Story of the Khalifate

[Temuchin Khan]

Also, I like the idea that only a portion of them migrated. Perhaps the Kaliphate sends colonists to the Great Continent to help a group of non-human allies (Drakes, maybe?) resist a group of non-human enemies (Orcs? Undead? Rival Drakes?).

I think they should come to help one band of Drakes against a rival band of Drakes, and then only encounter Wesnothians by coincidence.

[johndh]

The only problem is that magic is going to constantly come up if we touch on middle eastern mythology, and either a modification to the no-magic rule or a better explanation is going to be required. If the Great Continent has magic, we are going to need a good reason why the Khalifate abstains if they are essentially human.

From TRoW, the humans of the Green Isle didn't have any magic until the Wesfolk showed up. Maybe magic is a somewhat rare thing to learn. Most of the races of Wesnoth are fairly non-magical (orcs, trolls, nagas, ogres, dwarves), while only humans, elves, and saurians actually use magic on any regular basis. Maybe most human tribes give up on it once they develop very basic technology. If magic is something that only a few people can do, and at a primitive level can only do a few basic things, then it's probably not something that a Neolithic Irdyan is going to spend much time on. Orcs have a few shamans here and there, but magic isn't something that they focus on as a society because it's not what they're good at. Presumably the Khalifate's ancestors developed on a different portion of the OC than the Wesfolk did (given the differences in skin tones and hair colors), they might not have made any contact with magic users until they already had achieved superior scientific/technological ways of doing things. "Behold, I can light this stick on fire with my mind!" "So what? I've got a flame thrower."

I haven't followed the development of the Khalifate very closely, so any of what I say may be in direct conflict with established lore. They don't have any magical units, but this doesn't necessarily mean that they are entirely devoid of magic as a nation (but they might be, for all I know). However, it might be a rare thing, and I could imagine a noble or aristocrat having a court mage as something of a status symbol, or for intimidation purposes. I'm thinking a sort of Grigori Rasputin character. If the majority of the nation has only a very vague knowledge of what magic is/does, then people's imaginations will fill in the gaps. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, or the Sheikh will have his pet mage turn you into a toad or make you bleed out of your eyeballs!" Having them be foreigners could add to the mystique, since people are usually anxious to belief all sorts of crazy things about outsiders -- hardly anybody believes in "wizards" anymore, but how many more believe in Haitians with magical "voodoo" powers?

Also, I like the idea that only a portion of them migrated. Perhaps the Kaliphate sends colonists to the Great Continent to help a group of non-human allies (Drakes, maybe?) resist a group of non-human enemies (Orcs? Undead? Rival Drakes?).

I think they should come to help one band of Drakes against a rival band of Drakes, and then only encounter Wesnothians by coincidence.

Presumably they would have an ulterior motive for being there and allying with one group over another, like if those drakes control a trade route for whatever valuable goods are prevalent on the GC -- furs, dyes, precious stones, exotic crafts, slaves, etc. There's plenty of real-world history for inspiration.

[max_torch]

Here's some definitions of Colonialism:

Colonialism is the establishment, exploitation, maintenance, acquisition, and expansion of colony in one territory by a political power from another territory. It is a set of unequal relationships between the colonial power and the colony and often between the colonists and the indigenous population.

Rejecting cultural compromises with the colonized population, the colonizers are convinced of their own superiority and their ordained mandate to rule.

A reason for which a country might practice exploitation colonialism is the immediate financial gain produced by the low-cost extraction of raw materials by means of an enslaved native people, usually administered by a colonial government.

So I guess this theme of colonialism would go well rather then the theme of fleeing for survival. If they believe they are superior enough to go out and exploit other peoples in the Great Continent, I believe they should have developed boats. Even Egyptians made ancient boats even though they lived in the desert, I don't see why the Khalifate should not be seafaring given if we follow tascheter's idea of the Khalifate having a golden age.
The question for me now is what people on the GC could they try to dominate/exploit? Better if it's a group that no one can immediately or will immediately rescue? What if the Khalifate lands on the east side of the GC, far from where wesnoth has developed and can meddle in their affairs for a few years?

I haven't followed the development of the Khalifate very closely, so any of what I say may be in direct conflict with established lore.

If I'm not mistaken, there is no established lore as the Khalifate have not been mentioned in a single campaign.

EDIT: What about this idea:
Around the time of SotBE a Khalifate expeditionary force lands on the east coast and are amazed at how fertile the land is and love it because it is not desert but rather it is lush and decide to set up a colony, then they see the weak saurians living in the vicinity and start exploiting them, thinking that they are only like animals, then the saurians call for help from their drake cousins and a drake/saurian coalition drives the Khalifate off (This could be a novice campaign). Then around fifty years later a full army comes to claim the land of the east coast of the Great Continent from the Drakes and Saurians. The Saurians and Drakes don't want to part with their land but the Khalifate manages to drive them out and kill the drakes' leader with their amazing battle tactics and surprise attacks because in this second wave of Khalifate they are being led by a wise general noble man (kinda like Crassus in Spartacus. This can be a long expert campaign). This causes some kind of Saurian and Drake refugee crisis and for the first time the displaced Drakes have to live in the vicinity of or together with the humans and drakes have to be humble. It will be called the age where wesnoth as a civilized society becomes multicultural together with the drakes, like how america is multicultural.

[Tascheter]

Since the Khalifate is already mainline-ish, shouldn't we start on a campaign? It seems to be putting the cart before the horse to create background before the main story. Lore is merely the events of the campaigns, with filler to connect them together.

[zookeeper]

Well, this thread was about possible ideas for the story, which might be useful for whoever attempts to write such a campaign. It would indeed be silly to create a detailed and definitive backstory which campaigns would need to adhere to, so this thread should mostly serve as a source of inspiration and ideas of what sort of things might work or not and why.

[max_torch]

I will try to make a short story to give more inspiration for the possible lore.

Chapter 1- The Oracle Sees
Sseely the Saurian Oracle was troubled. He saw three comets pass through the heart of the great lizard constellation. He burned incense, chanted, closed his eyes, and went into a trance state, focusing his magic on deciphering the meaning of the omen in the stars. He shrieked due to the shock of his revelation. Xaltax, his pack leader, heard the cry and approached.
"What is this you shriek of, did you have a nightmare?"
"Yes, a nightmare indeed, I have seen a warning in the stars. A calamity so great will befall the land and we will have no power on our own to stop it"
"Do you know what kind of calamity it will be?"
"I only know that what is coming has not been seen in these lands before."
"We are strong and fierce. We will find a way to survive whatever comes."

Chapter 2 - A New Land
"Land ahead!" shouted the watchman. He immediately asked someone to bring word to the commodore and the Shuja.
"Land has been spotted my liege!" the sailor tells the Shuja.
"This is great news! We can finally start looking for new conquest! Tell the commodore to land the armada. We will establish a camp near the shore. Once we are settled we will begin exploring the vicinity."
The boats reach the shore and land. Tents are erected, trees are cut and the soldiers look for animals to hunt. Scouts are sent out on long forays to search for anything of note.
A Saurian huntress eyes some hatchlings, focusing all her attention on them, preparing to grab them as soon as the mother goes to get food. Suddenly an arrow pierces her skull and she drops dead on the ground. A Khalifate soldier approaches the body, takes it home, they cook it and share the meat.
to be continued
EDIT: A forest is in the vicinity of the Khalifate Camp.

[johndh]

I will try to make a short story to give more inspiration for the possible lore.

It seems like a good concept. I like the saurians as a candidate for the natives, as they have the "look primitive but actually have a sophisticated society" shtick covered pretty well. They use stone spears and live in huts made of mud and sticks, but their understanding of mathematics and astronomy in unparalleled on all of Irdya. They also talk funny, have a reptilian appearance, and their warriors are female -- all of which must seem truly alien to the humans. If they enlist the help of the drakes, they probably seem like monstrous brutes more than intelligent beings.

"They're savages, savages, dirty shrieking devils! Now we sound the drums of war!"

[max_torch]

I will try to make a short story to give more inspiration for the possible lore.

It seems like a good concept. I like the saurians as a candidate for the natives, as they have the "look primitive but actually have a sophisticated society" shtick covered pretty well. They use stone spears and live in huts made of mud and sticks, but their understanding of mathematics and astronomy in unparalleled on all of Irdya. They also talk funny, have a reptilian appearance, and their warriors are female -- all of which must seem truly alien to the humans. If they enlist the help of the drakes, they probably seem like monstrous brutes more than intelligent beings.

"They're savages, savages, dirty shrieking devils! Now we sound the drums of war!"

In the wiki it says that the saurians are extremely violent living only 10-15 years and moving all the time. I wonder how would they develop a level of sophistication with such a chaotic society, and what would they use math for other than looking at the angle between the sun and stars?

Also in order to continue with the story I need to know more background on when and how in mainline did the saurians ally with the drakes? In the wiki it says that they are not of common descent.

[johndh]

In the wiki it says that the saurians are extremely violent living only 10-15 years and moving all the time. I wonder how would they develop a level of sophistication with such a chaotic society, and what would they use math for other than looking at the angle between the sun and stars?

As you've picked up on, saurians use their advanced mathematics and astronomy for astrological fortune-telling, as shown by units like the Seer and Augur. When Rome tried to conquer the Celtic peoples of the British isles, they found that they had sophisticated metalworking and better chariots than their own, while decorating with the severed body parts of their enemies and practicing human sacrifice. Barbarians can be more complicated than we think. Also, I find it best to take the wiki with a grain of salt.

Also in order to continue with the story I need to know more background on when and how in mainline did the saurians ally with the drakes? In the wiki it says that they are not of common descent.

To the best of my knowledge, this is just a multiplayer contrivance. They fill in for each other's weaknesses, so they play well together.

[max_torch]

Chapter 3 - Fresh Meat
Essa was out hunting with her pack when she suddenly heard the sound of horses moving towards her location. They quickly hid behind bushes and kept as quiet as possible as they saw a Khalifate scouting party pass. As pack leader she decided to track them and see what they were up to. To her surprise they traveled all the way to the edge of the forest and up to the swamp where they could see some of the settlements of her pack in the bog. The men seemed to discuss things amongst themselves.
"I don't like this. They are pointing at our huts." whispered one of the huntresses.
"Nor do I. In the interests of keeping our settlement safe I say these humans are fair game for the hunt." Essa whispered back.
The scouting party then turned back to the direction they came from.
"Their horses are clumsy in navigating the dense tree and brush growth of the forest, Meesrax, Lanis, Tesra, outrun them and quickly deploy traps. The rest of us will pursue and then strike when the traps are triggered." said Essa.
The horses ran into the Saurian hunting traps followed by the quick and efficient slaughter of the riders. Essa and her pack then cooked and ate the bodies.
All over the (insert name) Forest, the same scenario was repeating itself. Saurians who were out hunting decided that the Khalifate scouts were easy prey.

Chapter 4 - War Plans
In the Khalifate camp, a meeting of the Shuja and his warmasters took place.
"What's happening out there? Why have a third of our scouts disappeared?!" exclaimed the Shuja.
"We have an eyewitness account from a Rami who died a few minutes after arriving at the camp. He said that they were attacked by savage creatures that were armed with spears and can move like lightning and jump through the branches of the trees. The creatures were collecting the bodies of our men. The men call them lizards. The rest of our scout patrols have discovered a swamp that lies beyond the forest where some of the creatures have dwellings." replied the cavalry officer.
The Shuja shook his head. "This land is rich, fertile, and offers much shade from the sun. We have not yet even seen all this land has to offer. If we are going to establish a settlement here we're going to have to secure the surrounding region. Our men are used to fighting across open desert, here in the forest we will have to adjust our strategy"
"Shuja, I believe we have an advantage here." said the Naffat officer. Everyone looked to him. After a pause he resumed. "Allow me to explain. Unlike an empty desert there is much here that can burn. In the strategy book of the Great Naffat Master Alhamaraza there is a chapter called Scorched Earth (or should Scorched Earth be in Arabic?) that discusses offensive tactics with fire. If we cannot run faster than them in the forest we can trap them with fires. If the wind is right and there is a fuel present, fire can move faster than a horse. We can use our falcons to carry tinder and drop them behind the unsuspecting enemy's lines. Alhamaraza would have loved this opportunity."
"Yes, but what about the swamp? Over there they could douse it out with water." someone interjected.
"There is a concoction called 'Hariq' that the Tineen(The level 3 Naffat) are fond of using in their experiments. It is an extremely potent fuel for fire that can burn over water and it can allow the fire to travel so fast through the swamp that the lizards will have no way to save their settlement and they might not even manage to escape before they are caught in the flames."
"It sounds good. Let's burn their village to the ground! They may decide to counterattack, strengthen the fortifications, bolster the defenses! Let's strike fear into their hearts! said the Shuja.
to be continued

Please if you can make this more consistent with Wesnothian tradition and lore go ahead and do so. Thoughts? Ideas?

[Paulomat4]

Really nice. Looking forward for more chapters!

[max_torch]

Chapter 5 - Superior Firepower
Xaltax awoke to the smell of smoke.. there must be a fire!
One of the saurians arrived at the door of his hut.
"Xaltax, there's a large swamp fire! Hurry let's douse the flames before it spreads!"
Quickly Xaltax got up, got a water basket, and followed the saurian who pointed at a huge fire at the edge of the swamp that was getting larger quickly and to make matters worse there was a strong wind blowing the flames towards the direction of their village. Already many saurian adults from theirs and the other villages sharing the swamp were heading towards it with baskets. Xaltax sprinted and caught up with them and they started pouring water over the fire as fast as they could. Some saurians suddenly got trapped in the flames as the fire suddenly grew larger and engulfed them before they could run.
"I've never seen fire spread quickly like this before, it's as if it is mad with rage!" said one of the saurians."
"The fire is too big we can't stop it! Let's take our younglings and abandon this place!" said Xaltax. But as he looked towards his village a flock of birds each carrying something glowing suddenly headed towards it and before Xaltax could realize what it was the birds dropped their payload onto the houses and nursery and everything started to go ablaze. He looked towards the other villages and he realized they had the same fate as they were all also on fire. All of the saurians tried to run back to get the children but their efforts were futile, it was too late. Saurians were crying out in anguish and a panic ensued as the fire seemed to have suddenly accelerated towards them forcing them to move, and smoke was everywhere. Everyone was scrambling to escape but when they looked around they saw that there was fire all around them. Some of them were lucky enough to spot the gaps and run out of there before they could be engulfed in flames. As Xaltax was fleeing he took a last glimpse back, saw a bird descending towards the ground, and through the smoke he was barely able to make out a hooded human take the bird and disappear. What he felt then was a sudden outrage as he suddenly had a desire for revenge.
to be continued

Help guys I don't know where on the Great Continent to situate this story. Also I want to clarify the status of drakes. I know that there are a lot of drakes on Morogor, but what about the drakes in the bonus scenario of HtTT cliffs of thoria and also recently I reached Lake Vrug in EI and there are some sky drakes. Also does the lawful status of the drakes mean that if the Saurians ask them for aid, it will be like Israel asks America for help and America decides to help Israel?

[johndh]

I'm rather doubtful of anyone making a serious effort to put out a wildfire with buckets of water. Especially with wind, wildfire spreads like... well, wildfire. There's a reason people make that comparison a lot. Even nowadays, "direct attack" (i.e. go put the fire out) is risky, and that's when we've got Nomex and water tenders. Really the best thing for our saurians to do would just be to evacuate. Given their mobility and their not-so-sturdy-looking villages, my guess is that they are prepared to flee at a moment's notice during fire season, then rebuild on any old patch of swamp. It doesn't take long to slap some sticks and mud together, and the materials are all over the place, so they can build a new village in a matter of days. In a few years, everything in the burnt patch will be regrown and they can move back. They might even have a hidden "backup" village where they go in times of trouble.

I think the likely scenario is for the humans to burn out a section of dry swamp grass to funnel the villagers into a trap, making it so their only escape route is a direct confrontation with fortified Khalifate troops on dry ground, robbing them of their terrain advantage and their hit-and-run tactics. They would be facing expert soldiers head-on with certain death behind them. The Khalifate could even have a fire line already established (represented here by sand) to keep the fire from overtaking their own camp or fortifications. Given that the saurians are used to wildfires, they might realize right away that something is different about this one, but they'd still have no choice but to flee into the trap.

Fight or suffocate

nowhere_to_run.jpg (37.21 KiB) Viewed 6553 times

Help guys I don't know where on the Great Continent to situate this story. Also I want to clarify the status of drakes. I know that there are a lot of drakes on Morogor, but what about the drakes in the bonus scenario of HtTT cliffs of thoria and also recently I reached Lake Vrug in EI and there are some sky drakes.

I seem to remember that Morogor sank into the ocean shortly after the humans visited in TRoW, and that was a long time before HttT. If they knew that the island was sinking (I seem to recall it was a gradual process, rather than a sudden cataclysm), it would be smart for them to have established settlements on the mainland before that. As far as where they might be, I would imagine that they're somewhere to the south of Wesnoth, as the northern part of the GC is already covered.

[max_torch]

wow johndh, your tactic sounds better than mine! Okay I will rewrite Chapter 5 and shamelessly use everything you said. An idea also popped into my head to make the saurians escape more exciting. The Khalifate will think they finally have the saurians cornered when suddenly to their surprise, SHOOM!
Well in the main map there is space below the Aethenwood, so I guess for now temporarily I will situate the story there.

[max_torch]

Chapter 5 - Superior Firepower (revised)
It was the middle of the night when Xaltax suddenly awoke to the smell of smoke. It's too early in the season for wildfires he thought. When he emerged from his hut and looked around all he could see was smoke coming in all directions except the west. Other saurians began to emerge.
"I can't see the fire, but from the looks of this smoke it's probably huge, tell everyone to abandon the village!" He pointed towards where the air seemed more clear. "Let's head in that direction, quickly!"
In the other villages all of the saurians were doing the same. The mothers don't bother to save the eggs from their nests and no one has much in the way of belongings to salvage, in the world of the saurians the theme of death and survival is commonplace, only the strong and the lucky survive, and moving from place to place is not unusual. As the air became clearer the saurians saw a wide line of fortified men with large shields and long spears waiting for them, an elite group known among the Khalifate as the Mudafi.
"It's a trap set by the humans! How dare they think of challenging us! Let's get them! It's fight or die!" said Xaltax
"Remember the Shuja wants to capture some alive!" reminded the Mudafi leader to his men.
Suddenly from behind the Mudafi some Naffat released arrows that came flying at the saurians. With their blood pumping in an adrenaline rush and the remarkable agility of the saurians they were able to dodge the arrows and to the great surprise of the Khalifate soldiers the augurs unleashed their strange curses on the enemy, blasting away at their well-positioned line and among those killed by the magic was the Mudafi leader. At the sight of the strange magics and the death of their leader the Khalifate soldiers were shocked with disbelief at witnessing the power of magic, and the affirmation of the horror stories their mothers told them about evil magic users. As more and more men fell to the curses a panic spread across the Khalifate and they broke rank and tried to flee but the saurian females moved with swift vengeance and ran them down with their spears. Saurians may be used to death, but they also have friends, and in the aftermath of the battle Xaltax looked around for his friend and mentor Sseely the oracle but could not find him.

for readers: i am trying to think of how some horsemen or khalifate were able to capture Sseely in the middle of the battle and manage to get back to the khalifate camp, any suggestions?
what do you think of the revision compared to the original?

P.S.
I am trying to make the above story fit this guideline as posted in the Mainline campaign development subsection:

STORY
* The story should be interesting and reasonably consistant with the rest of the wesnoth universe.. This means that if you point to Wesnoth history it should somehow match it. If you do vary history in some places, please mark it accordingly as "legend" or something like this in the intro of the campaign.

If you could check if i am meeting these guidelines i'd appreciate it. The point of this thread after all is to help develop the Khalifate's place in mainline.