Sukout (Thieves Guild)

The Sukout (literally "Silent") are the thieves guild of the Caliphate organised into operation and independent cells which often compete within themselves. They guard their territories and their illicit businesses aggressively from those who do not belong to their order and will often pressgang unwitting souls into their schemes to further their aims. 

Some speculate that they have no official leadership and merely self-organised thieves using the mystique of the legendary name of the guild to enforce their power. This is supported by the constant change and competition in the terms of the make up and territory of individual cells. However, those of the Jandicary and Pasdari who have made it their lives work to thwart and destroy the Sukout are convinced there is a council of elder thieves whom all cells pay tithes to and who organise the big deals within the seven cities.

Cult of al-Havas

The Cult of al-Havas, the Elemental Prince of the Air, was founded early in the time of the Caliphate by the misguided elementalist Hadia Idia who sought to earn favour with the Prince and eternal life for her troubles. However, the bargain they had was either not fulfilled or something prevented Hadia from achieving her goals because instead of eternal life she was turned into a lich who dwelt in the Shadow place with little of her former power. 

Yet her many sealed and hidden writings have opened a path to her followers long after her entrapment in the shadow plane. One recent cell of her followers attempted to break her out of the Shadow place in the city of Darvish Kapur but was stopped by the party of Maissa al-Bahari, Rafiq al-Rashid and Raouf al-Kapur plus their two foreign companions, Shade and Pang. Venturing into the Shadow place they located Hadia's temple to al-Havas and destroyed the lich in her prison. 

Facing reprisial attacks from the Cult, the party of adventurers soon learned that even with Hadia seemingly defeated, the Cult's lure and influence was still a force within the Caliphate.

Black Crescent Mercenaries

This group of mercenaries is composed of experience veteran Pasdari who have been lured by the charismatic Samedi al-Nuamar to work independent contracts in the hinterlands of the Caliphate. Their prices are high but their reputation suggests they are men and women who are able to take on great foes with success. 

Whether it is clearing a nest of magic beasts, culling the population of the Sewer Goblins or dealing with roaming bands of ogres, the Black Crescent are often called upon by the rich and powerful.

Bahari (Desert Nomads)

The nomadic tribes of the desert plains called the Bahari are a hospitable people who travel from one oasis to the next, setting up makeshift camps and trading with the caravans that pass them by. Their lives are dedicated to raising sheep and goats for sustenance and they lay claim to the wilderness between the cities and beyond the farmlands of the river deltas. They protect these rights in a fearsome manner and many a sheik has been humbled by the raiding parties of their Dervish warriors whose spinning acrobatics and powerful prayers have routed better armed opponents time and time again. They are devout worshippers of the One Divine and merciless to those heretics and sub-humans that cross their paths or think they can find shelter at their oasis. Whilst their numbers are not what they once were, the greatest threat to the Bahari comes from the lure of the cities to their young who seek a new life beyond simple subsistence or constant travel.

Fereng (Slaves)

If life for the Mardoum is hard, life for the Fereng is one of mortal toil and suffering. The Fereng are the underclass of the Caliphate comprised of indentured workers of indebted Mardoum to captured slaves of the Darvaki clans. They are given food and shelter of varying standards, punished routinely and face execution if they prove disobedient or fall to illness or fatigue. They can range from labourers and household servants to pit fighters and artisans. If they are lucky they will find faithful masters who will treat them with some compassion. Those unlucky enough to try to escape and fail, will suffer public torture and execution.

Mardoum (Peasants)

The general population of the Caliphate is known as the Mardoum (literally: people), many of whom live within the cities but a good number are to be found in villages and farms outside the protection of their walls. Life in the Caliphate is ordered but harsh. Crops fail, fires devastate homes, disease spreads in the cramped conditions of the poor quarters of the cities and all this before the evil plots of the Shaitun and Djinn work their ways.

The Mardoum are often forgotten by the high born and the Bazaari care only about the gold they can extract from them. Is it any wonder they turn to local heroes from amongst themselves to save them from the predations of evil? Blessed be the agent of the One Divine who cares for the people.

Jandicary (Holy Order)

The Jandicary are the militant wing of the religion of the One Divinity who are few in number but individually powerful. These paladins answer to no-one directly but their own leaders: the Tollah, a secret governing body whose members are known only to the most experienced of their order. The Jandicary do not concern themselves in the day to day affairs of the Caliphate although they are an order of highest prestige and influence, only possibly rivalled by the Hassari. Few dare oppose the will of a Jandicary and those who do often meet a terrible fate. There is no denying that the Holy Divinity is with these men and women and their zeal for destroying dangerous heretics, foul abominations and evil invaders from the Elemental planes is well known throughout the land.

Membership of the Jandicary is by invitation only. A promising young ward is often seized and tested against a lesser shaitun early in life and if he survives he becomes a part of the order receiving scholarship from muftis who are trusted by the Order and martial training by visiting Jandicary. The Jandicary themselves do not have any permanent abode, at least none known to the populace at large.

Pasdari (Guardsmen)

The cities of the Caliphate are protected by the Pasdari, the guardsmen and soldiers under the employ of the Sheik with the solemn duty to keep the peace and punish troublemakers and thieves. The life of the Pasdari is one of guard duty of important governmental buildings and the bustling bazaars where people gather on most days. The Pasdari is a hierarchical military order that welcomes everyone into its ranks although few of the high born demean themselves by performing what they deem are menial tasks or mixing with lower born castes of society openly.

The head of the Pasdari in each city is called the Sharif and it is a position of some power if low social standing in comparison to the high born orders.

Mohandice (Guild of Craftsman)

The Mohandice (or literally “Handy Men's Guild”) is both regulator and educator of the bustling city crafts and trades. Everything from ironsmithing to stonemasonry is represented by the guild which issues licenses and grades the skill of its members for the benefit of the buying public. It is also a union which enforces fair payment and prices in each city, punishing those who offer unlicensed work or refuse to make a timely payment for work done.

Each city division of the Mohandice has a Danashka (university) where members are trained through apprenticeship and lectures governed by the Raiis (pronounced: rah-ees, meaning boss) of the order.

Bazaari (Merchants)

The free-wheeling merchants of the Caliphate loosely organise themselves into the Bazaari network. Each city has its own grouping of Bazaari who meet on a regular basis at the coffee houses to discuss matters of economics and politics. Together they control the vital spaces of the bazaar (marketplace), the caravans that travel along the roads and riversides and the ships that sail to ports near and far. They guard their rights through the powerful economic levers at their disposal and whilst they are an open order and have no permanently elected leaders they conduct ad-hoc missions to sheiks and foreign lords and decide upon the applications of new members through democratic straw-polling. These straw polls are often influenced by merchants who are prominent, well-liked or resourceful. There is a strong shame / pride culture amongst the Bazaari and a strong role for hospitality especially of the far travelling stranger. You never know when the stranger in your lands will become the friend to your distant caravan.

Majlis (Parliament of Wizards)

Whilst the sheiks are the eminent authorities of each city, they entrust much of the day to day running of their lands to the Majlis, a parliament of high-born wizards who in turn elect a Vazier to lead them every five years. Each city's Majlis varies in size and structure, with some cities having a collegiate atmosphere whilst others divided along partisan political lines. Occasionally, a Majlis will overstep its authority and the Sheik will close it down for a time until the high born understand who pulls the strings in his cities. It has even been known for a young, inexperienced or disinterested Sheikh to vest most of his own power with the Majlis. Such cuckolded sheiks rarely prosper but the ambitions of a powerful Vazier can work to the good or bad of the people.

Majlis are not elected bodies and their members are drawn from the greatest high born families by consensus of the existing members and the Sheik's will. Membership is as much a reward for good citizenship as it is a way to give ownership to otherwise troublesome and powerful wizards.

The Majlis, despite being a fraternity of wizards isn't a learning institution for young wizards. The high born educate their own children privately through tutors who earn varying wages based on their renown and ability.

Hassari (Assassins Brotherhood)

The Hassari are an order of trained killers who specialise in stealth and poison. They are almost exclusively drawn from the High Born although wealthy Bazaari who offer sufficiently large donations and the children of prominent members of other orders are occasionally accepted. The usual recruitment age is seven years old and neophytes are given a long, often fatal regime of training and discipline in the dark arts of subterfuge and assassination. Whilst many are pure rogues who prefer light blades and poison, a few are dabblers in magic and a few are avengers of the One Divine who bring low the heretical or heathen with prayer.

The Hassari are also fond of their fereng thralls, non-humans who are bought as slaves and indoctrinated into deadly killing machines under the watchful eyes of the Overseers of the order.

Mufti (Religious Scholars)

The Mufti are the religious order of the Caliphate entrusted with the sacred duty of saving the souls of the people. Most Mufti spend their lives in quiet study and contemplation on the words of the Prophets. Some serve as lawyers and judges in the clerical courts that hear all legal cases. Others act as advisers to Sheiks or curators of the temples in each city. A few special Muftis hunt rogue wizards and warlocks across the lands.

Whilst some of the Mufti come from the ranks of the High Born they are an open order who will accept any human who has zeal and great faith in the righteous plan of the Holy Divine.

High Born (Rulers)

The familial clans of the sheiks and their vaziers have long held tight the reigns of power throughout the Caliphate. They jealously guard knowledge of the arcane and enforce a strict religious code throughout the land forbidding those outside their caste from dabbling in forbidden lore. In principle this is to avoid the dangers of poorly schooled wizards unleashing terrible magics or becoming unwitting pawns in the games of the Elemental Princes. However, there is a good deal of self-preservation in their jealous stranglehold of the reigns of power.

Each of the cities has anything from half a dozen to tens of high-born families who are constantly jostling for power and defending the honour of their families. The strongest families are called the Holy Quadamite who trace their ancestors back to one of the Prophets:, the families of Al-Fardur, al-Darvasha, Cyrusia and Maryami. Some of the head of these high-born families hold the title Sheik of one of the jewelled cities, others are prominent in the various orders or the Majlis of others.