Nation Spotlight: The Caliphate of Bax

History

The Caliphate of Bax was a desert culture tied to the four oases of the northern wastes: Shahna, Mahamur, Envallah and Nakhmek. The Caliphs warred between themselves for centuries, before being united 600 years ago by Emir Ohankha Al'Mharoumha Mahamur. Ohankha brokered a power sharing arrangement between the 4 emirates , where the post of Caliph would be shared amongst the families. Even though the Al'Mharouma family later reneged on this deal and kept the title of Caliph for themselves, the nation had prospered so well under Ohankha that the other families accepted their rulership on the conditions that they maintained autonomy over their own lands. Ohankha had managed to take 4 squabbling caliphates and unite them under a single shared idea; that the Emirates were stronger together than tearing each other apart.

During the war, the Caliphs all saw an opportunity to claim the fertile lands in the southern duchies. The Baxish had a thriving economy based around the crystal and sands of the wastes that they traded to Northire and Sytheria , as the crystals of the wastes were excellent at holding arcane and psionic energies. However, the chance to seize fertile lands proved too much, and they blatantly began grabbing lands of the southern duchies during the war.

As of the breaking, the Baxish were in an excellent position. Their armies were still intact, and they held large swathes of land of the Duchies of Kile and those of southern Zene. As they shored up their gains, they turned their eye to Nove, knowing that even with their population of trained military personal, it was ripe for the taking. However, within 3 years of the breaking, the Baxish were finally struck with the horrors of the breaking. The lifegiving waters of the Oases began to foul, turning at first bitter, and then poisonous. The citizens of the Caliphate were forced to abandon their ancestral homes, fleeing to the newly claimed lands. Now, the Baxish live side by side with their conquered neighbours. Even 200 years later, tensions remain high as the Baxish are given preferential treatment by the ruling families.


Culture

Baxish culture is based around loyalty to ones family first. Nepotism is considered a way of life, and no one truly questions when a favoured son is placed as an ambassador or trade leader. The genders are in most ways equal, but it is expected for both men and women to marry and start a family as soon as possible. Those who choose not to marry are seen as untrustworthy or deluded. This has begun to slowly bleed into the Aexen society of the new Baxish lands.

Marriage between two Baxishi is a straightforward affair, with one of the members of the union formally joining the other's household. This was traditionally the wife, but with the changed world, nearly a full third of unions result in the husband joining his new wife's house. Marriage between 2 Aexen people is also considered straightforward, with their own traditions holding firm. In the occasion that a Baxishi married an Aexen, however, things become more complicated. The Aexen cannot join the Baxishi house, and the union, whilst legal, does not provide legal status of Baxishi to the spouse, but does apply to any children of the union. However, if the union is dissolved, the children may or may not retain their legal status as Baxishi. Those unfortunate people are known as "Mahsouma" and are a small but growing population of disaffected citizens.

Bax is also a land of Bureaucracy. Baxishi citizenship is a highly formalised legal status. You must be added to both the citizen register as well as the family ledger to be considered a citizen. Removal from one or both of these negates any prior citizenship. Baxishi are the only people allowed to hold business and trading license, and such licenses must be renewed on a biannual basis. Crimes against Baxishi are dealt harsher punishment, and the word of a Baxishi is considered twice as relevant in court to anothers.

Clothing styles are mixed in Bax. The Baxishi retain their traditional garb of long, flowing robes and headwear, including scarves, turbans, and veils. It is considered rude in Baxish society to not obscure at least some portion of ones face or head. The Aexen people have begun to slowly adopt some aspects of the style, with their own tunics and pants becoming looser and more flowing in appearance. The Aexen generally leave their heads uncovered, a clear reminder to the Baxishi that they are still conquerers of a foreign land.

Language and Names

The official language of Bax is Arasac, a melismatic and flowing language punctuated with "emphatic consonant" sounds and other unique sounds to the language.  The symbol ( ' ) is used to denote a brief pause in the middle of a name or word, and to show the following sound is unrelated to the sounds made before it.

Arasac names follow this melismatic quality for the most part. Baxishi have three names. A personal name, a family name, and then an emirati name. These are traditionally named for one of the four oases, but a new tradition of some families renaming themselves "Baxishahn" "Khilishahn" or "Zenishahn" or  has begun to arise in the last 50 years, to represent their formal adoption of their new lands.

Another quirk is that all first names are masculine. Female gender is qualified by the use of particular suffixes. This is a holdover from the ancient Baxishi times, when women were segregated and considered chattel of their male relatives.

(please note that with first names, ( ' ) can be added at any point to change the name to a different form. eg Alshamahk could become Al'Shamahk, Als'Hamahk, Alsh'Amahk, Alsha'Mahk or Alshahm'Ahk)

Male names: Abhour, Alshamahk, Amouzhir, Binsohmar, Dhulsomir, Ehnohim, Emshatahl, Faroukhar, Fahtimir, Hamoudhan, Hunhudhir, Jhanhoud, Khasoum, Khoushar, Lhakham, Lhozhahim, Mahmouhkz, Mohomhakh, Nazhoumam, Nohamouhk, Obashir, Omakahn, Pahkoum, Qiradhour, Qizhadahn, Vihdazhom Yodhouzh, Zazhoudh.

Female Suffixes: 'Akhoum, 'Khalv, 'Zha, 'Zhoum.

Family names: Al'Ahmahd, Al'Azhahad Al'Bahir, Al'Dhasouhma, Al'Faroukh, Al'Fatihr, Al'Ghahma, Al'Hamahkh, Al'Jhafon, Al'Khabohr, Al'Mharoumha, Al'Nazeem, Al'Nazhir, Al'Ohkan, Al'Qirazhj, Al'Rhakhmoud, Al'Tamukh, Al'Yabhan, Al'Zhihndar.

Emirati names: Baxishahn, Envallah, Khilishahn, Mahamur, Nakhmek, Shahna, Zenishahn.