Lore of Ispar - The Gharu'ndim: Synopsis
History of Isparian Gharu'n
The Creation of Gharu'n
The Nomads Settle The Birth Of A Nation Early Gharu'ndim Hardship The Capture of Yasif ibn Salayyar The Poet's Return The Fall of Gharu'n The Gharu'n Renaissance The Twelve Roads: Gharu'n Today History of Gharu'n on Dereth The First Gharu'ndim Settlers About Derethian Gharu'ndim
The modern-day Gharu'ndim are praised for their level heads and their slowness to anger - but their pacifistic nature is a recent tradition. The nation of Gharu'n was forged in the fire of war. The earliest known Gharu'ndim records point to a nomadic culture in the Naqut Desert. There they wandered for many years, a difficult life for even the staunchest warrior. But evem this peaceful existence was brought to an abrupt end with the rise of Malik Rakhil al-Khur. Along with the warrior-poet Yasif ibn Salayyar, Rakhil desired an easier, more settled life for his people. His pugilistic nature led him to choose conquest to fulfill this desire, and from the desert they took the northern lands as their own. The existing people they displaced, moving swiftly through the Roulean Empire. Their take-over of the Roulean countries came to an abrupt halt at the siege of Tirethas, the Roulean City of Lore. This city was the capital of the Roulean Empire - if it fell, the Rouleans would have nothing left to fight for. Since this city was so important to the Rouleans, they defended it with much greater vigor than they had previously displayed. In an attempt to break the siege, Rakhil threatened to burn the city and destroy all the lore contained within. Enraged that the Malik could even suggest such a thing, Yasif struck him down and ended both the siege and the war.
Despite the fact that Yasif was more than worthy to become the next Malik, he instead opted to become the adviser of Amul, the son of the late Malik. Amul loved peace and knowledge, and chose to settle in the ruins of the Roulean empire because of all the lore which yet survived. But the new nation was not easily accepted by the neighboring countries and those over the Ironsea, because of its violent beginnings. This stretched the new Malik to near-breaking point: if he neglected relations with foreign powers, he risked losing the chance to be officially recognized by such powerful nations as Aluvia and Viamont across the sea. However, if he spent his time in diplomacy and international relations, he would not be able to nurture his fledgling country and build it into a strong, prosperous land. With Yasif at his side, however, Amul was able to concentrate on Gharu'ndim affairs, while the poet-turned-diplomat built up treaties and agreements with other Isparian powers. Diligent effort on both of their parts bore fruit: as the country grew in power, the surrounding countries accepted Gharu'n as a legitimate nation.
There was seemingly nothing which could go wrong for the Gharu'ndim. Trade flourished. Yasif's writing became a beacon of guidance for the people. But all was not well. Yasif's negotiation skills had won over most of the countries surrounding the Ironsea: Aluvia, Viamont, and even Roulea, whose empire had been considerably weakened by the conquest of the Gharu'ndim. But one country would not accept his repeated attempts to parley. This country was Milantos. Time and again Yasif tried to bargain with the Milantan King Arpad for a treaty, but so many times did Arpad refuse. Eventually, however, Arpad's life ended. But Arpad had left behind no heir, so it fell to his chief advisor to take over his duties as King. This advisor, named Laszko, would almost certainly be of the same viewpoint as the late King. Still, Yasif persisted in his petitions for peace and treaties. Surprisingly, Laszko accepted Yasif's requests for a parley. Pleased by his good fortune, but a little apprehensive and distrustful of the Milantan's intentions, Yasif set out on his diplomatic mission. But Yasif's mission was cut short by treachery from the Milantans. Yasif was captured and held without ransom for five years by Laszko. Amul's repeated requests for a ransom to be named, or a reason for the kidnapping to be released, were met with barbaric messages: letters sent to Gharu'n were each accompanied by one of Yasif's fingers.
Faced with an uncommunicative kidnapper, Amul commissioned a secret, highly-trained group of assassins, known as the Zharalim, to engineer Yasif's rescue. For three years the Zharalim trained, ready to retrieve the Poet of the Gharu'ndim. But in a twist of fate, on the very day they were to leave, Yasif himself staggered into the Malik's court. The story of his ordeal was difficult for the Court to hear and even more difficult for the Poet to tell: Laszko had been planning and carrying out a demonic ritual using Yasif's soul as a component. During his captivity, Yasif's resistance had been broken by the removal of his fingers, teeth, and eyes. Yasif's jailer, however, had taken pity on the poet and released him one month before the completion of the ritual; such an action placed the jailer in great danger and would probably cost him his own life. But since Yasif had been safely returned, the Zharalim's task was now to assassinate Laszko, and despite Yasif's pleas for clemency, this task was carried out. Yasif never really recovered from his torture: he was plagued by nightmares for the rest of his life, and never again did he leave the Malik's city. He preferred to dwell in al-Nafalt, the legendary Palace of One Hundred Gardens, for though he could not see their fabled beauty, the quiet and presence of the place were still able to touch him. It was in these later years of his life that he wrote the Alamakhaida, his greatest work, and indeed the greatest philosophical work of all of Gharu'n. Yasif's death was mourned by the entire nation for a year, and his ashes were placed in the al-Nafalt which he had loved so much.
King Amul died shortly after Yasif, poisoned at his own birthday celebration, having produced no heir. The disputed throne, ascended after Amul by Tu'azar ibn Amul, became the focus of many foul and base plots, and coups and assassination became all too common. In the chaotic century which followed. no fewer than 25 Maliks reigned and died. Suspicion and distrust ate away at the frame of Gharu'ndim bureaucracy, and the whole structure threatened to collapse. At an unknown date in this tumultuous time, riots broke out in the capital, and the marvelous al-Nafalt was destroyed in the wake of devastation left by the mob. One hundred years after the death of Amul, Gharu'n was invaded by Viamont. The Viamonters seized control of the throne and placed one of their own nobles into the office of Malik to better control the populace. Zahir ibn Ma'mun did the bidding of his Viamont masters, and the country suffered greatly under his rule. Viamont continued to bring more settlers and garrison soldiers into the country, while bleeding off the natural resources of the Gharu'ndim. In a campaign of secrecy, Zahir began to eliminate his rivals, to cement his position as ruler of Gharu'n. One by one the other nobles were killed, until eventually only one remained.
The last of the original Gharu'ndim nobility with enough power to challenge Zahir was a young man named Jawhar al-Shamshir. Jawhar began a long pilgrimage to rally the people to his cause and gain enough power to challenge the oppression of Zahir ibn Ma'mun. His banner reached far, until it flew across the entire country. Jawhar's leadership, coupled with the righteousness of the cause, carried the Gharu'ndim to an early and decisive victory. Those Viamonters who lived to return to their country bore the message that Gharu'n was free once more. Jawhar became the Malik of the Gharu'ndim and led his people out of the depression and chaos they had wallowed in for over one hundred years. With time, the wounds of the nation were healed and the country shone as brightly as it had during Yasif's lifetime. But more important than this political and economic renaissance was the cultural regrowth which occurred concurrently. The Alamakhaida had been disregarded during the past century: there had been little room for tolerance and pure living when so much of life was subject to intense distrust. Jawhar's reign brought with it a return to the old way of life. Although the Alamakhaida is over one thousand lines long, and contains an in-depth treatment of the entire Gharu'ndim honor system (which is nearly untranslatable), philosophers have extracted from this comprehensive work the Ghayaraqa Yadina (Twelve Roads) which form the basis of all Gharu'ndim life.
The resurgence of honor and prosperity which occurred in the reign of Jawhar al-Shamshir is still enjoyed today in Gharu'n. Now led by the beautiful Malika Qadira bint Balj, the Gharu'ndim are a proud and peaceful people. While the Viamonters and Milantans are still threats, Gharu'n is now powerful enough to stave off an invasion.
When they first began to be drawn to Dereth, the great battle of the Olthoi and the Aluvians had been fought and won already. The first Gharu'ndim adventurers found Aluvians settled in the densely vegetated north of Dereth. However, the Gharu'ndim were more at home in the arid deserts and hot badlands to be found in the western regions of Osteth, east of the Inland Sea. Since the Gharu'ndim only began to arrive on Dereth recently, it is to be expected that their settlement is not as advanced and expansive as the Aluvian townships. However, the Gharu'ndim regions are becoming more and more populated, and more towns are being carved out of the forbidding lands.
The Gharu'ndim take the Ghayaraqa Yadina very seriously, in honor of the great Poet. They have a stronger sense of heritage than the other races on Dereth, and love nothing better than studying lore and history. As a result, they have a most comprehensive knowledge of relics and knick-knacks which might be found on their travels, and can easily identify even the most obscure of items. They also favor the use of the Nabut staff, as opposed to bladed weapons. Most Gharu'ndim consider combat a last resort, and seek to preserve life wherever they can - a bludgeoning weapon can act as a warning to potential assailants, where a sword's threat is more lethal. In addition, a staff can be a focus for magical energy as well as a physical weapon, and ability in handling a staff can prove useful to a mage. Gharu'ndim adventurers are almost always mages, with their love for learning and wisdom rather than battle-instincts and skill at arms providing a natural advantage.
