The Empire of Zakat

• Zakatian Basics
  
• Zakatian History
  
• Zakatian Cities
  
• Zakatian Towns and Villages
  
• The Empire's Well Known
  
• Zakatian Environment List
  
• Zakatian Technology List
  

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Present Time in Zakat: 500 A.E.

Official Languages: Zakatian (Russian); Common/Universal (English)
Approx. Total Population: 120,000,000
Arcanists per Capita: 1:200 (approx. .5% of total population)
Government: Empire ruled by a single Emperor;
Current Premier:
Prime Exports: Clocks and other timepieces; steam-powered machinery; electricity; wiring; precision technology; weapons
Demonym: Zakatian (pronounced with a -shun and not a "-teean")
The Empire's Reputation: The Empire of Zakat is known as a progressive, technological enclave. They are welcoming, but stiff people. They are known to shun Arcanists, and there are very, very few places to get enchanted weapons or magical items in Zakat. They dislike Arcadia as a whole, and Arcadians are more unwelcome than most Arcanists.


Average Male Height: 6'0
Average Female Height: 5'5"
Most Common Eye Color: Blue, Green/Teal. Brown is the third-most common. Other colors are very uncommon.
Most Common Hair Color: Blonde is the most common. Black and brown are also common. Other colors are very uncommon. Red hair is almost non-existent and is found only in the southwestern edge. White hair can only be found on the northern edge of the country, bordering with Arcadia.





The Empire of Zakat may be the smallest country geographically, but it makes up for that by leading the world in sheer technological growth. Zakat is known as "The Bridge of the World," as it is the only landmass that connects the northern Arcadian continent with the southern Braukan-Cierian continent. There were many attempts long before the current borders were established to take Zakat, but its people held strong and refused to be overtaken by the outside. Zakat thrived as a trade epicenter. The mixing of technology from three different countries sped up Zakat's own technological renaissance. Zakat soon rose from being a trade center to being a fierce military power with technology that rivals what other countries call magic.

Geographically, Zakat is quite varied. There are mountains and jungles, and even forests throughout its land. Zakat's most unique geographical feature is Mount Solai. Mount Solai is Aurora's only active volcano. It draws tourists each year, and guards are posted around the mountain to make sure that people don't decide to take a bath in the magma. Zakat is split between three states within the Empire. The three states of Zakat are Belka to the south, Emmeria to the east, and Yuktobania to the north. Each state was originally its own country, but they were united under the flag of the Empire of Zakat centuries ago. The states have their own cultural differences, although they are hard to tell apart by tourists and outsiders.




Zakat is led by the Emperor. The Emperor has always been a male, although that has been preference on the predecessor rather than any rule. There actually is no law that says a female can not be Emperor. The Emperor's successor is chosen by the Emperor himself. Usually, this is their child. The heir to the throne does not have to be blood related, however. There are documented cases where the Emperor instead chose a trusted general or advisor.. The Empress is the Emperor's wife, and she holds no political power whatsoever—unless her husband dies and leaves no heir. The Empress is then allowed to select the next Emperor. If there is no Empress when the Emperor dies and he has no heir, the eldest Grand-General takes the position.

The Emperor has override power on all matters within Zakat. He may not make every single decision within Zakat, but he does have the final say-so. The Emperor is also the only person with the power to declare war. While the Emperor controls Zakat itself, the three states are sub-governed by Governor-Generals. Each one controls the armed forces within the state as well as manages them. Governor-Generals appoint cabinet members to handle specifics such as agriculture, housing and urban development, and the treasury. The Emperor does as well, although that is for the overall empire rather than the individual states.




Zakatians are known to be blonde and blue-eyed. The reason for this is unknown, and there are many theories as to why. They are tall people, with the average male height at 6'0 and the average female at 5'7. Very few Zakatians have Arcana. Zakatians are known for their loyalty. It's hard to find Zakatian spies for that matter. This is one reason Zakat doesn't have as strong of a foreign intelligence network as people might suspect. But it does allow for Zakat to have an iron-clad defense against foreign spying. Zakatians are also derogatorily called stupidly loyal. Because they are. It takes a lot for a Zakatian to turn their back on someone. There's a Zakatian saying "We might punch one another. We might kick one another. We might stab one another. In extreme cases, we might even shoot one another. But the next day? We will be laughing about it and enjoying our time together."

Zakatians are friendly people overall, although they may come off as stiff at first. They'll give a weary traveler a bed or couch if he asks for one. They'll make him do a little bit of work or cleaning for it, but they'll still give them a bed. Zakatians are religious, although not nearly as much as they were a century ago. Despite being so progressive, Zakatian people are stubborn. They don't like revolutionary change. When the country switched over from gas lighting to electric lighting, there were riots. But those died down once people realized there was a lack of sudden explosions. Other things like that have caused uproars, but technology itself is not something people are against.

Zakatians are against Arcanists, however. They have always disliked Arcanists (save for Evokers), as what they can do is not something most people can. There has always been a sort-of mob mentality when it comes to Zakatians. Unless someone is disabled, Zakatians are expected to pick up where another person left off. Because Arcanists are hard to come by, it's not easy to just replace someone. Arcanists are a thorn in the side of the Zakatian ideal that all humans are capable of doing the same things if their heart is in the right place. In the old days, Arcanists were burned at the stake for being an affront to Gradimir. That practice was abolished around 50 years ago.

Most Zakatians make their living by working in factories or in the trade sector. The government owns all factories for general goods and weaponry, but specialty goods (such as complex optics) have factories owned by contractors. Zakatians are industrious people, and overtime is usually only a complaint for those with a family. There are very few factories in the actual cities, but they are instead located on the outskirts of the cities. Inside the cities, most of workforce is in the commercial sector. They sell the goods that are produced outside.