With two naval engagements between Rome and the Sultanate, and no sign of a sound resolution of this conflict, the Sultanate prepares for the serious possibility that the Romans will try to invade North Africa.

On the other hand, the abdication of the previous Sultan and crowning of his young, inadequately-prepared heir has invited new forms of waste and corruption in the Sultanate's court. Innovation in the Sultanate, at this point, can be seen as a race between measures toward national welfare and the greed of the gentry class.

1. Mangonel: Given that the war with Rome is likely to be long and bloody, the Sultanate's siege engineers are preparing for the possibility of future invasions of Roman military bases. Improving upon the design of the onager, engineers are now testing the mangonel. Unlike the traction trebuchet, which is chiefly intended for flinging single, heavy projectiles in a high arc, this mangonel will be used to launch fodder at high velocity to weaken the walls of cities and fortresses.

2. Gandoura: As the luxury of the Sultan's court increases (mostly due to the designs of the gentry serving there), the wives and daughters of the gentry-administrators are beginning to adopt more costly and luxurious dress. Loosely adapted from the general-use Djellaba, the Gandoura is rapidly gaining popularity as women's attire throughout the northern reaches and trade cities of the Sultanate. Even "common" women have taken to wearing a slightly more feminine version of djellaba robes. Among the Sultanate's upper strata, meanwhile, gandoura have a less practical and more showy design, with the leading women in the country wearing ornate dresses that are barely recognizable as descendants of the practical djellaba.

3. Medical Encyclopedia: While the establishment of clinics proved to be a great boon to public health in the Sultanate, the quality of care has been inconsistent farther away from the country's educational centers. Seeking to rectify this, some scholars have begun to record their knowledge of anatomy, common ailments, diagnostic methods, and accepted treatment methods in hefty tomes, making this information more widely available. Though Berber scholars are not yet capable of mass-producing these books, the information is at least reliably recorded and easier to exchange between scholars and physicians. The Sultanate's academic institutions have also found these texts to be exceptionally useful for educational purposes.

4. Werqa Dough: As bakers and chefs refine their arts for their clients in tiya'yat (cookhouses) and the estates of landed nobles, they have developed a delicate dough known as werqa. This dough chiefly features in deserts featuring honey, rose water, and various dried fruits, though it is occasionally used in savory and sweet-savory dishes as well.

5. Muqarnas: As the Sultan and his court attempt to bolster the tarnished image of the country's leadership, they seek to construct grander buildings to convince their subjects of the country's continued prosperity. Improving upon their Iwan, Berber architects are now designing Muqarnas, great vaults featuring intricate ceiling decor in honeycomb patterns.

Key pre-reqs for these techs (I might also have more pre-reqs):

• Mangonel: Onager, Traction Trebuchet, and various mathematics including Geometry and Trigonometry
  
• Crashing Waves Formation/Lake Formation: Tuareg Shot (Parthian Shot), Reflex Bows
  
• Medical Encyclopedia: Yes, I'm trying this again, but at least I have some more stuff this time. Everything listed in this conversation plus Field Surgery (which I forgot to mention last time), Natural Disease Pathology, and the Mind-Body Relationship as a medical concept
  
• Fondue Fountain: Fondue, Foot Pedal, general upper-class pretentiousness.
  
• Muqarnas: Iwan, Vaulting, Scaffolding, Pillars, Columns, Arches, Buttresses, Concrete