[Hourglass of Zihaja] Chapter 2: The World of Siraaj

[Zeta Kai]

Dominion of Alaqanas

Former Capital: Djura*
Region: Lisan Coast
Language: Alaqanasai
Duration: 1 AK – 51 IR (3,185 years)
Notable Rulers: Ul-Men-Adzur, Ul-Mesha-Ruk, An-Gil-Enkiu, Kal-Padar-Ul, Ul-Shap-Ikuru, Alu-Tapish-Sum

It was here that humanity rose from out of the shadow of the simurghs. It was here that the wheel & the plow were first invented. It was here that history was first recorded. It was here, in the Dominion of Alaqanas (AH-lah-KAH-nahs), that civilization truly began.

After the rule of the simurghs collapsed in a bitter civil war, the people of Alaqanas were the first to rise up & form a nation. They quickly annexed a wide swath of territory along the western coast of Admaja, securing it with their military prowess & development of bronze weaponry. With their invention of agriculture, they were able to feed the people, allowing them to live longer & greater numbers than ever before. And with the creation of a system of writing, they were able to codify their language & record their history.

The name Alaqanas means “human” or “people”, so the Dominion of Alaqanas was really the Dominion of Man. It was a human-dominated realm, where other races were non-citizens or slaves. Only the human citizens could vote on electable issues, & only they could hold offices in the government. The non-citizens had fewer rights, & were under more social & economic restrictions. The slaves had no rights, were completely subject to their owners’ whims, & unlike slaves in later cultures, they could not purchase their freedom on their own.

The Dominion of Alaqanas was safe & successful for centuries, weathering feast & famine, health & disease, peace & war. It became the longest-lasting civilization in the history of Siraaj, in addition to the first, & many believed that its prosperity would last for eternity. Unfortunately, after over three millennia, its luck finally ran out.

An ecological disaster reduced their crop yields, which led to a severe food shortage. This opened up Alaqanas to invasion by the kingdom of Ilud to the south, which was later called the War of Songs. They lost this war, & were partially occupied by them for a time. The capital was in utter ruins from the conflict, & after the Ten Dark Years, Ilud was forced to withdraw from the country, leaving it to descend into barbarism; a poor end for a once-great realm.