Araby

Araby

Where the sun burns away weakness and gold buys everything else

Founding FoundedAncient (pre-Sigmar) FounderLegendary desert kings and the Prophet Mulhaad ibn Yusuf Current LeaderEver-shifting sultans and caliphs; no single ruler Geography CapitalNone officially; Lashiek, Copher, and Martek are the greatest cities Major CitiesLashiek, Copher, Martek, Al-Haikk, Ka-Sabar RegionsThe deserts, oases, and spice coasts south of the Old World Biology Lifespan40-60 years (longer for sorcerers who bargain well) Height160-185 cm (5′3″ - 6′1″) Culture LanguageArabyan (flowing and poetic) ReligionThe One God and His Prophet; cults of elemental djinn Government GovernmentCity-state sultanates, tribal sheikhs, and merchant councils Relations AlliesWhoever pays in spices, gold, or silence EnemiesBretonnian crusaders (old grudges), Tomb Kings (very old grudges), Skaven, Chaos

Araby is the sun-blasted realm of silk, sand, and sorcery that sprawls south of Tilea and Estalia. Here, palace towers of white marble rise above endless dunes, caravans of camels carry spices worth more than gold, and djinn are bound into rings and lamps by men brave or foolish enough to try. It is a land of fabulous wealth and sudden death, where a beggar today can be a sultan tomorrow, and a sultan tonight can be a corpse by dawn.

Overview

If you want to play someone who can buy half a kingdom before breakfast, ride across a desert without a map, or bargain with a fire spirit for a favour, Araby is your playground.

Appearance

Olive to deep bronze skin, hawk-sharp features, black eyes that have stared too long at the sun. City folk wear robes of crimson, saffron, and indigo that cost more than a Reikland village. Desert riders wear white and sand-coloured cloth that never seems to get dirty. Everyone smells faintly of incense, horse, and hot brass.

Culture & Society

• Regions: The great coastal cities and the trackless deep desert.
• Culture: Honour is everything, hospitality is sacred, and revenge is served cold with sweet tea.
• Names: Jaffar, Zahir, Fatima, Salim, Yasmina, Ibn, Al-Rashid.
• Religion: The One God and His Prophet. Sorcerers also deal with older, hotter powers.

Morality, Slavery, and Corruption

• Slavery: Common and socially accepted. Araby maintains structured slave markets, often using slaves for labor, domestic service, or concubines. Practices vary by city-state, with some rulers enforcing stricter codes of conduct.
• Non-consent sexual relationships: Generally condemned within Araby’s strict social and religious norms. Violations carry harsh punishments, though wealthy elites may bend rules behind closed doors.
• Vulnerability to Chaos corruption: Low to moderate. Strong religious traditions and disciplined societal structures resist Chaos, though isolated cults and desert sorcerers may fall prey to corruption.

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Strengths: Charismatic, diplomatic, and worldly; skilled traders and agile warriors; culturally disciplined with strong traditions and sharp wit.
• Weaknesses: Proud to the point of stubbornness, easily offended by disrespect, bound by complex social customs, and often underestimated by outsiders.

Relations with Other Races

Category	Faction	Relation
Humans	Empire	Neutral
	Bretonnia	Hostile
	Kislev	Neutral
	Sartosa	Neutral
	Cathay	Neutral
	Norsca	Hostile
Elves	Asur (High Elves)	Neutral
	Asrai (Wood Elves)	Neutral
	Druchii (Dark Elves)	Hostile
Dwarfs	Dwarfs	Neutral
	Chaos Dwarfs	Hostile
Greenskins	Orcs	Hostile
	Goblins	Hostile
Monstrous	Ogre	Neutral
	Beastmen	Hostile
Affliction	Chaos	Hostile
	Vampire	Neutral

Playing an Arabyan

Speak like poetry is your native tongue. Gesture with both hands. Never forget a debt, whether of gold or blood. A sorcerer’s smile is more dangerous than a drawn scimitar. A corsair’s laugh means someone is about to lose a ship. A desert rider can find water where maps say there is none and track a camel across glass-smooth sand.

Pride is your armour, hospitality your shield, and treachery your hidden dagger. You bow to no northern king, you kneel only in prayer, and you would rather die than break an oath, unless breaking it profits you more.

Physical Appearance

Tall or compact, always graceful. City nobles glide like peacocks in silk and gold thread. Desert warriors move like panthers in loose robes, curved blades glinting at every belt. Sorcerers wear robes heavy with sigils and carry the scent of burnt cinnamon. Everyone, from street urchin to grand vizier, carries the desert in their eyes.

Gender Roles and Sexuality

Gender Roles

• Araby is a patriarchal society influenced by desert cultures, trade, and strict religious traditions. Men dominate political, military, and commercial life. Women primarily manage households and estates, with some influence in trade through family connections.
• Royalty and Nobility: Female rulers exist but are rare; male sultans and emirs hold most authority. Noblewomen exert influence through marriage alliances, court intrigue, and managing harems or estates.
• Commoners: Women handle domestic tasks, weaving, trade, and family duties. They may participate in local markets or artisan work, but public leadership roles are almost exclusively male.
• Women’s social mobility is constrained by custom and religious law, emphasizing obedience, honor, and family loyalty.

Sexuality

• Sexuality is socially regulated and tied to religion and honor. Heterosexual marriage is expected, with arranged marriages common among nobility for political or economic reasons.
• Taboos: Adultery is condemned, especially for women; sodomy is socially unacceptable and can be punished under strict moral codes.
• Harem and Elite Practices: Among sultans and wealthy nobles, harems exist, allowing controlled polygamy and erotic expression among concubines. Sexual relationships outside sanctioned structures are highly taboo.
• Private Life: Commoners may exercise more personal freedom, but public exposure to sexual transgression is dangerous. Erotic literature and stories circulate discreetly, often idealizing exotic partners from distant lands.

Attitudes toward Other Races (Sexualized)

• Araby is cautious with foreigners, but sexualized perceptions of outsiders exist, particularly in elite and literary contexts:
• Elves: Elves are exotic and alluring; both High Elf and Dark Elf women are imagined as graceful and beautiful, inspiring fascination or desire. Male elves may be admired for skill, status, or mystery.
• Dwarfs: Dwarf women occasionally appear in eroticized tales, but male dwarfs are largely respected for skill rather than sexual appeal.
• Greenskins: Orcs and goblins are feared as enemies; sexualized depictions are rare but appear in folklore as grotesque exaggerations, often emphasizing domination and horror.
• Other Humans: Foreign merchants, travelers, or nobles are sometimes eroticized in private tales, blending exoticism, danger, and desire. Erotic fascination often intersects with trade, diplomacy, or social ambition.

Notable Cultural Nuances

• Araby’s sexual norms are highly structured, with elite privilege allowing controlled erotic expression, such as harems or concubines.
• Sexualized fascination with non-human or foreign races is largely private, circulating in elite storytelling, poetry, and erotic literature.
• Female virtue, honor, and obedience are central; transgression carries severe social or legal consequences.
• The interplay of exoticism, wealth, and desire shapes erotic fantasy and perceptions of outsiders in Araby.

Notable Ranks & Careers

Camel rider → Desert scout → Hashishin → Djinn-bound Sorcerer Sailor → Corsair → Captain of the Crimson Wave Trader → Merchant prince → Grand Vizier of Copher