Kashalad

Nation Profile
Description	The sun-bleached war machine.
Government	Feudal Empire
Real World Inspiration	Arabia
Other Names	The Rising Storm
Geography
Location	Southwest of the Ohm Basin, East of Sfaira
Largest City	Al Uyun
Relative Distance From the Basin	Near
Demography
Demonym	Kashaladhi
Population	15 million
Languages	Kashaladhi
Races and Ethnicities	Kashaladhi Human, Tiefling
Religion	Sfairan Pantheon
Currency	Dinar (gold), Sabika (Electrum), Dirhan (Silver), Nuhan (Copper)

Nation Overview

Society

Culture

Kashaladi culture is built for one thing and one thing only: war. What once was a diverse group of nomads living in harmony with their harsh homeland has been molded into a machine of blood and iron. Most aspects of Kashaladi society are focused on improving the nation's combat effectiveness. Herdsmen and farmers work hard to feed Kashaladi armies, craftsmen ensure their equipment is fully supplied. Kashaladi science is some of the most advanced in the world, at least as far as military applications are concerned.

That is not to say that the society is ridigly hierarchical, however. The Kashaladi tradition is one of freedom and wanderlust, letting the wind take them wherever it may. While Kashaladi does have peasants who work the arable land within the country, those peasants are free to up and move if it suits them. Nothing can hold down a Kashaladi.

Government

After the receding of the Rezzatan Empire, its far eastern territories broke up into many states and tribes who had little interest in reunification. This all changed a few centuries ago, however, when a tiefling named Aaliyah, known as the Daughter of Lightning, took control of the Kashaladi tribe, famed for its horsemanship. She claimed to be the daughter of Kresh, and she seemed to wield the storm as her supposed father did. With a combination of genius strategy and overwhelming magical abilities, she united the region again and claimed the Kashaladi Empire. Her descendants have kept a grip on power ever since, making the worship of Kresh the state religion.

Since its foundation and through the wars of unification, Kashalad has pursued an aggressive policy of expansion. They have reshaped their nation's society from the ground up into a war machine, with everything from the tax policy to the state religion fueling it.

Inhabitants

Kashaladi people are canny and hard-working, a formidible combination. They possess not only the foresight and wisdom to plan ahead, but the determination and perseverence to see their plans through. They tend to have skin ranging from light to dark brown, and most have dark smooth hair. Beards are near-universal among men capable of growing them, although the inability to grow a beard is not seen as shameful, and it is generally considered to be clean-shaven rather than to sport patchy facial hair.

Loose white robes are the most prevalent garb in Kashalad to help defeat the heat of the desert sun which scorches much of the nation. Color and decoration often comes from jewelry and sashes worn above the robes. Gold is considered the most important thanks to its association with Kresh's lightning.

Geography

Climate

Most of Kashalad is hot and dry, receiving very little rain. Some of the southeastern parts of the country are more temperate and receive regular rainfall, though they are still arid by the standards of most regions.

Ecology

Very little grows in most of Kashalad, and less of it thrives. The few areas that support farming and grazing provide for most of the country.

Landscape

The parts of Kashalad which are not covered in sand are hilly and craggy. There are a few mountains in the south.

History

To be discovered

Religion

Headline

Deities and Philosophies

Kresh

The worship of Kresh is the state religion of Kashalad, with the worship of any other god being a severe crime punishable by no less than hard labor. As the father of the country's founder, Kresh holds a special place in the hearts of the Kashaladi, and his wife Areda is often scorned as a usurper who took his throne. Unlike in the tradition closer to the Western Sea, Kresh is seen as a mistreated avenger who will lead the Kashaladi people to the reclaimation of his divine throne through the subjugation of the heretics to the west.

Unlike with his Sfairan and Amanian supplicants whom he toys with, Kresh welcomes the prayers of the Kashaladi and answers them with benevolence. Some believe this lends credence to Aaliyah's claims of her divine ancestry, though skeptics argue that Kresh only humors the Kashaladi because they amuse him, and that the turn of his favor will spell the country's ruin.