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Travel Guide

Page history last edited by Mace 2 years, 6 months ago

(Updated 8/1/15)

 


 

This page contains helpful articles on traveling to Saltha as well as city specific guides of interesting sites to see.

 

Background

 

Geography

Saltha is a coastal arid desert and semi-desert nation, on the southeast of the continent. The weather through most of the year is very hot, and tends to have mild winters. 

 

History

 The nation of Saltha was founded as a unified nation from the Waring city-states under king Sapa in the 5920 KG ("Kalgyagisany", lit. before senate). The last king of Saltha was Kakel. He waged a war on the nations of Braydon and the Sylvane. He also used his power to imprison and torture those who criticized him. Because of this, revolts began, eventually overthrowing him in 2 NE. A new senate was soon established, and a few years later the calendar was centered around this event. 

 

Planning

 

Choosing When to go

Like all popular destinations, the cities will be very busy during large festival days, so it is best to plan far in advance (at least a few months) if you plan to arrive, find lodgings or depart on or around a holiday. Shops will be closed on these holidays.

 

Ukaltya/New Years - 1/1 (March 20th)

The new year is celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox,and the first day of spring. This is celebrated with a big feast, ending the 15 day fast at the end of the year. 

 

Festival of Tears - 1/10 (March 29th)

A day where the people burn effigies of sad things, to invoke the divine Shasashui to cry, bringing rain for the next year. 

 

Independence/Senate Day - 8/9 (September 19th)

A commemorative day of the overthrowing of the tyrant king Kakel and the instating of the democratic senate.

 

Harvest Festival - 11/6 (November 30th)

A feast day, giving thanks to the Gods for the harvest. This includes a big feast. 

 

PanaSanth's Birthday - 11/4 (November 28th)

The day the priest of Santh was born.

 

Lyke/Wind Festival - 14/3 (February 11th)

They have parades with "wind catchers" (windsock-like Kites) during the windiest time of the year.

 

Purification Fast - Last (15th)  month (March 6th - March 19th)

15 days of prayer, fasting and purification

 

|akatas - 14/14 (March 4th)

A holiday where people exchange gifts with people they know, as a way of paying back any wrongs from that year committed against them. 

 

What to Expect

 

Climate

The temperature can soar at times well over  37C (98.6F), and even the lowest temperatures of winter at night is fairly warm. It is a good idea for species that can sunburn to refrain from staying out of direct sunlight  for long period of time, and wear proper covering of your body, such as wide brim hats and use sun protection lotions. Also remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day. 

 

Nudity

The nudity taboo in Saltha may be less strict than your own country. It is considered acceptable for young children under the age of ten to wear little or no clothing at all, generally wearing as most a simple loin cloth when working or going to school and nothing when playing. There is a strong cultural taboo for children to speak to those clothed, because they may be distracting them from work they should be doing. To be allowed to be unclothed is to say "you are free to play". 

 

 The traditional clothing of the Salthan people for adults is a long sleeved robe called a Hoshi (Ho-shee), and then the Skata, a sleeveless robe that fits over it. Finally it is tied with a Toshe (a cloth or leather belt with a triangle shape cut out.). Pants, an item brought in from the human culture are also somewhat popular, modified with a hole for a tail.

 

 Because biologically a female's chest is the same as a male's, they never had a reason to develop a norm for females covering their chest, as in some human cultures, and so both sexes are just as likely to go bare-chested. 

 

Gestures

Salthans will often stick out their tongue as a sign meaning "I will do as you say.", accompanied with a bob of their head. In other cultures, this might be a rude gesture, but to Salthans it is not. 

 

Setting times

Salthans tend to not like to commit to do something, because they feel there is always the risk of something that will prevent them from falling through. However, this doesn't mean they are dishonest, and a salthan who says they will "try to do that" or "will try to do it" means they will do their very best to follow through on it.

 

Currency

The local currency is the Doka. Doka comes  in various sizes, made of either silver or gold. 

 

Lodging

There are inns (nasekesh) throughout the large cities, which are usually extremely simple - just a small curtained off rooms with a bed mat. 

 

Food

Inns are also where you will find food. Salthan cuisine is usually eaten with the hands. Common dishes are:

 

Udesknask is finely chopped vegetables (and sometimes meat) wrapped in a large edible leaf (such as grape leaf), fried and usually served with a vinegar sauce to dip. 

Relsekashas is a spicy soup usually made with poultry. 

shasashaseka is a thick stew-like fish soup.

Shasulnal is a loaf of bread with fish baked in the middle, popular along the coastal regions. 

Nalsshas is breaded fish

Ushrelnal are bits of a spicy bread served with Lefnakshasha, a olive oil based dip. 

Shekshasa is raw salted fish, marinated in lemon and lime, and with other spices. 

 

Saltha also has a wide variety of alcaholic drinks, in addition to beer.  

 

Gilesshase is a drink made of fermented sugercane, similar to what humans called "rum"

Relshashe is a liqueur made from a sugercane drink base  flavored with black berries and hot peppers
Hodnaksashe is a wine made from the fermented from of the Sudnin cactus. 
Chersashe is a wine that is fermented with an insect (usualy a desert cricket) inside it.

Girelgishu is a wine fortified with gilesshase, giving it a "hot" flavor.
relnakshase is a flavored spirit made from gilesshase and a black tea. 
Lyke's Tears is a cocktail mixture of a barley-like drink served with salt brine

 

You can also order milk (haraseke) though because Salthans are lactose intollernt this will be hard ot find, and probibly expensive since very little is produced inside of Saltha, and thus will only be in tourist areas, or areas humans frequent. 

Juice (naksash) is also available. 

 

Entertainment

 

Tregic historic Plays (uselkalka) are plays portraying historical tragedy, with many on the time of the last king of Saltha, Kakel and his abuses of the people before they overthrew him. These may be very hard to follow if you don't know the language.

 

Group Dancing (Asausa)

The name literally means "dance, circle or cycle of life." and always contains elements that represents a birth or rebirth, a change or coming of age and death.

 

Comedic Group Stories (Sanagisany)

This is a comedic songs, most are legends about foolish people. The songs have parts or choruses that the audience joins in on.The crowds for these can be a bit rowdy, but because of a high emphisis on pantomime the stories are a bit easier to follow.

 

Bath Houses (Silakesh)

 

Some bathhouses, particularly in the tourist districts are segregated by sex, though most are still non-segregated. In most cases both kinds of bathhouses are nearly identical in the entry area, and so you should ask at the front desk of the bathouse whether it is segregated or not. Or you may wish to ask your hotel for a list of segregated bathhouses.

In the main entryway there are two doors to the changing rooms that are covered in a cloth. A blue one with the word "Sana" (man) or the letter "A"  for men's or a pink cloth with the word "Sali" or the letter "I" for women's. It is not uncommon for very young children to go to a changing room or segregated bath of the opposite gender with their parents.

 

In a bathhouse, you go into a changing room and undress and put your clothes on a shelf.   There is little danger of your things being stolen, as crime is very low. It considered polite if you are over ten years old to use a small cloth to cover your pubic region as best as you can when you walk around the bathhouse.

 

In the next room is the big tub of hot water. You do not get in to the tub right away; instead you first go to one the side to one of the faucets and take soap a towel and scrub thoroughly, then rinse off. This water is not heated.Then the bather gets in to the large hot tub.

 

After bathing visitors may go to the kakdarskesh (exersize room), or the sun room (olrelkesh) to dry off. Salthans also visit the purification room (gidaskesh) which is a room for strike oneself with switches, which they say purifies the soul, and firms the skin.  

 

Getting Around

 In the city lots of things will be within a short walking distance, but if you wish you can hire a kes, a large reptilian creature. 

 

Law and Order

 

If you have trouble, you should call out for, or send someone for a guardsman (kakdare). In large cities there is usually one nearby. It is however recommended one doesn't wander around. especially alone at night. 

 

What to do if accused of a crime

 

Remember, that you are subject to all laws of the country of Saltha, regardless of whether you consider them harsh or unfair.  Also, Saltha does not generally use jail time as punishment itself, but it is more the labor that is used to determine the punishment (i.e. money generated, or time served). It should be noted also that in some rare cases, Saltha does still use corporal punishment of floggings for severe cases, such as assault.  

Notice: The writers of this guide is not a lawyer, and only offer this as practical observations. Do not substatute this advice for that of a lawyer. The purpose of this article is to present advice on the Salthan legal system and contains no judgement, neither condemning nor accepting of the legal system.

   

A Primer on the Salthan legal system

 

The Salthan legal system is not built around the ideas of punishment, nor of rehabilitation, but of proper compensation of a criminal paying back the victim (though there is an element of punishment in that a share is also payed to the governmental to persuade the person to not do it again). Generally, if there is no cause for one person to pay back another person (or their surviving kin in cases where the victim is deceased) there is no crime. (The legal term for this in Saltrhan is |ateha |ashondare.)

 

 If you are arrested, don't resist arrest. It will make matters only worse.

 

 Make sure your lawyer is there when you're questioned by the police. Do not say anything to the police without a laywer present, as anything you say can be used against you and cannot be used in your favor.

 

The Saltha criminal justice system is not only very good at finding evidence and convicting criminals, but also providing checks to make sure evidence is not falsely acquired or tampered with. It is unlikely that if you are innocent you will be found guilty, though there is no  guarantee.

 

 If you are guilty, the best thing to do is accept a plea if one is offered, or admit your guilt at trial.

 

 Be completely truthful, Lying to the court is considered a very serious crime, and may cause you to be in even more trouble.

 

The Trial

 

The trail itself is judged by a panel of elected judges for the region. In some rare cases if a judge is somehow involved with the case, or has a conflicting interest he or she will not act as a judge.  Before the trail, you will sometimes get a plea bargain offer. This basically means if you think you won't win the case you will take a guilty plea and take  a lesser punishment. In some cases, this is a good idea, even if you are innocent.  

 

You will be asked if you acknowledge the charges against you as true. If you do, then the trial will proceed to judge your punishment. If you do not and you are found guilty anyway, the punishment will be more severe. 

 

After witnesses are called to testify and evidence is presented and the cases made on both sides, the judges will decide on guilty or not guilty, by an unanimous decision. Also, if the defendant cannot be proven guilty, but they aren't proven to be innocent either and are the prime suspect they may be given a much less severe punishment or fine anyway[Confirmation needed]

 

If you are found to be guilty, the judges will then decide your punishment.

 

Appeal

 

  You may appeal the case, in which case you will appear before a panel of judges from the entire country. Some of the same judges who were in your first case may be in this appeal case as well to the higher court, but the request must be made at the end of the case.

 

Punishment

 In most cases, such as for theft or property damage, you will be asked to pay for damages or what was stolen, or work to pay back the cost in labor. In the case of more serious crimes such as an intentional assault or carelessness that leads to more serious harm like broken bones you may be flogged. 

 

Children

Those going to Saltha with minors, particularly under the age of 10 should be aware about how the legal system treats them. Note that the laws of Saltha in terms of what is illegal are not very different at all from that of other cultures, and so in a great majority of cases there should be no absolutely no problem, especially if your child has had no prior problem with the law in their home country and behaves the same while in Saltha. However, because of the severity that repeat offenses of crimes is treated in Saltha, and some potential embarrassment that can occur it is important to be aware of these factors before entering Saltha, especially with a minor under the age of 10.

 

 Children who are convicted of a crime in most cases will be turned over to their parents to be punished, however. if a child is a problem, commuting crimes a number of times (usually five cases within a 25 day period) they may be ordered to be punished publicly by the state. This applies to very minor crimes including petty theft. Salthans do not have the same ideals of modesty and embarrassment at being undressed as in other cultures with children, since children under ten are assumed to not know any better. Culturally it is completely acceptable for children to be seen in public wearing nothing at all. The law require the child receiving this punishment be struck on their bared bottom with a switch, which means any clothing that covers the bottom will be removed. The fact is that Salthans have not yet become familiar with non-Salthan cultural norms, and so may presume that non-Salthans have similar norms to themselves.

 

The punishment is by administered openly in the public courtroom, unless the proper requests are made (which will be shortly explained below).

 

This of course could be embarrassing for non-salthans who do not share these cultural norms. However, there are a number of requests the defendant has the right to make that can help protect your child's privacy, and should be made as soon as possible during the trial. Even if your lawyer assures you will win the case, you should not risk embarrassment of your child. Be sure to insist to make these motions as early as possible before it is too late.  

 

The first motion you should have your lawyer make is the request for a private punishment, (called !aolanysdare) so the punishment is in a private room, with only the state official administering the punishment, the victim and parents of the accused.   This has been accepted in many cases before, and is except for some very rare cases most often granted. 

 

Secondly. you should make a request to the persecution what is legally called !aolanyseltas  (literally "Faith in debt"). This is in not actually a legal appeal to the judge, but is solely to those bringing the charges, and is a request for the accusers to waive their rights to be witnesses to the punishment.  There is no requirement to have to obey this motion, but in most cases it is followed. As I said, this should be done as soon as possible in the trial. Once sentencing is announced, it will be too late. 

 

Your embassy may be able to supply a lawyer for you who will be experienced in these issues, familiar with Salthan law and of course can speak both Salthan and human common.

 

If you are at all concerned about your child being in this condition, you should seriously reconsider whether you should bring the child with you, especially if your child has had problems with the laws in the past. You should always speak with your child about this law,and be absolutely clear about what would happen, and have him or her understand that you cannot alter the consequences of their actions. 

 

These suggestions only reduce potential embarrassment, but does not circumvent the consequences of breaking the law. As I said before, this most likely will not be a problem,if the child is known to have no problems with the law, but is should be considered.

 

City Guides

 

Karathe

Karathe is the capital city of Saltha, the economic, political and geographical hub of the country. Situated just to the north of the great desert and 100 some miles south of Pakes, this walled city became the official capital when king Karanase built the new palace there and fortified it, in installing it as the official "capital" in 220 ES.

 

Karathe is easily the most populated and most densely populated, with over 140,000 people within it's walls, which were once a military feature but now simply helps keep the dangerous sand storms from running through the narrow streets.The city has many sights to see, and it because there is so much to do, and because the city’s so large, it would take weeks to see it all!

 

The Great Marketplace

This is where most of the shops are located, as well as many open-air stalls selling all kinds of things from produce, fish, meat, bread and jewelry and craft goods. In the center is a  statue that stands in where a large platform used for public executions and floggings, notably used by the last king, Gikakela. The statue is a stone recreation of the stage and figures memorializing the Flogging at karathe. A plaque, translated into common reads "A tyrant cruelly  sentenced a man, a woman and child to be brutally flogged.There was no law or sin for this. We do not turn away our children from this so they will learn.  They will see the shameful nakedness. They will see the pain. They will learn, and no do what was done before."

 

Gisensenai KalKesh (National Museum of History)

  This building was the former palace of the king of Karathe during the divided kingdom period. It later became, after some renovations and expansion during the unified period the capital of king Gillail (257-161 KG), until the fall of the last king in the revolutioin of 1 KG. It is currently a cultural and history museum. 

 

Temple of Santh

Built by king Laila, this is the largest temple, and considered the most holy site of the Santhan faith, which is the largest practiced religion in Saltha. It is built in a very similar style to the temple in Ten Terak, though it is around one and half times the size. The main courtyard contains a washing pool. On the left is the healing house for injured. On the right is a room for self-purification (i.e. punishment). Ahead is the central courtyard. Here there are icons for Santh and the divines with mats to pray on. In front of that is the temple house itself, which is off limits except to priests. Outsiders are permitted to visit the temple, including the inner courts during the day on any day except for the holy day (every 5th day) or holidays.  Notable is the paraphet-like pyramid design that runs along the walls.

 

Temple of Lyke

A temple dedicated to the wind divine Lyke of the Santh Religion.

 

Rasu Statue

Though the war and Saltha’s involvement was very unpopular, General Rasu is held in high regard by the people as a brave warrior. He served during wars against the southern raiders. During the great war when he saw the war they were fighting was unjust and saw the unjust actions of the king against his people, he halted the advance against orders and made an oath saying "I swear, this land I will defend, but not beyond this.". 

 

Ten Terak

Ten Terak is the city in the eastern most area of Saltha, and was the former capital of the old monarchy. Ten Terak is the second largest city in Saltha, second to |aska. 

 

Founding

Ten Terak was founded during the Nydase era around 6,000 to 5,000 KG, built as a major stronghold and the capital of the Thanany tribe during the division wars. 

 

Unified Kingdom

After the rise of King Sada who became king of both the Salany and Thanany, creating the unified kingdom in 447 KG, Tan Terak became the capital of the new unified kingdom. 

 

Landmarks 


Temple of Santh

Built by king gisallail during the building reforms of 230s KG, the temple was completed  in 235 KG. It measured 40' across and 65' long. The layout is the same as the temple of Kakel, which was based on this temple's design, though this temple is a bit smaller. 

 

Temple of Kakel

Built sometime during the Nydese period, not long after the construction of the city, sometime during the 5th century KG. The layout is generally the same as the temple in !aska, though smaller. 

 

 

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