Araby (Warhammer)

Araby is a location in the fictional world of Warhammer Fantasy. Geographically it roughly corresponds to the real world North Africa. The culture of Araby is based largely on historic Islamic Arab nations (hence the name 'Araby') and as such draws on inspiration from the history of the Near East and Middle East as well as North Africa. Much of the supernatural background is based on the mythology of the Arabian Nights.

Compared to the Old World little background attention has been given to Araby and it most often appears in Games Workshop literature as some where exotic an Old Worlder might visit in search of riches. Its sultans are said to be more wealthy than Dwarfs and its cities rich in spices, gold and slaves which are traded with the Empire and Norsca. The principal cities of Araby are:
*Lashiek, Corsair city
*Copher, the Spirit Port
*Martek
*Al-Haikk, the City of Thieves.

The cities are nestled on the coast of the continent, with the centre being dominated by the Great Desert of Araby and sparsely peopled with nomads. The denizens are said to utilize magical genies, flying carpets and "massive animals that seem to require no water" (perhaps camels of some sort).

The early years of Araby's history are not well documented, but it is known that it suffered invasions from the Land of the Dead after the fall of the Khemri civilization. The major event that stands out in Araby's history is the war between it and the major powers of the Old World. This began in Imperial year 1448 when the Skaven convinced Sultan Jaffar, a powerful sorcerer who had conquered Araby, to invade Estalia, sparking 200 years of conflict. These struggles lead to the foundation of several Knightly Orders. Most famous amongst these are "The Knights Panther" and "The Knights of the Blazing Sun". This element is an amalgamation of the real world conflicts between Muslims and Christians in medieval Spain (see "Reconquista") and the Crusades in the Holy Land.

In early 2007 a Warmaster force for Araby was released with units including elephants and camel riders. The army also had units of flying carpets powered by aerial spirits in physical form.

References

*Chambers, A., Blanche, J. 1993. "Warhammer Armies: Skaven". Nottingham: Games Workshop Ltd. ISBN 1-872372-69-4
*Johnson, J., King, B., Blanche, J., Gibbons, M. 1994. "Warhammer Armies: Undead". Nottingham: Games Workshop Ltd. ISBN 1-872372-67-8

*Stillman, N., Priestley, R. 1998. "Warhammer Armies: Dogs of War". Nottingham: Games Workshop Ltd. ISBN 1-872372-02-3

External links

* [http://specialist-games.com/assets/RelicsofthecrusadesPart1.pdf] "Relics of the Crusades" - a non-official campaign supplement for Mordheim set in Araby during the Warhammer Crusades. Hosted by the Specialist-Games section of Games Workshop.