The Socioeconomics of Karavan

This thread is to keep track of the known social, economic, and political details of Karavan.

The Yassa
1. Leaders of a religion, preachers, monks, persons who are dedicated to religious practice, the criers of mosques, physicians and those who bathe the bodies of the dead are to be freed from public charges.
2. It is forbidden under penalty of death that any one, whoever he be, shall be proclaimed emperor unless he has been elected by unanimous vote by the Kurultai. (Note: No one has ever been elected Emperor of Karavan. While the yassa holds it possible, the tribes never agree that consistently on anything. This article was probably introduced in the event that a single leader was needed in times of great emergency.)
3. The moment a campaign begins, each soldier must receive his arms from the hand of the officer who has them in charge. The soldier must keep them in good order, and have them inspected by his officer before a battle.
4. Forbidden, under death penalty, to pillage the enemy before the general commanding gives permission; but after this permission is given the soldier must have the same opportunity as the officer, and must be allowed to keep what he has carried off, provided he has paid his share to the receiver for the emperor.
5. A great hunt shall be held every winter. On this account, it is forbidden any man of Karavan to kill from the month of March to October, deer, bucks, roe-bucks, hares, wild dreck and some birds.
6. Forbidden, to cut the throats of animals slain for food; they must be bound, the chest opened and the heart pulled out by the hand of the hunter.
7. The word of the tribal chieftan is law, to be overruled by majority vote of the Kurultai.
8. Any guilty of the theft of a Karavanli vehicle or a thing of equal value will be punished by a branding of the head and their hand cut off. Further theft of that magnitude is to be punished by death and the body cut in two parts. For lesser thefts the punishment shall be, according to the value of the thing stolen, a number of blows of a staff-seven, seventeen, twenty-seven, up to seven hundred. But this bodily punishment may be avoided by paying nine times the worth of the thing stolen. Branded thieves are forbidden from replacing the lost hand on pain of death.
9. Assault is to be punished by a number of blows of a staff equal to nine times the number of blows attempted by the guilty party.
10. No subject of Karavan may take slaves on pain of death.
11. Murder, treason, and rape are to be punished by The Slow Death. (Note: "The Slow Death" is, apparently, a Karavanli punishment that involves cooking and eating the offender a little at a time. It is "slow" because they are kept alive throughout as much of a the process as possible, which is usually around six days.)
12. Marriage within a single tribe is forbidden.
13. If two families wish to be united by marriage and have only young children, the marriage of these children is allowed, if one be a boy and the other a girl. If the children are dead, the marriage contract may still be drawn up.
14. It is forbidden to bathe or wash garments in running water during thunder.
15. Spies, false witnesses, all given to infamous vices, and blood mages are condemned to death.
16. A guest is under the protection of his host for three days. A guest is forbidden from attempting to harm his host in any way. (This is all the law says, though most Karavanli ascribe to a strong code of hospitality, detailed below)
17. Karavan is forbidden from interfering with local affairs that do not strongly affect Karavan itself. (Note: This is an old but controversial law, sometimes derisively known as the "None Of My Business Law".
18. He who knowingly breaks the yassa is no longer protected by the provisions of the yassa.

Hospitality
The laws of hospitality among Karavanli are strict but simple. A host is required to provide the best he has to offer for his guests and is required to ensure their safety for at least three days. The guest is expected to be courteous to his host and not be a burden. While tribes vary in how strongly they maintain their social roles (for example, Kizilkrystal is very strictly hierarchical, but Alti Ok cares more about individual accomplishment than station), hospitality is consistently ironclad, possibly because Karavan, as a city of nomads, depends and thrives upon the hospitality of others.

Major Tribes:
Kizilkrystal
Colors – Red and Violet
Emblem – A golden sextant over a red and violet compass rose
Kuraltai – Ishibara Il-Qaghan (Kalabalik) and Mahmud al-Kashgari (Aman Iki)
The largest, wealthiest tribe, Kizilkrystal is also the tribe which owns the airships. Rigidly hierarchical, many other tribes resent them somewhat for their elitism. Their wealth also brings them great military power.
Ishibara Il-Qaghan is the political leader and commands the Kalabalik; is militaristic and security minded. Personality is gruff and distant, but commands nearly fanatical loyalty from those under him. Often believes that the security of the Karavan is far more important than the petty concerns of the locals. Fears Mahmud, whom he sees as his major political rival. Paranoid.
Mahmud al-Kashgari commands the Aman Iki and is the gentler face of Karavan. Well-liked and congenial, his easygoing demeanor belies a cunning mind.

Anatolians
Were bigger until a cabal of blood mages were uncovered, resulting in a bloody purge. Most notably, their former second in command, known as the Red Hand of Anatolia, was revealed to be a blood spirit, prompting Archivist Gursel of Alti Ok to kill it in single combat. While still the second largest Tribe, they are weaker than they were and many of their younger members are beginning to defect to other tribes. The Anatolians are also the primary dealers in the black market and are known for being extremely shady in their dealings.

Seljuk and Beylik
Once one tribe, these two tribes had been at war ever since the Beylik splintered off until Archivist Gursel brokered a peace between them. They have since become the rising stars of the clans, their coffers and ranks filling faster than any other tribe. Peace between them is still fragile, however, and distrust lingers. They are also Alti Ok's strongest and most faithful allies, as they remember well that it was Alti Ok that came to their defense when the Anatolians attempted to take advantage of their feud. Many of the Seljuk and Beylik feel indebted to Alti Ok, as the latter tribe's current weakened state is the result of its decision to help these two tribes in their time of need.

Alti Ok
Colors – Yellow and Green
Emblem – six arrows making a star.
The tribe the PCs work for initially. Second weakest of the six great tribes and politically vulnerable since the recent death of many of their members and their Iranian leader, Kurosh-e-Kabir, in the recent conflict with Anatolia. His daughter, Rahimah, is desperately trying to keep the tribe together and narrowly succeeding through a combination of political talent, luck, and sheer force of will. Alti Ok is one of the most militaristic and are famous for having produced some of Karavan's greatest warriors.
Rahimah dislikes political maneuvering, so she tends to be extremely direct in her dealings. This sometimes works to her advantage as her enemies often do not expect just how quickly she will resort to firepower to solve a problem. It does, however, sometimes make her predictable.
Gursel is Rahimah’s assistant. He idolizes her, but sees that she is taking on too much, even for her.


Ashina
Leader – Bumin Khan
A rapidly growing tribe, the Ashina are rapidly overtaking Alti Ok's position among the Kurultai. Their devout and charismatic leader, Bumin Khan, has proven an adept administrator, but his fundamentalist policies have made him many enemies.

Asma
Number 12
Fixer tribe

Llassos
Number 8
Armorer tribe

Pjelykosts
Number 19
Magic tribe

Some notes on Karavanli Culture:

Regarding The Tribe
While Karavanli are well known for being wild, individualistic, irascible, and dangerous, they are also known to be completely and utterly loyal to those they see as their family and close friends. This is, in part, due to the fact that no Karavanli is completely without choice in regards to tribal affiliation. At the most basic level, every child is born of two tribes, and they are given the choice of which to join at the age of eighteen. Some, especially the children of less restrictive tribes such as the Pjelykosts and the Beylik, are given an even wider array of choices, being free to join any tribe where a relative is a member. Also a factor in the degree of tribal devotion characterized by Karavanli arises from the way in which a tribe acts as a support network; it's hard not to feel obligated to a group that pulls your fat out of the fire every time you get yourself into trouble.
As for inter-tribal relations, that is more complex, not the least due to the constantly shifting allegiances resulting from Karavan's exclusively inter-tribal marriages. A war between two large tribes is rare, usually because they will have, without fail, a number of relatives within that tribe. Smaller tribes, however, feud more frequently, and larger tribes will often have overt hostilities between specific families. Nevertheless, while the feud between the Seljuk and the Beylik is the exception rather than the norm, it does still occur from time to time. Worse, when two large tribes get into a tussle, it usually lasts much longer than the smaller conflicts between minor tribes.

Regarding Poison
Karavanli consider poison to be a weapon for killing animals, and its use against a human being is a grave insult to both the victim and the victim's family. As such, the use of poison against a metahuman is rarely done, its use considered an open declaration of war. Many a savvy Karavanli politician has done away with two powerful rivals by framing one for the poisoning of the other.

Regarding Oaths
Lying is only illegal in official situations, where it would qualify as bearing false witness. However, almost all Karavanli are very careful about lying, as being caught in a lie is considered extremely shameful. Especially stringent is the standards of behavior for one who has given his word. A Karavanli may say a lot and even promise a lot, swearing upon this Ancestor or that God, but this is all hot air for throwing off outsiders. However, a Karavanli who has given his Word, that is, one who has sworn to do something and staked that promise on nothing but his own integrity, will pursue the fulfillment of that promise with complete and total devotion. This is an odd dichotomy to outsiders, but to Karavanli it seems obvious enough: A promise enforced by an outsider is no promise at all; a true promise should be staked upon the voice and name of the promise-maker. As such, a Karavanli will often say something like, "I swear upon all that is good and holy", but will very rarely say, "I give you my word."

A Few Statistics for Karavan
Note : All numbers are approximate averages.

Total Population* : 12,000
Male Population : 6,800
Female Population : 5,200
Population below the age of 13 : 1,200
Population aged 13 - 21 : 3,600
Population aged 22 - 35 : 3,700
Population aged 36 - 50 : 2,200
Population over the age of 50 : 1,300
*Number is based upon Karavan's population while traveling. Total population can grow to as much as 24,000 when camped near a large population center.

Yearly Food Consumption : 8,000 Metric Tons
Yearly Water Consumption : 10,950,000 Liters
Number of Violent Crimes Prosecuted per Year : Generally, only 40-50 people per year will break the yassa, and most of these are yabanci. Including the breaking of local laws by Karavanli, this number hovers around 200-250.

Major Exports :
Electronics
Industrial Hardware
Machine Parts
Textiles
Spices
Scrap
Medical Equipment
Foci
Services
Death

Major Imports :
Food and Water
Animal Carcasses
Spices
Ammunition
Wood
Iron
Steel
Bituminous Coal
Chalk
Copper
Gold
Rubber
Petroleum and Gasoline
Plastics
Uranium and other types of nuclear fuel
Helium
Silk
Linseed
Silicon
The blood of its enemies

Karavan tribe data:

the Boyashi

the Boyashi tribe is comprised of Boyash Romani, primarily from southern Bulgaria. Facing severe economic hardships, religious persecution, and rampant racism in their home, they decided to move in search of more fertile ground. The group that became the Boyashi tribe was a group of three extended family groups which travelled through nothern Turkey and then turned east into asia, hoping to find a refuge in their supposed ancestra homelands in India. They never quite got that far, though, and were stalled out in Afghanistan and under attack by raiders when scouts from Karavan found them. Grateful for the rescue, they joined the city and formed their own small tribe, which has since been joined by the occasional Romani wanderer who stumbles across the city.

Families: The Boyashi tribe is literally a collection of three extended families. While the three are somewhat intermarried from before their joining of Karavan, they are still separate functional entities, though they cooperate closely.

The largest of the three families is the Svetkova family, with 47 members, spread over 4 generations. The Markhov family has 41 members, and the Dimitrov family has 35, for a total tribal size of 123. Andrei Svetkova, the eldest brother in the Svetkova family's 2nd generation (the eldest generation being to old to effectively lead any more) is the Tribal spokesperson and family head of the Svetkova family. Andrei is 68 years old, with 2 sons, 2 daughters, and 11 grandchildren. Krasimir Dimitrov is the head of the Dimitrov family, and Ivan Markhov is the head of the Markhov family.

The Boyashi tend to be very easy-going, and get along well with most other tribes. They never instigate hostilities or arguments, and always try to seek a diplomatic solution when another tribe has a problem with them. In some cases, they may even intervene and attempt to calm a situation between other tribes, though this is rare, as they have a long-trained tendancy to mind their own business.

Major trade goods:

The Boyashi are skilled artisans, covering a number of vocations. While some of their number are at least moderately skilled technitians and mechanics, most of them range more towards older crafts, including sewing, carpentry, and metalcrafting. They do much of the small non-technical repairs for the Karavanli, and produce clothing, textiles, and a small amount of wood and metal crafted items for sale to outsiders. They also have a number of skilled musicians and dancers, and are frequently called upon to preform, both for other tribes who have a celebration, and in villages that they camp near.

The Rite of Sworn Blood

Karavan is host to a rather unique marriage ceremony that is sometimes undertaken to show particularly strong, lasting commitment. Where the custom comes from is uncertain; some trace its origins to a similar (if less macabre) ritual practiced by a small tribe of Romanian Gypsies, while a more popular and fantastic tradition holds that it was taught to the people of Turkestan by a mysterious stranger shortly after the Awakening. Whatever the source, a great deal of mysticism and superstition surrounds the marriage rite known as "The Rite of Sworn Blood".

The ritual itself is simple enough, often enacted as an addition to the myriad tribe-specific nuptial traditions. Prior to the ceremony, a knife is chosen among either the bride or groom's collection, depending on the type of marriage*. How it is selected varies from tribe to tribe--Alti Ok chooses a blade which has saved its owner's life in some way, while the Ashina bless and forge a blade for each child at birth, which is set aside for this specific purpose.

The ritual itself begins with the groom handing the blade to the bride, who makes a small cut on her chest over her heart and another on her palm. She hands the blade to him and he does the same. She places her blooded hand over his heart and says words to the effect of the following (exact words vary):
"As the sun rises each day, I shall think of you. As the stars shine each night, so shall you be constantly in my thoughts. As night follows day, so closely shall we share our separate thoughts. I shall know you as completely as you shall know me. This I swear to you."

He then places his blooded hand over her heart and says the following (once again, exact words vary):
"As the blood of my heart touches yours, so shall I touch your spirit. As your heart beats against my hand, so shall your spirit touch mine. My loyalty shall be yours. My courage shall be yours. The strength of my heart shall flow through your veins. When there is need, I shall be strong for both of us. This I swear to you. We are Blood Sworn."

If the knife belongs to the bride rather than the groom, the actions and words are reversed.

The Rite of Sworn Blood is not undertaken lightly. In fact, only one in ten marriages in Karavan begin this way, and the decision to do so is generally considered a deep commitment. Those who have sworn this way may never petition for divorce and betrayal of such an bond is punishable by mutilation and branding. Many tribes traditionally hold that a couple must live under the same roof for at least three years before they are permitted to undertake it. There are also stories of people befalling terrible fates at the moment of betrayal, though they are largely apocryphal and what few are verifiable are attributable to coincidence.

The rite is not isolated to Karavan, either. It exists in some form throughout most of Turkestan, parts of Mongolia and Northern China, and throughout the Middle East. While the specifics of the custom vary wildly, all of them have the blood component and all of them end with the phrase, "We are Blood Sworn".

*The knife is usually chosen from among the groom's collection. Exceptions include an iç güveysi** wedding(chosen from the bride's collection), in a "değişik"***, or exchange, wedding (one is chosen from each family for use in the joint ceremony), and the shotgun wedding**** (chosen from whatever you have on hand, usually one of the bride's).

** iç güveysi is a wedding where the groom comes to live with the bride's tribe, which is the reverse of the norm but not rare at all, especially if the bride's tribe is of significantly higher standing. In iç güveysi, it is the groom's family which pays the dowry.

*** değişik is the marriage of two pairs of siblings, especially one brother-sister pair to another brother-sister pair. This negates the need for a dowry.

**** The incidence of shotgun weddings enacting The Rite of Sworn Blood is fairly low, though it is known to sometimes happen.