Visiting a bathhouse is a traditional way to get clean and to relax. Within the society of the Two Kingdoms, bathhouses are good places to congregate for food, discussion, and cleanliness. They are often used as gathering places for families, visitors, and especially for business. Every large town or city has at least one hammam, or bathhouse, where gallons of hot water wait for the traveler's comfort and an entire staff of servants cleans and serves the patron. There are always separate hammams for men and women (with hal-lista allowed entrance to either).
Nudity is required in hammams, an indication tat the patron is present for the purpose of cleaning; naturally, there are many other reasons to visit, but it is necessary to keep up the illusion and at least pay lip service to the intended use of the hammam. Handfuls of soapy clay known as ghassoul are used to remove grease from the body and to wash the hair. Going to a hammam usually costs around 5 gold pieces, but more expensive baths can cost as much as 30 gold pieces for a single wash. Some hammams offer massages at extra prices, and prostitution is not unheard of in such establishments.
There is a strong tradition of same-sex bathhouse romances in the Two Kingdoms, often valorized in the literature as a place where one can release the guards one usually carries with them at all times and be truly vulnerable. The connection and the passion that develop from this is often the most powerful relationship in a person's life. It also rather strictly ends at the walls of the hammam, with some partners in bathhouse romances refusing to even catch each other's eye outside those walls. Details, of course, including the basic details of who is with whom, though intensely public inside the hammam are never mentioned outside of it. Many majnujin (followers of the syncretic, bohemian, mercantile religion of majnun) have produced great poetry and art around the theme of bathhouse romances.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
The Civic Cult of the Free City I
The Integrated Revolutionary Committee of the Free City maintains a civic cult, rooted in the religion of Vanmi, the highly-syncretic faith developed by the Ndata-mbanyiti diaspora.
The focus of this civic cult is a deity called Mboloké, with a much reduced focus on his many children. Mboloké is depicted as a sphinx made out of stone and iron and is said to stalk through the city and eat the brains of those citizens who catch his fancy. His portfolio includes solitude, filth, ugliness, midden heaps, prisons, armies, labor, alienation, fog, ghost rock, poverty, love, money, pavement, trees, visions, omens, hallucinations, miracles, ecstacies, dreams, adorations, illuminations, religions, breakthroughs, crucifixions, epiphanies, despairs, minds, new loves, suicide, and (most importantly) the Free City itself, and it is whispered that his voice can be heard in the sounds of screaming children, boy-soldiers sobbing, and the weeping of old men in the plazas. He lives under stairways.
Roads of Mboloké include:
The focus of this civic cult is a deity called Mboloké, with a much reduced focus on his many children. Mboloké is depicted as a sphinx made out of stone and iron and is said to stalk through the city and eat the brains of those citizens who catch his fancy. His portfolio includes solitude, filth, ugliness, midden heaps, prisons, armies, labor, alienation, fog, ghost rock, poverty, love, money, pavement, trees, visions, omens, hallucinations, miracles, ecstacies, dreams, adorations, illuminations, religions, breakthroughs, crucifixions, epiphanies, despairs, minds, new loves, suicide, and (most importantly) the Free City itself, and it is whispered that his voice can be heard in the sounds of screaming children, boy-soldiers sobbing, and the weeping of old men in the plazas. He lives under stairways.
Roads of Mboloké include:
- The Nightmare of Himself
- Mboloké Swecra: Mboloké Original One
- The Loveless
- Mboloké t'Aigul: Mboloké of the Brass Tower
- Mental Mboloké
- The Heavy Judger of Men
- The Congress of Sorrows
- Mboloké Ho'oh ???: Whose Buildings Are Judgments
- The Vast Stone of War
- The Stunned Colonizers
- The Clockwork Mind
- Whose Blood is Running Money
- Whose Fingers Are Ten Armies
- Whose Breast is a Cannibal Dynamo
- Whose Ear is a Smoking Tomb
- Whose Eyes Are a Thousand Blind Windows
- Whose Towers Stand in the Long Streets Like Endless Gods
- Whose Labor Dreams and Chokes in the Fog
- Crowned With Chimneys and Antennae
- Whose Love is Endless Ghost Rock and Stone
- Usurious Lightning Soul
- Whose Poverty is the Specter of Genius
- Whose Fate is a Sexless Cloud
- The Mind
- In Whom I Sit Lonely
- In Whom I Dream Angels
- Who Entered My Soul Early
- Bodiless Consciousness
- Who Frightened Me Out of My Natural Ecstasy
- Whom I Abandon
- Light Streaming Out of the Sky
- Skeleton Treasury
- Blind Lord
- Demonic Overseer
- Spectral Nation
- Invincible Madhouse
- Granite Cock
- Monstrous Bomb
- Gone Down the River
- The Whole Boatload of Sensitive Bullshit
- Ten Years' Animal Screams and Suicides
- Mad Generation
- Down on the Rocks of Time
- Real Holy Laughter in the River
- Of the Wild Eyes
- Of the Holy Yells
- Bidding Farewell
- Waving
- Carrying Flowers
- Into the Street
According to one Free City Vanmi legend, the Brass
Tower once stood as a home for Mboloké t'Aigul back in Ndata-mbanye. At one point, the Brass Tower was struck by lightning and burned to the ground, only to
be quenched by the rains that followed soon after. Three nameless
small monster gods were said to have died with the tower’s destruction but
were resurrected by Mboloké Ho'oh as Wokiar, Yetné, and Enucius—the roaming
legendary dogs who are said to have taken on the three
characteristics of the tower’s destruction (electric, fire, water), as well as the legendary birds Onucitra, Sertlom, and Sodpaz. It is said that upon the Brass Tower’s destruction, Mboloké t'Aigul left to find a new home, eventually finding the land that would one day be the Free City, while Mboloké Ho'oh flew off in search of someone pure-hearted enough to be taught how to capture and train the small monster gods.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Mahjoun (this is the drug made from the cacti near kel-Maraneh)
The most well-known drug for sale in the Two Kingdoms is mahjoun (from the same consonantal root, incidentally, as the religion majnun), a kind of sticky, pasty mass not unlike a pale green molasses. It is made from the crushed flesh of a desert cactus. A small ball can send the uninitiated into a spinning euphoria and certainly impairs -- excuse me, alters -- the decision-making processes. It is possible for someone who has never tasted mahjoun to sell all of his or her possessions and wake up the next morning with no idea of how they spent the last few hours. It is popular, though, among those used to its behavioral effects (once you gain a certain tolerance, you are less likely to lose control). However, even among habitual users, paranoia and forgetfulness are usual side effects.
A small ball of mahjoun will last a single evening (up to six hours) for someone with low tolerance and can be purchased for 3 gold pieces. The drug must be orally ingested, although it can be mied with strong wine or food and still have effect.
Type ingested; Addictionmoderate, Fortitude DC 20 Price 3 gpEffects 1d4+2 hours; +1d2 alchemical bonus to Strength, -10 (for first-time users) or -2d6 (for habitual users) alchemical penalty to Wisdom, –2 penalty on saves against illusions and mind-affecting effects, can be manipulated as if under a suggestion spell (habitual users get a Will save, DC 13, to resist any specific suggestions Effectafter 1 hour; 1d6 hours of fatigue Damage1d2 Con and 1d2 Wis damage
A small ball of mahjoun will last a single evening (up to six hours) for someone with low tolerance and can be purchased for 3 gold pieces. The drug must be orally ingested, although it can be mied with strong wine or food and still have effect.
Type ingested; Addictionmoderate, Fortitude DC 20 Price 3 gpEffects 1d4+2 hours; +1d2 alchemical bonus to Strength, -10 (for first-time users) or -2d6 (for habitual users) alchemical penalty to Wisdom, –2 penalty on saves against illusions and mind-affecting effects, can be manipulated as if under a suggestion spell (habitual users get a Will save, DC 13, to resist any specific suggestions Effectafter 1 hour; 1d6 hours of fatigue Damage1d2 Con and 1d2 Wis damage
Thursday, March 28, 2013
What genies look like in their native forms
Remember: genies can and often do change their appearance!
Also, bonus xp to anyone who wants to come up with an actual image of any of these!
Efreeti look like some combination of the following three images:
Djinni look like a combination of these three
Daohi look like a combination of these three
Maridi like a combination of these three.
Janni look like a combination of these three
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
kel-'Renīyah Glossary (I)
akhet: n, flood; also the first of the three seasons
als: n, servant, slave
alwe: n, a person's eternal soul formed by merging the ba and the pū
amduat: n, a genre of holy books describing the journey to the underworld
ba: n, a person's soul
bedet: n, emmer (a cereal grain)
hebsed: n, a royal jubilee
isfedjin: adj, enacting isfet; n, one who enacts isfet
isfet: n, the opposite of ma'at; that which is not divine ordained and thus threatens the continuance of the world
it: n, barley
kenbet: n, committee of officials that acts as a court of law
khepresh: n, the blue crown worn by the pharaoh
khet: n, a person's body
menat: n, a necklace of beads used as a musical instrument
natjal: n, god
opet: n, harem
peret: n, seed; also the second of the three seasons
pū: n, a person's life force; personality
ren: n, a person's name
shabti: n, a type of servant who helps one more out of love for one than an als
shemu: n, harvest; also the third of the three seasons
shut: n, a person's shadow
wet: n, bandage
als: n, servant, slave
alwe: n, a person's eternal soul formed by merging the ba and the pū
amduat: n, a genre of holy books describing the journey to the underworld
ba: n, a person's soul
bedet: n, emmer (a cereal grain)
hebsed: n, a royal jubilee
isfedjin: adj, enacting isfet; n, one who enacts isfet
isfet: n, the opposite of ma'at; that which is not divine ordained and thus threatens the continuance of the world
it: n, barley
kenbet: n, committee of officials that acts as a court of law
khepresh: n, the blue crown worn by the pharaoh
khet: n, a person's body
menat: n, a necklace of beads used as a musical instrument
natjal: n, god
opet: n, harem
peret: n, seed; also the second of the three seasons
pū: n, a person's life force; personality
ren: n, a person's name
shabti: n, a type of servant who helps one more out of love for one than an als
shemu: n, harvest; also the third of the three seasons
shut: n, a person's shadow
wet: n, bandage
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Bromka I
Bromka is Reason, when used by the artist, whence comes his association with magic. He is the fourth of the Sixteen Sons of Tum and Enitharkhepron, born before duality came into existence. Loving science, he resembles Neziru; like Neziru, his eternal position is South, but in this fallen world (again like Neziru) he is shifted to the North. His Cathedral City is Verulirem, City of Smoking Pillars. His Emanation is Athwel. When the last Twelve Sons fled from Tum, the first Four remained with him and thus never fell into the World of Generation.
Bromka, in addition to being this deity's name, is the kel-'Renīyah word for "magic" as a broad concept, as well as the performance of magical ritual. It literally means "activating the mover", referencing the pū, the aspect of the soul which embodies the personality. In Two Kingdoms thought, activating the power of the soul is how magic worked. It carries also the connotation of the turning of a thing from its true nature or form to something else which is unreal or a mere appearance, thanks to the ancient story of Bromka's Test. Bromka is often used to imply great power and influence, particularly in the case of drawing upon the pū of the gods. Bromka acts together with his brothers (also of the Four) Theotu, the principle of divine utterance expressed as desire, and Palama, the concept of divine omniscience and pity, to create the basis of creative power both in the mortal world and the world of the gods.
The character for his name features a twist of flax within a pair of raised arms; however, it also vaguely resembles a pair of entwined snakes within someone's arms. Consequently, Bromka is said to have battled and conquered two serpents, and is usually depicted as a man choking two entwined serpents. Medicine and doctors are thought to be a form of magic, and so Bromka's priesthood performs these activities.
In the Two Kingdoms, medicine consists of four components (identified with the Four); the primeval potency that empowered Neziru to create this fallen world is identified with Bromka, who is accompanied by magical rituals known as theotu held within sacred texts called palama. In addition hartnert, medicinal prescriptions, are given to patients to bring relief. This magic is used in temple rituals as well as informal situations by priests. These rituals, along with medical practices, form an integrated therapy for both physical and spiritual health. Magic is also used for protection against the angry deities, jealous ghosts, foreign demons and sorcerers who are thought to cause illness, accidents, poverty and infertility.
Usually, Bromka is mentioned only as one of the Four. They forge the instruments of harvest, "the Plow and the Harrow to pass over Nations" as the Prophet Bleghet (may every grain of sand sing his name) said. In the Teachings (may the wind ever whisper their words), various cities across the world rage loud before Bromka's tongs and poker, after they failed his test of humility. Bromka had appeared in these cities, performing great deeds of magic; many people wanted to learn how to perform such miracles. He told them: "I am only here for trial, so do not step away from ma'at by learning these things." Nonetheless, they sought to learn and he taught them (there are some who say that this is the origin of the genies) and then he brought his tongs and poker to bear against them while they raged at being tricked. In the quarrel of their brother Palama and the god of error, Theotu and Bromka contend on the side of the god of error against their brother.
The Four are described as sons of kel-Surej. They dwell over the four wilayat of the Lower Kingdom, the four universities of the Upper Kingdom, and in Zep Tepi and the other two largest cities in the Two Kingdoms.
When Nuthu is winging her way towards the realm of her true love, Theotu, Bromka rapes and rejects her; but the two are "bound back to back" in a union of hatred. Nuthu thus becomes a soul caught between Desire (Theotu) and Law (Bromka). All three lament, and Bromka's lamentation shakes his cavern. He begins to wonder about possibilities of life other than those we try to live by. Yet (to quote his words in the Teachings (may they echo in every throat)) "is there not one law for both the lion and the ox? and are there not the realms of punishment to bind the phantoms of existence from eternal life?"
People of the Two Kingdoms believe that with bromka, the activation of the pū, an aspect of the soul of both gods and humans (and divine personification of magic) they can influence the gods and gain protection, healing and transformation. Health and wholeness of being are sacred to Bromka. There is no word for religion in kel-'Renīyah because mundane and religious world views are not distinct in the Two Kingdoms; thus bromka is not a secular practice but rather a religious observance. Every aspect of life, every word, plant, animal and ritual is connected to the power and authority of the gods.
Bromka, in addition to being this deity's name, is the kel-'Renīyah word for "magic" as a broad concept, as well as the performance of magical ritual. It literally means "activating the mover", referencing the pū, the aspect of the soul which embodies the personality. In Two Kingdoms thought, activating the power of the soul is how magic worked. It carries also the connotation of the turning of a thing from its true nature or form to something else which is unreal or a mere appearance, thanks to the ancient story of Bromka's Test. Bromka is often used to imply great power and influence, particularly in the case of drawing upon the pū of the gods. Bromka acts together with his brothers (also of the Four) Theotu, the principle of divine utterance expressed as desire, and Palama, the concept of divine omniscience and pity, to create the basis of creative power both in the mortal world and the world of the gods.
The character for his name features a twist of flax within a pair of raised arms; however, it also vaguely resembles a pair of entwined snakes within someone's arms. Consequently, Bromka is said to have battled and conquered two serpents, and is usually depicted as a man choking two entwined serpents. Medicine and doctors are thought to be a form of magic, and so Bromka's priesthood performs these activities.
In the Two Kingdoms, medicine consists of four components (identified with the Four); the primeval potency that empowered Neziru to create this fallen world is identified with Bromka, who is accompanied by magical rituals known as theotu held within sacred texts called palama. In addition hartnert, medicinal prescriptions, are given to patients to bring relief. This magic is used in temple rituals as well as informal situations by priests. These rituals, along with medical practices, form an integrated therapy for both physical and spiritual health. Magic is also used for protection against the angry deities, jealous ghosts, foreign demons and sorcerers who are thought to cause illness, accidents, poverty and infertility.
Usually, Bromka is mentioned only as one of the Four. They forge the instruments of harvest, "the Plow and the Harrow to pass over Nations" as the Prophet Bleghet (may every grain of sand sing his name) said. In the Teachings (may the wind ever whisper their words), various cities across the world rage loud before Bromka's tongs and poker, after they failed his test of humility. Bromka had appeared in these cities, performing great deeds of magic; many people wanted to learn how to perform such miracles. He told them: "I am only here for trial, so do not step away from ma'at by learning these things." Nonetheless, they sought to learn and he taught them (there are some who say that this is the origin of the genies) and then he brought his tongs and poker to bear against them while they raged at being tricked. In the quarrel of their brother Palama and the god of error, Theotu and Bromka contend on the side of the god of error against their brother.
The Four are described as sons of kel-Surej. They dwell over the four wilayat of the Lower Kingdom, the four universities of the Upper Kingdom, and in Zep Tepi and the other two largest cities in the Two Kingdoms.
When Nuthu is winging her way towards the realm of her true love, Theotu, Bromka rapes and rejects her; but the two are "bound back to back" in a union of hatred. Nuthu thus becomes a soul caught between Desire (Theotu) and Law (Bromka). All three lament, and Bromka's lamentation shakes his cavern. He begins to wonder about possibilities of life other than those we try to live by. Yet (to quote his words in the Teachings (may they echo in every throat)) "is there not one law for both the lion and the ox? and are there not the realms of punishment to bind the phantoms of existence from eternal life?"
People of the Two Kingdoms believe that with bromka, the activation of the pū, an aspect of the soul of both gods and humans (and divine personification of magic) they can influence the gods and gain protection, healing and transformation. Health and wholeness of being are sacred to Bromka. There is no word for religion in kel-'Renīyah because mundane and religious world views are not distinct in the Two Kingdoms; thus bromka is not a secular practice but rather a religious observance. Every aspect of life, every word, plant, animal and ritual is connected to the power and authority of the gods.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Two Kingdoms Overview I
Sources: Pathfinder SRD, Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis, Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures, Swashbuckling Adventures
Races
Dwarf
Elf
Half-Elf
Half-Orc
Halfling
Human
Ifrit
Kitsune
Orc
Ratfolk
Base Classes (and Archetypes)
Alchemist
Alskeltemsikh -- dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com
Assassin -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Barbarian (Jadiliyya Barbarian)
Cavalier (Charioteer)
Cleric
Courtier -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Fighter
Inquisitor
Inquisitor -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Magus
Monk
Noble -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Nomad -- Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis
Oracle
Paladin
Pirate -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Ranger
Rogue
Scribe -- Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis
Sorcerer
Summoner
Trader -- Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis
Witch
Witch -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Wizard
Prestige Classes
Archaeologist -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Avatar -- Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis
Bedoul -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Boarding Marine -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Captain -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Chosen One -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Corsair -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Daphan Swordsman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Daring Fool -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Ghazi -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Godslayer -- Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis
Helmsman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Man of Will -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Marikk Katar Fighter -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Pharaoh -- Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis
Rogers Swordsman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sersemlik Swordsman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Ship's Chaplain -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Topman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Vahiy Commander -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Vizier of the Four -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Yael Swordsman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Beat -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Beguiling -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Brilliant -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Captain -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Careful -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Chariot Mastery -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Charismatic -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Combat Virtuoso -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Comforting -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Commander -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Commanding -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Continuous Parry -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Counterattack -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Courageous -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Courtesan -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Craftsman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Creative -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Dangerous Beauty -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Dashing and Daring -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Death Blow -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Debater -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Deceitful -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Deflect Missile I -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Deflect Missile II -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Dervish Attack -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Detect Lie -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Disarm Master -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Doctor -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Double Chop -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Driving Force -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Eagle Eyes -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Engineer -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Evil Reputation -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Exemplary -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Extra Finesse -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Faith -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Falconer -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Fanatical -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Fence -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Firm Grip -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Flashing Steel -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Flurry of Strikes -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Focused -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Forger -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Fortunate -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Fortune Teller -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Friendly -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Gifted Liar -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Gift of the Old Religion -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Greater Bind -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Greater Off-Hand Fighting -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Greater Sneak Attack -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Guardsman's Stance -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Guide -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Haggle -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Handy -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Hateful -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Healing Touch -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Heightened Senses -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Honorable -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Improved Bind -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Improved Low Light Vision -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Improved Sneak Attack -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Improvised Weapon -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Increased Manual Dexterity -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Indomitable Will -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Informant -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Insightful -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Inspirational -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Intuitive -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Left Handed -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Legendary Trait -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Lethal Strike -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Lightning Reflexes -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Linguist -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Lunge -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Master Swordsman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Merchant -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Miracle Worker -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Natural Diplomat -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Odd Sleeping Habits -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Ordained -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Pain Tolerance -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Panache -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Parry -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Passionate -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Perceptive -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Performer -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Perspicacious -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Poison Immunity -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Politicker -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Pommel Strike -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Priest -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Professor -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Propitious -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Prudent -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Recurring -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Regal -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Reserve Energy -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Resourceful -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Rimāl I -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Rimāl II -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Riposte -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Road Scholar -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Ruthless -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Ruzgar'canli -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sailor -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Scholar -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Scoundrel -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Scrounger -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Seductive -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Self-Controlled -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Servant -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sex Appeal -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sharkici -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Showmanship -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Side Step -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Six Fingers -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Skilled Liar -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Slip -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sneak Attack Training -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Spark of Genius -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Stay on Their Tail -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Storyteller -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sulimaq I -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sulimaq II -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Survival -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Tagging -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Takim'aldiz -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Transmutator -- Swashbuckling Adventures
True Alchemist -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Two Strikes as One -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Unarmored Defense Proficiency (Beginner) -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Unarmored Defense Proficiency (Intermediate) -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Unarmored Defense Proficiency (Master) -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Uncanny -- Swashbuckling Adventures
University -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Urchin -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Victorious -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Warrior Born -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Weapon Expert -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Weapon Grand Master -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Weapon Master -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Weapon Shield -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Whaler -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Wicked Strike -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Willful -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Worldly -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Equipment
Races
Dwarf
Elf
Half-Elf
Half-Orc
Halfling
Human
Ifrit
Kitsune
Orc
Ratfolk
Base Classes (and Archetypes)
Alchemist
Alskeltemsikh -- dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com
Assassin -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Barbarian (Jadiliyya Barbarian)
Cavalier (Charioteer)
Cleric
Courtier -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Fighter
Inquisitor
Inquisitor -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Magus
Monk
Noble -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Nomad -- Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis
Oracle
Paladin
Pirate -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Ranger
Rogue
Scribe -- Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis
Sorcerer
Summoner
Trader -- Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis
Witch
Witch -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Wizard
Prestige Classes
Archaeologist -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Avatar -- Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis
Bedoul -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Boarding Marine -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Captain -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Chosen One -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Corsair -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Daphan Swordsman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Daring Fool -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Ghazi -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Godslayer -- Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis
Helmsman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Man of Will -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Marikk Katar Fighter -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Pharaoh -- Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis
Rogers Swordsman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sersemlik Swordsman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Ship's Chaplain -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Topman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Vahiy Commander -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Vizier of the Four -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Yael Swordsman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Feats
All Pathfinder Core Rulebook feats, plus:
Academy -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Acrobatic Dodge -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Adaptable -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Altruistic -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Armor Piercer -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Artist -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Assassin's Hand -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Badiya Archery -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Barterer -- Swashbuckling AdventuresAcademy -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Acrobatic Dodge -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Adaptable -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Altruistic -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Armor Piercer -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Artist -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Assassin's Hand -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Badiya Archery -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Beat -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Beguiling -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Brilliant -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Captain -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Careful -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Chariot Mastery -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Charismatic -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Combat Virtuoso -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Comforting -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Commander -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Commanding -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Continuous Parry -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Counterattack -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Courageous -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Courtesan -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Craftsman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Creative -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Dangerous Beauty -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Dashing and Daring -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Death Blow -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Debater -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Deceitful -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Deflect Missile I -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Deflect Missile II -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Dervish Attack -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Detect Lie -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Disarm Master -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Doctor -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Double Chop -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Driving Force -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Eagle Eyes -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Engineer -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Evil Reputation -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Exemplary -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Extra Finesse -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Faith -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Falconer -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Fanatical -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Fence -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Firm Grip -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Flashing Steel -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Flurry of Strikes -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Focused -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Forger -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Fortunate -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Fortune Teller -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Friendly -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Gifted Liar -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Gift of the Old Religion -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Greater Bind -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Greater Off-Hand Fighting -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Greater Sneak Attack -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Guardsman's Stance -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Guide -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Haggle -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Handy -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Hateful -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Healing Touch -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Heightened Senses -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Honorable -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Improved Bind -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Improved Low Light Vision -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Improved Sneak Attack -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Improvised Weapon -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Increased Manual Dexterity -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Indomitable Will -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Informant -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Insightful -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Inspirational -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Intuitive -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Left Handed -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Legendary Trait -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Lethal Strike -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Lightning Reflexes -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Linguist -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Lunge -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Master Swordsman -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Merchant -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Miracle Worker -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Natural Diplomat -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Odd Sleeping Habits -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Ordained -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Pain Tolerance -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Panache -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Parry -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Passionate -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Perceptive -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Performer -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Perspicacious -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Poison Immunity -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Politicker -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Pommel Strike -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Priest -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Professor -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Propitious -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Prudent -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Recurring -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Regal -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Reserve Energy -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Resourceful -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Rimāl I -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Rimāl II -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Riposte -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Road Scholar -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Ruthless -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Ruzgar'canli -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sailor -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Scholar -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Scoundrel -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Scrounger -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Seductive -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Self-Controlled -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Servant -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sex Appeal -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sharkici -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Showmanship -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Side Step -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Six Fingers -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Skilled Liar -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Slip -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sneak Attack Training -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Spark of Genius -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Stay on Their Tail -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Storyteller -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sulimaq I -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sulimaq II -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Survival -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Tagging -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Takim'aldiz -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Transmutator -- Swashbuckling Adventures
True Alchemist -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Two Strikes as One -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Unarmored Defense Proficiency (Beginner) -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Unarmored Defense Proficiency (Intermediate) -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Unarmored Defense Proficiency (Master) -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Uncanny -- Swashbuckling Adventures
University -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Urchin -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Victorious -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Warrior Born -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Weapon Expert -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Weapon Grand Master -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Weapon Master -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Weapon Shield -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Whaler -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Wicked Strike -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Willful -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Worldly -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Equipment
Basket Hilt -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Belaying Pin -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Bell Guard -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Cat o' Nine Tails -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Chakram -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Cloak -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Cutlass -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Daphan Scimitar -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Dilmekiri -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Fencing Ring Grip -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Garrote -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Grooved Blade -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Half-Basket Hilt -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Harpoon -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Heavy Blade -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Heavy Pommel -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Katar -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Martingale -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Pattern-Welded Steel Weapon -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Pistol Grip -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sailor's Knife -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Serrated Blade -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Spring-Mounted Pommel Blade -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Stiletto -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Helm of the Dead -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Spiritual Shield -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Sandwyrm -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Bell Guard -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Cat o' Nine Tails -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Chakram -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Cloak -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Cutlass -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Daphan Scimitar -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Dilmekiri -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Fencing Ring Grip -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Garrote -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Grooved Blade -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Half-Basket Hilt -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Harpoon -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Heavy Blade -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Heavy Pommel -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Katar -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Khopesh -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Manople -- Swashbuckling AdventuresMartingale -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Pattern-Welded Steel Weapon -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Pistol Grip -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Sailor's Knife -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Serrated Blade -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Spring-Mounted Pommel Blade -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Stiletto -- Swashbuckling Adventures
Domains
Desert -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Spells
Blood to Sand -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Fury of Ahuramazda -- Endless Sands: Arabian AdventuresHelm of the Dead -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Spiritual Shield -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Sandwyrm -- Endless Sands: Arabian Adventures
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Weqūf (this is the being that was fought in the last session, ya'll)
Originally, the word weqūf in kel-'Renīyah could be attributed to any person that tells lies or is deceptive. Since that time, its meaning has shifted such that it is occasionally used to refer to any being that has harmful intentions toward mortalkind.
More specifically, they are undead beings with corporeal bodies, animated by an energy known as ka kel-weqūf, which is characterized by its propensity to disturb and/or destroy ma'at. In this way they cause illness, destruction, death, and/or calamities among the Two Kingdoms.
Legends say that 'awqifah (the plural of weqūf) come from a region of the afterworld known as Minkhenmapu, vortex of isfeshin energy. Accordingly, 'awqifah souls are tattered and incomplete, lacking at least one of the souls described by the Prophet Bleghet (may his name shine like the sun).
'Awqifah are the risen corpses of heretical clerics who blasphemed and renounced their deities before meeting death. In unlife, they hate and seek to destroy those pious souls who keep their vows. Although easily mistaken for zombies or even skeletons, 'awqifah have a spark of intelligence that makes them cunning and deceptive foes. During daylight hours, a weqūf becomes shrouded in an illusion that causes it to appear as it did in life—at these times, a weqūf might seek to infiltrate society to dwell among those it hates. When night falls, it emerges to seek out its prey. Fortunately for the living, the typical weqūf has only fragments of intellect remaining, so it is usually not long before the undead creature makes an error of judgment or simply reveals itself for the monster it is.
'Awqifah entered the world as a consequence of the ancient war amongst the genies, the same battle which gave birth to the Teachings (may their truth ring forever across the dunes). The best known 'awqifah are the two who played a significant part in that war: Šeqeweqūf (also known as Cow Hide) and Khanil.
Most 'awqifah remember little of their former lives except for the blasphemies that led them to their cursed fates. They often find themselves drawn to the ruins of old temples, where they rage against or seek hopeless absolution from the deities who so afflicted them. 'Awqifah sometimes work in concert with other undead creatures that share the same area.
Many 'awqifah allow themselves to be manipulated by khulaq (the plural of khalqu, the kel-'Renīyah word for a sorcerer, wizard, or witch), who use them as a medium for obtaining power. The 'awqifah allow the khulaq to use them to cause the illness or death of certain chosen people. It is said that a khalqu will inherit a weqūf from an ancestor who was also a khalqu. However, in order to be able to use a weqūf, a khalqu must voluntarily become the servant of the weqūf.
In order to use a weqūf to make someone ill, many khulaq will seek to introduce a piece of the weqūf's body into the body of the victim, whether by getting them to eat some of the weqūf's decomposing body or by getting a small piece of a fingerbone splintered into their skin or sticking some of its hair upon them.
The 'awqifah also have the power to capture and enslave the pū of a recently deceased person (the part of the soul that is everything that makes a person unique) before it reunites with the ka (vital energy) to form the more mature alwe (the intellect as a living entity). A khalqu can also take advantage of this power by using a weqūf as a means for trapping a pū. Once it is trapped, a pū can also be used to hurt other people.
'Awqifah can also be controlled by the gods, Emanations, and Animals of Bleghetic cosmology, or at least these beings will allow the 'awqifah to harm someone if they have broken the rules the Prophet Bleghet (may his laugh lift my feet) laid down for dealing with the divine: behaving dishonorably, not performing the five daily prayers, mocking or disbelieving a priest, eating impure food, or acting against ma'at.
Inspirational Sources: The Mapuche people of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina.
More specifically, they are undead beings with corporeal bodies, animated by an energy known as ka kel-weqūf, which is characterized by its propensity to disturb and/or destroy ma'at. In this way they cause illness, destruction, death, and/or calamities among the Two Kingdoms.
Legends say that 'awqifah (the plural of weqūf) come from a region of the afterworld known as Minkhenmapu, vortex of isfeshin energy. Accordingly, 'awqifah souls are tattered and incomplete, lacking at least one of the souls described by the Prophet Bleghet (may his name shine like the sun).
'Awqifah are the risen corpses of heretical clerics who blasphemed and renounced their deities before meeting death. In unlife, they hate and seek to destroy those pious souls who keep their vows. Although easily mistaken for zombies or even skeletons, 'awqifah have a spark of intelligence that makes them cunning and deceptive foes. During daylight hours, a weqūf becomes shrouded in an illusion that causes it to appear as it did in life—at these times, a weqūf might seek to infiltrate society to dwell among those it hates. When night falls, it emerges to seek out its prey. Fortunately for the living, the typical weqūf has only fragments of intellect remaining, so it is usually not long before the undead creature makes an error of judgment or simply reveals itself for the monster it is.
'Awqifah entered the world as a consequence of the ancient war amongst the genies, the same battle which gave birth to the Teachings (may their truth ring forever across the dunes). The best known 'awqifah are the two who played a significant part in that war: Šeqeweqūf (also known as Cow Hide) and Khanil.
Most 'awqifah remember little of their former lives except for the blasphemies that led them to their cursed fates. They often find themselves drawn to the ruins of old temples, where they rage against or seek hopeless absolution from the deities who so afflicted them. 'Awqifah sometimes work in concert with other undead creatures that share the same area.
Many 'awqifah allow themselves to be manipulated by khulaq (the plural of khalqu, the kel-'Renīyah word for a sorcerer, wizard, or witch), who use them as a medium for obtaining power. The 'awqifah allow the khulaq to use them to cause the illness or death of certain chosen people. It is said that a khalqu will inherit a weqūf from an ancestor who was also a khalqu. However, in order to be able to use a weqūf, a khalqu must voluntarily become the servant of the weqūf.
In order to use a weqūf to make someone ill, many khulaq will seek to introduce a piece of the weqūf's body into the body of the victim, whether by getting them to eat some of the weqūf's decomposing body or by getting a small piece of a fingerbone splintered into their skin or sticking some of its hair upon them.
The 'awqifah also have the power to capture and enslave the pū of a recently deceased person (the part of the soul that is everything that makes a person unique) before it reunites with the ka (vital energy) to form the more mature alwe (the intellect as a living entity). A khalqu can also take advantage of this power by using a weqūf as a means for trapping a pū. Once it is trapped, a pū can also be used to hurt other people.
'Awqifah can also be controlled by the gods, Emanations, and Animals of Bleghetic cosmology, or at least these beings will allow the 'awqifah to harm someone if they have broken the rules the Prophet Bleghet (may his laugh lift my feet) laid down for dealing with the divine: behaving dishonorably, not performing the five daily prayers, mocking or disbelieving a priest, eating impure food, or acting against ma'at.
Inspirational Sources: The Mapuche people of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Governmental Structure of the Two Kingdoms II
Beneath the pharaoh are two (living) viziers, one for the Upper Kingdom and one for the Lower Kingdom. The viziers act as prime ministers of equal standing. They put pharaoh's wishes into action and make sure that the laws are enforced. They act as the highest-ranking judge in their part of the kingdom and oversee many aspects of day-to-day life.
Viziers are stewards of the Two Kingdoms' resources. They manage the canals that regulate the flow of the river and dispense surveys that enable the state to monitor its people. The vizier is also in charge of the state treasury, royal libraries, and national storehouses. They ensure that the workers are paid, materials are gathered, and that the whole of society runs smoothly.
Beneath the vizier is a well-organized and efficient system of government. A central agency administers income, collects taxes, and oversees the allocation of resources for the army, construction projects, and import tariffs. It also sees to it that the grain collected makes it to the granaries and that the other taxed items such as gold, silver, electrum, precious stones, linen, cattle, and wood arrive safely in the treasuries.
The Upper and Lower Kingdoms are each divided into four wilayat, each of which is centered around a large city. These territories are not equally divided; Zep Tepi's portion (for example) is significantly larger and contains a majority of the realm's resources.
The wilayat are each subdivided into five to eight prefectures ruled by emirū, which are further subdivided into qaidates, under the direction of officials called qaidū, who operate much like mayors or independent governors of small portions of the city or territory. Qaidū are appointed by the emirū, who have complete governance over their territories and are responsible for the actions of the qaidū below their authority. The powers of the emirū and qaidū cover legal issues and even extend into clerical and religious matters on occasion. They completely control their areas, arrange for taxation, draft citizens to labor on state projects, and allow or disallow immigration as they see fit.
All of this is accomplished by doing a survey of the prefecture or qaidate. This survey is then sent to the central government which determines what taxes should be paid and how many laborers. The emir then raises these taxes and drafts the laborers. In addition, they are also in charge of maintaining the peace, and so they command troops of lesser governmental officials known as moqadamū who are responsible for bookkeeping, walking the street and keeping order, and other duties. They are the most commonly seen arm of the government, and their tasks resemble those of a city guard and city officer rolled into one.
The state is everything in the Two Kingdoms. All production is given over to it. Artisans are all employed by the state. All trade ventures are either funded by or overseen by the government, usually both. Temples are no exception, and are often set up much like the state itself.
Viziers are stewards of the Two Kingdoms' resources. They manage the canals that regulate the flow of the river and dispense surveys that enable the state to monitor its people. The vizier is also in charge of the state treasury, royal libraries, and national storehouses. They ensure that the workers are paid, materials are gathered, and that the whole of society runs smoothly.
Beneath the vizier is a well-organized and efficient system of government. A central agency administers income, collects taxes, and oversees the allocation of resources for the army, construction projects, and import tariffs. It also sees to it that the grain collected makes it to the granaries and that the other taxed items such as gold, silver, electrum, precious stones, linen, cattle, and wood arrive safely in the treasuries.
The Upper and Lower Kingdoms are each divided into four wilayat, each of which is centered around a large city. These territories are not equally divided; Zep Tepi's portion (for example) is significantly larger and contains a majority of the realm's resources.
The wilayat are each subdivided into five to eight prefectures ruled by emirū, which are further subdivided into qaidates, under the direction of officials called qaidū, who operate much like mayors or independent governors of small portions of the city or territory. Qaidū are appointed by the emirū, who have complete governance over their territories and are responsible for the actions of the qaidū below their authority. The powers of the emirū and qaidū cover legal issues and even extend into clerical and religious matters on occasion. They completely control their areas, arrange for taxation, draft citizens to labor on state projects, and allow or disallow immigration as they see fit.
All of this is accomplished by doing a survey of the prefecture or qaidate. This survey is then sent to the central government which determines what taxes should be paid and how many laborers. The emir then raises these taxes and drafts the laborers. In addition, they are also in charge of maintaining the peace, and so they command troops of lesser governmental officials known as moqadamū who are responsible for bookkeeping, walking the street and keeping order, and other duties. They are the most commonly seen arm of the government, and their tasks resemble those of a city guard and city officer rolled into one.
The state is everything in the Two Kingdoms. All production is given over to it. Artisans are all employed by the state. All trade ventures are either funded by or overseen by the government, usually both. Temples are no exception, and are often set up much like the state itself.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Governmental Structure of the Two Kingdoms I
Beneath the pharaoh are two (living) viziers, one for the Upper Kingdom and one for the Lower Kingdom. The viziers act as prime ministers of equal standing. They put pharaoh's wishes into action and make sure that the laws are enforced. They act as the highest-ranking judge in their part of the kingdom and oversee many aspects of day-to-day life.
Viziers are stewards of the Two Kingdoms' resources. They manage the canals that regulate the flow of the river and dispense surveys that enable the state to monitor its people. The vizier is also in charge of the state treasury, royal libraries, and national storehouses. They ensure that the workers are paid, materials are gathered, and that the whole of society runs smoothly.
Viziers are stewards of the Two Kingdoms' resources. They manage the canals that regulate the flow of the river and dispense surveys that enable the state to monitor its people. The vizier is also in charge of the state treasury, royal libraries, and national storehouses. They ensure that the workers are paid, materials are gathered, and that the whole of society runs smoothly.
