Egypt

The most surprising feature of Egypt, for travelers from outside the region, is that its largest cities are so young. Three of the four largest cities, Cairo, Damietta, and Qus, have only had their current size and prominence for a handful of decades. Egypt may be an old land on an eternal river, but its society is in constant flux. This is reflected in cities that have ancient landmarks surrounded by new suburbs, and where the local nobleman may have spent his teenage years as a street thief or mercenary.

A Note on Auras in Egypt

The Dominion aura of the holiest places and pilgrimage sites might reach as high as 10, but generally places of worship have a Dominion aura of 4, the cemeteries and homes of the People of the Book have an aura of 3, the places of work of monotheists have an aura of 2, and land from which the call to prayer can be heard has an aura of 1.

Faerie auras are equal to (Might of the most powerful faerie in the area /5) unless two faeries are contesting control of an area, in which case the aura may be higher. The most powerful Faerie in an area is not necessarily the most powerful the characters engage in a given story.

Magic auras are found in awesome natural places, and tethered to human artifice. Many ancient tombs have an aura, the strength of which is determined using the rules found in the Tomb Creation section in chapter 4.

Infernal auras are found in places of great sin. These are usually small pockets, which are eventually worn away by the Dominion, but places dedicated to sin may have powerful, apparently permanent auras. The customs house where pilgrims were once routinely hung by their testicles is notoriously known as such a place, and most of the city of 'Aydhab seems to be falling under the sway of evil.