- The Dža'Iftikhar [ DJYAH ee feet i car ] is a land mostly composed of the great desert Quazi [ kah zee ], "the judger", and little beyond the claimed land reaches into the more fertile north. Thus, with such an unforgiving climate of endless sand, it is only natural that the Quazi would give birth to hardy and even more brutal men. It could be protested that the culture is unfair and brutal but to live as one of the people of Dža'Iftikhar and a child of the Quazi is to understand that it is needed. The elderly lay their bones upon the sand and a child that cannot survive to manhood is useless and not to be pitied. Infant mortality is high and the need for the people to survive is all the higher. Perhaps this is the basis for it all and it likely is. The same morals of the northern men do not apply here. Their lives consist of a never ending war for land and resources. Many tribes are nomadic while others have taken control of a desert well or oasis (the string of wells that wind through the desert are known as the String of Pearls and are surrounded by neutral cities often habited by foreign merchants and tribe-less families though not deeper into the desert). These are the ones with the power, as is the Musjaddiq [ moo j(sh)SAH dek ]. For a growing tribe, more land and water is needed and can only come from conquering the lands of other tribes. But extra mouths cannot be cared for and the excess are killed or sold to slavery. (an orphan is either made a servant, sold into slavery, or killed)
Even so, they are still a people of learning and culture with literature and the arts an important part of life. Though many have few possessions, they are of the highest quality. Dyed, intricate fabrics woven by skilled fingers. The greater the colors, the more intricate the patterns, the richer the fabric. Women with such skills can even make a name for themselves... if their husband allows it. To honor the family. Gold and precious gems are not unheard of and only the wealthiest possess them. Music and dance fill the cool times of the night around fires. Stories are told, music composed, and the swirling of bodies that pound their rhythm to the sand with their feet. The people understand the movement of the stars, the realities of the climate, and the maths composed by great minds. Trade with the foreign men brings new thoughts and ideas though many reject them for conservative, though solid, interpretations.
The people of the Dža'Iftikhar have not changed much over the years and have been living the same lifestyle since antiquity. They do not take well to change and find blood purity to be as important as honoring the family. Honor killings, sadly, happen quite often. It is not uncommon for men to take multiple wives and women have a near nonexistent role in society. They are guarded jealously by their male relatives though some tribes are more lenient and give them more power, such as the Al'kathum once had. Slavery is an important aspect of their lives and religion is inseparable from every aspect in their society. Each tribe has a patron god they worship and certain aspects of that god determine certain moral codes in that specific tribe. The Musjaddiq worship the god Ybelu [ yah bloo ], the god of storms and destruction.
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The Musjaddiq tribe, though predominantly stationary upon a major oasis, did also live as nomads because of its growing size. There is no sole leader in the tribe, there rarely is in most tribes. It is instead ruled by the powerful families. During times of war and great trouble a single man takes power, one from one of the powerful families. When it ends he must leave such a spot lest he and his family be put to death by the rest of the tribe for treason against it. The Muhaijin were one such powerful family and their ancestors gave the tribe many powerful generals, or Dwâzin [ j(sh)had seen ]. The last time the Musjaddiq went to war, a Dwâzin was chosen from the Muhaijin family, which Abdullah Jabbar Rod'eman is heir. They went to war against the Al'kathum, one of weak warriors but many resources and power. At its conclusion, the tribe was wiped out with its possessions taken and people sold into slavery. The Musjaddiq are a predominantly warrior tribe.
The land they live in is barren and predominantly sand except for some rock formations and mountains scattered throughout the desert. The only places with greenery are those around oasis's and wells. The Musjaddiq live on an oasis though its size stretches out to the surrounding desert. The more influence and individual and/or family has, the closer they can live to the oasis spring. Most still live in tents though they are not nomadic like most tribes but some live in the caves of the rocks the oasis springs from. The Muhaijin family lives predominantly in tents against the face of the stone hills with their more important tents closer to the spring source. They own many tents and below are pictured a few of them, inside and out. The unassuming on the outside, they appear larger within. Exterior decoration is of less importance than the interior and can be seen as foppery if the outside is decorated.
