Skorpion Emirates
From Legonia
All human settlements between northern jungle, swamps, Ark’thol desert and the Bay of Ark’tohl in west Legonia are controlled by the great heptarchy of the Emirates.
Contents |
History
Politics
There is no king, but seven heptarchs, mostly high priests or warlords belong to the high council. The culture of this exotic people is based on society levels, where the heparchy is on top while the farmers and slaves nearly haven’t any rights.
The heptarchs think that they're choosen by the gods, so they manipulated the temple cults to support their way of leadership. Of course, highpriests have big influence in the heptarchy. A heptarch's position is heritable, but if there're no heirs, the application of a highpriest will be always favoured. One exception exists:
- The high priests of the temple of Arkos is always heptarch, so one heptarch isn't heritable.
Culture
The Skorpion Emirates is ordered in a strict caste system, were the heptarchy, priesthood and members of the military are on highest, farmers and slaves on lowest level. But not only warriors are excepted, also some loyal merchants can gain big poverty. The trade group is one of the higher society levels, but still under the warriors.
The people of the Emirates are always decorated with colourful tattos, so they can be separated into society levels and professions. People without skin symbols are slaves or outlaws. Nevertheless, you can’t say, that this government is evil, because maybe only this kind of strong organisation was able to keep a great and rich culture in that hot, dangerous and bad environment.
Although farmers haven't nearly any rights, the lowest level are the slaves. Some are criminals or political enemies but most were enslaved tribes from the southern jungle, also non-human. Most are primitive or their culture got decayed caused of old wars. There are red, green and blue skinned humanoid people for example.
In the Southern world, people don't believe in only one god, their religion is the Ark'tohlian Pantheon, a corrupted temple system controlled by the heptarchy.
Subcultures
The Emirates are a multicultural world, but most tribes and races aren't allowed to live their old traditions, so some do it secretly or fight for freedom. The human nomads is a living culture. Known Subcultures:
Ba'tohlians
- See also: Ba'tohlians
Nomads
Just about 1000 people are living in the desert outside the emirate’s cities, most are nomads. They called this land Ark’thol. Ark’thol is their indigent word for heat, sand, sun, fire and hell.
The nomadic culture is based on the very first human settlers in the southern world and follows the call fo their main god Arkos. You can find them at the several oasis when camping with their dinosaurs and tents.
Because they are no danger for the great heptarchy, they're tolerated in and outside the country. Sometimes they also trade for rare goods.
Economy
Economy is weak and consists of farming at the Skorpion River, diamond mines in the jungles and slavery. The slaves became the most important part of the skorpion economy and come from different races, which were hunted in the wild southern jungles. Aside the Emirate's people misses food mostly.
Military
Revolutions always fail because the emirate’s army is extremely strong and mainly made of different exotic infantrys and war machines. Additional, there're no other enemies to face. But without the military allmightyness, the enslaved races and other groups would probably start a giant civil war.
The colours of the Skorpion army are red, green an black. The skorpion is just one symbol and stands for the desert, a horned biest with a thick fur is used as symbol as well and stands for the jungle.
Infantry
The infantry is the backbone of military. Their main job is guarding the emirate's stone citties and protect the heptarchy. Other units are sent to the jungles to hunt new slaves. Known units:
Cavalry
Because there aren’t any horses in that part of the world, some cavalry units use other creatures like dinosaurs. Known units:
Desert runners
The desert runners are quick cavalry units with the mission to observe the oasis and fight foreign intruders to the country. The light armored dino riders with crossbow and pikes were the first human people of the Skorpion Emirates, expeditions from northern kingdoms met.
Megarosaurus war riders
While most military units of the Skorpion Emirates have special uses, the Megarosaurus war rider ist just good for one intention: DESTROYING. The riders aren’t used often because the Emirates haven’t big enemys anymore and so, there aren’t giant battles, where it would be the greatest weapon definitively. But revolutionists should be feared of them. The unit is a trained Megarosaurus with a wooden platform on his back with space for up to 3 soldiers, 1 driver and 2 ark’tohlian crossbow snipers or spear throwers.
Becoming a Megarosaurus rider is a very complex and long process. Only the best experienced warriors get this honorable job, and only, if they were born in the right society level.
T-Rex battle waggon
The T-Rex battle waggon is a multiple useable war machine and a main support unit of the Skorpion army. A big transport cage is build on a small dinosaur chariot. The space can be used for soldier, equipment or slave transports, so the war waggons are used mostly in the many wars and slave hunts in the southern jungle. The observating platform is good for snipers and their special Ark’tohlian crossbows. Sometimes, also small fire catapults are added there. They can throw alchemistic bombs into the wooden villages, while the soldiers hunt the people as new slaves. The waggon itself is well defended. Intelligent people won’t attack the T-Rex, pulling the vehicle, and if it is rolling, the long spears at the wheels keep enemys away. Because of is bigness, the war waggon can’t be used everywhere in the thick jungle, that’s ist only disadvantage. But the real power, it shows in big battles on big space, when a whole convoy of these vehicles are running over the fields.
Civil war
Hungry farmers, enslaved races and other groups, who feel pain under the emirate's leadership are trying to revolt against the heptarchs for many years. But against the immense military force they hadn't any chances. Most revolutions were stopped in quick and bloody reactions. But ther're still conspiracy groups.
Symbol for the rebellion is the eagle, wich is the idol of the god Airos, who stands for air, free mind, imagination and for the revolutionist for freedom and their fight. In conclusion, the heptarchs distrusts Airos temple cults. There's only one temple and it's strict controlled by loyal men.
