Sultanate of Qish
Located on the northern coast of the continent of Austal, the Sultanate of Qish is a wealthy kingdom which not only benefits from the trade passing through the The Strait of Carboni, but also from the several thriving maritime industries its proximity to the sea grants it.
As the largest and most powerful geopolitical entity in the east of Austal, the Sultanate theoretically holds sway over the eastern and central parts of the Jem’Hal Desert. However, the deserts inhospitable nature means that Qish has always been a nation that has looked to the sea, with its being sailors some of the most renowned in the whole of Kelbonnar, and the dhows built there said to be some of the fastest coastal vessels made on the Material Plane.
Structure
As a sultanate, Qish is ruled over by a Sultan, an absolute monarch who has power over every aspect of the lives their subjects. The title has been held for several hundred years by the Bis-Mirish family, who themselves came to power by marrying into the royal lineage.
The Sultan maintains a court of influential nobles and advisors to assist them in their decision making, often through delegated powers.
Demography and Population
The Sultanate of Qish is a mixed species kingdom, though there is a slight preponderance towards Dragonborns amongst the population. The ruling family and the current Sultan are all Dragonborns.
As so much of its population is channelled into working within one of the three major industries within the Sultanate, whilst most of Qish’s population is considered to be lower class, there is little unemployment and on the whole the lower class of Qish find themselves to be better off that the lower classes in most other places in Kelbonnar’s Material Plane.
Territories
Ostensibly, the Sultanate only claims direct dominion over the area around their capital Qishora and the coastline of the bay in which it is located. In reality, as the largest geopolitical entity in the central and eastern parts of the Jem’Hal Desert, they could claim rulership over that whole area without opposition from the other major geopolitical factions of Kelbonnar, though they would face fierce opposition from the native, tribal people of the desert, the Jem’Menar. However, the amount of effort to enforce such dominion, for such a paltry return means that the Sultanate is content with simply acting with impunity within that region without trying to control it.
Military
Technically, the Sultanate does not possess an army, but this is not because they have no armed forces. Instead, all of Qish’s armed forces are considered to be part of its considerable navy, which is said to number over 100 warships who are provided with compliments of sailors and marines.
Typically, at any one time about a quarter of the navy will be out on patrol in the eastern portion of the Strait of Carboni, ensuring that it remains a neutral space, free of privacy; a quarter will be involved in training activities; a quarter will be garrisoning the capital Qishora and its satellite settlements; and a quarter will be on leave. Only in times of national crisis is the whole strength of the Sultanate’s navy brought to bear in a single fleet.
Religion
The Sultanate of Qish is a polytheistic society, but as a heavily maritime focused nation, the Divine that receives the most worship there is Polephemon. Not only are there untold numbers of shrines to Polephemon throughout the territory of Qish, an enormous temple to the deity has been built on an island at the mouth of the harbour in the Sultanate’s capital, Qishora. However, unlike the Empire of Turelion, the Sultanate has not dedicated itself as a nation to Polephemon, and is therefore not considered to be on the side of the Polephemites in the Divine War, a fact that allows free trade between the Sultanate and the territories of the Empire.
The other deity who receives a great deal of worship is Breseis, whose divine domains of good fortune and travel being key areas in which the Sultanate’s sailors wish to find divine favour in before setting out on any voyage.
Foreign Relations
As the Sultanate requires peaceful relations with most of Kelbonnar in order to export its goods to the world, Qish maintains cordial relations with the vast majority of the other nations on Kelbonnar’s Material Plane.
Their frostiest relationship is with their nearest neighbour to the west, the City-State of Promellion. Promellion’s desire to exert their influence over the whole of the Strait of Carboni, and thereby control the flow of trade through this vital maritime route has troubled the Sultans and their courts over many generations. Whilst the two have never gone to war over the matter, they constantly strive to gain the upper hand, primarily through the size of their fleets.
Agriculture & Industry
Though Qish lies on a vital maritime trade route, the Strait of Carboni, through which most of the trade eventually making its way up by sea to the Centric Sea must pass, trade and commerce is not the main staple of the Sultanate’s economy. That is not to say that they do not benefit from this trade, or business from passing ships seeking safe harbour, repair, refitting and resupplying, but that it is not considered to be the main contributor to Qish’s wealth.
Instead, the Sultanate has three main industries: salt production, coral jewellery production and shipbuilding, which over the centuries have bloated the coffers of the Sultans and their nobility.
The salt industry is driven by miles of coastline which has been terraformed into an intricate network of salt evaporation ponds in which sea water is evaporated beneath the scorching desert sun and precious salt crystals are harvested year round. Qish salt is packaged and shipped around Kelbonnar’s Material Plane and the Sultanate is one of the largest producers of this precious resource in Kelbonnar.
The Sultanate’s position on the shores of the Strait of Carboni and the vast coral reefs beneath its waves have also provide the Sultanate with a thriving industry harvesting, polishing and crafting jewellery out of precious coral, whose vivid red, pink and orange hues make it a desirable commodity for decorative pieces. Whilst not as valuable as items made of gold or other precious stones, Qish’s coral jewellery is popular amongst the middle classes in nations across the Material Plane.
The final major industry of the Sultanate is ship building, specifically swift cargo hauling dhows which are perfectly suited for navigating the waters of the Strait of Carboni, the coastlines of the Centric Sea and in between the various bodies of land in the Kelrik Isles. Qishite dhows are also popular amongst the nobles from across many nations of the Material Plane as pleasure craft. Many of these highly bespoke and expensive dhows can be found in the harbours of Mystirion and Meltaro in the Empire of Turelion, and every year a race takes place between the two cities along the southern coast of the Relialo Plains.
Education
There is no formal educational policy within the Sultanate. Those who receive an academic education do so via private tutors. However, there are few unskilled workers in the Sultanate, as most of the nation’s inhabitants are apprenticed to one of the three major industries within the Sultanate.
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Demonym
Qishite
Economic System
Mixed economy
Neighboring Nations
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