Mehrazi Sultanate

The Mahrazi Sultanate was an absolute monarchy in Arrakis. The Sultan was the supreme commander of the forces of the Mehrazi people, the protector of the navies and merchants of the northern continent, and the guardian and scion of the prophet of the Temple of the Supreme Light. His role as ruler places him above the three highest castes, who hold most direct power in the sultanate. These castes are the following:

• The Warrior Caste, led by members of the Parzimid family, represent the military might of the sultanate. They man the warships and form the armies that keep the sultanate safe, protect her economic interests and spread her influence.
• The Merchant Caste, led by the most influential merchant families, represent the economic might of the sultanate. They control the means of production and extraction of goods and provide trade connections to the rest of the world.
• The Priest Caste, led by the High Priests, represent the religious might of the sultanate. They maintain the Fire Temples and serve the Supreme Light, Hami Nour in the name of the Mehrazi people.

According to the customs of the Mehrazi, these three castes are to work in concord in order to strengthen each other and therefore the Mehrazi people. The Warrior Caste should aid the Merchant Caste by securing new territories and resources and protect the existing ones, and aid the Priest Caste by spreading the word of the prophet and protect its followers from infidels. The Merchant Caste should aid the Warrior Caste by providing it with arms and supplies, and aid the Priest Caste with sacrifices, wealth and objects of veneration. The Priest Caste should aid both the Warrior Caste and the Merchant Caste by providing the blessings of the Supreme Light, in its many forms.

Culture

As most people in the world, the ancestors of the Mehrazi were once worshippers of the Sun God Mani Nour (Aurelian), who had took pity on man and taught him all he know. The other gods, who were his brothers and sisters, soon became jealous of Mani Nour and struck him down, hanging his bleeding body from the heavens as a warning for man. Mani Nour was slowly bleeding to death, but when his blood rained down on man, it lifted them from the animals and gave them wisdom. Unlike the Aurelian churches of Hasperia, however, the prophet Anouch taught that Mani Nour did not die. As men looked up to the sky, their new wisdom led them to built giant fires on earth. The heat of the fires rose into the heaven and healed and strengthened Mani Nour. He was reborn in the fire as the Supreme Light and rose above the heavens as a giant bird of fire, and slew all the other gods. But although he destroyed their forms, he could not destroy their hearts and the evil and hatred within. They formed together into one within the cold darkness of the heavens and became Jahangir, the Eater of the World, for so great was the anger at their creating that they sought to undo it as a whole. And for the rest of eternity, Mani Nour was forced to battle with the Eater of the World, to prevent created from being destroyed. Every day he rose from the earth to fight the darkness that was Jahangir, but every night he had to rest and replenish his power. The prophet Anouch taught us that it by lighting a fire, man could help Mani Nour regain his power and dispel the darkness. It is therefore that such great emphasis is placed on keeping alight the sacred fire, as it is believed that once the sacred fires fall, Mani Nour will perish and the world will be destroyed. The most sacred fires are held in the holy shrines known as Fire Temples, but every house also holds a private fire shrine with an eternal flame. Furthermore, the prophet Anouch tells us that Mani Nour is strengthened by performing deeds that honor him. These are deeds of truth, wisdom, justice and compassion. All in all, these form a code of moral conduct.