Baghl and Ighraq al-Siq

Baghl, see insert earlier, has been created by using the lesser flame jinni Wahhab from Houses of Hermes: Societates, page 135, as a starting point, changing his Form alignment to Terram but retaining his resistance to flames. He is an example of a lesser earth jinni that might be pressed into service by a more mature sahir as a khadim, and is not designed as a starting character. Alternatively, he could be a potential patron for a Spirit Votary if he could be coaxed out of his cave, but would need to add the Grant: Spiritual Pact Ritual Power, which may require trading additional Inferiorities (see Realms of Power: Magic, pages 88–89, for details of Spirit Votaries). As a spirit of a place, the physical location haunted by this jinni acts as an Arcane Connection that provides a +1 bonus to the Penetration Multiplier; more potent Arcane Connections can only be obtained from the jinni if he takes corporeal form.

Unusually for a jinni of his power, Baghl has a reasonable knowledge of Islam and may pretend to be susceptible to the folk traditions that affect Faerie jinn, although except for the muezzin's call, such rituals have no real effect over him.

Ighraq al-Siq, from Chapter 7: Mythic Mesopotamia, is an example of a very powerful Magic jinni with a strong el-

emental affinity designed as an Autumn starting character using the rules from Realms of Power: Magic, but Magic jinn do not necessarily have to be balanced to be used in play. He could potentially be summoned and perhaps even controlled by an experienced sahir or Hermetic magus. As these spirits are bound to a landscape feature or compelled to a magical bargain, they are best designed as non-player characters or as challenges for the troupe, rather than companions in a conventional saga. This character can be used as a template for similar elemental jinn using the suggestions earlier and the rules for genii loci Magic Spirits as detailed in Realms of Power: Magic (pages 106–107) and ideas from the section on

elementals (pages 132–139). Note that his base Magic Might for character creation using the rules in Realms of Power: Magic is 35, although this as been increased to 40 using repeated purchase of the Improved Might Virtue.

He differs in powers from many Faerie jinn in that his magic is primarily elemental rather than illusory and is greatly focused by the physical constraints of his narrow surroundings. Like many other pagan jinn he is supernaturally tethered to his physical locale and suffers a significant drop in power if separated from it — in his case, he is tied to the body of the Zab River and is reluctant even to step onto its banks.

Alternatively this creature can be used

as the inspiration for a similar Faerie creature or an Infernal jinn related to the Order of Aerial Powers. A medium powered creature would have a Might of 20–25, being roughly comparable in power to a starting Hermetic magus, and could easily be aligned to Auram or Terram instead with some minor modification.

Unlike most Magical spirits of similar magnitude, Ighraq al-Siq does not possess the Daimon Special Virtue, although he does possess a True Name like all jinn. If granted the Daimon Virtue, he can only be bargained with using Hermetic Theurgy and cannot be controlled or coerced using simpler magic (see Realms of Power: Magic, page 102).

Magic Might: 15 (Terram)

Season: Spring

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

Size: +2

Confidence Score: 1 (3 points)

Virtues and Flaws: Magic Spirit; Jinn; Greater Immunity: Fire, Ways of the Mountains; Second Sight, Skinchanger, Strong-Willed, Tough; Greater Malediction (honor bargains made), Magical Air, Vulnerable Magic (mua'addhin's call); Reclusive.

Qualities and Inferiorities: Focus Power (Ruler of Earth), Greater Power x2 (Flesh to Stone, Presence); Improved Abilities x3, Lesser Power x2 (Donning the Corporeal Veil), Minor Virtue (Improved Characteristics).

Personality Traits: Reclusive +5, Immutable +3, Proud +2

Combat:

Maul (warhammer): Init –1, Attack +11, Defense +3, Damage +15

Soak: +10

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–7), –3 (8–14), –5 (15–21), Incapacitated (22–28), Dead (29+)

Abilities: Arabic 5 (stone), Athletics 3 (climbing), Great Weapon 4 (maul), Profession: Miner 3 (gemstones), Second Sight 4 (jinn), Theology: Islam 3 (jinn).

Powers:

Flesh to Stone, 2 points, Init –4, Terram; Baghl can change any human he touches into stone until sunrise or until the morning call to prayer (Base 20, +1 Touch, +2 Sun; 3 Mastery points spent on reducing Might cost).

Ruler of Earth, 1–3 points, Init 0, Terram; Duplicates any non-Ritual Perdo Terram or Rego Terram spell less than or equal to 15th level at a cost of 1 Might point per magnitude of the effect.

Incorporeal, 0 points, Init Constant, Mentem: Baghl is naturally both invisible and intangible, and cannot be influenced by the physical world. Magic can only directly target him if the caster can sense his existence. In this form he has no physical statistics or combat scores. Without taking a corporeal form, Baghl's physical characteristics are only used when dealing with other incorporeal creatures.

Donning the Corporeal Veil, 2 points, Init +1, Corpus: Baghl can form the physical body described under Appearance to house his spiritual form; when doing so he acquires the physical characteristics, size, combat statistics, and Wound levels listed earlier. His arms and armor are also created with this power. He cannot become fatigued. This body lasts until he decides he no longer needs it. Killing the body does not kill Baghl.

Presence, 0 points, constant, Mentem: Baghl is aware of everything that goes on within his haunt. This power needs to Penetrate to perceive beings with a Magic Resistance.

Vis: 1 pawn of Terram vis can be collected every year from his haunt, in the form of a quartz-encrusted stalactite at the back of his cave. If slain in physical form, his body yields 3 pawns of Terram vis.

Appearance: Baghl is the jinni of a dark cave found in the Elbruz mountains that was once used as a quarry until he drove off the miners. He may be appeased mainly by being left alone to enjoy his beautiful cave formations, although he sometimes agrees to converse with theological scholars. He appears as an obese man with a mule's head, pupilless eyes of jetblack stone, and quartz-veined limbs that heft an oversized maul. In physical form he can assume the shape of a large black mule.

This wild desert storm spirit, or buran, once plagued the small village of Yenghissar along the route to Khashgar, bringing devastation to the crops and herd animals every seven years. It is now bound by an Infernally-aligned sahir using the Goetic Art of Binding (see Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 117). A speechless, destructive force of fury incarnate, it rages to be released and constantly strives to create elemental havoc around the thoughtless sahir who has trapped it within his ancestral sword.

The Buran

Infernal Might: 25 (Auram) Order: Aerial Powers (Buran)

Characteristics: Int –5, Per 0, Pre +3, Com -2, Str na, Sta na, Dex +3, Qik +6

Size: +4

Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Jinni; Berserk, Strong-Willed, Wilderness Sense; Fury (Major) (when summoned), Greater Malediction (bound by bargains), Mute

Personality Traits: Untameable +5

Reputations: Scourge of Yenghissar 2 (local)

Hierarchy: 3 (storm demons)

Combat: Not applicable, the buran is an insubstantial spirit

Soak: Not applicable, the buran is an insubstantial spirit

Wound Penalties: Not applicable, the buran is an insubstantial spirit

Abilities: Arabic 5 (understanding)*, Folk Ken 3 (travelers), Theology: Islam 3 (jinn), Survival 5 (desert), Taklamakan Lore 5 (legends), Wilderness Sense 2 (weather)

* Represents level of understanding as the spirit is Mute.

Powers:

Delusion of the Desert, 1 or 5 points, Init +3, Imaginem: This evil spirit can create illusions of a lost traveler's companions or a welcoming oasis, only to launch itself in fury at an unsuspecting victim. Alternatively it can create images of itself as a humanoid sandstorm with glowing fiery eyes in order to terrify its victims prior to their deaths. A minor illusion which affects an Individual amount of material (such as the demon itself) costs one point; a larger illusion which fills a room costs five points. These visions always have a flaw, however (they smell wrong, can only be seen by one target, etc.).

Elemental Control of Wind ; variable points; Init +1; Auram: The buran has control over the winds of nature, which it uses to wreak destruction on the desert fringes. It may create any Creo, Muto, or Rego effect appropriate to Auram, at a cost of 1 Might Point per magnitude of effect. The demon cannot create any effect with a level greater than its Infernal Might, nor duplicate Ritual effects.

Recalcitrance, 0 points, Init constant, Vim: Any attempt to control (but not destroy) the buran with any form of Supernatural Power (magical, Divine, or otherwise) treats the demon's Might as if it were 150% its actual Might, or otherwise has its Ease Factor increased by 50%. For example, a Circular Ward Against Demons of 38th level is needed to stop this buran with Might 25.

Weaknesses: Protected Group (individuals that invoke the Bismillah invocation)

Vis: 5 pawns of Auram vis prava, left behind as black sand when dispersed.

Appearance: Usually manifests as a giant shapeless vortex of raging black sand using its Auram powers. To those with Second Sight, a giant humanoid shadow can be discerned within the sandstorm.

Unlike many other corrupt jinn, the buran lacks the Coagulation and Obsession

powers common to most demons and is an insubstantial spirit, unable to affect the physical world except through its magic. It is an example of an Infernal storm spirit likely to be found in the Taklamakan Desert, although much stronger and less powerful creatures also exist (see Chapter 9: On the Silk Road). Many travelers' tales tell of companions fallen behind who are tempted off the track by the illusions created by these demons.

Those storm spirits aligned to the Magic realm may have very similar characteristics, although they lack the Recalcitrance power and the brutal malevolence of their demonic cousins. Similar spirits aligned to other elemental Forms can be represented with modifications to these statistics.

Story Seed: The Corruption of the West

European demons of Christian origin are becoming increasingly common in the Levant since the advent of the Crusades, but have yet to penetrate past the borders of Outremer. Apart from a handful of Jewish demons and Infernal entities from ancient Persian mythology, the vast majority of Infernal creatures in the Mythic Middle East are in fact Infernal jinn and thus susceptible to Sihr, as commonly practiced by the Order of Suleiman.

All this will change as merchants, missionaries and Hermetic magi penetrate further east, bringing with them their own legacies of sin and corruption that may change the balance of mystical power in the Mythic Middle East. The Unholy Trinity (see Chapter 1: Saga and Introduction) are a group of demons drawing on western conceptions of Islam that may have a large role to play in increasing the number of non-jinn Infernal spirits of the Mythic Middle East.

As creatures of embodied magical power, all jinn, regardless of Realm alignment, can act as sources of study, akin to the observation of magically occurring phenomena referred to by Hermetic magi as significatos (Covenants, page 101). Each individual jinni acts as the equivalent of a tractatus on a single appropriate Hermetic Form (typically an elemental Form for Magic jinn, Imaginem for Faerie jinn*,* and Vim for Infernal jinn), the Accelerated Ability Sihr and their aligned (Realm) Lore. The jinni does not teach the summoner, nor does it need to possess a score in the relevant Art or Ability, as it is the summoner's observation of the Essential Nature of the jinni rather than the jinni's knowledge that is the key. The summoner may only gain the benefit for one Ability or Art per season.

To gain the benefits of study, a sahir or other summoner must coerce a jinni or jinniyya into service for a whole season. Such coercion may be in the form of a non-magical bargain, Sihr, Hermetic Rego magic with an appropriate duration, the non-Hermetic Goetic Art of Commanding, or the Hedge Art of Elemental Controlling (for Magic jinn associated with an elemental Form). Mundane threats able to be enforced by effective Rego or Perdo magic may be used to force an appropriate non-magical bargain, although the jinni will seek revenge on its enslaver.

A jinni can only instruct its master once for each Ability or Art.

Source Quality of a Jinni: 3 x magnitude of Might

In Ars Magica terms, corrupt jinn include those terrestrial demons strongly aligned to Arab folklore and medieval Islamic culture found in Islamic lands. Many demonic-appearing jinn are actually dark Faerie creatures, who choose to accept or reject the Islamic faith as part of their role within stories involving humans. Making the correct distinction between jinn of different Realm alignment can be difficult for even experienced sahir but once a jinni aligns with the Infernal, it has irrevocably transformed into a true demon.

All Infernal jinn share the following Vulnerabilities in addition to the Virtues and Flaws noted earlier for all jinn: Bismillah Invocation and Iron. Most Infernal jinn similarly suffer from the Minor Flaw Vulnerable to Folk Tradition. Dark Faerie jinn have Virtues, Flaws and Powers similar to their pious jinn cousins detailed earlier.

Infernal jinni counterparts to the following demons found in Realms of Power: the Infernal can be encountered throughout the Mythic Middle East: mazzikim, succubi and lesser evil spirits would be classed as shaitan, whereas many *'*afrit with close elemental ties are best represented by Aerial Powers or perhaps powerful False Gods with additional powers related to elemental control.

Aside from their appearance and the modifications noted earlier, these jinn can be represented by the same statistics as their European cousins. Further details on demons are given in Realms of Power: The Infernal.

The distinction between dark Faerie jinn and truly Infernal jinn can be difficult, as both types of creatures are commonly referred to as shaitan ("demon") by the common folk of medieval Islam and are depicted as such in the various stories. Many Infernal jinn, including perhaps Iblis himself, were once dark Faeries and many Infernal jinn have dark Faerie counterparts who draw vitality from stories arising out of the activities usually ascribed to demons.

In general, the actions of dark Faerie jinn are impersonal and instinctive. Such entities act in a way that may encourage humans to sin because it suits their role in their chosen story and they feed off the vitality created by such emotions as guilt, greed, cruelty and lust. As such, most dark Faerie jinn are Incognizant or only Narrowly Cognizant — they are unable to change their roles, advance or evolve into other forms (see Realms of Power: Faerie for additional details). Infernal jinn, on the other hand, are those creatures who intentionally inspire humans to sin, manipulating them to make them fall.

The distinction between a Highly Cognizant dark Faerie jinni and Infernal jinni is a difficult one — many such Faerie creatures quickly lose themselves to the forces of Iblis. The term "shaitan" confusingly refers to both types of creature and the ambiguity and danger this creates for sahir characters is intentional. The Sihr of a sahir will work on both types of creature, although the actual Realm Lore required for the ritual may be mistaken by the character, producing unexpected outcomes when the summoner fails her control attempt because a creature assumed to be a dark Faerie turns out to be Infernal.

These dark Faerie jinn may rise from, or impersonate, those who die of thirst in the desert. They seek virile and wealthy husbands. They drain the blood of their husbands as they sleep. Once sufficient vitality has been consumed, the ghula can have a baby. The baby appears to share the characteristics of the human parent, but it is a faerie, a ghula like its mother. Baby ghuls are born with teeth.

The ghulas in a city sneak out of their houses while their husbands sleep. They gather in graveyards to feast, cavort and drain the blood from corpses. In most versions of their story, the husband of a ghula discovers these night meetings, and destroys the nest of ghuls, but cannot bring himself to kill his child. The young ghula grows to adulthood, and tyrannize the city, forcing the man who discovered the ghuls to flee. This old, sick, broken man lives near the town, warning travelers away, and reciting his role in his home's downfall. In doing this, he spreads the fame of the ghuls, which gives them vitality.

A related story says that ghulas are the ghosts of prostitutes, given solid form,

and that they are simpler in their predatory behavior. They merely eat the dead, and lacking fresh prey eat corpses. They use their wiles to lure men of weak faith to hidden places and have a power that causes sleep, allowing them to crush the heads of their victims with stones.

Faerie ghula statistics first appeared in Realms of Power: Faerie, page 72.

An Infernal ghul (fem., ghula, pl., ghuls or ghilan) is a degenerate jinni, a corrupt and cannibalistic creature of the night. They are believed to be descendants of a depraved tribe of primitive jinn given over to the Infernal. Solitary by nature, they haunt cemeteries, garbage pits and slums preying on the weak or feeding off carrion. Hideous to behold, they often disguise themselves in heavy robes as lost travelers, women in distress, or kindly dervishes to waylay travelers with the aid of their pow-

Faerie Might: 20

Characteristics: Int 0, Per 0, Pre +5, Com +1, Str +1, Sta 0, Dex 0, Qik +1

Size: 0

Virtues and Flaws: Jinn*;* 2 x Greater Faerie Powers, Infiltrator (Wealthy, orphaned merchant's daughter); Ways of the Land (Desert); Faerie Sight, Faerie Speech, Feast of the Dead, Humanoid Faerie, 3 x Increased Faerie Might, Personal Faerie Powers; Narrowly Cognizant; Greater Malediction (when it enters a bargain, it is bound to the agreed terms unless its partner reneges first), Restricted Might (Major — daylight); Traditional Ward (Bismillah Invocation).

Personality Traits: Demure/Ravenous +3 Combat:

Claws: Init 0, Attack +11, Defense +10, Damage +5

Fangs: Init +1, Attack +10, Defense +8, Damage +4

Soak: 0

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

Pretenses: Arabic 5 (seduction), Charm 6 (men), Brawl 6 (in dark areas), Stealth 9 (urban areas), Theology: Islam 1 (jinn).

Powers:

Cause Drowsiness: 2 points, Init –2, Corpus; Allows the ghula to cause a human it touches to fall asleep. 25 spell levels, ReCo (Base 4, +1 Touch Range, +4 Until Duration), 1 intricacy point spent on cost

Illusionary Home: 0 points, Init –3, Imaginem; This comprehensive use of glamour makes a place look, sound, smell and feel like a suitable home for the role the faerie is playing. Within the altered space, the sense of taste is also affected. 40 spell levels, MuIm (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 Constant, +3 Structure), 4 intricacy points spent on cost.

Transform Into Human: 0 points, Init. 0, Animal; This power transforms the character between human and feasting form. Personal Power, 25 spell levels, MuCo(An) (Base 10, +2 Sun, +1 Size), 3 intricacy points spent on cost, 2 intricacy points spent on initiative)

Equipment: Perfume, wardrobe

Vis: 4 pawns Imaginem, rat skulls

Appearance: Ghulas usually look like beautiful women. To attract husbands*,* ghulas pretend to be wealthy widows or orphans of good family, in need of husbands. Ghulas often pretend to be members of communities displaced by war, as it gives their story verisimilitude. The eyes and the insides of the mouths of Arabic ghulas are always green. Male Faerie ghuls exist, but are the servants of the ghulas, and rarely play the role of seducer. See later for an example of an Infernal male ghul.

Ghulas are not designed as player characters. The version represented here differs slightly from the European ghulasor lamiae originally presented in that she reflects the Arab conception of her as an evil jinniyya. Although a form of Faerie spirit, ghulas are locked in a physical manifestation.

Infernal Might: not more than 20 usually Order: Furies

Weaknesses: Protected Group (individuals that invoke the Bismillah Invocation), Vulnerability (Iron)

Abilities: Arabic 5 (deception), Brawl 6 (claws), Charm 4 (trust), Stealth 4 (urban areas), Theology: Islam 1 (jinn). Other Abilities depend on the individual ghul

Powers:

Berserker Rage, 1 point, Init 0, Mentem: The demon can grant anyone (usually itself or its animal companions) the Berserk Virtue, which persists until the target calms down.

Change Form, 0 points, Init 0, Corpus or Animal: A ghul can change his physical form at will, to whatever human or animal form he desires. Most ghul are limited to changing form into one type of creature (any human female form, any bird form, any canine form, for example), but more powerful individuals have been known to adopt multiple shapes. The Size of the form is limited to whatever is natural for the species, so a human-sized ghul taking adult human form must be between Size –2 and +2. This transformation is not akin to a magical spell; it is a natural manipulation of the physical matter that makes up the demon's body, and consequently Magic Resistance does not stop physical attacks from shapechanged ghul as there is no ongoing magical effect.

Endurance of the Enraged, 0 points, Init 0, Corpus: The ghul do not suffer from wound penalties, except on Defense totals.

Restoration, 10 points, Init +0, Corpus: When a ghul uses this power, the next blow will heal the wound he suffered the last time he was hurt. Each use of this power is only good for one damaging blow.

Appearance: A common ghul is a tall feral creature, hunched over with overlong arms ending in cruel iron claws. It wears rags or rent robes stained with marrow, blood and dirt from the graves it digs up. More intelligent and magical examples appear more human but still have sharply angular features, prominently pointed or serrated teeth, and long curved nails.

This character guide is for an Infernal male version of the ghul and differs substantially from the similarly named female Faerie ghula earlier. Whereas the latter are female-appearing Faerie creatures that eat their spouses, these Infernal creatures act as primal destroyers and are found more commonly in male forms. The exact relationship between the two types of creature is unclear — Infernal ghul may have evolved from corrupt Faerie creatures or they may simply be different entities that appear to share similar forms and characteristics.

Unlike members of dark Faeriealigned jinn tribes, this ghul is a true ''terrestrial demon'' (Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 28) and loosely belongs to the Order of Furies, sharing several of the traits and powers of that class of demons. Unlike most demons and other Infernal jinn, although a spiritual creature, an Infernal ghul cannot assume incorporeal form and does not possess the Coagulation power. This example lacks the Envisioning and Obsession powers of most common demons but other individuals may have these powers or additional deceptive powers or skills instead.

Exceptional individuals exhibit additional magical abilities over rock and flesh (as Crafter/Master of Earth and/or Crafter/Master of Flesh), illusions, possession, or they have learned some of the magic of humans (Dowsing, Hex, Malefica, or otherwise represented by the equivalent of a Duplicate the Magi's (Technique) power). The most dangerous and feared ghul are those who have gained power over other jinn by learning one of the summoning Arts — Sihr, the Arts Fabulosa, or more commonly, the Goetic Arts of Commanding or of Spirit Summoning.

The Varied Guises of Iblis

At the troupe's option, different versions of Iblis may exist simultaneously in a saga. In the guise of lesser faeries claiming his name, the character Iblis appears in a number of minor roles in the folklore of the Islamic lands. In some stories he may be the Islamic Devil or embody a great duke of the Deluders, while in other tales he is a powerful dark faerie monarch or a faerie opponent posing as a lesser demon.

One such tale is that of "The Old Woman and the Devil", where a very fallible Iblis is challenged by an old woman to show who is the craftier. The old woman tricks a merchant and his wife, but later undoes the harm she has caused, thus proving that "the devil is no match for an old woman." This lesser Faerie Iblis can only destroy or create strife in the stories, but never undo evil or perform good deeds.

Story Seed: The Dark Sufis

You may wish to introduce into your saga a misguided Sufi tradition, made up of individuals who respect Iblis for his refusal to bow down to Adam, assuming that it was his love for Allah that motivated his decision not to bow to anyone but his God. Such heretical mystics could comprise a Misguided Infernal Tradition of unwitting diabolists similar to the Luciferans. The mystical powers of such Infernal Sufis could be reflected by the Favoured Abilities: Incantation, Effusion, Phantasm and Ceremony. (See Realms of Power: The Infernal, pages 127–131). Posing as a holy man, a Dark Sufi may contact a Criamon character, seeking to lead the magus into corruption.

Most people are not aware of their qareen; the following creature is appropriate for those who have the Major Story Flaw Plagued by a Supernatural Entity (Qareen). These characters have qareen that they are consciously aware of, that they can see, and that actively try to cause them to stray from the path of good. Less obtrusive Infernal qareen may be reflected by either the Impious Friend or Manufactured Ignorance Flaw, and have Might scores in the range of 5 to 10. An affected individual hears whispers from his qareen, using its Envisioning Power, and such comments appear to come from the victim's own head (and should be provided as advice from the storyguide with nary a mention of a demon involved).

Order: Tempters (Shaitan / Qareen) Infernal Might: usually 15 (Vim) Characteristics: Int +1, Per +1, Pre +2, +3, Str na, Sta na, Dex na, Qik +2 Weakness: Protected Group (victims who willingly and totally reject the qareen, fueling the rejection with a Faith Point), common jinni Weak-

Abilities: Vary for individual qareen and may complement those of its companion. In general, a qareen may have up to 300 XP of Abilities that it may use to aid or hinder its chosen human.

nesses (see later).

Powers:

Apparition, 1 point, Init 0, Imaginem; Qareen may assume an illusory form that only their companion can perceive. To the victims, the form appears to be a real person in all respects.

Control Human, 2 points, Init +2, Mentem; If this power penetrates, the qareen exerts direct control over its companion. It can issue commands that the target carries out to the best of his abilities. However, the target can attempt to break the control of the jinni every time he is asked to do something contrary to the tenets of his faith.

Envisioning, 1 or 5 points, Init +2, Mentem; This Power allows the qareen to appear in the dreams of its sleeping companion (in which case it costs 1 point), or make the target experience a waking dream or vision (in which case it costs 5 points). The qareen cannot instantly make substantial changes to a dream, but instead gradually twists it to take on a darker and more frightening tone, and can speak through any figure from the victim's subconscious. A waking dream is more obvious; the victim suffers an immediate and powerful hallucination of whatever the demon desires. This may be so frightening that the victim is stunned for a round, and must make a Brave Personality roll against an Ease Factor of 9 or have an extreme reaction, such as retching, convulsions, or abject terror. This is the preferred way for a qareen to communicate with its chosen companion.

Protection of the Appointed Companion, 0 points, Init +2, Mentem; The companion of a qareen cannot act directly against it without extreme provocation; it would be akin to attacking one's own mother. The victim may be as angry as they like with the jinni, but actually physically opposing it requires a huge effort of will, and the expenditure of a Confidence point, which must be repeated every time the victim wants to renew his attacks.

Appearance: A qareen is an incorporeal spirit, appearing to those with Second Sight or means to see the invisible as a pallid reflection of its chosen companion. To its victim, a qareen uses its powers to appear either pleasing or terrifying depending on its motivations and schemes. Unlike many other demons, it lacks the Coagulation power and cannot form a physical body.

ers of deception and mimicry.

All ghuls can assume the form of at least one scavenger native to their area, dog, hyena, jackal or vulture, and excel at assuming the forms of humans to conceal their debased nature. They disdain weapons and hunt and fight with claw like nails and jagged teeth. Folklore tells that many ghuls, if wounded with a weapon but not killed outright with a single blow, will be healed when struck a second blow, making them dangerous opponents for lone victims.

The Messenger of Allah said, 'There is not one of you who does not have a jinni appointed to be his constant companion.' They said, 'And you too, O Messenger of Allah?' He said, 'Me too, but Allah has helped me and he has submitted, so that he only helps me to do good.'

— Ibn Mas'ood

And whosoever turns away blindly from the remembrance of the Most Gracious (Allah) (i.e., this Qur'an and adoration of Allah), We appoint for him a Shaitan ("Satan — devil — unruly — defiant") to be a Qareen (a companion) to him.

— The Qur'an

Qareen is the Arabic name for a spirit believed to be assigned to an individual Muslim as a "constant companion" — a personal tempter, intent on enticing him to sin. According to the hadith, every human has a jinni appointed to accompany him through life and test him, tempting him away from the path of God. Considered part of the tribe of Shaitan, such qareen are dark Faerie creatures akin to the shedim demons of Judaism (Realms of Power: Infernal, page 57). Most characters are unaware of their qareen, but some have more irksome companions reflected by possession of Major Story Flaw Plagued by Supernatural Entity (Qareen), or possible the Minor Story Flaw Faerie Friend. Most of these jinn are playful and mischievous rather than corrupting and provoke stories of temptation, reflection and forbearance. Nearly all qareen belong to the Faerie Realm, but some

have become corrupted and have become aligned to the Infernal, transforming into true demons. There are no Divine or Magic Realm aligned qareen.

Each of these companion spirits has slightly different powers but shares the typical Weaknesses of jinn (detailed earlier). Examples of the powers of an Infernal qareen are given later — Faerie qareen have almost identical base powers, only a differing Realm alignment and motivation for testing their chosen victim. Unlike many other jinn, a qareen cannot assume physical form as they either lack the Coagulation power of most demons or the Donning the Corporeal Veil power common to many faeries.

Some qareen have additional powers — the qareen that accompanied the ancient Arabian kahin (pre-Islamic "seers") are believed to possess the following powers or their Faerie equivalents: The Serpent's Oracle, Trust of the Innocent and Forked Tongue of the Serpent — powers normally attributed to the Spirits of Deceit (See Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 38).

A qareen is left powerless if its victim makes a concerted positive effort to throw off the malevolent jinni's influence. This requires the spending of a point of Faith (perhaps a point of Faith acquired by repenting of the sins committed while influenced by the qareen). Confidence alone is not enough to shake off the influence of the companion shaitan, unlike the Jewish shedim*.* In effect a qareen is a special form of Infernal or Faerie genius loci with a locus linked to its assigned human companion allowing it to travel the world.

Wizards and Qareen

Islamic sahirs are keenly aware of qareen and many have the ability to perceive the true form of their accompanying tempter, either through Second Sight or their other magic. Most qareen accompanying wizards are malevolent, reflected by the Flaws detailed earlier. As jinn*,* they can be coerced with magic, bargained with and even imprisoned using the appropriate supernatural powers, but at the sahir's own risk. See Chapter 3: The Order of Suleiman for further details on sahirs and their potential to form magical khadim bonds with qareen that allow them to boost their

Rarely, an exceptionally pious character may be able to convince her dark Faerie qareen to accept the error of his ways and appear to submit to Islam. As all Faerie-aligned jinn, even Faerie members of the predominantly corrupt jinni tribes such as Shaitan, have been granted free choice, this is a potential long-term story option. Such benevolent qareen become the equivalent of highly cognizant Faerie guardians. Being pious jinn rather than true Divine spirits, their power is aligned to the Faerie Realm and not the Divine Realm, although they may be mistaken for guardian angels by the unwise. Infernal qareen, as they are true demons, do not have free choice and so cannot be redeemed.

Submitted Qareen

Major Supernatural Virtue

Your Faerie qareen or accompanying jinni has submitted to Islam. Like a variant Ghostly Warder (ArM5 page 94) it can guide and assist you with its powers, but cannot provide general Magic Resistance, as it is not a creature of the Divine or Infernal realms. Such qareen can easily be designed using the Ghostly Warder (ArM5 page 193) or else created as Companion-level characters using the rules for creating Faerie Characters (Realms of Power: Faerie, page 43-63), typically possessing the following Virtues & Flaws: Faerie Speech, Highly Cognizant, Lesser Power x2 (Eidolon, Guide); Intangible Flesh, Negative Reaction.

Although Christian, Jewish, or pagan summoners native to Islamic lands may also possess a qareen*,* at the troupe's discretion, a Hermetic magus may discover upon arriving in the Mythic Middle East that a Faerie qareen has attached itself to him, despite his status as an unbeliever. Magi with the Spirit Familiar or the Theurgic Spirit Familiar Mystery Virtues (The Mysteries: Revised Edition, pages 66–69, 81–82) can attempt to bind Infernal qareen as their spirit familiar but only magi with Faerie Magic can bind submitted qareen or dark Faerie qareen. Demonstration of power over a qareen is sufficient grounds for membership in the Order of Suleiman and the character may find himself the recipient of a cordial invitation to join a group of openminded sahirs.

Solomonic magic by drawing on the reluctant jinni's Might*.* Qareen do not make the greatest candidates for the khadim bond but many young sahirs see the magical servitude as a means of making the most out of the pestering spirits.

Bismi-llāhi ar-raḥmāni ar-raḥīmi! (In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful!)

— The opening invocation common to all but one sura of the Qur'an

Faerie-aligned jinn possess a weakness to the Bismillah Invocation, reflected by their Traditional Ward Minor Flaw (Bismillah Invocation) and all Infernal jinn have an equivalent Vulnerability to this folk practice of "naming," the invocation of God's name that opens most chapters of the Qur'an.

Faerie and Infernal jinn cannot act against an individual who has uttered this phrase before encountering the spirit, similar to the Protected Group Weakness of demons — none of their Supernatural Powers work on these individuals, and they can only defend themselves in combat if attacked (Realms of Power: The Infernal,

page 34). This protection has a conditional duration of Until (leaves immediate locale of the jinni or completes a specific action) or until the time of the next daily prayer, whichever is sooner.

To pronounce the Bismillah correctly requires a poetic grasp of the language of the Qur'an, reflected by an Arabic score of 6 or more and a successful Com + Theology: Islam stress die roll against an Ease Factor of 6. The Bismillah can only be invoked prior to recognizing a jinni and is ineffective if the character is surprised by a jinni.

Devout Muslims are instructed to utter this phrase before entering locales where jinn are believed to live such as ruins, lavatories, cemeteries, deserts, and caves, but only those with the required fluency in Arabic and a decent grasp of Islamic theology can actually benefit from this magical protection.

Other Folk Traditions That Ward against Jinn

Arab folklore abounds with additional folk remedies for jinni curses and powers. Many lesser jinn are affected by the Minor Flaw Vulnerable to Folk Tradition (see later) or suffer from the Vulnerable Magic (mu'addhin's call) Major Flaw, their magic expiring at sunrise with the crow of a cockerel or with the morning call to prayer from the minaret of the local mosque. Muslim characters may use either the appropriate Realm Lore or their Theology: Islam score to try to dispel the malign effects of such jinni enchantments. Magic jinn are not so severely affected, but a properly worded invocation of the Qur'an can grant some protection against their powers.

The following four suras of the Qur'an, known as the "Four Quls" (each begins with "Say:") are effective wards against jinn and perhaps other spirits each provides a +3 bonus if successfully recalled when invoking the Khawass al-Qur'an as a holy forebearer for the baraka Acknowledgement of Evil, Celestial Immunity, Expel Demons or Resist Temptation (See Realms of Power: The Divine, pages 103–105, for details of baraka). The four specific suras are: al-Mu'aumidhatayn (the al-Falaq (113th sura) and an-Nas (114th / last sura) pairing), al-Kafraa (109th sura) and al-Ikhlaas (112th sura).

The Ayat al-Qursi or "Throne Verse" (255th verse) of al-Baqarah (2nd sura) and the last two verses of the same sura are similarly potent wards against jinn. A Muslim character who has memorized and correctly recites 50 ayat (verses) of the Qur'an receives the same benefit.

Each sura takes a considerable amount of time to recite and requires the individual to have memorized and the recall the specific verses using their Art of Memory or Theology: Islam score (see The Mysteries: Revised Edition, pages 25–26). Characters with an Arabic score of 6 or greater gain a +2 to their roll.

Jinn and Other Expressions of the Divine

Due to their strong cultural allegiances, all Faerie and Infernal jinn are vulnerable to other strong expressions of the Islamic faith. No such jinn can use their powers to affect a hajji, a Muslim who has completed the pilgrimage to Mecca within the last year (see Chapter 1: Introduction and Saga).

A Muslim character who focuses his prayers through correct recital of a sura of the Qur'an and who successfully invokes God's aid to defeat a jinni (See Realms of Power: The Divine, page 41) gains twice the usual bonus.

Faerie jinn are strangely unaffected by other religious demonstrations — Christian, Jewish or Zoroastrian — whereas Infernal jinn as demons may be affected by such holy displays. Infernal jinn remain susceptible to the Scourging the Infernal power of relics but simple objects of faith have no special power over these creatures (Realms of Power: The Infernal, pages 33-34).

Unless otherwise noted, Magic jinn are not susceptible to these restrictions but may suffer other flaws reflecting a vulnerability to the power of the Divine. Whether these vulnerabilities stem from the power granted to Suleiman over their ancestors or the apparent conversion of large numbers within the jinni tribes in recent times is unclear.