"your story does not quite meet the qualification which I asked of it. I asked to know more about the forces which destroyed my brother, but the Power he worshipped was, by your own account, a god of luxury. I have heard naught of that god in this tale, which is concerned instead with a god of plague and pestilence. In Mahabbah, of course, we acknowledge only One True God, but that God frowns on luxury and sends his pestilences sparingly, to punish the faithless."
- —Alkadi Nasreen to Orfeo the Minstrel[4a]
Orfeo and Alkadi Nasreen talking in Arjijil
Alkadi Nasreen, self-styled Caliph of Mahabbah, and Lord of the Twin Seas, is an Arabyan corsair and Caliph of the citadel of Arjijil. His fame has undoubtedly spread to the Estalian Kingdoms. He demands tribute from foreign vessels with the exception of those guaranteed safe passage by the Sultan of All Araby, thanks to his seal, or at least in most cases.[1a]
The sand-sea of the Sahra was the second of those "twins" over which the Caliph of Mahabbah claim his lordship, but any such claim is mere fancy as the desert is no man’s realm.[1a]
For who knows him better, Alkadi was an Estalian who had taken the turban in order to rule his nest of pirates, and that in giving up the gods of his own folk he had become entirely godless in his most secret thoughts.[4a]
History[]
Although due to his skin tanned by the Arabyan sun and his eyes were equally dark, Alkadi Naseen could easily be taken by one of the desert men, someone with the expert eye could guess that he was not originally from the region. Despite being a famous corsair and ruler of Araby, Alkadi was originally from Estalia, specifically from Zaragoz, being baptized with another name, although he abandoned it for the one he holds today. In addition to parents, he had a sister and a brother, although with the latter he had a conflictive relationship, which ended up leading to mutual hatred and contempt, taking very different paths.[1a]
The man who would become Alkadi Nasreen chose to become a pirate, pursuing his activities on the rugged Arabyan shores. To reconcile with the severe priests of Araby, he agreed to "take the turban" and swear devotion to the religion of the kingdom, although he did so for pragmatic reasons, as he is not a very religious person and he never completely renounced his style and habits of his previous life. Despite this and not being an Arabyan, Alkadi Nasreen managed to ascend positions in the nest of pirates that is the citadel of Arjijil until he became Caliph.
Alkadi has no qualms about attacking ships in the seas or raiding the caravans and tribes that roam the desert. Nor is he a man to take insults lightly. However, despite being a pirate lord, Alkadi is also a cultured man, knows fluent Arabyc in addition to his native Estalian, and is always very interested in news and history related to the Old World, especially those referring to his ancient homeland. He is also considered a man of honor who keeps his promises, although he is careful when making them, choosing his words very well.
In the year 2503 IC Alkadi Nasreen boarded and captured the ship in which Orfeo the Minstrel was traveling. When he discovers that he had been in Zaragoz a short time ago, he decided to have a private meeting with the musician so that he could tell him the latest news about the city. Orfeo confessed that Semjaza, Nasreen's brother, had become the chief adviser and confidant of the ruler of the city, as well as a wizard of Chaos, and ended up dying at the hands of the Daemons of Chaos he intended to control.[1c]
Upon learning of his brother's fate, Alkadi was interested in all information regarding Chaos, especially on how to combat it. Kinship ties mean a lot to the men of Estalia, even when relatives hate each other, so he considered it a duty to avenge his dead brother in some way. While he certainly wouldn't go so far as to go to hell to do so, he would love to know more about those forces that destroyed him, so that he can do what he can to oppose them on earth.
For this reason Orfeo told him two more stories about people who had managed to triumph over Daemons, although not without consequences and not always with the desired results. Grateful for his stories, and for the lessons he was able to learn from them, as promised by Alkadi Nasreen, he released Orfeo to continue his travels, with the promise that one day he would return to Arjijil to tell him the stories of his last adventure.
Family[]
Semjaza is not Alkadi Nasreen only sibling, he has also a sister, long ago, back when he had a different name.[1c]