Chronicles of Sha'Lazar

In the beginning, from the hallowed literary darkness, the mythological Gods wanted more than to petty between themselves and collectively formed Sha’Lazar… a fabulous microcosm of terra firma suspended within the concavity of the heavens, a planetary entity with various shades of sand and stone, green plains and jungles, a fastidious volcano and ancient lava fields, accompanied by a mystic island of red mountains; a world portrayed as a flat disk floating in the great sea of unknown, the al Imn’afen Moheet, (the Great Ocean)… that personified body of water surrounding the circular surface of this planet, is the begetter of all life… and possibly of all the gods.

And upon this terra firma, the Gods placed those terra-formers, fashioned from the their own celestial whims, and called them Rash’ani…

And the Rash’ani flourished upon the mainland, one with the flora and fauna…

Alas, twas one of the Gods who sought own interest and begat the island of red mountains… and placed its own inhabitants of his own whims upon the land… thus even the inhabitants of that distant region are descended from the gods as are the original Rash’ani, yet, these terra-formers called themselves Hamadans.

And as tis written thru the millennia, some men built floating vessels, some called ”ships”, to conquer their watery bindings, and traversed the whole wide ocean, and crossed from one side of the world to the other… and reciprocally, those men (and women) from the Lands Beyond the Horizon proved that our land, comprising the mainland of the Sha’Lazar as a continent, the island of Red Hamada, smaller than the main, but nonetheless important, and numerous smaller islands have been blessed by the Gods… as we live the Legends of Terra Incognita — "Legends of the Unknown Land" is not alone on this universal orb... that thus even the inhabitants of those distant and far away regions are descended from the gods that Sha’Lazar serve…



In this Forum, we shall tell stories about love, hate, peace, war, loyalty, betrayal, fierce beasts and divine entities, magical spells, good and evil, and reveal those forces or spirits to produce unnatural effects in the alternate universe of Sha’Lazar.

“Chronicles of Sha’Lazar” (CoSL) is a unique, low-fantasy, Alternative Universe roleplaying setting that draws inspiration from the rich tapestry of legends, folk tales, traditions, and mysteries found within vast deserts, ancient jungles, sun-scorched savannas, and lush forests born from volcanic lands. This setting blends these diverse, evocative landscapes with imaginative storytelling to create an immersive world for roleplaying and creative writing. Loosely based on the historical ambiance of the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia between 700 and 1400 AD, Chronicles of Sha'Lazar invites players to explore an original world filled with adventure, intrigue, and mystique.

The character, Scheherazade thought so. In fact, she tells each of the Arabian Nights tales in order to survive a little longer at the mercy of her listener, Shahryar, the Sultan. The Arabian Nights stories are some of the world’s great treasures. They have existed for thousands of years, consisting of tales told in Persia, Arabia, India, and Asia. The Arabian Nights (also known as "The 1001 Arabian Nights") have inspired writers of the world with the ancient power of story.

Albeit, with no desire to disparage, belittle, mock, or ridicule any culture, creed, or belief of the Real Life (RL) World, I solicit the writers to make use of those ideals mentioned above and the many innovative literary techniques, which storytellers around the world rely on for increased drama, suspense, or other emotions in their own stories and amalgamations thereof, which shall constitute the “Chronicles of Sha’Lazar”. We do take artistic liberties with our AU themes and stories similar to those themes of entertainment and fantasy from the plethora of books, movies, and plays, such as "Prince of Persia", "The 1001 Arabian Nights", "Vathek", "Slaves of Sleep", "Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic", and the opera, " Mârouf, savetier du Caire", with what we creatively write and roleplay, developing our “Chronicles and stories of the fictional land we call Sha’Lazar”.



The fictional land of Sha’Lazar; which has risen from the hallowed literary darkness… to become a storied mythical microcosm of terra firma, with various shades of sand and stone; a world portrayed as a flat disk floating in the great ocean of unknown. The personified body of water surrounding the circular surface of this planet is the begetter of all life… and possibly of all the gods. BUT.....

Alas, tis written that some brave men (and women) have taken ship and traversed the whole wide ocean, and crossed from one side of the world to the other… and reciprocally, those men (and women) from the Lands Beyond the Horizon proved that Sha’Lazar is not alone on this universal orb... that thus even the inhabitants of that distant region are descended from the gods that Sha’Lazar serve…

That is to say, where the sun rises and sets to them…. indeed, it is affirmed by those brave, scholarly travelers, that the terra firma is suspended within the concavity of the heavens, and that it has much ado about the other side of this spherical form they call Urth… hence they now declare that the part that is beneath them is also inhabited. And that the other side of the earth is not barren of water; and it immediately follow truth that those lands are peopled.

But they are no longer assured that their land, comprising the mainland of the Sha’Lazar as a continent, the island of Red Hamada, small, but nonetheless important, and numerous smaller islands have been blessed by the gods… as they no longer live the "Legends of Terra Incognita" — "Legends of the Unknown Land". Rumors, though against the Laws of Sha’Lazar, there are other bodies of land, of nearly equal extent, found, therefore, thus the expressive point of the geographical prominence of this land, and of its situation upon the planet; it has antiquity to recommend it; and, having no reference to another realm, appears to be less objectionable than any other which could have been selected.

In this Forum, I want you to write your stories for all to see about the love, hate, peace, war, loyalty, betrayal, fierce beasts and divine entities, magical spells, good and evil, and reveal those forces or spirits to produce unnatural effects in the alternate universe (AU) of Sha’Lazar.

The fabulous microcosm of terra firma,Sha’Lazar, blessed by the Gods, suspended within the concavity of the heavens, portrayed as a flat disk floating in the great ocean of unknown. Upon the blessed land of Sha’Lazar were the:

❖ --Acacus – the northern third of the land with various shades of desert sand and stone of the Acacus Desert, and the belt of drier grasslands and acacia thorntree plains called the Solan;

❖ -- Canas – the central third of the land, with rigid mountains of the Fira Jabal; the green forests and lush jungles of the Itharit, and a stretch of land between the northern Hanasim and the southern green Itharit, characterized by the coexistence of trees and grasses called the Sudvanna;

❖ -- Hanasim - the southern third of the land with an area that ranges from black sand deserts to ferocious and dangerous mountain ranges.

• Saneebal Jabal mountain range edges the entire southeastern tip of the continent.
  
• the Numareef, a fastidious volcano, located north-east of the Saneebal Jabal. Occasionally, it rumbles and spits forth black ash, as a reminder of life’s volatility.
  
• the Black Suhaidah are ancient lava fields nicknamed "black sands". The ancient black volcanic ash field of Numareef is between 50 and 100 kilometers wide.
  
• the Ras’ouda Ghaba lies to the far southern tip of the continent, and ranges northward, deep into the green Canas, where it mixes with the forests and jungles of the inner belt.

❖ -- Malli'ayad Empire - a powerhouse kingdom in the southern third of Sha’Lazar. Some 3,000 years ago, every Hanasim hill-lord called himself a "King", but over the millennia, the stronger Kingdoms absorbed the weaker, gradually aggregating into larger Kingdoms. The land became divided between 7 Kingdoms. And then came the Rash’ani expansion from the Acacus into the Canas, and into the Hanasim, and it was the seven Kingdom alliance of the Hanasim that banded together to prevent the Rash’ani from moving farther south and east. Once the Rash’ani threat was abated, so did the Alliance, with the Hamadans returning to their island of Red Hamada and declaring their own isle Kingdom. Thus, the 6 other Kingdoms entered generations of strife, wars, and political arrangements. Those 6 Kingdoms absolved and entered into a single entity, the Malli’ayad Empire; and yet its external influence resides today in the Tamazgha, in the walled city-state of al Manifa.

❖ -- Red Hamada - a mystic island of flat-top red mountains and vast flat plains, wrought with history of bloody battles;

❖ -- Island Kingdom of Mis'aru - the largest island in the realm of Sha’Lazar. It constitutes an autonomous region from the Rash’ani co-fluence. Mis'aru has a rich and unique culture, with roots deep in Rash’ani and Hamada ethos, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature, cuisine, architecture and language. The government of Mis'aru is a theocratic monarchy as the Empress rules by a mandate from the gods, is seen as an intermediary between human beings and the Divine, and is supposed to represent the gods' will through the laws passed and policies approved.

Godly Years (Genesis to 150 Fx)
These years saw a vast population of Rash’ani ( descended from the ancient ones who were original people supposed connected to the Gods) that abided in the mainland, and the over-populated Red Hamada would soon become issues the Gods could not become involved with… and as such centennial wars over greed, power, and population control in both regions would soon become prevalent… and to allow such involvement, the Gods made the Djinns, and the creatures of myth and legend to enable godly influence…

Years of Man ( 151 Fx to 9 Fz)
The days of man’s birth unto a nation…; and if by reason of strength they be fruitful years, it is their strength, labor, and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and men find a way to destroy what was given unto them.

Centennial Wars ( 10 Fz to 640 Fz)
The period responsible for establishing the small regional unit, or city-state, concept, as sovereign state consisting of a city and its dependent territories. The purposes for the city-state was three-fold…:

❖ -- one was geography, which encouraged the formation of many local centers of power, rather than one all-powerful capital.
❖ -- Another key factor influencing the formation of city-states rather than kingdoms was the

al Imn’afen Moheet, the Great Ocean. Such a great sea provided the Rash’ani and the Hamadan with an opportunity to found new colonies in times of crisis and overpopulation. It appealed to their sense of heroism and adventure. These colonies remained in contact with their mother cities, and acknowledged their 'blood ties' with them, but in most other respects they soon acted independently of them.
❖ -- A final reason behind the development of city-states was the Rash’ani and Hamadan aristocracy, who acted to prevent any permanent monarchies from forming. They defended the political independence of their cities vigorously. As a result any individual who did manage to take over a city could only hope to do so for a short time as a 'tyrant' rather than a king.

Over time, the defeated inhabitants of the over-populated Red Hamada found their way to the mainland… and those Hamadans, supported by their victorious cousins, fought millennial wars with the Rash’ani called the Dominion Wars;

First Dominion War ( 711 Fz to 923 Fz)
Intended to represent the front of ancient Hamadan city-states coupled together by fear, to contrast with the unity of the Rash’ani enabled by bonds of friendship. The Hamadan used diplomacy, deception, and cultural imperialism to achieve their aims before ultimately resorting to coercion. Disturbing reports indicated that what the Hamadan could not attain through trade was forcibly seized; and the Rash’ani responded in kind. Through the years, Rash’ani and Hamadan scholars have discussed the identity of what the true enemy is, what are the limits of duty for all involved, and whether soldiers are responsible for the actions of their leaders. Further investigating the themes of soldier duty and loyalty, and contrasts the opposing rules of discipline.

Second Dominion War ( 1108 Fz to 1944 Fz)
Geography played a critical role in shaping civilizations, and this is particularly true of ancient Sha’Lazar. The First Dominion War and the distinctive land’s geographic features influenced the development of Rash’ani and Hamadan society. Each city-state developed independently and, often, very differently from one another. Eventually, the city-state became the structure by which people organized themselves. Arcadia, Utica, and Adrienne were good examples of city-states that contrasted greatly with each other.

The city-states of Arcadia and Utica were the birthplace of many significant ideas. Ancient Arcadians were a thoughtful people who enjoyed the systematic study of subjects such as science, philosophy, and history, to name a few. They placed a heavy emphasis on the arts, architecture, and literature. The Arcadians built thousands of temples and statues that embodied their understanding of beauty. Uticans preferred trade, politics, and statutes over science, philosophy, and history and enjoyed a refined democratic form of government in which some of the people shared power, and their trade system was unmatched.

Life in Adienne was vastly different from life in Arcadia or Utica. Located on the isolated isle of Red Hamada, the city-state developed a militaristic society ruled by two kings and an oligarchy, or small group that exercised political control. Early in their history, a violent and bloody slave revolt caused the Adienn to change their society, drafting a harsh set of laws that required total dedication to the state from its people. The laws' goal was to train citizens to become hardened soldiers so that they could fight off potential enemies or slave revolts. The result was a rigid lifestyle unlike any seen in Sha’Lazar at the time. The devotion of the Adienn to developing a military state left little time for the arts or literature.

The differences between Arcadia, Utica, and Adrienne eventually led to war between the three city-states, and all their loyal vassal city-states or colonies. Known as the Second Dominion War; Arcadia, Utica, and Adrienne gathered allies and fought on and off for centuries because no single city-state was strong enough to conquer the others. With war came famine, plague, death, and misfortune. But war cannot kill ideas. Despite the eventual military surrender of Utica, and the stalemate between Arcadia and Adienne, Arcadian thought spread throughout the region. After temporary setbacks, these notions only became more widely accepted and developed with the passing centuries.

Third Dominion War ( 1944 Fz to 4744 Fz)
The famine, plague, death, and misfortune that ended the Second Dominion War left both the Rash’ani and the Hamadans weakened, splitting the country in half, and provided the opportunity for other entities to form. Trade became vital to all members of Sha’Lazar.

Those who had survived as marginalized political factions that espoused Arcadian-Battai superiority, painted themselves as the saviors of the Acacus during the Second Dominion War. The public in Arcadia and Battai believed these claims, and with the Utica land too disarrayed to reassert its authority, the Arcadian popularity swelled. The Imperial Alliance of Acacus, consisting of Arcadia, Marsala, Ker’tume, al Manifa, and Kryenaicea, had secured the right to the Acacus…and considered the desert their rightful lands. Plus, the Alliance of Southern City-States that consisted of Karya, Malli’ayad, and Batishiya had secured the Hanasim for the Imperial Alliance of Acacus.

For the next 700 years all contact between Imperial Arcadia and the Utican-Hamadan Empire was severed, leading to speculation of civil unrest in many city-states. And over those years of disarray, Hamada-sympathetic Uticans continually routed the Imperial forces of the Arcadia-Battai alliances. Supporters of a free Canas proclaimed a union, and the Kingdoms of Canas were reborn. Utica, Mu’ud, Mara, and Zagora from southwest, and Si’don, Shez’ra, and hidden support from Battai, from the northeast, would secure Sha’Lazar’s central third of the land called the Canas.

Within that 700 to 800 years, Hamadan and Rash’ani people merged, technology changed, weapons became different, tactics changed; and through it all, an entire culture was being born. From the city-state alliances, Family names would emerge as leaders, giving birth to the idea that Houses would best be served by reigning supreme…

As trade restrictions eased, so did tensions between the Imperial Alliance of Acacus and the Kingdoms of Canas. Initially seeking only to add the Hanasim to its trade territory, the Kingdoms of Canas soon realized that Imperial Arcadia was much weaker than they initially assumed and advanced deeper into the Hanasim.

Being completed isolated by the government in Arcadia and its trade severely reduced by Canasite pirates, the Hanasim city-states capitulated one after another under Canasite pressures.

Fearing the loss of the Hanasim, the Imperial Alliance of Acacus waged war on the Kingdoms of Canas… This violent conflict last nearly 2,000 years, with losses well into numbers totaling more than the first two Dominion Wars. The losses in human life and in the accumulated wealth of generations which the War involved was frightful to think on.

After the Wars…
And in the peace talks that ended the Third Dominion War, the Rash’ani-Utican Accords of 4744 Fz, Statesmen, aristocrats, scholars… all began to consider what war was and why people tended to obliterate themselves with it. War was mass murder, and yet, in perhaps the greatest paradox in history, war has nevertheless been the undertaker’s worst enemy with famine, plague, death, and misfortune. Contrary to what people say, war has been good for something… over the millennia, it has made humanity safer and richer. The only way to make these larger societies work was for their rulers to develop paths to suppress violence within the society. The men who ran these governments hardly ever pursued policies of peacemaking purely out of the goodness of their hearts. They cracked down on killing because well-behaved subjects were easier to govern and tax than angry, murderous ones.

For millennia, war has created peace, and destruction has created wealth, but in their own age humanity has gotten so good at fighting with weapons so effective, tactics and strategies so efficient; that war is beginning to make further war of this kind impossible. As the returns to violence have declined, man has found ways to solve problems without bringing on Armageddon.

❖ -- Many believed a rebirth unto the Gods was well over-due… Temples were erected, cities were rebuilt, fair trade was re-established… but in the finale, agreed upon in the accords of peace, the lands were divided.

❖ -- Descendants of the Rash’ani settled in the Acacus… proudly titled Rash’anis;

❖ -- Descendants, a mixed breed of Arcadian, Utican, and Hamadan settled the central and southern portions. The Central was to be called the Kingdoms of Canas and the people Canasites, and the southern to be called Hanasim, and the people, Hanasimites.

❖ -- The original Hamadans could keep the isle of Red Mountains to themselves…

❖ -- A central monetary system was instituted and the first coins of a unified Sha’Lazar were minted with the likeness of Melqart, the patron god of financial gain, commerce, eloquence (and thus poetry), messages/communication, including divination, travelers, boundaries, luck, trickery and thieves; he is also the guide of souls to the underworld. Major centers of Commerce in Sha’Lazar are befitting places to worship a swift god of trade and travel such as Melqart. This was changed so the coins could be used everywhere without offense. They were minted with a block 'V' with a hollow circle set above it.


The Current Year is: