The Osmad Sultanate

"My daughter, come with me. One day, you will be in my place; you will become the Sultana and everybody in the entire Osmad Desert will look up to you for leadership." -Sultana Laura Al-Sharaf to Nala Al-Sharaf

The Osmad Sultanate is the governing body of the Osmad Desert. Ruled by the Sultan in Bekilk, the Sultanate has existed in the region for as long as it had been established. Its reach extends from Bekilk at its heart, to beyond Embercity in the east, and the Emerald Gulch in the west. Even though it has existed for many years, the Sultanate has ever only had one dynasty in power: the Al-Sharaf dynasty. The citizens of the Sultanate stick to tradition and despise change, and thus hope to see the Al-Sharaf dynasty in power for as long as they desire.

Structure

The Sultanate is dominated by the Sultan who has absolute power over the region's politics. Similar to a king or queen, the Sultan then has a number of advisors who assist in the decision making process. The Sultan also controls the region's military, though they have not waged war in a very long time. The Sultan's successor is a prince/princess, usually their eldest child. The position does not discriminate by gender. Political power has always been held by the Al-Sharaf family ever since the Sultanate's conception. Currently, the ruler is Sultana Nala Al-Sharaf, and has been ruling since 1418 CE. In addition to the royal family, the Sultan usually appoints a number of advisors to help them in matters of military and state. Most of the time, this consisted of just a Master General and a Court Mage. When Sultana Nala Al-Sharaf inherited the throne, she declared many new positions in an effort to decentralize the monarch's power.

Culture

The people of the Osmad are a modest and conservative people. They often have big, close-knit families and base their judgement on tradition. Osmadi people despise change, since it "goes against tradition" and believe in the idea of "if it isn't broken, don't fix it." Most expected to uphold these traditions of modesty, is the royal family of the Sultan, which are seen as the model family. A Sultan who wishes to change a tradition must gamble, for either the citizens follow in their footsteps and embrace the change, or risk dishonor as the people look upon them with shame. Only recently did the political views of the Osmad people shift. After oppression by the Church of the Sun and then radical new policies enacted by Sultana Nala Al-Sharaf, the people of the Osmad split into two beliefs: traditionalism, and progressionist. The traditionalists obviously valuing the conservative ways of the past and being reluctant to change, while the progressionists find the old traditions to be too limiting and outdated and desire change. Despite this new ideology, people of both ideals value knowledge and science just as much as tradition. This is the only excuse to break said traditions.

Public Agenda

The Sultanate was established to provide order and union to the citizens of the Osmad Desert. They exist to promote peace as well as to uphold the societal values of the Osmad people.

History

Before the establishment of the Sultanate, the Osmad Desert was home to a civilization of dragonborn living in a very ancient-Egypt esque society. This society however, was destroyed by a powerful red dragon known as Rhenos the Terrible, which enslaved these people. Around the year 50 CE, a group of citizens from the former city-state of Avylon left the city as it was about to be absorbed into the governance of the much larger city-state of Felwinter. Led Cyrus Sahli, son of the former lord of Avylon, and his trusted friend, Saladin Al-Sharaf, the group of about 400 or so refugees set out towards the south, in hopes of finding a mystical oasis of life in the untamed Osmad Desert. The journey took months and brought many hardships upon the vagrants, but eventually, they found what they were looking for at the Dawnbreak Oasis. Of course at this time, it was already inhabited by the dragonborn who were ruled over by the tyrannical red dragon. The vagrants introduced themselves to the population, trying to avoid the eyrie of the dragon, and settled in while they decided what to do next. Cyrus took an interest in the dragonborn's unique ways of magic and their advanced technology, while Saladin was focused on figuring out a way to end the dragon's reign. After a few months, the vagrants decided it was time for the dragon to go. They equipped their best fighters and rallied the dragonborn and stormed the dragon's lair. After a lengthy battle, Rhenos was slain, and the city freed. Unfortunately, Cyrus was critically injured during the battle, and shortly afterwards died to his wounds. Saladin Al-Sharaf, in place of his dear friend, would become the first Sultan of the Osmad Sultanate. The dragonborn, with their former civilization in ruins, joined with the vagrants, showing them how to thrive in the desert. Saladin's legacy continues to this day, as even now, his descendants still hold the throne.

Military

The Osmad Sultanate has a moderate standing army, though the region has not seen conflict in centuries. Regardless, the soldiers are regularly trained and have at their disposal modern weaponry and siege devices, as well as numerous mounts. Similarly to the Veridian Empire, most military actions are decided by a single Master General, and those orders are carried out by subordinate ranks. The Sultanate has a special class of light infantry known as the Immortals, which specialize in shock and skirmish formations. They have been a part of the Sultanate's army for as long as it existed, and are iconic among those with military background.

Religion

The primary deity worshipped in the Sultanate is Pelor, the Dawnfather - God of the sun and agriculture. The desert is considered a holy site for Pelor worship; being a desert, the sun is constantly unobstructed in the sky, which many believe to be a sign of the Dawnfather's watchful eyes upon the land. He is also worshipped in the hopes that the Oasis remains lush and that the farmlands do not dry up in the desert heat. Many devout followers of the Dawnfather go on pilgrimages to the Sultanate to bask in the light. The Sultanate also follows the other major religions of the world. Generally, the Sultanate tolerates all faiths unless it is known to be evil. Cults, however, are not trusted, especially after the Church of the Sun incident.

Foreign Relations

The Osmad Sultanate enjoys a mostly peaceful existence. Being landlocked until recently, and even still having no neighboring sea-faring nations (with the exception of Asaria), the only relevant neighbors include the Veridian Empire and the Ironwood Province. Both have a healthy trade relationship with the Sultanate. The Sultanate does not involve itself in the foreign affairs of any other nations. By the year 1440 CE, the three nations of the Veridian continent created a mutual defense agreement, spearheaded by High King Christopher DeWitt III and Sultana Nala Al-Sharaf, to combat any significant worldwide crisis.

The Emerald on the crown of Civilization

Founding Date

50 CE

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Capital

Bekilk

Training Level

Trained

Veterancy Level

Veteran

Demonym

Osmadi

Leader

Sultana Nala Al-Sharaf

Leader Title

Sultan/Sultana

Head of State

Sultana Nala Al-Sharaf

Government System

Monarchy, Constitutional

Power Structure

Feudal state

Economic System

Market economy

Judicial Body

The Osmad Sultanate only has a single court, known as the Master Court. Most trivial cases are settled by officers in the guard, without a trial. If a trial is necessary for a trivial crime, the Lawmaster precedes over the trial and determines the outcome. Particularly significant felonies and injustices are settled in the Master Court. Such a case is usually a big deal to the citizens and the hearings are therefore made public. In such an event, the Sultan (acting impartially) presides over the court and the affected parties have a chance to state their case and call their witnesses. A select number of citizens not involved in the case can voice their opinion on the verdict. The final decision is made by the Sultan. Some crimes and their typical punishment include:

Theft - Fine or 6 day incarceration
Unlawful use of magic - Fine or up to 10 day incarceration
Worship of evil deities - 20 day incarceration or exile
Ownership of humanoids* - Exile
Assault - 30 to 200 day incarceration and a fine of up to 2,000 gp
Murder* - 5 to 20 year incarceration or exile
Treason* - Exile

*These cases can involve the Master Court Until recently, public execution was an accepted form of punishment. Shortly after she came into power, Sultana Nala Al-Sharaf outlawed this, deciding Exile was appropriate enough in most circumstances.

Location

The Osmad Desert

Related Ranks & Titles

Controlled Territories

Neighboring Nations