Benduzi Sultanate

The southern half of the historic Alikar Kingdom of humans.

History
Ancient Alikar was one of the first human kingdoms established on Aegeron, unfortunately much of its history has been lost over the ages. The unbroken rule of Ailkarian kings came to an end during the Century of Conquest when the Imperium unleashed a curse of unimaginable power to stop the Pigris river. Without its water the kingdom fell into ruin within days, and after a week the mob stormed the Royal Palace in Msalu and ended the bloodline of Alikarian kings, thus ending the curse and allowing the Imperium to absorb the realm.

In A.I. 398, a few years before the fall of the Imperium, a large-scale revolt broke out in Alikar, although historians are unsure about the exact grievances that led to both nobles and commoners take up arms. The Imperium sent General Baurus Benduzi of the Imperial Legion to crush the rebels, but hunting guerillas in the desert proved more difficult the he thought.

Benduzi was midway through his campaign when the Imperial City fell. Unlike the other generals of the Imperial Legion he did not rush to the defense of imperial heartlands, instead he saw it as an opportunity to install himself as the ruler of Alikar, founding the Benduzi Sultanate. But the rebels were far from beaten, so he had to spend most of the Succession Wars fighting them. In the end the province of Alikar was divided between the Benduzi Sultanate and the Alikar Kingdom.

The current sultan is Nazeem Benduzi, the grandson of General Baurus Benduzi, who, like his ancestors, rule with a iron fist.

Life
The Benduzi Sultanate is unlike the feudal monarchies neighboring it, it is a militaristic despotism, where the Sultan's rule is absolute. The ruling class of the Sultanate are the military leaders, although the nobility still exists (many commanders used their powers to purchase or usurp titles). This has an unexpected upside regarding social mobility, as even the lowest classes can join the military and rise through the ranks if they prove themselves capable.

The Benduzi Sultanate, just like its northern neighbor, is dependent on the Pigris River whose floodplains are covered by fertile soil every year, allowing the otherwise barren kingdom to produce enough food to even export it to their neighbors. It is no wonder that the Pigris River has a special place in the local culture and that many show special attention to Obad-Hai, God of Nature.