Table of Contents

Cultural Groups

Regional Customs

Flora and Fauna

Military Factions

Criminal Factions

Important NPCs

Cultural Groups

The Asharynh

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Dominant Religion: Sahra-Ginma

Preferred Colors: White, Maroon, Gold, Mauve

Main Art Focus: Leatherwork, Textiles, Glassware
Way of Recording Events: Oral

General Appearance: Short lizardfolk, also referred to as geckonynh, with ridged, bumpy skin. They oft have softened, triangular heads; large, slate-hued eyes; and a tail which becomes fatter the more hydrated and fed that they are. These geckonynh typically have colour patterns which blend well with the saffron hues of the Zeinav desert - consisting mostly of ivory, gold, and amber gradients. These geckonynh are generally born with colour patterns of large dark spots which will gradually begin to separate into small spotted clusters and intricate striped patterns as time passes.
Primary Weapons: War-Hammers, Rapiers, Spears (Throwing)

The Asharynh, sometimes referred to as Ginma’s Guides, are a close-knit community who have occupied the Zeinav Desert for centuries. While these families largely consist of generations of geckonynh, other races and families from throughout Charon can also be found living alongside them throughout varying generations. The Asharynh are a kind, hospitable group - placing family and community as some of their most important values: also amongst their highest held values and traditions is a deep-rooted belief in preservation, respect, and harmony.

The Asharynh have long worshipped what they refer to as “Sahra-Ginma”, a name given to the spirit of the Zeinav Desert. They have long believed that to successfully survive in the hostility of the desert, that one must treat it with the respect that it commands: and so, families of the Asharynh ensure with great diligence, calculation, and work that nothing they take from the land goes to waste or is harmed by their presence, no matter how temporary it may be.

Due to the lack of resources within the Zeinav Desert, families of the Asharynh tend to own a generous amount of herding pack-animals which they travel with: these animals are generally livestock who provide meat, clothing, milk, and other necessities that the Asharynh simply could not live without. Woolful are amongst the most common livestock animal to be raised among the Asharynh; they have lived hand-in-hoof with the Asharynh in the desert for so long, that Asharynh-raised Woolful tend to produce less and thinner wools than their counterparts from cooler regions. This wool, with a fiber texture similar to cotton or linen, is ideal for creating cooling and breathable fabrics for use in the arid desert climate - and to keep warm if layered in the chill of the night.

Small packs of domesticated Viperhounds, a wild Zeinavian hound domesticated over a series of generations, oft can be found living alongside the Asharynh: these hounds work with their owners in order to herd and control Asharynh livestock from location to location, and to protect them from raiders or predators.

As the Asharynh are mindful of the desert’s natural limitations, they ensure with great diligence that the animals and creatures they keep do not overgraze what they have been provided by Sahra-Ginma, nor pollute the desert’s natural water sources. As such, the Asharynh are constantly on the move to find new resources, and allow that which they had used for their survival to heal again. Domesticated Sarabara, the most common beast of labour kept among the Asharynh, assists in the movement of the Asharynh’s tents, personal belongings, and supplies when the time for moving comes - as it always does. Their gentle, docile nature ensures that even the youngest of the Asharynh are able to guide them effortlessly through the ivory sands of Zeinav should their elders require rest as they travel; and their large, stocky frame allows them to carry a great deal of weight. A specialized saddle, crafted carefully from leathers and tented with wool fabrics, creates shade for both the Sarabara and the traveling Asharynh as the caravan lumbers through the desert.

The Asharynh understand the hostility of the desert, and are willing to lend a hospitable hand; they are known to welcome strangers into their homes as family; to house, feed, and to guide them back to Zeinav City, which has ultimately lended them the title of Ginma’s Guides. The Asharynh, while welcoming to most, do not take disrespect on their behalf or the desert’s; and they greatly disagree with practices that do not hold the best interest or sustainability of the desert’s resources in mind. While the Asharynh are peaceful, raiders and desert predators will find themselves at the end of Viperhound fangs, blunted warhammers, and brandished rapiers: as to seek harm against their family is a crime most foul, and the Asharynh do not sit passively when they believe they are in danger.

During winter months, the wandering families of the Asharynh gather around one of Zeinav’s oasis close to the city- allowing matriarchs from the nomadic families to meet, deliberate, and make important decisions on behalf of their respective families; and, in the meantime, the families celebrate, trade, and enjoy the company of different families and communities once again. During this time, the Asharynh have been known to travel into Zeinav City - bringing with them beautiful textiles, complex leatherwork, and delicate glasswares that they seek to trade for luxuries and necessities for the next year of travel.

Regional Customs

Interment of the Dead

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Death holds a special place in Zeinavian culture. The interment of the dead is highly sacred, and special care is taken to preserve the remains of loved ones with the belief that there is an afterlife wherein the body will manifest and continue, reborn into a second life. As such, it is very important for the dead to be cared for and prevented from decomposing or being scavenged by wildlife. This can be challenging and very costly with a high risk of failure due to opportunistic thieves and raiders after any worldly treasures the dead may be buried or entombed with.

Mummification
Mummification is the most popular practice for the interment of the dead, though it is a lengthy, precise, and costly procedure so it is mainly practiced by affluent families or those with important positions within Zeinavian society, such as the nobility, merchant class, royalty, and religious leaders. There is a degree of quality to the process, with the more expensive process resulting in the longest lasting and best preservation of a body.

A typical mummification process takes a total of seventy days where in embalmers, typically skilled surgeons or priests, remove the quick decaying organs to be preserved separately from the main body which is dried out before it is wrapped in linen. Linen was also stuffed into the cavities of the body to prevent it from appearing sunken in from the lack of internal organic matter.

Aside from the physical process of preserving the body, priests also conduct rituals to "open" the senses of the body. This involves touching key parts of the mummified body with ritual objects while reciting sacred prayers. In theory, this step allows the dead to use the sense they had while alive in the afterlife. To skip this crucial step would be to condemn the dead to suffer for the rest of eternity.

Entombment
There are many impressive and elaborate tombs throughout Zeinav, many of which are well maintained and contain the preserved remains of several generations of a single family line and even sometimes extending to close friends and beloved pets. Zeinavians strongly believe that the physical can be taken with someone to the afterlife, so it is not uncommon for the dead to be entombed with personal effects including furniture, heirlooms, and other personal treasures.

Tombs tend to be constructed out of stone and are ideally located far away from any water sources. Individual remains are placed within stone sarcophagi of varying complexity which are sealed to protect against any form of moisture. Once a tomb is at capacity, or there are no more living relatives of a family line remaining, a tomb's entrance is sealed permanently with the belief that those within will all be reunited in the afterlife. While not terribly common, some particularly elaborate tombs will also have built in defenses to ward off any raiders and thieves.

It is considered a serious social faux pa to take anything from a tomb, especially if you are not a living relative. Special acceptances to such an act can be made only under strict circumstances and with approval from a priest or if there is evidence that the remains will be damaged if not relocated.

Community Crypts
Community crypts are the most common option for those who cannot afford to mummify and entomb their deceased. These crypts are often carved out of naturally formed caves and will contain the remains of community members from various family lines. Long, horizontal holes are carved out of the cave walls, these serve as shelves for the storing the remains, with the largest community crypts having upwards of over a hundred individuals.

Unlike tombs, these crypts are left open to allow family members to visit the remains and pay respects. Bodies are still dried out to the best of their abilities, but without having sealed sarcophagi or any way to control the humidity of the crypt, the bodies often suffer significant levels of decay. Likewise, since the crypts are easily accessible, it is very difficult to protect the remains from being disturbed by scavengers or thieves, though there are rarely any precious belongings to be found in the first place.

Honoring the Dead

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Since Zeinavians believe strongly in the afterlife and a continuation of life beyond death, there are actually fewer traditions that involve remembering or honoring the dead after the body is entombed or placed in a crypt. Death is not viewed as the end of a person's story, and more just the start of the next chapter. That said, there are a few traditions that have become commonplace over the years.

Processions
Processions are common both during the interment of a body and as an annual event to honor the dead. Processions for those who can afford mummification and entombment are often elaborate parades with dancers, musicians, and decorated wagons filled with items to be entombed with the deceased. These processions happen after the mummification is complete but before the body is sealed in a sarcophagus. These parades often serve to show off the wealth and status of the family, with the more elaborate celebrations equating higher social status. Processions for royalty often draw crowds from across the Zeinav Desert, with businesses required to halt all activities until the procession has concluded out of a show of respect.

Processions for community crypts are usually much smaller and personal affairs, with only relatives partaking in moving the body to the crypt. However, families of those interred in community crypts also tend to organize yearly gatherings to honor the dead as a community. One of the reasons these annual gatherings have become popular is because of the issues with decomposition and lack of security with community crypts. There is a superstition that the soul connected to remains that have been improperly preserved linger near their families and can become malicious if they feel ignored or resentful. These celebrations aim to appease any souls that have not reached the afterlife for one reason or another. Overall, the gatherings include less extravagant displays of wealth, but conclude in a memorial meal.

Memorial Meals
Memorial meals are more commonly practiced by the lower class citizens of Zeinav at the conclusion of an annual procession. In order to participate in a memorial meal, a community member must bring something to share. It does not matter how small the offering is and the offering can even be something that is meant to be combined with other ingredients, such as root vegetables for a stew. Breads, roasted vegetables, stewed meats, and other common fare are shared in big family style plates.

During the meal, each family sends up one family member to light a wax candle and says a prayer for the deceased. This tethers the soul to the space, and allows them to share in the meal. The whole event, depending on the size of the community, can last up to an entire day and often continuing well into the night. Once the meal has concluded, each family volunteers one member to stand vigil throughout the night until the candles have burnt out to keep any tethered souls company.

Necromancy

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The practice of necromancy or raising the dead is not uncommon in the Zeinav Desert, though how acceptable it is varies greatly. Disturbing a tomb to raise the dead is punishable by death, though necromancy practiced in community crypts is more accepted as a way to communicate and possibly mitigate the chances of vengeful souls haunting families should the remains be disturbed.

Necromancers have been known to even maintain community crypts, lead annual processions, or act as mediums during memorial meals. Their services are often charitable in nature, with the most respected and trusted necromancers earning the title of "Death Priest". Though not all are so altruistic. There have been some who have misused their knowledge and magic to take advantage of communities by playing on the fears of the communities of becoming haunted by angry spirits.

With community crypts being ill guarded, the temptation for necromancers to target these areas is particularly high, and even the better defenses in place for tombs hardly discourages the most ambitious practitioners.

There has been a more recent development that could further complicate things as there is a niche demand for necromancers to work along side archaeologists who are researching and excavating some of the long lost cities of Zeinav. The opportunity to speak with the dead from civilizations past is not one lost on scholarly society. Though such partnerships are very strict and have been subject to severe criticism.

Flora and Fauna

Dust Melons

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Location: Found in Zeinav Desert, anywhere the cacti may grow, though they’re most common in the land where the White Sand Sea starts to meet the Oasis

Dust Melons are a bit tricky to identify, considering you literally have to carve them out of the heart of a cactus before you can get a look at them, but they’re unmistakable when you find them. Unripe Dust Melons are a sandy yellow color, but ripe ones are a brilliant red, striped with gold, and the interior is a pale pink with a bit of a grainy, but still moist texture. Pale pink blossoms tend to grow on cacti containing melons– the darker the flower, the riper the melon inside.

Above all, Dust Melons really just make for a lovely snack– they’re rich in water content, which is vital out in the desert, and other significant nutrients. They’re not so much something I’d use in medicine as they are something you’d use as a healthy snack, but when you crush the shell on the exterior, the powder produced is exceptionally useful in earth-resistance and weakness potions. We’re still trying to figure out a use for the fruit on the inside, but for now… snack.

Toxicity: Very little– the exterior skin is… bound to make you feel a little ill if you try to consume it, unless you’re reptilian, but the interior fruit is harmless. It can make a good snack if you know how to cut it properly! I’m fond of them, myself.

Additional Notes: The shell on the exterior will turn to dust in your hands once it’s pulled apart, giving the fruit its namesake– you have to handle the fruit a little carefully, in this case.

Khet Lotuses

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Location: Found in Zeinav Desert, namely in the White Sand Sea, near the Oasis

A quaint pink flower found in the silt of the White Sand Sea, in the places not far from the Oasis. They are pale, solemn pink in color, almost desaturated, with fewer petals than a traditional lotus, with a dusty gold patterning across the edges of the petals. They tend to be small, and only ever grow alone, one blossom at a time-- you will never see two grow in a cluster. It is not unheard of for two to bloom side by side, but never from the same seed. They bloom from ash-bound seeds buried within the sand.

On its own, the Khet Lotus has very little medicinal merit; it is a flower born of death, and it would be... frowned upon to actually use it in medicine, at least as an outsider to the Tribe of the Lotus. Those within it are privy to a procedure capable of processing the petals properly to create a rejuvenating potion; it is a delicate process, but worth it when successful. I am not keen on sharing this with many.

Toxicity: Mild-- not lethal, but may provoke some illness if consumed by mouth. Don't eat it. Ever. It's rude.

Additional Notes: Sacred to the nomadic Tribe of the Lotus that traverses the White Sand Sea, and a byproduct of their funeral rites.

Roya'ara

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Location: Found in Zeinav Desert, growing on the Sun-Scorched Coast

A beautiful lavender, cloud white, and baby blue flower that grows in the greener areas of the Sun-Scorched Coast-- their pastel colors and cloying sweet scent make them very difficult to miss. They have five petals, all in a smooth gradient and golden pistils that resemble and smell like crystallized honey, which may suggest edibility. This is a lie. They are not, in any sense, nutritious.

The Roya'ara is a bit of a dangerous specimen, really-- they trick passersby and herbivorous creatures into believing they may make a sweet snack, only for those that consume them to either fall into a deep, lucid dream-burdened sleep or into a spell rife with odd hallucinations that beckon you to stay as long as possible. They're odd, but I've found them... useful for less orthodox substances. Nothing I'd use for medication, but something to keep on hand in the case of an emergency, more like.

Toxicity: Mild to severe-- they're powerful hallucinogens and sedatives, and I wouldn't recommend going around eating them. Those are the key effects, but as always, side effects vary from person to person.

Additional Notes: Their name actually roughly means "dream designer." It's derived from those very same hallucinations they tend to induce in those who eat them. Again, don't eat them, please, for the love of the Gods.

Vaha Fruit

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Location: Found in Zeinav Desert, specifically in water bodies on the outskirts of the city

An underwater-growing type of berry found around Zeinav City, a deep indigo in color, and rather small. They're not much larger than my thumbnail, really, though that isn't a universal assessment. Either way, they grow in clusters, and their ripeness is determined by the balance of their coloration-- too blue, and it's not ripe, too purple and it's overripe. The midpoint between the two is best for testing such a thing-- both for medicinal quality, and for flavor.

On their own, they're best for a quick snack above all-- however, they shine best when utilized in potions, heated and crushed to mix with other components, or when used in tandem with a specific type of purple wildflower found in the Lantern Light Wood of the Moonglade for a poultice. It eases inflammation readily and has a numbing quality-- this can make it easier to focus on more advanced treatment while distracting a patient from any pain. Very useful.

Toxicity: None. In fact, they're quite delicious.

Additional Notes: Hardly rare at all, but finding them in their prime can be a bit tricky sometimes, as can finding the ideal water bodies they grow in. I'd like to cultivate some myself someday.

Military Factions

Zeinav Corps

Collectively known as the Zeinav Corps, the forces of Zeinav City comprise of separate army and naval branches.

Army
10,000 total

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Infantry: The foot soldiers of the Zeinav Corps are organized into mixed companies of archers and pikes. The ratio in the squads is two pike soldiers for every three archers. There is at any given moment two battalions of infantry on duty with a third at rest.

Cavalry: The majority of the Zeinav Corps are the 7 battalions of cavalry. 2 battalions of camel scouts, 3 battalions of light archer cavalry, and 2 battalions of heavy cavalry.

Tactics: The Zeinav Corps, due to the twin shared borders and the massive desert, operate on a scout then respond strategy. The battalions of camel scouts operate entirely as individual soldiers scattered through the entire desert and along the borders. These solitary patrols are designed to catch any warning of raiding or banditry and then rush back to the closest barracks to report. These barracks situated in strategic locations house portions of the three battalions of light archer cavalry who act as the main first responders to any incident. The center of this web of scouting and response are the three battalions of infantry and the two battalions of heavy cavalry who primarily garrison the capital and are only called upon when major incursions happen.

Infantry tactics revolve around combining with other squads. Individual squads operate with one archer that is designated the scout and the other two archers are paired with a pike soldier. The scout archer acts as a liaison, sharing information and coordinating movements, with other squads through their scout archer. This high level of information gathering and sharing allows complicated maneuvers on the battlefield and cities that make up for their lack of numbers.

Equipment: Maximizing cross utilization, there are three main weapons that are used across the Zeinav Corps, a double recurved bow used by the camel scouts, light archer cavalry, and foot archers, a lance that double as a pike for the heavy cavalry and pike soldiers, and the scimitar which is the ubiquitous secondary weapon amongst all soldiers. Rounded shields can be found amongst the heavy cavalry and foot archers, but there is a heavy emphasis on mobility so most weight is dedicated to water supplies so as to extend military operations in the desert for as long as possible.

Navy
100 ships, 2,000 infantry

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Tactics: The Zeinav Navy is divided into ten squadrons of ten ships with each ship having twenty marines on board. The marines are trained to use both the bow and the pike and are all equipped with shields. These squadrons center around a large man of war which acts as the biggest firepower and the main resupply point for the other ships in the squadron. The rest of the squadron consists of a combinations of sloops and corvettes who operate as scouts and chase ships against pirates who are the common enemy that the Zeinav Navy faces on a daily basis.

The Golden Scarabs

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The legend goes like this.

Millennia ago, in the days that the gods danced across the sky, and their footfalls rained divine terror across the lands, a great tragedy befell Zeinav. The details of such a blow were lost to the sands of time, but the people’s anger had reached a fever pitch. Amidst the chaos of the war with the pantheon, and the instability of the world, the people pooled their money and hired an assassin.

The killer, face covered in fabrics and no name to their person, was the best in the land. Their past and allegiances were unknown - save that they were forged in the harsh, arid environment of the desert. Where the people of the city were plagued by the heat and the sand, the assassin embraced such a life. It made them stronger. They alone took up the bounty on the Sultan’s head where no one else would; and they alone slipped into the Sultan’s palace at night, concealed blades poised and ready to strike, ending the Sultan’s life for good.

To their surprise, they found the Sultan awake, and awaiting a visit from his assailant.

The assassin raised their blade, ready to strike. But the Sultan was as crafty as a fox and saw opportunity where others saw trouble. With an impossibly calm demeanor, he challenged the assassin.

“Battle me in honest combat. If you can land three strikes on me with your sword before sunrise, then consider my life forfeit.”

The assassin scoffed at such a promise. Only three strikes? It would be too easy to claim such a victory against a man raised in such lavish conditions. Arrogant and sure of their skills, the assassin accepted. They fought then and there, in the Sultan’s bed chambers…until the first rays of sun filtered through the window, without so much as a scratch on the Sultan.

The assassin had failed.

They readied themselves to leave in their shame, a vow that this would not be their last visit, when the Sultan stopped them with a single promise - come back tomorrow, and try again.

And the assassin did.

The next night they battled until sunrise, and the assassin - who was no fool, by any means - tried a different tactic. They filled their pockets with sand and attempted to blind the man and claim a point of distraction. The cheap tactic earned them one hit, but not a single more. So they vowed to come back the next night and try again, with a different method.

For one hundred nights they battled, each time, the assassin coming by dusk with a different weapon, a different poison, a different style of martial prowess. And each night, they failed to slay the Sultan before sunrise. Some nights they came close; some nights they were lucky enough to even land two hits. Never could they reach three. And each night, when dawn marked the end of their challenge, the Sultan asked,

”Do you yield?”

And the assassin replied; ”Never.”

On the one hundred and first night, they battled, as always. However, when the sun rose, the Sultan did not ask the same question as always. Instead, he said, ”I’ve seen enough. I’m sure you tire of these games… and your talents are squandered on this challenge. How would you like to work for me instead? I can assure you the pay will be grand… riches beyond your wildest dreams. And I can make much better use of your talents. What do you say?”

Taken aback by the sudden offer, the assassin merely asked, ”But I failed. How can you be so certain I will be able to protect you?”

”Because,” The Sultan replied with that same, cool demeanor, ”I know you’ll never be able to betray me.”

And the assassin realized, to their horror, he was right. Over the last one hundred days, each night their begrudging respect for the man had grown. They had seen his prowess firsthand, and over every night, shown him exactly what they were capable of. Not only was he battle-hardened, but he was as sly as they came. Maybe, just maybe, this man would be a proper leader, a hand fit to wield the pointed blade.

With a nod, they accepted - and thus, the Golden Scarabs were born.

The beginning of the Golden Scarabs can be traced back to the days of the early Collapse. Whatever version of the tale of their inception you hear, it does not change the immutable facts. The first assassin under the sultan’s employ lived and breathed the desert; and under the Sultan’s order, the assassin trained their protégés in all the knowledge they possessed. Soon, their numbers grew.

The Scarabs were once the Zeinav royal line’s elite task force. Small in number, but hardened by the desert and trained in the ways of the blade, of the the scorching heat and the simmering poison. This task force was the Sultan’s trump card during the Collapse. They acted as his right hand, carrying out quiet assassinations and dissuading any other attackers that enemy countries might send their way. The scarabs are trained on a few simple creeds;

Only Three Strikes;
Flow Like Sand;
Sting With Venom.

Since the time of the Collapse, their numbers have dwindled; perhaps, in modern times, only one hundred still loyal to the Sultan remain in his employ. However, their numbers across the country are far more expansive. The Scarabs once guarded their knowledge as a close-kept secret, though this protectiveness has faded with time.

Their organization includes a master of the Craft; this master alone knows how to construct the wrist bracers and golden tattoos that each scarab possesses. The Craft master passes this knowledge to their successor, who continues the tradition of making items for warriors of the organization. This scarab-brother holds the knowledge of the formulae arcanum used to etch the creed of their members into the golden scarab tattoo, the construction of the arm bracer that conceals their hidden blade, and the poison that they carry on their person. As the ancient Scarabs grew, so too did the number of Scarab brothers to tend to the craft for their warriors. Tomes of their ancient knowledge can be found in old crypts, their secrets buried with them - which has given rise to a new wave of scarab warriors who make use of their techniques but pledge no allegiance to the Sultan.

The Scarabs, despite their pledges, are prideful people who keep their promises. They are most at home in arid environments and though they adapt to any kind of fighting style, their fighting styles all follow the same creed - only three strikes. This motto arose from the story of the first of their kind; who, after their employment to the Sultan, vowed that they would only ever fell an enemy after three strikes in battle, for it is the only true way for you to know your opponent.

It is this honor and rigid training that marks a True Scarab, born of the old codes. They are unyielding and uncompromising, even going so far as designing their own poisons after a single promise made by a long-dead member. Their training approaches are often lethal, and geared towards survival; primarily leaving initiates for dead in the White Sand Sea with no water to brave the beasts that lurk within. One might think these harsh conditions one subjects themselves to become a Scarab would make them weak. And yet, though this task force is small, it is their core beliefs that will make them the last bastion of defense for their country when Zeinav’s armies fall.

And as more and more of Scern’s story comes to light, there have been…stirrings—old whispers. Scarabs have begun to strengthen their numbers, fearing the worst for Zeinav in the turmoil. Perhaps the time has come for this once-proud line of stalwart guardians to pick up the cause once more.

Criminal Factions

Scorched Ones

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Operating primarily in Zeinav City, though smaller factions can be found to a lesser extent in other areas of the expanse of desert that surrounds it, the Sorched Ones are a name that few have any meaningful knowledge of... though they have been growing in notoriety in recent months. And, for those within the scope of that knowledge, know that the group itself is going through an identity crisis.

The organization, if it can even be called that, is primarily human dominant, though those who tend to be on the fringes of society, particularly those of naga or lizardkind heritage, often find themselves attracted to the cause. The Scorched Ones work against the rigid caste system in place in Zeinav City, with their main goal to better the lives of the people on the lower tiers, often victims of systemic abuses and other wrongs. Those who are dismissed from society-- dissenters, deserters of the Corps, the disgruntled-- find care and concern where they otherwise would not. The Scorched Ones attract and targets those who are "burned" by the powers that be, and attend the poverty stricken communities that the Sultan would rather ignore.

Historically, however, this has not always been the case. Longer lived individuals might remember that The Scorched Ones have existed before over the centuries, though their goals have differed wildly depending on who claimed their leadership, and reflected the regime of the ruling Sultan. Their two more recent iterations-- a cult and a group of domestic terrorists-- were systematically wiped out by the Sultan's regency and the Zeinav Corps during their independent rise to power.

The reason those original groups collapsed had to do with their visibility. Each group was quite vocal about their intentions to do something about the system in Zeinav City, and how they meant to do it. When they became too big, too much of a threat, they were quashed. The current iteration of the Scorched Ones primarily wishes to bring an end to the caste system, but are by no means extremist, or dedicated to any particular religion. In fact, beyond their goals, they are not a group in open rebellion, preferring to focus on the needs of those in the lower castes than upending the government itself. They put power back in the hands of the people, supporting small business owners who don't want to be in league with Madam Mohurk, who are harassed by street gangs and the Zeinav Corps alike, and ensuring, if need be, those people are able to defend themselves.

The Scorched Ones do not have a firm base of operations; adhering to their ancestral roots (and learning from the mistakes of their past), they tend to be nomadic in nature, moving about the city and not calling any lone location home. Similarly, the organization itself lacks structure almost entirely. Their members do not wear their symbol on anything that personally belongs to them, not wanting to differentiate themselves from the lower caste systems, which would other' them further. While they have a leader, Ava Yasmin, beyond the scope of her leadership, there is no firm hierarchical structure in the organization. Ava herself is an unknown; no one outside the organization is personally aware of her unless she introduces herself to them directly. As such, there are many groups that have taken the name and banner of the Scorched Ones, and used them as a means of committing their crimes. Their symbol of a blazing sun is known as their calling card, but otherwise, members of the group do not adorn themselves with their own iconography, preferring to stay under the radar.

As such, recent incidents in Zeinav City itself have been the work, collectively, of bad actors in the Scorched Ones, those who use the name as a guise for their illicit activities, and those who want to see the group wiped out yet another time. Still, the lack of clear and present danger makes the Scorched Ones, at best, a convenient scapegoat as far as the Sultan and the Zeinav Corps are concerned-- for now.

Changes in vision and changes in activity/extremist behavior, as well as this lack of organization, ensures a climate where certain members have their own ideas of how things should be run. Anybody could be a Scorched One-- and because of that, it is altogether too easy to pin certain crimes on them, as they have no formal structure that could refute certain claims, from either the government or other groups. It also means they allow many different kinds of people to join, including those who would rather take a more direct approach to destroying the caste system... those who see Ava as weak and ineffectual.

While that could not be further from the truth, as Ava's stint as leader has resulted in the longest running iteration of the Scorched Ones, the organization is adapting to new changes in the world state to try and do their best for the society they are trying to better.

The Arid Bandits

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A group of roaming bandits willingly identify themselves by the rings of red ink they tattoo around their necks. The bandits once arose as political resistance to the current infrastructure of Zeinav City; their platform was built on the resistance to inherent classism involved in processes of water purification being controlled by Tradesmages. They believe that the common people should be the ones in control of water purification and distillation and that rooftop gardens are status symbols only accessible to the weak. For these reasons, they fear that the Sultan has all the cards to withhold water from the common folk should he so choose.

Such lofty goals, and yet, the Arid Bandits are little more than a nuisance.

Nowadays the Arid Bandits have been banned from Zeinav City, recognized by the red bands they wear proudly on their necks. So they roam the sandy plains and common trade routes to perform roadside robberies. They have little interest in coins, jewels, or physical objects. The only thing they steal is the most valuable commodity of all - water. Rumor is they have taken a small oasis hostage in the middle of the desert as their place of operations, where their resources are only open to lost wanderers and people who have nowhere else to go.

Their numbers are small, perhaps 500 people total who live at their base of operations. Among those numbers, only 200 are actual bandits. These people run the city and hold highways hostage, making money by charging people who stop in their village exorbitant prices for food and stolen drinks. In the grand scheme of things, the Arid Bandits are a relatively small nuisance. And yet, their message resonates with the people, and their water-stealing and price-gouging are felt deeply in settlements outside of the main city.

Ziev’s Children

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Although the ruling family of Sol City has worked hard to suppress Scern’s story, there are those who have made the connections between Ziev and the Sultan. These people have begun to band together over the last year, operating under the name ‘Ziev’s Children’. They believe that as citizens of Zeinav, they all hold a divine piece of Ziev’s lineage within them, and therefore, Zeinav is the true ruler of the realm.

Little is known about the group, considering the relative newness of their platform, and their desire for secrecy. Ziev’s children are not protestors, and they are not troublemakers. Rather, they are everywhere. They are business owners, mages, and politicians seeking to improve Zeinav’s security and bolster the country’s strength to propel the Sultan to his perceived rightful spot.

This would not be so bad on its own if it had not turned them into criminals. Ziev’s Children are in staunch opposition to the Scorched ones; the two have begun clashing in the streets whenever they meet. Some more extreme members of the group believe that increasing the strength of their country isn’t enough, and they have begun sabotaging others. Recently, foreign dignitaries have been found assassinated, international trade routes sabotaged… and the danger is only beginning to escalate.

Important NPCs

Sultan Adatian Jadda Ziev

Zeinav Desert, Human, Male

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Appearance

Description

Personality

Adatian has ruled the desert city for most of his life, obtaining the seat of power at a young age. Despite now being an older man, he is highly respected by those who call him their leader. He is an experienced warrior and elegant speaker, making him deadly both on the battlefield and in the courts. While he himself has been the perfect leader, he currently has no children or heirs, and questions of who leads after him have started to run amok through the lower nobles.

Stern, stoic and resilient, Adatian has lead the region for several years and has learned a few things. He knows when to speak, and when to keep quiet, although he has earned such a reputation that most people actually care about what he has to say now. In addition to being brace and honorable, he is also kind and respectful, understanding the need for calmer heads.

Samair Ziev, Head of the Zeinav Corps

Zeinav Desert, Human, Male

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Appearance

Description

Personality

Samair's position as head of the Zeinav Corps has designated him among the nobles as the current heir to the throne till his brother has children and even in very particular circles is considered the heir even if the current king declares someone else. This has left him in a precarious position in regards to personal ambition and his devotion and loyalty to his brother.

Samair Ziev exemplifies the concepts of long term thinking and loyalty to a cause. He has modernized both the equipment and the tactics of the Zeinav Corp while establishing a flexible and adaptable military structure that is capable of improvisation and adjusting to a wide variety of situations with rapid and well thought out responses. He is a man who acknowledges his approaching mortality and seeks to instill a culture and way of thinking that is beyond any individual or societal institution to corrupt.

Madam Mohurk, the Hospitality Mogul

Zeinav Desert, Human, Female

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Appearance

Description

Personality

Madame Mohurk, a human woman in her early forties, has gone the long road of rags to riches in Zeinav City over the course of her storied life; if you can take it at it's face value, of course. She is the owner of most, if not all the currently operating taverns, gambling halls, inns and gin joints in Zeinav City. She is also a philanthropist and is frequently spotted at events hosted by the Sultan himself.

A gregarious and capricious woman, Madame Mohurk is as well known for her business savvy as she is loved (and feared) for her zero-tolerance policies on anyone who should be foolish enough to cross her. That said, it is far easier to stay on her good side than it is on her bad. As far as is known, her dearest companion is a Letter Drake by the name of Absinthe.

The life-story Madame Mohurk tells varies wildly depending on the day and her whim; the most common is that she was born to immigrants from King's Valley, who left her with her ailing but very rich aunt, and from her inheritance was how she was able to buy her first tavern. Other times, she was a simple orphan card-sharp who won her first tavern in a high-stakes game of chance with a devil disguised as a man. Though no one has ever been able to corroborate any of her stories; any one of them could be true, or, more likely, none. What is known for certain is that Madame Mohurk goes by no other moniker, and she does not need to. Whomever she was before that name has been long since erased from the annals of history.

Whatever the truth of Madame Mohurk's clouded origins, there is no denying her sway; She is a fixture of the community in Zeinav City, owner, operator, and proprietor of more than ninety percent of all currently operating taverns, gambling halls, inns and gin joints in the city-- and the other ten percent that are not directly under her banner are either swiftly stamped out or have a "good friend" of hers at the helm. As such, she is credited by the working-class communities of Zeinav as being a leader in championing workers rights. Madame Mohurk's standard for employee care has ensured fair wages and ideal working conditions for those across the industry-- mostly because she monopolizes it. But, you can't argue with results.

A name synonymous with entertainment, Madame Mohurk is known as a friendly and outgoing woman, often seen drinking in her own establishments and being invited to rub elbows with the more affluent members of society, something she takes to with aplomb. Always the life of the party, there are few in Zeinav City-- even in the other areas of Charon-- who wouldn't be thrilled to have Madame Mohurk show up at their function. The Sultan himself invites her to his state dinners frequently, as she is a bastion of business within the city, and a deeply charming conversationalist.

Despite her close ties with society's upper-echelons, the woman is not a tool of the bourgeoisie; far from it. Madame Mohurk is known for advocating on behalf of the people of her city, especially the workers, and is known to donate quite generously to various charities throughout Charon, particularly orphanages, community improvements, libraries, the arts, and other public works that benefit the whole of society. Just don't expect her to pitch in personally and get her hands dirty; she has people for that now, thank you.

Important Locations

The Mirage

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Location
Zeinav Desert

Description
Despite sounding rather pleasant in name, the prison located among the dunes of Zeinav is anything but. For one thing, the prison itself has no foundation, but is instead built on a platform capable of hovering across the sands of Zeinav's desert. It is about as large as a standard city block, constructed on the bones of salvaged ruins. The population of The Mirage is past capacity in quarters that are already cramped and not easily renovated. This mobile prison makes frequent stops at different locations all over Zeinav, picking up prisoners and spiriting them away to incarceration among the dunes.

History
The prison's name comes from its surroundings and the phenomenon of perceiving something within the desert that isn't really there; a trick of the eye. Originally constructed as a means of transporting prisoners from the Ash Lands to the harbors of Zeinav and further south for extrication, the prison became a holding center all its own as it was subjected to many prison breaks from criminal organizations looking to free their imprisoned members. Now, it it functions as a state-of-the-art mobile prison, moving freely along the sands at a constant rate that can be accelerated as necessary, should anyone try to attack the prison itself.

The exterior structure of the prison is an added defense; the walls are outfitted with flecks of glass and other silicates, allowing for a constant, shimmering refraction that warps the light and makes it hard to physically perceive the prison as anything other than a mirage. It also decreases the accuracy of projectiles, magical or otherwise.

Those convicted of less serious crimes are kept here, and inmates are able to interact with one another on a normal. As far as prisons go, conditions are considered good-- save for the frequent motion sickness that affects many, especially at the outset. As it is magicked to hover and therefore move, the Mirage is also enchanted with spells that bend the gravity of the place, preventing a sense of inertia when in the midst of movement and allowing people-- especially guards-- to maintain their footing.

Serving out your sentence here is harsh, but anyone fortunate enough to leave always has a number of impressive stories to tell. Escape is possible, but difficult, as the constantly shifting location is meant to be disorienting, and survival in the desert without being prepared is highly unlikely. Many who complete their sentences here either become sailors or join the Corps if they do not simply return to the life for which they were originally incarcerated.

Zeinav City

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The city of Zeinav on the whole benefits from a system of distillation via the means of Formulae Arcanum, which allows for the purification of the most abundant water source in the city-- the ocean. Being so full of salt, the distillation process is vital for supplying the city with potable water for people as well as the prolific "terrace gardens" of the city's rooftops, the most opulent of which can be found at the palace of the Sultan.

Despite being part of an arid climate, the city's method of heat distilling underground stills into clean, fresh water has secured Zeinav City's Charonwide renown for textiles, crops, exotic flowers, and spices. It has also given rise to an industry of Tradesmages that can serve communities found deeper in the desert with advances in Arcanatek and applications of the Formulae Arcanum, allowing for a thriving business in ensuring water filtration throughout Zeinv.

Zeinav City's Qanats

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Unique to Zienav's arid coast, the city has had a long-standing, ingenious method of building underground aquifers into the cliffs that are set to boil intakes of water at high tide. The large network of caves and tunnels that exist around the coast, while known to be used for illicit purposes, has also ensured there is a steady stream of working laborers, Tradesmages, and guards flowing through the areas closest to the heart of the city. Water comes pouring in at high tide, and as the filled vats are heated, the steam rises through pipes of dried and cured oxen skin and into larger vats, which are then commuted via qanat to underground wells for the residential areas, or up through pressure gradient pipe that siphons the water up to the surface to supply fountains, crops, and other water features.

This unique setup has allowed individuals all over Zeinav to grow food, often on the roofs of buildings to accommodate for the lack of lateral space within the city walls. Though, as neighborhoods are often connected to a limited number of large aquifers, there is some dispute among neighbors when certain individuals are

Qanats outside of Zeinav, and indeed beyond the Oasis, have to rely on a system of solar distillation unless they can be very lucky with a local underground water source they can dig a well into. Even when such things are not possible to obtain, the frequent caravans of goods coming in and out of Zeinav City often will provide water and food for these communities-- for a considerable markup, of course, but it is far cheaper and fresher than trying to get anything imported from elsewhere in Charon.

Some will trade the produce of their livestock in the form of wool, hair, or meat, for what the caravan brings creating a balanced barter system that Zeinav culture relies on. A fair number of these communities have taken to making pigments from stones, flowers, and insects to be used in a variety of products, from textiles to make-up to paints for artists.

The Emerald Terrace

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The terrace gardens on the whole serve a more practical purpose, besides supplying food and beautifying the city; the presence of these plants and gardens makes the blistering heat of the desert more tolerable, especially in the summer months. Many will retreat to their rooftops to sit among their gardens, with some establishing hammocks and other sleeping quarters to enjoy a night beneath the stars.

By contrast, the terrace gardens of the Sultan's palace, known as the Emerald Terrace, are a popular tourism site, an impressive feat of engineering, and a wonder to behold. The walkable exterior features multiple staggered levels held aloft by marble, rare flowers from all over Charon, and even exotic fruit trees from the Crescent Isles and Moonglade. These gardens are populated not just by flora, but fauna as well, featuring butterflies, flittens, skittermaus, and even a seldom seen Tia-xin.

There is an area for visitors separate from the gardens the Sultan's family enjoys and from where much of the palace food is grown, but those who endear themselves to officials or the Sultan himself can expect to be taken on a guided tour through the whole of the gardens.

Baynatna Milah Fine Salts and Spices

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Baynatna Milah, which translates from Zeivanian to "The Salt Between Us", part of a common phrase that denotes respect and loyalty among friends, is number one in the market for Zeinav's most sought-after export; salt.

Baynatna Milah utilizes the salts that are part of the distillation process of water filtration in the city and from their harvesting processes along the shores of the Luna Sea. The salts, after having the purified water removed, remain in the vessels, which are then taken by the Salt Workers of the company for further treatment and refining, resulting in the purest flake-salt money can buy. Preferred by culinarians around Charon in both home kitchens and professional restaurants, Baynatna Milah is more than a trusted name-- it's a cultural movement.

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