Zakhara – sometimes known as Al-Qadim, the Land of Fate, or The Old – is a disparate land held together by a shared culture. That doesn’t mean that everything is the same across the whole land, but that religious and philosophical threads bind the people of Zakhara into one, loosely bound, people. In the south there are warm seas and plentiful islands, but there are also there are burning deserts with fruitful oases, barren mountains and barren mountains and great cities. Each have their own subculture and religious viewpoint – some of which appear to be diametrically opposed. Corsairs compete with the Caliph’s soldier-slaves; The Enlightened enforce the fundamentalist views of their pantheon, while the Temple of a Thousand Gods venerates every deity they have ever heard of; Proud nomads roam the deserts, while many city dwellers hardly venture beyond their walls. The Fates decide your place in the world.
Their whole understanding of the arcane is different from ours, as well, and they see the arcane world reflected in the world that surrounds them. Their Wizards specialise in the spells of the elements (Wind, Sand, Water and Fire) rather than the more academic magic schools taught in our own lands. The Djinn, elemental beings that we know as genies, are common and powerful – some serve men, other see mortals as beneath them – however, it is best to be wary of dealing with them.
The weather affects many aspects of their life. Buildings, and even clothes, are designed to minimise the effects of the high temperatures, and they decry heavy metal armours insisting that they cannot fight as well when clad in a heavy metal suit. Of course, those warriors who do wear heavy armour may be smiled upon by fate, although that is said to be a rare occurrence..