Arran

As noted earlier, the province of Arran is ruled by the Atabegs of Azarbayjan, though their actual involvement here is minimal. The majority of the population follows Armenian Christianity, but there is also a significant Sunni Muslim community here, including most members of the ruling classes.

The most important city in Arran is Baylaqan, which stands in a river valley supplied by several streams, with the result that the town has many mills, as well as

The Sorcerer's Tower

The secluded tower at Lake Urmiya could be a good site for a new covenant. Alternatively, it also provides a great excuse for an old-fashioned dungeon crawl, should the players feel nostalgic for the early days of roleplaying. In both cases, given that the sorcerer clearly bred the hybrid dog-fish found in the lake, it is more than likely that the tower and the tunnels below it house all sorts of hybrid monstrosities that may oppose or welcome the characters, depending on the needs of your saga.

Dim Skies and Rotten Fruit

An unheard-of thing happens: the skies above Maragha become cloudy. At the same time, the melon crop fails suddenly, going rancid overnight. The player characters are asked to investigate, and they soon discover that the town has fallen out of favor with the supernatural entity that up until now ensured its prosperity. The question is, what act by the populace has earned the creature's enmity, and how may it be appeased?

To Build a Mosque

Some of the people of Barvan would like to see a major mosque built in the city, both to provide a gathering point for the people and to improve the town's reputation, but the governor is not of particularly pious inclination and would rather spend his money on worldly pleasures. In addition, the most logical way to build such a mosque would be through the expansion of one of the existing mosques, but the townsfolk cannot agree on which mosque to expand. The characters are prevailed upon to act as external mediators both with the governor and between the leaders in the various mosques. Can they come up with a solution that will please everyone?

Khidr (the Green One) is an important Muslim prophet. He is said to be immortal, having drunk or dived into the Water of Life, which he found by means of a shining jewel brought from Paradise by the prophet Adam. According to some stories, he and Alexander the Great sought the Water of Life together, crossing a dark land to find it. Alexander, however, became lost, so that only Khidr actually reached the goal of their quest.

Khidr wanders the world giving advice wherever God directs him; indeed, he is believed to have given guidance to all the prophets who have lived since his birth, with the exception of Muhammad, who instead tutored Khidr. Khidr has power over the sky, the sea and all plant life, and is a particularly important figure to the Sufis, who see him as the epitome of the Sufi shaykh*.* Khidr usually appears as a venerable Muslim in a woolen cloak. As a result of diving into the Water of Life, his skin and clothes are a bluishgreen color.

Khidr is best used as a mysterious adviser to the player characters. He is unlikely to reveal his true identity to them, and at times he will give advice that seems bizarre and unreasonable, although it will always be proved correct in the end (see Moses and Khidr, later). Should the characters wish to find the Water of Life — which purportedly grants immortality to those who bathe in it — they need to seek his guidance, though he will only help them in this if their intentions are pure.

The seer of Baylaqan is indeed correct, for in 1220 the Mongols descend on Baylaqan and destroy it. According to sources, since they are unable to find suitable rocks nearby for their mangonels, the Mongols cut down plane trees, saw their trunks into chunks, and use these as ammunition when they attack the city walls. They then pillage the city and burn it to the ground. Depending on when your saga is set, characters may arrive here either just in time to help fight the Mongols or after the conquest, in which case they may be asked to help rebuild.

flourishing gardens and orchards. However, this idyllic setting has recently become the site of discord, as the citizens are divided about how to treat a popular preacher who raves about a "storm gathering in the east" that will soon engulf its people. Some wish to lock him up or even have him executed, while others hail him as a seer.

been ruled by a Persianized Arab dynasty known as the Shirvanshahs (shir-VEHN-SHAHZ), who rule from their capital at Shamakhi. Currently power is shared between two members of the royal family: Farrukhzad I ibn Manuchihr III (r. after 1187–before 1225) and his son Garshasp I (r. 1204–1225). The majority of the inhabitants of Shirvan are either Sunni Muslims, like their rulers, or Christians.