Fereklar is a sprawling metropolis, and by far the largest settlement of all of modern Amokan. Though a foriegner would be forgiven for seeing it as no more than a swollen shanty town.
The peoples of this city are poor and live in fear of their master, King Sadim Shakalash, who rules them with an iron fist. His soldiers have free reign of the streets, and take liberties often, whether it involves stealing goods from street peddlers or abusing any who dare speak up against them. They are taxed relentlessly, and are subject to wide ranging laws that are aimed at disbanding civil unrest.
Religion is banned on all counts, as the King fears it as a tool to be used against him. Anyone caught praying in the confines of the city, or worshipping "false idles", is usually put to death without trial.
Though the King's rule may seem harsh to an outsider, he is the first warlord who has managed to successfully seize Fereklar and maintain some semblance of order in over a century. A passive observer may instead see his government as merely effective, and making the best of an untenable situation.
The city is surrounded by a large circular curtain wall, crafted from sandstone. This defense, often called the Desert Shield, has been key to the King's rise to prominence. He has repaired its ancient fortifications, filled in the breaches with more modern architecture, and has it manned night and day by a generous accompaniment of soldiers. This has made it difficult for his enemies to attack his position, allowing him to move against them from a position of relative comfort.
Fereklar's army is made up of a mixture of militia foot troops, who use crossbows and spears, and the more elite Mamluks - camel riding warriors, who excel in mounted combat. Mamluks are hand picked by the King himself, and they are devoted followers. Many would prefer death before dishonor, and even those who do not, fear his wrath more than their own demise.
The King's Mamluks scour the countryside daily, hunting down bandits and raiding villages that do not give their allegiance to the true ruler of Amokan. The militias meanwhile, are often confined to barracks until the need to deploy a sizeable battle force.
The Nomads of the Merikal Highlands
The Nomads, as they are collectively termed, are a loose alliance of savage tribesmen living high up in the Merikal Highlands. Their home is a mountainous region, jagged chunks of rock towering up from the desert sands, and it affords them ample protection from the city of Fereklar below.
However, their ceaseless raids into the King's territory have earned his wrath, and his Mamluks now relentlessly hunt them down day and night.
They are a warrior peoples, but too few in number to openly oppose the King. Instead, they resign themselves to geurilla tactics, hitting the King's columns as they snake their way through the narrow mountain causeways, and hiding in their many scattered caves to avoid retaliation.
They are a thorn in the King's side, no doubt, but each day they lose more of their number, and sooner or later the full might of Fereklar will strangle them.
Little is known of the Nomads, as they are a secretive people, but rumours of cannibalism and devil worship are abound.
The proud Men of Bastion are all that remains of the Crescent Order, an organization of knights left over from the Old Kingdom, an entity that existed in Amokan some two centuries ago.
They are a religious lot, with their beliefs deeply rooted in the Iron God - a warrior king among the stars, who champions honor and chivalry. Followers of the Iron God are fiercely against the idea of magic and technology, and rely on traditional methods to conduct their affairs.
Heavy plate and war horses power their armies, and though the Knights of Bastion make a fearsome foe, they are slow and easily exploited by the King's faster moving Mamluks. Indeed, the Men of Bastion have forsaken the use of missile weapons, seeing them as a coward's choice, and rely purely on lance, shield and sword.
They have held on for two centuries largely with diplomacy, and have held back the King recently only through their endless resolve and sacrifice. Yes, the Men of Bastion have suffered many losses in recent months, but their vigor has not been dulled, no matter how many widows gather to see the husbands of others ride out of the fortress' gates one final time.
Bastion itself is an old fortress, no more than ruins really, that date back a thousand years. It is often whispered that it was the castle of a warlock, who mastered the arts of golem creation. We may never know if this was true however, as the Crescent Order destroyed all the artifacts they could find long ago, believing them to be sources of great evil.
The Men of Bastion are led by Lord Commander Agorth Winter, a grizzled combat veteran of 60 years who lives and breathes the Crescent Order. He is said to be a wise man, but is mercilessly unforgiving in his religious beliefs. Magic users be wary.
Arch Gatherer Frikleston's Expedition, Fort Sunrise
In the south eastern corner of Amokan is a scarred area of land, known as the Blight of Amokan. Deep ravines and crevices marr the landscape, and legend has it that a powerful sorcerer who dwelt in Fort Sunrise used his well of endless powers to destroy the entire Kingdom many centuries ago.
If true, then the Blight of Amokan is testimony to the unfathomable power that this sorcerer must have held.
Now however Fort Sunrise is merely a crumbling tower ruin, inhabited by an expedition of Mesocretians.
These hamster-like humanoids are rarely seen in these parts of the world, but every now and then one of their number gains enough wealth and prestige to lead a large potion of his or her bretherin into the great unknown in search of riches and lost knowledge.
Arch Gatherer Frikleston, the leader of the Mesocretian expedition, arrived only a couple of years ago with his peoples. The hamster-folk drove out a contingent of Crescent Order knights from the ruin, and so the two factions have been at odds ever since. However, a need for mutual survival have driven them together in a fragile alliance of joint interest against the Crown of Fereklar.
Unlike the Men of Bastion, Mesocretians rely heavily on missile troops, as their stature (five feet at the tallest, but averaging around four feet) puts them at odds against the King's Mamluks. They have so far managed to evade the King's wrath, using the scarred land of the Blight against his mounted formations effectively, but it is only a matter of time before they are crushed.
The Mesocretians number only in hundreds, and are not keen warriors. Even so, they can defend themselves, and rely on spear and crossbow to carry them through combat. They are rarely seen riding any other species, and prefer to travel on foot.
Arch Gatherer Frikleston is said to be looking for hidden secrets deep beneath Fort Sunrise, and he intends to leave the desert realm the moment he has discovered them.
Villages, Bandits and Beasts
Aside from the major factions, Amokan is littered with countless villages and hamlets. Some are aligned with the Crown of Fereklar, others are in good keeping with the Crescent Order or the Mesocretians, and a few are independent of external influences.
Life is hard in Amokan, and many people slave their lives away etching out a living in a land that lets little grow. Still, their presence is testament to the hardiness of Amokan's inhabitants, and there is no end of work that can be done for them to improve their lives.
However, aside from the villages, one will also find bandit camps. Amokan's lawlessness, outside of Bastion, Fort Sunrise and Fereklar, has spawned generations of roughians who prey on the weak. No road is safe, and no settlement that does not have proper defences can be spared from these ruthless individuals. They take, rape and murder anything of their choosing, and there are few to oppose them.
Part of the reason the King has gained big favour in the center lands, is because of his zero tolerence policy of banditry, and his proactive policies in removing their presence from areas under his sway.
The Men of Bastion also hunt bandits, but seldom stray from the shadow of their fortress, and so few rely on them for any real help. The Mesocretians meanwhile, are sometimes found doing business with the roughians, exchanging gold for goods, though they have at times crushed or driven off the more troublesome groups near their base of operations.
The beasts of Amokan are a varied bunch, ranging from fearsome mountain cats to poisonous scorpions. One can expect to encounter many dangers when travelling the roads, and it is always wise to take precautions against the desert's hostile wildlife.
Herds of camels are a common sight, and indeed Amokan is famous for its wide variety of breeds.
