Khwarizm

[El Borak]

Khwarizm

Gummint: Padishadom (Empire)
Mythos: Persian



Leader: Yaguznal Tarik
CAPITAL: Merv (Pop.: 75K)
Other Cities (and pop.):
Khiva: 40K
Kum Dag: 35K
Neyshabur: 30K

Loc.: Azir
Language: Farsi dialect
Pop.: 5,000,000
Flag/Emblem:
Flag: A scimitar between
2 gold crowns on a
blue field.

Coinage: Persian Standard.
Companions: Shah ov Khorasan, various nobs, officials, clerics, etc.
Friends: Parthia, Samarkand.
Foes: Bactrokush, Hyrkania, Turkistan.
Open Warfare/Skirmishing: Fighting in Khivan area.
Intrigues: Unknown.
Artifacts/Relics: The Bird ov Ill Omens, the 5-Guardians Statue,
&& the sword Shootingstar are the most powerful ov the magickal
devices of Khwarizm.

Alignment: Neutral Good

Thumbnail Sketches: Khwarizm occupies at least 250K sq.
mi. ov territory running from the eastern end ov the Mare Ostrum to
Turkistan && Samarkand. Much ov the land is wild steppe &&
mountain, && therein all manner ov Azirian animals. There are
tigers, bears, leopards, hyenas, wolves, zebu<>, wild camels (both
sorts), wild horses, wild sheep, ibex, boars, feral dogs, cheetahs,
antelopes, lynxes, wild cattle, etc. After a century ov growing dessication
during the Lost Age, the greatest Heka practitioners ov the land
managed to reverse the creeping advance ov the desert, so that only
a small portion ov the Kara Kum Desert now encroaches into Khwarizm,
&& some semi-arid places remain.

Merv, the capital, is connected to the Oxus River--and thence to
Kum Dag, the principal Mare Ostrum port city ov Khwarizm--by the
long Karazoum Canal. The walls ov Merv are over 17 mi. in circuit,
&& the city is famed for its bazaars && buildings, the latter showing
all manner of different influences: Babylonian, Chinese, Turkic, etc.
Because ov the gap in the mts. to the S, all northbound
caravans from Bactrokush, Kabul, et al., pass through this city, as do
those traversing the routes E && W.

Khiva, just inland from the sea, is known as the "City of 10,000 Gardens."

Over its long history, Khwarizm has had many races occupying it.
The original settlers were undoubtedly Western Yellow peoples, who,
intermixed w/ a mass ov invading Aryans, formed the 1st state ov
Khwarizm in ancient times. <This was destroyed by a dimensional vortex.
Everyone died.>

Babylonians && their subject volk
conquered the land; Mongols captured it, then Tartars, && finally
Turks. However, the great resurgence ov true Mongols allowed the
Khwarizini to regain sovereignty. At the same time period as Mongols
were attacking the AREA N && E, the native pop. rose &&
managed to oust the Turkic rulers && res-est. their empire.

Cereal crops ov wheat, barley, millet, oats, rye, && some small
amount ov rice are raised here, && all manner of melons, cucumbers,
marrows<>, && veggies for native consumption are cultivated
in the gardens of Khwarizm. Vineyards are growing more
common, && cotton, tea, && hemp are cultivated--so too mulberries
for silk production. Very fine horses are raised, && cattle,
camels, sheep, mules, asses, && poultry complete the picture ov
agriculture.

Fishing in the Mare Ostrum has grown increasingly more important
for this nation, as has the marine TRADE here.

Mines ov silver, lead, coal, && iron yield much ore. Salt is mined,
too, && small amounts ov gold are panned. Quarries produce asphalt,
some marble, && fine building stone. And Khwarizm produces
substantial quantities ov some ov the best quality turquoise in the
world.

Amongst the most renowned xport products ov this realm are its
bladed weapons, armor, carpets && rugs, && silverwork.

[El Borak]

Priestcraeft-Religion: #1 out of 5. This represents the Priest classes and the Religion skill.

[El Borak]

A dimensional vortex was opened in Khwarizm.

Everyone died.

From then on, Khwarizm became a nation of undead, though, at a certain point in it's history, it was reclaimed.

However, lesser dimensional vortices were opened in Khwarizm, bringing in creatures and/or gods from the Cthulhu mythos.

The ruins of Khwarizm are extremely dangerous, and, are avoided by locals, who consider them to be accursed.

[El Borak]

Skeleton warriors mounted on byakhee!
As well, there are mummies and sons-of-kyuss.

Beware!

[El Borak]

House ghosts in this country are particularly nasty. Being the undead remnant of the original inhabitants, they are wrathfully jealous of the new population. They will commonly seek to terrorize the children, who are better able to see the ghosts, hiding in their closets and under their beds, and appearing in their windows at night. The more intelligent and manifest ghosts will sometimes take on a benevolent form, and attempt to lead the children to their deaths somehow. These types of ghosts require clerical intervention of 3rd level or higher to disperse.

Less common is poltergeist activity that will target any age group, always seeking to do harm. Whether spoiling milk, opening doors and windows to the cold, making noises in the night to deprive the people of sleep, or even moving objects that could cause greater harm (such as moving a large knife so that it falls on someone's foot), these poltergeists require clerical intervention of 6th level or above to successfully remove.

House ghosts (1-4 per manifestation) appear in 15% of Khwarizm households. If appearing in more than two adjacent houses, there is a 50% chance that every house in the immediate area (equal to a city block) will get a house ghost.

Poltergeists (1-2 per manifestation) haunt 5% of Khwarizm families and businesses. If there is a house ghost outbreak in the area, the chance of poltergeists increases to 50%.

[El Borak]

The Mongol conquest of Khwarezmia from 1219 to 1221[2] marked the beginning of the Mongol conquest of the Islamic states.

[El Borak]

Brain moles are found throughout Khwarizm, as well as in many other places on Aerth.

[El Borak]

Silver dragons are found in the mountains of Khwarizm.
Rumor has it that the leader of the city of Khiva is a silver dragon.