THE DESERT OF JAF: A massive wasteland expanding in three kingdoms of the Astocian (mention: silk's scent) empire, namely: Doth (the western region), Dohtah (the middle) and Moro (the cold desert). Dohtah's culture is inspired by various medieval Middle Eastern influences—unlike Doth and Moro which have elements of other, different cultures due to their positioning. These three are multi-ethnic nations with a populace of the middle east of the Astocian Empire along with the northern and western cultures intermixed evenly across the kingdoms except for Moro which is east dominated due to its shared borders with the independent empire of Tajing.
THE LANGUAGE 'DOHKAN': this language is widely spoken amongst the inhabitants of the kingdom of Doth and Dohtah respectively. There are two variations of this language—namely high and bastardized dohkan—the former being spoken by scholars and people of higher rank, and the latter being a bastardized dialect popular amongst the traveling nomads and commoners. There is also a certain level of prejudice held towards the bastardized Dohkan speakers amongst the upperclassmen because it uses a different script when it comes to writing, something they consider inferior to high Dohkan.
THE RELIGION: albeit the citizens are allowed to follow any faith of their liking, the original inhabitants of the land—the dohtekh people—follow the faith of four phiisms. Phiism in high dohkan means 'bringer of light' which refers to the four spirits: clepsydra (the goddess of time and spirit of the desert), Ra's (the god of sun and spirit of light), Aznar (the spirit of water, bringer of monsoon), Hikma (the goddess of wisdom, the spirit of magic).
LAWS AND CONSTITUTION: Dohtah is a sovereign kingdom—and however it doesn't exactly fall under the direct command of the emperor of Astocia—it still is bound to the base laws and the makeup of the Astocian constitution which comprise of taxing and basic citizen rights along with the distribution of judicial and division of hierarchy. However, some cultural differences have given the kingdom of Dohtah (along with doth since they share cultural similarities) their old tradition and the plays a big part in the makeup of the division of class and society.
THE HIERARCHY.
1. Shah / Shahbanu: alternatives for emperor and empress.
2. Sultan / Sultana: The king and the queen.
3. Khan / Khanum: subordinate rulers of tribe / a group.
4. Amir / Amirah: alternatives of duke and duchess.
5. Mirza: title of noble rank given to mostly ministers.
6. Sheikh/begum: head of a state / administrative head and aristocratic female of a noble ranking, mostly Sheikh's wife.
7. Imam: the religious leader of a group/place.
8. Hem-Nej / Hemet-Nej: priest and priestess.
9. Hem(et)-nej-tepi: high priest(ess).
10. Sahab / Aalim: Master / Scholar.
11. Mufti: economic master/tradesman.
12. Smyt: the saintess/chantress who impersonates and represents a certain deity for the people, often the one responsible for summoning and communicating with the gods to maintain a connection between the divine and the people.
THE JUDICIAL POWER: the power has been divided into two courts—diwan-e-aam, the court of common folk which deals with issues regarding serving justice and to maintain fairness between the people. Often lead by the sultan himself, or his substitute or representative (Qadi's being the judge for the state-level court) depending on the circumstances. The second one being diwan-e-khas—the parliament of nobles and ministers, among other high ranking officials which are responsible for state administration, creation of policies and whatnot.
LAWS AND REGULATIONS;
01. MONARCHY AND ADMINISTRATION: Sultan / Sultana is the one responsible for the selection of court and ministers. However, the spouse of the sultan/sultana has the power of advising and delaying the appointment of a certain noble, the ultimate power of selection lies in the hand of the royal family member. Just as the power of military control when concerning national security does.
02. SELECTION OF HIER AND CANDIDATES FOR THE THRONE / REGENTS: out of all the children of the royal family, the sultan is the one responsible for choosing the heir. however, they must be recognized by the sultana as well. And although not necessary, the support from the noble court often plays a big part in the selection process.
03. ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES: the sultan chooses on a currency—however, the value of trade and costs are decided by the Diwan-e-Khas. Commoners have a right to own land and do a trade but they have to pay taxes for that. Their tax amounts differ on their income and the amount of land they hold. However nobles don't have to pay tax for the land, they have to pay tax on trade and a special 'noble charge' which goes straight to the kingdom's treasury for emergency uses.
04. CRIMINAL LAWS: stealing is punished by imprisonment, depending on the value of the stolen goods. Rape and murder are punished with imprisonment for life. If the murder was committed in a brutal manner, and the use of magic was involved, the convict is executed by hanging, beheading, depending on the severity of the crime. Adultery and breaking civil conduct are charged with gold.
05. RELIGION: the imam will be the one in charge of the conduction of these laws. Anyone is allowed to follow the faith of their choice and have the freedom to practice it, but one must respect the main faith of the dohtekh people—faith of the four phiisms and not do anything that clashes with it. Any felonies committed against a certain belief and/or because of that belief will be punished with the convict being publicly stoned to death.
06. MAGIC AND EDUCATION: dark arts are forbidden and punishable by law unless sultan commands it. Unless in dire circumstances, public use of magic is not allowed by the commoners to maintain the safety of the state. Magic users are all registered in the book of records and shall receive proper education to wield it. Every Dohtah civilian has to receive basic education from ages 6-15, it is compulsory.
07. WAR AND CRISIS: any crisis regarding threats that aren't involving humans will be dealt with directly with the mage guild, the military isn't allowed to interfere unless commanded by the archmage. War isn't to be initiated by the sultan against any country unless discussed by the diwan-e-Khas beforehand.
08. TRADE AND IT'S RESTRICTIONS: paying taxes is compulsory regardless of the merchant's class. The trade of magical artefacts, mana stones or any other sources of magical power is monopolized by the imperial family—and they may extend the right to the royal family of the court. However nobles and mages are allowed to hold magical artefacts and mana stones in possession from the permission of the royal family, they aren't allowed to participate in the trade.
THE CHARACTERS:
1. PRINCE QADIR AL ZAHIDI.
The first son of the sultan of Dohtah born from his second concubine, Saira begum― an artist of commoner roots. Proud and knightly, with an authoritative presence and devastating skill. Standing taller than most with a domineering frame that would make grown men look like pubescent boys. Copper skinned with dark hair, and darker eyes that he inherits from his mother, Qadir cuts a striking figure-fitting for a prince― in spite of his stern, aloof reputation.
2. KHANUM MARJINA AL ROUF.
The sister of Bahram al-din khan― chief of the nomadic tribe, the mages of arcana― is a rising talent amongst the group of travelling magic users. Headstrong, independent, passionate― Marjina is as much as chief as her older brother and holds the same, free-spirited charm about her. Tall, curvaceous, with russet complexion and sun-kissed brown hair that falls past her shoulder blades, she is a sight to behold. But what makes her stand out, is her golden eyes―a common trait in the magic users of her tribe― which glow brighter than most experienced mages.
3. PRINCE GHAZI AL ZAHIDI.
The second son of the sultan― born from his second consort, the daughter of Amir called Noor Begum. Although not a man of any remarkable talent, Ghazi is a jack of all trades, with a keen eye for talent and a silver tongue. He is an excellent diplomat with a speciality for collecting talented people and getting them to work for him. With a lean, slight build― he has the classic copper skin and dark hair of the people of Dohtah, with the classic green eyes of the royal family that seem to be always smiling as if the world is a joke only he is smart enough to understand. He isn't conventionally beautiful― but thanks to his charm and different looks― Ghazi stands out more than most and is quite popular among the kingdom.
4. PRINCESS SORA OF HOUSE UMAHASHI.
The fifth child of the ruler of Tajing― a kingdom far away from Dohtah known for their militant power and riches― sora is a renowned beauty across the continents. The bards sing about not only her comely face but also her virtues. She is a kind-hearted, sensitive but rational woman. She's well-read in classic arts and politics too― making her an excellent candidate fit of being a queen. Sora is an elegant, graceful woman with a lithe frame, pale complexion and long midnight hair that trails below her hips like a curtain. With ruby tinted lips, and still, dark blue eyes, she is the very image of feminity.
5. THE PEDDLER.
This man is a mystery to most. Elusive, witty and quick on his feet, the peddler hides half his face at all times and is a member of a guild which purveys information and forbidden magical artefacts. True to his reputation, no one knows his name or where he came from. He is a tall, slender man with lean muscle and chiselled features. His hair is a shock of silver against his copper skin― giving him a somewhat foreign, exotic appearance― and his eyes are a mischievous, twinkling green. He has a sidekick/companion, a twelve-year-old boy called Jamal.