The First Sovereign Caliphate of Qatark

Formal Name: The First Sovereign Caliphate of Qatark.

Informal Names: The Qatark. Redskins. Rune-bearers.

Abbreviation: N/A

General Technology Indicator: 40.

Population: 2 million. (Humans 85%, Half-breeds: 10%, Other: 5%)

Size of Domain: 2,149,960km2 

Technology Tags (Positive): Weapon and armor smithing, farming, ship building, mining, rune magic.

Technology Tags (Negative): Cattle farming, logging, walls.


Race: Humans. 

Ancestry: Nomadic desert peoples.

Biology: (For Custom Races Only)

Clothing:  Various cloth robes and head wear, sandals. War garments are usually chain-mail and and the rest of the armor worn over the daily clothing. Different sets of clothing for different needs. Clothing depends on social caste.  

Kingdom Name: Qatark

Kingdom Type: Desert.

Kingdom Geological Analysis: Steel, coal, diamonds, iron, rubies, stone, mithril. 

Kingdom Description: Desert plains, fertile lands at coast, and mountain ranges at the south.

Where on the map are they: The Qatark peninsula. 



Political System: Caliphate.

Economical System: Market.

Language: Common, Qatark.

Culture:

Social status is the most important thing in Qatark society. One is born into a caste and cannot leave it, society will not permit such. The poor stay poor, the working class stay working, and the noble stay noble. Men are dominant in society, having many wives along with children, women are there to be homemakers and to make their husbands feel proud of themselves.

Religion is also a central part of society, most of the Qatarks worship the goddess Faetha due to the role that she played in the Qatarks being a people today. Many temples have been built in her honor, but those that follow her are told to make at least one pilgrimage to the temple where she had helped the Prophet, Zaman Ra'd.

History: 

Originating from the nomadic tribes of old, they had settled on the peninsula after discovering its fertile and bountiful lands. The first settlement of Arkech was a success, but it had drawn the attention of the native populace of the area, a band of blood thirsty Orcs and Goblins mounted on Worgs. They have rained havoc on the Qatarks for years, small skirmishes breaking out between the two. Smaller villages of the peninsula’s human inhabitants have sprung up away from the budding city of Arkech. They have experienced the brunt of the ongoing conflict, entire villages being razed, and the men and children being beheaded and left to rot, the women on the other hand, they were taken to the horde’s camp and forced to breed with the Orcish menace.  

This lasted for years, until one man had come to age. Zaman Ra'd Muhammad, was a young man at the time of the first documented encounter of a half-breed, half-Orc and half-Human. The people of Arkech were disgusted as the monstrosity was being dragged through the streets tied to the discovering farmer’s horse. The farmer had brought him to the town’s square and forced the beast into a cage that was normally reserved for the common pickpocket or cutthroat. They all gawked as the self-elected mayor of Arkech came to the elevated platform to inspect the beast. This is where they had declared war. The masses cheered with glee, they would not have their people disgraced to such a point.

The city-state of Arkech had nothing but a militia and a small contingent of professional fighters at its disposal. Around fifteen hundred men with nothing but pitchforks, homemade scimitars, pikes and other makeshift materials, the only people with adequate armor and weapons were those that made a living off war. The war was in the Qatark’s favor for the first few months, taking down the Orcish internment camps and freeing those that were captured before them, many of them soldiers from a faraway land that had given a life-debt to the Qatarks. The militia had only a few losses in their engagements, doing a guerilla style war. Baiting out the Orcish horde into the desert plains away from their shoddily built wooden camps, hitting them with arrows covered in pitch, or anything that could add insult to injury, then finishing them off with their Calvary.  The winning streak came to an end like all good things. The Orcs and Goblins had bolstered their forced and mounted an attack on Arkech itself.

The battle had lasted for sixteen hours; the first ten hours were fought outside the city’s walls. The Qatarks were then pushed back into the city, the horde had broken through and war was being waged in the streets. The Qatarks were ousted from their city, their home. The militia was halved. The refuges and militia remnants made their way from the city; they settle and made a camp on the edge of the peninsula in the fertile lands.

Zaman Ra'd Muhammad was one of the militia members that had escaped. He and a compatriot were on a hunt for the camp when they had come across a sunken and dilapidated temple. Zaman Ra'd decided to venture forth into the temple whilst his compatriot collected the game from the hunt and road back to the camp. Zaman Ra'd had been gone for two days. Those that were at the camp thought he had gotten picked up by an Orcish raiding party, but that was not the case. Zaman Ra'd had pushed himself into the central chamber of the temple. Resting there was a tome, a scripture of sorts. It was thick and opened to the middle. Zaman Ra'd approached the scripture and wrapped his hands around either side and brought it from the podium. When his eyes met the symbols etched onto the parchment, the room spun and he began to feel nauseous, and then he fainted.

When he woke, there she stood her body covered in ancient runes that glowed with power, she was wearing a long white dress and her golden hair was draped over her shoulders. Her lips did not move, but he heard what she was saying, she was talking to him. No one knows what she said Zaman Ra'd but Zaman Ra'd, he only told them her name, and that was Faetha.

Zaman Ra'd had returned in two days’ time, he was on his steed, a white horse. There was something different about him, perhaps the tome that was being carried under his left arm. There were runes also etched into his clothing, his steed, the tome, his weapon, and even his skin. The men and women of the camp were glad to see him, happy that they did not lose another to the Orcish horde. The young, newly enlightened man wasted no time telling the others what he had experienced. He told them of the goddess and her works, but never of what she said to him. He was rallying the men and women of the camp to retake their city from the horde. Some thought the young man was crazy, the others were too proud to let their city fall and have their people left to suffer.

In two weeks’ time, they were ready to fight, or as ready as they would have ever been. The smithies were hard at work in those two weeks, working with what they had to create armor for those going to battle, which was mostly everyone in the camp. The stalwart band of warriors was utilizing weaponry from their enemies, broad blades with curved handles, and meat cleavers, anything that could have been salvaged.  Before the group had set out, Zaman Ra’d had gathered them for a prayer. Before this instance, Qatarks had only worshipped the elements for face value, not one specific element, god or goddess. After the small service, Ra’d had offered to etch the runes that were placed onto him to others, some agreed, others did not.

The battle had come. It was dusk, and the armed refugees from the camp were waiting for their moment to strike. The sun had set, and the riders were off. They had found a weak point in the walls and had infiltrated the city undetected, the crept around the streets, looking for any refugees that could possibly help them in their war, to their disappointment, they were all being held captive. The group was just in time for the horde’s feast. They struck then, Zaman Ra’d had utilized the newly taught rune magic to engulf a crowd of orcs in flame. They had rushed past in the confusion and made their way to the interment like camp. There is where the Orcish Warlord of the area was camped, along with the captives of the city-state. Zaman Ra’d and his people made their last ditch effort and had assaulted the internment camp. Losses we heavy, but with the assistance of the runes taught by the mysterious goddess, the Qatarks were victorious.

The Orcish warlord was slain in front of the surviving members of his horde by Zaman Ra’d. The rest of the horde was forced into slavery and half-breeds were reluctantly accepted into society due to the immense amount of forced breeding in the time of the Orcish oppression. That was two hundred years ago, and Zaman Ra’d is still the Caliph of the Qatarks. No one knows why he is still living, perhaps a deal with the goddess was made when they had first met, and that is only hearsay, as is every other rumor regarding the venerable man.

The Qatarks are now spread along the peninsula rather than a single city state. Arkech is now the capital city and ruled partly by priests. Slaves are common, and prejudice and discrimination against the half-bred Orc-Humans still stands with breeding standards being enforced amongst the populace. They are now a proud people who hold resentment against Orcs due to their past.


Religion: Many still worship the elements at face value, but since Zaman Ra'd's victory over the Orcish horde with the divine aid of Faetha, many temples devoted to the goddess had sprouted up in many cities along the peninsula.

--FOR HEROES ONLY--

Name: Prophet Zaman Ra'd

Age: Venerable.

Race: Human.

Allegiance (if any): Lawful Neutral.

Appearance: Standing at a hunched five foot nine inches, Zaman Ra'd is now elderly and wise. He has claimed the position of High Priest of the Temple of Faetha, the goddess that had helped he and his people during the Orcish incursion, he is also Caliph of the nation. He wears long white robes, sandals, a turban-esque head gear made up of white linen, a priestly sash being worn over his shoulders, embroidered with the runes that were taught to his people by Faetha, and a red cossack is around his waist, covering the scabbard of his ceremonial blade.

The blade is about eight inches in length being crafted out of a steel-mithril alloy and is also etched with ancient runes. The hilt is encrusted with two medium sized rubies, and one large diamond at the bottom of the pommel.

Backstory:

Ra'd was born to a miner, he was going to take up the trade with his father before the Orcish incursion. With the First War of Orcs, he was a young solider and fought valiantly. He was also the one to turn the tides of the war, coming in contact with the "Rune Goddess" and bringing his nation back to its feet and onto to glory. After freeing his people from oppression, he was the one to personally invite the Half-breeds to join the Caliphate, under certain circumstances of course. He has lead his nation for two centuries with no sign of stopping.