Asim

The Eternal Kingdom of Asim is a largely nomadic desert nation to the North East of Tassimar. Wrought in the image of the Eternal Fire, its capital city, Domiel (one of the few permanent settlements in Asim) is also the seat of the Hierarch of the Eternal Fire (Currently Hierarch Jomo Kibaki), who is also the head of state of Asim.

The kingdom is loosely organized as a number of nomadic bands, each travelling through the desert sands following routes established by their fore bearers through generations of survival.

Some bands are pasturalists, rural farmers who drive herd animals through the desert from oasis to oasis, others are military crisscrossing the desert protecting the people from bandits and barbarians. Large hordes of barbarians also rove the deserts, who prey on other bands as well as wildlife. This delicate balance has been the norm for thousands of years, and despite the disbelief outsiders express at this seeming chaos, a iron-set of conventions and rites have been encoded into the social contract that allows for stability.

The Desert Code
The set of social conventions that have allowed Asimari people to survive in the desolate dessert are unwritten but no less essential. Through generations of hardship, these conventions have been so deeply ingrained in the people of Asim, that wilfully breaking conventions of the code may and have lead to utter social isolation, and in a harsh environment like Asim, social isolation usually means death.

Rites of Water
Life in the desert of course centres around the essential resource of water. Water has been recognized as an essential right for all people and animals. As such a number of conventions centre around ensuring access to this vital resource


 * 1) Access to water, either wells, or oases cannot be restricted for any reason other than lack of supply
 * 2) No physical conflicts are permitted within the lush areas of Oases or other water sources. Even bandits will not pursue prey into oases, nor will military forces pursue bandits and brigands into oases.
 * 3) Visitors to one's home/territory must be offered water (and a small snack). Once accepted, a bond of peace is established. To violate this rite (if proven) strips one of all honour, titles, and social right.

Rites of Peace and Parlance
As the people of Asim modernized and recognized the intricacies of their system, they also recognized the need for communication and supra-band decision making.

This takes shape in a number of ways.


 * 1) Leaders of groups may request/demand the right to speak to the leaders of conflicting groups by presenting a palm date to any member of the enemy tribe. Once presented, all conflict physical or otherwise must cease until after the meeting is held (either at the nearest Oasis, or in a neutral area where both leaders must present the other with water invoking the protection of the rite of water.)
 * 2) An annual meeting of all Asimari groups happens at Domiel at the fall equinox. At this time many bands of the desert converge on Domiel, swelling the population of the city to an almost unfathomable number. Those who cannot attend with their entire band will send extensive delegations. The leaders of each band attend a meeting known as the Assembly of Fire, chaired by the Hierarch. It is an important time of ritual, celebration, socializing, and governance, and may last as long as 2 months.

Rite of Sun and Sand
While to outsiders the Asimari seem like a disconnected group of warring conflicting entities, all Asimari hold a deep loyalty and identity to their ways. As such the rite of Sun and Sand exists for times where the Asimari way of life is threatened by outsiders.

In such times, leaders may deliver the feather of a desert vulture to other bands, invoking the Rite of Sun and Sand. Doing so is a call for aid against outside groups and the rite dictates that all Asimari must unite; warring factions, bandits and farmers alike will band together when this rite is invoked to meet and defeat their common threat.

Outcasts
Those who violate the Desert Code are branded literally as outcasts. Either through martial justice, decree from the Hierarch or other government official, or mere vigilante justice, violators of the code are branded with an X across their forehead. To be branded as such means that one has violated the sacred pact of desert life, and none should associate with them. By right, they may be barred from oases and water, from the right to trade goods, and no "true" Asimari will speak to them or acknowledge their existence. Even most bandit tribes will not associate with outcasts.

And while in the past Outcasts have been numerous enough to form their own bands, in current times numbers of Outcasts are relatively small, leaving them with few options to band together for survival. Instead many outcasts end up leaving Asim for more favourable lands.