Samarkand

HISTORY AND OVERVIEW:

The current dynastic line of Transoxiana was founded 7000 years ago by an expatriate from Ch'in known as Yao Kal-tsi. The city of Samarkand was founded by Yao as a stopover point on the silk road between Ch-in and points west. His singular genius was his ability to unite the various Pashtun and Parthian tribes into a single polity based around himself.

There are many legends about how this feat was accomplished, combining, subtlety, guile and force of arms. But at the end of Yao's reign Samarkand was one nation.

Through the years there have been two central foci for the nation, trade and defense against the nomadic cultures from the north, east and west. Samarkand quickly became a central trade clearinghouse between east and west due to its relative stability in the Central Asian Steppe.

This strength, matched with the wealth from tariff revenue has allowed Samarkand to either outright defeat her enemies or co-opt them as mercenaries.

RELIGION

Religion in Transoxiana is a hybrid of Eastern asthetic and Zoroastrianism. In short, instead of the dualist faith of their southern cousins, Samarkandis believe in the supremacy of Ahura Mazda over the forces of darkness. Darkness can only be allowed in through corruption of the divine. As a result 'failure' is viewed as an impurity that must be removed from the individual. Some cults take it so far that they have retained their far eastern relatives belief in suicide in response to shame.

ISOLATION AND INTERACTION

Samarkand is a very open society due to their heritage as a commerce driven state. The King knows their states fortunes rise and fall on tariff policy and the commodities market, and therefore Samarkand remains heavily engaged with her neighbors.

TECHNOLOGY

Transoxiana is a mish-mash of technological progress. Her irrigation works and second to none, as are her military techniques for horse and siege. On the other hand, because there is such volume of trade moving through the region many types of artisanship simply has remained stunted. It is cheaper and faster to purchase worked jade, papyrus or a gold necklace from elsewhere than it is to train someone to do it locally.

THE HUMANITIES

The humanities in Transoxiana are a unique fusion of Eastern and Nomad. Epic poetry is hailed, but only of the orator has memorized the work. People still believe that an oral retelling is more 'accurate' then what is presented in book, thus skalds are the primary font of history and national reflection. All official documents and treaties muse be witnessed not only by a court scribe, but the court Skald as well.

SUBSISTENCE AND MOBILITY

The strength of Transoxiana lies in her irrigation fed agricultural centers around the cities. However, there is strong undercurrent of the nomadic past in that many of the historical tribes still maintain livestock herds that graze throughout the Kingdom and trade with their 'unsettled' cousins to the North and East.

POLITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

The political structure in Transoxiana is based on a triumvirate principal: the ruling family at the apex, supported by 6 original clans (3 Pashtun, 3 Patthian - with the ruling family forming the 7th clan), the Clergy, and the Mercantile class. The clans provide the core of the professional military, the Clergy provides divine guidance and authority, and the mercantile class provides the funds. The Ruler is supported by a Council appointed (elected, assigned, whatever based on the class they are derived from) from the three pillars of support. This arrangement has proven a strong and stable structure, preventing any one of the major societal factions from dominating the other two.

KINSHIP

As a culture that still looks to its nomadic roots, Kinship in Transoxiana is more important than provincial happenstance. Especially if one is a member of the Noble Clans.

ECONOMIC EXCHANGE SYSTEM

Credit, Coinage and barter.

ECONOMY TYPE

Capitalism with tariffs.

RESOURCES

Transoxiana is less a resource intensive state, and more a basin that resources poor into. There is some timber industry in the Kush and the highlands toward Tibet. There is also extensive fishing in the Caspian and Aral seas. There is also some mining activity in the surrounding mountains. Finally there are also some 'luxury' foodstuffs grown. Samarkand's true wealth lies in her herds of horse, cattle and sheep. The vast graze lands to the north allow for the delivery of thousands of head to market when necessary.

EXPLORATION

Transoxiana is constantly fighting low scale conflicts of one sort or another with her neighbors. Wither engaged against the Goblinoid Synthians to the west, the nomadic Hun or Mongol to the East, or another border 'dispute' with a bored Emperor of Arya, there is always call for active scouting and intelligence gathering of the movement of those who surround her.

MAGIC

Magic is openly used and accepted.

VARIANT AND PRESTIGE CLASSES / FEATS

Feat: Mounted Lance Charge. Requires Riding, Bull Rush. The rider may make an attack with a lance while mounted in a gallop without penalty, doing double damage.

Feat: Mounted Archery. Requires Riding. The horse archer may make mounted archery attacks without penalty.

Feat: Parthian Shot. Requres Mounted Archery. The horse archer may make 'over the shoulder attacks without penalty