The Molten Sheik
Tariq Silkinti was the only son of the Caliph Devimsi Silkinti, and heir to the Caliphate of Ophira. Tariq participated in the slaying of his father and the subsequent containment of the Copper Gauntlet, the artifact that drove his father mad. Prior to assuming the throne, Tariq studied under his cousin and closest friend, Ghaliya. Tariq, though not possessed of any aptitude, also closely followed the practices and rites of the Desert Screamers, hoping to become closer to the magics they so deftly wielded. Though these arts made him a fearsome warrior, it was not his martial prowess alone that defined his legacy amongst the Ophiran, and later Akathian, people. Tariq, following his role in the death of his father, worked tirelessly to undo the harm done by the late Caliph. In the process, Tariq encountered strange beings that changed his perspective on life and the afterlife. Tariq took this knowledge to be a sign that he might be able to save the Caliphate from the horrors that were facing them. Tariq undertook a quest to restore the great Ophiran hero, The Speaker of the Thousand Suns.
"The Speaker of the Thousand Suns wielded the glory of the sun, the armor of the plateaus, and the fury of the flames" - translated by the scribe Beshep, from the "Tales of Eternal Day" by the Ophiran historian Meledev.
Tariq, with the help of Ghaliya, Hasim and Shihab, was said to cross the lands to make an offering to Above in order to restore this legendary figure to life. The tales of his journeys are many and varied. Some include him meeting the mythical Oracle of the East, communing with the locusts of the desert as if they were a person, fighting the forces of Shadow in the northern mountains, or entering a forgotten city and vanquishing the evil that still remained in the place. While these facts are inconclusive, the texts that remain indicate that the new Caliph did return.
"And there before me stood the cousin of my blood and brother of my heart, Tariq. His skin was as Mt. Kuthat if it had been set ablaze. His armor shone as if it were polished by the noonday sun, and his sword bathed us in his glory" - translated by the scribe Beshep, from a letter to Eket of the Desert by Ghaliya.
Tariq was known as the Molten Sheik from that point forward, and was beloved by his people. Tariq pushed much of the horrors from Ophira, before retreating to the West in order to dispose of the Copper Gauntlet and join in a great battle against the Shadow. Stories say that Tariq was slain in the fighting of the area, and that his ashes and crown remain there to this day. People of the Caliphate believe that when he is needed, Tariq will rise from the ashes to lead Akathia out of the Shadow once more. The tale itself is told in the sacred poem of Akathia, the Bu Alev.