It had been more than a week since the capture and detention of Marjorie Barron, an investigative reporter and war correspondent for Free Mundus Network hailing from the Ecclesiastical State, covering Lalishistan's separatist insurgency. Believed to have been the only foreign correspondents in the Talmar district of Lalishistan when the Saheristani military launched ruthless a new offensive, Barron's unfilted and haunting report broadcast accounts of illegal detentions, indiscriminate strikes and terror tactics being employed by government forces.  Barron ran into an army patrol shortly after;an encounter which left her cameraman, Nolan de Vries (also Ecclesiastical), with a bullet, and allegedly led to the discovery of heroin on her person.

The media response in the Ecclesiastical State had been somewhat restrained, but representatives of the Pope's government had managed to wrangle a high-level meeting between Nadia Zivar Zadeh, the Vice President herself, and their own ambassador to the Republic of Saheristan at the Presidential Palace.

The Ambassador had received a token police escort to the palace, but in the scheme of the day's comings and goings, it remained largely discreet. It was on this journey that any news source that the Ambassador may have cared to check would inform him that Nolan de Vries had sadly died of his injuries, though no other statement had been issued by the military hospital which had been treating him.

Before long, the Ecclesiastical diplomatic car was pulling into the heavily guarded seat of Saheristani power, and being swept under a bulletproof awning into the grand entrance foyer, amongst row after row of towering marble pillars, each adorned and bejewelled with cosmic and religious symbolism. The heat outside remained light and dry, not yet humid with the coming autumn, while the capital's mixed fragrances of spice and exhaust permeated the air. Sirens and the din of the bustling city were drowned out by the adhan; the call to prayer.

The Ambassador was escorted to an ornate, wrought iron gate, leading to a balcony garden near the centre of the palace, where the cacophony of urban sound faded to a serene quiet. After being made to wait slightly longer than necessary while Vice President Zadeh finished her prayers, the guards opened the gate smoothly and saluted, as the Ambassador entered the garden shortly to find the VP sitting upright upon the grass, waiting...

Please see Saheristan wiki page for broader information.

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Capital and largest city: Al-Qādisiyyah
Official language: Saheri
Recognised regional languages: None (Lalishi banned in official contexts)
Ethnic groups: 79% Saheri, 18% Lalishi, 3% other
Demonym: Saheristani
Government: Unitary Unicameral Presidential Republic
President: Khalid Amin Ashkan
Legislature: Council of Representatives
Judiciary: Grand Constitutional Court
GDP (PPP): $2.082 trillion
Per capita: $25,776
GDP (nominal): $861 billion
Per capita: $11,014
Currency: Saheristan Dinar

Government:
The politics of Saheristan is based on republicanism, with a presidential system of government. The government is constitutionally secular but religiously influenced. The President is elected for five-year terms and the Parliament is unicameral. The first Saheristani elections took place in 1959, though democracy has been fractured by periods of instability and military coups.

Geography and Climate:
The topography of Saheristan consists of a rugged, mountainous north descending into more coastal, tropical regions. The main mountain chain is the Ashem Mountains, a series of parallel ridges interspersed with plains that bisect the country from northwest to southeast. The coast shows a diversity of landscapes: beaches, cliffs, estuaries, bays and dunes. 7% of the country is forested.

Saheristan has a generally arid climate. Spring and autumn are relatively mild, while summers are dry and hot, having average daily temperatures in July exceeding 38 °C (100.4 °F).

People and Society:
Since the early 1980s Saheristan has experienced steady declines in its fertility, mortality, and population growth rates. The population is mostly urbanised and centred in coastal regions.

The population is relatively young with 25.9% falling in the 0–14 age bracket. Modern cultural influences, particularly via the internet, contributes to a surging socio-politically liberal movement among the young.

Economy:
Over the past decade, economic reforms, coupled with some political reforms, have contributed to a growing economy. Saheristan has a fossil-fuel based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. The country holds among the largest proven oil reserves in the world, contributing to a growing influence in international energy security and the world economy. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 77% of budget revenues, 32% of GDP, and 80% of export earnings, though efforts to diversify the economy are taking root, particularly in the information technology and arms production sectors.

Transnational Issues:
Despite a rapid pace of development, Saheristan faces significant internal issues.

The country's southern regions remain one of the primary transshipment routes for heroin globally, and Saheristan suffers one of the highest opiate addiction rates in the world. More than eight thousand tons of opium are grown in the Shehadeh Valley region every year, producing a majority of the total global opium supply.

Cartel activity represents significant opportunities for many of the poorest citizens, particularly those from the Lalishi ethnic minority, who otherwise have historically suffered from systemic and institutional Saheri prejudice. Organised drug cartels exert considerable power over local affairs in many areas, with hundreds of people being killed annually in clashes between rival cartels, government forces and Lalishi Liberation League, which is itself considered a narcoterrorist group by the government. Saheristani authorities regularly enforce the death penalty for drug offences, but corruption in local law enforcement often grants mid to high level criminals significant room to manuever.

Saheristan is also a source, transit, and destination country for human traffiking; men and women from around Mundus who voluntarily travel to Saheristan as domestic servants or low-skilled laborers often subsequently face conditions of involuntary servitude.