Mizbeh

Conduit of Heavenly Knowledge מלץ שמיי (Mizbehi) الشفيع السماوي (Abbasian) המליץ השמימי (Ifrahi)
Flag Coat of arms of Mizbeh Coat of arms
Motto: TBA TBA
Capital	Sarulom
Largest city	Gebul
Official languages	Mizbehi Abbasian
Recognised regional languages	Ifrahi Turi Eshna
Demonym(s)	Mizbehi
Government	Unitary He'ara theocracy under an authoritarian dictatorship
• Yurush	XXX
• Nayib	YYY
Legislature	Harmonious Convocation
Population
• 2025 estimate	28,192,100
GDP (PPP)	2025 estimate
• Total	$708 billion
• Per capita	$25,120
GDP (nominal)	2025 estimate
• Total	$324 billion
• Per capita	$11,513
HDI (2025)	0.790 high
Currency	Mizbehi Thiqal
Driving side	right

Mizbeh (Mizbehi: מזבּח; hernicized: Mizbah), officially the Conduit of Heavenly Knowledge (Mizbehi: מלץ שמיי; hernicized: Malits Shamayiy), is a sovereign state located in Southeast Abaria. It borders twelve countries by land to its west, north and east, and the Almeraei Sea to the south. The capital is Sarulom and the largest city is Gebul.

Humans have inhabited Mizbeh since the Lower Paleolithic, and agricultural civilization has existed in Mizbeh since approximately 7000 BCE. From around 1300 BCE, Mizbeh was the center of the Ifrahi, Arshi, and Samiki cultures, which prospered through trade in the Almeraei Sea. Following unification under Mawan in 850 BCE, Mizbeh's influence only grew under the various Mizbehi kingdoms, extending its trade network all the way to modern Calesia and settling trade colonies on the Abarian and Hylanisian coasts. Following its conquest by the Shiraqic Qal'adesh and the spread of Himaya in the 8th century, Mizbeh fell under the rule of various foreign dynasties and powers, most notably the Eshaqim, under whom most of Mizbeh converted to He'ara Himaya, and the Hamimids, under whom Mizbeh began fall under the spheres of influence of Calesian powers.

Dissatisfaction among the lower classes and the Batin orders over corruption and foreign influence culminated in the Pegeyon Realignment, in which Iyyob Ben Yehieh, the proclaimed Masich promised in He'ara literature, led an organized force against the Hamimid monarchs. Following the fall of the monarchy in 1909, Mizbeh engaged in a period of millennial expansionism, waging war against Almeraei in the Second South Abarian War and funding He'ara revolts in neighboring nations. Following Iyyob's death in 1945, Mizbeh fell into a power struggle between various internal factions. However, since the 1970s, Mizbeh has returned to an assertive foreign policy, notably in the Mizbeh-Almeraei rivalry, the Trans-Shiraq War, and the Samek Crisis.

Mizbeh is a theocratic regime governed under He'ara religious law. The Yorush, the designated successor of the Masich's line, is deemed to have absolute power, although the country's various Batin orders, organized under the Harmonious Convocation, have significant influence over domestic and foreign policy. The government has received criticism for violations of civil liberties and human rights. Regardless, Mizbeh is considered as a regional power due to its military capabilities and political influence in neighboring countries, and cultural hegemony as the center of He'ara Himaya. Mizbeh is a founding member of the United Congress, X.

Etymology

The name Mizbeh originates from Middle Mizbehi Mizbah "altar, place of sacrifice", which has been attested since the late 10th century BCE to refer to the coalition of city-states led by Mawan. The term has been correlated with the extensive role of Sacrificial Temples in the Samiki and Arshi cultures, which often served as the central building in a city and the location of state processions and religious festivals.

The term Conduit of Heavenly Knowledge is a stylization of the Mizbehi epithet Malits Shamayiy, literally "Heavenly Successor," which is a term first attested in the Avamir to refer to the role of Al-Hakam as a recipient of divine knowledge. Foundational He'ara texts then expounded on this role as being fulfilled by the Masich, who was promised to "open the gates of knowledge, and cover the world in divine light." Following the Pegeyon Realignment, the name was adopted to emphasize the role of Iyyob ben Yehieh (and Mizbeh in general) in fulfilling this prophecy.

History

Quietist era (1945 - 1960)

• Following Ben Yehieh's death, there was a giant crisis: the core of Mizbeh's national narrative, that the Masich would lead Mizbeh into the end times, was put into peril
• Moreover, the loss in the Second South Abarian War and previous revolutionary activities had placed Mizbeh into a relatively dire economic position
• The Masich's Office begins to lose legitimacy and power, especially in comparison with the ascendant military, which had been greatly expanded in the revolutionary years
• Power struggle between the military and Harmonious Convocation to elect a successor; a compromise leader is selected as Yorush, but he is very weak
• Various factions arise, supported by Razanite or Hyacinthean forces
• One faction, supported by the Razanite NCP, arises based on Mizbehi ethnic nationalism and tries a coup in 1954; the Yorush dies in the firefight, and normative forces in the Convocation and the military are scared enough to seriously consider unifying
• A particular cleric becomes more powerful, and manages to become selected as the new Yorush; he commits to centralizing reforms, adopts much more strict laws, and creates a new national narrative centered on anti-imperialism and anti-Razanite sentiment (helped by the prior coup attempt)

Ascendancy era (1960 - 1995)

• Mizbeh aligns with Adanal and engages in competition with Razan and (Almeraei?) in the Shiraqi Belt while also funding revolutions across Southern Abaria and Northern Hylasia, even those not necessarily aligned with He'ara ideals

Government and politics

Yorush, Nayib, and the Masich's Office

The Yorush, the proclaimed successor of the Masich, is the official head of state of Mizbeh and the recognized leader of He'ara Himaya. Officially, he is the sole source of political and religious power in Mizbeh, and his word is taken as binding. However, in practice, the Yorush's power is seen as "delegated" to political agencies at all levels of government; as such, the legitimacy of an institution is measured by the extent to which it agrees with the Yorush's (and through him God's) will.

The most direct means by which the Yorush exercises his power are through pkudot, which are official statutes or edicts issued by the Masich's Office. These proclamations express the Yorush's verdict on matters of interest, from legal or doctrinal disputes within He'ara belief to issues of economic and foreign policy. Pkudot are deemed to supercede any other legal decision made by lower political or religious body; as a result, pkudot are treated with a certain gravity, even by the Yorush himself; for instance, while future pkudot do supercede past pkudot, this has happened only four times in Mizbeh's history. More often, the Yorush expresses his viewpoint on matters through de'as, or documents of opinion, and 'idahat, or interpretations of past pkuvot and religious texts. In addition, the Yorush has direct involvement in many top-level political appointments, and is often consulted in matters of foreign and domestic policy.

The selection of the Yorush is usually done by a Guardianship Council; the membership of such a council is not released publicly, but it is presumed that such a council includes high-ranking clerics and representatives from the orders of the Harmonious Convocation. The term of the Yorush is deemed to last till death; if he is incapable at a given point of time, his will is deemed to be issued through the Nayib and other high-ranking deputies.

The Nayib "deputy" officially is the representative of the Yorush and prime enforcer of his edicts. In practice, however, he often has a high level of perview over issues of domestic policy, and serves as a proxy of the Yorush's power in moments of incapability. The Nayib's selection or deposition is completely at the will of the Yorush; however, in practice, the current Nayib is often backed by the Harmonious Convocation.

The Masich's Office is an unofficial, collective term used to denote the set of political agencies, consultative bodies, and enforcement agencies that fall directly under the authority of the Masich. These institutions include the Agency for Universal Purification (Mizbeh's official intelligence agency), the Agency for Elimination of Vice (Mizbeh's religious police), and the Army of Light (the personal army of the Yorush). These institutions are often supported by large bureaucracies; while the leadership of these bureaucratic organizations are often high-ranking clerics selected by the Yorush, the larger share of membership is comprised of career bureaucrats.

Harmonious Convocation

The Harmonious Convocation is an institution comprising of many of Mizbeh's more powerful Batin orders. From its inception shortly after the Pegeyon Realignment, the Convocation has officially been given a high degree of political autonomy by the Masich's Office, as well as a degree of representation through the Consultative Council, an assembly of representatives from the orders of the Convocation that plays an advisory role in governance. However, the power and influence of the Convocation greatly exceeds these official capacities. The orders of the Convocation collectively administer approximately 35% of Mizbeh's territory (usually under "trust" agreements with the Masich's Office) and control a large portion of the country's economic activity and distribution. Moreover, all orders possess individual militias, many of which possess advanced weaponry rivalling that of the state. As a result, the Convocation has been indirectly been called a "second force" in Mizbehi politics, one that has historically rivalled (and at one point exceeded) the Masich's Office in influence and strength.

Demographics

Ethnic groups

The ethnic composition of Mizbeh is a matter of debate, especially since the government does not release official ethnicity statistics. However, it is estimated that Mizbehis constitute around 55% of the population, Ifrahis 21%, (!Assyrians) 14%, other (!Semitic) groups 7%, and others (including Shiraqis) constituting 2%.

Generally, Mizbehis are concentrated in the south of the country and many of the coastal cities, while Ifrahis are concentrated mainly in the north.

Languages

Mizbehi and Abbasian are the two official languages of Mizbeh; however, in practice Abbasian is mostly reserved for state religious ceremonies, and Mizbehi is the main language of state affairs, commerce, and education. The standardized version of the language, Standard Mizbehi, is based on the dialect of Gebul, and its usage in Mizbehi-speaking regions is encouraged by the state and regulated by the Agency for Linguistic Purity; however, in practice, regional dialects are predominant in informal communication.

Ifrahi is given special status by the Mizbehi government, and is an official language in the northern provinces of Qashyt and Tefrah, where it is the language of education alongside Mizbehi. Other minority languages include Eshna and Turi in the west, and Shiraqi along the border with (!Insert Shiraqi Country).

Religion

The Shrine of the Heavenly Sages, one of the holiest sites for He'ara Hamins. The Shrine features significiant Hamimid architectural influence.

He'ara, a Mutatariff sect of Himaya, is the official state religion and is practiced by approximately 83% of the population. Non He'ara Hamin sects are prohibited under the Edict of 1932. However, surveys conducted by the Abarian Factbook suggest that around 2% of the population follow Zafiri or Thalahi doctrines. Religiosity studies have also proven scarce; however, anonymous surveys conducted in 2015 seem to suggest that around 5-8% of the population identifies as Hamin but non-religious.

Batin orders form a large part of religious life in Mizbeh; approximately 40% of the population lives in one of the territories directly under the administration of a Batin order, and 15% of the population has shown direct fealty to a Batin order represented in the Harmonious Convocation.

Palmerism is practiced by approximately 9% of the population, mostly by Ifrahi communities in the northern provinces. Palmerism has been classified as a protected religion since the 1940 Edict of Tolerance, with Palmerists being allowed to construct and expand temples and open Palmerist centers of education, although under high regulation, and are assigned a representative in the Masich's Office.

The practice of other religions is heavily restricted; however, a there is a significant number of Gregorians (approximately 5% of the population), mainly (!Assyrians).

Images

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  Palmeri women in traditional dress.