Probably the best - and the worst - thing about life in the Caliphate is how every separate city has their own rules and regulations, decided by that city's ruler, and as long as they do not cross certain lines, the Caliph wouldn't interfere.

In this way, no matter what one prefers in life, there is usually at least one city that would accept you with open arms. Unfortunately, sometimes this also applies to preferences many would have preferred to see abolished instead." Amal ad-Din, trader based in the Hassid Caliphate.

"So tell me more about the Caliphate, if you please?" Cal asked Dan as they walked through the desert. It had been nearly a week since the sandstorm, and by his reckoning they should be out of the desert and reach the caliphate's borders within three days at most.

"To be honest, it really depends on which part of the Caliphate you're in," replied Dan with a smile as he elaborated. "You see, while we call the place as a whole as the Caliphate, and the Caliph does in theory reign at the top, each major city and the region surrounding it is basically its own country, with their own laws and regulations."

"So like the city-states back at Alcidea then?" Cal said in turn as she queried their half goblin guide. "Lots of independent small nations banding together in an alliance?"

"Sort of. The Caliph at Al-Hassid is in many ways, the first amongst equals, and his or her word is law, although most Caliphs had tread lightly instead of using that position often," answered Dan to Cal's question. "In practice, it would be best to approach the caliphate as a group of smaller nations indeed. As long as they paid their tribute on time and didn't cross some lines, the Caliphate itself doesn't really call what everyone else does, or even call themselves."

"Case in point. There are five different provinces that border the desert. Three of them are too far from our current route unless you fancy another week or three of additional trekking-" Dan said which just elicited shakes of the head from everyone else in the group. "In which case there are only two provinces for us to enter from. The Oajib Sultanate to the west, and the Assadun Emirate to the east. Most travelers that take routes close to ours favor the Emirate, and it's one of the most prosperous of the provinces."

"Any particular reason for that?" Cal asked with an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Well, one reason would be that the current Sultan of Oajib is a fervent supporter of the old ways," said Dan with a mocking sneer, full of distaste, forming on his face as he elaborated. "Ways that's been outdated for centuries and abandoned for good reason, yet quite a few rich merchants apparently adored those old ways and had since financially supported the Sultanate for the past few decades, in a way turning it into their own backyard."

"What kind of old ways are we talking about here?" Cal asked with some more seriousness, remembering all too well how as early as a century ago Al-Shan itself had some rather backward views on certain things that haven't entirely disappeared to this day. In fact, she clearly remembered some old conservative traditionalist nobles who had remained neutral during the civil war who often protested against any reforms out forward.

"Oh, all sorts of happy things. Slavery is one. Open persecution of certain races, like say… goblins are another. I've never been there myself, but my father has been there once. He said the most distasteful thing was how they treated women… as if they were cattle," continued Dan, his distaste visible on his face and audible from his tone. "If you were by any chance going there, madam Celeysria, make sure to have your guild tag in the open. That will at least keep most sane people from bothering you. To be honest I would suggest against it, since your party is mostly women, but if you do, make sure to always stay together. We have had rumors of female travelers vanishing there from time to time."

"That does remind me, Cal," said Kino all of a sudden, patting her hands together as if she had just remembered something. "If you're headed to the Sultanate, I'll be separating from you, though I'll wait in the Emirate until you get there."

"Oh? And why might that be?" Cal asked with genuine curiosity, having caught that there were some underlying meanings under the bard's words. Together they walked to the side of the group, close enough to be in sight, but far enough away that they could converse in whispers without being overheard. "Got some… business to take care of I assume?"

"You guessed it," replied the half-therian bard silently while a grin formed on her face. "I can't very well vanish from the inn everytime the Bounty Hunter is seen, now can't I? This way at least those girls would think I'm somewhere else instead."

"Makes sense," admitted Cal. "I have been partial to taking the girls there anyway, to show them that the world isn't always that nice, though half of them won't need the lesson as much. How big a mess can I expect from you?"

"Well… if I get everyone on my list, I'll eat my lute if that city didn't devolve to revolt and open riots," said Kino after she pondered the question for a moment. "You see, just last year, a younger teenage cousin of the Sultan of Caracan to the north had vanished when she took a trip to Oajib. You know the type, young, foolish, stubborn thinks-they-know-better brats. Her cousin the Sultan only found her a couple months later... When she was being sold in an auction as a courtesan."

"Now, he naturally protested to the Caliph and all about this, but pretty much nothing came out of it. The Caliph wouldn't raise a hand, but neither would he stop any vengeance from taking place. That lead to a bounty being placed by the Sultan of Caracan for every person responsible for the humiliation, addressed directly to me. It came to my attention last winter when we went back to Paradise, and now I'm here to collect," elaborated the half-therian woman." Why?"

"Think you can spare a couple days for me to show the kids around first? After that having them see the chaos wouldn't be a bad lesson either," replied Cal nonchalantly. "Though don't trouble yourself on my behalf if you need to do it fast,"

"Oh no, that's fine with me," said Kino in return with a growing predatory smile on her face, her sharp canines in full view. "Don't you know? The Bounty Hunter always announces their arrival to their targets before the hunt."