Purity (AA)

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In the Land of Fate, purity may be a man or woman's greatest virtue at least publicly. A foreign lothario, condemned for his actions, may point to the harem (or harim) as proof of Zakharan "hypocrisy." In point of fact, very few Zakharan men have more than one wife. But even the wealthy sheikh with a harem is technically married to every woman whose unveiled face graces his bedchamber. Furthermore, a man and woman may divorce readily, and find new spouses, with no stigma attached for anyone. The fact that a sheikh or king is married to a particular woman for only few weeks or even days implies no impropriety for him or for her. Long or short, a marriage is sacred in the Land of Fate.
Zakharans believe their own culture is more civilized than that of their "barbaric" neighbors. Certainly, the Zakharan concept of purity is more complex. Throughout the Land of Fate, purity means avoiding all unnecessary physical contact between a man and a woman unless they are married-however inadvertent or innocent that contact may seem.
Every honorable Zakharan woman would extend her hand to help a wounded man. But almost none would shake hands with a man who is newly introduced, lest he assume her improper or be violently tempted by her charms. Instead, a simple nod is the proper greeting. In strictly religious areas, even a flirtatious glance is considered a sin. At the very least, a man who openly casts fiery glances at an unmarried woman has paid her an insult rather than a compliment. Her brother or father would be perfectly in the right to demand some sort of retribution-from a public apology to a gift of many camels, depending on the woman's stature and the amorous man's audacity.
In a world where strength of character is exalted, Zakharans have a peculiar belief in every man and woman's underlying weakness where matters of the heart are concerned. It's for this reason that many women wear veils and don robes that conceal the shape of their bodies. It's also for this reason that a few groups require men to do the same-that is, to cover their bodies and the lower half of their faces whenever they're in public.
Not surprisingly, eyes, hands, and feet have become important objects of beauty in the human (or even nonhuman) Zakharan form. Women line their eyes with kohl. Some tattoo their foreheads with a simple pattern. Others may decorate their brows with dots of henna, a natural dye which may also redden their nails. Bracelets adorn their wrists and ankles.
Believing that even eyes and hair create too great a temptation, some sects in the Land of Fate require a woman to don an opaque hood whenever she's in public, concealing her entire head. The cloth has many tiny holes over the eyes, allowing her to look out, but preventing others from looking in. The rest of her body is completely engulfed by voluminous robes that sweep the ground.
Purity is also the basis for the seclusion of women, a common practice in the Land of Fate. Whether home is a tent, a mud-brick house near an oasis, or a grand palace, it usually contains separate quarters for women an area where no grown man but a husband may venture (and even then, he typically asks permission as a courtesy). The degree to which a woman must remain these quarters varies. For instance, the laws of Zakharan hospitality require a woman to act as a host in her husband's absence, serving an honored or needy guest who comes to their abode by offering coffee or food. Were her husband to appear later, she might politely retire to her quarters. Although foreigners might view seclusion as a prison, a Zakharan woman often sees it as her privilege as well as a sanctuary.