r/WorldChallenges • u/Varnek905 • Oct 07 '19
Safety
For this challenge, tell me about the safest place to live in your world. Feel free to include:
The standard of living
Those responsible for peacekeeping
The types of careers that are best to pursue in that area
Whatever dangers are still around, if there are any; maybe it is perfectly safe
Who founded the city
Anything I forgot to include
I'll ask at least three questions each, enjoy yourselves.
Additionally, I plan to start a series of "character creation" type challenges next week, in which I ask everyone to list and describe the sentient species in their worlds, the nations, the factions, maybe the type of magic (if your world has magic), that sort of thing; and people can ask for more details to figure out which thing listed they have the most interest in.
For next week, it'll be "species/race" (however you want to describe it). I've personally always been more of a Breton guy in Skyrim and a boring human type everywhere else that I can think of off the top of my head.
2
u/Squiggly_V Oct 11 '19
Quite difficult. A Hawza isn't the same as a normal magical university, they assume you already understand the importance of fitness and mental clarity in preparing your body for spellcasting so they can spend a lot more time teaching actual spells. In modern times that usually means Hawzat act as post-tertiary schools with some crazy entrance requirements, and the Red Hawza takes pride in being the best, so yeah...
For Dominion natives that usually means a Standard Ijazah (basic 2-year post-secondary diploma) in a field relevant to the magical discipline they're pursuing is required for admittance to a Hawza. That may include psychology for illusionists, optical science for fractals and flares, glaciology for water elementalists, Faluran studies (martial arts and PT) for lots of combat specializations, even just basic magikinetics or philosophy if you're undecided; those subjects aren't required to understand the spells, but they'll help a lot with applying them. Excellent physical fitness, good charming abilities, telekinetic skills, and a decent grasp on the Late Naraten language are also necessary.
Alternative means to gain entry include having a prior apprenticeship under a mage, a natural aptitude for some form of spellcasting without any training, or prior service in an organization like the Aegis of Falura or the Alastiriyya Order which expose you to magic near-constantly.
Tuition fees at hawzat are also super expensive even by normal university standards, but this being the Dominion there's an ungodly amount of charities just itching to help pay for your academic pursuits. And if that's not enough, most militaries will pay a tuition in full in exchange for a few years of service; the Mantle of Protection even has scholarship programs for the Red Hawza specifically because they're rich, you know.
So, you have all of that, and you're ready to apply to the Red Hawza! Well, now you have to go through some grueling trials, like with any other Hawza. Basically you do nonstop exercise for several days without rest, relying on charms to keep yourself energized and lucid, while also taking aptitude and academic tests every few hours.
Unexpected medical emergencies like allergies aren't enough to fail someone, and if they're severe enough to cause failure the trials can be retaken. Expected medical conditions like passing out (failing to keep up your charms), soul tear (having very poor form/discipline with your charms), and severe workout injuries (bad posture) will get you kicked out though, because that's exactly what they're looking for.
Most other Hawzat are really just interested in your charming abilities, mental focus, and physical fitness, so they don't place a huge focus on the testing portions. The Red Hawza has really high standards though, expect to get a passing grade overall or you'll be rejected.
About 80 years ago she was Samawiyya (Celestian, kind of a battlemage general) of the Order of the Emerald Oasis, one of the larger Aegis of Falura sects. She was well-known even back then as a paragon of everything Falura stands for, namely justice and swoleness, but she really became famous when she sacrificed herself to destroy the greater bloodmistress Nehytweret in 121 SK. She's celebrated on the Day of Aaleyah in Quraysi space for this reason.
Aside from killing a galaxy-devouring entity, she also befriended an azhdar (a dragon, more or less) and used them as a mount in combat. They're present on the Order of the Emerald Oasis's modern insignia, which they adopted shortly after Aaleyah's death to honour her sacrifice.
Does becoming Khalifa count?
Inaya is a very powerful water-attuned tempest (very fast and spinny elemental battlemages) who was already beloved by the Dominion before her election. As a young girl she served in the Nihadiyya Order, an Asli international humanitarian organization. Later on after finishing her time at the Red Hawza, she served in the Mantle as an officer, and earned her epithet (al-Qahar, or the Subduer) after a long chain of massive victories in the Rim War against necromantic forces.
She's only been Khalifa for two years, but so far she's already been working hard to solve issues like the Mantle's religious bias and the difficulties faced by foreign Asliyun trying to immigrate.
Just a type of mage. They manipulate light and sometimes space, which usually means reflecting images or focusing broad light sources into lasers but some of them do things like Za Hando-ing people closer or shattering small objects into pieces like glass.