[quote=Peik]
I asked because I believe Sassanid culture has been quite masked and assimilated by the Islamic elements that rushed over them all during the Great Islamic Expansion.It's also funny that the Nezam-e Jadid is based on early Ottoman Janissaries when in real life they were an army to replace said Janissaries.
[/quote]

Ohhhhhh, the irony storytellers accrue to preserve their existing lore. Peik, you are correct in that the Sassanids were completely overwhelmed, decimated, and annexed into the Abassid Caliphate. It was a series of exhausting wars against the Byzantine Empire and a string of misfortunes and incompetence that accelerated their decline, although the same can equally be said about the Byzantines. For our story, I feel that Sassanid culture and their way of life are a better fit for Sarife given the fact the impact the Age of Nobles placed on Carcassonne. Sarife is still largely ruled by petty aristocrats and stranded in the Middle Ages due to delayed administrated reforms, a stubborn bias towards feudalism, and a slew of other unresolved troubles. 

Additionally, aside from the presence of the Nezam-e-Jadid, whom simply answer only to the Emperor and his most trusted commanders, there is no standing Sarifen Army. Nevertheless, Sarifen [i]feudal[/i] armies are well equipped and possess gunpowder weaponry, pikes, ranged weapons, and armor that few others can match. Some soldiers are also experience and well trained, however, it depends on the military traditions of their respective lords. To my understanding, the Safavids were more capable and organized as opposed to the Sassanids, and we can't have that because that would greatly contradict my detailed accounts of the Age of Nobles! Of course, that being said, Emperor Aryanpour I, a capable military strategist and an expert in both partisan suppression and sophisticated taxation.

Welp, that's my schpiel and again, I feel as if I've unintentionally erected another text wall. Bear in mind, people, that I am capable of much much more, but I've been constantly tweaking my word brevity. I do promise that I'll dedicate a concerted effort to not force all of you to read essays on a daily basis so bear with my uhm ... information storms 8P.