Glossary of Avaria

Term	Category	Definition
Abaya	Clothing	A cloak, mantle, or wrapper worn by women of the Sirdabi Caliphate. It can be plain colored, in dark or light hues, or it may be brightly colored and patterned, or feature trim and braid. It may be worn wrapped around the shoulders or, for greater modesty, draped from the crown.
Barracan	Clothing	A thick, strong wool made from camel hair.
Bey	Titles	The governor of a Sirdabi province.
Bisht	Clothing	A simple cloak or mantle, generally worn by men of the Sirdabi Caliphate.
Bruul	Animals	A gnu-like ungulate revered among the Amunati and roundly despised everywhere else. Nevertheless widely raised for meat, milk, and hide.
Burnoose	Clothing	A long hooded robe commonly worn in northern Idiri.
Caliph	Titles	The leader of the Sirdabi Caliphate and guardian of the Azadi faith. Considered the successor to the Prophet Azad but functionally more a secular figure than a religious one.
Caravanserai	Architecture	A lodging place for travelers throughout the Sirdabi Caliphate, generally consisting of one or more levels of rooms arranged around a central courtyard. The word khan may also be used to specifically refer to a caravanserai in an urban setting.
Emir/a	Titles	The chief functionary of an emirate, generally equivalent to a king or a queen.
Emirate	Government	A semi-sovereign principality under the ultimate authority of the Sirdabi Caliphate, such as Koumbasi or Eladje. The ruler of an emirate is an emir or emira.
Griot	Music	A bard of the Bissenke peoples of northwestern Idiri, whose influential social role is a combination of musician, storyteller, historian, and genealogist.
Jembe	Music	A skin-covered goblet drum of northwestern Idiri, tuned with ropes and played with the hands.
Kaftan	Clothing	A full-length, collarless tunic shaped lightly to the body, worn by both men and women.
Kaiostauros	Religion	The flame curled around a stake which is the chief emblem of the Kalentic faith.
Kalentian	Religion	A member of the Kalentic faith, worshiping the One True God and regarding Kalen as ultimate prophet and divine son.
Kemenche	Music	A bowed string instrument with three strings and a pear- or paddle-shaped body. Usually played resting upright on the musician's knee, or sometimes on the ground. Particularly popular in Irzal.
Khuffs	Clothing	Soft leather slipper-shoes.
Kora	Music	A complex hybrid string instrument with characteristics of both lute and harp, plucked with the fingers. It features a large body made from cowhide stretched over a calabash, and 22 strings on a long hardwood neck. It is the characteristic instrument of the Bissenke griot.
Mizado	People	A person of mixed Cateni and Sirdabi heritage, native to Cadenza. Most follow the Azadi faith.
Mizmar	Music	A conical-bore, double-reed woodwind instrument especially popular in northern Idiri.
Mizuda	Clothing	A small leather or woven pouch or bag, decorated with beads, shells, tassels, applique, or other adornments, used for storing a variety of small objects from money to herbs. Used by both men and women.
Ney	Music	An end-blown flute widely played throughout the Sirdabi Caliphate. It may have either five or six holes in the front, and a single thumb hole in back. It can be made from a reed or from various types of wood.
Olliwag	Animals	A cat-sized omnivore with large dark eyes, tufted ears, and a long banded tail. It makes its home in cliffsides, amidst boulders, or in stony hills, and has a marked propensity to steal stray objects and hoard them in its den. Different species are found around the Adelantean basin.
Oud	Music	A short-necked, fretless lute of Sirdabi lands. It most typically has eleven strings grouped in six courses, and it is played using a wooden plectrum.
Rebab	Music	A bowed string instrument with a long neck and small rounded body, often with a spike at the bottom so that it may easily be played upright and resting on the ground. It may have one, two, or three strings, and has a very limited but haunting range. Simple versions are popular among the nomadic tribes of Rahoum.
Sayyid/a	Titles	A polite form of address, like "Mr." or "Mrs.", or "Master" or "Madam".
Sirwaal	Clothing	Capacious long pants with a sash to draw in the waistline, worn by both men and women. Generally synonymous with pantaloons.
Thawb	Clothing	For men, a calf- or ankle-length shirt-like garment with long sleeves and a standing collar. For women, a capacious overdress usually featuring full flowing sleeves.