Djunits

State:
Great Desert

Form of government:
Confederation

Rulers:
Previously,the Great Desert was a kingdom, and the family of its kings came from the founder of the nation –the Marawie Sand Lion. Later, as a result of the conspiracy, the descendants of Marawie were overthrown, and the new ruling dynasty of Fashukhs ascended to the throne. After the abdication of the last king, Fashukhi became Kai-Samiluf Izirs and still are to this day. Izirs govern the cities of the Great Desert, obeying only the Supreme Council of the Academy. In fact, the true ruler of the Great Desert is the head of the Council of the Academy. Usually the Academy does not deal with political issues, but can dictate terms to the rulers of cities in special cases.

Language:
Common, Old Djunitian. Old Djunitian language is taught in schools, used in art works, but not in everyday communication. All cities of the Great Desert speak in the Common Language.

Largest city:
Kay-Samiluf

Capital:
Kay-Samiluf. Despite the normative acts on the absence of centralized power, it retains the status of the capital, because is the Council of the Academy is in the city there.

Other large cities:
Darif (forging and steelworking center), Aino-Suf (one of the best training centers for warriors), Golden Ruins (historical, research, scientific and tourist center), Doyno-Kash (the largest Djunitian port), Al-Madi, Doriar, the Bay of the Evil Sun.

Geography and climate:
The Great Desert occupies the Southern and South-Western part of Elinor. These are barren drylands with rare oases, where the largest settlements are situated. The climate is hot and dry. Rare precipitation. The temperature does not change during the winter.

Borders with:
the Valley of the Ancestors, the state of the Taurs, the lands of the Bronze Chekatta. Sea border - with the state of Guawars.

History:
The history of the Djunitian people begins from the time of the Great Peoples Settling, when a man named Marawie came to the Valley from the Western forest of Dockol-Mo and urged the locals to follow him to the South in an arid desert. Marawie inspired people with the final goal of the journey. "We are going to the source of wealth and eternal wisdom," - such are the words of Marawie's in many legends. Nothing is known about the former life of the founder of the Djunitian people, even the popular rumor could not keep any specific information.

The passage through the desert was very difficult, people were on the verge of despair, and only the iron will of Marawie led people forward. In legends he was entrusted with the image of a charismatic, tough and confident leader. After crossing the desert the leader was given a nickname “the Sand Lion”. The exhausted and depleted strength detachment of Marawie stopped in a huge oasis in the midst of the endless sands. To the surprise of the travelers, their powers recovered very quickly. Oasis abounded with streams of drinking and probably healing water, fertile soils, shady cypresses, fruit trees and shrubs. There were also herds of large animals - elephants and camels. It was decided to create the settlement in this oasis that later became the city of Kay-Samiluf (from the Old Djunitian language translates as the Heart of the Desert, although the Old Djunitian language probably appeared later, and the settlers spoke in the language of the Valley of that time, close to the language of the Chekatta). People themselves began to call themselves Djunits- the people of the sandy djuns.

Further, according to the first Djunitian chronicles, several generations of migrants were replaced, while Marawie Sand Lion, who became the first ruler, did not age, or did it much slower than the others. In Kay-Samiluf the kings Palace was laid and the first Observatory, which determined the scientific development of the Djunitian people. Gradually nearby oases began to develop and new settlements were laid. At the same time, with the development of new lands, the Djunits faced a new disaster of the desert, its rapacious inhabitants –scorpio-anglers and sand dragons.Scorpio-anglers are huge arthropod creatures, similar to giant scorpions. They have pointed, chitin-covered paws for movement, a rapacious mouth, poisonous glands in the mouth, a strong shell and a long tail with a tip at the end. The scorpio-anglers bury themselves in the sand, where they wait for their victims. In the daytime they can easily be mistaken for a pile of stones. Only the tail with a deadly sting, which penetrates even the elephant, gives out the scorpio-angler away. If during the day it can be taken for a dried-up tree, then at night a weak flame begins to light up on its’ end, attracting other large animals: elephants, camels, lions and desert lizards. The scorpio-angler first stings a victim who has approached a dangerous distance, and then eats poisoned flesh.

Sand dragons about three times smaller than scorpio-anglers. However, they can fly and live mostly in packs. With the exception of the hermit dragons - those attack one by one. Sand dragons dig underground holes in the hills and barkhans. The burrows can be very deep and represent a network of underground labyrinths.

Marawie showed himself as a thinker, theorist and practitioner. He introduced the concept of tactics in waging war with sand dragons and scorpio-anglers. The opposition to the predatory desert dwellers began to be called war, and not hunting. Marawie began to divide Djunitian warriors into classes, invented new types of weapons together with other engineers, and also investigated the habits of scorpio-anglers and dragons. However, he himself became a victim of the war, which he began. Marawie fell into one of the caverns of the sand dragon. The cave was so deep that the Djunits could not even retrieve the body of their leader. After the death of several reconnaissance groups, the search ceased. And the body of the progenitor of the people was not buried with all due honors. Later, the location of that same cave was forgotten.

By the time of his death Marawie had two sons of mature age. A few others died before their long-lived father. The heirs were called Nidal and Zakhir. The latter entered the world history under the nickname Wolf. A dispute arose between the brothers. Wolf wanted to finish his father's business - to find the source of wisdom and wealth. Nidal insisted that the source was already found, and this is Kay-Samiluf.

As a result, Wolf with a group of volunteers went to the southeast, and Nidal continued the dynasty of the first rulers of the Great Desert.

Subsequently, Wolf became one of the founders of the new, Guawarian people. And the kingdom of Nidal grew. His descendants came to the sea and founded the city of Doyno-Kash (Blooming Port). To the North of the capital was founded Ayno-Suf (Dragon Slayer), where the best warriors of the kingdom began to study. Near the deposits of precious metals and minerals in the south was laid the city of Darif (Wealth).

The Djunits, since the foundation of their nation, have placed great emphasis on the development of science. The Academy was founded in Kay-Samiluf. Observatories, engineering workshops and libraries were built in other settlements. Most of the population was educated. Even the poorest representatives of the people had the opportunity to get an education. The economy too was well developed. Caravans were constantly shuttled between the Djunitian cities and the Valley, and sea trade was conducted with the Guawarian people.

The apogee of the greatness of the Djunitian people was the discovery of the island with the ruins of an ancient deserted city in the West. Perhaps Marawie, whose dynasty had already been overthrown, was looking for it, when he led the settlers from the Valley. The settlement was named the Golden Ruins. At the excavations, many ancient artifacts were discovered, possessing an incomprehensible power, which was provisionally called magic. The found scrolls confirmed that the Golden Ruins are the city of the lost Second Race. Though nothing global was learnt from it. Only sketches of every days’ life and household. At the same time, the individual manuscripts in an absolutely incomprehensible language, other than "everyday casual" one, remain unencrypted to this day. However, reading the calendar and correlating it with the calendar of modern astronomers, gave an occasion to announce the beginning of the new, Fourth Era.

The last king of Djunits, Hayam Rashiz Fashukh, abolished the monarchy in the Great Desert, and she ceased being a single state. Now the Great Desert has become an association of free cities, which it stays to this day. However, in certain cases, the Council of the Academy can dictate to the Izirs its’ will. The Izirs of Djunitian cities are chosen in different ways. Somewhere power is inherited, as in Kay-Samiluf, somewhere Izir is chosen by the townspeople.

The Council of the Academy plays an important role in the life of Elinor. The rulers of other nations take its’ opinion into consideration. Also, the Council takes a direct part in the political life of the Valley of the Ancestors’ Great Cities.

Djunits do not have a permanent fleet and a standing army. Warriors and sailors are hired either in the orders of the Izirs, or in private traders. The main task of the soldiers is to protect the caravans from the scorpio-anglers and sand dragons. Military detachments of Izirs can preform the search for and destruction of  predators' logs.

Industry, agriculture and economy:
The Great Desert has many reservoirs of the purest iron ore, as well as gold mines and precious stones mines. Agriculture is developed in cities-oases. Oases have fertile soils and yield several harvests a year. However, due to the small number of fertile lands, all food goes to the provision of the Great Cities. On the other hand the trade in jewellery and ore goes almost with all the peoples of Elinor. Guilds of merchants are at the heart of the economy of Djunits. Animal husbandry is developed; the main animals are elephants and camels.

Life and culture:
Djunits live in stone or clay houses. Wear long, spacious clothes, often white, as a protection from the sun. Colored - on holidays. The Djunits have applied crafts developed - needlework, pottery, weaving, etc. The culture of Djunits was affected by two defining directions: the development of science and survival in endless sands (including the battle with predators). All this is reflected in literature, visual arts and theatre. Djunitian poetry also reached a high level. The pick of this art is considered writing of the poems in the Old Djunitian language. A huge part of the artworks of the Djunits is dedicated to their national hero Marawie Sand Lion. If a scientist, warrior or merchant for Djunits –is a specific profession, writing poetry and stories, creating paintings and sculptures can be a simple fad, even if Djunit has reached significant heights in this area. Many Djunits keep diaries: warriors and merchants - often, scientists and researchers - constantly. The Djunitian diaries are a unique literary material, in fact, it becomes a chronicle made by the whole nation. Because of the high level of education of the population, the folklore of the Djunits is poorly developed: such as oral traditions and songs. Djunits have almost no folk tales, with the exception of nomadic tribes living in remote corners of the Great Desert.

Ideology:
Djunits are searching for the solution of the higher powers of creation in the starry sky. Astronomers believe that the stellar course determines the course of events in Elinor. Djunits often appeal to the stars as to a supreme power. Non the less, the sun is not cultivated in Djunites. Rather, it is the enemy of the people, with whom there it is in a constant confrontation. Though in the vast cosmos, as believed by the Djunits, lies the clue of the mystery of the creation of the world.



Old Djunitian langu:age
The Old Djunitian language was probably formed a hundred or two hundred years after the exodus of Marawie and his followers from the Valley. Its’ appearance was promoted by the manner of speaking of wild nomadic tribes, which enterwined into the language of the pioneers. Many of the sounds made in the Old Djunitian language are conditioned by the climate, possibly by the constant dryness in the throat and the desire to drink. The CommonLlanguage began to be formed from a mixture of the Old Djunitian and the language established in the Valley at the time of the flourishing of trade with Djunits. Apparently, it was greatly modified, in comparison with the language spoken by the pioneers, led by Marawie.

In writing, the Old Djunitian language is incredibly complex. Only Djunitian calligraphers can display symbols correctly. Inhabitants of the Valley and other peoples in most cases make a lot of mistakes in writing even the simplest words. The following are the most frequently used words immediately in transcription in the Common Language.

Academy - mechaad

The astronomer – nazhmal’

Astronomy - nazhmail’m

Grandmother - djeda

Poverty –fackir

Conversation - hadis

Wealth (money) - darif

Disease - marad

Brother-ibt

Camel – djamil’

Grapes - eznab

Water - muna

War – catal’

Warrior – cata

Doctor - labir

The hero - cata-Batal’

Horizon - afuk

Yes - nem

Girl - bina-Zozhd

Grandfather - djedd

Tree (cypress) - djattshar

Children (child) – affal’

Kindness- hajarr

House - madi

Daughter - bina

Dragon - suf

Friend (friendship) - sadak

Thirst - ashsh

Pearl - jumann

Wife - zozhdal

Woman - zozhd

Life – khal’

Sunset - gurb

Dawn - fadj

Star - najma

Snake - aiya

Golden - inai

Engineer - imham

Engineering – imhamil’m

Stone – hadjar

Caravan – kafil’

Book –kita

Leon - saad

Literature – al’-Adabil’m

Mathematics – al’-Riyadil’m

Mother – del’

Mighty (power) - kura

Milk – laban

Husband – zol’yak

Man – zol’

Museum - matkhar

Heir - viradja

Legacy - vira

Science – il’m

Sky - somun

No - lyak

Oasis - vahra

Weapon (sword) - sirah

Father - arra

Palma - nahle

Sand – ramal’

Port – kesh

Poetry - shiarene

Poet (poem) - Shiar

Belt - khayat

Desert - samiluf

Joy - saur

Separation - Firak

Rose - warda

Market - suuk

Heart - kei

Sister - uta

Glory - madja

Sun - shamaam

Old age - kaba

Son - unar

Work – emal’

Assassin (Executioner) - Aino

Teacher - mudar

Date fruit - tamyk

Robe (vest)- rudan

Cold (rather like cool) - braard

Flower (flowering) - daino

Number - rama

Young man (boy) - Unar-Fati

Poison (poisoning) - omsam