Collab:Gharbiya
This is the collaborative page for Gharbiya (TA001), For information about the territory, see Gharbiya.
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Gharbiya, located in Northwestern Tarephia is a closed collaborative territory of OGF. The country is a matriarchal dictatorship loosely based on north/western african and middle eastern countries.
The country is, in a way, a social commentary on the state of gender inequality in the middle east. While still keeping the project realistic. It's interesting how 'weird' and 'extreme' something can seem, just by swapping the roles, keep this in mind.
Project members
Active members
- Liadrien Collaborative manager/territory owner
- Timboh Member and Authority on the city of Al'Habr
- Mie Member
- Sergjack Member
- Geoc3ladus Member
- lankusiek Member
- Sudo91 Member
- Bixelkoven Member
- Arlo Member
- Oneofbeatlefan Member
Tentative members
These members are officially accepted/welcomed into the collab, but are expected to contact Liadrien before editing
Joining the collab
The Gharbiya project is a closed collaborative project Meaning, the project is intended as a collaboration between friends before anythng else. Thus, there are no official avenues of joining, other than by contacting Liadrien and asking to do so.
Structure of the project
Discussion, information and planning
Discussion around the project will primarily be held on a private discord server. All members are thus expected to have access to this platform
Structure
Liadrien is the coordinator of the project and owns the territory akin to an orange territory in the case of reduced activity or interest from other members. Compared to many other collaboratives in OGF, the rules for Gharbiya is relatively relaxed. For the time being, I see no need for official co-coordinators. Instead, everyone is a co-coordinator in their own way. Bringing their own expertise and skill sets.
Mappers can either map anywhere they want in the non-reserved areas or reserve smaller areas. These areas will not be predetermined but rather be fluid where mappers can reserve an area fitting what they want to do. And move on when they feel like they are done for the time being. An area can be smaller for someone who prefers mapping higher detail, larger for someone working on a larger scale with nature or macro mapping or anywhere in between depending on preference. For the people that enjoy the worldbuilding aspect, I will allow claiming/reserving an area where the mapper serves the role of Walina/Princess of that area and is allowed to worldbuild to their heart’s content. These reserved areas do not have to align with administrative boundaries and will be kept track of by me. The capital and Al'habr will remain unreservable, save for smaller parts of them. Additionally, Timboh plans and coordinates the city of Al'Habr relatively independently from the rest of the project in interest of giving the city a unique style to the rest of the country.
Mapping in Gharbiya
Coming soon! Active areas
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Guides
Language
The language of the country is a conlang called “tamneidh” but naming is generally done in ‘fake arabic’. Mazanic is seen as a beautiful and cultured language, leading to strong inspiration from the Mazanic language in names throughout the country. Many placenames in Gharbiya are inspired or taken directly from Mazan, but using the latin alphabet. Many of which butchered into oblivion by people who don’t actually speak Mazanic. Others will be in Tamneidh, but using the latin(english) alphabet. I will supply some resources for this language to members, but you won’t need it if it does not interest you or seems to be too much for you.
How to handle naming: Think Hollywood. “If it sounds Arabic to a non-Arabic speaker, it's good” This would be how many of the names came about canonically. Someone thought something sounded cool and Mazanic, mixed it with a native name or Mazanified a name or word.
Culture
The culture of Gharbiya is not intended to be a direct parallel to any place in the real world. While taking inspiration from many north african and middle eastern traditions, many aspects are reimagined. One of the guiding factors of Gharbiya is an old african style matriarchal culture, mixing with foreign influences. Leading to the label of feminist imani Dictatorship.
Impacts on mapping
- Transport infrastructure focus on connecting places where women are expected to travel. While areas where predominantly men work or travel are relatively underdeveloped. Industral areas may be located further from city centers, partially to hide away the polution, but also since the travel to these areas of employment are not generally respected. Women still take care of kids, thus, travel to and from daycares and elementary schools are prioritized. These facilities will be more common, even if they may individually be smaller in scale. Office areas and areas of administrative work are prioritized.
- Names used for places or buildings are very rarely that of men.
- Neigbourhoods and micro districs are common, partially as a sense of safety in numbers from the 'uncontrallable men' but also as a tool to assist in childcare. For higher income areas, gated communities are common for much the same reason
Religion
The religion is a special kind of Imani, in which most important figures are reimagined as women and many of the real world muslim gender roles are switched. Women are seen as the rulers of the households and men are not permitted to hold land or titles. Thus, the more common patriarchal Imani cultures would shun the religious practices of Gharbiya and few of them would recognize the religion as Imani at all.
- Statues are allowed, while islam generally does not allow for statues, the idea of huge bronze statues of a dictator is too tempting to pass up. Akin to how statues of people are allowed and common in say Indonesia and much of Africa, they are in Gharbiya as well. Notably however, statues and depictions of holy people will remain taboo and not allowed.
- (most)Mosques should have one side facing Maad, almost due east of Gharbiya. These mosques will be numerous, and found in almost every city block/neighborhood.
Economy
The country extracts large amounts of oil and gold, as well as significant amounts of rare earth minerals such as iridium, Neodymium, Yttrium, Scandium and Terbium and certain gemstones like tigerseye and sapphire. This resource extraction serves as the backbone of the Gharbiyan economy and wealth distribution is very poor. Leading to an extremely wealthy elite and a very poor and very large working class. Tourism is more or less none existant save for in the city of Al'Habr. Wealth distribution in the country may be poor, but the country itself is exceptionally wealthy. Lavish megaprojects and expensive luxuries are expected, if heavily clustered and guarded, surrounded by expansive regions of dense slums and sprawls.
- Slums and extensive housing projects reign supreme, the contrast between upper and lower class is extreme as huge palaces and mansions contrast the unplanned messy slums and barren housing projects.
- 'Propaganda-plazas' and overbuilt engineering can be found in most cities. With the backing of a rich totalitarian government, it is not rare to see 6+6 lane freeways and almost empty high end transport options, in stark contrast to the apalling and insufficient options for the working class.
- Akin to what Imperator has mapped in Ta Ceti, Grand reconstructions of ancient temples and overdramatifications of the remnants of the Amn empire can be found here and there.
Mapping motto: whoefully underbuilt where it matters and whoefully overbuilt where it 'looks' like it matters. Lobsided and dysfynctional, with a thin facade of luxury.
Cities
Yanim is the largest city and capital of the country. A large portion of the population lives here. The city is dense with extensive slums and sprawls along the western coast and inland along a seasonal river. This city is in general quite poor, where the wealthy, including the royal family live further out from the city. Often in lavish palaces and villas.
Al'Habr is built on the oil exports, the city lies on flat desert and has become a beacon for foreign trade, high end tourism and fancy hotels. The harsh conditions of the working class are expertly hidden away here, and this is the main city where foreigners can actually come and visit. Think lavish, inspired by Las vegas, Singapore and of course Dubai. All funded by a crazy rich dictatorship. City is unreservable save for smaller areas
Basaarat is a larger city on the western coast. It is one of the main industrial hubs of the country, with metalworks and foundries and factories. The city is akin to Yanim in its poor distribution of wealth, but more corporate, much of which is owned by a single Walina and her family.
Lahrlan Is the Gharbiyan gateway to the Helion desert, situated in on a periodically flowing river. Full of ancient structures and of course, oil extraction. Much of the country’s oil is pumped to here in pipes, refined and shipped out to the coast on trains for exportation. Al’habr and Basaarat are the major ports for oil exports.