The Desert Principality of Ishal
Structure
The Chosen Prince leads the desert Principality of Ishal as an absolute monarch and has the final decision on all matters regarding the laws of men. The Chosen Prince has delegated 3 Lesser Princes to act as regional rulers of sorts. One Lesser Prince rules over Sahl Alkhasib, the other over 'Ard Bawinti (Land of Bounty), and the last over The Sahra' Ishal (Ishal Desert). Beneath these Lesser Princes are a number of local rulers called Rabiya (Lords). Each Prince and Rabiya may or may not have a council, and each may have as many faris (knights) as he can afford.
Culture
People of The Desert Principality of Ishal are very religious and community-focused. The degree of this changes depending on which region an individual hails from. They value proper moral actions and reject concepts or practices that obfuscate or prohibit clear thought and reasoning. Intention plays a huge role in the culture, and society does not accept all good outcomes as good deeds. For example, a rabiya may feed his people with elaborate feasts and treats them with respect and kindness, but if he only does this to avoid unrest and low productivity he has not committed a good deed. For many years the people of Ishal were very accepting of outsiders, immigrants, and converts, but this has since been used against them in the war against Amatrace. The men of Ishal are seen as by nature obsessed with the worldly and material, while women are more focused on the spiritual and esoteric and are thusly highly respected. Men are generally allowed to have sex with whom they please (of any sex or gender) until they are married, however, women are expected to remain chaste until marriage and are often socially shunned if suspected to have not done so. Being so community focused Ishalans often are very communicative and stay in touch with their neighbors, and gift giving is extremely common, often just to show someone or a family you were thinking of them.
Public Agenda
The preservation, prosperity, and religious salvation of the Ishal people and their religion.
History
The Desert Principality was founded after Muhammed Aldih slew the blue dragon that was enslaving and dominating the region. For the rest of the Third Age, they had many off-and-on conflicts with surrounding clans and nations. During the 4th Age, they only fought one war against another Kingdom, The Kingdom of Man. The Desert Principality was winning the initial conflict, but when the sheer numbers of the Kingdom arrived they quickly capitulated. The conditions of the peace treaty were still quite favorable, as the Eclesicarchy admitted that the war was unfairly started by The Petty Kingdom of Amatrace. The Eclesiacarchy ensured that Ishal would not be threatened by The Kingdom of Man again. This peace lasted until very recently when Amatrace declared war after an attack on the Amatracian capital.
Demography and Population
The Printability has approx. 2,510,820 people living in it. Most of these people live along the Dyala River in the western part of the country, while a minority live in the Eastern part near the capital, and an even smaller minority live in the middle of the country, The Ishal Desert. The population density is about 56 people per hospitable square mile. The 3 cities of The Principality have the following Populations: Abbadon 26,928, Hafin 18,849, and Almuqadasa 13,464. Around 165,000 people live in the 33 towns which are mostly concentrated along the Dyala River, or on the border of The Ishal Desert. The rest of the population lives in villages or other small ummahs (communities).
Common folk could be expected to live until around 55 years for women and 46 years for men. The nobles, faris (knights), and Imam population could be expected to live well into their 60s, most dying at or around 71.
Infant mortality was relatively low within cities and towns with about 2/3rds of infants surviving birth, however, this number dropped to 1/3rd within villages and outlier communities.
Territories
The Desert Principality of Ishal controls 126,360 square miles of territory on the eastern corner of Ocular. These borders are pretty old and have remained mostly unchanged since the last major war between the ancient nation of Tracia and ancient Ishal. Currently, about 16,380 square miles of the Principalities territory is being occupied by the Amatracian Military, this territory is traditionally called the Sahl Alkhasib (Fertile Plain) and produces most of the food for the arid kingdom. It's occupation is a worrying state of affairs for the people.
Military
The military of the Principality is feudal in nature. This means that regional rulers are generally responsible for mustering and maintaining combat forces. During times of peace a Rabiya relies on his faris (knights) and his men-at-arms (small dedicated fighting forces). Faris will typically train for war or spent time at noble courts, while men-at-arms will train, accompany their liege, arrest criminals, or aid in taxation and distribution of food. The Chosen Prince has a special army of 2000 men-at-arms called the Rashidun.
Technological Level
Highly advanced Irrigation and contour farming and many in-depth botanical journals are staples of Ishalan technology. Besides the dwarves, Ishalans are the only ones able to forge with the exceedingly rare sunstone metal. Superior horse breeding has resulted in the drasys horse, a sturdy resource light horse capable of maintaining quick speeds while covered in armor. The faris lance is a weapon that strikes fear into the enemies of the principality, allowing them to dominate the field of mounted combat.
Religion
The Church of The Immortals in the main religion of The Desert Principality of Ishal. Lead by the High Imam, The Immortal Church servers as the social safety net of The Principality. They provide moral guidance for the citizens, organize celebrations and spiritual ceremonies, and are responsible for the creation and arbitration of Divine Law. Off shoots of the Immortal Church, worship of Devils or Demons, Dark Gods such as Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul, and the worship of fey are criminalized and forbidden. Other religions are accepted, but they are not allowed to construct temples within The Desert Kingdoms nor are they allowed to practice public proselytization, celebrations, or rituals.
Foreign Relations
The Desert Principality has been attacked or undermined by many of its neighbors since its inspection. This has led to a general national policy of isolation. However, under Chosen Prince Omar and his son Akeem, they have opened the nation up more to foreign trade across the ocean. The Desert Principality is currently in open war with Amatrace.
Laws
There are two sets of laws that the people of The Desert Kingdom must follow. There are the Laws of Man and the Divine Law. Divine Law is created by the Church of The Immortals and is their codification of the will of the gods. Divine law covers religious morality and community while Laws of Man govern taxation, war, commerce, and punishment.
The Laws of Man:
These are the most important and relevant laws of man.Commerce and Taxes:
- Omar's Edict: Chosen Prince Omar lifted the 25% percent tax that was levied on goods that traveled through the nation and replaced it with a 3-10% tariff. The tax remained on goods from Amatrace. Merchant permits were awarded to consistent merchants and allowed them to set up shops and operations within Ishalan Territory. Amatracian traders were still not allowed to do this.
- Akeems Reform: Nobles are no longer allowed to tax peasants more than the church for their profession.
- Harvest Doctrine: No more than 40 percent of a harvest may be taken from peasant farmers for storage or use by a noble.
- Captive Servant Reform: People are not allowed to sell captive servants to others or rent them out for use.
Military and Warfare:
- Alsian's Doctrine 1: Individuals in war caught harassing or harming civilians will be stripped of their war spoils and wages. If they are caught killing peasants the peasants' families or community may decide the punishment. Individuals in war caught sexually harming peasant women or children are to have their genitals dipped in hot iron and banished to wander the desert.
- Alsian's Doctrine 2: Individuals in war caught torturing prisoners are to have their fingers smashed with a hammer. If prisoners can not be fed or cared for they are to be escorted back to their people if safe to do so, or released as close as possible. The execution of prisoners is forbidden unless permitted by the 5 Imam or The High Imam.
- Alsian's Doctrine 3: Prisoners may be ransomed back to their family members or faction. Prisoners may be able to work for their captives to pay their ransom. Prisoners caught attempting to escape must have their ransom increased by 25%. Prisoners can not consent to sexual relations under any circumstances, individuals caught having sex with prisoners are to have their genitals dipped in hot iron and banished to the desert. Prisoners are to be released and returned to their faction or people if they fail to pay off their ransom within 3 years.
Agriculture & Industry
The Desert Principality is an isolationist agrarian nation. The centralization of food distribution and elaborate and effective irrigation systems have allowed The Desert Principality to have the most well-fed people despite most of the nation comprising a desert. The crops grown are cadou berries, dates, flax, barley, and olives. Strong livestock staples supported the agrarian economy. Sheep are the primary animals of a rancher, likely due to the fact that the Immortal Church forbids the husbandry of goats. The primary beast of burden is the donkey, with wealthier nobles providing mules for their peasants. For commoners donkeys also served as transportation of personnel and goods, however, nobles often employed drasys horses, a special breed of horse maintained and bread by the Wisam Alhisan, or horse order. Despite its agrarian nature, The Principality does have some limited industrial capability. Rabyia from The Sahra' Ishal makes their noble livings by mining and processing metals from the dangerous Sahra' Ishal. Iron, manganese, aluminum, tin, and gold can be found under the warm sands for those bold enough to go looking.
Trade & Transport
The roads of The Principality follow a series of ancient sandstone obelisks known as The Relay. These landmarks often helped early Ishalans navigate the vast terrain and roadways naturally formed. Ishalan roads are not paved or cobbled over, as the head bearing down on the roads can cause easy deformation or make them difficult to travel along. Instead, roadways are marked by stone borders. Rabiya is tasked with maintaining these roadways and can be punished harshly by Lesser Princes for ignoring to do so. However, due to the shifting sands of the Sahra' Ishal, these markers can become buried under sand dunes, or in some cases actively destroyed by Thri-Keen attempting to throw off travelers for an easy snack. This has given rise to a druidic group known as the Dune Readers. For food, payment, or other materials these Dune Readers guide traders and travelers through the desert waste. The Church of The Immortals openly distrusts these druids, but their service is invaluable to The Principality which has likely allowed them to persist. The main area of trade within The Principality is Abbadon, a port city located to the south of the Sahra' Ishal. Ocular is a continent surrounded by nigh impassible mountain ranges, except for a select few clearings. Abbadon sits on one such clearing making it a key location for receiving goods from across the sea, or merchants wishing to avoid traveling across the mainland. For many years high tariffs strangled out most foreign trade, but Omar and Akeems trade reforms have allowed the city to flourish and for it to become an essential source of revenue.
Education
The majority of people within the Ishalan Principality receive no formal education and learn from watching their parents work or pick up apprenticeships with specialized craftsmen. Nobles are educated by members of The Immortal Church as well as important members of the court. Women wishing to become Imam can enroll at priests' academies. If they are accepted the wayfare and tuition are paid by their noble lord. Rarer than all of these options are those who study at Almuqadasan University. The university is supported by Immortal Church and The Desert Principality and selectively chose various individuals to apply, a great honor in itself. However, to be accepted can put a peasant on the status of a noble. The Almuqadasan University indulges in studies of agriculture, theology, metallurgy, and ancient history and anthropology just to name a few fields. Anyone in the world who can make the journey and pay 1000gp minimum fee can attempt to test into the University.
Infrastructure
Castles of sandstone rule over the lands of The Principality while aqueducts and various irrigation systems keep water from rivers flowing to all arable parts of the country. Outposts within the desert guard against Thri-Keen and bandits, while also checking traders for proper registration.
Fi yad alaliha (In the hands of the gods)
Type
Geopolitical, Principality
Alternative Names
The Principality, Ishal, The Desert Kingdom, Kingdom of The Sands
Demonym
Ishalans
Leader Title
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Theocratic
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Gazetteer
Abbadon, The Dyala River, Hafin, The Ishal Desert, Almuqadasa, The Sahl Alkhasib, The Great Mosque.
Currency
While there is no official currency, the people of Ishal often use an ancient type of coin called a sanciar, or sun coin. These old coins have suns on one side and stars on the other and come in copper, silver, gold, and platinum. Sanciar are no longer minted, and the people of Ishal also use coins from Hanrar and The Five Kingdoms. Sanciars are slightly more valuable due to it's consistency and purity.
Major Exports
The Principality has two highly sought-after food items. Dates are a common commodity amongst many Ishalan peasants, while nobles of foreign countries are willing to pay exorbitant amounts of coin for them. Dates are only grown in the Sahl Alkhasib and 'Ard Bawinti on Ocular. Even rarer is the Cadou berry, a highly particular plant that only grows within the Sahl Alkhasib. Even druids and master botanists can not replicate their growth. Cadou berries have a rather bitter and boring taste, but foreign winemakers are able to make impressive dry wines from them.
Major Imports
Lumber is the most valuable non-luxury good imported by the Ishalan Principality. The loose, harsh, soil makes it nearly impossible for most wood-bearing trees to take hold, making wood an essential import. Spices, textiles, precious gemstones, fine wines, alcohols, and liqueurs are also heavily imported.
Legislative Body
The nobles and princes write the laws that govern men. Like where you can build your home or farm. The Church of The Immortals codifies Divine Law, which is said to govern men's souls and minds.
Judicial Body
For religious crimes, an Imam is called in to decide if the person accused is guilty and what the punishment if any should be.
Executive Body
The Princes, faris, and the rabiya enforce the laws with their soldiers.
Official State Religion
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
Open War
Amatrace and The Desert Principality have a long storied history of war, but the founding of the 5 kingdoms resulted in a long period of peace. This was undone after a group reportedly under the orders of Ishal bombed a city in Amatrace and killed a large number of military personnel, politicians, and civilians. After that Parliament authorized The Furher to begin preparations for war.
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