Hi Ynev Fans!
Today I will introduce realm of arabic nights in Ynev. If you know Al Quadim it will be familiar. As a fantasy heartbreaker Ynev has the own arabic region. It is called Taba el Ibara:
"Endles sandsea , its dunes like the weaves of the ocean. Follows each other through thousands of miles from east to the west, from south to the north. The landscape is such tame as dangerous as the salted water relative the Eastern Ocean.
Its weaves slowly but follows the direction of the stormy eastern wind. They casts rings, smoothens, swells. On its dunes not boats, but caravans travels. Their ways are god tempter, as on the seas.
The sands spreads onto their faces as the waterspray, and often swallows them like the flood.
They find safety only in the oasis, near the small lakes, under the palm trees.
Most of them never leave the desert, the cold of the forests, the high of the mountains does not tempts them, because the dreary yellow desert is their home. They are called Jadd."
Roxmund : Chronicle of the Desert
The culture:
In the dawn of the time three ancient race lived here: Amunds, Elfs and the mighty Jenns. The conflict between the races was coded. They worshipped different gods, they had different values, but all of their code of law demanded winniong or decay.
Through hundreds of years wars slowly transformed the area into desert. All nations became smaller. Their gods demanded peace, because their power reduced, almost had gone.
Elfs were pathetically mutilated. Ammunds were hide into their temple-cities. Jenns were assimilated into the humanity. That assimilation created the Jadd folk.
The spirit and mind of the Jadd people is various, the base is the noble Jenn culture, but sometimes the worst attributes appears, like greed, ruthlessness, moral blindness.
The trueblood Janns still rules the Jadd society. The Jadd folk respects authority, but they emphasis on the real intention instead of the behavior. For example the The Grand Vizier can execute anyone if he think that he is offended. There is not neccesary evidance. In the other hand sometimes polliteness can save situation. This causes hyppocracy and bland mendacity.
Jadd people values the wealth the most. It can subtitute everything. It must be shown by the number of the soldiers, by the shine of the palaces, by the beutifulness of the clothes, etc. If you are not wealthy man, you are nothing. This way of thinking is shown in th arts also.
Because the main tool for self-expression is the speech, it is too complicated, overcompoesed too.
They can handle money well, so they have the best banks in Ynev and there are Jadd bank accounts in the most of the countries.
They produce a lot of goods, but the most popular are the drugs and poisons. In the business there is no place for the honesty, only the profit counts. For Jadd people the drugs are allowed and they do not care about that in the other country it is illegel. If somone buy the goods they will sell it. Stone carved prices does not exists, bargain is obligatory.
The main place of the business is the bazaar. It is often a whole district in the town. Everything is in one place. Colourful mix of every business. Sometimes magical things can be found here.
Jadd countries:
The power is bipolar in all country. The lordship is shared between the ruler and the mightiest Merchant Houses. The ruler is the Emir or sheikh is the oldest man from the ruler family. Omnipotent lord, who only sentences based on the polizical situation instead of the law. It is advised to bear with the support of the houses for him, becauses the houses have the real economical power.
The Merchant Hoses are property of one of the wealthy families. They are not trade by all means, in some cases they rule the underworld mob.
The military power is in the hands of the Grand Vizier. He is the brother of the ruler or other relative. He must be obey to teh ruler, but sometimes the Grand vizier organize putsch and takes over the ruling. But usually the ruler has own bodygurd unit, in case of emergency.
Religious power is in the most of the cases not to significant. Three gods are worshipped: Galradja the head of gods, and the patron of travellers, Doljah, the god of rogues and soldiers, Djah, the god of citizens.
Beside the gods, the science is valued in the Jadd culture, they have renowned alchemists, herbalists, and since Abdul al Shared the necromants.
They have a not too strict class system. There is transition between the classes. The four main classes are: Rulers, Travellers, Rogues, Soldiers, Citizens. If you are out of the classes, you are outcast.
The laws are sometimes too strict, but the judge can graceful. As much as higher class has the ruler he can ignore the laws. The Emir or the Sheik is in the top of the ruling ladder can do anything what he wants, he is the law himself.
The water is very important, so poisoning it is cause death sentence, for thievery hand chopping, for cheathing castration, for mendacity tongue cutout, for smaller lawbreak corporal punishment the prize. The prison is additional punishment for those who survive the main punishment.
In the deep desert there is not law, but there is jurisdiction. Serious sin the water theft and wasting. Often sentences sinner to amputation, but digging the living sinner is popular too.
Best way for traveling is the caravan. Caravans are goes to straight rare, insted they follow renown caravan routes. In One-third day they aproach oasises. The water here is common, every man can drink. It is recomended to hire guide and gurds, because near the water sources you can contact with robbers. In the desert you must travel carefully and slowly.
Biggest Jadd States:
Al Alabadana: First and most significant Jadd emirates. Its territory is bigger than all other states. Most of the Jenn families lives and rules here. Most civilized Jadd country. Fun fact: In this country is produced the hardest non-magical weapon the Jenn sabre.
El Hamed: The most western emirate. Here goes through the caravan route to Ordan. The largest non-Jadd population lives here, because of the local politics. Most trusted Jadd country by the foreigners and the Bank of Hamed is the most valued Jadd money organization.
El Sobira: This emirate is the lair of the sin and taint. Sobira is significant ally of Kran. They produce teh Al Bahra-kharem, the drug what can boost the martial ability. Kran buys it sack by sack, they can accept unlimited ammount for their orcs.
Because of the drug Kran must expand here its influence. Pyarron does everything in order to prevent the kranian takeover. El Hamed stands against Sobira with pyarronian support.
Al Madoba: Most boring place in Ynev. They herd horses and mules. Their emir does not live her, instead he has the most valuable palace in Abadana.
Al Mugaffe: They have the largest Merchant House.
Al Avdal: They have similar Merchant House like in Mugaffe, but they are converted to pyarronian religion.
Abu Baldek: A small city in the deep desert on one oasis. It is the Eden for the Jadd, they have a lot of water sources and rich plantation.
Abu Baldek Shibara: Grand Vizier of Abu Baldek founded centuries ago. In the early times they were robbers, but Abadana stopped them. Now it is a min Abadana. Famous because of the slave market.
El Qusarma: The secret itself. It lays at the headwaters of the Shibara. It is not desert, it is forest. Its wealth is based on rare treelog trading.
Al Hidema: The terminal of the caravan routes, a great oasis at the frontier of the deep desert. It is founded a nomad tribe: Kharami 2 hundred years ago. They have good relationship with the wandering tribes and they trades with them.
Deep Desert: The uninhabited part of the desert, no man lives here, only monsters, sand elfs, ancient folk and who knows else. There is no caravan routes, oasises, etc.
Fayuma tribe: Feared bloodthirsty robber folk. They are though, they can resist almost everything in the desert.
Bayadi and Hasra tribes: Two largest wandering folks, they can live in the alomost places. They herd camels and trades with their produced handmade goods. They are in conflict with each other because of the water and other sources.
Ancient folk: Old bronzeskinned people lives in triangle based buildings. They are too
mysterious to know them.
As you can see the Jadd culture is over represented in the Ynev lore. Next time I will go on with the countries of north.
Bye!
