Haram

The Most Holy State of Haram was an absolute monarchy in Arrakis. Haramian's typically were members of the Anoucherism faith. In ancient history, Haram, despite being distant and mysterious, was wildly revered.

History

The primary source of information for early Haramite history is the Book of the Hafiz.

A long time ago, the Ishtar empire stretched over much of the southern lands, and its culture spread to all corners of the world. As time went by, its citizens became lax and lazy. The ancient rules were neglected, and the once prosperous and united empire fell into disrepair. Civil wars and religious schisms tore the very fabric of society and bit by bit, the Ishtari began to disintegrate into sects, clans and petty lordships, easy pickings for the neighbouring barbarians and power hungry nobles alike, who had preyed on it for so long. In around 200 AIC, one of its oldest clans, named for its legendary founder Ismaïl, broke away from Ishtar. The Ismaïli nobles led their people south, promising a new age of religious purity and prosperity. But soon as they left their homelands, the Children of Ismaïl (as they styled themselves) fell prey to the feral savages of the forests and wetland, and of infighting and incompetence amongst their leaders. They were soon chased into the desert that the Ishtari had dubbed the Empty Quarter. For a while, they were safe, and they might have been able to prosper. Using the knowledge from their homeland, the Children of Ismaïl cultivated the fertile banks of the rivers running through the Empty Quarter. They also built adobe houses and grazed their cattle on the grassy lowlands that bordered the rivers. But discord and corrupt leadership again set in. Petty feuds and competition between lords led to a violent subjugation of large groups of people, and some lords organized raiding parties into barbarian lands for prestige and profit. Soon the forest people retaliated with raids of their own, and the Children of Ismaïl were chased away from their own. This time, the tribe fell apart in small bands that wandered the desert, sometimes still fighting with each other for minor loot. In the same period, the water level in the rivers dropped and desert oases dried up, quickly diminishing the available pasture and destroying most of the farms. Within a generation, the Children of Ismaïl had become nomads, travelling the desert in these small bands to hunt the wildlife or graze the few pastures that remained.

Things changed radically when a man named Kaileb came to one of the larger bands and disposed its chieftain Adras. The origins of Kaileb are shed in mythology and legend, but consensus amongst contemporary historians seems to be that Kaileb was one of Adras' younger brothers, that had been cast out at a young age and had gathered a band and a name for himself. His charismatic personality would allow him to turn much his brothers people against him and usurped him, then strengthened his claim by taking Adras' wife and daughters as his own (the sons were murdered, as was custom). His strong physique and personality would allow him to reunite most of the blood of Ismaïl once one rule again - his own - and he took the title of Hafiz (Guardian).

Haram was a strong trade partner of the Archadian Empire, exotic Haramite foods being served in the grandest of feasts in Archadia whilst red wine flowed the other way. In around 210 AIC, a formal alliance between the two countries was signed. Jaffar, a Haramite prince, was sent to Archadia whilst Lepidus, the nephew of the ruling Emperor Optimus Garantius XVII, travelled to Haram. Jaffar eventually married Basilia, the emperor's daughter, and used her claim on the throne to conquer Garantinopolis starting the Archadian Civil War.

With the shift of power from the desert kingdom to the Garanid Empire, Haram's importance faded.

Over the centuries, Haram regained its independence, splitting off from the Garanid Empire.

The Holy Archadian Empire succeeded in conquering Haram in 861 AIC during the Garantinopolitan campaign in Haram, though the resulting occupation was expensive, with the Order of Saint Castor of Karden eventually being sent to occupy the region. Later, during the Imperial Civil War, the Sayyid kicked the Order out of Haram and marched on Garantinople

Calendar

The Harami calendar is solar, and it starts with the Battle of the Red Sands, in which the first Hafiz destroyed all opposition to his reign and established the state of Haram. Each year is also nicknamed, based on a key event happening that year. Examples are the Year of the Scorpion or the Year of the Rope.

Monarchs

The supreme leader of the state of Haram is called the Hafiz (Guardian). Each new Hafiz is officially solely referred to as Hafiz, but by chroniclers and record keepers a numeric system is used to seperate them. The office is is semi-hereditary. Though succession is passed to one of the previous Hafiz' sons or nephews, this is not determined by seniority but by capacity, as judged by the previous Hafiz.

• First Hafiz - Kaileb (1-29 AH)
• Second Hafiz - Aram (29-36 AH)
• Third Hafiz - Islaïm (36-70 AH)
• Fourth Hafiz - Yusa (70 - 92 AH)
• Fifth Hafiz - Tegdûr (92 - 111 AH)
• Sixth Hafaz - Marmed (111 - 114 AH)
• Seventh Hafiz - Bannu (114 - ???)