Caliphate of Andalusia (Jewel of the South)

The Caliphate of Andalusia is a nation of wonders, mysteries, wealth, beauty and above all, it is a place any rogue might seek their fortune. Here, amidst towering peaks, vast deserts, deep oceans and endless forested hills, is a region that is best known as the Jewel of the South. In this land of adventure there is a people more educated, more advanced, and more diverse than any other in the world. Here, under the protection of the mighty Caliphs, all are welcome, no need to fear that your race, colour, creed or secret pleasures of life will make you an outcast.

The Armies of Andalusia are vast, the magic of their priestesses strong, and the strange beasts they have harnessed for war are legend throughout the world. But it is not these things for which the Caliphate is most famed, but rather the great beauty of their cities, the massive aqueducts that bring fresh water from the mountains, and their simple belief that a house is built around a garden, not a garden around a house. It is this simple saying that has made even the most humble home in the Caliphate a welcome and relaxing place to visit.

So come all you rogues, travel to the Jewel of the South. Seek out the hidden Dragons, do battle with the might Stonehorn, tame a rampaging Oliphant, visit the unmatched Andalusian baths, but most of all, come, seek your fortune, and become a legend.

The peoples of Andalusia are as varied and fascinating as any man or woman could wish for. Here, in the deep south, there are no prejudices about the colour of a mans skin or the god that he follows, though those who do not worship the Goddess Al-'Uzzá are required to be an extra ten percent tax yearly.

The majority of the population is darker than the white men of the north, some would even joke that they look permanently tanned, but a flash of their dark eyes soon silences any criticism. This is a land of people who seek to find beauty in all things, be it poetry, art or gardening. Many of the worlds finest writers and poets have sprung from the universities of Andalusia and many thousands owe their lives to the men and women of medicine who study at Andalusian hospitals.




The Caliphate of Andalusia worships only one Goddess, Al-'Uzzá. It is She who first came to the young man sitting by his fathers hearth fire in the small fishing village of Malaga. It is She who led him, guided him, and protected him, as he united the small tribes by force or diplomacy until at last they became a nation.

Many large and stunningly designed Mosques have been raised across the land in her honour and such is her generosity and kindness that even the conquered lands quickly come to worship her. The most impressive of her temples is the mighty Mesquita that dominates one of the seven hills of Granada, capital of the Caliphate.


This mighty building can house over five thousand faithful and is the grandest of the land. This is the very centre of the religious faith for all Andalusians and home to the wondrous Academy of Magic where the Priestesses who wield the power of the Goddess are raised and trained. It should be noted that all Priestesses arrive at the Mesquita as orphans. It is rumoured that they all take female lovers for it is their virginity that gives them their power and connection to the Goddess.

Priestesses alone are required to cover their faces in order to ensure they offer no temptation to a man who might seek to deflower them. They may enter the Academy as young orphans who look no different than so many others but when they receive their gift from the Goddess something changes within them and their power becomes immense. Perhaps it is this power that changes their eyes for all Priestesses go forth into Andalusia with eyes of brilliant colour.

Interestingly, while the Priestesses wield the Goddesses power as a tool or weapon, it is men who are chosen to be the shepherds of the faithful. These men are usually learned youth who find their way to the Goddess through study and so pledge their lives to spreading her word throughout the world. They are best known as Imams and are easily noted for their simple yet brightly coloured robes and long beards that are a mark of their faith.




If you ask any visitor to Andalusia what they remember most fondly you will probably hear a good deal about the lifestyle of the Andalusian people. To them everything is done with a purpose, and that purpose is to bring peace, harmony and beauty into their daily lives. This way, no matter how poor the harvest, how few coins they have made that day, they can always return home to relax and unwind.

There is a saying in Andalusia that a house should be built around a garden, not a garden around a house. Even the massive Royal Palaces follow this wise saying. Gardens and fountains are as much of a staple in all Andalusian homes as furniture or a kitchen.


Greenery is always well matched with intricate carvings and wood work that leaves all who visit them wondering at the skill and talent it takes to create such simple but elegant beauty. Everywhere, no matter how the small the house, one can hear the sound of water moving gently. There are no great fountains here but rather small bubbling pools that give the sound of water without it being invasive to the senses.

In the great courtyards of the Alhambra, the City of Kings within the City of Granada, there is a courtyard known simply as the Courtyard of the Roses. Four channels of gently flowing water arrive in the centre of this courtyard, surrounded on all sides by over a thousand carved marble columns. Up each of these columns grows a vine of roses, making it appear as though any visitor walks through a forest of rose trees.


Though few uninvited eyes have ever seen the inside of the Alhambra is it said that a great staircase connects the upper and lower portions of the City of Kings and its balustrades run with the fresh water of the mountains so that one might slake their thirst while climbing this architectural marvel.




There are many out there who have never been to Andalusia and as a result have only ever encountered the Armies of Andalusia on the field of battle. This has given rise to the belief that the Andalusian women are required to cover themselves, since the only women who travel openly with the army are Priestesses of Al-'Uzzá. This is of course not the case when one finally visits Andalusia as anyone who has actually been to this fantastic land will tell you.

Men and women are considered equals in Andalusian society. A woman might own land, slaves, horses or conduct business just as a man might. They are not forbidden from holding public office, acting as teachers or studying in the universities and hospitals. Andalusia even encourages women to serve with the army and many women do, most of them in comfort related roles, though they do so freely and of their own will.

Taxation is applied equally to all citizens save those who worship outside of Al-'Uzzá's love and generosity. These non-believers are required to pay an extra ten precent tax every year on top of their regular taxes for the right to practice their own faith. Interestingly, while the State does not build nor upkeep other sites of religious worship, it does provide them the same protection and rights as its own Mosques.

All laws, decrees, or any such civil code is passed down by the Caliph himself. His rule is absolute and his word final. Beneath him are the landed nobles, powerful men and women who owe their position and wealth to the Caliph. To step out of line is invite his disfavour and ultimate destruction at the hands of his armies.

Armies

The Armies of Andalusia are a vast horde that covers the earth like a mighty black cloak. Well armed and well trained this army is the product of a people who have had to fight for their survival from the earliest days of their existence. From excellent infantry, to swift horse and camel riders, to massive war beasts, this army is built for one thing, the conquest of distant lands.

What began as a small force of men mounted on swift hill ponies has become a war machine that few can hope to stand against. The Andalusians are clever and as their borders have expanded and newly conquered people have joined the Caliphate they have learned from these people and adopted many of their ways. A few of them are noted below.


Andalusian Cavalry is finely mounted on horses imported from the Celtic Lands many thousands of years ago. These strong and tall Celtic horses have been cross bred with the smaller hill ponies of the southern lands to create a hardy, strong and swift beast that is ideal for the various climates of Andalusia. Cavalry units can be mounted on either horses or camels.

Andalusian Knights are big men, most of them having once served as foot soldiers and been knighted for their actions in battle. As a result, the Andalusian mounted core is a well trained, experienced and very dangerous addition to the armies of the south.


The mighty Rhinox, a huge creature found in the flatlands at the heart of Andalusia. This great beast is tameable only when captured as a calf. They are reared from capture by dedicated trainers whose responsibility it is to make sure that the great beasts can obey commands and do no go rampaging in the wrong direction. In order to help prevent just such an event, these great creatures can be armoured and are often employed to tow war machines into action.

Their main purpose is to plow into the enemy ranks and disrupt them, allowing the faster horse and camel cavalry to exploit the gaps created and cut the enemy army to pieces.


Oliphaunts, massive war beasts, distant cousins to the more commonly known Elephants. These great beasts once served the Warlords of Harad and caused great damage to the Armies of the Caliph when they first clashed. In the end the Andalusians managed to find a way to bring the beasts down and in doing so, conquer the entirety of Harad.

Now Oliphaunts serve the Caliph and his Generals as archery platforms, mobile field artillery or simple as gigantic titans that can terrify and crush any opponent. The Andalusians have even gone to the lengths of armouring the weaknesses of the beasts they managed to find vulnerable and exploit during their own campaigns against them.


Dragons. There are no shortage of Dragons in legend and reality throughout the known world and Andalusia is no different. A land of vast mystery it has many of its own wild beasts and though Dragons can no longer be counted amongst them, the remnants of the great creatures are still be found. Once in a hundred years however something amazing happens. A Priestess will journey into the mountains and seek out an ancient Dragon lair. In the darkness of this deep and ancient caves they seek out the bones of these beasts and, upon grinding them up and consuming them, are given a great gift by the Goddess, a gift that requires her death.

Born from her death is a female humanoid with wings. These strange creatures, known as Harpies, are as beautiful as they are dangerous. Their magical ability is second to none. These Harpies are revered throughout the Caliphate and treated with a mixture of great awe, respect and fear.

They fear none and answer only to the Caliph himself who stands as the God King on earth. It is said that he can even take the form of such a great beast and is perhaps the father of all Harpies.


Castles and Fortresses


The Fortress of Al Qaşr is an imposing mountain fortress that guards the great trade road leading west into the South Atlantic Kingdom. Built on the very southern edge of the Andalusian Mountains this mighty fortress is the gateway to the heartland of Western Andalusia. Built into the living rock itself, it is approachable only by its frontal gate, or a series of tunnels and imbedded gates that can be reached from the Andalusian plains beyond.


The Fortified Port City of Malaga has stood since the earliest days of Andalusia. It is in fact the very fishing village that was home to the men who would one day found the Caliphate. Located on the Antarctic Ocean it is the greatest of the merchant ports and well fortified to boot. Built out on a series of islands it is approachable only by water, water that is to shallow for heavy warships. As a result, the long, narrow, and shallow draft of the Andalusian ships are ideal for working the waters around the city.


Cordoba, a City within a Fortress. This colossal and awe inspiring fortress city stands a guardian in the north of Andalusia. Once nothing more than a refugee for farmers and their livestock fleeing bandits, it has been turned into a reminder of the iron grip of the Caliph. Surrounded on all sides by the thundering falls it is accessible only by two bridges carved from the river stone and, possibly, by hidden tunnels beneath.


Sevilla, Sentinel of the East. Once built as a bulwark against the Armies of Harad, this massive citadel served as the spring board for the Caliphs invasion of the eastern lands. It stands as the sole guardian to the Great Spice Road that crosses the Ocean of Fire, a thousand miles of burning sand and sun. The Fortress itself is built on the highest point of an ancient volcanic crater while the city lies sheltered within, supplied by a nameless underground river. If one were to invade the Caliphate they would sooner or later be forced to try and take this massive fortress.


The Fortress City of Haradrim. This great city was once the capital of the Kingdom of Harad. It had stood for nearly as long as the City of Malaga and fell only after a seven year siege. Its walls were to great and its approaches to exposed for the Armies of Andalusia to lay direct siege and so they were forced to starve the garrison out. To this day its people still proudly refer to it as "The City that could not be taken."


The greatest of all the fortresses in Andalusia is the City of Granada. Built during the Middle Age, this city has grown until it encompasses seven great hills in the very centre of the Caliphate. Through its centre runs the River of Arbandeep, the Great Spice Road and the Trade Roads. Layers of walls and multiple fortresses create a massive interlocking series of defences unmatched in the world. It is here that the seat of the Caliphs can be found.