Khurasan

The largest province of Persia, Khurasan is named after khor, the sun, indicating that for many Persians, the sun rises over Khurasan. The region has long operated as an independent sultanate, but is now firmly part of the Empire of the Khwarazm-shah. Seistan, Quhistan, and Ghur are all districts of Khurasan rather than provinces in their own right.

Known as the Pearl of Khurasan, Herat is dominated by the remains of a citadel built by Alexander the Great. Like many of the cities in this area, Herat has changed hands many times in the last century, but it has nevertheless managed to develop a reputation for brassworking, which remains its chief export.

Herat boasts a Zoroastrian fire temple called Sirishk just two leagues to the north atop a hill; unusually, this temple is still inhabited by a mobed and attracts worshipers from the nearby hills. The presence of Shamiran castle directly behind the temple may have contributed to its longevity. There is also a Nestorian church between Sirishk and Herat. To the south of the city is a lush land like a garden, profusely irrigated by numerous canals.

This "black sand" desert, also called the Desert of the Ghuzz, lies between the Caspian Sea to the west and the Aral Sea to the north. It is bounded on its northeastern border by the Oxus River which flows into the Aral Sea in Khwarazm.

An important oasis-city on the Silk Road, Merv has been named "the rendezvous of the great and the small" as a testament to its immense market, where, if accounts are true, it is possible to buy anything. Merv once claimed to be the largest city in the world, but in 1153 it was pillaged by the Ghuzz nomads, and since then has changed hands between the Khwarazmians, the Ghuzz, and the Ghurids, and has lost importance in Khurasan in favor of Nishapur. The last of the great Seljuks, Sultan Sanjar, is buried in Merv, under a great dome covered in blue tiles which is so high that it can be seen from a day's march away.

The libraries of Merv are greatly celebrated. The Great Mosque has two: the

According to Nestorian Christianity, the three magi started their trip to Bethlehem from Lake Zarah. According to Mazdean legend, the lake is the keeper of Zoroaster's seed; when the final renovation of the world is near three virgins will enter the lake and thence give birth to the saviors of mankind. The waters of the lake have a Divine aura of 2.

A flat-topped black hill called Mount Khajeh emerges from the waters of Lake Zarah. It bears an ancient fire temple and two abandoned forts collectively called Qal'a-e Sam — the "fort of Saum" — named after Rostam's grandfather.

The Emir of Herat has made a strange announcement: "One must come to me, neither clothed nor naked, neither afoot nor on horse, and speak to me neither indoors nor out. If this person does not come, then Herat shall be destroyed!" The emir is under the control of a horrible ghoul, and the only way to free him is to answer its three riddles, and the emir reckons anyone clever enough to answer his own riddle is also smart enough to answer those of the ghoul. Unfortunately, the ghoul also has a powerful Death Prophecy: it can only be killed by someone who is neither man nor beast; by someone who does it neither by day or by night; someone who offers it a present that is not a gift; neither by metal, nor rope, nor poison, nor stone, nor fire, nor water; and by someone who is neither fasting nor eating at the time.

A disease that is particularly common in Khurasan thanks to the malign influence of Mars is rishtah, known as dracunculus ("little dragon") in Latin. Worms form in the flesh of the limbs of the victim, and their hot venom causes severe inflammation and paralysis of the infected limb. Most often the legs are affected (causing the Lame Flaw until cured), but rishtah occasionally afflicts the arms or eyes (simulated with the Missing Hand or Missing Eye Flaws, respectively). Rishtah is difficult to contract, but also difficult to eliminate without medical assistance. It is a Serious Choleric disease of Severity 12; with a Stable Ease Factor of 4 and a Recovery Ease Factor of 18. The interval time is one month (for more details of diseases, see Art & Academe, page 45).

A cure used by the Ghuzz is to bury the afflicted limb in hot sand from dawn until dusk. The worm then migrates from the limb and into the sand. The problem with this cure is that sometimes the rishtah survives in the sand and can grow to be five feet long (and some report even bigger ones). The Ghuzz call such a worm the olghoi khorkhoi, and report that it has been known to attack travelers and livestock with its fiery venom.

Olghoi Khorkhoi

Magic Might: 14 (Animal)

Season: Spring

Characteristics: Cun –1, Per +1, Pre 0, Com –5, Str +2, Sta +3, Dex +3,

Qik +1

Size: 0 Virtues and Flaws: Magic Animal; Ways of the Desert; Improved Characteristics, Puissant Stealth, Tough; Gluttonous; Offensive to Animals, Poor Communication x2

Magical Qualities and Inferiorities: Greater Power (Spit Fire), Major Virtue (Greater Immunity to Fire); Improved Abilities, Improved Might x 4, Improved Powers, Personal Power x2 (Fiery Touch); Monstrous Appearance; Minor Flaw (Restricted Power)

Personality Traits: Hungry +6 Reputations: Death Worm 2 (Local) Combat:

Fiery venom: Init +6*, Attack +11*, Defense +9*, Damage +30 (see Spit Fire power, later)

Bludgeon: Init +5*, Attack +15*, Defense +10*, Damage +9 (and +10 fire damage, see Fiery Touch power, later)

* Includes +3 for Ways of the Desert

Soak: +10

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: Brawl 4 (bludgeon), Desert Lore 2 (trails), Stealth 4+2 (under sand), Thrown Weapon 4 (fiery venom)

Powers:

Spit Fire, 1 point, Init +3, Ignem: The olghoi khorkhoi can spit fiery venom up to 15 paces. It must succeed in a Thrown Weapons Attack to do so, receiving a –2 penalty if the target is 6–10 paces away, and a –4 penalty if it is greater than 10 paces away. The fiery venom can only be parried if the target has a shield; otherwise it must be dodged with a Brawl Defense Total. If it hits, the venom inflicts +30 damage. The creature cannot use this power between June and November (Restricted Power Flaw). CrIg 35 (Base 25, +2 Voice) Greater Power (35 levels, –3 Might cost, +6 Init (from Fiery Touch power and Improved Powers))

Fiery Touch, 0 points, constant effect, Ignem: The fiery slime of the olghoi khorkhoi's body burns those it touches and corrodes even metal armor. It inflicts +10 damage in addition to its bludgeoning attack, and any armor worn by its opponent loses one point of Protection even if the opponent soaked all damage. CrIg 30 (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 corrosive effect, +1 constant effect) Personal Power x2 (30 levels, –3 Might cost)

Vis: 3 pawns of Ignem, in body

Appearance: A worm, five feet long and one foot in diameter; the olghoi khorkhoi has no discernable head or tail. It is blood-red in color, with black mottling.

Found in the northern deserts of Persia and Transoxiana, the olghoi khorkhoi ("intestine worm") is the mature form of the worms that cause the disease called rishtah. It can move about freely beneath the soil, and, while blind, is very sensitive to vibrations. If it succeeds in a Dexterity + Stealth roll greater than its victim's Perception + Awareness roll, it can burst out of the ground next to him, gaining a +3 bonus to Attack on the first round of combat only. Initiative is rolled after this initial attack. Animals instinctively shy from the olghoi khorkhoi, and the reaction of horses is often the first sign that one is in the area.

'Aziziyah, with over 12,000 books; and the Kamaliyah library, with slightly fewer. Also stored here are the libraries of the colleges of Samanidiyah, 'Umaydiyah, and Khatuniya. The Dumayriyah library is perhaps one of the smallest, but many of its 200 books are unique, and all are priceless. Of most interest to the Suhhar Sulayman, the library of the grand vizier

Nizam al-Mulk is part of the greater collection of Merv, and its House of Wisdom is the keeper of these great tomes of magic.

Merv is home to a group of faeries who dwell in the market, running stalls next to the locals. These faeries help fulfill Merv's reputation as a place where anything can be purchased. They gain vitality from making exchanges with mortals, although they themselves do not supply any goods; they simply arrange a deal with a different mortal who can provide the desired goods. The result is an intricate web of favors and exchanges that might involve several tiers of mortal involvement.

If the characters need a particularly exotic ingredient or item, then Merv is a

good place to find it, but the price might be equally difficult to obtain. The answer is to visit a different faerie merchant to obtain that thing, hoping he will ask in return for something easier to get. The trick is knowing when to stop; you might end up needing to find a pebble with a white spot on it, but you are equally likely to be asked for the crown of the Sasanid king!

The city of Mashhad is perhaps best known for its luxurious shrine to Imam Reza, the eighth Shi'i imam. Reza was unexpectedly appointed by the Sunni Caliph Mamun to be his successor to the Abbasid caliphate. Following violent uprisings from the Sunni Muslims after hearing this announcement, Reza suddenly died before he could take his post, leading the Shi'a to accuse Mamun of regretting his decision and solving the tense political situation with murder.

Mashhad ar-Rizawi ("the place of the martyrdom of Reza") was built on the site of his death, a tradition arose that a pilgrimage to Mashhad was worth 70,000 pilgrimages to Mecca, and the tomb of the imam became a holy place to which people flocked from all over Persia. The shrine has a Divine aura of 6.

On a strategic site controlling access to the east, Nishapur is named after the first Sassanian King, Shapur I, who made it his capitol for a brief time. Like most of Khurasan's cities, Nishapur is dominated by its market. Its market streets have many hostels for the merchants, and almost every trade is represented here. Virtually all

The invasion of the Ghuzz have taught the sahirs of Merv a lesson. An even bigger threat, in the shape of Genghis Khan, looms to the east, and Merv is home to thousands of books that can never be replaced. Unable to impress on the colleges and madrasas the importance of moving their books to a safer location, the sahirs are doing their best to copy as many as they can. This frantic attempt to preserve these irreplaceable texts can lead to any number of stories:

• • A forgotten secret is uncovered when a book is copied. Example: the location of Solomon's Seal.
• • Theft of books to which clerics deny access. Example: A daring raid into the Dumayriyah to liberate a tome of Isma'ili theology.
• • Transport of books to a safe place. Example: Some of Nizam al-Mulk's most prominent tomes are moved further west, but a group of hostile magicians are aware of the opportunity to steal magical power for themselves.

All along the road between Nishapur and Mashhad are imprints on the rocky road which are locally believed to be the footprints of Imam Reza left as he made his fateful journey towards his death in Mashhad. It is said that a person who retraces every footstep and matches his own to them will be especially blessed in the next venture he undertakes. However, several of the footsteps are difficult to locate thanks to erosion and the actions of malicious jinn, who sometimes create false trails to lead petitioners astray. Completing the pilgrimage should involve a short story where the character's faith is tested, but if completed successfully, the character gains the Intuition Virtue for the duration of his next venture.

the turquoise and malachite that makes its way into the Middle East and Europe originates from mines near Nishapur.

Mihr

This unprepossessing village on the road to Nishapur is the home to one of the three Royal Fires of Zoroastrianism (see Mount Kavarvand, earlier, for more information on the Royal Fires). The ruins of a fire temple hide the entrance to a terrestrial Divine regio of aura 8. Within, the fire temple is intact, and inside it burns Adur Burzen-Mihr, the holy flame. This fire is specifically tied to farmers and craftsmen, just as the other two fires are tied to royalty and the priesthood. A tool left in the regio for a year will be purified by the holy flame, and henceforth grant a +4 bonus to any Craft or Profession Ability rolls made using it. This bonus lasts for a number of years equal to the Theology: Mazdean Ability of its owner. Only the owner of the tool can benefit from this bonus; should another even touch the tool, it loses its purity forever.

This "land of the mountains" is on the east of the Great Desert, bounded by Khurasan and Seistan. It is mostly a highland district with a corresponding cool climate, unlike the surrounding lands. While technically a dependency of Khurasan, Quhistan is part of the shadow Isma'ili state (see later), and they control the mountain fortresses of Turshiz, Qa'in, Birjand, Muminabad, Dara, Tabas and Nih.