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{{Info races
{{Info Lineage
|image = QadirFemale.png
|name = Qadir Ailor
|pronunciation = Ka-dir
|test = Ashkhas Minara (in Zahram)
|classification = [[Human]]
|test2 = [[File:Qadirflag3.png|80px]]  
|subraces = None
|test3 = '''Motto:''' "Between the Machines of Knowledge and Ages of Wonder."
|nicknames = Brown-Skins, Book-Priests, Machine-Men
|image = Amwwir2.png
|languages = [[Faraddi]]
|state = Al-Alus
|naming = similar to [http://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/arabic Arabic] and [http://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/urdu Urdu] names found on Earth
|ruler = Technocratic Council by Examination
 
|suzerain = [[Regalian Empire]]
|distinction = Dark-skinned desert nomads known for their advanced machinery
|languages = [[Zahram]], Common
|maxage = 110 years
|religion = [[Unionism]]
|height = 5’2 - 6’2
|first_recorded = 10,000 BC
|weight = 100 - 200 lbs
|demonym = Qadiriq
|eye = Dark brown
|hair = Pure black, almost always curly
|skin = A deep brown tan
|}}
|}}
The Qadir hail from the desert continent of [[Farah'deen]], home of storming sands and the scorching heat. The Qadir are a relatively unseen force in Farah'deen politics due to the dominance of the [[Songaskia]], though large numbers of Qadir still live in their homeland, mostly staying away from the urbanized Songaskian cities. In many ways, the Qadir are a people of habit and tradition, though many outsiders simply see them as stagnant and lacking in ambition. This assumption often ignores their rich and deep history that suddenly crashed down around them at their zenith, which caused them to turn inwards and to focus on their traditions. They are a people with exceptional skill in crafts, unrivaled goldsmithing skills, gem cutting precision and an unending thirst for knowledge and machine crafts. Taking the forefront in precision crafts such as glasses and clockworks, the world is starting to take more note of the Qadir as of late, largely due to the newer generations venturing out into the world to remind the other [[Races]] of their skills and history. The [[Regalian Empire]] has been glad to count them as allies in the past and such an arrangement is likely to continue into the future.  
The Qadir Ailor are a Lineage of [[Ailor]] that shares a common ancestry with Ailor, but diverged at a point in history when their people moved northeast into the unforgiving deserts of [[Farahdeen|Ard-al Nur]]. Lineages sit somewhere in between a [[Culture]] and a Subrace, meaning the Qadir are not quite as distant from Ailor so as to be a full-fledged different Race altogether, but are also not as simple as just a different culture. Being technicians, engineers, and scholars, if ever the world had a people that could be described as the world’s most technologically gifted, it would be them. The Qadir were reborn from the ruins of their [[Sariyd Empire]], still lingering in the desert sands, sending echoes of past technological glories to anyone brave enough to venture deep into the drought. The Qadir are famous for their highly advanced technology, with most of the world's technological advances being generated by the studious Qadir engineers, producing clockwork devices ranging from household equipment to military technology and vehicles. There is no upper limit to the curiosity and capacity for invention among the Qadir: they are not a people beset with dreams of conquest and subjugation, but of progress and fame. When referring to Qadir Ailor, one can use either Qadir Ailor, or just Qadir, but they should never be lumped in with all Ailor, as that is offensive to their unique culture and history away from their Ailor cousins.  


==Physical & Mental  Characteristics==
==Design==
The Qadir look very similar to [[Ailor]] in terms of having the same average framework, however some of their physical characteristics jump out more, or are much more uniform across all members of this Race. Their hair, for example, is universally black, often slightly curly or at least wavey; it is almost impossible to find a Qadir with straight hair. Their noses tend to be larger than an Ailor’s, and their jawlines are more square. The men in particular have more aggressive and faster body and facial hair growth than Ailor, and their eyes are always a dark brown color. Their skin is often mistaken for [[Daendroque]], though it is told apart by being much browner than the Daendroque olive or tanned colored skin. It is often said that Qadir have mysterious eyes, owing largely to their dark eye lashes, giving even men an intense look as if wearing eyeliner.  
Qadir are visually similar to their Ailor cousins, but different in some key ways. Skin tones for Qadir Ailor range only from Middle-Eastern, to Northern African, to Sahel-African, or Central Asian, strictly with darker to darkest skin tones (even if some white-coded people live in these regions). Qadir have a wide range of hair colors available, but also some that are unusual among Ailor: creamy beige, and crimson red. A very unique trait of the Qadir, is that they have sandstone-colored irises. Secondly, they have a curious skin-pigmentation that the Qadir Ailor call "Sirr al-Hayat" (Secret of Life), which involves a mandala-like pigmentation on the back of their hands that grows up their arms as they age, recording shapes reminiscent of important events in their lives in typical henna fashion. These pigmentations can have any color, change color part-ways, or faintly glow. Each Qadir Ailor has these Sirr al-Hayat, which usually end around their shoulders or chest when they die of old age. Qadir Ailor are a deeply intellectual and curious Race, valuing knowledge over (what their culture considers) the crude pursuits of warfare and combat. While this curiosity can just as well be averted to Magic or the pursuit of a martial lifestyle, most Qadir Ailor invest their time in technological innovation and scholarly learning. Qadir Ailor tend to be introverted and book-wise rather than street-wise, with other Race sometimes accusing them of being self-absorbed or abrasive, when in reality they lack an understanding of how other societies operate. 
===Why Qadir in Regalia===
Why Qadir in Regalia is a section designed to give (new) Players some idea for why a Race might want to be in Regalia, as opposed to their homeland, as some Races are heavily homeland-coded and may need some contrivances to actually Roleplay in Regalia, where all the on-server activity takes place. While you can usually extrapolate other reasons from the Lore on this page, this section provides a few easy-access suggestions.
* '''Center of Learning:''' While Qadir schools are great for learning, only Regalia provides a cosmopolitan environment with other Races, Cultures, and Religions all living together. This presents a unique environment for knowledge sharing, that Qadir will not have easy access to elsewhere. Regalia also has some of the best schools, causing Qadir to migrate to Regalia, and eventually settle after graduation.
* '''Center of Chaos:''' Qadir Technicians in general love having test subjects, and where better than the center of the world's chaos, Regalia, where there are plenty of gullible Nobles who will buy pointless tech gadgets, or criminals running around free upon whom to test new inventions without guilt. Regalia is a great place to get rich, or at least gain invaluable test-field insight in the function of inventions.
* '''Center of Wealth:''' While it was already partially mentioned in the previous point, Regalia is the capital of the world's commerce (at least the world which accepts the Regal as legal tender). Many Qadir have "made it big" by moving to Regalia, and peddling their services for Mercenaries who keep losing arms to be replaced with prosthetics, or Nobles who think: "It's bread, how much could it cost, 10,000 Regals?".
* '''Center of Freedom:''' Qadir society can sometimes have a suffocating focus on Technology. Sometimes Qadir are just born with zero interest in innovation and tech, and have a far greater curiosity towards Magic or the Occult. While Al-Alus has restrictions on the use of Magic, Regalia is generally seen more loose, and allows a Qadir to easily find teachers and mentors to widen their horizons with the forbidden arts.  


==Heritage Traits==
When designing a Character, Proficiency Points allow for a limited Ability selection with Point Buy Packs. Heritage Traits adds free Packs and Mechanics on top of that to help with cultural themes. Free Packs grant Abilities usually, while Mechanics change the way a character functions in Roleplay through subtle, and usually out of Combat ways. In essence, Mechanics just add aesthetic flair that invest in the niche of each culture. Free Packs never raise Proficiency Points, but the character must be able to purchase them normally. (ex. if a character is a certain Affinity that locks them out of a category, they cannot take that specific free pack and must choose the alternative option.) If a Free Pack grants Magic of some type, that Magic can be of any Alignment the character can normally choose, or limited to a select alignment, which will always be written in the Free Pack description.


The Qadir are a very overprotective and suspicious Race, developing these traits after the destruction caused by the [[Great Storm]] and their dealings with the Songaskia ever since. They are fiercely protective of their skills and treasures of the past, posting up in their Hadrityas (fortress libraries). Since the fall of the [[Sariyd Empire]], there has been a growing sense they no longer have a proper homeland as the Songaskia remain dominant, though the splinter [[Cultures]] of [[Khaneh]] and [[Ardualnaar]] Qadir do not share this view. The Qadir are surprisingly pragmatic and innovative in the fields of scholarly pursuit and new ideas. Their concept of religion is both simple and versatile, leading other Races to consider them liberal but very shut off from the world. The Qadir are capable of great charity and compassion for one another, but tend to turn their back on foreigners unless they have proven themselves in service for many years. The Qadir have a natural aversion to [[Magic]], it being relatively disallowed in their religion save those abilities which involve [[Soul Essence]]. They also have a severe distaste for fire, owing largely to their fear of [[Desert Dragons]] and now the Songaskia who are their children. This aversion likely led to the production of clockwork technologies and other electrical mechanisms in their early history as a way to avoid the use of an element used by several species of Desert Dragon.
Mixed Heritage characters (i.e. characters born from two parents of different Cultures) may take one parent's 'Free Packs' and mix and match up to 5 Mechanics from both parents, although some Peoples cannot produce Mixed Heritage children (due to Magical/Fantasy reasons).
===Free Packs===
* Qadir gain a Pack from the [[Tech Point Buy]] or [[Chem Point Buy]] Categories for free.
* Qadir gain the Pack [[Mounted_Point_Buy#Familiar_Disrupt_Pack|Familiar Disrupt Pack]] for free.


===Spirit Force===
===Mechanics===
Due to the innate affinity of Qadir being able to harness the power of Soul Essence through Clockwork Machinery, Qadir are uniquely able to use any Clockwork Hardware with a White Qatil Core. This is said to be a result of what the Qadir describe as the ‘Spirit Force’. Unlike the guiding, repairing, shaping and recycling of Soul Essence by the Isldar, the Spirit Force of the Qadir propels them to locate, harvest, transmutate and exhaust Soul Essence and the Soul Rivers for a far wider array of effects through Clockwork Hardware and their own unique Racial Abilities. To the Qadir, this is no more ‘immoral’ or ‘wrong’ than a miner mining coal for eventual burning fuel, and the Qadir justify it as such.  
* Qadir do not need to choose a Tech Branch, they are able to build/edit/repair any Branch. Try to be conscientious when other players feel pushed out of their niche however!
* Qadir are able to store memories being recorded in Memkeys. This does not stop Magic from tampering with Memories, but allows visual-auditory storage at the end of the day.
* Qadir can make lore equivalent VR glasses to watch Memkeys, recommending players to write Lore Stories about experiences as recordings for others to watch (read).
* Qadir can trap/rig their Rental/Base/Estate to give them advance warning of a break-in or unauthorized entry, needing to be OOC notified when and where a break-in occurs.
* Qadir may be able to do a perception check on Machines or Tech during Events to learn more about them or unlock unique interactions that other people do not have.  


===Meticulous Precision===
==History==
Passively, the Qadir retain exceptional eyesight, memory and dexterity, often being ambidextrous. In fact, Qadir have such sharp eyesight that they can see the pulp fibers on paper and reverse-engineer a clock simply by looking at its cogs (given the appropriate Finecrafts training). As such, Qadir have a base +5 in Perception Training, which they can temporarily boost for a short period, but not forever, as it strains their eyes. Additionally, they are not bothered by any natural particles, such as sand, in their eyes.
This section covers a brief version of Qadir Ailor and extended Sariyd history. For a full understanding of [[Sariyd History]], read said page. It is however possible to roleplay a Qadir correctly without ever having read this page. The Qadir are an old Race that long pre-dates the Cataclysm, though is not older than the founding of the Allorn Empire. The Qadir were one of the first branches of the Ailor Race that civilized into formal sovereign nations, and were able to largely deter Elven interference in their development. Somewhere through history, one Qadir tribe fell in with the [[Ordial Cultism]] God the Machinist, who they eventually betrayed and "killed", making them the only Race to have verifiably killed an actual God. However, due to infighting and politics after the fact, this God was reborn and plotted an ultimate revenge on the Qadir without them knowing. Drawing the Qadir into conflict with the Dragons, the Machinist eventually tricked the Dragons into accidentally wiping a large portion of the Qadir population out of existence with the Great Storm, leaving them greatly diminished. Through a pre-Unionist manifestation of a Unionist God, the Qadir were able to replace the corrosive death-magic fueled machines with Everwatcher-fueled machines. Over the centuries since, the Qadir have fought an unending war with the Songaskians, who walked from the Great Storm as the inheritors of the Dragons and usurped much of their once held territory. In the modern Era, the Qadir are not nearly as limited in number as the Dwarves, but are still considerably reduced in global power due to their population numbers. They are still considered the world's most gifted technicians and engineers, constantly at the forefront of technological advances, and having been formally allied (but not incorporated) to the Regalian Empire, creating a sense of security and community, with a healthy movement of ideas and people between the Al-Alus homeland and Regalia.  


===Qadir Soul Shot===
==Language & Naming==
Qadir Soul Shot is a special ability that is shared between all Qadir, allowing them to use so called Soul Shot or Spirit Shot weapons. Appearance wise, Soul Shot weapons appear like [[Puretek]] weapons, however they lack a trigger mechanism and firing mechanism, instead existing out of a solid cast Finecrafts weapon. These weapons are inert in the hands of other races, but when wielded by the Qadir, can produce soul-essence shots. Qadir Soul Shot exists both in hand-pistol size called a Quartershot, as well as a dual-wielded rifle size called a Demishot, where a Demishot shoots five times as slowly as a Qartershot. Qadir Soul Shot functions similarly to Shardbows in that they use the Soul Essence of the wielder as energy to fire, yet the weapon as such does not need to be reloaded. While firing, every shot tires the wielder out more, where repeated use is like taking a marathon sprint. When hit with Soul Shot, the Soul Essence projectile (which appears like a needle) sticks inside the target (capable of piercing through clothes and leather but not armor). While inside the target, Soul Essence projectiles cause a sharp pain in the location where it hit, but leaves no permanent damage or an open wound, instead dissolving within 10 seconds. The pain lingers for about a minute, stacking with other shots that hit successfully. Quartershot accuracy derives its accuracy from [[Light Bow Combat Skill]], while Demishot accuracy derives its accuracy from [[Heavy Bow Combat Skill]]. Unlike Puretek, Qadir Soul Shot can be used at point blank range and within 6 blocks, in which case [[Proficiency]] is no longer required and gives an auto-hit. Qadir Soul Shots don't need to be reloaded, meaning a Quartershot can fire every second, and a Demishot every 5 seconds, but shooting more than 6 times in rapid succession causes extreme fatigue in the user.
The Qadir Language called [[Zahram]] is based on modern-day Arabic, particularly in the dialects of the Arabian Peninsula. This language has remained unchanged since the Sariyd days, and has only occasionally found the need include foreign words wholesale, as the Qadir approach linguistics with formal educated councils deciding on how to correctly apply Qadir grammar and vocabulary to new concepts. Zahram is spoken across the world particularly because of the Qadir Qasr Al-Muneer which act like small enclaves in foreign lands. Zahram is often used as the language of technology, with a variety of technical terms having been adopted in other languages to describe complex mechanical processes or applications. Qadir naming practices follow Arabic also (but are strongly encouraged to avoid Islamic prophet/persons of importance names like Muhammad, Esa, Adam, Ibrahim, Yaqub, Yusuf, etc.


===Efficient Exporters===
==Conflicts==
Due to their meticulous efficiency and experience with disassembling and re-assembling objects for usage, the Qadir are experts at carrying more on their person in an unobtrusive manner. They are capable of taking apart certain weapons and tools to carry on their person, and are even capable of re-assembling them in an instant. They still cannot utilize this method on excessively heavy weapons or objects, and require some time to dis-assemble it.
A lot of MassiveCraft's lore is constructed around conflicts that are based on religious, historical, or societal grievances. This section aims to set out the various conflict points for this Race, while also attaching some nuance, so that there is wiggle-room for players to not get stuck in endless loops of arguing the basics of societal conflict without clear Character Development or Resolution.
* '''Songaskians:''' The immediate most obvious case of conflict, is with the Songaskians. For hundreds of years, the Qadir believed that the Songaskians (being the inheritors of the Bronze Desert Dragons) were the byproduct of those responsible for the deaths of millions of Qadir during the Great Storm. This resulted in the never-ending war on the Al-Alus to Songaskian Masaya border, where hordes of necromancer corpses fight unmanned machines, a war with no victims, but one that seems endless. The Qadir-Songaskian conflict has since progressed into one less formed around historical reasons, but more about who has rights to own the land. The Qadir claim that the whole of Farah'deen was once their land, and Songaskians quite literally just occupied the cities that were left when the Qadir inhabitants choked out on the Great Storm. As such, this conflict is less about ideology, and more about land ownership.
* '''Ordial Cults:''' The second most obvious case of conflict, is with the Ordial Community. The Qadir care less so about the other Ordial Gods, and can in some cases tolerate them, but have a burning hatred for the Machinist and his ilk. If there is room to tolerate Songaskians in Regalia, there absolutely is not for Machinist worshipers. Yet, the reality is also so that the Machinist still controls hidden schematics and tech that any Qadir would kill for to acquire. This causes a difficult situation where some Qadir may be forced to work with the very thing they hate to get the very thing they love.
* '''Maraya:''' The Maraya conflict is far less about historical grievances and more of a friendly rivalry over technological prowess. The Maraya are dependent on incorporating modern Qadir designs to revive some of their old tech, but in the same vein also deny the Qadir much of their old designs in return. This is not enough to cause open conflict, but many Qadir would describe the Maraya as selfish and duplicitous.
* '''The Occult:''' For the Unionist faithful Qadir, their conflict with the Occult forms much in line with how Dogmatic or Guided Unionism feel about them. There are tolerant Qadir, progressive Qadir who like the inclusion of Magic in society, and purist Qadir who agree with the Lothar Order and want it pushed back. Generally speaking, there is a lot of flexibility, but most Qadir would avoid learning Magic themselves because culturally Magic is seen as a "hack" to avoid having to learn actually intellectually challenging skills.
* '''Dragons:''' The conflict that Qadir have with Dragons (and Archon/Dragon worshipers) is complicated. It is well known now that Dragons were not directly to blame for the Great Storm, and that they too were puppeteered by the Machinist, but the reality still remains that the Dragons just started attacking the Qadir instead of parlaying with them regarding the use of Death Magic during the Sariyd Era. For a Race so reliant on intellectual pursuit, debate, and empiricism, the Dragons and their supporters seem very narrowminded and fanatic to the Qadir. A Qadir will only very rarely agree to become an Archon, because any alignment with the Dragons while not overtly hostile, is certainly problematic.
* '''Rishiq:''' The Rishiq are a branch of old-worship Qadir who still follow the Machinist, and mostly reside in the Farahdeen deserts while avoiding the detection of the Songaskians who patrol the desert sands. The Rishiq are old believers in that they were mostly accidental or fringe survivors of the Great Storm who did not want to join up with the Al-Alus survivors, or who rejected Al-Asir as their new God/Leader. These Qadir have advanced technology, but retain their loyalty to the Machinist, while their Sirr al-Hayat are still the old Death-script rather than the more modern cleansed variant. Qadir aren't openly hostile to Rishiq, but approach them with great caution as Rishiq are fiercely territorial and hostile to anyone trying to steal or learn tech from them. (Rishiq can be played in Regalia, but recommended for more underworld/hermit characters, because they do not thrive so well in highly populated areas, but could reasonably exist because of other Ordial Cultists in Regalia).  


===Soul Transfer===
==Power Source==
The Qadir is able to surgically amputate specific personality-aspects of their own Soul, before moving them into a [[Clocktik Spider]], essentially altering their personality. This is often done with personality-traits that would otherwise obstruct one’s efficiency and work, such as laziness or anger. More than one personality-aspect can be placed in a singular Clocktik Spider. If the Clocktik is destroyed, these emotions will return in a rush to the Qadir. The Clocktik will take on the transferred personality traits, functioning as a purely aesthetic companion capable of commentary. It may not leave the Qadir’s presence, and cannot be used to convey information.
Many would wonder, where does much of the Tech Qadir produce come from? Originally, this technology was all fueled by the Machinist. Power was directly drawn from the Beyond and Ordial Magics, meaning all Qadir technology was in essence fueled by Death Magic. This choice became their downfall, but with the arrival of Al-Asir, their power source changed. While the original Qadir were covered in Death-Script Sirr al-Hayat (tattoos) which were used as a conduit to funnel Death Magic into the power sources of their machines, when Al-Asir was adopted by the Qadir people, their Sirr al-Hayat changed to what they are in the modern era, cleansed of the influences of the Beyond. In essence, the Sirr al-Hayat are a method for the Qadir to manifest the power of their Gods into the work that they do, even for those who do not believe in Al-Asir as a Unionist deity and rejection Unionism as a whole, their spiritual connection still moves their machines. As such, Qadir machines (Clockwork largely by extension) in the modern era is fueled by Unionism or more specifically the endless power of the Everwatcher, which is invested in Al-Asir, who shares it among his people through the Sirr al-Hayat. There exists however Ordial powered Clockwork as well, particularly that made by the Rishiq, and in theory any other power source can be used to substitute (Leylines/Dragon power, Estelley power, Arken power, etc.).


==Summary of Racial Abilities==
==Religion==
 
Qadir Religion is both a matter of faith and civics, because the line between them is fairly blurry, at least in Al-Alus. Most of the Qadir are Unionist, observing primarily Al-Asir as machine-hand of the Everwatcher, and by extension many of the other Unionist Gods. Most Qadir profess a preference for Guided Unionism, because of its inherent mixing of intellectualism with faith, though a sizable Dogmatic community does exist. Below that in number are Al-Asir Unitarians, which means they acknowledge Al-Asir as their God, the Everwatcher as the greater entity that Al-Asir represents, but reject the divinity of the other Unionist Gods and the Emperor of Regalia (though still acknowledging his secular power). Below that in number are the agnostics, those who acknowledge the existence of gods, but prefer to see Al-Asir more as a civic secular figure than a figure in needing of worship. This is both acceptable to Qadir society at large and very viable, Al-Asir never forces faith in him, and treats everyone fairly, even those who do not observe the Everwatcher because of his intense generosity, kindness, and curiosity to all visitors in Al-Alus. Much the same are the anti-theists, those who are forcefully against the concept of religion as a whole and blame spirituality for much of the ails of Qadir history. And finally, there are the Ordial Cultists, either those in Al-Alus who hide their old loyalties, or the Rishiq who openly still worship the Machinist, believing his technological promise of power to be more true than Al-Asir's promise of unity.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold;"
! style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Name
! style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Type
! colspan="3" style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Description
|-
| style="background-color:#ffce93;" | Spirit Force
| Racial Passive
| colspan="3" | The Character can use any Clockwork Hardware with a White Qatil Core.
|-
| style="background-color:#ffce93;" | Meticulous Precision
| Racial Passive
| colspan="3" | Passively, the Qadir gains +5 Perception due to their enhanced eyesight, and their vision is unhindered by any dirt, sand, or natural particles that would interfere. Once per day, for up to five minutes at a time, the Qadir can add an additional +5 Perception on top of the one granted by this ability, to examine something in extreme detail.
|-
| style="background-color:#ffce93;" | Soul Shot
| Racial Spell
| colspan="3" | The Qadir can channel their own Soul Essence through a Finecraft weapon resembling a Puretek Quartershot or Demishot that they can assemble instantaneously. This weapon deals no physical damage, only sharp pain in the area that disappears after a few minutes. Firing the weapon tires out the Qadir per shot, akin to walking up a flight of stairs per shot, and can only be shot once every second for Quartershot, and 3 seconds for Demishot. Shooting more than 6 times in succession disables the ability and causes extreme fatigue. When hit 3 times by a Quartershot Soul Shot needle, or 2 Demishot Soul Shot needles, the Qadir can choose to knock the target back 5 blocks. Quartershot utilizes [[Light Bow Combat Skill]] and Demishot utilizes [[Heavy Bow Combat skill]] when shot beyond a 6 block range, but if utilized within 6 blocks or point blank, it will always hit. Soul Shot needles can go through clothes and leather, but not armor.
|-
| style="background-color:#ffce93;" | Efficient Exporter
| Racial Passive
| colspan="3" | The Qadir is able to disassemble and easily carry a single weapon that does not have a Body Stat requirement (as defined by Weapon Proficiency Category) or a simple household tool (such as a broom or other implement), and can remove and re-assemble it for usage instantly. The object will always have an appearance that reflects this, and it takes the Qadir five minutes to disassemble the object for storage again.
|-
| style="background-color:#ffce93;" | Soul Transfer
| Racial Passive
| colspan="3" | The Qadir is able to transfer up to three personality trait(s) of their own Soul into one Clocktik Spider, essentially altering their own personality. If the Clocktik is destroyed, these emotions will return in a rush to the Qadir. The Clocktik will take on the transferred personality traits, functioning as a purely aesthetic companion capable of commentary. It may not leave the Qadir’s presence, and cannot be used to convey information.
|}
 
==History==
The history of the Qadir has no clear starting point, though many surviving records of the Sariyd Empire indicate the Qadir are at least 1000 years old. During this time, the Qadir were at the mercy of the Desert Dragons, retreating away from them toward the coastline or setting themselves up in small communities which eventually rose into large cities. Some of these cities then united and became the Sariyd Empire, stretching inland with multiple member cities and several colonies in the south of nearby [[Essalonia]]. Unknown to most, however, was the fact there were a plethora of free and independent Qadir city states which existed alongside this great body, many being allied but remaining separate from the Sariyd Empire. Contact with the [[Altalar]] of the [[Allorn Empire]] was known to occur, sometimes peacefully on trade missions but also not; sometimes, whole villages of Qadir were swept right off the coastline and into Altalar slaving ships. However, they were always careful to target just the minor city states and never hit the Sariyd Empire. This continued for years, though contact with the Altalar faded as their Empire began to decline, and the Sariyd Empire remained powerful on Farah’deen. When the [[Cataclysm]] hit, their land was minimally impacted though they lost contact with their Essalonian colonies and coastal travel became very difficult. From this came more insular trade across the deserts of the region, which brought the Qadir into more direct contact with their continent’s many dangers. The greatest of all these were the Desert Dragons.  


Varying in size and power, these animals had always been a nuisance but sensing the opportunity of the Cataclysm which resulted in uncertainty for the Sariyd Empire and the Qadir people as a whole, these scaled creatures began to interact more directly with the dark-skinned Race. Eventually, the most aggressive members of the species forced the hand of the Empire and they inflicted the [[Red Hunt]] onto what were seen as dangerous creatures. Thus, many Qadir cheered as reports came of the last [[Dragons]] fleeing away from their few remaining stomping grounds. These celebrations, however, were the death knell of the old Qadir. Within weeks, the Great Storm was raging across their land and untold hundreds of thousands were killed or died in the aftermath. When the remaining Qadir emerged, they were met with the tips of spears in the hands of a new power: The Songaskians. They blazed a path of conquest across Farah’deen, taking many of the formerly populated areas under their rule and enslaving many Qadir to their will. However, they failed in capturing all of the formerly powerful Race, with enclaves fleeing out into the deserts and away from the failing, crumbled cities. This led to a dark time in Qadir history as they fled to the distant edges of the new Songaskian Masaya. Ultimately, all hope seemed lost at a rebirth for their people.
==Death Rites==
Qadir Death Rites are extremely unique in the world, and considerably strange in the view of Unionism. Both in contradiction of Unionism, and yet encouraged by it through Al-Asir and the necessity of loss of population during the Great Storm, the Qadir do not actually let the souls of the dead pass on fully to the afterlife. This is also the reason why Qadir are the only people who can reasonably be Atheist without having their soul condemned to the Beyond in death (superhell), as part of their soul remains anchored on the mortal plane during death, so long as other Qadir are nearby to perform the final rites. When a Qadir dies, their Membanks are connected to the Mehd al-Maut (translated to Cradle of Death), which are a type of machine that collects all the memories of the deceased person, even after death, so long as they haven't been dead for more than a few days. In the Mehd al-Maut, part of the soul is anchored, meaning it is prevented from passing on, but it is also made incapable of turning into a Spirit or Undead because the core of the soul is locked up in the machine. The Mehd al-Maut usually houses several hundred souls, and become a collective of thought and knowledge that is very useful to the Qadir. They are often treated as super computers capable of complex calculations and logical predictions. Mehd al-Maut are usually scrubbed of emotions and individuality, it is not the same as a formal afterlife, though Al-Asir has promised that when Unionist Paradise comes, that the Qadir who watched over their kin in death will be freed from Mehd al-Maut and rejoin the living. Mehd al-Maut are an ancient technology, dating back to the Sariyd Empire. This means that some Mehd al-Maut can in fact be Ordial controlled, and contain malicious Spirits from the Beyond, especially those controlled by the Rishiq. Many are also still rumored to be dormant, hidden in old Sariyd ruins.  


Then, there came a beacon of light. The Qadir [[City of Mooriye]] along with several of the southern pearl cities had survived the Great Storm and then beat back the Songaskian Masaya, helping to guard what was developing into the homeland of Qadir culture in nearby [[Al-Alus]]. From this great bastion of Qadir knowledge, individuals traveled out into the world and helped corral the people together into settlements known today as Hadrityas which were often built on top of ruined structures from the age of the Sariyd Empire. Qadir art, purpose, and religion were reborn in the following years much to the displeasure of the Songaskians. However, they were quick to learn the Qadir had value due to their unique skills in clockwork design and engineering. Massya [[Djibril Koné the First]] formally ended the Qadir persecution after a traveling caravan of the Race had come to [[Korbamakora]] and aided in constructing its water distribution system. On the other hand, the Qadir say he essentially enslaved this caravan but details are murky. Regardless, most Songaskians stopped seeking out the Qadir and thus the Race began their new lives, either on the road serving in trade and supply caravans for their home Hadritya or in these vast citadels, innovating and categologing new and ancient knowledge. This way of life has rarely been interrupted, even by the many wars fought on their continent as the Qadir have long been neutral. Now however, they favor the Regalian Empire, remaining friendly with the Ailor in many cases after their key role in helping the world defend from the Bone Horrors spawned by the [[Bone Horror Crisis]]. The Qadir have also spread out across the world, building Hadrityas as far west as [[Ithania]] in an attempt to ensure their legacy and Race is never extinguished by a freak event like what almost occurred in the Great Storm.
==Fashion==
Qadir fashion is varied, ranging from what we IRL would consider fantasy Arabic, to the traditional wear of the Rajput or Omani people. A very common fabric choice for the Qadir is silk because of its breathing and light yet strong properties, especially with shades of blue, brown, and orange or copper. Gold is a color frequently avoided in traditional Qadir clothing, preferring brass or bronze for jewelry, while the color green as a strong accent or dominating color is avoided because of the inherent associations with the Beyond. Qadir Fashion tends to be fairly fluid because many of them do not spend a second thought on clothing expressions, preferring the merit of their mind and words to do the talking than impressions of their dressing style. Additionally, many Qadir live in foreign lands where it often pays off to adopt local customs, so truly traditional Qadir clothing is often only worn in Al-Asir, while Qadir living abroad (and particularly Regalia) experiment a lot with styles and clothing types of foreign cultures. The Qadir do not formally have a dress-code, they can wear as much or as little as they like, and have no real distinction between female or male styled clothing either.  


==Society==
==World View==
Qadir society is fairly flat, but strongly dominated by their seemingly conflicting nomadic culture and sedentary intellectual centers, worship of all things technological and their hatred for the Songaskia. The Qadir are always very distrusting of outsiders, but extremely calculative and pragmatic as well. If assisting an outsider stands to benefit them, they would certainly extract as much favor from the situation as they could. Their mainline culture is split though into two groups, caused by the ideas of the Time of Tajul and the Time of Tasil. During the Time of Tajul, Qadir families and individuals are called to serve the Hadritya they live in as traders, travelers and suppliers out in the wider world. Each Hadritya has a different system for selection, sometimes by lot, sometimes by simple rotation while in a few rare cases, one group of families is always in the Time of Tajul. The Time of Tasil, on the other hand, is the sedentary, studying and working life at a Hadritya. Here, everyone works and spends time together performing regular tasks to upkeep their shared home as well as creating and learning everything they can involving mechanics, clockworks and machines. The two Times function on a cycle of three years each though it is likely a Qadir will have multiple Times of Tasil over maybe one or two Times of Tajul. All ultimately do return to the Hadritya, at least for a short time.
* Qadir relations with Regalia are fairly complex. At a base, they are natural allies, because of their Ailor proximity to each other, but the Qadir also fiercely refuse to be incorporated into the Regalian Empire and to become a part of it fully. They trade and are part of the Regalian economy by using the Regal as legal tender, and allow Regalian navies to lay anchor in their harbors, but refuse to become part of this "Beautiful mess" - as they call it. The Qadir consider Regalia to be an inefficient bureaucracy led by a morally corrupt nobility. The Qadir believe Regalia is far too anarchy ridden to be a good state to be part of, with anti-intellectual movements within its own leading classes, but still acknowledge that Regalia is the most viable path for them to exist in the world with a formal protector and ally.  
===Politics===
* Qadir Ethics are sometimes criticized by other Races and Societies because of its apparent lack of any standard whatsoever. The Qadir value progress above most other things, so as long as they can avoid causing harm to sentient other persons, most experimentation is permitted. This includes but is not limited to the creation of artificial homunculi for the purposes of experimentation, as soul-less homunculi lack sentience and awareness to express or experience suffering. When a Qadir applies a standard of ethics, that is entirely imposed by themselves, and only by their own moral guiding.  
Mainline Qadir politics are shaped by Hadritya elders leading their societies. Clockwork experts in these councils of six or more are often held in high esteem among the Qadir, thus filling the role of leader, elder, and so forth; however, the technical law giving power to the Qadir are the so called [[Almuttaq]]. The Almuttaq are artefacts of great power and mystery, clockwork engines in the shape of metre long and meter wide cubes that can seemingly come to life and speak to those who operate them. Very few Almuttaq’s actually exist in the world, intensely guarded by the Hadritya’s inner sanctums. These devices seem aware of the world around them and grant cryptic advice to their operators: the clockwork masters and engineers. For outsiders, the Almuttaq seem heretical and obsolete. The reality however is that whenever a clockwork elder dies, their soul is transported from their dying body to an Almuttaq, adding to the internal collective that is somehow sustained inside the device. As such, every Almuttaq could be considered an elder council in of itself, which speaks with one voice to guide their people from centuries past. Whatever the exact nature of the devices, they were revered to godhood by the Qadir and their word is often law. As for the Khaneh and Ardualnaar Qadir, they have their own unique forms of leadership.  
* The Qadir lack nobility in the sense that Regalia has it, inherited wealth, fame, and power, bereft of actual skill. This is largely also a point of criticism of the Qadir of Regalia's autocracy: the fact that Nobles can sabotage the government either because they want to, or because of sheer incompetence and a sense of entitlement to power. Qadir do however have famous families, descendants of famous investors who are held to a higher standard and may approach more public funding than other poorer families would for the hopes their descendants might rub off on some of the genius of their ancestors (it usually does not).  
===Culture===
* Qadir are body purists, largely because damaging or replacing parts of their body has adverse effects on their ability to produce the technology they are famous for. Removing both arms of a Qadir for example, seriously hampers their ability to call upon the powers of Al-Asir to fuel the Qatil batteries that power their Clockwork machines. The concept of replacing all one's organs with Chassis modifications as such is considered taboo among the Qadir, but very common among the Rishiq, who are not hampered from funneling the powers of the Machinist through their prosthetic replacements.  
The Qadir, while a practical people, are hardly a society of base and simplistic existence. The Qadir value, seemingly above all else, innovation and invention, shun the simpler skin of outside knowledge while delving into the intricate mysteries of their world. It is this sort of innate drive of the Qadir that built their given identity, a kind of self-perception of greater purpose to learn and indulge in knowledge to be found. No mystery or hidden knowledge is too daunting for them, no tome too old to translate or machine too difficult to construct. Qadir have given Aloria some of the most fascinating technological and innovative advances largely unseen or unthought of before. Likewise, their ways of art, fashion, food, and language tend to model this seemingly desperate climb for greater achievement. In the likeliness of artistic gifts, the Qadir tend to value productivity, efficiency, and innovative use; Qadir art tends to not be art because it is beautiful, but because it is so intricately made, modeled, and researched that it creates its own beauty. Qadir carvings often resemble complex patterns of cog works, symmetrical and geometric shapes, granting a much more machine-like appearance to their art as opposed to for example the flowing organic styles of the Altalar, or the crude squares of the [[Dwarves]]. Qadir fashion is also not a movement of adornment and useless decoration, but of glamorous function and perhaps sometimes outrageous invention. Bracelets always have some sort of tool function hidden in them, earrings can be keys, and even the lining of a shirt can be used as a makeshift copper coil wire. As for the cloth parts of their outfits, it varies but can generally be summed up as desert-colored and made to breathe, with turbans, head coverings, and sandals being the most obvious features of their style. Food for the Qadir is perhaps more base in this, as it is usually basic grains grown in small, clockwork supported gardens with the rarity of spices and exotic items like fruit coming out only for special occasions. Qadir language, however, is eloquent and perhaps even elegant, each word or phrase calculated for intellectual or perhaps more meaningful prose and elaboration.  
* Despite being intellectually informed about the ongoings of the world, the Qadir are woefully bereft of actual policy on many Affinities, Afflictions, and Magical conditions. They vaguely know they exist, like Marken, but show utter indifference to them, and have no common policy in society on how to deal with them or how to interact with them. As such, there is no communally enforced opinion or stance towards the Occult, save for the general sentiment that those reliant on Magic are probably a little bit intellectually challenged because they replace actual complex thoughts and understanding of physics and the world with Magic shortcuts.
===Religion===
The Qadir uniformly believe in the divinity of the [[Esrah Alwattah]], the belief the world’s gods are long dead and mankind should construct its own divine being to protect it. The Qadir once had a complex polytheistic religion in the times of the Sariyd Empire, counting over 2,400 gods and goddesses, however with the collapse of their Empire, the Qadir blamed the gods, or more specifically claimed the gods had died and failed. With that thought in mind, notable Qadir prophesied that, with their technical skills, they would construct a new god, the Esrah Alwattah. Some claim they already have and the machine-deity is hidden in the temple complex of the City of Mooriye. But if this is true, the suspicious locals have yet to even tell their own brethren of their success. Regardless, the faithful built the Almuttaqs over a hundred years ago (based on even older religious technology). These devices were originally early prototypes for the development of their machine god which ultimately never developed further and now continue to guide the Qadir. All innovations and inventions made by the Qadir can through one way or another be related back to the Esrah Alwattah and their wish to give life to a massive clockwork giant, powered by the soul energies of thousands of their best and brightest. The Qadir have always had a long aversion to Magic, believing it was something belonging to the gods in the ancient times and mankind should not have the hubris to meddle with the powers of the gods. With the fall of the Sariyd Empire, it was deemed only Magic involved in Soul Essence was acceptable for the Qadir. It allowed the Qadir to take control over their own souls, and use it to fuel the creation of the Esrah Alwattah and the continued functioning of the Almuttaqs. Most Qadir families or individuals have some form of small clockwork shrine, often disguised as a clock, on which they have incense and bring small coin offerings. Despite all of this, the religion of the Qadir is largely very disorganized and personal. There are no temples or priests, nor any sort of communal worship in a large part of their society, most Qadir engaging in private faith and devoting themselves to technological progress for the benefit of the Esrah Alwattah.
===Combat and Warfare===
The Qadir don’t often engage in war as they have long held ideals that promote diplomacy and compromise. The Sariyd Empire was not a military Empire but an economic and diplomatically linked political entity. Despite this, Qadir Hadrityas are perhaps the most well guarded fortresses on Farah’deen, with multiple clockwork and Soul Essence weapons on the walls and within the halls. Most local Songaskian rulers tend to ignore these fortresses as conquering a Hadritya has no real advantage, as most of the technology within does not work in the hands of those without the skill to operate them, and Qadir have been known to use explosives to destroy anything of value if their home was at risk. As for personal weapons, most Qadir make use of devices they themselves developed, like switchblades and gear powered crossbows with fold-able parts. Qadir weapons have never been particularly strong or made for war, rather they were made to be compact and easily transportable. Reassembly is one of the strong suits of the Qadir soldiers, especially when it is considered that their weapons cannot effectively be captured by others as they would not possess the knowledge to assemble the weapons into functional condition. The Qadir often favor a very defensive stance, using ranged weapons over close combat. When in close combat however, Qadir fight with ferocity, usually by a driven to protect those they keep close to them and to maintain their soul does not leave their bodies before it is proper.
===Economy and Technology===
Qadir trade is surprisingly dependent on major foreign nations, especially Regalia. The Qadir have a bit of a unique relation with the Regalians in that they provide Regalia with engineers and mechanics as well as basic prototypes and inventions for war, while Regalia provides them with expensive or rare materials to craft intricate or experimental parts the Qadir need for their machines. It could be said that the Qadir are even fully dependent on Regalia to continue their technological pursuit, though they would often deny this. Inversely, it could be said that Regalia is assisting the cause of heresy by working with the Qadir to build their Esrah Alwattah, however the Regalians are reportedly extremely interested in the war-time applications of clockwork machines powered by the souls of fallen soldiers. As such, the Qadir economy can largely be described as an uneasy cooperation between the Qadir and the Regalians. There is another angle to their economy though, and it is their dependance on the Songaskians. As much as many Qadir would loathe to admit this truth as well, the Songaskia help the Qadir to survive, their large cities providing materials for those Hadrityas too far from the pearl cities and other settlements of the coastline. Those in the Time of Tajul often travel to these settlements in order to conduct their trade, giving their technology away for raw materials and small comforts. What little is left of the independent Qadir economy is mostly being geared towards agriculture and husbandry in order to support their often isolated Hadrityas.  


==Trivia==
{{Peoples}}
*An Almuttaq once went “insane”. When activated, the cogs started whirring and the entire machine started emitting high pitched shrieking noises until it finally ruptured an important hydraulic valve and the entire thing shut down. Later it was discovered [[Void Essence]] had somehow seeped into the machine and infested the Soul Essence within.
*Qadir society makes use of the [[Bakhshuna Jamal]] for their Times of Tajul, traveling across the desert on the odd creatures. Songaskians rarely use them because they consider them too ugly and ill-mannered.
{{Races}}
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|Artists = MonMarty
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[[Category:Races]] [[category:Human Races]]
[[Category:Races]] [[category:Human Races]]

Latest revision as of 21:42, 10 March 2024

Qadir Ailor
Ashkhas Minara (in Zahram)
Qadirflag3.png
Motto: "Between the Machines of Knowledge and Ages of Wonder."
Amwwir2.png
Nation State Al-Alus
Ruler Technocratic Council by Examination
Other Present Regalian Empire
Languages Zahram, Common
Religion Unionism
First Recorded 10,000 BC
Demonym(s) Qadiriq

The Qadir Ailor are a Lineage of Ailor that shares a common ancestry with Ailor, but diverged at a point in history when their people moved northeast into the unforgiving deserts of Ard-al Nur. Lineages sit somewhere in between a Culture and a Subrace, meaning the Qadir are not quite as distant from Ailor so as to be a full-fledged different Race altogether, but are also not as simple as just a different culture. Being technicians, engineers, and scholars, if ever the world had a people that could be described as the world’s most technologically gifted, it would be them. The Qadir were reborn from the ruins of their Sariyd Empire, still lingering in the desert sands, sending echoes of past technological glories to anyone brave enough to venture deep into the drought. The Qadir are famous for their highly advanced technology, with most of the world's technological advances being generated by the studious Qadir engineers, producing clockwork devices ranging from household equipment to military technology and vehicles. There is no upper limit to the curiosity and capacity for invention among the Qadir: they are not a people beset with dreams of conquest and subjugation, but of progress and fame. When referring to Qadir Ailor, one can use either Qadir Ailor, or just Qadir, but they should never be lumped in with all Ailor, as that is offensive to their unique culture and history away from their Ailor cousins.

Design

Qadir are visually similar to their Ailor cousins, but different in some key ways. Skin tones for Qadir Ailor range only from Middle-Eastern, to Northern African, to Sahel-African, or Central Asian, strictly with darker to darkest skin tones (even if some white-coded people live in these regions). Qadir have a wide range of hair colors available, but also some that are unusual among Ailor: creamy beige, and crimson red. A very unique trait of the Qadir, is that they have sandstone-colored irises. Secondly, they have a curious skin-pigmentation that the Qadir Ailor call "Sirr al-Hayat" (Secret of Life), which involves a mandala-like pigmentation on the back of their hands that grows up their arms as they age, recording shapes reminiscent of important events in their lives in typical henna fashion. These pigmentations can have any color, change color part-ways, or faintly glow. Each Qadir Ailor has these Sirr al-Hayat, which usually end around their shoulders or chest when they die of old age. Qadir Ailor are a deeply intellectual and curious Race, valuing knowledge over (what their culture considers) the crude pursuits of warfare and combat. While this curiosity can just as well be averted to Magic or the pursuit of a martial lifestyle, most Qadir Ailor invest their time in technological innovation and scholarly learning. Qadir Ailor tend to be introverted and book-wise rather than street-wise, with other Race sometimes accusing them of being self-absorbed or abrasive, when in reality they lack an understanding of how other societies operate.

Why Qadir in Regalia

Why Qadir in Regalia is a section designed to give (new) Players some idea for why a Race might want to be in Regalia, as opposed to their homeland, as some Races are heavily homeland-coded and may need some contrivances to actually Roleplay in Regalia, where all the on-server activity takes place. While you can usually extrapolate other reasons from the Lore on this page, this section provides a few easy-access suggestions.

  • Center of Learning: While Qadir schools are great for learning, only Regalia provides a cosmopolitan environment with other Races, Cultures, and Religions all living together. This presents a unique environment for knowledge sharing, that Qadir will not have easy access to elsewhere. Regalia also has some of the best schools, causing Qadir to migrate to Regalia, and eventually settle after graduation.
  • Center of Chaos: Qadir Technicians in general love having test subjects, and where better than the center of the world's chaos, Regalia, where there are plenty of gullible Nobles who will buy pointless tech gadgets, or criminals running around free upon whom to test new inventions without guilt. Regalia is a great place to get rich, or at least gain invaluable test-field insight in the function of inventions.
  • Center of Wealth: While it was already partially mentioned in the previous point, Regalia is the capital of the world's commerce (at least the world which accepts the Regal as legal tender). Many Qadir have "made it big" by moving to Regalia, and peddling their services for Mercenaries who keep losing arms to be replaced with prosthetics, or Nobles who think: "It's bread, how much could it cost, 10,000 Regals?".
  • Center of Freedom: Qadir society can sometimes have a suffocating focus on Technology. Sometimes Qadir are just born with zero interest in innovation and tech, and have a far greater curiosity towards Magic or the Occult. While Al-Alus has restrictions on the use of Magic, Regalia is generally seen more loose, and allows a Qadir to easily find teachers and mentors to widen their horizons with the forbidden arts.

Heritage Traits

When designing a Character, Proficiency Points allow for a limited Ability selection with Point Buy Packs. Heritage Traits adds free Packs and Mechanics on top of that to help with cultural themes. Free Packs grant Abilities usually, while Mechanics change the way a character functions in Roleplay through subtle, and usually out of Combat ways. In essence, Mechanics just add aesthetic flair that invest in the niche of each culture. Free Packs never raise Proficiency Points, but the character must be able to purchase them normally. (ex. if a character is a certain Affinity that locks them out of a category, they cannot take that specific free pack and must choose the alternative option.) If a Free Pack grants Magic of some type, that Magic can be of any Alignment the character can normally choose, or limited to a select alignment, which will always be written in the Free Pack description.

Mixed Heritage characters (i.e. characters born from two parents of different Cultures) may take one parent's 'Free Packs' and mix and match up to 5 Mechanics from both parents, although some Peoples cannot produce Mixed Heritage children (due to Magical/Fantasy reasons).

Free Packs

Mechanics

  • Qadir do not need to choose a Tech Branch, they are able to build/edit/repair any Branch. Try to be conscientious when other players feel pushed out of their niche however!
  • Qadir are able to store memories being recorded in Memkeys. This does not stop Magic from tampering with Memories, but allows visual-auditory storage at the end of the day.
  • Qadir can make lore equivalent VR glasses to watch Memkeys, recommending players to write Lore Stories about experiences as recordings for others to watch (read).
  • Qadir can trap/rig their Rental/Base/Estate to give them advance warning of a break-in or unauthorized entry, needing to be OOC notified when and where a break-in occurs.
  • Qadir may be able to do a perception check on Machines or Tech during Events to learn more about them or unlock unique interactions that other people do not have.

History

This section covers a brief version of Qadir Ailor and extended Sariyd history. For a full understanding of Sariyd History, read said page. It is however possible to roleplay a Qadir correctly without ever having read this page. The Qadir are an old Race that long pre-dates the Cataclysm, though is not older than the founding of the Allorn Empire. The Qadir were one of the first branches of the Ailor Race that civilized into formal sovereign nations, and were able to largely deter Elven interference in their development. Somewhere through history, one Qadir tribe fell in with the Ordial Cultism God the Machinist, who they eventually betrayed and "killed", making them the only Race to have verifiably killed an actual God. However, due to infighting and politics after the fact, this God was reborn and plotted an ultimate revenge on the Qadir without them knowing. Drawing the Qadir into conflict with the Dragons, the Machinist eventually tricked the Dragons into accidentally wiping a large portion of the Qadir population out of existence with the Great Storm, leaving them greatly diminished. Through a pre-Unionist manifestation of a Unionist God, the Qadir were able to replace the corrosive death-magic fueled machines with Everwatcher-fueled machines. Over the centuries since, the Qadir have fought an unending war with the Songaskians, who walked from the Great Storm as the inheritors of the Dragons and usurped much of their once held territory. In the modern Era, the Qadir are not nearly as limited in number as the Dwarves, but are still considerably reduced in global power due to their population numbers. They are still considered the world's most gifted technicians and engineers, constantly at the forefront of technological advances, and having been formally allied (but not incorporated) to the Regalian Empire, creating a sense of security and community, with a healthy movement of ideas and people between the Al-Alus homeland and Regalia.

Language & Naming

The Qadir Language called Zahram is based on modern-day Arabic, particularly in the dialects of the Arabian Peninsula. This language has remained unchanged since the Sariyd days, and has only occasionally found the need include foreign words wholesale, as the Qadir approach linguistics with formal educated councils deciding on how to correctly apply Qadir grammar and vocabulary to new concepts. Zahram is spoken across the world particularly because of the Qadir Qasr Al-Muneer which act like small enclaves in foreign lands. Zahram is often used as the language of technology, with a variety of technical terms having been adopted in other languages to describe complex mechanical processes or applications. Qadir naming practices follow Arabic also (but are strongly encouraged to avoid Islamic prophet/persons of importance names like Muhammad, Esa, Adam, Ibrahim, Yaqub, Yusuf, etc.

Conflicts

A lot of MassiveCraft's lore is constructed around conflicts that are based on religious, historical, or societal grievances. This section aims to set out the various conflict points for this Race, while also attaching some nuance, so that there is wiggle-room for players to not get stuck in endless loops of arguing the basics of societal conflict without clear Character Development or Resolution.

  • Songaskians: The immediate most obvious case of conflict, is with the Songaskians. For hundreds of years, the Qadir believed that the Songaskians (being the inheritors of the Bronze Desert Dragons) were the byproduct of those responsible for the deaths of millions of Qadir during the Great Storm. This resulted in the never-ending war on the Al-Alus to Songaskian Masaya border, where hordes of necromancer corpses fight unmanned machines, a war with no victims, but one that seems endless. The Qadir-Songaskian conflict has since progressed into one less formed around historical reasons, but more about who has rights to own the land. The Qadir claim that the whole of Farah'deen was once their land, and Songaskians quite literally just occupied the cities that were left when the Qadir inhabitants choked out on the Great Storm. As such, this conflict is less about ideology, and more about land ownership.
  • Ordial Cults: The second most obvious case of conflict, is with the Ordial Community. The Qadir care less so about the other Ordial Gods, and can in some cases tolerate them, but have a burning hatred for the Machinist and his ilk. If there is room to tolerate Songaskians in Regalia, there absolutely is not for Machinist worshipers. Yet, the reality is also so that the Machinist still controls hidden schematics and tech that any Qadir would kill for to acquire. This causes a difficult situation where some Qadir may be forced to work with the very thing they hate to get the very thing they love.
  • Maraya: The Maraya conflict is far less about historical grievances and more of a friendly rivalry over technological prowess. The Maraya are dependent on incorporating modern Qadir designs to revive some of their old tech, but in the same vein also deny the Qadir much of their old designs in return. This is not enough to cause open conflict, but many Qadir would describe the Maraya as selfish and duplicitous.
  • The Occult: For the Unionist faithful Qadir, their conflict with the Occult forms much in line with how Dogmatic or Guided Unionism feel about them. There are tolerant Qadir, progressive Qadir who like the inclusion of Magic in society, and purist Qadir who agree with the Lothar Order and want it pushed back. Generally speaking, there is a lot of flexibility, but most Qadir would avoid learning Magic themselves because culturally Magic is seen as a "hack" to avoid having to learn actually intellectually challenging skills.
  • Dragons: The conflict that Qadir have with Dragons (and Archon/Dragon worshipers) is complicated. It is well known now that Dragons were not directly to blame for the Great Storm, and that they too were puppeteered by the Machinist, but the reality still remains that the Dragons just started attacking the Qadir instead of parlaying with them regarding the use of Death Magic during the Sariyd Era. For a Race so reliant on intellectual pursuit, debate, and empiricism, the Dragons and their supporters seem very narrowminded and fanatic to the Qadir. A Qadir will only very rarely agree to become an Archon, because any alignment with the Dragons while not overtly hostile, is certainly problematic.
  • Rishiq: The Rishiq are a branch of old-worship Qadir who still follow the Machinist, and mostly reside in the Farahdeen deserts while avoiding the detection of the Songaskians who patrol the desert sands. The Rishiq are old believers in that they were mostly accidental or fringe survivors of the Great Storm who did not want to join up with the Al-Alus survivors, or who rejected Al-Asir as their new God/Leader. These Qadir have advanced technology, but retain their loyalty to the Machinist, while their Sirr al-Hayat are still the old Death-script rather than the more modern cleansed variant. Qadir aren't openly hostile to Rishiq, but approach them with great caution as Rishiq are fiercely territorial and hostile to anyone trying to steal or learn tech from them. (Rishiq can be played in Regalia, but recommended for more underworld/hermit characters, because they do not thrive so well in highly populated areas, but could reasonably exist because of other Ordial Cultists in Regalia).

Power Source

Many would wonder, where does much of the Tech Qadir produce come from? Originally, this technology was all fueled by the Machinist. Power was directly drawn from the Beyond and Ordial Magics, meaning all Qadir technology was in essence fueled by Death Magic. This choice became their downfall, but with the arrival of Al-Asir, their power source changed. While the original Qadir were covered in Death-Script Sirr al-Hayat (tattoos) which were used as a conduit to funnel Death Magic into the power sources of their machines, when Al-Asir was adopted by the Qadir people, their Sirr al-Hayat changed to what they are in the modern era, cleansed of the influences of the Beyond. In essence, the Sirr al-Hayat are a method for the Qadir to manifest the power of their Gods into the work that they do, even for those who do not believe in Al-Asir as a Unionist deity and rejection Unionism as a whole, their spiritual connection still moves their machines. As such, Qadir machines (Clockwork largely by extension) in the modern era is fueled by Unionism or more specifically the endless power of the Everwatcher, which is invested in Al-Asir, who shares it among his people through the Sirr al-Hayat. There exists however Ordial powered Clockwork as well, particularly that made by the Rishiq, and in theory any other power source can be used to substitute (Leylines/Dragon power, Estelley power, Arken power, etc.).

Religion

Qadir Religion is both a matter of faith and civics, because the line between them is fairly blurry, at least in Al-Alus. Most of the Qadir are Unionist, observing primarily Al-Asir as machine-hand of the Everwatcher, and by extension many of the other Unionist Gods. Most Qadir profess a preference for Guided Unionism, because of its inherent mixing of intellectualism with faith, though a sizable Dogmatic community does exist. Below that in number are Al-Asir Unitarians, which means they acknowledge Al-Asir as their God, the Everwatcher as the greater entity that Al-Asir represents, but reject the divinity of the other Unionist Gods and the Emperor of Regalia (though still acknowledging his secular power). Below that in number are the agnostics, those who acknowledge the existence of gods, but prefer to see Al-Asir more as a civic secular figure than a figure in needing of worship. This is both acceptable to Qadir society at large and very viable, Al-Asir never forces faith in him, and treats everyone fairly, even those who do not observe the Everwatcher because of his intense generosity, kindness, and curiosity to all visitors in Al-Alus. Much the same are the anti-theists, those who are forcefully against the concept of religion as a whole and blame spirituality for much of the ails of Qadir history. And finally, there are the Ordial Cultists, either those in Al-Alus who hide their old loyalties, or the Rishiq who openly still worship the Machinist, believing his technological promise of power to be more true than Al-Asir's promise of unity.

Death Rites

Qadir Death Rites are extremely unique in the world, and considerably strange in the view of Unionism. Both in contradiction of Unionism, and yet encouraged by it through Al-Asir and the necessity of loss of population during the Great Storm, the Qadir do not actually let the souls of the dead pass on fully to the afterlife. This is also the reason why Qadir are the only people who can reasonably be Atheist without having their soul condemned to the Beyond in death (superhell), as part of their soul remains anchored on the mortal plane during death, so long as other Qadir are nearby to perform the final rites. When a Qadir dies, their Membanks are connected to the Mehd al-Maut (translated to Cradle of Death), which are a type of machine that collects all the memories of the deceased person, even after death, so long as they haven't been dead for more than a few days. In the Mehd al-Maut, part of the soul is anchored, meaning it is prevented from passing on, but it is also made incapable of turning into a Spirit or Undead because the core of the soul is locked up in the machine. The Mehd al-Maut usually houses several hundred souls, and become a collective of thought and knowledge that is very useful to the Qadir. They are often treated as super computers capable of complex calculations and logical predictions. Mehd al-Maut are usually scrubbed of emotions and individuality, it is not the same as a formal afterlife, though Al-Asir has promised that when Unionist Paradise comes, that the Qadir who watched over their kin in death will be freed from Mehd al-Maut and rejoin the living. Mehd al-Maut are an ancient technology, dating back to the Sariyd Empire. This means that some Mehd al-Maut can in fact be Ordial controlled, and contain malicious Spirits from the Beyond, especially those controlled by the Rishiq. Many are also still rumored to be dormant, hidden in old Sariyd ruins.

Fashion

Qadir fashion is varied, ranging from what we IRL would consider fantasy Arabic, to the traditional wear of the Rajput or Omani people. A very common fabric choice for the Qadir is silk because of its breathing and light yet strong properties, especially with shades of blue, brown, and orange or copper. Gold is a color frequently avoided in traditional Qadir clothing, preferring brass or bronze for jewelry, while the color green as a strong accent or dominating color is avoided because of the inherent associations with the Beyond. Qadir Fashion tends to be fairly fluid because many of them do not spend a second thought on clothing expressions, preferring the merit of their mind and words to do the talking than impressions of their dressing style. Additionally, many Qadir live in foreign lands where it often pays off to adopt local customs, so truly traditional Qadir clothing is often only worn in Al-Asir, while Qadir living abroad (and particularly Regalia) experiment a lot with styles and clothing types of foreign cultures. The Qadir do not formally have a dress-code, they can wear as much or as little as they like, and have no real distinction between female or male styled clothing either.

World View

  • Qadir relations with Regalia are fairly complex. At a base, they are natural allies, because of their Ailor proximity to each other, but the Qadir also fiercely refuse to be incorporated into the Regalian Empire and to become a part of it fully. They trade and are part of the Regalian economy by using the Regal as legal tender, and allow Regalian navies to lay anchor in their harbors, but refuse to become part of this "Beautiful mess" - as they call it. The Qadir consider Regalia to be an inefficient bureaucracy led by a morally corrupt nobility. The Qadir believe Regalia is far too anarchy ridden to be a good state to be part of, with anti-intellectual movements within its own leading classes, but still acknowledge that Regalia is the most viable path for them to exist in the world with a formal protector and ally.
  • Qadir Ethics are sometimes criticized by other Races and Societies because of its apparent lack of any standard whatsoever. The Qadir value progress above most other things, so as long as they can avoid causing harm to sentient other persons, most experimentation is permitted. This includes but is not limited to the creation of artificial homunculi for the purposes of experimentation, as soul-less homunculi lack sentience and awareness to express or experience suffering. When a Qadir applies a standard of ethics, that is entirely imposed by themselves, and only by their own moral guiding.
  • The Qadir lack nobility in the sense that Regalia has it, inherited wealth, fame, and power, bereft of actual skill. This is largely also a point of criticism of the Qadir of Regalia's autocracy: the fact that Nobles can sabotage the government either because they want to, or because of sheer incompetence and a sense of entitlement to power. Qadir do however have famous families, descendants of famous investors who are held to a higher standard and may approach more public funding than other poorer families would for the hopes their descendants might rub off on some of the genius of their ancestors (it usually does not).
  • Qadir are body purists, largely because damaging or replacing parts of their body has adverse effects on their ability to produce the technology they are famous for. Removing both arms of a Qadir for example, seriously hampers their ability to call upon the powers of Al-Asir to fuel the Qatil batteries that power their Clockwork machines. The concept of replacing all one's organs with Chassis modifications as such is considered taboo among the Qadir, but very common among the Rishiq, who are not hampered from funneling the powers of the Machinist through their prosthetic replacements.
  • Despite being intellectually informed about the ongoings of the world, the Qadir are woefully bereft of actual policy on many Affinities, Afflictions, and Magical conditions. They vaguely know they exist, like Marken, but show utter indifference to them, and have no common policy in society on how to deal with them or how to interact with them. As such, there is no communally enforced opinion or stance towards the Occult, save for the general sentiment that those reliant on Magic are probably a little bit intellectually challenged because they replace actual complex thoughts and understanding of physics and the world with Magic shortcuts.
Peoples of Aloria
Central Peoples
• Ailor • Narim • Solvaan •
Northern Peoples
• Dwarves • Isldar • Sihndar • Urlan •
Eastern Peoples
• Qadir • Sihai • Songaskia •
Southern Peoples
• Allar • Bralona • Maraya • Slizzar •
Western Peoples
• Asha • Eronidas • Fin'ullen • Kathar • Lanlath • Maquixtl • Suvial • Yanar •
Accreditation
Writers MonMarty
Artists MonMarty
Last Editor Firefan96 on 03/10/2024.
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