[b]Nation Sheet[/b]

[b]Position on Map -[/b]

[img=http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/Patukov/CcHWPz0_zps518e5503.jpg]

[b]Name[/b] - The Lakshmid Shahdom. The Kingdom of Dakistan
[b]Flag [/b]-

A purple background with a highly stylized red eagle standing inside a yellow flame.

[b]Capital[/b] - Elamin-i-Farshiv
[b]Other Major Settlements - [/b] Vandad, Bongir-Kurgan.
[b]Population - [/b] 3 200 000
[b]Races - [/b] The bulk of the Shahdom's population is composed of humans.

[b]Religion[/b]: The Mazdakaite Faith first appeared 360 years ago when the Prophet Mazdakai started to preach in the steppes. His message preached that the Universe and everything in it was created by two all powerful entities. Nooran and Boran, the Divine Couple. According to Mazdakai's teachings the two entities have always existed and will always exist. 

It was Boran, the wife, that first created the sky and the stars. Her husband then created the day, Sun and the fire to show his superiority. Both gods soon started to create more and more things to show each other how superior they were. And what started as a harmless and friendly competition soon spiraled into a bitter feud that got out of control. And that was how Evil first appeared into the world, the growing hate and rivalry gave birth to malicious spirits and negative emotions that have been plaguing the world ever since

It was during the Great Feud that mankind was created. it was Nooran, who dearly missed his wife but was too proud to apologize, that created the first women to fill the void left by his beloved. Soon after Boran followed, creating the first men for the same reason. And yet, no matter how many replacements they created, the Divine Couple still could not replace each other. To make matters worse, the Evil that they had unintentionally created with their petty fighting had started to corrupt the world. And the living things proved to be specially vulnerable to their whispering. And as more and more humans fell prey to the temptation, they lost the gift of immortality.

It was only then that the Divine Couple finally realized the foolishness of their actions. In their haste to prove themselves superior to their partner, the Gods themselves created and corrupted the world. Ashamed, the Divine Couple reunited (thus also uniting men and women) and banished the malicious spirits and demons, restoring balance to the Universe.

After this, Boran and Nooran agreed to leave the mortal world and entrust the mortals with the powers of Fire and Truth as a way to keep Evil from corrupting the world. That's why the Mazdakaite Faith considers the values Order, Justice and Truth to be paramount. If one manages to live his or her life according to these values, the soul is then granted entry into the realm of Booran and Nooran to spend eternity in happiness and joy.

[b]Culture -[/b] The current culture of the Shahdom is the result of over 1000 years of migrations, invasions, genocides and mixing of a dozen different peoples. As it stands now, there are two main cultural groups:

-The Dakis, currently the largest ethnic group in the region. Mostly settled in the center of the Shahdom and along the length of the Farshiv river. Originally horse nomads, they settled in the Daki plain (then called Mashuristan by its inhabitants) some 500 years ago. During this time the local Mashur tribes were either assimilated or exterminated. It should be noted that not all Dakis have settled along the river plain, as some tribes still maintain their ancestral nomadic ways along the northern edges of the Shahdom.

The Dakis in general value cooperation and strong familial bonds, a holdover from their time as nomads. The education of the children is a communal affair, boys and girls are educated together by the elders of the family during the early childhood before being separated according to the craft that they're supposed to learn. The children of the nobility however, tend to be educated either by private tutors or in one of the three universities established during the previous regime. The class divide is strong within the Daki cities, with the nobility living in the center, with access to luxuries and infrastructure beyond the imaginings of the lower class. The exception usually being the markets and temples, those are the only places where people of different classes do consistently mingle.

Religious festivals and informal gatherings are a popular form of entertainment for the lower classes. The activities in these events may range from pit fights and salacious poetry readings to massed prayers in front of ceremonial fires. The nobility prefers more "sophisticated" pastimes, such as watching plays and philosophical discussions.

-The Sakae: Another group of horse nomads, they arrived in the region some 150 years ago while fleeing religious persecution in their homeland to the North. Unlike the Dakis, those Sakae who remained, settled along the eastern reaches of the nation whist maintaining their nomadic nature. The Sakae still organize themselves along tribal lines, these tribes are composed of several close familial groups. The Sakae tribes are usually led by a single man/woman advised by a council of elders.

As befitting of a nomadic group, horses and herd animals are the lifeblood of the Sakae. Children, regardless of sex, are taught how to ride and fight on horseback since an early age. It should be noted that not all Sakae tribes live within the authority of the Shahdom, many still inhabit their ancestral lands in the steppes beyond the northern frontiers. And skirmishes between the two groups are common.

Despite not being a sedentary people, the Sakae still dwell heavily in the cities and villages of the northern satrapies. Mostly during harvest season and to attend some religious festivals. This mixing of peoples is creating an interesting new culture in the area. 

While the Sakae tribes within the Shahdom do officially follow the Mazdakaite religion, they do so on their own terms. The lack of oversight from the official religious authorities allow the Sakae to mix the official doctrine with their own religious customs, such as the use of hallucinogenic herbs. When not interacting with the settled population, the Sakae idea of entertainment usually involves activities related to horseback riding, archery, hunts and even mock battles among the kids.

[b]Crimes - [/b] To deal with crimes, the Lakshmid Dynasty has re-instituted the Edict of Jahangir. An old Code of Laws written 340 years ago by Shah Jahangir of the Shajar Dynasty. The Code has provisions from almost every type of crime imaginable, from failing tom show proper reverence to a government officer to rape. With punishments raging from a small fine to indentured service. That said, when a crime is committed against religious property and authorities are dealt by the laws of the Mazdakaite Cult that range from cleaning the floors of the temple to being burned alive at the stake. The Sakae tribes usually deal with crime by themselves, unless the incident involves someone from out of the tribe, then the Code is applied.

[b]Government type - [/b] Absolute Monarchy. The Lakhsmid Shahdom uses the concept of "Divine Rule", meaning that the leader of the nation is the living embodiment of God's Will. And as such, his authority should not be challenged. The system was devised to keep the nobility cowed and in check. To help the Shah rule the nation, a bureaucracy was established, mostly composed of minor nobles and wealthy commoners.

The territory is divided into several satrapies, each one ruled by an appointed Satrap appointed by the Shah. Every Satrap is "advised" by a Royal Officer, whose task is to ensure the loyalty, competence and honesty of the Satrap. Likewise, each Satrapy also counts with a high-ranking military officer, the [i] Spahbod [/i] whose task is to organize the recruitment and training of troops, the stockpile of military materiel and the defense of the Satrapy.
 
[b]People in power - [/b]

Shah Danush Lakshmid - The current ruler of the nation, he's the third ruler of the Lakshmid dynasty. A man in his mid 60's, Danush has ruled the nation for the last 42 years. His reign was mostly peaceful in nature, save for the occasional skirmish and minor raid. His focus was on culture, as under his tutelage a new generation of Dakian artists flourished in the capital, ushering a cultural renaissance of sorts.

Shahzada Sharyan Lakshmid - Danush's firstborn and heir to the throne, he rules the Satrapy of Kerman. An able administrator but completely hopeless in military matters, his reign in Kerman was marked by dozens of construction projects aimed to revitalize the infrastructure of the province and improve the lives of the commoners. He's popular among the nobility and the bureaucracy. He's also uninterested in foreign adventures.

Shadohkht Noor Lakshmid - The first daughter of Shah Danush, she was married off to the Satrap of Cheromassia as a teenager. Her husband died a few years after the marriage during a riding accident. Since then she has ruled the Satrapy as regent for her son, whose 18 birthday is approaching soon. She has shown great aptitude for military matters, specially when it comes to organizing troops and supplies. She's also one of the main advocated of territorial expansion and is an extremely religious person.

Moabadan-Moabad Shapur - The current chief of the Mazadakaite Church, Shapur is a traditionalist and conservative in his views. His term was marked by internal purges and a ruthless reform to standardize the doctrine of the Mazdakaite Faith. Nevertheless, these efforts have had little effect with the Sakae tribes, in part thanks to the Shah himself who blocked his efforts to spread his new doctrine to the nomads, fearful of causing further friction. This has placed the two men at odds. Shapur is also a defender of military expansion, ostensibly to "Spread the Word of Truth".

Chief Minister Farroukhan Bavandid - The Shah's right hand man, Farroukhan hails from the prestigious Bavandid family, one of the oldest Dakian noble lines. An extremely competent man, he works mostly behind the scenes and is one of the most influential individuals within the Shahdom. He's also one of the main opponents of the idea of aggressive military expansion. His eldest daughter is married with Shahzada Sharyar.

[b]Industry -[/b]

[b]Military -[/b] The Lakshmid Shahdom maintains a standing military force of some 15 000 cavalry and 5 000 infantry soldiers under direct command of the Crown. Not counting city and fortress garrisons. 

In the current system each Satrapy must provide a certain number of men (and women in the case of the Sakae) to meet the recruitment quotas. The recruits are then trained and armed within the Satrapy itself, most of them are then discharged and return to their normal lives to be called only during war time. The entire process is organized by the Spahbod of the Satrapy and paid by taxes levied directly from the nobility. The taxes serve as a replacement for the levies that the noble families provided before the reforms of Ardeshar. 

In times of war the professional army, or Saravan, is further reinforced by mercenaries and levies raised by the Crown itself. When that happens taxes are increased to pay for the mobilization.

The pride of the Saravan is its cavalry. From the heavily armored Cataphracts to the agile horse archers, the cavalry acts as the shock troop of the Lakshmid army. The infantry is relegated to the role of the "anvil", to hold the enemy in place while the cavalry moves to deal the decisive blow.

The lack of a strong naval tradition and simple lack of interest have ensured that the Lakshmid navy will remain small and mostly crewed by convicts. 

[b]Landscape/Terrain - [/b] Dakistan is centered around the Farshiv river and its tributaries, who comes from the east and ends up in the sea. The river creates a fertile plain that concentrates a good portion of the population of the Shahdom. As the distance from the Farshiv increases, the fertile ground gives way to vast steppes in the north, that runs beyond the Shahdom's borders. While in the west the ground is taken by thick forests and mountains.

[b]History -[/b]

The Lakshmid family first rose to prominence during the reign of the Shajar dynasty, acting as military commanders of the ancient Shahs the early Lakshmids received lands and titles for their services. They remained loyal servants of the Shanjars up until the death of Shah Khorsau, Khorsau died without any sons and while the throne was supposed to pass on to his daughter. But many pretenders took the chance to rebel and take a shot at taking the throne, the Lakshmids supported one of the usurpers and as a result were deprived of their lands and titles and exiled when another pretender took the throne.

The new Ardeshid dynasty ruled for 40 years before the Tauringian King, Nikephoros Antigonid the Conqueror, invaded and conquered the region. As soon as his victory was assured, Nikephoros departed with the bulk of his army to conquer more lands. Eventually the Great Conqueror died a few years later, prompting the collapse of his empire as his generals fought for supreme control.

With the collapse of the Tauringian Empire, Dakistan once again regained its independence under the governor appointed by Nikephoros, Isauros Keronfactor. Isauros soon proved to be incapable of controlling his lands without the financial military and financial support of the rest of the former empire. In four years Isauros had been overthrown and killed by a rebellion led by Boran Lakshmid, who had finally brought her family back from exile among the Sakae, leading an army of nomads and dissatisfied peasants.

Over the next two decades the newly independent Shahdom managed to repulse several different Tauringian generals seeking to add the fertile Dakistan to their own fiefs. Boran Lakshmid was succeeded by her son Ardeshar, who had to contend with foreign invaders, rebellious Sakae and scheming nobles. It was him who established the current government system to curb the power of the noble families. To appease the Sakae, Ardeshar married a Sakae woman from one of the most influential tribes. 

After ruling for 35 years, Ardeshar died, leaving the throne for his son, Danush. Danush's reign was marked by peace and internal growth.