THE AL’MAZARI

South of Sarynth, the Al’Mazari peninsula passes repeatedly between abundance and desolation. Fertile valleys, irrigated fields, and groves of date palms yield suddenly to dunes, stone, and dry country where an unwise traveler may walk an entire day toward a pool that never existed.

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Mitra was born here, as was the faith devoted to light, truth, war, and sacred oaths. Yet fewer than one Al’Mazari in fifty still follows the old god. Most now worship the Egyptian Pantheon, and the shrines of Mitra survive in isolated communities, guarded chambers, family traditions, and places where sunrise enters through carefully cut stone.

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The Al’Mazari have spent much of their history beneath the authority of larger empires. Sarynth rules the peninsula today, having retaken it after generations of eastern occupation. Al’Mazari labor sustains a great portion of the Empire, and Al’Mazari captives form much of its enslaved population. Imperial officials describe this relationship through law, taxation, and historical necessity. Al’Mazari stories generally use thieves.

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Those tales celebrate clever robbers, escaped servants, impossible disguises, hidden coves, and pirates who steal from Sarynthian officials before leaving them with a useful lesson and no trousers. Their heroes rarely defeat an empire in battle. They embarrass it, survive it, and redistribute whatever was poorly guarded.

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The same spirit draws many Al’Mazari toward the sea. They become sailors, merchants, navigators, smugglers, and pirates, carrying the peninsula’s people far beyond imperial supervision. In most ports, the difference between these occupations depends upon the cargo, the flag, and who is currently asking.

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The victories of General Umar ibn al-Khattab have opened another path. During the most recent crusade, he trained Al’Mazari riders to serve as light cavalry beside Sarynth’s legions and artillery. Their speed, discipline, and excellent horses proved decisive. Al-Khattab’s cunning, education, and personal honor have made him the most celebrated Al’Mazari within the Empire.

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Young Al’Mazari now join the imperial legions in growing numbers. Some see service as advancement, some as protection for their families, and some as an opportunity to master the weapons of those who rule them. All three explanations may belong to the same rider.

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The Al’Mazari are too often described only by what has been taken from them: land, labor, faith, and freedom. This overlooks what remains theirs. Their horses cross country armies cannot hold. Their vessels reach waters officials cannot watch. Their stories turn oppression into ridicule, and their children continue to carry old names across every border placed before them. Empires have ruled the peninsula for centuries. None have yet persuaded the Al’Mazari that rule and ownership are the same thing.

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—Lantern of the Thirteenth Word