Politics: Khattan Emirate

Politics: Khattan Emirate Politics: Khattan Emirate

As the name of the "Khattan Emirate" might suggest, the predominant species is Khatta. However, there are multiple races found "native" to the area. It should be noted that the term "Khattan" refers to the nationality of being a member of the Khattan Emirate, whereas "Khatta" refers to species. It is possible to be a "Khattan" yet not a "Khatta".

1.1 Khattas

The Khattan Emirate is home to the largest concentration of Khattas to be found anywhere on Sinai, and a fair number of Katthas as well. Many Khattas have genetic features that suggest "housecat" varieties, while others have more "wildcat" features. The majority of Khattas appear to be genetically compatible, though Khattas and Katthas tend to stay apart. Despite all the mixing and matching, somehow the various "breeds" keep popping up, though genetic oddities mean that physical attributes of Khattas vary greatly. (Some but not all have night vision, for instance, or "feline agility".)

1.2 Zerdas

The Khattan Emirate is also home to the largest concentration of Zerdas -- fennec humanoids -- to be found on Sinai, though they comprise a far smaller percentage of the local population than the Khattas. While some Zerdas live in Abu Dhabi, many of them are desert wanderers, or else tend "gooshurm farms" in the areas outside Abu Dhabi.

1.3 Nohbakim

The smallest "indigenous" population to be found in the lands of the Khattan Emirate would be the strange and mutated Nohbakim. The Nohbakim pretty much keep to themselves, off in the desert. Given their scavenger nature, any found in Abu Dhabi would most likely be driven off.

1.4 Himarians

This by no means represents a single species. Rather, with the annexation of Himar to the north of the Himaat, the Khattan Emirate has greatly broadened the number of species present within its borders. The Himar Region has almost as diverse a selection of represented species as Rephidim.

Himar is home to large concentrations of Vartans, and is generally considered their "homeland". It's also the home to Himarian Jupani, though their numbers have been decimated in the aftermath of the "Boomer" being dropped. The winged feline Solus have their homeland here, as well as some overly photosensitive humans (?) known as Khu'huan.

In addition to the "indiginous" populations, there are large numbers of Cervani, Rhians, Skreeks, Skeeks, Rath'ani, Kavis, Khattas, Katthas, and even humans to be found, as well as Savanite slaves. Furthermore, the Red Cliffs have brought with them a number of Abaddonian Silent Ones, Vykarin, Vartans, Aquilans, Korvs and Eeee, and many Titanians have made "pilgrimages" to the Red Cliffs and have settled in the area. If it weren't for the fact that these are different species rather than races, it would be an ideal "melting pot'.

2.0 Government

The government of the Khattan Emirate is seated in its primary city, Abu Dhabi. The Emir is the ruler of all he surveys, but considerable power is shared with the Merchant Houses.

The rebuilt city of New Elamoore is a "second capitol" of sorts, the seat of power for the Himar Region, but it is ultimately under the Emir's authority.

2.1 Emir

The Emir is a Khatta of considerable power, wealth and influence, having an enormous palace, a sizeable harem, and an even more sizeable family. His sons are expected to start business ventures of their own, or to become proud warriors. His first-born son, the Prince, shall be in line to take his throne when the Emir passes on. (His other sons may be rightly referred to as "princes" as well, and will be certain to insist that everyone be reminded of their heritage, but "The Prince" specifically refers to the Emir's first-born son.)

Any new business venture in Abu Dhabi must have the approval of the Emir, and particularly lucrative practices will involve a great deal of courting of the Emir's favor and going to extremes to find gifts to please the Emir. Expense alone is not the measure of the worth of a gift ... for the Emir has plenty of wealth amassed already. Many a merchant has been ruined, to go into debt for the sake of buying gifts for the Emir, only to have the Emir delay his decision for some reason or another, or to become offended for some cause, and forbid the venture outright.

The Emir's power in Abu Dhabi is absolute, and criminals are dealt with harshly. There is not even a mockery of a court system. A merchant may take the law into his own hands, to deal with a thief. It is generally only when a merchant is faced with organized thieves who cannot be easily dealt with, or when there is a dispute between equals, when higher authorities must be sought for mediation. At times, this may go as high as the Emir, though wise merchants will seek to settle their differences privately rather than to trouble the Emir for his time. The Emir wishes to be troubled with nothing less than matters of life or death ... and for "petty" disputes brought to his attention, the issue may become a matter of life or death!

2.2 Wazir

The Wazir is arguably the second most powerful Khatta in the Emirate, even over the influence of the heir-apparent. The Wazir is an advisor to the Emir, and also a trusted steward, tending to "mundane" administrative duties and the running of business in the Emir's absence. While he is well-paid by the Emir, and given the use of many of the Emir's facilities, he is also wealthy from the gifts of those who seek to curry his favor, should they have to answer to him while the Emir is off traveling.

2.3 Merchant Houses

The Merchant Houses are wealthy and powerful families in the Khattan Emirate who wield the power of small kingdoms, even though their domain may not be measured as plots of land. Therefore, the heir to a Merchant House's wealth may be referred to as a "prince", even though he's not technically of royal lineage.

With the annexing of Himar, the noble trading houses there have to get approval from the Emir to continue or expand their trading networks. Many of them have collapsed due to the Emir's whim, though those headed by feline families have gotten marked preference -- some even being welcomed into the ranks of the Merchant Houses. Others have survived largely by allowing their interests to be absorbed by existing Merchant Houses, and acting as "stewards" under Khattan ownership, thus maintaining a fragment of their earlier glory.

3.0 Khattan Attire

Khattan dress in the Himaat is typically light and billowy, in white and light colors, often of silks or -- in the case of wealthier citizens -- zolks of varying quality. It is traditional for married women to dress very conservatively, going so far as to hide their faces with veils. Many of those who go outside cover their faces regardless, simply for the sake of shielding against the wind-blasts of sand.

In the Himar Region, those of higher station have quickly learned to adapt to the styles of the Himaat in order to make favorable impressions, and thus Khattan dress is seen frequently in New Elamoore, even if it's not entirely as appropriate for the region.

3.1 Zolk

Zolk is one of the most unique products associated with the Himaat. Few are aware of its origins ... and since some might find its origin at least mildly nauseating, merchants are not inclined to share that little detail.

Zolk is made from strands of material found in patches in the deserts of the Himaat, especially the Sea of Sand. Zolk prospectors will seek out patches of these strands, hopefully of more valuable varieties, in order to sell. More patient Zerda gooshurm-farmers find their own supply of zolk strands ... though the quality of the zolk produced by such farms is of the lower grades.

In actuality, the zolk strands are sheddings from the stomach lining of the worm-like creatures known as gooshurms, which burrow through the sands of the Himaat, as well as the earth of the Himar regions. As they sift the sands for nourishment, bits of their stomach lining are worn off, to be grown anew. Those sheddings are then found and chemically treated, then woven together to make zolken patterns. Zolk threads come in many colors, some of them with a metallic sheen. Cheaper zolk fabric mixes together whatever zolk threads can be found, resulting in an overall brown fabric by appearances.

The metallic varieties, which can only be found by means of "prospecting", have greater durability. The most expensive and rare of all zolks is "platinum" zolk, which is metallic white in appearance, and which is strongly resistant to puncture or cutting, making it very difficult to fashion into clothing ... but highly sought after, since it provides fashionable attire that also offers a modicum of personal protection.

It is theorized that the gooshurms may migrate between the Himaat and Himar regions from time to time, and that they may pick up some sort of mineral substances while in the Himar region, then come back to the Himaat again, resulting in the rarer sheddings ... and explaining why "gooshurm farms" never produce such varieties.

3.2 Ha'clohi

Ha'clohi is a form of dress cleverly designed to be reversible, with folds that serve as "vents" in the form that can open or close depending upon how the attire is worn, so that it can keep the wearer cool by day, and warm by night. The cloaks of this design utilize obscure properties of zolk, and therefore are only fashioned of zolk. (Unscrupulous merchants may fashion false ha'clohi of other materials, but they will not exhibit the same cooling/warming utility as the real thing.)

3.3 Kadibans

The kadiban is a traditional Himaatian head-dress, looking much like a turban, but with a neck-drape to protect the head from wind-blown sand, and often with a scarf to wrap about the face in the case of a dust-storm. Kadibans are generally made with consideration for room for the ears of the felines that normally wear them, but variations are also found for Zerda wearers.

3.4 Sand-shoes

Sand-shoes are typically warn by desert travelers who have to traverse the Sea of Sand. They are built much like snow-shoes, consisting of boots with an attached frame and a large base designed to distribute weight upon a wider area of the sand, but with holes in the surface meant to let sand fall through then the foot is lifted, rather than carrying sand along. Without such attire, a bipedal creature is bound to sink fairly quickly into the Sea of Sand.

4.0 Major Locations

The Khattan Emirate's domain includes all of the Himaat, even though there are many wandering nomads who may have little to do with the Emir or his authority. The Himaat Region is located on the northern part of the continent of Ai, just to the north of the Savan Territories, and south of the Himar Region. The Himaat is bordered to the west by the Sea of Himaat.

4.1 Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is the capitol of Himaat -- and, by extension, the Khattan Emirate -- and is a major port city by land, air or sea. It is located on the far western end of the Himaat Desert, on the shore of the Sea of Himaat, and has a sizeable airport and seaport. The Emir's palace is located here, as well as most of the signs of civilization (as outsiders know it) known to be in Himaat. This is a vital stop-off point for most trade with the small city of Gateway in the Forbidden Zone of the Himaat.

Abu Dhabi is considered the Pearl of the Himaat, and despite being located on the fringe of a desert, it has considerable supplies of fresh water and produce, thanks to the mysterious "underground gardens" owned by the Emir, making Abu Dhabi an oasis of sorts.

4.2 Gateway Tower / Gateway Town

Located on the western edge of the Sea of Sand is a Forbidden Zone that has long been held to be impossible to enter -- by land or by air -- without being utterly destroyed. Numerous documented attempts to enter the Zone have bolstered this belief. However, in recent history, it is claimed that the crew of the Lalee Papu actually sailed into the Forbidden Zone, saw some ruins, and then got back out again. Even though the Lalee Papu met an untimely fate during the latter part of its journey, before it could reach Abu Dhabi, it is still almost unthinkable that any airship could fly into a Forbidden Zone and escape unharmed.

Nonetheless, it has been demonstrated that the ruins are indeed there, and it is indeed possible to enter the Forbidden Zone -- by land at the very least. In the center of an "eye" of a perpetual storm surrounding the Forbidden Zone is a broken tower known as the Gateway Tower. This building serves as a magical (?) gateway to the other planets -- and civilizations -- of the Primus System.

A settlement has sprung up around the base of the Tower, at first just consisting of tents pitched by Khattan nomads and by the Kampfzengruppe soldiers of Abaddon. Gradually, materials have been brought over by the Kampfzengruppe from their own world, and many more by those that have travelled here. The dwellings have progressed from tents to junky structures built from broken sand-triremes and the wood of emptied crates, to more impressive dwellings, such as a dome-like structure being fashioned by the Kampfzengruppe, echoing a similar structure being built on the Abaddon side of the Gateway.

With representatives coming from the Temple, Titanian "pilgrims" camping out near the Gateway in hopes of reacing the "promised land", Khattan merchants and Nohbakim scavengers seeking riches, and various adventurers popping up, the settlement may well become a small city in a few years if current trends continue.

The small city of Gateway (as it is called) is divided into two parts. First, there is the outer extension, where airports and loading docks have been set up to receive merchants and travellers from afar whether by air or ground. There is then a covered tunnel that connects Outer Gateway to Inner Gateway -- within the storm of the Forbidden Zone.

Inner Gateway is hemmed in by a perpetual storm that rages all around the Forbidden Zone, save for a starkly defined "eye" of calm in the center around the Gateway Tower. Here, the Kampfzengruppe of Abaddon has a military base, and is working on the construction of a small "life dome". There are embassies for Rephidim Temple, Babel and Nagai Proper, an office of the Emir, and a few Silent Ones missions. There are also numerous bars and other establishments that tend to the entertainment of the Kampfzengruppe and Khattan troops permanently stationed here, as well as travellers and adventure-seekers that pass through.

Although this is situated in a Forbidden Zone, which would traditionally make this Rephidim's domain, the Emir has gained enough power and influence, and Rephidim has been challenged enough, that for now it appears that the alliance between the Kampfzengruppe and the Khattan Emirate has clear control over this small city and the Gateway Tower it is built up around.

4.3 Sea of Sand

The Sea of Sand is an undefined area that comprises large portions of the Himaat Desert. It is not known for certain whether this represents a contiguous zone, or possibly multiple "patches" within the desert. There is no easily visible difference between the sand of the Sea of Sand, and that of the surrounding desert, and while the sand of the Sea of Sand is especially fine, that still does not explain why it would exhibit its "quicksand" properties. It is generally supposed that this is some sort of magical phenomenon, perhaps tied to the Forbidden Zone at its edge.

Objects dropped in the Sea of Sand will slowly sink, disappearing beneath the surface. There are also many strange life-forms that thrive in the Sea of Sand. These would include the mutated and toxic sand-fish, the large and predatory shriken, the bizarre kooshkies, and the somewhat familiar gooshurm.

Travel across the Sea of Sand is typically facilitated by the use of sand-shoes, or by special vehicles, such as kooshkie sleds, gooshurm sleds, and sand triremes.

4.4 Noh

The City of Noh is a ruined complex located toward the eastern side of the Himaat Desert. Why anyone would build a walled city so far from any discernable resources seems unfathomable, and so therefore it is generally assumed that the city must have been built long ago, when the Himaat Desert had not spread that far. It has long ago been raided for any valuables that might be found there, and is presently desolate, save for the Nohbakim that take shelter in its walls from time to time.

4.5 New Elamoore

New Elamoore is a city that has sprung up near the Red Cliffs, as a replacement of sorts for the city of Elamoore that was displaced when the "Boomer" weapon was dropped on Himar. A large part of the population consists of displaced Himarians who had been in the city of Elamoore when it was transported to Abaddon, and who have come back through the Gateway during several return trips.

While some old Elamoore traditions have survived, the city is a subject of the Khattan Emirate, and thus Khattan influences have made themselves obvious. Although a great deal of the trading was disrupted by the "Boomer", New Elamoore has regained Elamoore's old position as the key location for acquisition of yorspice.

4.6 Red Cliffs

The Red Cliffs comprise a plateau of red rock that sits atop the ground where Elamoore once stood, and where the "Boomer" was dropped. This area is rich in iron ore, as well as metal salvage atop the plateau. Although the Abaddonian "immigrants" atop the plateau greatly restrict salvage operations, there are still many mining operations at the base of the plateau.

The area atop and near the Red Cliffs is known for having a decreased Quantum Uncertainty level comparable to that of Rephidim and other sky islands, despite the lower altitude. (It used to be more pronounced a difference, but that has slowly died down over the years.)

The Red Cliffs are home to a fortress known as the Fortress of Fire, where a large settlement of Silent Ones of the sect of the Keepers of the Flame reside. There's also a small military base commanded by the Abaddonian Confederacy, populated by various avian-types.

5.0 Major Languages

As a major trade city, Abu Dhabi is home to many languages, but there are a few that are most widely used in Abu Dhabi and the rest of the Himaat.

5.1 Khattan

Khattan is the official language of the Khattan Emirate. Although Rephidim Standard is also spoken, it is best to learn the local language in order to curry favor with important people (such as the Emir). In the Himar Region, Rephidim Standard is the most common language in use, but any merchants or other high officials will speak basic Khattan at the very least, if they wish to maintain their stations.

5.2 Zerda

Although not used as widely as Khattan, this language is used by the Zerda populace -- though they generally learn Khattan as well. It is also, curiously enough, the language used by the nomadic and reclusive Nohbakim.

5.3 Rephidim Standard

Rephidim has quite a bit of business with the Khattan Emirate, and some of its neighbors (such as Himar and the Seaborne Reach) primarily make use of Rephidim Standard, so it is only natural that this language would be in wide use in the Himaat -- or in Abu Dhabi, at the very least. Abu Dhabian use of Rephidim Standard tends to be characterized by very colorfully polite phrases, especially when singing the praises of products, of customers, or of making profuse and flowery apologies.

5.4 Silent Tongue

The fourth most commonly-used language in Abu Dhabi would be the Silent Tongue, since many Savanites are used for slave labor in the city and the surrounding areas. They are not found very often amongst the nomads (who would not be able to afford such luxuries -- and that's what having lots of children is for, anyway) so the language is rarely known beyond Abu Dhabi in the Himaat. It is, however, used to some extent in Himar, due to the Savanite slave populace there, mostly clustered around New Elamoore.

6.0 Major Exports

Abu Dhabi is a major exporter of goods produced in the Himaat, or brought to the major port city of Abu Dhabi from neighboring areas. Among its major exports are:

Metal: A strange metal object dubbed "the Sword" fell from the sky a few years ago, and Nohbakim scavengers for a time brought in metal scraps from some sort of artifact of technology that they claimed fell from the sky as well. With the opening of the Gateway Tower to Abaddon, even more metal has been passing through Abu Dhabi. As if that were not enough, with the destruction of the infrastructure of Himar and its capitol of Elamoore, the Khattan Emirate has been exerting some influence over what remains of Himar, going so far as to offer to "help rebuild the land". If they might gain some hold over the Red Cliffs, the Khattan Emirate could be in a position to be a major provider of metals to the rest of Sinai.

Sand: This the Himaat has plenty of, and it doesn't fetch big prices, but fine and pure sand from the Sea of Sand has applications abroad.

Vanderats: These velociraptor-like reptilian mounts are bred and raised in Abu Dhabi, as they have been for generations. Himaatian vanderats are prized steeds for the wealthy abroad ... though their requirements are such that they generally can't be cared for in the limited confines of Rephidim, so they tend to sell more to those with holdings on the surface of Sinai.

Xocholatl: This dark concoction is sometimes served in its raw, bitter form, or else sweetened to become a much-sought-after confection. Liquid xocholatl is a favored drink of the well-to-do in Abu Dhabi, while solid xocholatl is also valued to the point that the Emir even has a Master Xocholatier in his service -- a master artist who fashions sculptures of xocholatl, destroying the mold, and then presenting his masterpieces for the enjoyment of the Emir and his court -- a feast for the eyes as well as the palette.

Yorspice: The Khattan Emirate now has the corner on the market for yorspice and certain other "recreational spices" produced in the Himar Region.

Zolk: Zolk, either in bolts, or fashioned into apparel, is one of the primary exports of Abu Dhabi, greatly valued the world over.

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