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Occupations
Jabbah
Askar [ Fighters and Rangers ]
Askar (AH-skar) are warriors common to permanent settlements of any size in
Zuben. Intelligent and social, they are the backbone of defense, protecting
their families, homes, and eventually even their country. They tend to wear
studded leather or mail armor, with round shields, and use scimitars, spears and
compound, short horn bows. The majority of fighters of this kind are to be
found in Arjat, due to its size and stability, and the presence of capital to
fund these. Some of these warriors are found within the merchant families or
guilds. Others are freelancers, or employed by the city.
However, there are Askar amongst the Shaula as well, especially at the larger,
semi-permanent settlements. These tend to have the skills of the desert ranger
in comparison to their town cousins amongst the Jabbah.
Mamluk [ Knights and Fighters ]
Arjat is also served by the professional slave soldiers known as Mamluks. A not
uncommon fate for a young male Rasa is to be sold to the Mamluk corps, to begin
their training at a young age. The slaves then underwent rigorous training, not
only in combat and tactics, but also in government. Mamelukes, being the hard
hitters of Arjat warrior classes, often wear combinations of mail and plate
armor. They use scimitars, round or heater shields, spears and a variety of war
axes and maces.
All of the members of the corps are technically slaves, owned by the city. As
long as they are in the corps, they are unable to buy their freedom, as other
Rasa can. However, in practice the power of the Mamluk corps is not something
to be dismissed. The Mamluk generals, although slaves, have enough power should
they desire it, to attempt a coup or equivalent, and the merchant families and
officials know it. Thus a balance is maintained.
One subgroup of the Mamlukes are the Dog Fighters, split into divisions named
after the Zuberi hunting dogs: Akbash, Kangal, Kars and Tazi. These are Al
Misaym slaves, rather than Rasa. Thus they serve their seven years here as
opposed to in private homes or the gladiator pits. These are the shock troops
of the Mamluks and will be the first to engage the enemy, and receive the
heaviest casualties. They cannot rise through the ranks. However, surviving Dog
Fighters can become part of the main Mamluk force after their seven years is up,
if they wish, and many do so, rather than seeking to return to society. These
become the leaders of this subgroup.
[Update - class used in 'Acrab's Anger' story for Alikaram]
Sa'luk [ Rogue and Bard ]
Sa'luks (sah-LUKES) are free adventurers, owing ties to no one and nothing. They
pass freely from the wild cultures of the desert and the steppe to those of the
city and back again with ease. They tend no herds, raise no crops, and produce
no craft. They are freebooters, con artists, and swindlers. They survive by
tricking, robbing, or simply outsmarting those who have greater riches.
Barber [ Rogue and Bard ]
The roguish barber is a tradition in Arjat. One or more of them may be found in
any bazaar, flashing their blades as well as their wit. Boldly they hawk their
abilities and prowess - often while performing said tasks on their customers.
Saher [ Wizard ]
Sahers are the mages of Arjat; they represent the standard and most common form
of spell caster outside of the Al Aqrab. Their power is mainly psionic in
nature, coming from their mental ability to tap into the magical forces. This
is supplemented by a small element of memmorative magic. There are various
proverbs amongst the Jabbah about the folly of angering a Saher...
This form of magic is rare amongst the Shaula or the Al Aqrab. However, they
have equivalents.
Shaula
Rocheb [ Fighters, Knights, and Rangers ] (ro-KEV)
Desert riders represent the classic Shaula warriors: well-trained, mounted
fighters sweeping out of the barren wastes. They are the romantic heroes of a
nomadic people, living their lives and fighting their battles from the saddle.
Desert riders are primarily horsemen, but some are more adept at riding [any
other appropriate mounts?]. Riders often wear mail (or chain mail if we have to
call it that) with spiked helmets and shouffas (cloth draped from the helmet to
provide shade), and round shields. Weapons are horn bows, scimitars and light
lances (spears).
[At a guess, in contrast to the Jabbah, the majority of Shaula warriors would
probably be mounted. Other Shaula might well be able to defend themselves and
wouldn't necessarily ride, but the elite/professionals would probably need to
be?]
Sha'ir
Sha’ir are legendary figures – free agents, unfettered by social requirement and
position they live as they wish. Sha’irs are not at all common in Zuben. These
rare and mysterious figures make their own way in life, a luxury afforded to
few.
Good Sha’ir seek to use their gifts to the betterment of the common folk and
deal with the fickle wishes of the genies whom they summon. Evil Sha’ir are as a
desert sand storm. They enslave genies and pursue their own selfish interests –
no matter the cost.
Sha’irs are a precious commodity in Zuben. Their power over genies is
particularly useful in Zuben. Indeed, even inexperienced Sha’ir often find
themselves sought by powerful merchants and rulers.
Matrud [ Rogue ]
Matruds (mah-TROODS) are desert thieves, outcast from their tribes, shunned by
former comrades and family, surviving at the margins of their former society.
The cause of their rejection may or may not have been just, but in any case
matruds have lost their honor, and therefore both their possessions and their
former position. As a result, they live for survival and for revenge. They have
become rebels and raiders, striking against both the desert Shaula tribes and
even the larger settlements, seeking to grab a slice of what they feel is
justifiably theirs.
Rawun [ Bard ]
Rawuns (rah-OONS) are the bards of the Shaula tribes - the tale-spinners, the
lore-keepers, and the entertainers. Each is entrusted with the legends of his or
her own tribe, as well as other tribes contacted. Rawuns are the master poets of
their peoples, and most of their knowledge is repeated through epic poems. They
are highly respected by their people.
Mystic or Seer [ Cleric ]
Lone figures who stride out of the desert, mystics are strange and
flamboyant oracles whose words have moved armies and are said to have moved
mountains. They require no conventional church to hear the words of prophecy and
they shun the 'convenience' of any orthodox hierarchy. It is not uncommon for
one of these to become the prophet/Priest King. However most would not presume
to such a position, and simply pursue their own understanding of Acrab, based on
certain of the prophets. These are almost wholly Shaula, in comparison to the
more settled and structured Al Aqrab.
Hakimas [wise women]
 The 'keepers of the home fires, the protectors of the family, and the
unifier of tribes. They serve their visions, righting what they see to be wrong and bringing the
truth out into the light. The Thousand and one Nights are filled with situations
where one of these mysterious individuals just happened to be around. A good
Hakima seeks to fight injustice, but an evil wise woman uses her knowledge of
the future and her powers of perception for her own ends. She manipulates people
using this information to further her own causes. Hakimas might also
receive visions directing their path, feeling them self pulled toward some
particular place or action.
Kahin [ Druid ]
Kahins are elemental-priests, believing that knowledge of Acrab is to be found
in one's understanding of the natural order of Zuben. Thus their veneration of
Acrab is tightly linked to a reverence for nature, or at least certain parts of
it. They see their power as flowing both from the land, and from Acrab, with no
dichotomy in this position. These tend to be found amongst the Shaula, being
either nomadic wanderers, or part of communities at the larger settlements.
Their records are primarily verbal as opposed to written, kept for generation by
other kahins and sympathetic rawuns. They tend to be highly respected by many
Shaula, due both to the general respect for nature that they all hold, and also
the abilities of the Kahin which can be most useful if an oasis has dried up...
However there are a very small number of Kahin amongst the Jabbah, primarily
concerned with the flooding of the Thuban and found amongst the farming
communities on its banks.
More On Druids Here
al-Acrab
Faris [ Paladins, Fighters, Knights, and Rangers ]
A holy war is more than just a mobilization of an army in a religious fervor. In
Zuben, it is also an opportunity for spiritual redemption for those fighting the
war; if they fight the good fight, their souls will be redeemed, regardless of
any past sins. Since no mortal is without sin, the opportunity for a free pass
to the paradisiacal afterlife is hard to pass up. A holy war is thus a 'good
war', one which enjoys the popular support of its people. Warriors engaged in it
are not mindless slaves blinded by literal adherence to holy texts; rather, they
are popular, living champions of their people and their faith.
Although the call to such a war may gain support from the Jabbah and the Shaula,
the core of these warriors are to be found amongst the Al Aqrab at Meissa.
Ro'eh [Monk] (ro'EH)
The monastery of Meissa is the spiritual home of Zuben. There are any number of
different orders of Ro'eh present at the monastery, which all come under the
[name of Al Aqrab uber-order]. As with the prophets, these figures combine
loyalty to Acrab with a diversity of teaching. Many different groups will
treasure the sayings of specific prophets, and act on them. The Ro'eh are
inherently practical in their lives. They are granted power directly from
Acrab, to be used in his service. There are various different functions of
monks: healers; martial; [anything 'darker' eg inquisitor? Probably not due to
open nature of religion] etc. Some orders span the different functions, others
specialize.
Sopher [Scribe/scholar/poet/bard] (so-PHER)
While the Ro'eh tend to be practical in their work, the Sopher is the more
academic or literary. They can range from archivists to poets; from historians
to bards; from scribes to judges. Even more than the Ro'eh, they are fascinated
by the writings of the prophets, but will tend to be more intellectual than
practical in their discussions, and debate is common. They are the keepers of
the books, the arbiters of the written. Those seeking rulings on precedent will
often come to the monastery. There is a saying in Zuben 'Come to Meissa to gain
knowledge, and speak to the Sopherim to gain wisdom'.
For a story that expands the distinction between monks and scribes see:
www.sanctuaryshard.com/Comraic.../final_test.htm
Tabeeb
The doctors of Zuben are traditionally one of the forms of al'Aqrab.
But Zuberi doctors are much more surgeons then they are healers. As the
god Acrab does not have the power to heal, the concept of "faith or spiritual
healing" is not prevalent, or terrible effective. When Acrab is called
upon to help the ill, he is usually asked to give them strength rather then to help
heal them. Because of this, the medicine of the Zuberi is by modern earth
standards relatively advanced, just as was Arabic medicine in medieval times.
(See a google search on ancient Arabic medicine for more ideas.) A
Tabeeb's area of study can include herb lore, potions, surgery, fighting, magic
and anything else generally used by such a person to accomplish their personal
life goals in addition to their calling as a Tabeeb. | |
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