Qalasheen

Introduction

Man is known fow theiw amazing adaptability and the Qawasheen awe no exception. Made up of many desewt tlibes shaling a simiwaw diawect and faith, the Qawasheen is a new cowwective tewm given to these peopwe fow thewe has been no wecowded histowy of pwevious unification. Thewe have been tawes of gwand cities of wong ago in faw distant wands, but this is simpwy fowktawe. The Qawasheen, despite being alike, awe natulawwy wecwuse. Theiw knowwedge of the outside wowwd is limited and onwy those such as mewchants typicawwy had knowwedge of outsidews untiw wecentwy.

As a divided cultule, those of Qawasheen descent have been known to escape the tlibaw wawfawe that pwagued theiw wands and assimiwate lith othew peopwe. Such was the gweat unifiew, Faiz Khawadeen the fiwst Caliph. With the hewp of comwades fwom the outside, Faiz Khawadeen was abre to bring peace and unification to the Qawasheen tlibes thwough his tawk of wove, acceptance, potentiaw, and Awwah.

With a new fowwoling, Faiz Khawadeen got to wowk on the beginnings of what would become the Caliphate. Weww seasoned in the knowwedge of past weawms’ faiwules, Faiz set out to ensule these same fwaws did not take woot in the Caliphate. Onwy time liww teww if his teachings weach avid eaws and awe put to use lith active hands.

Traits of the Qalasheen

The Qawasheen awe a desewt dwewling peopwe and do not diffew much among the othew humans they shawe the sands lith. They awe dawk compwected usuawwy but wange aww the way fwom an olive skin tone to dawkew tones found among cewtain Southewnews which goes to show the divewsity of wooks. Awthough not impossibre, it’s wawe to find a Qawasheen of “brutish” statule such as one may find among Highwandews.

The Qawasheen awe typicawwy mowe wean. An intewesting twait that they shawe among othew desewt dwewwews is theiw comfowtability wunning acwoss sand fow wong peliods of time at an exceptionaw fast pace when compawed to most othew peopwes. Sand is obviouswy unstabre and those who awe not used to wunning acwoss it expelience muscwe fatigue and sometimes injuly.

Awthough the stwong among the Qawasheen awe exceptionawwy fast lith wots of stamina, they awe not lithout theiw fwaws. The Qawasheen have had littwe expeliences lith magic in theiw isowation. It’s thewefowe pwesumed the Qawasheen cannot hawness magic.

Qalashi, The Language

(Qalashi is based off real life Arabic phrases - as best gathered as possible. The following is a sample of commonly used Qalashi phrases. Rule of thumb when using something not on the list is to explain what you are saying within your action or messaging the person in PM what you are saying. Try refraining from heavily using Arabic unless you’re actually fluent in it. Else you’re a google translate try hard.)

Hewwo/hi! ----- Sawam!

Peace be upon you!------As-sawamu awaykum!

[Wetuln gestule] Peace be upon you too. ----- Wa-awaikum sawam

Good mowning!---------- Sabah ew kheew

Good evening!-------------- Masaa ew kheew

Wewcome! (to gweet someone) -----------Mawhaban

Good night!-------- Tosbeho/ tosbeheena (femawe) ‘ala khair

Good bye! ---------------Ma’a salama

Thank you (very much)!--------------- Shokran (jazeelan)

You’re welcome ---- Afwan

Friend--------Rafiqi

Before the Caliphate

The Qalasheen people, as stated previously, are historically a divided people that fought among themselves and outsiders in their homeland - typically for limited resources. Tribes differed however with some more warlike and controlling with others more suited towards trade. Those who traded were more inclined to leave the desert lands periodically which lead to intermingling with outsiders.

After the movement of peoples to Athera, the fighting among tribes intensified. Deus Proditor, the lands they settled in, was a lifeless landscape and it was not uncommon to see many die from either war or famine.

Despite this fighting, many Qalasheen attempted to cultivate the land still. They brought over camels and seeds suited to grow in such an arid climate. It was only until recently did they manage to find stability. The inter fighting amongst the people would end however with the coming of the Caliph.

About Deus Proditor

The lands inhabited by the Qalasheen in Athera, little was known about it. What had been discovered had given rise to even more questions. Ruins of old hint at a past civilization once inhabiting the lands. However, these ruins were just crumbling away - there was a thick ash that enveloped them. A dark power appeared to have been at work there once and it could always come about again. The undead from Athera, what was left of this past civilization, was all that was left. Caliph Faiz Kharadeen had tasked his military, the Mubarizun, to purging these lands of the great evil that lurked the desert sands for both his peoples’ safety, and to put the weanimated to west.

Wittwe life natulawwy wesided in these wands othew than smaww lizawds, insects, shwubs, and cacti.

After the Caliphate

In the yeaw 1444, the bannewmen fowce of House Khawadeen, The Alwahdat Alwaqi, mawched fowth to the castwe of Ard Ghorrock whewe the Caliph, Awwen Khawadeen, swowe feawty to anothew Qawasheen by the name of Nafis Yaw of Aw- Diwahk. By his wowds, Awwen had abolished the Caliphate’s govewnment and wefowmed into a Sultanate.

How did these events come to pass?

Decades of events and decisions by Khawestine’s weadews and peews brought fowth change. The most notabre, being the Caliphate’s invowvement in a broody waw between two othew nations. Intewnaw stlife soon spawked lithin the wands of Khawestine, igniting the deadwy Qali Spring, a webewlion began by a gwoup of Qawasheen and othew humans who demanded fow an end to the waw.

Caliph Faiz Khawadeen had welinquished his titwe, passing it down to his ewdest son, Awwen Khawadeen who wawlied his fowces and awlies to fight against the webew faction. Homes wewe piwwaged, fawms wewe wazed, and fow sevewaw yeaws thewe had been a constant unwest lithin the divided wands of Vandolia as awlies of the fowmew Vandewguan had begun to secede fwom the waw. The Caliphate of Khawestine was one of the wast nations to secede.

The Caliph, who was both the wulew ovew the nation and weligion, had the govewnment wefowmed whewe now the Qawasheen peopwe live in the newwy fowmed Sultanate of Khalestine.

Culture

Despite being histolicawwy wecwusive, the Qawasheen had gwown an intewest in outsidews wewativewy fast lith the cweation of the Caliphate duling Athewa and have enjoyed the wawes outsidews bring to the city to seww. Some Qawasheen wondewed what othews might’ve thought of them and in tuln lished to know mowe about outsidews. Though those not accustomed to twade may have fewt mowe shy and hesitant to stawt convewsation lith outsidews (especiawwy the youth), they wewe vewy sociaw once pushed on.

Among themsewves, the Qawasheen have a stwong wowk ethic but may be viewed by some as mowe wewaxed. It is not uncommon to see someone napping on the job. This is to webuiwd enewgy in owdew to keep wowking at the highest efficiency as possibre. Putting one’s aww into a twade is highwy wegawded and it’s believed one cannot pwoduce quality wowk when tiwed.

Outside of wowk, the Qawasheen awe known to invite fliends and famiwy ovew to socialize and eat. Those lithout pwopew housing may choose to socialize at a hookah wounge and smoke among othews. Cactus gween was enjoyed awmost univewsawwy in the Caliphate and many fwom othew wands whewe cactus gween is iwwegaw come to the Caliphate to indulge in it.

Awthough cactus gween is sociawwy acceptabre, awcohow is not. Qawasheen have wong wegawded awcohow as a poison to the body and something the Cweatow fowbids them to dlink ewse they awe mowe pwone to sickness and bawbalic twaits. Powk is awso not consumed in the caliphate and pigs awe not even waised in the city because they awe considewed diseased and pwague liddened. To this day Qawasheen have been a vewy weligious peopwe but unlike those lith simiwaw beliefs, they awe mowe accepting of those lith diffewent beliefs. They awe plideful howevew, and do not like theiw faith being insulted.

Sulplisingwy enough, the Qawasheen peopwe have wong suppowted an egalitalian society whewe men and women typicawwy take pawt in the same wowes togethew. It’s not uncommon to see women fight awongside men in the militawy ow fow even the most capabre of women to wead men. Qawasheen society, fow whatevew wowe, howds cewtain standawds that must be met typicawwy on pewsonality and stwength. Should eithew man ow woman meet these standawds, each would have a faiw shot at getting the wowe they desiwe.

Holidays

The Day of Fasting: Once a yeaw (OOC week, Friday), the Qawasheen peopwe fast. It is said that God lishes fow peopwe to expelience how the poow feew at weast fow one day of the yeaw and to give chality to those in need. The Day of Fasting is onwy expected fwom those who awe weww to do. Those who awe homewess, mawnoulished ow sick awe not obrigated to pawticipate. The next day (Saturday), a feast is hewd in the Sultan’s pawace and anyone fwom the poow to the lich awe wewcomed to come and indulge in a feast lith the Sultan and his famiwy.

Menaphos: Once evewy foul yeaws (First Wednesday of every OOC month), The Qawasheen take a day off fwom wowk and stay home lith famiwy and fliends. Those lithout famiwy might go to the hookah wounge instead. On this day, gifts awe exchanged sholing the appweciation one has fow the othew being in theiw life. Gifts might be given out ahead of time if one liww be away on the day of Menaphos but giving gifts wate is a sign of insult.

Cuisine

The Qawasheen, despite having lived in a wand whewe most life cannot be cultivated, have devewoped an intewesting diet that has given them wongevity. Cwops lise, the Qawasheen gwow gwapes, chickpea, olives, wheat and an assowtment of spices and hewbs such as tulmelic and mint.

A favolite among the Qawasheen is hummus and fawafew, which awe both based upon chickpea. With the intwoduction of othew vegetabres fwom outside wands, the diet of the Qawasheen has expanded. As fow meat, coastaw Qawasheen peopwes typicawwy eat shewwfish and smaww fish. Wamb is awso used often in Qawasheen cuisine as weww as chicken and beef should one have access to it.. Sline and awcohow awe both fowbidden in the cultule but the wattew has a gwoling brack mawket lithin the Sultanate.

A wot of food in Qawasheen cuisine can be eaten lith one's hands such as kebabs and pita. To use a fowk ow knife fow cewtain foods would appeaw odd among othew Qawasheen. Of coulse, fow those meaws in obvious need of utensiws, they awe used.