Shamir was glad Garuda was asking him a question, and said, "Acity? The one with the advanced magitech? Cool; I am proud to meet you. Anyway, you wish to know about why I call myself usurped, yes, Mr. Pacifier?" He would then clear his throat, sit back on his stool again, and sigh before saying:
"Well, my father, Sultan Al-Hakam, was a good person. He abolished slavery in the Sultanate of Abazin during his reign, established schools, roads, and hospitals, and basically tried to deal with people as fairly as possible. But despite his kindness, he was not the best politician, and favored idealism over practicality. He was also immensely forgiving." Shamir bowed his head in sadness. "He had several sons with several wives and concubines, and I was the seventh son by the seventh wife, Badoura."
"Badoura supported her husband, my father, in his reforms, but was smarter and more cautious, helping temper his idealism. She also had the spine and steel needed to make the more pragmatic decisions, aka getting rid of those who would oppose the abolition of slavery and the spending of money on the common people. But despire that last part, my mother was a kind woman to those who were destitute, and regularly gave alms to them as well as more practical aid. The other wives and concubines, meanwhile, were less...dutiful, and misused their powers over the Sultan in order to indulge in corruption and nepotism. The most wicked of these people were Asmira, the First Wife of the Sultan, and her son, Rasoul." Resentment filled Shamir at the mention of those names before he paused and continued.
"Rasoul had big ambitions, and surrounded himself with yes-men and ladies who would ply him with wine and flattery. Despite that, he and I used to be friends growing up, until it was evident that he preferred luxury and control more than he liked the common people. And the worst part is that as he grew up, he became more brutal, and also began to challenge Father in major decisions. But not even we - my father, my mother, and me - can anticipate how far he'd go and who exactly would support him." Shamir was flashing back to that night.
A heavy weight came to his voice as he spoke, "Rasoul, or rather, his mother, had been sending agents to approach those who were hit hard by my father's reforms. Old nobles, bankrupt slave merchants, and army captains who wanted increased pay. And of course, the other sons of the Sultan and their bodyguards."
Shamir remembered everything like it was yesterday, "It was night, and my father was busy signing doucuments and paperworks, while my mother was asleep. All of a sudden we heard the clash of swords in the palace gardens; Rasoul had started his coup! Men were running to and fro in the confusion, our loyal guards trying to alert us to the danger yet being cut down by traitors who had been let in by my other brothers, Kassim and Ali when they opened a side gate."
The worst part was yet to come. "My mother, Badoura, managed to reach me with a couple of her own guards; she carried her own scimtar - I didn't know she was able to fight. She then said, 'Shamir, you must escape. Go to Karim while we hold the enemy back!' Karim was a cleaner, a servant of low rank, but one with a reputation of being an ex-spy."
"I moved to do as she said, but then an arrow came through a window and pierced my mother through and through. That was when I ran, ran for the lower levels of my palace with only my sword and the clothes on my back, and reached Karim, who was at the palace stables, a heap of murdered traitors to the side. The old man then smiled; I still remember his gap-toothed mouth, and told me that he had reserved the fastest camel in the stables for me. And so he handed me the reins to said camel, and I drove it as far away from the palace as possible, to the borders of the region. And from there, I had a series of misadventures until I came here to the Arcanum." Shamir finished relating his backstory.
"Anyway, I want to learn healing and protection magic, because I don't want to straight up destroy my kingdom while liberating it. I want to be able to heal entire regiments of troops with a gesture, and protect them and myself with a shield of energy at the same time. Isn't that a worthy goal, Mr. Pacifier?" A final pause now.
@Conscripts
"Well, my father, Sultan Al-Hakam, was a good person. He abolished slavery in the Sultanate of Abazin during his reign, established schools, roads, and hospitals, and basically tried to deal with people as fairly as possible. But despite his kindness, he was not the best politician, and favored idealism over practicality. He was also immensely forgiving." Shamir bowed his head in sadness. "He had several sons with several wives and concubines, and I was the seventh son by the seventh wife, Badoura."
"Badoura supported her husband, my father, in his reforms, but was smarter and more cautious, helping temper his idealism. She also had the spine and steel needed to make the more pragmatic decisions, aka getting rid of those who would oppose the abolition of slavery and the spending of money on the common people. But despire that last part, my mother was a kind woman to those who were destitute, and regularly gave alms to them as well as more practical aid. The other wives and concubines, meanwhile, were less...dutiful, and misused their powers over the Sultan in order to indulge in corruption and nepotism. The most wicked of these people were Asmira, the First Wife of the Sultan, and her son, Rasoul." Resentment filled Shamir at the mention of those names before he paused and continued.
"Rasoul had big ambitions, and surrounded himself with yes-men and ladies who would ply him with wine and flattery. Despite that, he and I used to be friends growing up, until it was evident that he preferred luxury and control more than he liked the common people. And the worst part is that as he grew up, he became more brutal, and also began to challenge Father in major decisions. But not even we - my father, my mother, and me - can anticipate how far he'd go and who exactly would support him." Shamir was flashing back to that night.
A heavy weight came to his voice as he spoke, "Rasoul, or rather, his mother, had been sending agents to approach those who were hit hard by my father's reforms. Old nobles, bankrupt slave merchants, and army captains who wanted increased pay. And of course, the other sons of the Sultan and their bodyguards."
Shamir remembered everything like it was yesterday, "It was night, and my father was busy signing doucuments and paperworks, while my mother was asleep. All of a sudden we heard the clash of swords in the palace gardens; Rasoul had started his coup! Men were running to and fro in the confusion, our loyal guards trying to alert us to the danger yet being cut down by traitors who had been let in by my other brothers, Kassim and Ali when they opened a side gate."
The worst part was yet to come. "My mother, Badoura, managed to reach me with a couple of her own guards; she carried her own scimtar - I didn't know she was able to fight. She then said, 'Shamir, you must escape. Go to Karim while we hold the enemy back!' Karim was a cleaner, a servant of low rank, but one with a reputation of being an ex-spy."
"I moved to do as she said, but then an arrow came through a window and pierced my mother through and through. That was when I ran, ran for the lower levels of my palace with only my sword and the clothes on my back, and reached Karim, who was at the palace stables, a heap of murdered traitors to the side. The old man then smiled; I still remember his gap-toothed mouth, and told me that he had reserved the fastest camel in the stables for me. And so he handed me the reins to said camel, and I drove it as far away from the palace as possible, to the borders of the region. And from there, I had a series of misadventures until I came here to the Arcanum." Shamir finished relating his backstory.
"Anyway, I want to learn healing and protection magic, because I don't want to straight up destroy my kingdom while liberating it. I want to be able to heal entire regiments of troops with a gesture, and protect them and myself with a shield of energy at the same time. Isn't that a worthy goal, Mr. Pacifier?" A final pause now.
@Conscripts
