Hello there!
Thank you all for the compliments! And thank you for the supportand previous work, [MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION]! I finally could read all the flavor that you and others were developing to AQ during the project to update it to D&D 4e. The ideas there were great, and I would like to include some of those in the main plotline that I was developing, trying to consolidate a “timeline” that could bring Zakhara to D&D 5e in a compatible way with the rest of the "current" D&D 5e Realms. However, the spirit here (in my opinion) would be to maintain most of the feeling of the materials, books and boxes developed previously.
I am very excited and happy due the the new D&D 5e SRD and the DMs Guild opportunities. Since we should be able to create and distribute material developed to Forgotten Realms using the D&D 5e ruleset (and considering that Al Qadim could be considered and extension of FR Intellectual´s Property – to be confirmed by Wizards), I would like to move forward with these ideas.
Here follows a quick description of important topics for update:
1 - A Treaty of Zakharan religion
I was making some research for equivalent real world religions and beliefs to use them in Zakhara (with all due respect for existing ones, surely), and I believed that we could use some analogous concepts for the old Persian religions that could exist previously to the Path of Enlightenment and the revelation of the Loregiver.
Such religion could be loosely based upon Zoroastrism, with the concept of a single good deity served by their good angelic servants (a benevolent deity like Ahura Mazda, Mithra or similar god), with its evil counterpart (Angra Mainyu, Ahriman) and its hosts of ancient fiends. These servant entities could be the celestial Ahuras and fiendish Shaitans. They could represent the LG/LE duality in the Zakharan cosmology. This religion was spread by an enigmatic hermit and sage simply named the “Ancient”, and later historians called him the First Prophet, and his teachings became the Manichaeistic Faith.
With the revelation of wise woman that was named the Loregiver (or Second Prophet) and the development of the modern Zakharan religion (including its specific interpretations of the Caliphate and the Pantheistic League), this ancient religion was mainly forgotten in Zakhara as a whole. However, with the resurgence of Ahriman/Shaitan (the Adversary) and the release of the tiefling from their infernal prison (like the ideas discussed in the other forum previously), the Manichaeistic Faith was renewed in some portions of the Land of Fate, especially in the Haunted Lands.
[we could also consider here an increase/apprearance in the number of aasimar in Zakhara, with the coming of the Ahuras to battle the Shaitans from Ahriman].
Some could even argue that Ahriman could bring some resemblance with an aspect of the faerunian archdevil Asmodeus, and that his goodhood due to the Spellplague caused the ascension of Ahriman in Zakhara.
More recently, the schism of the faiths caused by the Path of the Enlightenment of the Caliphate and the Holy Emirates of the Pantheon (basically due to the Caliph´s acceptance of the Manichaeistic Faith and the intolerance of the Pantheon´s Council of Sheiks of this “unholy” religion).
Other religion options could consider the strange belief of the Hakimas and some of the Al-Badia, that follow the teachings of the Three Wise Goddesses (Manah, Allat and al-Zhura), representing a different aspect and interpretation of Fate by the nomad people of the desert.
Lastly, the Elemental Gods (and their Princes of Elemental Evil counterparts) could also have several cults scattered in the land.
The main purpose to include these religions would be to provide to players a lot of different cultural and game options, providing a multicultural and polytheistic middle eastern fantasy setting, with Arabian, Persian and other local influences.
2 - Spellplague / The Great Unbinding
I considered that the Great Unbinding of the seals of Jafar-al-Samal could be a great counterpart of the Spellplague, resulting in the release of the genies and the breaking of the sha´irs influence over them. So, instead of binding them to their service like the sha´irs of old, they currently establish new “pacts” with genies, reflecting their ruleset and transforming them from “wizards” to “warlocks” in the game.
The Unbinding could also result in the “awakening” of the genasi and their increase of population in the Land of Fate. They would be a new playable race.
The genies, like their cousins Memnon and Calim in northern Calimshan, began to create domains from themselves in some places of Zakhara, representing a shift of power and the threat of the end of the sovereignty of humans over the Land of Fate.
3 - Political situation
In very brief terms, we could have the following situation in Zakhara:
Caliphate: This is the remaining of the former Empire of the Path of Enlightenment, fractured due to several setbacks and occurrences. It is still the most influent nation in Zakhara, and from its capital Huzuz the Grand Caliph still is one of the most powerful man in the world. However, the Caliphate is facing probably its most dire challenges, with revolts erupting everywhere, like the policital Mamluk’s Revolt due to the formation of the Tuigan Sultanate or the new domains claimed by the genie rulers in the Material Plane, or the religious crisis due to the coming of Ahriman and his shaitans horde, and the division of faiths caused by the Sheiks that declared the independence of the cities-states that form today the Holy Emirates of the Pantheon.
To make things more delicate, the Grand Caliph also need to chose one of his three sons to succeed him, and this choice may represent the beginning of a new age for the Caliphate, or the announcement of war with neighboring nations.
Holy Emirates of the Pantheon: this new kingdom was formed due to the decision of the ruling Sheiks that govern its city-states to formally break tie with the Caliphate , due to theological and (some would say mainly political and financial) divergences. The Holy Emirates represent today one of the most ascendant powers in Zakhara, and its narrow view of the recent changes in the world attracted most of the refugees to its protection.
[For the ideas below I am using the original texts from [MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION] - please confirm if you agree with those!]
Tuigan Sultanate: 50 years ago, the Cities of the North were invaded by the Tuigan khan Kaland Pyar, whose nephew had been abducted during a raid by Zakharan soldiers for boy mamluks. Khan Kaland sought to create a clan-society which would purify the decadent ways of the city – to the Khan, the best way to defend his people’s steppe was to conquer their enemies. When he invaded the “Free Cities” he met fierce opposition, but skillfully timed his attacks during in-fighting. After just three years he conquered the 4 northernmost cities of Zakhara (Utaqa, Hafayah, Qadid and Muluk), before the Grand Caliph recognized a Tuigan Sultanate. Harsh punishments for thievery, cowardice, and lying were implemented, all youth were required to learn Tuigan, horsemanship, an elaborate code of honor, and spend 2 years living as a nomad border-guard. However, great leeway was given to the independent character of the city-states. Any mamluk fleeing to the Sultanate would be freed from service.
The last of the cities to fall to Khan Kaland Pyar was proud Muluk, whose people suffered under an endless winter siege. Wishing to spare further suffering, the Khan met with Muluk’s King and, impressed by his character, allowed the kings of Muluk to rule on as vassals of the Tuigan.
The Mamluk Rebellion: Several mamluk generals disagreed with the Grand Caliph’s acknowledging the Khan’s proposed sultanate, and with the indentured servitude of their children, and increasingly this cadre of mamluks became more independent of the Grand Caliph, pursuing their own agendas. It is not uncommon for orders from Huzuz to be “delayed” or “misinterpreted”. Some believe the Qudran emir even has pretensions for the Enlightened Throne.
Finally, we could use the
Dark Omens concept from my previous post to include them gradually in the setting, considering that they occured and were revealed to the Grand Caliph (or its descendants) over the last hundred years.
I shall bring more ideas soon. I would like to hear your thoughts and opinions here.
Let´s create our version for Al-Qadim for D&D 5e! We could consolidate these ideas in a shared dropbox folder, what do you think?
