Iraq

There have been human settlements in Iraq for thousands of years, and this continues to be the case in 1220, especially along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The ancient Faerie gods who used to rule over this land are no longer seen abroad, though remains of their ziggurat temples still tower into the sky to mystify passersby. Now Iraq is the political center of the Muslim world, a status it has held, with varying degrees of actual authority, since the 'Abbasid takeover in 750. Soon after this event, the 'Abbasids built their capital at Baghdad, from which they have reigned almost continuously ever since. For much of the 10th, 11th, and 12th centuries, the 'Abbasid caliphs were figureheads under the control of their deputies, but since the reign of the caliph al-Muqtafi (r. 1136– 1160) the caliphs have been able to resist control by others and rule Iraq independently. As noted earlier, the current caliph, al-Nasir, is a strong ruler; at times his direct authority has also been acknowledged in the Jazira and parts of Persia, and many rulers of the provinces respect his authority, in name at least.

Overlooked by the mountains of the Persian plateau, Qasr Shirin ("the palace of Shirin") is a large walled village on the road to Jibal province. It takes its name from Shirin, the wife of the Persian king Khusraw II Parviz, who used to dwell here. The ruins of her palace remain, and on nights when the moon is full, the palace comes alive with Faerie versions of Shirin, Khusraw, the sculptor Farhad, and the rest of their court, eternally re-enacting the story of the courtship of Shirin. Characters who visit the site at the full moon take on the roles of characters in this

tale, gaining rewards or wisdom from their participation therein. A character might become Shirin, sought after by two men and unsure which of them to love; she might become Khusraw, the king, who expects to receive all that he desires and is bemused when he is unable to gain what he wants through the force of his position alone; or he might become Farhad, jockeying for Shirin's affections even though his rival is the all-powerful king of Persia. Perhaps a trio of characters might take on all three roles, interacting with each other in ways that they would not do in their regular lives.

The capital of the 'Abbasid caliphs between 836 and 892, the city of Samarra used to be a sprawling complex of richly decorated palaces and mosques on both sides of the Tigris, where for most of that time the caliphs were virtual prisoners of bodyguards who in the meantime fought each other for control of their masters. However, after the caliphs returned to Baghdad the city fell into disrepair, and most of its buildings are now ruins. The major exception is the Great Mosque of al-Mutawakkil (r. 847–861), an immense structure that is largely intact and is particularly well known for its spiral minaret, which towers about 180 feet above the ground.

In 1220 the majority of the inhabitants of Samarra are Twelver Shi'is (Realms of Power: The Divine, page 112), who have remained in the city as it is home to the tombs of the 10th and 11th imams, as well a mosque with an underground chamber where the 12th imam vanished, which is also one of two places where he may reappear at the end of time (the other being Hilla, described later). Thus these Shi'is await his return here.

The Persian tale of Khusraw and Shirin is best known in the version by the poet al-Nizami (d. 1209). Khusraw II, the King of Persia, falls in love with Shirin, an Armenian Christian princess. However, their courtship encounters difficulties, at which point there appears a rival for Shirin's affections, the supernaturally strong sculptor Farhad. Khusraw and Farhad contest with each other, and the rivalry grows intense. Eventually Khusraw is able to get rid of his rival by ordering him to cut away the Behistun cliffs in the Zagros Mountains to find water, a seemingly impossible task. Khusraw is briefly taken aback when news reaches him that Farhad has completed the task, so he sends a message to Farhad that Shirin has died. Farhad, distraught, throws himself from the cliffs to his death. Before doing so, he throws away his axe, made of pomegranate wood, and where it falls there grows a pomegranate tree, the fruit of which will cure any illness. Meanwhile Khusraw's courtship of Shirin continues, and after he has proven himself through many acts of heroism, including killing a lion with his bare hands to save her life, she finally consents to marry him.

A Samarran Covenant

While parts of the city of Samarra are holy sites, it is a sprawling complex of buildings covering a wide area, and it may be that parts of it hide Magic auras and devices left behind from the activities of sorcerers at the courts of the caliphs. Thus it could be an attractive place to set up a covenant, particularly as even though the buildings are ruined, the underlying structures (wells, irrigation canals, etc.) remain largely intact. The major question is how the current mundane population of the city would react to a bunch of foreign wizards setting up home nearby.

The Wandering Caliph

From a scant few years after his death right up to the current day, the Suhhar Sulayman have heard tales of encounters with Harun al-Rashid. These encounters start innocuously enough, as a chance conversation with three strangers, but usually blossom into strange and fantastical adventures in Golden Baghdad. Many sahirs believe this Harun al-Rashid (accompanied by his vizier and executioner) to be the faerie ruler of Golden Baghdad, and those whom he invites across the Threshold into the Faerie Realm are chosen based on a contribution they can make to the betterment of his city.

Baghdad is the political center of Islam, insofar as it is the seat of the caliph, even though the caliph's political reach is actually fairly limited. Founded by the second 'Abbasid caliph, al-Mansur (r. 754–75), the city has been home to the caliphs for most of the 458 years that have passed since its first stones were laid in 762. The oldest part of Baghdad is the Round City, the original triple-walled city founded on the west bank of the Tigris by al-Mansur, at the center of which lies the Bab al-Dhahab (Golden Gate) palace, which was the first caliphal palace. Over the next two centuries, the caliphs expanded the city on both sides of the river, building mosques, palaces, and gardens, so that it enjoyed a summer of intellectual and cultural achievement.

However, Baghdad has declined greatly since the old days. Repeated fires, floods and civil conflict have left much of it in ruins. On the west bank, each of the quarters is isolated from the others by walls and surrounded by a wasteland of architectural remains. On the east bank, the quarters around the caliph's palace are prospering, but this only comprises a third of the city. Sectarian dissent between Shi'is and Sunnis, and also among different Sunni schools of law, are a cause of internal tension, which occasionally turns into violence. The major social group in the city unaffected by the decline is the Muslim mystic Sufis (SOOfeez), who are flourishing as a result of the building of several ribats (ri-BAWTZ),

or hospices, for them by the caliphs. The caliphs have also been building or restoring a number of other religious institutions, including the city's many mosques, shrines, and religious colleges, in an attempt to ease tensions, remove the divisions in the community, and promote a cultural revival.

Every summer, many of the streets and most of the open land on the south side of Baghdad fills with stalls and tents in an enormous fair. This event is well-attended by merchants and travelers from all over the Mythic Middle East, and typically lasts most of the season. It is said that all manner of goods and services may be found at this event, including unique items and entertainments brought by strange men from fantastic lands. Visitors are cautioned to maintain a clear idea of what they seek before they go exploring, for there are said to be many vendors who appear only when their wares are especially desired, or who lure unwary travelers into their tents where they disappear forever. The summer bazaar is the site of the yearly meeting of the Suhhar Sulayman (Chapter 3: Order of Suleiman: The Majlis al-Suleiman).

The Dar al-Hikma

More Solomonic sahirs live in Baghdad than anywhere else in the world — easily a thousand of them. The city is home to no less than eight buyut al-hikma, including the great academy that sahirs call Dar al-Hikma, which was originally established by the First Council in Baghdad, north of the palace and halfway between the Bab al-Sham and the Bab al-Khurasan. This large building currently houses nearly a hundred young and old sahirs living and studying together, and is overseen by Niya al-Waziriyya al-Jabr Satefa al-Inshai al-Qasri al-Qalb. It is known to have an exceptional astrological observatory, with perhaps the finest astrolabe ever constructed to date, and the architecture is as grand as that of the Bab al-Dhahab Palace and Mosque.

The Dar al-Hikma typically chooses its leader, and thus the representative for Majlis, based on the achievements of those who attend the academy. Niya has discovered a unique method of combining her Solomonic arts, yielding two spells that allow her to summon a spirit directly

from the Magic Realm and to summon multiple spirits at once. For this reason, she was chosen by the other sahirs to lead the bayt, despite her relative youth and the fact that she has The Gift. She will probably become Asala of the Ashab al-Qalb once her predecessor dies. She is said to believe that the Suhhar has stagnated, and that Gifted sahirs (in both senses) are its best hope to avoid extinction. This is a controversial position, as less than ten percent of the Suhhar have The Gift and Gifted sahirs are not generally admired.

Golden Baghdad

As noted previously, Baghdad enjoyed its time of greatest prosperity during the reign of the caliph Harun al-Rashid, and this period has left its mark on the city. Scattered across Baghdad are numerous places where it is possible to cross into a Faerie version of the city. Here the roofs are covered with gold, the streets are paved with marble and the tales of the Arabian Nights are re-enacted, with or without the participation of visitors. Here it is possible to receive a visit at night from the caliph Harun al-Rashid, his vizier Ja'far the Barmakid, and his executioner, Masrur the eunuch, who frequently venture out in disguise to observe the behavior of the city's inhabitants, rewarding the good and punishing the bad. Here one might find oneself eavesdropping on Sinbad the Sailor as he recounts his adventures to Sinbad the Porter. One might even travel beyond the walls of the city, going fishing with Judar the fisherman, seeking the ring of Solo-

The Ruined Palace

The imperial palace at Ctesiphon is remarkable for the vaulted arch over the remains of what used to be the Persian emperor's throne room, which is over 110 feet tall at its highest point. This is of great interest to practitioners of the Mystery of Hermetic Architecture (The Mysteries, pages 97–101). If a character seeks membership in such a cult, he might be asked to investigate the site as part of his Initiation. Otherwise, the characters might be asked to accompany a cult member to Ctesiphon on some pretext. Investigating the site presents its own challenges though, as the people are likely to be suspicious of foreign strangers poking around in the ruins of the palace.

The Enemies of Dayr al-'Aqul

Who is diverting the Tigris River? The characters get involved when they are caught in a sudden change of direction of the river, and are rescued by the monks of Dayr al-'Aqul. The sahirs of Dayr Qunna may be keen to restrict the spread of the Dominion near their fortress, so they have a motive. In addition, if any of the sahirs have summoned spirits that are stronger than they can control, these may be trying to make trouble for their summoners. Alternatively, the culprit may be at Dayr Hizqil. Perhaps the monks there would like to claim the income from the toll levied on the Tigris traffic, in which case they may, with supernatural aid, be trying to cause trouble for either or both of the other monasteries. Or perhaps one of the inmates is to blame. Unbeknownst to the monks of Dayr Hizqil, the sahirs of Dayr Qunna recently dropped off at the madhouse one of their own who had summoned forces greater than he could control, which blasted his mind and destroyed his sanity; perhaps he has now attained enough coherence to seek revenge. Or maybe an enemy sorcerer is hiding at Dayr Hizqil, merely feigning insanity to allow him to direct magical attacks on Dayr al-'Aqul and Dayr Qunna. Finally, perhaps a demon or faerie is the one making trouble, thriving off the reactions of the mortals involved.

mon with Bulukiyya, or helping Hasan, the goldsmith of Basra, to obtain the love of a jinn maiden. It is also possible to take the role of one of these characters, experiencing their adventures firsthand.

The entrances to Golden Baghdad may take any form, from a simple mundane doorway that happens to lead there, to an invisible gate that can only be perceived by those with Second Sight, Faerie Sight, or similar magic or powers. It is entirely possible to stray through such entrances into the Faerie Realm (Realms of Power: Faerie, page 20) without initially being aware that one has done so, especially in cases where the Guardian actually forms part of the Threshold. Indeed, straying into Golden Baghdad by accident is a common enough hazard that it is an acceptable excuse for absence among the people of the mundane version of the city, and most people in mundane Baghdad have visited Golden Baghdad at least once. Members of the Suhhar Sulayman have attempted to map the entrances to Golden Baghdad, but entrances behave differently for different people, and most appear, disappear, and change, seemingly at random, with the result that only a small number of relatively stable entrances have been identified with any certainty. Members of the Suhhar also debate whether supernatural creatures found in mundane Baghdad are native to the mundane world, or are visitors from Golden Baghdad who have strayed the other way through such portals.

Al-Mada'in is a small but densely-populated town to the southeast of Baghdad. In the seventh and eighth centuries it was a much larger complex of seven towns, but over the years it has gradually declined. It is still much admired for its mosque, near which is the tomb of Salman the Persian, an important companion of the Prophet. Al-Mada'in is also the site of the ancient ruins of Ctesiphon, the Persian imperial capital, and the ruins of the imperial palace still remain as witnesses to the passing of Sassanid power.

Downriver from al-Mada'in are three Nestorian Christian monasteries (adyar (ad-YAHR), sing. dayr) that are unknowingly interconnected. They each have their own unique features and are described as follows.

Dayr al-'Aqul

Located on the banks of the Tigris, the monastery of Dayr al-'Aqul is surrounded by a fairly large town of the same name, which includes a major mosque. Here the monks levy a toll from river traffic, which they share with the townsfolk, making it a major source of income for the town as a whole. However, recently the monks have noticed that rapid changes are taking place in the river's banks, with the result that the river is gradually drawing away to the west, which means that they may soon be cut off from the source of their livelihood. All attempts to prevent these changes have failed, and both the monks and the townsfolk suspect that some supernatural force may be involved. They have been unable thus far to identify their enemy, but some suspect that the monks of the monastery of Dayr Qunna may in fact be foul sorcerers seeking the destruction of Dayr al-'Aqul.

Dayr Qunna

A mile to the east lies the monastery of Dayr Qunna, which is a large building with walls that are so strong and high that the monastery resembles a fortress. This is perhaps not entirely surprising, as the building is not actually a monastery but a bayt al-

hikma inhabited by members of the Suhhar Sulayman and their followers, posted here to keep an eye on the caliphs and posing as Nestorian monks in the meantime.

Dayr Hizqil

20 miles south of Dayr al-'Aqul is the town of al-Nu'maniyya, within which is the monastery of Dayr Hizqil. Here the monks maintain a madhouse, caring for those who have been afflicted with insanity. To work in such a place requires a strong mental and physical constitution, and the monks are mostly down-to-earth, brawny types who are well-capable of manhandling their charges if need be.

"And you, Belshazzar his son, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this! You have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven! The vessels of his temple have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know; but the God in whose power is your very breath, and to whom belong all your ways, you have not honored." […] That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed.

— The Bible, Daniel 5: 22–23 and 30

The city of Babylon, in southern Iraq, has been the site of many dramatic events of history. It witnessed the chaining of Harut and Marut, the angels who taught magic to humans and now hang bound beneath the ruined city; the building of the Tower of Babel; the exile of the Jews; the construction of the Hanging Gardens by Nebuchadnezzar; and the subsequent destruction of the city and Belshazzar's kingdom by the Persians. As such, it is a site of great potential interest to explorers. More details on Babylon and its mysteries may be found in Ancient Magic, pages 12–15.

Of him who found out all things, I shall tell the land,

Of him who experienced everything, I shall teach the whole.

He searched lands everywhere.

He who experienced the whole gained complete wisdom.

He found out what was secret and uncovered what was hidden.

He brought back a tale of times before the Flood.

He had journeyed far and wide, weary and at last resigned,

He engraved all toils on a memorial monument of stone.

He had the wall of Uruk built, the sheepfold

Of holiest Eanna, the pure treasury. — The Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet 1

The ancient Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh attained its final form in the eighth or seventh century BC, though it owes its origins to a variety of much older stories about the mythological king of the city of Uruk, who may be based on a real person who ruled two millennia earlier. It tells the tale of King Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu, who adventure together until they are cruelly torn apart by the vengeance of the gods. There are actually three known major variants of the tale; the following is a very brief summary of the most popular version.

King Gilgamesh of Uruk is an unpopular ruler, and the gods send him Enkidu, a wild man, to distract him. Enkidu is tamed by Shamhat the temple prostitute, and after a wrestling match in which neither wins, Gilgamesh and Enkidu become close friends. Seeking fame and honor, the pair go to the Pine Forest to slay the monster Humbaba. Upon return to Uruk, the goddess Ishtar tries to seduce Gilgamesh, but he rejects her. In a rage, she brings the destructive bull of heaven to attack Gilgamesh and Enkidu, but they slay it and insult Ishtar. The gods decide that the pair have gone too far and strike Enkidu with a fatal illness.

The distraught Gilgamesh takes to

wandering in the wilderness. He makes it as far as the gate through the mountains that guard the sunrise, where he is permitted to pass by the humanoid scorpions that guard it. Beyond, he meets Siduri the alewife, who advises him to go home and make the most of this life, since the afterlife is nothing to look forward to. Gilgamesh is undeterred, and he obtains directions from Siduri to the abode of Utnapishtim, a mortal king who was made immortal by the gods after he survived the great flood. Gilgamesh fails to obtain immortality from Utnapishtim, and is instead forced to return to Uruk with only the wisdom that he has gained on his journey. This is sufficient to make him a good king.

Characters who take on the role of Enkidu in this story, then, are doomed to die. This is something that may be known to some of the players, even though it is highly unlikely that any of the characters will know it. Any player who, despite knowing the fate that lies in store, still has her character adopt Enkidu's role and allows the character to be killed not only achieves an Unmitigated Success in re-enacting the story, but should also receive an extra Confidence Point as a reward for bravery at the end of the session.

Ancient Mesopotamians did not believe that death meant the complete end of existence, but rather that the human soul was transported to a dry, dusty underworld where the dead led a miserable, dreary existence: essentially a place devoid of vitality. To faeries, the deserted Temple of Uruk, abandoned by humans, is a symbol of such a place, and any character who has died as Enkidu thus finds himself sent through the Guardian portal back to the temple, alive and having gained whatever he sought.

Storyguides may wish to draw out the suspense by having any companions of the dead character complete the remaining story of Gilgamesh's travels before they also are returned to the temple, where they will find their apparently deceased comrade alive.

South of Babylon lies the Great Swamp, a marshy area that stretches between the two rivers until they join further south. Despite a noxious atmosphere and frequent plagues of insects, the swamp is dotted with villages and towns inhabited by determined souls who have managed to drain small patches of land and grow crops on them. Navigation through the swamp is primarily achieved using shallow-drafted boats. The inhabitants of these swamps are pagan followers of the old religion, although in the absence of a formal priesthood they have but fragments of their faith left to them. One tale they do know, and have faithfully recited for generations, is the Epic of Gilgamesh (see previous page).

The Ruins of Uruk

In the center of the Great Swamp rise the ruins of a mighty stepped ziggurat, all that remains of a great temple to the goddess Ishtar. Local people stay clear of the site, since some of those who visited it have never returned. The temple has a Faerie aura of 2. In addition, explorers who break through a rubble-strewn doorway (actually a Faerie Guardian) find themselves inadvertently passing through an entrance to the Faerie Realm of Elysium. The Threshold Strength here is 33, but those who visit the temple and cross the doorway automatically accumulate the requisite number of Threshold Points (major border (12) + trod (the doorway, aura 5) + any temporal thresholds + any personal thresholds + any shortfall made up by the Guardian's Spirit Away Faerie Power). See Realms of Power: Faerie, pages 18–21.

Upon entering the Faerie Realm, characters encounter Gilgamesh, who seeks to make one or all of them identify with Enkidu, taking on his role in this tale; this sets them on the Path of Destiny (see Realms of Power: Faerie, page 33). If they agree, Gilgamesh sends the characters out into the wilds, there to await the arrival of Shamhat.

On the north side of a canal leading into the Shatt al-'Arab lies the town of Ubulla, a busy settlement with palaces, mosques and markets. However, in the late eighth century the town was plagued by a vicious jinni, who took the form of a whirlpool in the Shatt al-'Arab and wrecked any ships that came within its reach, thus blocking the trade route between Baghdad and the Persian Gulf . The jinni was only defeated through the cleverness of Zubayda bint Ja'far, the wife of Harun al-Rashid. She discovered through her studies that the jinni in question was vulnerable to stone, so she had a large number of ships loaded with stones, floated to the whirlpool, and then sunk, filling the jinni's maw and burying it in the riverbed, thus calming the waters and enabling ships to travel the Shatt al- 'Arab once more.

Located on two canals leading into the Shatt al-'Arab, Basra is an important city in southern Iraq. It contains numerous shrines and mosques, the best known of which is the mosque built by 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, which has a minaret that shakes or remains still depending on whether an oath sworn before it is true or false. This is a miraculous effect, and cannot be fooled or resisted. Basra is also well-known for its library, which reputedly contains over 15,000 books.

Within the town of Kutha stands an immense tower of solidified ashes, all that remains of a furnace built by the ancient tyrant King Nimrod, the builder who also built the Tower of Babel. Nimrod attempted to kill Abraham by hurling him into this furnace, despite the fact that Abraham was the son of his vizier Terah, but God commanded the flames to be cool, and Abraham walked out unharmed. Meanwhile, the furnace itself was consumed by the flames, and only the Tower of Ashes remains.

Karbala' is a site associated with a traumatic event in Muslim history, having witnessed the violent end to one of the first Shi'i revolts against the Umayyad dynasty. In 680 al-Husayn, the son of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and grandson of the Prophet, sought to advance his claim to the caliphate after the death of the caliph Mu'awiya. However, he and his followers were intercepted and slain at Karbala' in the desert by Umayyad troops. This event sent an emotional shockwave through the Muslim world; this was, after all, the Prophet's grandson. The event is still remembered with regret by all Muslims and particularly mourned by Shi'is, who hold ceremonies commemorating the event on the day of 'Ashura' (('ah-shoo-REH'), "the Tenth"), the 10th day of the Muslim month of Muharram (mu-HAR-ram).

Karbala' is now home to a small town, at the center of which is the tomb where al-Husayn's body is interred (his head is in Cairo), which is a major place of pilgrimage for Shi'is. It takes the form of a domed shrine surrounded by a garden pool. The gateway of the shrine itself is made of silver, while inside the tomb is lit by golden and silver lamps. The other doorways in the shrine are closed off by curtains of silk. Pilgrims coming to the tomb kiss the silver gateway before entering to pray. The tomb has a Dominion aura of 8, and visitors may attempt to invoke baraka from al-Husayn's tomb in the form of any of the following Saint Powers: Apparition, Acknowledgement of Evil, Expel Demons, Resist Temptation, Grant of Serenity, Straighten the Crippled, The Faithful Made Whole, Celestial Immunity, Mass Healing, Humility of Caesar, Terrify the Unbeliever. Al-Husayn has a Divine Might of 75. See Realms of Power: The Divine, pages 87–89 and 105, for further details.

The city of Hilla occupies both sides of the Euphrates River, though its greater part is found on the western bank. The two sides are joined by a bridge of boats