This thin strip of coastal plains hugs the south-eastern corner of the Gulf of Ghayar, separating the Plains of the Paynims from the warm waters of the Dramidj Ocean. During the days of the Baklunish Empire, the Bakhoury was dotted with the summer villas of wealthy northern nobles. After the Invoked Devastation, the villages of the coast were flooded with survivors fleeing north. Some of the baklunish nobility tried to exert control over the region, but pressure from nomad raiders and the armies of Ghayar Khan proved too much. The region quickly devolved into a backwater of lawlessness and violence.
With the so-called "Sultan's Peace" and the founding of Zeif (2353 BH), the coast began to change. Some of the old Bakhoury families had managed to survive the previous century of turmoil, and backed by Ozef's khans, they established emirates in the sultan's name. Trade between Zeif and the states on the far side of the Ghayar began to rise, and the Bakhoury emirs became wealthy from the caravan traffic that passed through their lands. A century of prosperity followed, reaching its height under Jehef the Splendid.
For the emirates of the Bakhoury Coast, the prosperity of Zeif became a curse. The sultan's navy was growing in power and influence. Backed by the Mouqollad Consortium, westerly trade began to take to the seas and the Bakhoury caravan routes dried up. When Sultana Ismuyin restored the Diwan, the resulting power shift to the capital left outlying regions out in the cold. Weakened by the loss of their trade income and unsupported by Zeif, the Bakhoury emirates began a slow withdrawal from under the sultan's rule.
After Zeif's defeat at the Battle Beneath the Waves (3095 BH), the emirs of the Bakhoury Coast declared their own independence, seizing the Janasib islands in the process. Kamuran the Fortunate (3158 BH) began reestablishing control along the coast, but Zeif's influence has been tenuous ever since.
The region a center of Xan Yae worship and a hotbed of piracy, led in large part by a smuggling cabal known as the Dusk Lash. While no love is lost for the Zeifan infantry sent to garrison the region, there exists a seething hatred of the Mouqollad Consortium. The emirates noted its role in diverting trade and aid away from them, and take every opportunity to exact their revenge. As things stand, the Bakhoury Coast is near rebellion.
THE EMIRATES
- Beit Castan (former, now part of Zeif)
- Oum al-Ghayar
No other emirates have been named yet.
REFERENCES
- Living Greyhawk Gazetteer; 2000
- "The Rock of the West," Living Greyhawk Journal 5; July 2001
- Player's Guide to Zeif; 22 January 2006
In the upcoming issue of the Oerth Journal, there is an article on the Baklunish Army. I included some information in there that ties to the Baklhoury Coast, and so I'm posting that information here for all to see.
From the article: Then came heroes from the west - equestrian nomads honed by centuries of warfare on the steppes of central Oerik. These warriors trained from an early age in the arts of horsemanship and archery, for which they are famous to this day.
- Komali chronicles of the Unogonduri dynasty (1)
Related Footnote:
(1) At that time Komal was locked in a war with the Sakuri, whose well-trained heavily-armed troops were clearly outclassing the Unogonduri light infantry. Paynim tribes helped the Komali prevail, displacing the Sakuri from the shores of the Ghayar - a land which the Komali there-after dubbed Bakhourabar, "The Land of Heroes." Bakhour is an Old Komali word, meaning 'hero.' It is the root of the name for the Bakhoury Coast, as well as that of the Baklunish people.
COMMENTS
So, if you accept my article you'll notice that:
- A people called the Sakuri lived in the Bakhoury Coast when the Bakkies arrived.
- The Komali name for the Bakhoury Coast is Bakhourabar, "The Land of Heroes."
- Bakhour is an Old Komali word, meaning 'hero.' It is the root of the name for the Bakhoury Coast.
Last edited by ephealy on Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:06 am; edited 1 time in total
The seaside town of Beit Castan is the southernmost port within the borders of Zeif. Its low walls and narrow towers give little evidence of having faced any assailant save the weather, and the dey's palace is an unassuming villa overlooking the shore. The unpaved streets of Beit Castan circle the town, weaving in and out of the plaster-walled buildings with no apparent pattern.
Once considered part of the Bakhoury Coast, this town came fully under Zeifan administration following the self-exile of its famed Last Amir two centuries ago (3046 BH). The old families of Beit Castan still have many ties to the other coastal settlements, and traders from Oum al-Ghayar and points south are frequent visitors to this port. Many come for the fine pearls that are gathered here, for the pearl beds of Beit Castan are among the richest in the gulf.
Not all trade is quite so open, however. Beit Castan is known to harbor members of a smuggler's cabal called the Dusk Lash that operates throughout the gulf. The cabal makes its local headquarters in a dockside kiosk that abuts the temple of Xan Yae. It is well known that most cabal members are worshippers of the goddess, but so are many people in this region.
The ruler of Beit Castan is Turfian Dey (N human female Rog5/Shd7), who is also one of the few licensed privateers outside the Bakhoury Coast. Her ship is named the Silent Siren, and has had surprisingly good luck in encounters with the ubiquitous coastal smugglers. The patrols of the royal navy have met with less success in the region, but they are still treated with respect by the locals.
REFERNCES
- "The Rock of the West," Living Greyhawk Journal 5; July 2001
- Player's Guide to Zeif; 22 January 2006
The old families of Beit Castan still have many ties to the other coastal settlements, and traders from Oum al-Ghayar and points south are frequent visitors to its port.
Note: You can see Oum al-Ghayar on the Area Map (above). It is not detailed in any Canon I can find. I asked Jake Robins (Zeif Triad) if they'd done anything with it. He replied "since it lies outside of the actual Zeif region, we decided not to make any definitive statements about it. I researched some of the wording (since Oum, as far I can guess, is not like a proper name but more of a designator, like how some medieval European style fantasy cities might be called Caer Something), but I can't figure out any origins of the wording. In conclusion, it's pretty much undescribed."
COMMENTS
So, at this point we know nothing about this emirate save the fact that it's merchants and families have ties to Beit Castan.
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