Rahoum
| Allegiance | Sirdabi Caliphate |
| Capital | Sirdab |
| Governor | Mu'omer bin Imran Bey |
| Demonym | Rahoumi |
| Official Language | Sirdabi |
| Official Religion | Azadi |
| Currency | fals/dirham/nour |
| Native Heritages | Sirdabi |
The province of Rahoum is the heartland of the Sirdabi Caliphate and the birthplace of the Azadi faith. It is famed for the vast sweep of its burning deserts and the fiercely independent tribesmen who inhabit them, but boasts equal renown for the vibrant culture of its capital, the wealth of its adventurous merchants, and the depth of its people's piety. Set apart from the extensive irrigation works that line the banks of the River Ennescu, the shaded oasis of the Sirdab Shrine beckons the faithful to prayer and meditation.
Geography & Climate
Rahoum is, above all, a dry and stark land. Although the terrain varies greatly from mountain to plateau to vast desert basin, the defining character of the entire area is its extreme aridity. Most of the province receives on average less than ten inches of rain each year, and some places receive far less -- parts of the Vast Solitude may go years without seeing a single drop of rainfall. The landscape as a whole can be extremely unforgiving, but scattered wells and the weaving muddy band of the River Ennescu furnish a precious gift of water that makes life -- and a flourishing blend of cultures -- possible.
The elevation of Rahoum is generally higher in the west, where the land rises up in a huge plateau that covers nearly half the province. Several mountain ranges rise still further, from the jagged peaks of the Brokentooth Mountains along the Gulf of Adwa, to the uniform cliffs of the South Palisades that form the border with Saramat. The land descends steadily towards the Ennescu where it winds through the heart of Rahoum, marking the divide between the western and eastern halves of the province. In the east the land is much lower and flatter, though broken here and there with low rocky hills and stark massifs. Most of the land here is pure desert -- immense expanses of sand in the Vast Solitude, particularly in the Quarter of Vanished Tracks, but also plains of low sand scrub or gravel. In many places sand and stone come right down to the desolate shore of the Gulf of Khurum, where settlements are almost equally sparse save for the great port city of Suurmi in the far south.
The greatest centers of population lie along the River Ennescu, whose waters feed extensively irrigated fields and orchards as well as providing fresh fish and easy transport through the center of Rahoum. Wells and oases allow a few small towns to prosper even in the eastern desert, while springs and small but regular winter rains support the residents of the western steppe. Precipitation in the rest of the country is desperately scarce, as the wet monsoon winds that sweep in from the Sea of Sala'ah from Ashbat to Kholabi drop all their rains upon Marzum and the Sodden Isles, leaving only a dry harsh wind to blow down from the mountain peaks and across the open desert.
People
Rahoum is chiefly home to the Sirdabi people, who have resided among its deserts, mountains, and river plains for time out of mind. Although the Sirdabi were originally a tribal people engaged chiefly in nomadic pastoralism and small-scale farming, much of the Sirdabi population now lives in towns and large cities scattered widely across the province. Besides herding and farming, they frequently find occupation as merchants, artisans, and government officials, as well as poets, teachers, legal experts, and members of numerous other learned professions. Even so, there remain numerous small nomadic tribes who reside at the fringes of civilization in the remote reaches of the deserts and mountains, even in the Vast Solitude itself.
Besides Sirdabi, a wide variety of heritages can be found in the larger cities of the province. Many Irzali are commonly encountered in the capital, employed as court functionaries of various kinds and filling the ranks of the best universities. They also make up a sizable part of the population in the hill country of northern Rahoum, which centuries ago was an important part of the Irzali Empire. Yehani dwell in the mountains bordering the southern province of Marzum, survivors of the long-ago fall of the great Yehani kingdoms there. The capital of Sirdab is itself very diverse, attracting the talented, the ambitious, and the curious from across the caliphate, while the coastal city of Suurmi is a thriving multicultural center of trade where the native Sirdabi mingle extensively with Salawi, Jalanit, and Irulao.
Economy
Although Rahoum is a wealthy land, at least in the cities, its wealth is chiefly derived from the fruits of the other provinces in the caliphate. Goods of all kinds flow to and through the great cities of Rahoum, from the grain, produce, cloth, and iron goods that fulfill everyday needs; to a dazzling array of luxury items from around the known world. A great deal of wealth also comes directly into the province from the countless pilgrims who make their way to Sirdab for the annual pilgrimage to the shrine, or to walk the Pilgrim's Path from there to Nawal'ih before continuing across the Gulf of Adwa to Raziya.
Despite the fact that more goods flow into Rahoum than out, it does produce a few export items of note. Perhaps most famous of all is the Suurmian scimitar, a versatile and elegant blade made from superb Salawi iron that has been forged into steel using the secret techniques of Suurmi's Blademakers' Guild. The eastern coast of the province also is where certain shellfish are farmed in shallow pools along the shore, and their bodies used to produce a vivid green-gold dye known across the world as Sirdabi green. Perhaps most unusually of all, treestone from the Stone Forest in southern Rahoum is prized for use as magical amulets and healing stones.
Religion
Being both the birthplace and the center of the Azadi faith, Rahoum is unsurprisingly and overwhelmingly Azadi in religion. While some pagan practices persist, particularly in the remoter parts of the province, they exist within a strong Azadi framework and are not seen as being incompatible with it -- at least not by their practitioners, although they might be frowned on by purists. The people of Rahoum tend to be quite devout overall, but their faith is simply an integral part of their daily life and most individuals are more pious than fanatical. Native Rahoumi are proud of being at the center of the widespread Azadi community, and cherish the many holy sites that are key pilgrimage destinations for the faithful. In addition to the venerable Sirdab Shrine, these include Jebel Quf and the Sunbeam Shrine, the towns of Nawal'ih and al-Fiqh, as well as numerous lesser stops stops along the Pilgrim Path that runs across the province.
Despite the dominance of Azadi, Rahoum is diverse enough in its population to also include followers of the Yehani and Kalentic faiths, the pagan pantheons of Jalanjhur and Yalanbari, and even Elestaari among its Irzali populace. Most of these religions are best represented in the larger cities of the province, particularly Sirdab and Suurmi, although Yehani worship of Elu-Hani can be found among people of both Yehani and Sirdabi heritage in the southern hill country.
Cities & Towns
- Sirdab, the world-renowned capital of the Caliphate, famed center of learning and culture and a dazzling wonderland of bridges and canals in the heart of the desert.
- al-Fiqh, a small but prettily prosperous pilgrimage town.
- al-Nizzem, a modest fishing town on the Gulf of Khurum, known for its beds of pink pearls.
- Dar Aslam, little more than a waypost in the desert, fed by deep wells and home to an enclave of mystics.
- Freewind Town, a scrappy independent settlement of escaped slaves, smugglers, and others seeking the freedom to live life on their own terms.
- Murid Suruq, an isolated village on the edge of the Vast Solitude, whose people faithfully care for the Sunbeam Shrine and its visitors.
- Nawal'ih, a lovely hill city nestled in a valley, known for its hanging gardens and ancient history.
- Qasr Najaf, a fortified town that watches over a major crossroads of commerce and pilgrimage.
- Ranaa, a cliffside town beside the gorge of the River Ennescu, rather fond of its lofty solitude.
- Suurmi, the greatest port of the province and origin of the famed Suurmian scimitar.
- Wadi Jadib, a small town nestled in the Weary Hills, whose population swells during its annual trading festival.