The Mortuary Society of Kassala

The Mortuary Society of Kassala is responsible for caring for the Alodian dead. Due to the taboos in Nubian (and especially Alodian) society (see earlier), members of the society are shunned by normal folk as unlucky, but also respected for their courage in performing an undesirable task. They are required by law to wear unpatterned smocks of white linen tied with a black sash so that they may be recognized; most also wear a black fezlike hat and carry a glass bell. All members carry a pouch filled with a special powder which can ward off the dead.

All Alodians are taxed in order to pay for the burial of the dead; this tax must be remitted in gold dust, and is mandatory. Most of this tax goes toward employing the Mortuary Society to carry out their business of preparing and interring the dead. Should a foreigner die within Alodia's bounds, their

In the practice of the Empire of Kush, a body would be embalmed and then have a heavy coat of molten glass poured all over it. Once the glass had cooled, the body would be placed on a pillar so that the body of the dead man was visible through the glass for all to see. Through some magic, the body would not be burned or disfigured by the process. During the later empire, following the destruction of the priesthood of Dedun, the secret of protecting the corpse from damage was lost, and the body was first preserved inside a hollow statue made in the precise likeness of the deceased before being encased in glass. Kings and queens had their statues made in gold; princes and wealthy citizens used silver. Glass is so abundant that even the poor were preserved in this manner, inside an earthenware statue.

The upper echelons of the Mortuary Society are aware of the Cult of Dedun; indeed, much of the society's activity is tailored specifically to limit the power of this cult. They provide church burials for all, and bury them in anonymous graves to prevent the identification of famous individuals. They guard the mausoleums against grave robbing, and even practice a form of magic that directly counters that of the cult's sorcerers (see insert).

Following the downfall of the Empire of Kush, the center of power — formerly at Meroë — moved gradually upstream. For a while, Keraba (ruled from el-Hobagi) was preeminent, before Soba became dominant in the sixth century and Keraba became a sub-kingdom in vassalage to Alodia. The kingdom is now ruled from Sufra.

El-Hobagi

The huge tumulus at el-Hobagi is one of the last burials of a pagan king in Alodia; once Soba became the dominant kingdom, they spread their own Christian faith to all vassals. The tumulus is surrounded by other high-status tombs, and accompanied by a temple to the ram-headed creator god Atum, which is in a remarkable state of repair given its age. The Faerie aura of 3 at the temple suggests that the building is still used for worship of the Kushitic gods, although no one has ever been witnessed entering the temple.

The tumulus has never been entered, despite rumors of the fabulous wealth in which the pagan kings of Kush were normally buried. If similar tumuli are anything to go by, the entrance to the artificial hill can be found at its summit, with a vertical shaft leading into the tomb below.

The city of Medewi, which is now known by the Greek name of Meroë, was built by King Aspelta of Kush six hundred years before Christ, and was the site of his chief palace. After King Arqamani seized control of the Empire of Kush from the priesthood around 300 BC, he moved his capital from Napata to Meroë. At the height of its glory, Meroë ruled the entire Upper Nile, but following the downfall of Kush it has devolved into a city-state within the Nubian Kingdom of Alodia. The Island of Meroë is the name given to the vast triangle of land between the Nile and the Atbara Rivers ruled from the city.

Meroë has always been famous for its metalwork, first for iron, and then for gold. The outskirts of the city have almost an industrial appearance due to the bloomeries and blast furnaces involved in liberating pure metal from iron ore, and Meroitic iron and ironwork is valued far and wide for its quality.

The people of Meroë have a reputation for having a superior attitude born from

A Kassalan exorcist is a speciallytrained individual who deals with the dead who have not accepted their final place. These characters have the Wise One Social Status Virtue and the Kassalan Exorcism and Second Sight Virtues. They are trained in Penetration, Magic Lore, and Organization Lore: Mortuary Society. Exorcists tend to concentrate on low level, high Penetration effects, and often work in concert to destroy powerful ghosts. A rare few possess the Corpse Magic Virtue, but use it exclusively to lay to rest the unquiet dead and to foil the schemes of necromancers. Others are Learned Magicians (Hedge Magic Revised Edition, Chapter 5) specializing in the Magicam Art.

New Virtue: Kassalan Exorcism

Minor, Supernatural

You are capable of performing minor exorcism spells through your knowledge of the rites of the Mortuary Society. You can cast spells in a very limited focus, namely wards against ghosts and the physical dead (using the Rego Corpus or Rego Mentem guidelines), and spells to strip Might from these same beings (using the Perdo Vim guidelines). You cannot create spells that affect other spirits or creatures who are not the walking dead, but your spells are equally effective against creatures from any Realm. Wards created with this Virtue need not be circular, but can instead block the threshold(s) of a room; this is still treated as a Duration: Ring, Target: Circle spell for level calculations.

To cast a spell you must expend a Fatigue level, whether the spell succeeds or fails. You must also spend at least 5 minutes preparing the spell, during which time you need unbroken concentration and expend one handful of Kassalan Dust. The spell is designed exactly like a Hermetic spell; if affecting a ghost you must be able to sense your target. Your Casting Total is equal to (Stamina + Organization Lore: Mortuary Society + Aura modifier + stress die) / 2. Penetration is calculated in the normal fashion: Casting Total – Spell Level + Penetration modifiers. Kassalan Exorcism is aligned to the Magic Realm.

Kassalan Dust

Made by the Mortuary Society of Kassala, this dust has powdered gold as its main component, with myrrh and other spices making up the rest. Twenty handfuls contain about a Mythic Pound's worth of gold dust. Kassalan Dust is necessary for Kassalan Exorcism, but grants no bonus. A handful also adds +3 to uses of the Corpse Magic Supernatural Ability to command a corpse to return to its grave or prevent it from being affected by Corpse Magic. Multiple handfuls provide no additional effect. Kassalan Dust has a Shape & Material bonus of +3 against the dead. The recipe is known to anyone with Organization Lore: Mortuary Society.

their ancient heritage. The city is ruled by a king, or qore, and his mother, or kentake. Alodian rule has long rankled the royalty of Meroë, and they have been involved in several failed coups and civil actions against Soba. The royal family are widely believed to be pagan worshipers of Apedemek: they still use the lion as their royal symbol; sit on a lion throne; and keep lions as pets.

Begarawiyah

The royal necropolis just outside Meroë is the most extensive of Kush's three principle necropoli (the other two being Kurru and Nuri, see earlier). Begarawiyah is the haunt of Alodia's most powerful devotees of Dedun; as a result some of the pyramids are occupied, and may have a higher Magic aura than the surrounding necropolis, aligned to the dead.

The southern cemetery is the oldest of

the three at Begarawiyah; it was contemporary with the necropolis of Nuri. Only four of the nine pyramids contain emperors of Kush; the remaining five are princes and queens. There are also 195 other tombs here. These contain non-royal occupants, and are not marked with pyramids. There is a Magic aura of 4 here, representing the preternatural tether of over four hundred years of royal burials.

The northern cemetery was used after Arqamani moved the capital of Kush to Meroë. His pyramid is here, along with those of 29 other kings and 27 kentakes, queens, and other royals. There are just three nonroyal tombs here. The preternatural tether of six and a half centuries of royal burials has resulted in a Magic aura of 5.

There is also a western cemetery containing 113 tombs, none of which contain a royal occupant and thus lack pyramids. There is no Magic aura here due to the simpler construction and poorer preservation of these tombs.

The chief residence of the King of Meroë, Taqasi is a palatial building amidst luxurious grounds. It would be unwise to approach uninvited, since a pride of lions roams the carefully-manicured 'jungle'. Live prey is captured and released within the walls of the palace upon which the lions feed. The palace has about twenty rooms on two levels. arranged around a courtyard with a ramp leading up to a podium. Here, the king and kentake of Meroë receive visitors and watch the lions feed — and if the meeting has been unsatisfactory, both functions may be combined.

Soba, the capital city of the Kingdom of Alodia, is situated on the east bank of the

Artanyeszame is an ancient Undying One (see later) who has claimed a pyramid in Begarawiyah's southern necropolis as his home. He was born nearly two centuries ago, as a beggar named Georgiu in the town of Atbara. He was apprenticed to a learned magician, and learned of the Cult of Dedun from his master. The latter was killed by assassins sent by the Mortuary Society of Kassala, and Artanyeszame has harbored a hatred for them ever since. Using his master's resources he was able to amass magical power, and undergo the transformation into an Undying One.

Artanyeszame is powerful enough to exclude all other Undying Ones from the south cemetery, although there are two others dwelling in the northern necropolis and a third in the western cemetery. He is indifferent to those searching for the Initiation Script to become an Undying One, as long as they leave him alone. Anyone who persists in annoying him is steered toward a fake script he created a century ago: based on the real one, this inflicts the Ordeal but does not grant the Mystery.

The Undying One has had several lifetimes in which to amass power and further his schemes. He desires to uncover an intact copy of the Book of Thoth (see Chapter 5: Artefacts), believing — like countless before him — that he is powerful enough to read it without being consumed by it. Until he finds a copy, he is content to amass power and destroy those who might interfere with his schemes. He is content to allow lesser sorcerers to exist, but attempts to dominate or eliminate any powerful worker of magic. The characters could easily get caught between a feud between Artanyeszame and 'Izz el-Afram Hamad (see earlier). If they have had negative dealings with one of these sorcerers, they are courted by his rival; if they have allied with one, then they are targeted instead. Otherwise, the characters find their magical resources are stolen as the two sorcerers vie for the upper hand. This conflict is likely to end in a stalemate.

Artanyeszame might easily become the enemy of a group of characters, if they cross him or interfere with his plans. He could equally become the mentor of any group willing to assist him, although any alliance is likely to be temporary in nature. Compared to a Hermetic magus he is not a powerful sorcerer, but his magic is versatile, and he is cunning in its use. He also has the resources of his tomb to call upon, and the chapter of the Cult of Dedun of which he is the head. The power of this latter resource should not be underestimated; Artanyeszame has agents spread far and wide along the Nile, carefully chosen for their tasks based on their skills or contacts.

The characters come into possession of a hand made of green stone. This is the missing part of the Djet in Cleopatra's Tomb, although they have no way of knowing this. Artanyeszame discovers that they have the hand (for example, through an agent who snoops through their belongings), and realizes that the Djet can tell him where to find the Book of Thoth. All he has to do is trick the characters into thinking they want to find Cleopatra's tomb.

A junior member of the Kassalan Mortuary Society asks the characters to help free the ghost of a Kushitic queen and lay her soul to rest. What he neglects to mention is that the ghost, Queen Weteriken (see later), is an ally and tutor of Artanyeszame, and resides within his pyramid. The society is hoping that the characters will weaken or destroy the Undying One on their behalf.

Magic Might: 25 (Corpus)

Season: Winter

Characteristics (prior to aging): Int +2, Per +1, Pre –1, Com +2, Str 0, Sta +1, Dex +1, Qik –1

Characteristics (current): Int +1, Per –1(1), Pre –2(1), Com +2, Str –3, Sta 0, Dex –2(1), Qik –3(2)

Size: 0

Decrepitude: 3 (2) Confidence Score: 2 (5)

Virtues and Flaws: Learned Magician, Transformed Human**; Corpse Magic, Strong Verbal Charms, Unnatural Vitality**; Animal Ken, Harnessed Magic*, Dedun's Blessing**, Self-Confident; Charm Magician, Enemies (Mortuary Society of Kassala), Enfeebled**; Ambitious, No Chartae Making, Tainted with Evil, Vow**

* Hermetic Virtue, lost when he lost The Gift.

**Gained through Initiation

Magic Qualities and Inferiorities: Focus Power x2, Greater Powers x2; Corpus Resistance, Improved Abilities, Improved Might x9*, Improved Powers, Lesser Powers

*gained through consuming vis (Realms of Power: Magic, page 52)

Personality Traits: Remorseless +3, Scheming +3, Obsessive +3, Amoral +2

Reputations: Ruthless 3 (Local)

Combat:

Scepter (Mace): Init –2, Attack +4, Defense 0, Damage +5

Soak: 0

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11– 15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Animal Ken 3 (hyenas), Area Lore: Meroë 3 (pyramids), Area Lore: Nubia 3 (history), Artes Liberales 4 (astronomy), Corpse Magic 5 (interrogation), Concentration 4 (powers), Corpus Resistance 4 (resisting control), Dead Language: Meroitic 4 (royalty), Folk Ken 1 (magicians), Guile 2 (Nubians), Leadership 4 (bouda), Living Language: Romaic Greek 3 (Nubian), Living Language: Nubian 5 (Alwa), Magic Lore 4 (the dead), Medicine 2 (dry maladies), Organization Lore: Cult of Dedun 6 (Initiation), Penetration 4 (Salutem), Philosophiae 3 (natural philosophy), Profession: Scribe 2 (hieroglyphs), Single Weapon 2 (mace)

Arts: Tueor 4, Succuro 5, Vulnero 7; Fortunam 6, Magicam 8, Salutem 12 Powers:

Chariot of the Winds, 1 point, Init –2, Auram: Conjures a mighty wind which picks him up and carries him wherever he wishes to go at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. Hovering is difficult, requiring Concentration rolls to remain aloft. Cr(Re)Au 30 (Base 5, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +2 highly unnatural, +1 requisite) Greater Power (30 levels, –2 cost, +2 Init)

Lord of the Incorporeal, variable points, Init – (Might cost+1), Mentem: Artanyeszame can duplicate any non-Ritual spell of 50th level or less to do with ghosts, at a cost of 1 Might point per magnitude. Typical effects employed with this power are Whispers Through the Black Gate (3 points, ArM5 page 130), Vision of the Haunting Spirit (8 Might points, ArM5 page 150), Lay to Rest the Haunting Spirit (1–5 Might points, ArM5 page 150), and Coerce the Spirit of the Night (4 Might points, ArM5 page 152). He has also made more exotic use of this power, such as restoring memories to ghosts and endowing them with a temporary physical body. Focus Power x2 (Improved Powers to increase maximum level)

Restore the Faded Tapestry of Youth, 4 points, Init –6, Corpus. (see later)

The Dungeon Master, 1 point, Init –4, Imaginem (see later)

Equipment: Robes, scepter

Encumbrance: 1 (1)

Charms Known (casting totals include +9 bonus from the Unnatural Vitality Virtue):

Safeguard the Necromantic Spell (TuFo 15/+21): Eliminates two botch dice from any use of the Corpse Magic Ability. (Base 10, +1 Diam)

Gift of Atum (SuFo 25/+22): Grants the Tough Virtue to the target. (Base 10, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)

Gift of Anhur (SuFo 25/+22): Grants the Puissant Single Weapon Virtue to the target. (Base 10, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)

Gift of Menhit (SuFo 25/+22): Grants the Puissant Bows Virtue to the target. (Base 10, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)

Gift of Apedemak (SuFo 25/+22): Grants

the Inspirational Virtue to the target. (Base 10, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)

Sweet Incense of Dedun (SuMa 5/+24): Reveals the presence of vis within Range. (Base 1, +2 Voice, +2 Sun)

Gift of Dedun (SuMa 20/+24): Grants the Second Sight Virtue to the caster, at an Ability score of 4. (Base 10, +2 Sun)

Sharpen the Magician's Knife (SuMa 15/+24): Grants a +3 to the caster's next use of the Vulnero Art. (Base 10, +1 Diam)

Strengthen the Magician's Shield (SuMa 15/+24): grants a +3 to the caster's next use of the Tueor Art. (Base 10, +1 Diam)

Fortify the Magician's Balm (SuMa 15/+24): Grants a +3 to the caster's next use of the Succuro Art. (Base 10, +1 Diam)

Charm of Alacritous Fortune Against Earth (TuMa 15/+23): This charm adds +8 to the caster's Defense Total against any magical earth- or stone-based attacks aimed at him. (Base 10, +1 Diam)

Charm of Magical Fortitude Against Fire (TuMa 13/+23): This charm adds +16 to the caster's Soak Total against magical fire. (Base 8, +1 Diam)

Sever the Binding Constraints (VuMa 20/+26): Hastens the expiry of any spell intended to restrain or hinder its target. If the total of (35+stress die) is at least double the level of the targeted spell, its Duration is reduced by one magnitude. Thus Duration: Sun becomes Duration: Diam, Duration: Diam becomes Duration: Mom, and so on. (Level 20, +1 Touch)

Charm of Protection Against the Fae (VuMa 20/+26): Creatures with a Faerie Might of 20 or less cannot affect the target of this spell, as long as the charm Penetrates. (Base effect)

Charm of Protection Against Spirits (VuMa 20/+26): Creatures with a Magic Might of 20 or less (not just spirits) cannot affect the target of this spell, as long as the charm Penetrates. (Base effect)

Ward the Sword's Edge (TuSa 16/+27): Grants the caster a +12 to Soak Totals against slashing melee weapons. (Base 6, +2 Sun)

Ward the Spear's Thrust (TuSa 20/+27): Prevents the caster from being harmed by piercing melee weapons. (Base 10, +2 Sun)

Ward the Club's Blow (TuSa 20/+27): Prevents the caster from being harmed by bludgeoning melee weapons. (Base 10, +2 Sun)

Curse of the Ruptured Ears (VuSa 35/+30): Strikes an individual deaf with a stab of pain that incapacitates for a round. Heals as a Heavy Wound. (Base 20, +2 Voice, +1 pain)

Curse of the Milky Eyes (VuSa 30/+30): Inflicts blindness on the target. Heals as a Heavy Wound. (Base 20, +2 Voice)

Curse of the Dumb Beast (VuSa 25/+30): Destroys the victim's tongue, leaving him unable to speak. This heals as a Medium Wound. (Base 15, +2 Voice)

Vis: Artanyeszame controls vis sources that produce seven pawns a year; he typically has ten pawns of vis on him at any time. His corpse also contains 5 pawns of Vim vis in his withered heart.

Appearance: An ancient desiccated Nubian man, withered and bent. His left cheek lacks flesh, revealing the bones and teeth beneath. He wears the robes of an Egyptian priest, and an elaborate headdress of ostrich feathers. He carries a scepter which he wields as a club, if need be.

Artanyeszame casts his charms in the same way as Hermetic Formulaic spells (using a Casting Score of Communication + Technique + Form + aura bonuses), thanks to his Strong Verbal Charms Virtue. He has many hundreds of spells written into his formularies, which he may cast as Spontaneous spells, dividing (Casting Score + stress die) by 2. It takes him tens of minutes to find the right charm in the formulary. For more details on Learned Magicians and their magic, see Hedge Magic Revised Edition, Chapter Five.

When Artanyeszame became an Undying One, his court of the dead bought him a Magic Might of 16.

The Pyramid of Arrakkamani

Artanyeszame has claimed the pyramid of King Arrakkamani as his home. He keeps his court of the dead in a chamber within the pyramid; they are posed as if it were a royal court, paying obeisance to a central throne — which is where Artanyeszame himself sits when brooding upon various schemes. He has a court strength of 181 distributed between four dozen corpses, including Arrakkamani and his mother Weteriken.

Artanyeszame has befriended three bouda (hyena skinchangers, see Chapter 8: Ethiopia) who dwell in the antechamber of the tomb. These sisters, all of them witches, command a pack of a dozen magical hyenas who serve as the Undying One's covenfolk. Some have the Magic Sensitivity Virtue, and are able to locate Corpus vis residing in the long-buried dead of the necropolis. They are prone to bouts of madness.

Magic aura: 6 (aligned to the dead) Boons: Aura x2 (Site, Minor), Seclusion (Site, Minor)

Hooks: Evil Custom (Site, Minor), Inhuman Covenfolk (Residents, Minor), Seed of Madness (Residents, Minor)

Resources: Curses (18 Build Points). Enchantments(52 Build Points). Library: Inscription on Petitioning the Dead (summa on Corpse Magic, Level 8, Quality 6), Initiation Script for Corpse Magic (Script Bonus +15) (45 Build Points). Specialists: Two altar priests (Magic Lore 5), four grave guardians (Single Weapon 4), ghost of Queen Weteriken, a powerful necromancer (Communication 1, Corpse Magic 10, Teaching 4), three bouda (Hex 5) (56 Build Points). Traps (55 Build Points). Vis Sources: 2 pawns of Vim per year (paint flecks from magical texts), 4 pawns of Corpus per year (bodies robbed by hyenas), 1 pawn of Ignem per year (glass exposed to dawn sun on rising of Sirius) (35 Build Points) 259 Build Points overall.

Curse:

Those that enter my tomb in their impurity shall have their flesh decay and their bones perish: This curse is written in Meroitic on the entrance to the tomb. This Greater Malediction inflicts the Enfeebled Major Flaw on anyone who succumbs. Artanyeszame's Magic Might makes him immune to the curse, and he has devised a rite of purification that protect his servants. (PeCo 45; Pen 0, 1/day; Base 30, +1 Touch, +2 Room; 18 Build Points)

Enchantments:

Shroud of Sands: A cloak made of disks of sandstone joined in rows by twine. The wearer can move up to ten thousand cubic paces of sand, enough to bury the pyramid hiding it from view, or to excavate the tunnel to the burial chamber beneath. The sand moves slowly, and can only be used offensively against immobile opponents. ReTe 25 (Base 1, +2 Voice, +1 Conc, +1 Part, +3 Size; +5 24 uses/day) (Ease Factor 11, 10 Build Points)

Glory of The Royal Lion: When light strikes this statue of Apedamak, it radiates an aura that can entrap one person who looks at its eyes. It continues to trap those looking directly at it, one per round, until its daily uses are spent. Entrapped individuals are held motionless in place, unmoving except to reorient themselves to face the statue. This effect even continues if they are removed from line of sight. Those caught will starve to death unless released by a secret command word uttered in Meroitic. ReCo 40 (Base 5, +1 Eye, +3 Moon, +1 can be released; +4 12/day, +6 Pen 12) (Ease Factor 14, 16 Build Points)

Sovereign Ward Against Wandering Shadows: No spirit with a Might of 25 or less can enter or leave the pyramid of Arrakkamani if this effect Penetrates its Magic Resistance. This effect has trapped Queen Weteriken, who claims to have enchanted it herself into its walls. Artanyeszame gained his Might score inside the pyramid, and is immune to its effects. ReMe 57 (Base effect (25), +0 Touch, +0 Sun, +3 Structure; +1 2/day, +3 environmental trigger, +13 Pen 26) (Ease Factor 24, 24 Build Points)

Traps:

The steps leading down to the burial chamber recede, creating a steep, smooth ramp. The 20 pace slide down to a hard surface results in +30 damage if the characters slide all the way to the bottom. A character might be able to grip onto the sides of the ramp and arrest the fall with a Strength + Athletics – Encumbrance roll (Ease Factor 9, 15 Build Points)

A false burial chamber filled with fake treasure; this is a good place for an ambush. A character might spot the falsehood of the treasure without entering the room with a Perception + Bargain roll. (Ease Factor 9, 6 Build Points)

A rain of poisoned darts fall from the ceiling. Each individual gets struck by 1 – 6 darts, each inflicting a Light Wound unless a Stamina roll against an Ease Factor of 6 is successful. (average of 3 Light Wounds, Ease Factor 6, 19 Build Points)

A massive stone slab falls from the ceiling, inflicts +15 damage, and traps individuals on the wrong side. A character might be able to dive out of the way with a Quickness + Athletics – Encumbrance roll (Ease Factor 12, 15 Build Points)

Blue Nile a short distance upstream from its confluence with the White Nile. The urban complex covers a wide area on a gently undulating plain cut by many shallow watercourses. Occupation is mostly confined to the mounds that lie between these streams, and are surrounded by wide open areas. Most of these mounds are covered in gravel and occupied by large wooden houses, each covered in white clay that glitters in the sun due to the mica within it. Each house is surrounded by a lush garden. Some of the mounds are covered in red brick, and these bear churches, seventeen in all, each one decorated with gold leaf. The most prominent and luxurious of these is the Church of Manbali, which serves as Soba's cathedral. There is a Dominion of 3 in proximity to these churches, but because of the diffuse nature of the city there are many lacunae where the Dominion does not reach. Around the town and on the river banks are several monasteries, each one occupied by only a handful of monks. Soba is unique in being the only Alodian city with a mosque: it has a significant population of Muslims, both Egyptian and from the southern sultanates.

Soba is famous for its alchemists, renowned for the wonders they can achieve through their craft. The city is filled with examples of their efforts. Street corners bear poles that shed light at night that rival the moon in brightness. Its streets are uncommonly smooth and pleasant for wheeled vehicles; although some Soban vehicles may not touch the ground at all but hover just above it. Extensive use is made of the streams, occasionally canalized; barges of stone float miraculously on water bringing grain and timber into the city. There are fountains in which the water flows upwards against its natural tendencies, gardens of stone statues which are tethered to the ground to prevent them from floating away and bridges of transparent metal. The city even smells sweet due to the properties of the tiles used in its roofs.

The Alchemists of Soba

Soba is rampant in wonders, and most of these are a product of its alchemists. Most are employees of the Ministry of Works, which maintains and improves the

city. These city alchemists wear distinctive red robes, and can often be seen in charge of a construction crew, or restoring the effects of the public amenities or artwork.

A player can have a Soban Alchemist as a companion character, taking the Alchemist of Soba Social Status Virtue. The Soban Alchemy Virtue permits them to perform the wonders for which their profession is famed. Soban Alchemy is expensive, and most alchemists operate under state patronage, although private patrons (via the Protection Virtue) and financially independent characters (the Wealthy Virtue) can avoid the obligations that the Ministry of Works demands. Much alchemical work is performed through the Philosophiae Ability; if you have Art & Academe, Soban Alchemists create a wide variety of alchemical reagents. They also require the Profession: Apothecary Ability to manage and run a well-stocked alchemist's laboratory. A city alchemist might have a Profession or Craft Ability related to the duties he commonly performs; independent alchemists often have artistic Profession or Craft Abilities instead. Alchemists relying on a patron or the city to fund their experiments are required to remain in the vicinity of Soba if they are to continue to receive the coin they need. Even a wealthy alchemist might have difficulty finding raw materials for his Sovereign Reagent away from Soba.

As well as public works, state alchemists teach their techniques to the next generation at the Ministry buildings. There are both summae and tractatus on Soban Alchemy written in Nubian Greek, and many of these are jealously guarded by the wealthy families who own them. A Gifted individual can possibly learn Soban Alchemy from such books (ArM5, page 166); an unGifted character must possess the Virtue or be Initiated in it by the Ministry of Works.

Some Soban alchemists are able to turn the natural world on its head, making stone float, metal transparent, flames cold, and water flow uphill. These transformations are never permanent, and need to be renewed periodically if they are to persist. They are brought about through the Soban Alchemy Ability. Unlike alchemical reagents made with Philosophiae, Soban Alchemy is a supernatural science, and cannot be duplicated with Rego Craft magic. Alchemists tend to have their workshops in one of the lacunae in the city's Dominion, to avoid detrimental aura modifiers as much as possible.

It is believed by some that Soban Alchemy is the last remnants of the magic that constructed the monuments of Egypt and Kush in ancient times.

New Virtue: Soban Alchemy

Major, Supernatural

Taking this Virtue grants the Supernatural Ability of Soban Alchemy at a score of 1. Soban Alchemy is usually aligned to the Magic realm.

New Ability: Soban Alchemy

This Supernatural Ability allows the character to create a substance called Sovereign Reagent. Every Soban Alchemist with this power has a different recipe for his Sovereign Reagent, and it can take many forms — a powder, a waxy stone, an incense, a liquid, and so on. She can only use Sovereign Reagent she has made herself. Each dose of Sovereign Reagent costs the equivalent of a Mythic Pound of ingredients, or else a pawn of Muto vis. An alchemist can make a maximum number of doses in a season equal to twice his Profession: Apothecary Ability; during this season he can carry on his usual business but can only gain Exposure experience points in either Soban Alchemy, Philosophiae, or Profession: Apothecary. He may not be able to afford his maximum number of doses per season.

Sovereign Reagent alters one natural property of inanimate matter, while leaving its shape and composition unchanged. It can either grant an absent property to an object (making it glow, float, or become transparent) or remove a property that is present (taking away its color, sharpness, or smoothness). It cannot partially affect a property; for example, a hard object cannot be made harder, nor can any object be made lighter or heavier — but can be given the tendency to rise rather than fall, or sink rather than float. An object with its solidity removed keeps its shape, but other objects can be pushed through it easily. Only one property of the object can be affected at a time and it retains all the former qualities that are unaffected. Magical media cannot be affected at all, and this includes matter currently under the effect of Soban Alchemy. The Duration of the change is dependent on the character's Ability Score:

Soban Alchemy	Duration
1	Minutes
3	Hours
5	Days
7	Weeks
9	Months

To use Soban Alchemy, one or more doses of Sovereign Reagent must be applied to the object to be affected. A single dose can affect one cubic foot of solid matter, one cubic pace of fluid matter, or ten cubic paces of ephemeral matter (such as fire or air). Multiple doses can be applied to affect more matter. After applying the reagent, generate a Casting Total from Intelligence + Soban Alchemy + Aura modifier + stress die against an Ease Factor determined by the type of change desired:

Ease Factor Property affected

• 9 redness/blueness/etc., saltiness/sweetness/etc., texture, symmetry.
• 12 pungency, fragrance/fetor, tendency to float/sink, sharpness, elasticity, flexibility, moistness/dampness.
• 15 transparency, cohesion/solidity, hardness, brittleness, heat/coldness, resonance (i.e. the noise it makes), silence.
• 18 tendency to rise/fall, luminosity

Roll a simple die to determine how many units of time (as determined by Ability score) that the effect will last; this result may be kept secret from the player if desired. Alternatively, to find out whether a long lasting transformation is still in effect, roll a simple die, and if the result is less than the number of units that have passed then the Duration has expired, otherwise it lasts for at least one more time unit.

Matter affected by Soban Alchemy becomes a magical medium for the Duration, and to affect those with Magic Resistance it must Penetrate. The Penetration Total is equal to Casting Total – Ease Factor + Penetration Bonus. Most Soban Alchemists do not learn the Penetration Ability since they consider their power to be a science, rather than magic. Substances affected by Soban Alchemy suffers warping at a rate of one Warping Point per year, and part of an alchemist's work is to replace badly affected components.

Specialties: a certain type of matter, a given property

New Virtue: Alchemist of Soba

Minor, Social Status

You are an alchemist trained in Soba. You may have Academic Abilities at character creation, and must have a Philosophiae of at least 3. Unless you take the Wealthy Virtue, you are employed by the Soban Ministry of Works (or a private patron if you take the Protection Virtue), and are obliged to spend at least two season per year laboring on the behalf of your employer. You receive only Exposure experience points for these seasons. If you have the Soban Alchemy Virtue, you cannot make Sovereign Reagent in seasons that you work for the ministry, but you can spend one of your 'free' seasons making Sovereign Reagent on the city's coin. You are typically required to use at least half of these doses discharging your duties.