Araby

The area south of the Old World, across the Southern Sea is known as Araby. A dry and arid land, beyond the fertile coastlines, it is a land of trackless desert wastes interspersed by the rare oasis, visible from a distance by its shielding desert palms and the colors of blooming desert flowers. It is a hard and inhospitable land, but many would be surprised to learn that the first human civilization first began in this desolate place. When humans first emerged from the Southlands, groups of them settled along the fertile river valley of the Great River, which flowed north-west from the Worlds Edge Mountains into the Southern Sea. The first civilization here appeared, a collection of city states, whose most distinguishing characteristics were the pyramids that were constructed to honor the dead rulers. This land was known as Nehekhara, and was for centuries divided by into city-states ruled by Priest Kings. These Priest Kings warred back and forth, until a sorcerer, known as Nagash denied death through his practice of necromancy, and him and his disciples warred against the other city-states. So great was this threat that the other city states joined in an alliance to resist him, and destroyed his city of Khemri and pursued him into the desert after a century of warfare. After Nagash was defeated, Priest Kings from the city of Lamia secretly stole Nagashs arcane artifacts and tomes, and while the rest of Nehekhara prospered through trade, Lahmias leaders secretly experimented over the centuries, and gradually Lahmias leaders became undead with a craving for human blood. Eventually Lahmias secret was exposed, and the other states marched on the city, enslaving its population and destroying or driving out its Priest Kings. Shortly after Alcadizzar the Conqueror, united all of Nehekhara, which then experienced its golden age, a period of unheralded peace and progress. Lahmias Vampiric Priesthood was drawn to the east, eventually to a place known as Nagashizzar, Nagashs fortress beyond the borders of Nehekhara. Marshalling together this priesthood and his undead, Nagash marched upon Alcadizzar and his people. However the people of Nehekhara were prepared and drove the undead back time after time. Nagash met defeat after defeat for a decade, before he turned to more insidious schemes. He sent agents into Nehekhara, who poured deadly warpstone solutions into the origin of the Great River and all of its tributaries. Oases and other water sources were poisoned as well. This once fertile land sickened and died, and the Undead marched in and killed every living creature except Alcadizzar, who was whisked off to Nagashs fortress for unendurable tortures and torments. Nagash thought he had destroyed his rivals forever, but many of Alcadizzars people fled the onslaught of the undead by turning to the nomadic peoples who lived beyond the fertile belt along the Great River. These people lived in harsh and bleak conditions, and chose to worship only one god, known as AlAlnon or Ormazd. Al-Alnon was a god of stern discipline who demanded complete obedience and supplication from his followers in exchange for his assistance. Those Nehekharans fleeing the undead were forced to convert or die a miserable death alone in the desert. These nomadic tribesmen kept the Nehekharan traditions alive, and over time some nomadic groups settled far from the boundaries of the Lands of the Dead, as Nehekhara was now known. Over time these settlements were formed under the control of the priesthood of Al-Alnon which was always closely tied to the tribal chieftains. This priesthood of nobility became known as the caliphates and controlled the towns and cities of the area now known as Araby. Although all the caliphates and Arabians worship the same god, the ancient tribal associations have long divided Araby between contesting caliphates and tribes. Araby quickly grew powerful over time, as many of the ancient knowledge of Nehekhara was put to use, in particular alchemy, and as scholarship took a prominent role in the new settled society. The constant influence and occasional warfare with the more conservative nomadic tribes who view themselves as the favored of Al-Alnon has kept a certain religious militancy present in the caliphates who view their religion as the source of their power, and their rigid adherence to the faith legitimizes their authority. Religion has long been a source of pride as well as conflict in Araby, and war eventually began between Araby and the countries of the Old World, who were viewed as infidels. By the middle of the 13th C. Araby had ascended to a place of power, and its corsairs were raiding the nations of the Southern Old World. To repel the Araby raiders, Norse mercenaries were hired as mercenaries. The largest Norse mercenary outpost was on Sartosa, which protected Tilea for a few years before it was razed by the Corsairs who took the port by a combination of overwhelming numbers, secrecy, assassinations, and magic. With Sartosa to operate from the Corsairs became a grave concern for all of the southern Old World, and Araby grew powerful with the loot from razed Tilean cities. Conditions were to worsen however, and a powerful sorcerer and emir, Jaffar, seized control through magic and charisma the loyalty

of numerous desert tribes, who then swept from the desert and besieged all the Arabian cities. All capitulated since many had been funding Corsairs and long neglected their armies. After uniting all of Araby for the first time, he joined together all the caliphates and emirs of the desert tribes and proclaimed himself Sultan of All Araby, and changed his name to Daryus-e Qabir. His tribal warriors were flushed with their success, and Daryus-e Qabir fell victim to the secret manipulations of the Skaven. Daryus was the victim of failed assassinations attempts made to look like acts funded by Estalia and Tilea. When the conspirators were found with necromantic and daemonological texts written in Estalian and Tilean, and bundles of anti-Al-Alnon propaganda flyers, war was declared in 1500. The Corsairs ravaged the coastlines of the Old World, and the nimble Desert Tribesmen and the massive Kamaluke Eunuch warriors quickly marched through the southern Old World. The Araby armies quickly seized Magritta and marched overland seizing much of Estalia proper, and setting siege to Bilbali. The armies were slowed at Tobaro, where many mercenary contingents put up a strong fight against the Araby armies. Almost immediately the armies of Bretonnia and the Empire launched a crusade against Daryus-e Qabir. In 1501 the influx of knights from the north, marshaled into new military orders quickly turned the tide of the war, and the Araby forces were driven out of Estalia and Tilea, although in the mountains many Araby forces were cut off and hid in the mountains, gradually becoming absorbed in the rural population. The Crusading Old Worlders launched attacks into Araby itself, and the fighting was bloody and merciless, but Daryus fell in combat at Al-Haikk and the tribal bonds that joined together many of the desert Emirs. Having this bond severed, many turned against traditional rivals and many Arab units turned mercenary and joined the Old Worlders in fighting many of their rival tribes or cities. After Daryus defeat the Crusaders quickly returned home, but not before the Tileans, with the assistance of mercenaries retook Sartosa from the Corsairs. The Crusades proved profitable for the Old Worlders, and much of Arabys wealth and knowledge was taken by the Old Worlders, although certain Crusaders unwittingly brought back ancient texts detailing the nefarious Nehekharan rites. Although considerable enmity developed between the peoples of Araby and the Old World, trade did become more frequent between the two as trade was no longer hindered by the violence of the rapacious Corsairs. However since the Crusades, Araby has slowly slipped behind the Old World in technology and is starting to become more conservative and introverted, and remains to this day a land divided by city and tribal associations.

Geography
Araby is a geographical term used to describe the northern portion of the continent known as the Southlands, Araby is in fact a subcontinent attached to the Southlands. Arabys borders are defined in the north by the Southern Sea and the Marshes of Madness, in the East beyond the Worlds Edge Mountains to the Bitter Sea and the Cursed Jungle, and in the West by the Great Western Ocean. Its border to the south is the Gulf of Medes and directly to the south of Araby are the Southlands. Araby is also a cultural term used to describe the cultures of the area derived from the fusion of Nehekharan and Desert Nomad cultures. When this term is used, it excludes the Dead Lands since Araby culture does not extend to the Lands of the Dead. Araby can be divided into two areas. The area to the east are the Lands of the Dead, an area almost completely devoid of life. The area is centered on the Great Mortis River, long poisoned by Nagash and his minions. The surrounding area is twisted and lifeless. Buried in the sands are great necropolises, cities of the dead where lifeless Priest Kings still reside over their undead populations, locked in immortal warfare with nearby cities of the dead, wars whose origins and causes have long been forgotten. This area is avoided by nearly all except those seeking dark secrets. Occasionally the Restless Dead forget their long festering conflicts and turn to the west to terrify the Araby cities to the east, a rare but horrifying experience. The Lands of the Dead have a number of peculiar geographical features: Ash River: The Ash River was one of the rivers poisoned by Nagash, and for most of the time it is dry. When the seasonal rains come, the river fills with a thick poisonous sludge, which is attributed to be useful in necromantic and daemonological rituals due to the sorcerous compounds polluting it. Charnel Valley: This is one of the few valleys that traverses the Worlds Edge mountains, and in

the past had joined the eastern and western lands of Nehekhara. It then had a different name, one forgotten when the last of the Nehekharans was killed by the Undead. Now it is known as the Charnel Valley as countless undead have marched through, fought, and died in this valley, only to be resurrected again to serve their unforgiving masters. It is claimed that no living creature has traversed its length since the undead came to rule these lands. The Cracked Lands: This area had once been irrigated plains, fed by the Great River, but as the undead walked the earth the fields were neglected. Trying to outflank each other, great Undead Armies met her in an epic struggle. The sheer amount of magic used in the battle sucked what little vitality was left in the barren earth, and as the armies fought the earth dried, cracked, and ruptured as the undead lived and died and lived again. Thousands of undead fell into the earth as great rifts appeared, and it is said that undead still prowl, hunting each other at the bottom of the forsaken rifts. Devils Backbone: Like most other locations in the Lands of the Dead, the Devils Backbone was once known by another name, but with the ascendancy of the undead, a more fitting name has evolved. The Devils Backbone became a pivotal area of fighting between the states of Lhamia, Mahrak, and Lybaras. The Tomb Kings of Lahmia still hold resentments towards Mahrak and Lybaras who exposed the treachery and secrecy of the Vampiric Lahmia Priesthood. Their rivalry continues. Since the Devils Backbone is a range of mountains that tower over the land, it is a strategic location for outposts and fortresses, and this small mountain range is littered with the towers and fortresses of necromancers and priests who watch for invasions while furthering their studies in their mountain strongholds. As the fortunes of a city increase or decrease, their holdings on the Devils Backbone will shift back and forth. The sheer amount of magic in the area has created a peculiar atmospheric anomaly around the Devils Backbone. There is always a thick blanket of gray stormclouds hovering over the area, and constant lighting storms, but never any rain, and the heat in the area is just as unbearable as anywhere else in the Lands of the Dead. Doom Mountain: Doom Mountain is an active volcano in the Worlds Edge Mountains. Many Undead expeditions are launched to the area to seek minerals or destroy rivals artifacts. Great Mortis River: Once the source of life in the area, the Great Mortis River is a poisonous serpent that winds its way through the Land of the Dead ensuring that nothing lives in the area. It is almost as poisonous now as it was when Nagashs servants poisoned it with warpstone and magical contagion. Overtime the malignant compounds have transmuted the earth to something beyond barren: defiled. Mortis Tarn: It is here at the Mortis Tarn that Nagashs victory was ensured. The Mortis Tarn is recognized as the source of the Great River, and it was here that Nagashs agents first came to poison the Great River. It is claimed that the merely enhaling the foul vapors wafting from this body of water is enough to kill, and birds winging their way over it plummet to the water, dead even though flying high above its miasmic waters. Springs of Eternal Life: Although the Springs of Eternal Life have a promising name, the nature of the Springs is much darker. When the Undead under Nagash swept across Nehekhara, his servants were unable to convert the corpses into undead fast enough, and Nagash instructed that the Springs of Eternal Life be made. Local irrigation reservoirs were emptied and filled with the blood of thousands in the most horrible bloodletting and mass execution the world has ever seen. As this massive sacrifice occurred, Priests and sorcerers worked their dark magic, ensuring that the ritual went as completed. When the ritual was completed, the corpses were thrown into the spring, where they were animated. Over the next few years, the Spring of Eternal Life lost its power as the ensorcelments on it eroded. Now the spring is a sickly reservoir, crusted over with some dark brownish scabby-looking crust. Underneath the crust is a thick blood like substance that is poisonous. The air around the Springs is agitated and audible are the screams of those who were damned to eternal night when their bodies were cast down into its depths. Swamp of Terror: When the Great River was poisoned, those areas closest to its source were the most heavily affected. When it reached the Great River Delta, the poison, although virulent, sometimes

had unexpected effects, not necessarily sickening and poisoning those consuming it, but rather changing its horrid subject. The Great River Delta was fertile farmland, but after the poisoning its land sunk, and the humans and crocodiles that had once traversed this land turned misshapen and hateful, and neither resemble their original forms anymore, bur are abominations that would chill the blood. The Swamp of Terror is the about the only place in the Lands of the Dead where things live, and such living creatures are as nightmarish and horrible as the undead things surrounding them in the Lands of the Dead. The second area is to the west of the Lands of the Dead, and this is the area most commonly associated with the Araby culture. This western part of Araby is primarily desert, broken only by a few mountains, crags, and oases. Along the coastline there is some arable land suitable for farming, but once in the interior few things but scrub grow. For this reason, nearly all the settlements are located along the coastline with access to the sea and farmland. Although the Great Desert of Araby is the largest feature of the land, there are many other distinguishing features on this land. Bay of Corsairs: This is one of the finest deep-water bays along the Araby Coast. Although the Bay is well sheltered from storms, the bay itself can be dangerous, since there are numerous crags, small islands, and sandbars in the bay. The Corsairs who know this area well use these features to stealthily sneak in or to hide amongst to ambush their rivals. Enemies of Lashiek seeking to attack Lashiek itself are often destroyed by the Corsairs within the maze-like Corsairs Bay as the Corsairs play cat and mouse with their foes and lead their enemies into dangerous straits. Cobra Pass: Cobra Pass is the only major pass that cuts through the minor mountain range known as the Deserts Teeth. This pass is a dangerous place, populated by bandits and assassins, the latter coming from the hidden mountain stronghold of the Assassins. Deserts Teeth: The Deserts Teeth is a small range of mountains on the north-east of Araby that parallel the coastline. The place has a reputation for lawlessness, and those living in the area are assumed to be thieves, uncouth mountain tribesmen, or assassins. Eunuch Mountain: Eunuch Mountain is the stronghold of Eunuch rebels who fled their master a century ago. Fleeing, many of them sickened or dying by the absence of the drug normally secreted in their food. Desperate, a few of the Eunuchs turned to eating local fruits and flowers, and discovered a substitute to the drug normally administered to them. Although the Eunuchs have little chance of having children, they have maintained their numbers by kidnapping or purchasing slaves. The Eunuchs have a massive mountain stronghold, and they hire themselves out to those in need of their services. Eye of the Panther: The Eye of the Panters is a great mountain with two summits. Its name comes from the peculiar lights that blaze atop the twin peaks on particular nights of the year. The WizardVizier Sharat once climbed the peaks to investigate these lights, and returned shaking and unable to speak. All others who have sought the secret of the Eye of the Panther have never returned. It is claimed that genies or daemons dance upon the peaks, and it is their unholy assemblage that creates the unearthly lights. Great Desert of Araby: The Great Desert of Araby is a desolate place of shifting dunes. Water is nearly impossible to find, and it may rain for a day or two each year, the rest of the time the heat is unbearable. Despite the hostility, it is claimed that there are great ruins hidden beneath its sands and there are even tribes that claim they are able to cross the heart of the desert. Land of Assassins: In 1389 the Caliph Hassan I-Hassan ran afoul of his rivals, and was driven from power in a bloody coup. Fleeing, him and his servants fled into the Deserts Teeth for safety. As they approached the range, they noticed a wrecked ship which they turned to loot. The craft was an Elven ship, its crew dead except for one. Thinking they could take him as a hostage, they dragged the Elf along. Unbeknownst to Hassan and his followers, he was a Dark Elf assassin captured by the Sea Elves. Over a week or so Hassan and Darkeshar the Assassin developed a rapport, and before long Darkeshar had converted them all to the worship of Khaine and had trained them in some of his arts. Hassan assumed control of the holdings, but Darkeshar was the power behind the throne, and continued to do so until his

death a century or two later. The Assassins, as they came to be known, after their first lord Hassan remain active today, and are amongst the most feared of killers. They are all fanatic to Khaine, and their lives are indebted to Khaine, and every person they kill will be their slave in the afterlife. They control a secret stronghold high in the mountains of the Deserts Teeth, but the sparse forest to the east of the Deserts Teeth are theirs as well, and it is here that many of the poisonous plants used in their foul practices are grown. They also grow poppies in the area for opium to sell elsewhere in Araby or for their own consumption. The Assassins are greatly feared and hated by all the other Araby cities, although in dire times their services are hired by those desperate or degenerate enough to seek their help. Their worship of Khaine is a secret practice, one hinted at but never exposed. Land of the Dervishes: The Land of the Dervishes is along the west slopes of the Deserts Teeth. This place is sacred to the Dervishes, for it is here that their most famous prophet Ahmed Hal-Salud had many revelations. Ahmed had fled the undead, and crossed the heart of the Great Desert of Araby, and barely died. Just upon exiting it, he saw the Deserts Teeth, near death he was guided by a vision and heard the voice of Al-Alnon or Ormazd, who led him to water after hearing his oaths and prayers. Filled with the divine inspiration he noticed that the small stream was flowing with wine. A nearby passing band of nomads were moved by his story as well as the miracle of flowing wine, and joined him as his first dervishes. Since then, the Dervishes have long met here or made a pilgrimage to the many holy shrines and sites dotting this land. Most stay away from this land, for the Dervishes are renown for their overzealousness and strict interpretation of Ormazd law. Oasis of a Thousand and One Camels: The Oasis of a Thousand and One Camels is the most famous of oases, and it appears repeatedly in Araby history. It has long been a stop along the Bel-Aliad and Al Haikk or Martek trade, and desert nomads spend time here in great family meetings. It is a lush place that according to the tenets of Ormazd religious law, are open to everyone, and to shed blood in AlAlnons Garden, as it is properly known is a death sentence for the offender. Palace of the Wizard Caliph: When the great Wizard and Caliph Odeh was ousted by powerful rivals, he retreated to a mountain. So great was his righteous rage and his magical powers, that in a night he had the spirits of the earth and wind shear off the top of a mountain to a plateau and then build him a palace. Since then this area, while lightly populated, has been the holdings of a succession of Wizard Caliphs who are recognized as the most powerful of Elementalists in Araby, able to control the many djinn under their control (the term Djinn is used for any other-worldly creature, including elementals and daemons, although the latter are known as evil djinn). Pirate Coast of Araby: The term Pirate Coast was one ascribed by the Southern Old Worlders long harassed by the Corsairs of Araby. The Corsairs of Araby after losing Sartosa fled to the little bays and coves along the northern coast where today they still make forays against the merchant ships of any nation or peoples. Shark Straits: The Shark Straits are a dangerous and deadly place for sailing, yet one the Corsairs of Lashiek have taken great care to become familiar with. A difficult place for navigation, those ships undone by the treachery of the Shark Straits must contend with the sharks who enjoy the warm currents here in the Straits. Sorcerers Islands: This island is named after the strange peoples the Araby first encountered here, the Sea Elves who easily turned back the Araby fleets with powerful magics. Feeling uneasy by the foreignness of the Elves, they simply label them all as sorcerers and the Araby have not interfered with the Sea Elves still maintaining small outposts here on the islands. Vulture Mountain: An aptly named place, for Vulture Mountain stands alone and dominates the scrub-land adjoining the Great Desert of Araby. It is from here that the vultures living around this mountain can pick away at the dead who succumb to the hostile desert.

Politics
Araby society is split into two segments, the nomadic tribespeople who cross the deserts in the same timeless patterns as their ancestors, and the more sedentary populations who live in and around the cities along the coast. For the people of the deserts, their bleak existence is unforgiving of failure, and these groups adhere to ancient traditions and time-proven lifestyles. These people rely upon their leaders, sheiks who are tough warriors. The mightiest of these sheiks may gain considerable power over nearby tribes through war or charisma, such powerful leaders are known as Emirs, and these Emirs often gather enough forces to claim tribute from a city or raid its caravan routes mercilessly. The peoples of the cities have long been formed into Caliphs, each led by a Caliphate. The Caliph is the religious leader of the community, and the Caliphate is the confines of where his religious authority is recognized, but the despotic rulers of Araby cities do not simply claim legitimacy based upon religion, but upon their own noble heritage of their nomadic past. All Caliphs as well as the great majority of the Araby elite are descended from the Sheiks and Emirs of the desert nomads who first settled the Araby cities, and the rulers of the Araby Caliphs are also recognized by the title Sultan, although those rare individuals that unite the separate Caliphates are honored with the title Sultan of All Araby. The political power that an Araby noble wields is a complex one based upon their status. A nobles status is based primarily upon their genealogy, although this is always a difficult task with the multiple wives, legitimate and illegitimate children, disownings, marriages, and many other familial complications. This ambiguity of station is remedied by the fact that genealogy is only part of the equation. A nobles political ability, their practice in the priesthood, number of slaves, wives, wealth, as well as their scholarship and martial abilities are all used to determine how highly an Araby noble is viewed by his peers, lessors, and superiors. After a noble has survived the rigorous battle of recognition and patronage, their position is quite secure, since an established noble is part of the social order and Araby society is very conservative in censuring or punishing its nobles, since nobles are regarded as near perfect and any act that proves otherwise challenges the existing social order.

The People
As with politics, the people of Araby can be divided into two categories, the tough and deeply devout desert nomads who revere the ways of their ancestors and bear a heritage centuries and centuries old, and those who live in the cities under the Caliph-Sultans. Both peoples descended from the people of Nehekhara and the neighboring tribes, and the two groups share some similarities, but differences abound as well and often cause friction between the two groups. The desert nomads generally view their urban neighbors as weak in moral character and irreverent, having turned their backs on the way of life originally demanded by Al-Alnon (Ormazd). The people of the cities however, view the nomads as little better than backward barbarians who are senseless enamored with their unhappy existence. The nomads travel in small family groups who follow in predetermined routes through the desert, where they routinely meet other families and tribal groups at designated meeting points, where trade, conversation, and marriages can occur. These gatherings are occasions of great celebration and revelry, and those few foreigners who have witnessed it are astounded by the generosity and merrymaking from a people so seemingly reticent and taciturn. Their lives are one of constant hardship as well as the threat of the Undead who sometimes cross the deserts in search of the living. Those males who are particularly devout may join some of the wandering bands of dervishes, or desert warriors who have devoted themselves to the service of Al-Alnon. These bands are usually composed of males, but if a woman is called for by Al-Alnon, the dervishes will accept her. These bands of Dervishes are known for chanting, singing, and dancing as they slay their enemies, usually the undead but sometimes those deemed short of devotion to their god. The peoples of the cities share some of the characteristics of their nomadic kin. Despite the desert nomads claims, they are devout and many city folk spend their lives in the service and worship of AlAlnon. Relatively safe, they are not as singularly concerned as their kin in subsistence and can turn their energies elsewhere. Like any other civilization, the roles and professions of the Araby are diverse. Their society is quite hierarchical. At the top are the Caliphs and their children. Below them are those nobles who can trace their heritage from the Caliphs family. Just below them are those that can trace their heritage to past Caliphs or of the nobility of other cities. Another strata of nobility exists below that, those tracing their heritage from powerful Emirs who became allied with the Caliph. The final strata of nobility are those that somehow have bought their nobility or lay claim with spurious or poorly-

documented genealogy. The lives for these nobles can be described as opulent, and large portions of Araby cities are comprised of the giant palace complexes that glitter and can be seen from miles away. These nobles gain their wealth with their share of the taxes as well as the productivity of their hired artisans and slaves. For just below the nobles, who are known as the mind and heart of Al-Alnon, those who are the favored and guiding force of the Cult of Al-Alnon, are the hands of Al-Alnon, those that are artisans and teachers who through their talents show their worship of Al-Alnon. Many of the Warrior societies in Araby are here as well. The bottom strata of Araby society are the slaves, and slaves are a large part of the population. Nearly everyone who isnt a noble or a professional is considered a slave or the property of a noble or Caliph. There are a number of religious laws protecting them, but there are a number of other religious laws that allow for extravagant and harsh punishments for those who disobey their masters. Most slaves are ignored and overworked. One caste of slaves is very important. Young men who seem particularly strong or large may become Eunuchs, known as Kamalukes. These Eunuchs are fed a diet designed to strengthen their bodies, while at the same time introducing a drug into their body that makes them dependent upon their masters. Those who go an extended time without this drug usually weaken and die. These Kamaluke warriors are well trained and form the fanatical elite of the Araby armies.

Language
Old Worlder is derivative from Arabic, the language of Araby, but over the centuries both languages have diverged along dramatically different paths, and the similarities of the languages are only recognized by linguists and scholars to study archaic forms of both languages. Arabic and Old Worlder are mutually unintelligible, but most Araby merchants speak at least one Old World dialect.

Cities
Al-Haikk-Al-Haikk is the city most threatened by the Undead, and over the centuries its leadership has resorted to draconian methods to maintain control of the populace. Its army is large and its nobility the most warlike of all nobility. Its warrior caste is proud and aloof and cares little for the common people as long as they pay the exhoribant taxies levied on them by their lords. The noble, artisan, and merchant quarters are well fortified and protected, while the commons quarter is neglected and near lawless. The only order are the large patrols that come once a month to ensure that taxes are paid. The remainder of the time the area is controlled by gangs of youths and corsairs returned with their plunder. The violence and disorder as well as the indifferent nobility has earned this place the title of City of Thieves. Anyone unfamiliar with the city and traveling alone is certain to succumb to the crime endemic to this place. Bel-Aliad: Bel Aliad was the first and greatest of the Araby cities built after the fall of the Nehkaran Empire. A place of great learning, it was situated on top of springs and its land was surprising fertile. Ringed by great palaces, desert nomads came to pay their respects to the Great Emir who ruled over this place. However in 1149 Arkhan the Black, a servant of Nagash sacked and razed the city, and all that remains of this great city are ruined buildings slowly swallowed up by the encroaching desert sands. Copher: Copher is known as the spice port and it is the most mercantile of all the Araby cities. Its trading quarter is huge, and its marketplace is packed with all manner of people and races. The spices are produced by slaves who grow the rare and costly spices such as saffron just outside the city walls, while its famous artisans, sponsored by the nobility produce rugs and crafted goods of remarkable quality and design. Copher has a strong standing army and navy to ensure the security of its trade, a task made difficult by the numerous and predatory corsairs and nomads. Ka-Sabar: Ka-Sabar was founded centuries ago by a group of nomads led by a prophet and told to settle here. Many thought this madness, due to its close proximity to the Lands of the Dead, and this city is constantly threatened by the undead. This city, constructed on the site of an oasis has managed to withstand the undead hordes thanks to the fighting skill of its people and the nearby nomads and the magic used by the Caliphs and Wizards who have made their home here. The place is growing quite wealthy from nearby mines that produce considerable wealth that is

then shipped from the Gulf of Medes or taken across the desert. Lashiek: The infamous Corsairs City, the city of Lashiek grew after the loss of Sartosa. The Caliph of Lashiek has always been poorer than its neighbors, being distant from many of the sea lanes, yet blessed with an excellent bay. The Caliph of Lashiek, constantly in conflict with his neighbors, invited the displaced Corsairs to work from his port for a fee. Since then Lashiek has had close ties with the Corsairs who terrorize the nearby waters. Lashieks neighbors have undergone many punitive expeditions, but most have failed, and the city is known for its iniquities and whole-sale corruption. Martek: Martek was the city founded by Daryus-e Qabir, and has a reputation for its strict adherence to religious law and its well educated scholars. Nestled in the mountains, it is a well fortified and defended city which has never fallen to any foes, although threatened by the crusaders. If Daryus had not marched from the city to confront the crusaders he may not have lost his life at Al-Haikk, since a siege of Martek would be a draining and costly affair for the crusaders. Compared to the other cities in Araby, the people of Martek are a devout people wholly dedicated to their faith, and well known for their self-righteousness. They have close bonds with the desert nomads who they relate to far better than their fellow neighboring cities. There are a number of Necropolises, cities of the dead where those lost and damned are doomed to eternal servitude to their undead masters. The cities are Bhagar, Khemri, Lahmia, Lybaras, Mahrak City of Decay, Numas, Quatar the Palace of Corpses, and Rasetra. Sources WFB 2nd Edition: Give a description of Araby, and indicates that they worship one god, known as Allah and are organized into Caliphates. WFB Dogs of War: Contains some history on Araby. WFB Undead Armies Book: Considerable background on Nehekhara. Alfred Nunezs Cult of Ormazd, available at warhammer.net, although the background he has written for the cult is incongruent with GWs material. The history detailed here in for the cult is original and written by me, I have primarily only used the name adopted by him in this work, prefering the AlAlnon name over the Ormazd name. Refer to his article for further information on this important cult. Written by Garett Lepper glepper@earthlink.net