Zakharan ( ethnicity ) Zakharans were the human ethnicity that made up the vast majority of the population of Zakhara , the Land of Fate . Description . Zakharans tended to be shorter than those of other human groups on average . Adult males ranged between 4 ' 11 " ( 150 cm ) and 7 ' 3 " ( 220 cm ) tall . Females were between 4 ' 6 " ( 140 cm ) and 6 ' 10 " ( 210 cm ) . Men weighed between 119 and 275 pounds ( 54 . 0 – 125 kg ) , while women weighed in the range of 84 to 240 pounds ( 38 – 110 kg ) . They had brown skin and dark hair . A variety of robelike garments ( " aba s " , " caftan s " , " dolman s " , or " jellaba s " ) were the usual clothing of Zakharans , while tunics ( " dishdashah " ) or the combination of shirt and trousers were worn by the lower classes . Most Zakharans wore some kind of headdress , a " keffiyeh " , a " fez " , or a turban for men and a shawl for women . In general , the richness of clothing reflected the status of the individual . More traditionally - minded Zakharans wore veils , though for men they were only common in the Cities of the Pantheon . There , women were often seen wearing a " chador " , a garment covering them from head to foot . Heavy armor was eschewed by Zakharans , as it was almost unmanageable in the blistering heat of the Land of Fate . Outlook . The vast majority of human Zakharans shared a common " enlightened " culture with their demihuman and humanoid countrymen , based on the teachings of a semi - mythical figure called the Loregiver . Honor and family ties were held in highest esteem , sometimes resulting in blood feuds after real or perceived transgressions . Enlightened Zakharans took hospitality as well as personal purity and piety very seriously . The belief in the influence of Fate in each individual ' s life pervaded Zakharan society . Language . The native language of Zakharans was Midani , a language with its roots in the Elemental Planes . Society . Zakharan society was divided between nomadic Al - Badia , who roamed the wide harsh lands of the continent with their herds in close - knit tribal groups , and the settled Al - Hadhar , who prided themselves on their cultural sophistication no matter if they lived in small villages or vast cities . Both groups were deeply skeptical of the other ' s lifestyle , but were united by common language , faith , and a belief in the teachings of the Loregiver . Religion . Most Zakharans believed in one of eight Great Gods — Hajama , Hakiyah , Haku , Jisan , Kor , Najm , Selan , and Zann — or one of the many local enlightened deities worshiped only in a small region of the continent . Only a few on the fringes of society or die - hards pledged themselves to savage gods from Zakhara ' s unenlightened past . Every Zakharan , however , believed in the importance of Fate ] which was seen as a personified force rather than a deity . History . The continent of Zakhara saw several empires rise and fall . The most important events for the cultural direction of its people started in the middle of the 9 century DR , when an Al - Badia boy found scrolls containing the Law of the Loregiver . From the place that would become the city of Huzuz , he preached this law to his countrymen and gathered followers , and in time these enlightened teachings spread throughout all of Zakhara , leading to a largely unified culture . The boy became the first of the Grand Caliph s , and eventually their political influence encompassed ( loosely ) the whole continent . Related Ethnic Groups . Both the Calishite s and the Bedine descended from Zakharans who had traveled to Faerûn through portal s .