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Khinasi » Island States » Ghamoura

					Theocracy of Ghamoura Ruler High Priest Markhab el-Aldezar Alignment Neutral Status Recommended Capital Alcamar Population 400,000 Government Theocratic Monarchy Religions Nasri Exports Fruit, Timber, Minerals GB Income 17 GB RP Income 17 RP Treasury 0 Acc. Regency 0 Armies 8 Court Level 5

[edit] Introduction

Status: Recommended

The island state of Ghamoura falls under the rule of the Holy Temple of Nasri. It controls every aspect of the realm, enforcing lives of piety and morality on the Ghamourans.

[edit] Life and Society

[edit] Education

Religious education is started at a young age and teaches the children the lessons of Nasri. The local temples in every city and village have daytime school for children that last until they reach age nine. Once the formal education stops, they are still required to pray every day near water and to go to the local temple on Sunday for a four hour liturgical rite.

[edit] Government

The temples and local law are one if the same to the people of Ghamoura. The Tribunal for the Purity of Doctrine, or inquisition, assume most of the duties that require law and force, and the temple priests do the rest. Almost all of the admistrative staff and diplomats that report directly to the government are priests or have had extensive religious training.

[edit] The Land

[edit] Alcamar

Alcamar is the agricultural heartland of Ghamoura. The province contains the city of Alcamar (built upon the ruins of of Niswaran, which was in turn built upon the ruins of an older, Masetian city), the Old Palace (ex-residence of the Amir, now how to the Holy Temple’s Administration), the Fleet base (at Darabi Cove, on the south shore of the province), Al-Talomos Castle (base of the inquisition, in the rocky western half of the province) and many small farming hamlets dotted across the green eastern half of the province. In the west, Salomuz Point curves around the southern edge of Talon Bay, with the land getting steadily rockier and less fertile. This half of the province is used mainly for herding goats. A single road runs from Alcamar to Al-Talomos castle, on the tip of Salomuz point. The trip is still difficult, because the ground around the point is broken with many small ravines and gorges. The single large village, Diritz, on the road to the Castle, is famous for its Goat’s cheese, which is a local delicacy.

Al-Talomos Castle: Built on the tip of Salomuz point, al-Tolomos is one of the few surviving barely functional Masetian structures in Ghamoura. It was built as a watch tower to warn against raids from Aduria, and consisted of a tall tower, with a low broken wall shielding it from the land. Local legend states that after the explosion at Deismaar a large rock fell from the sky, breaking the land around the castle. The remains of the rock are hidden in a secret cell within the Castle. Masela’s Blessing was taken from that rock and made into the ceremonial bracelet of the rulers of Ghamoura.

[edit] Cape Alceis

Cape Alceis is the mining center of Ghamoura. The town of Kordkuy rests at the base of the mountains and most of the mine workers live there and then travel up a narrow dangerous path into the mountains to mine. A single rocky road leads from Kordkuy to the city of Alcamar. At least once a year a forceful storm will knock the road out and the town is forced to send its copper and silver to the capital by boat, through a small fishing village along the water until the road is repaired.

[edit] El Denebi

The short road from el-Denebi village to Alcamar is lined with farms growing food for the island. The town is also one of the largest fishing towns in Ghamoura and most of its catch is taken to Alcamar. The farmers along the road often set up shops of fresh food so travelers can pick up what they need on their way to and from the the capital.

Cliffs rise up on the edge of el-Denebi and on a clear day people claim to be able to see the mountains on the Isle of the Serpent.

[edit] el-Feyín

El-Feyín is the small separate fishing island to the north of Gamoura mainland. The only village on the island, facing Khourane, simply fishes for a living and much of their catch goes to other Khinasi realms, particulary Ariya. There is a single temple of Nasri on the island that also works as the law.

[edit] Izédas

Izédas is the most heavily forested province of Ghamoura and thus Timber is its biggest export. The law keeps an extremely close watch on the woods to make sure the populace doesn't deforest without planting new trees. The law measures distances and lets the timber guilds only take down trees to their specifications, which certainly hurts the profits but maintains the woods for future use. If any person is caught cutting down trees outside of the defined area are taken into custody and mostly likely hung the next morning.

All of the timber is also carried by wagon down to Alcamar to be taxed properly before being used of shipped to other nations to the west that have great need of the wood.

[edit] Ras Beiber

There are no villages in Ras Beiber, just farms that dot the entire country-side. Apple orchids line the road from Alcamar to Izedas and would be easy pickings if not the vigilance of the Inquisitors that march down the road regularly. If one is caught with an apple that was not paid for they would probably lose a hand by nightfall. Other than the threat of losing a hand, the province is quite beautiful and the forest in the north is teaming with life.

Because of the proximity to the capital city, the province is very safe and farmers have nothing to fear other than a fox trying to catch a chicken or an occasional hungry wolf creeping out of the woods.

[edit] Tomad

Tomad, is a virtual island paradise and was once a destination spot for many in the west to come and vacation away from the dryer climates. Long sandy beaches surround the island and ancient ruins dot the landscape. This all ended when the Holy Temple of Nasri took over the law and stopped all visitors afraid they would bring their magic with them.

The Inquisitors are particularly heavy handed on this island because of a revolt that happened int he past. The people at the time felt detached from the main land and didn't approve of the new rule and attempted to revolt (with secret help from the Serpent,) that failed. No one speaks out of line and mostly keep to themselves. It is a self-sustaining island and not much need of imports or exports other than some batches of rare fish.

[edit] History

First settled by the Masetian people when they arrived on Cerilia, Ghamoura was one of the centers of their culture. Their settlements were thick around the Mer Beiber & the Gulf of Alcamar.

The Masetians were happy to allow the Basarji to settle upon their Isle, following the Battle at Deismaar, in which the Masetian fleet (defending the southern flank of the armies of good) was destroyed while defeating the Adurian fleet and the monsters of Azrai - it is said that the actions of the Masetian Fleet at this battle are why the Southern Coast is not bedeviled by giant marine awnshegh like the Leviathan and the Kraken. However those ships that survived the ferocious naval battle were destroyed in the tidal waves caused by the explosion that heralded the death of the old gods. Not a single ship returned to Ghamoura of all of those that set out for the battle.

The Basarji that settled on Ghamoura picked up many Masetian ways - when they had lived in Djapar, they were herdsmen & nomads, just starting to learn the arts of civilization. Masetian notions of justice, civic duty and governance had a profound effect upon the Basarji. Those who settled in Ghamoura fit easily into the Masetian way of life. Soon the Basarji outnumbered the Masetians, but there was little discontent because the Masetian principle of ‘timocracy’ (an antiquated form of Government found amongst the Masetians prior to the Flight from the Shadow) which was only practiced upon Ghamoura ensured that those Basarji immigrants who contributed to society were allowed an equal share in the ‘election’ of the Regent.

Because of the influence of the Divine bloodlines upon the nature of regency, members of several families quickly proved to be the most effective rulers of the island. However the system also prevented any individual rulers from developing long-term plans and stability, so the strength of the Temple of Nasri grew to fill the void left by the inefficient leadership. (These times are documented in the “Chronicles of the Masetians”, although the reader is directed to note that the Temple of the Ancients has edited that text to support some of their heretical positions.)

Eventually the Serpent made his move - somehow contaminating the magic used by the Masetians (1065 MA, 550 HC). Horrors erupted from the ground and, after devouring their unwitting summoners, fell upon the rest of the citizens. Because of their magical nature, these creatures were immune to the arms of men, and it fell to the temple of Nasri, and those Basarji mages who were apparently unaffected by this dire curse, to defend the population.

With the destruction of the Masetian cities in this tumultuous time, it became obvious that Masetian democracy was not working, and the Basarji mage, Niswan al-Ghamour was acclaimed Amir of the island. By all accounts al-Ghamour was a capable and honorable ruler, and directed the reconstruction of the island well. However his descendants continued the tradition of studying magic, and it became evident that the Serpent’s baleful influence on magic had not been restricted solely to the Masetian mages, it was just that it was subtler, and less sudden in the way that it affected Basarji rulers.

A good text for this period is “The story of Niswan al-Ghamour” - factually correct, but written by a court functionary of al-Ghamour’s son, it contains notable biases. Several of the records of the Holy Temple survive from that period, and provide a more balanced view of the events that occurred.

Al-Ghamour’s line soon became decadent and corrupt. When the Anuireans conquered the Basarji lands, the then Amir of Ghamoura dealt with them, allying with them in order to defeat his rivals. He assisted the Anuirean pirate Roderic Durbane in his conquest of al-Suire (1274 MA, 759 HC) and was about to help the Anuireans conquer Khourane, when el-Arrasi organised the Basarji federation.

The Amir switched sides, not because of loyalty to his people, but because saw the course of the future, and a desire to be on the winning side. After the war, in the last years of his life, he broke the Treaty of Turin, which guaranteed Suiriene’s neutrality in Khinasi politics and invaded, suffering a crushing defeat. (The second volume of Mohamed bint-Dourani’s “History of the Basarji People’s” is again a good account of this period. However it overstates its case where el-Arrasi is concerned - the idea that he was visited by Avani while a child is pure exaggeration in light of the man’s fleeting achievements. For the wise reader, Anuirean chronicles of the period may prove instructive.)

In 1562 MA (1047 HC), Haroun al-Camar, a priest of Nasri defied the head of the Temple of the Ancients in Mesire and lead a revolution against Haled al-Ghamour, the then Amir of Ghamoura, and ruler over the darkest period in Ghamoura’s history. By this point the physical and moral corruption of the al-Ghamours was readily apparent. Haled was grossly corpulent, almost unable to move unaided. He was addicted to a variety of drugs supplied by agents of the Serpent and traded his subjects away to the Serpent in exchange for these drugs. (A full and descriptive account of Haled’s atrocities can be found in Chapters 5-11 of ‘The Crimes of Magic against Nasri, Man and Nature” one of the approved texts of the Holy Temple.)

The revolution was a long process - the Serpent sent aid to Haled who also maintained a considerable army of mercenaries using the taxes he squeezed from the populace. However, eventually, with Nasri’s blessing, Haroun triumphed and captured Haled, imprisoning him. The Serpent, however, had his own ideas about rewards for his defeated lackey, and Haled was found the next day, his skin & hair bleached as white as bone, his limbs twisted into unnatural angles, and his heart torn from his chest. (An account of the freeing of Ghamoura from the rule of the tyrant Haled can be found within the “Life of Haroun al-Camar”, which you should, of course, be familiar with from your training.)

Haroun was acclaimed ruler of Ghamoura by a grateful people, and reluctantly assumed the position. Following the lack of support he received from the Temple of the Ancients, he declared the Holy Temple to be independent of the Temple of the Ancients, and to be dedicated to cleansing the Temple of it’s corruption of spirit. (See the “Sayings of Haroun the Holy” for more detail upon the reasons behind his split from the Temple of the Ancients.) However Haroun proved a wise ruler, and his successor, Siddiq al-Nasri, succeeded him as both head of the Holy Temple and ruler of Ghamoura. The temple faced many trials during this period - foremost amongst them the Rebellion of the Tamounazada. The nobility chafed under the rule of the Temple, and rebelled, with the covert support of the Serpent. The rebellion was put down, but only after much of Niswaran was destroyed in the fighting. (Ghamouran Chronicles: Siddiq the Blessed.)

Siddiq ordered Niswaran reconstructed, and renamed Al-Camar after his illustrious predecessor, he also established the Inquisition to prevent the Serpent from gaining another foothold upon the Isle. Since then, the Ghamouran Chronicles say that the Island has been ruled wisely and well, but this is not the whole truth. There are things which it is felt imprudent to record officially. The el-Aldezar family were relatives of the Amirs, and one of the few Tamounazada families to side with the Holy Temple in the Tamounazada Rebellion. Five of the High Priests before me have come from our Geirhou, and we have cultivated influence within the Temple.

[edit] Political

[edit] Important Figures

[edit] Talin bin Shantil

Talin bin Shantil is the head of the League of Pius Merchants. He is a soft spoken man that has lead the Pius Merchants for just a short time since his father passed away. So far he seems up to the task but hasn't shown much energy in growing the guild, even with strong support from the temple. He has a reputation for being open and upfront with his business deals and is a devout follower of Nasri.

[edit] Muerrezin Laila bint Cidro el-Shaula

Muerrezin Laila bint Cidro el-Shaula leads the temple inquisitors and is a harsh formidable woman. The priestess has raised the practice of witch hunting to an art; her hand-picked guards of temple soldiers and priests roam the island in search of magicians and wizards.

[edit] Ketifa min Tomad

Ketifa min Tomad is a paladin of Nasri and popular among the people. She has been outspoken about the Temples treatment of the people of Ghamoura and of its High Priest who she felt was squandering their tax money. This of course has almost landed her in prison in many times but the Inquisitors fear her battle strength and the effect it would have on the people for imprisoning a paladin of Nasri.

[edit] Sarand Fasir

Sarand Fasir is the guild leader of the Merchant Consortium bases out of Suiriene and is a newcomer in Ghamoura. She so far has seemingly pays her taxes and put on a good front. She isn't seen too often as she bounces from different islands and mainland constantly, but she is usually available if requested.

[edit] Plots and Rumours

[edit] Missing Money

Some of the accountants that work directly for the High Priest have been whispering to each other about gold that seems to be missing. None of them are sure where the money has gone but they believe it must be someone of importance in the temple organization. They haven't spoken of this to the Inquisition afraid they will be blamed and put to death.

[edit] Construction on the Island

Tomad island used to be the hot bed for activity for those trying to avoid the prying eyes of the Inquisition. Some of the townfolk have noticed some construction going on in the woods by the mountains. They have seen an increase of ships coming and going secretly dropping off different supplies which are quickly removed from the docks and moved into the woods without any word.

A small child made a claim to the local temple that he saw armed men protecting an armed palace on the side of one of the mountains. The child was placed in the local jail and hasn't been released yet. His family believes he is dead and are keeping any additional information they have to themselves.

[edit] Domain Holding Table

Province	Law	Temple	Guild	Source
Alcamar (5/1)	HTN (5)	HTN (4)	LPM (3)	-
			MCS (2)
Cape Alceis (3/6)	HTN (3)	HTN (2)	LPM (2)	-
el-Denebi (3/2)	HTN (3)	HTN (2)	MCS (2)	-
			LPM (2)
el-Feyín (1/8)	HTN (1)	HTN (1)	LPM (0)	-
Izédas (1/8)	HTN (1)	HTN (1)	LPM (1)	-
Ras Beiber (2/7)	HTN (2)	HTN (2)	LPM (2)	-
Tomad (2/7)	HTN (2)	HTN (2)	LPM (1)	-
Abbreviations: HTN= Holy Temple of Nasri (Markhab el-Aldezar); LPM=League of Pious Merchants (Talín bin Shantil); MCS=Merchant Consortium of Suiriene (Sarand Fasir).