I started writing this play about a year ago, as part of a school project. Now it's finished, and I'd like to share it with all of you. It's still my dream to get this produced one day, and I'll let you know if that ever happens.
This play is set in the fictional country of Chamal, which is the setting of a novel of mine which is still in the process of being written. I wrote the play to gain a better insight into the world of Chamal and its culture, and this chapter is basically to give you a bit of background info that helps in fully understanding the play.
Chamal is a country of roughly 551.250 square kilometres (about 212837.84 square miles) and is bordered by the Kharheld Mountains in the West and the Tobai Sea in the East. Due to its relatively large size and its unique geographical position, Chamal has a variety of climates, ranging from the cold West to the sunny East and from the northern desert to the southern steppes.
The capital of Chamal is Chamal Khara (lit.: 'Chamal City'), also known as the Khara na Iteya, meaning 'City of the Sun'. This name comes from the copper-plated roofs which reflect the sunlight and make the city shine like the sun itself.
The Chamali people developed from the multitude of city-states in the region of Chamacha, which eventually united under the first Queen of Chamal, Taleeti the Unifier. The Chamali are hospitable, peaceful, and value the arts, especially dance. Chamal's most famous dance is Yimani, which is a temple dance meaning 'souls'.
The gods of Chamal are many and are often only locally worshipped. Some deities, like Iteya, the Sun, or Mirisel, goddess of Wisdom, are prayed to everywhere, but there are innumerable common-or-garden deities whose domain is a single village.
Chamal is a monarchy, albeit a largely constitutional one. The monarch rules the country in cooperation with a Council, which is elected by the public. The monarch and the Council may make a number of decisions by themselves, but proposals with larger public effect must be put to a public vote. Chamali citizens aged 17 or older may vote.
Now that you have a slight insight into the setting, here is a list of all main and side characters, including their costumes:
Iveni akalan Marthala: Queen of Marthala / Costume: Blue smock, blue veil, crown
Ivesh ivika Iveni: Son of Iveni / Costume: Green smock, veil, circlet
Miros Semayi: Advisor to the Queen / Costume: Smock, scroll
Atuyo Camara: General of Marthala / Costume: Blue smock, sword, cloak
Itolias Camara: Atuyo's husband and Marthalan army soldier / Costume: Blue smock, spear, cloak
Lilea Silvari: Wisewoman and priestess of Mirisel, goddess of wisdom / Costume: Purple smock, white veil, staff
Soran ikalan Kaveyan: King of Kaveyan / Costume: Red smock, red veil, crown
Maraë: Soran's wife / Costume: Yellow smock, veil, tiara
Dilasis Imeta: Priest of Laoa, God of illusions and mischief / Costume: Purple smock, white veil, staff
Luvek: Treasurer of Soran / Costume: Smock, scroll
Otalos: Soran's general / Costume: Smock, sword
Laoa: God of illusions and mischief / Costume: White smock, various coloured veils, mask
Various Soldiers of Marthala / Costume: Blue smock, spear or smock, blue belt, spear
Various Soldiers of Kaveyan / Costume: Red smock, spear or smock, red belt, spear
YOU ARE READING
The Iveni Saga
FantasyIs it really ppossible to stay truly neutral? And is neutrality something you can afford in a war? An epic, written in verse, tells the tale of two cities, intertwined by fate... The city-states of Marthala and Kaveyan have lived peacefully side by...
