Architecture and Craftsmanship
Since the dawn of time, Saqquar has been like a womb for scientific advancement, even if others didn't see the end results. Many new and exotic designs have been birthed in this desert region, that would seem rather unusual for an outsider. Saqquarians often have different trinkets for many different tasks, including polished gemstones that can be used as protable sundials and portable lighters which consume rare oils to ignite themselves. This may not be commonplace in different provinces, but almost every saqquarian that aren't in poverty have some basic forms of this master crafstmanship. These trinkets are often saught after and can fetch high prices in markets around the kingdom.

For generations, war has engulfed the nation, but the rich never stopped being selfish and egotistic. A result of their innate desire to show the world just how filthy rich they are, craftsman from all over Saqquar have been gathered to make the finest luxury items. Using the plathera of luxury resources avaible in the province, exotic and luxurious items were created in the hundreds, from simple polished gemstone to incredibly complex golden jewelry. In recent decades, with the peace and propserity that has come to the Saqquar, these craftsman have continued to wage a different war: and arms race between both themselves and Sinverlandian craftsman to see who can produce the most exotic piece of jewelry.

Thought Saqquar may house some of the finest craftsman, their architects should not be forgotten. Turning the desert into a luxurious paradise for the sultan and the rich is no small feat, but the architects of Saqquar can always manage to surprise the world. Not only are their siege engines works of art, but Saqquar's pursue of luxury in the recent decades has yielded in the creation of some wonderous buildings that stand a testament to the progress of the Saqquarian people from nomadic tribes, to the cultural and economical heart of the south. Many architectural wonders date back to decades, but their restoration has only been finished in recent years. However, some of the most beautiful buildings in the province have been built in recent memory, including the Temple of the Halconics.

The long history of Saqquar is one of relentless wars and ideological crusades. An endless sufferage of the people whom have survived against all odds and made an Empire that all envied for it's richness and technological advances. A story about two brothers whom started a war which would last generations and engulf the nation in flames. A fairy tale of how a war torn nation could reclaim it's former glory thanks to their strong beliefs in their gods, and the leadership of benevolent Sultans appointed by foreign powers.

Era of Ancients

Once upon a time, a group of merchants decided to settle down after a life long travel around the continent at the delta of the Ifrit, and found the earliest form of what is now Markath. They built sturdy ships from the palms around the river, and ventured north to trade gemstones that would wash up on the shore in exchange for food and supplies. Many would seek out the settlement in hope of gaining wealth from this business, and the years would see Markath become a decent sized town. At the time, the city was one of the only settlements in the Saqquar area. The original traders who have founded the city soon became known as the Merchant Kings, and Markath continued developing as a city state.

The gem of the Ifrit grew with the generations, until it would attract more people than it could hold. Soon, the descendants of the Merchant Kings, now known as the Merchant Princes would wander out into the lands nearby to find a palce to settle and form new colonies. This would lead to the founding of El Shamul, in an oasis not far north of the Ifrit. Her people worked tirelessly to make aliving from herding wild Krollans for their milk, and venturing south to the Ifrit for the seasonal harvest of wheat and reed. Most of the Merchant Princes decided to stay in Markath in the end, but some of them travelled to El Shamul to help with the developemment of the small colony.



Era of Crusade

Many years passed by, until El Shamul outgrew Markath, and became the larger city state. Thought the people of these two cities shared the same language and had similar ancestry, El Shamul was highly religious, whilst Markath was strictly focusing on wealth. A divide between these two town arose, and it would lead to the outcome humans have always resorted to in their tiemes of dofference: war.

Some of the deepest beleifs in modern Saqquar history can be dated back to this era, as the almost fanatical believers from El Shamul interconnected war and their religion. Their belief, however, is heresy by modern standards. They beleived that the path of war and forceful spreading of their beleifs was the way to go about every day life. They blieved in the ways of the dragon: a merciless rage that is within every living being, ready to be unleashed upon their foes. Heated by this divine rage, it is no surprise that the fanatical warriors of El Shamul crushed the mercenary soldiers of Markath, conquering all the settlements in between the two major cities. In the end, Markath would surrender rather than to fight a war it couldn't win, letting in the armies of El Shamul to ransack the city, and ending the conflict in favor of the attackers.

During the following decades, the El Shamul would expand along the river Ifrit, and start crusades against their northern neighbours. In these decades, they have pludnered villages as far north as the modern capital of Torivia, establishing the deep rooted traditions of cavalry tecniques in Saqquar. The earliest recordings of Ixclidis being rode to battle come from this time, where a band of incredibly daring fanatics rode nearly 20 of these lizards into battle, and becoming highly infamous as they ransacked many villages to the north.

But this raiding lifestyle wouldn't go tolerated for long, and the northern city states around Granat would form a coalition to finally end the tyrannic rule of El Shamul over the region. This was the beginning of the Great Crusade, an era of time loosely defined by more than hundreds of years during which El Shamul waged a constant war against the coalition, and the two would exchange blows from generation to generation.

This particular era defined the lifestyle of the people in Saqquar. They would make weapons instead of jewelry, and they were all trained in the arts of war. The religion of the Dragon was brainwashed into every man and woman in El Shamul, and people would willingly give their life for the ultimate victory. Those captured would commit suicide, and anyone captured by them would be executed by tying them to a pole in the desert. This blind devotion, and absolute hate against all those deemed heretics by the church led to the naming of this era full of bloodshed.

Many doubted this war would ever end, but no-one expected a religious coup from within their own borders to end the war. A prophet by the name of Inara spoke against the violent ways of the ir religion, and told the people or Markath about a more peaceful way of existence, one lead by the shifting of seasons and a man's natural desire to live a fullfilled life. One by one, towns and cities abandoned El Shamul, and left it alone to fend off the coalition by itself. Meanwhile, Markath began construction on the Temple of the Halconics, as instructed by Inara, who was revered almost as a god amongst mortals. Thought she asked her followers not to revere her, her teachings were already spreading too fast for het to not be viewed as some goddess who ended this long war.

When the coailition finally conquered El Shamul, and came to Markath, they found no army, but instead the citizens of the town following Inara into the grasslands to meet the armies of the north. On this sacred day, she would strike a deal, that would place Markath as the capital of this new coalition with the city states of the Granat. How she did it, is a mistery lost to time, but all believers are tuaght that the divine Halconics interfered to strike the deal.

Through her life, she spread the ways of the 10 Halconics through the coalition, which would eventually take in El Shamul too, and convert it to the new religion. For nearly 56 years of her life, she has achieved something no-one before her could: she united the many young towns of the Granat, and the large cities of the Ifrit under a single banner: one she would call Saqquar after a divine dream. With her death at the age of 64, millions mourned her passing as they carried her body through the streets of Markath to set her earthly remains ablaze as the last rays of the sun had disappeared over the horizon. She would not live to see the temple of the Halconics be finished a year later, and her death meant the end of the Crusade Era.

El Shamul
Hanging gardens, finely crafted ivory statues plated with gold, and palaces with working waterworks adorn the royal district of El Shamul, the ancient capital of the province. The capital of Saqquar is an ancient town that has evolved with the men and woman of the nation, carrying their burden through rough times, but also decorating itself with the joy of her people. It lies between the two rivers of Ifrit and Granat, and has a pleasant cliamte that allowed this oasis town to become the home of the great Sultans that rule the nation. The city spans miles in each direction, with the breathtaking sight of the massive Royal Palace dominating the skyline. Sprawling urban regions dot the edges of the city, while the richer mansions and palaces are located further up the hill upon which stands the palace. A wonder of it's time, El Shamul has a functioning sewer system that uses the elevation of the terrain to carry waste water away from the city, thus greatly helping with the rapid expansion of the city.



Markath
Nearing the delta of the Ifrit, travellers will gaze upon the majestic statues of the 12 Halconic Guardians as they stand guard at the gates of Markath, the gem of ifrit, the city that lies on the borders of the ocean. The Holy city of the Saqquarian people, it marks the end point of the Halconic Trail, a pilgrimage that walks believers of the Halconic gods through the lenghty riversides of Saqquar. Entering the town upon the sacred trail, the road takes pilgrims through the main street of the town, adorned with temples and lush greenery to easen the last steps of teh travel. Upon their succesful pilgrimage, believers are granted access into the otherwise locked Temple of the Halconics, the spiritual center of the Saqquarian religion. This massive temple has stood the test of time, and was recently renovated after the integration of Saqquar into the empire. If one wishes to explore more of Markath, they will find a maze of docks and markets that lay beside the sea or find themsevles wandering in the rich Merchant District, where the merchant guilds house their emporiums of luxury goods, and where the rich of the town have their palaces built. Whether one comes to visit the town for its wide array of luxury goods from across the known and unknown world or to cleanse themsevles of their spiritual burden, they will surely find what they are looking for in Markath.



Horqath
Bolstering the strongest fortifications in the province, Horqath was once the capital of Northern Saqquar, the kingdom which plunged the nation into a dark war for control over the scarce resources. The town lies on the river Granat, but this fact can be easely overlooked if one travels through the narrow streets of the city. The river has been funneled into a large canal running along the length of the city, actins as the beating veins of this metropolis. Smaller in size than El Shamul, Horqath makes up for this in it's grandiose nature. Slowly built into a fortress city during the eternal war, grandiose towers of dual purposes cast sahdows over the palaces that once housed the nobility and military leaders of the North Saqquar. The narrow streets run along the city in a non-uniform manner, with many small alleys and sewers connecting every parts of the city and hiding many secrets. It is a widely known secret that when one visits the black market of Horqath, they can buy just about anything as long as they have enough money. To support such an immense city, the canal contains numerous docks that are busy all around the year. Even now, decades after the eternal war, they city bears the marks of the militaristic traditions of it's former controllers.



Talayet Al Granat
Talayet Al Granat or City upon the river Granat is a gem of Saqquar that lies in one of the most temperate regions of the province. The city which once housed the Sultans of the old saqquar empire, Talayet is a city of great importance. Lying beside the river of Granat, this carefully planned out city stands to mock and ashame all others, even in the face of it's decay during the last years of the endless war. The city itself is divided up into two halves by the Granat: the southern side which houses the Imperial Palace (not to be confused with the Royal Palace), a gargantuan building complex which once housed all the administration required to run the old Saqquar Empire in all it's might. This side of Talayet is know as the Imperial quarters: a large walled off area, with a carefully planned street layout that houses the nobility, merchants and priests of the city.

However, the northern side is quite the constrast to the souther side. Here lies even more housing, where the majority of the city lives. If one accused Horqath for having thin streets, then one will wonder how the people of northern Talayet can get around. The cityscape reaches for the skies with buildings of immense height, and unlike the southern side that is protected by a wall, the slums on the north carry on for a long time without such restraints. The long winding streets of the southern city are house to some of the most notorious criminal organizations in Saqquar. Life is very busy in Talayet due to the size of the city, and some people have taken a great interest in controlling the trade going on around here, far from the places that the prying eyes of the guards.

The Mighty Krollan
The Krollan have been used since the earliest of Saqquar habitants as beasts of burden. These large quadrupedal mammals bear similarity to porcupines with their massive skeletonized extrusions on their back. They are excellent at carrying things thanks this thick layer of protection on their back: the sun can't harm them with it's rays, and the burden placed upon its back will not hurt the animal as it does with other beasts. The Krollan have adapted to desert life in many idfferent ways, but perhaps the most helpful for travellers is the spongy nature of their fur that sucks up water with which the beast cools itself in the scorching desert. However, as excellent as these beasts are, they can be a rare sight to see: the eternal war has severly dwindled their numbers, and the wild animals have taken a rather suspicious attitude towards humans.



The Swift Ixlicid
Riders of the swift Ixlicid are considered the most daring in Saqquar society, as taming an controlling these beasts can prove to be rather difficult. These large lizards have grown to be abnromally big - and abnormally agile. Thought they rarely leave their nests other than to hunt at night and to find mates, they are extremely fast when traversing terrain, and their natural colors make it hard to notice them. Taming an Ixlicid is an unforgiving task where the tamers have to ride the Ixlicid and stay on it until it runs out of stamina and it cna be peacefully subdued and captured for training. However, those who have tamed an Ixlicid earn the title of "Desert Daredevlis". These tamers and their mounts are viewed highly, and there are offical games where the daredevils and their tames face off against each other in competitions to test who has the best control over their steed. Hunters who favor fast steeds but aren't brave enough to risk an encounter with this beast may have to settle for a Saqquar Throroughbred instead.



The Saqquar Rhinoceros
A unique breed of rhinos only found in the Saqquar deserts, these beasts are in every way representative of the Saqquarian people: hardy and resilient, but elegant and precise in the way they do things. The rhinos of the province weren't always held in such high regards. For a long time they were viewed as pest who ate and trampled crops. It seemed like too much trouble to tame them instead of the relatively submissive Krollan. However, after some failed attempt, some cavalrymen from North Saqquar finally managed to tame some of these beasts to use as heavy cavalry. The plan worked exactly as they wanted it to, and soon the sultanates opposing Horqath had to face the charge of these heavy beasts. They became widely used as heavy cavaly during the endless war, and their status elevated from pest to royal animals. In fact, generations of selective breeding has led to the current form of the animals, which is rumored to be different from ther ancient figure. To this day, Saqquar Rhinos form the basis of the province's shock cavalry, thought in much smaller numbers than during the endless war. That said, every year during the Eternal Dawn festival, the rhinos make an appearance to vow the crowds with their elegance and strength as they travel down the roads of the capital.



The Fearsome Skarrat
"Tame" is a strong words when describing the Skarrats. They are more of a "caged beasts" that are unleashed upon attacking armies to wreak havoc in the heat of battle. These large beasts are the apex predators of Southern Saqquar, and they are one of the main reasons explorers don't venture far into the Badlands. Ther are reminiscent of large dogs, thought the large bone ornaments on their heads gives them a devilish look. They were once believed to be demons unleashed upon the earth after the heresy of El Shamul during to Crusade Era, as means to punish the humans. Nowadays they are not so mystical, but their strength and ferocity are still highly feared. However, as with all wild animals, humans have managed to tame these beasts too. There has only ever been three records of these beasts being ridden, all which came from the same era. During the golden age of Saqquar, Imam II captured a baby Skarrat during a hunting trip, which would later become his loyal companion. The beast outlived him by far, serving his son and grandson, until withering away under Imam IV, having been ridden to battle by each of these 3 royalties. The saddle of this beast named "Skyla" sadly burned down along with the Imperial Palace during the age of strife, but an accurate recreation of it can be seen in Tayalet.