herders who mingled with local genies and elementals, giving rise to a large population of geniekin. Even today it’s not uncommon for geniekin to be born to parents who may have otherwise had no idea of their elemental ancestry. Qadira’s early inhabitants created little in the way of permanent settlements. When the armies of the Padishah Empire of Kelesh rolled west into the region, seeking a trade port along the Inner Sea, these scattered bands had little choice but to assimilate into their conquerors’ society.
By far the invaders’ greatest influence on the region was the introduction of their Keleshite empire’s patron goddess, Sarenrae. With her dervishes wielding healing light and righteous steel, the Dawnflower spread across the Inner Sea like a grass fire, finding legions of converts while sparking wars in northern Garund. This dichotomy between healing and harm was felt even within Qadira itself, where Sarenrae’s faith is the state religion, as the goddess’s emphasis on forgiveness clashed with Kelesh’s expansionist tendencies. Most recently, the church’s push to abolish slavery—a crusade that seems poised on the brink of victory—has made its priests unwelcome in slaving ports like Sedeq, where bottled djinn, shaitans trapped in amber, humanoid prisoners, and caged monsters all line the slave block.
As the point of Kelesh’s spear, Qadira earns little love from its neighbors. Nobody inside or outside its borders has forgotten the way the empire swooped in to annex Osirion for millennia, or its centuries of brutal warfare with Taldor to the north. Of late, the rise of Grand Princess Eutropia as a strong ruler in Taldor has forced Satrap Xerbystes II to quiet his saber rattling. While the prideful satrap might wish otherwise, final command of the nation’s armies belongs not to him but to his vizier Hebizid Vraj. Hebizid was appointed by the Padishah Emperor himself and able to overrule the satrap, should Xerbystes make decisions against the empire’s interest. The satrap focuses instead on economic victories and defending the hundred stone watchtowers along the contested border. He satisfies his martial desires with the Peerless, a hand-selected group of heroes who undertake impossible missions into the nation’s wild places for their monarch’s glory and entertainment.
Ordinary Qadirans are just as proud as their leaders, and with good reason: each day they see their shores flooded with visitors who gape at the marvels of the Keleshite empire, from its animated siege engines and flying carpets to bands of genie mercenaries and great elemental-powered sandships that sail the dunes on phantom winds. Caravans arrive daily in Katheer, showcasing creatures and knowledge unseen in the west, and the Venicaan College of Medicaments and Chirurgery blends magic and medical science to train the greatest healers for thousands of miles. Most Qadirans are legendarily persuasive, confident, and concerned with luxury and status, yet also honorable and generous. Hospitality is both sacred and formalized, with breaches of etiquette risking deadly feuds. Even criminals observe these codes of conduct.
Outside of the great caravan cities, Qadiran settlements are small and must defend themselves against feral giants, draconic beasts, angry elementals, and the other creatures of the desert. Sometimes residents are able to live in harmony with these strange creatures, such as in the scholarly enclave of Gurat, where a cyclops prophet called the Mouthpiece speaks invaluable truths to the satrap and is guarded by a thousand deaf soldiers. Legends also speak of independent settlements of geniekin high in the Zho Mountains, still resisting the empire’s control. Though the settlements are hidden by powerful illusion spells, adventurers occasionally stumble across them, or they may reveal themselves to the worthy in moments of need. The more common outcome for adventurers, however, is finding only ruins, like those of Al-Bashir, whose resident harpies devour unwary caravans, or of lost Shadun, where shadows with burning eyes walk the ashen streets. Most practical caravan leaders headed through Qadira’s deserts hire plenty of guards, making the nation a popular destination for both foreign mercenaries and elite local sellswords.
Type
National Territory
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
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