The Banner representing 'The Royal Duchy"

The Kingdom of Al-Khezam is a land blessed by lush lands, mighty rivers and natural defenses in the form of mountain. Its capital is Dilmunia, where it has always been since the day our ancestors left the nomadic life behind, brought here by the light of the Constellation of Tulip. We are a land populated by many peoples now, yet we live in peace and harmony. It is not our intent to suffer division of any form, brought by differing beliefs or cultures and you will discover the only way to rise our ire is through insisting all follow your beliefs and eschewing the rest. Why do I not tolerate such fervor? It is very simple: look upon our symbol the Tulip. There are the petals, stamen, stem and roots. Each has a part to play, as does the soil, rain, wind and sun. Remove one element and the flower dies. This is the guiding principle of Al-Khezam:

IN DIVERSITY THERE IS UNITY, STRENGTH, PROSPERITY AND BEAUTY.

As with the Tulip, so shall AL-Khezam be built. We shall be known for the beauty of our kingdom (not unlike the petals), the open pathways by land or sea to enable swift defense and unlimited trade, and our strength, which comes from the many roots of commerce, temples, arms, and crops which all work together to nourish our people.

I am pledged to grow our mighty kingdom and I will work unceasingly to make it ever stronger, richer and bountiful. I shall concentrate my efforts and will into the perfection of our civil and military institutions, our men at arms and defenders of the realm shall be paid well, with a healthy stipend at the end of their career. Should they fall in battle, their widows and orphans will be provided for. Temples and schools will be founded and maintained, with all thoughts and philosophies welcomed and encouraged to participate in healthy discourse. Public edifices shall be raised throughout the land, attesting to our piety and Al'hezam’s magnificence. With such abundance, my greatest wish is that we all are able to live our lives with love for our fellow countrymen, an eagerness to make our borders strong and our willingness to endure troubles together, as my little companion did.

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The Banner representing 'The Order of the Grand Flock"

There are four elements to a kingdom: Population, Land, Commerce and Arms. Without one of these, there is no kingdom. To build a strong kingdom requires judicial ruling of the four elements. One cannot be ignored, depleted or sacrificed. So it is with this in mind that l will structure AL-Khezam.

To ensure that all four elements are maintained and allowed to prosper, I decree the three conditions which must be met at all times:

🌷 Order shall be maintained, with fairness and justice for all. Every man, woman, and child has the same right in the court of law, no matter their social standing. My nobles, judges and civil administrators are pledged to see that those rights are upheld for all. The young farmer shall not lose his land to the wealthy Marquis. The widow shall not be turned out of her house to make way for a new road without compensation.

🌷 A Political system is in place to allow Myself and my nobility to rule efficiently, with the guidance of the temples and the aid of the civil administrators and courts.

🌷 Taxes shall be fair, to allow the population to grow their personal wealth. Taxes shall be spent wisely, in the defense or to strengthen the realm.

Civil and Judicial System

The Royal Court:

All Dukes are given a place in this court. Their wealth and land may be grand, but so are their duties. They are charged with the care of the inhabitants of their land, the maintenance of the temples, schools and infirmaries. They are tasked with seeing the forests, tundra and rivers are not depleted or over-farmed. They are responsible for the maintenance of the men-at-arms sequestered within their realms and the defense of the borders and the roads that travel through their lands.

The Royal Council

• Grand Visier - The bearer of the kingdom burden, responsible for suggesting and introducing the kings laws. Holds absolute power of attorney, dismissible only by the king himself. Exercise the ruling power during the kings absence.

• Lord Steward - tasked with the care of the palace, the ministers and governance of the realm.

• Lord Chancellor - tasked with the matters of treasury and the collection of taxes, the distribution of aid to the needy and the funding of enterprises.

• Lord Marshal - working with both the Lord High Commander and the Lord High Admiral, tasked with the organization of all state ceremonies, from the Black Tulip Fair to state weddings and funerals.

• Lord Academician - tasked with the care of The Academy, overlooks and directs all the research institutes within the realm.

• Lord Justiciar - tasked with the running of the court, from the village councils to the high court of the realm itself. All county assigned judges report to him.

• Lord High Priest - Representative of the Temple, ensuring our Privy Council always keeps to the tenets of our faith and makes decisions with purity and righteousness.

Defence System

The Defence Council

🗡 Lord High Commander/lord high constable - tasked with the governance of the Royal army, all Duke army commanders and barons within the Royal Duchy report directly to him.

🗡 Lord high Admiral - mounting the defense of the Realm on the waters, maintaining the naval fleet and guarding merchant ships.

Representative of the Grand Flock.

The members of the Order of the Grand Flock serve our people and our faith and subsequently are accounted our protectors and defenders of the official faith. Religious persecution is not tolerated within our borders and all are encouraged to seek the truth for themselves and swear allegiance to the Black Tulip and fealty to The King of Al-Khezam. We are tolerant until provoked, though we are not provoked easily. With this to guide us, we have alway striven for fairness, peace and prosperity for all with our land and trade that benefits us and our neighbouring Kingdoms. We do not seek war, but we also do not hesitate to protect our own.

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Short History

... To those who are new to Usifan, the tale of our land can be summed up Succinctly: our ancestors, Al-Qaum, were wanderers and nomads, living in the harsher climates of the desert, until drought drove them to seek a new land for their people. A wise man followed a light to the top of the promontory that now sits on our border, and there he saw the constellation of Tulip, its stem pointing directly to what is now our beloved city. He and his men followed the stem, trusting in the constellation to lead them to safe haven.

When they arrived here, they knew they had found the land of their dreams. The beauty of the place, its sheltered location thanks to the mountains that encircle us, and the fecundity of the soil made them rejoice. The rest of their people soon made their way over the hazardous mountains and the foundation of Dilmunia were laid. The Duchy grew in power and wealth, until we swore fealty to King Dragor and became part of the Kingdom of Nirath. We have retained our position as the foremost Duchy, thanks to our geographical position and agreements we have with traders and merchants from all over the kingdom and the world. However, following the 'battle of Owl's Watch' the Duke, now 'King Usifan' has pledged to grow his beloved Duchy into a mighty kingdom with the blessing of King Dragor, to remain loyal to Nirath as equal allies rather than vassals.

• A New Era

• History of the Royal Family

• Order of the Grand Flock

• Saw'ahya—was more than he wished for

• Dilmunia: Bandits across the borders!

• Usifan: Order at my absence

• Report from Falcon's Nest

• Usifan’s Kingdom: A Herald’s Guide

• Falzame: Book of Legends

• Settlement of three nights dreams

• Eulogy to Draigh

• Tulip’s Flowering

• Elyria at War: The Collected Edition

• Tales of the Blind Storyteller 'Sam'uel': Chapter One "Court Dummling"

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Congratulations Usifan!

-MX

Good Luck with your new Kingdom!

Long live the King!

Good luck with the Kingdom.

Long Live the King!

This is looking great! I wish you good luck in your endeavours and always offer a listening ear if you ever need one.

Good luck Usifan!

I wish you the best in this new amazing journey! ^-^

Nice, a new king for epic stories in Elyria! Let's have fun :D

You look like a promising king Usifan, I'm looking forward to the rise of AL-Khezam!

Best of luck to you and your kingdom Usifan! :D

Great read. Good luck, Usifan! :)

Congrats and good luck!