Lands of the Jinn

The following locations are particularly associated with the jinn*.*

The jinn dwell in places just past the ken of humans — out of the corner of the eye, behind the doors impossibly squeezed between two seemingly normal houses, or just around the last corner of one of the alleys leading off the bazaar. They visit the mundane realm often but their real homes may lie underground, amid the beauty of the wilderness, within dark ruins or even beyond the mundane realm in regiones and the Supernatural Realms. All these locales are collectively referred to as Jinnistan.

Judging from the tales, although it may once have been part of the Magic Realm, Jinnistan may now lie mainly in the Realm of Arcadia, but seems to have branched into the Realm of Eudokia and perhaps even into parts of Hell. Its geography is as varied as the mundane realm and its inhabitants pursue lives similar to their non-magical brethren of the Mythic Middle East, often passing freely between their magical homeland and their mundane neighborhood.

Whole cities of jinn, such as Amerabad, the City of Amber, are found within its fluid borders and parts of other lost and legendary cities such as Golden Baghdad (see Chapter 7: Mythic Mesopotamia) and Khashgar, the nexus of the fabled Silk Route (see Chapter 9: On the Silk Road), form a background for many of the tales involving jinn. Some travelers claim that Jinnistan can be reached by traveling beyond the Great Rivers, the eastern mountains or sailing beyond the edge of the ocean.

These claims are all true, but false all the same. Where there are jinn*,* there is Jinnistan.

The Mountains of Qaf

Muslim folklore describes this chain of peaks encircling the known lands, forming a barrier between the lands of the humans and the supernatural homes of the jinn. Impassable, foreboding, and purportedly emerald green in color, mundane geographers have attempted to place this mythical site variously in the Caucasus, the Pamir, the Paropamisadae and even the distant Urals or the Atlas Mountains of North Africa.

Classical scholars equate this range with the legendary Mount Imeon or the Caucasus Indicus of the Greeks — the great eastern barrier of the world of Alexander the Great (see Chapter 9: On the Silk Road).

Perhaps the Qaf are not one mountain chain but are the Essential mountain range, the embodiment of the concept of mountains within the Magic Realm, past which lie whole different worlds. Alternatively, they may be the Faerie Realm's distillation of all the tales of impassable mountains told since antiquity.

Al-Khadar

Outside the circle of the known world, past the pale blue waters that line the coast of Persia and beyond the trade waters of the Erythraean Sea, lies the great ocean of Al-Khadar ("the Green"), a magical and metaphorical barrier breached only by jinn, adventurers, sorcerers, and Islamic saints. Few claim to have traveled to its distant shores or floating islands laden with human-headed trees and intelligent apes. Those who claim to have returned report their ordeals in allegory and lies, such as in the travels of Sinbad the Sailor.

Islamic cosmology speaks of whole worlds beyond that which contains Mythic Europe and the Mythic Middle East — worlds inhabited by fearsome angels, strange humans, exotic jinn and even more alien beings. Hermetic scholars of the Keeper of Tales mystery cult suggest that these lands lie within the Faerie realm of Eudokia.

Criamon magi point to "The Tale of Buluqya" as a possible itinerary for magi

wishing to travel into the mysterious Magic Realm, claiming its metaphorical tone contains a pathway that leads outside the Circle of Time.

An exotic Merinita maga, Arabian Ex Miscellanea magus or hedge wizard hailing from the Mythic Middle East possessing a jinni variant of Faerie Blood or Strong Faerie Blood (see later) may make an interesting character to play in an Arabian saga. Designed with a suite of accompanying themed powers, such a character may also be played as an exotic outsider in a game set in western Europe. Such characters may possess only a jinni*-*themed Faerie background or may have a whole collection of Benedictions and other powers ruled by Charms with a jinni flavor. All the Virtues and Flaws used in the descriptions of Faerie jinn earlier could be suitable for such a strongly themed character. Such characters would be susceptible to Faerie Calling through Warping, unless specifically created as a Hermetic magus. In this case, they suffer Wizard's Twilight instead. Further ideas and details on such jinni-themed Faerie touched characters can be adapted from Realms of Power: Faerie, Chapter 5: Touches of Faerie.

The paragraphs later describe some optional jinni varieties of the Faerie Blood Virtue — adding new varieties to those found on page 42 of ArM5. The specific benefit of possessing Faerie Blood of each type is listed, along with the enhanced version for those characters that have the Faerie Legacy Virtue. Note that this enhanced effect replaces the normal benefit of Faerie Blood; it is not in addition to it. Each listing also has some typical Sympathies, and some suggestions for other Virtues and Flaws possessed by different faerie bloodlines. Finally, since characters with Strong Faerie Blood gain a distinctive appearance from that Virtue some common features are given; these could also be used for characters with regular Faerie Blood who also have the Disfigured Flaw.

Further information on Faerie Blood, Faerie Legacy and Faerie Sympathies can be found in Realms of Power: Faerie, Chapter 5: Touches of Faerie.

'Afrit Blood

The 'afrit are ranked among the more powerful of the jinn and many have monstrous oversized appearance and a cruel nature. Although not necessarily evil, they are often indifferent to humans or consider them inferior.

Benefits: +1 to Strength or Intelligence, but not to more than +3

Legacy: +1 bonus to Strength or Intelligence, can go as high as +4

Sympathies: Power, Cruelty, Patience (negative)

Other Virtues and Flaws: Greater Benediction: Flight, Greater Immunity: Weapons (bludgeoning or piercing or slashing), Ways of the Desert; Frightful Presence, Huge, Large, Second Sight; Monstrous Appearance; Faerie Heritage, Susceptible to the Divine, Vulnerable to Folk Tradition (naming or Bismillah Invocation)

Appearance: Tall or large in girth, often horned, reddish complexion

Ghula Blood

The ghulas are rapacious wasteland faeries of the Arab world. Sexual encounters between human men and female Faerie ghulas (see earlier) result in either another ghula (if the child is a girl) or ghul-blooded humans (if a boy is born). The sons of ghulas can then go on to produce either girls or boys with ghul blood. This variety of faerie blood could also represent other violent faerie ancestors. Those with ghul blood are nearly always sinister-looking, born with teeth and unusually aware of their surroundings.

The template reflects a character descended from a Faerie ghula rather than the offspring of an Infernal ghul. Characters born of Infernal ghul may best be presented as Devil Children (see later).

Benefits: Claws that can be retracted and extended at will, these have the following weapon statistics: Init –1, Atk +2, Dfn +3, Dam +2.

Legacy: As earlier, except that the claws are extra large, and the Damage bonus is +4 rather than +2.

Sympathies: Wastelands, Stalking, Compassion (negative)

Other Virtues and Flaws: Ways of the Desert; Skinchanger (hyena or vulture); Nocturnal, Poor Presence

Appearance: dark skin, wrinkled, sharp teeth, green on the inside of the mouth, always have green eyes.

The jann are lesser Faerie jinn, members of a tribe that closely mimics human culture and behavior to the extent of following Islam, herding camels and living the nomadic lifestyle of Bedouin. As such, they are the most likely type of jinn to produce offspring with Faerie Blood or adopt foundlings into their tribe. Many Faerie sorcerers of Mythic Arabia are believed to

Benefits: +1 to Presence, but not to more than +3

Legacy: +1 bonus to Presence, can go as high as +4

Sympathies: Deserts, Hospitality, Temperance (negative)

Other Virtues and Flaws: Supernatural Beauty, Ways of the Desert; Faerie Speech, Persona, Second Sight, Skinchanger (camel, eagle); Envied Beauty; Disfigured (one animal feature), Dutybound (Bedouin honor), Susceptible to the Divine, Vulnerable to Folk Tradition (Naming) or Vulnerable Magic: Mu'addhin's Call

Appearance: Swarthy, deeply tanned, piercing blue eyes

Faerie jinn and characters descended from them are well-suited for use as player characters in sagas involving the Mythic Middle East. Such characters could be created as a companion- or magus-level character using the balanced rules provided in Realms of Power: Faerie, pages 43–63, and incorporating the suggested inherent Pretenses and Required Virtues and Flaws noted in the sections earlier.

Players wishing to create a character with ties to an elemental jinni aligned to the Magic Realm can design a Mythic Companion, using the Blood of Heroes Special Virtue from Houses of Hermes: True Lineages (or the Mythic Blood Virtue for Hermetic magi) or the Magic Blooded Virtue from Realms of Power: Magic, and choose appropriately-themed Virtues and Flaws. Some of the Elemental Virtues from Hedge Magic Revised Edition may be particularly appropriate for such characters. A Gifted Companion or Mythic Companion Character using the Spirit Votary Major Virtue from Realms of Power: Magic could similarly be used to represent a pagan priest devoted to an elemental jinni recognized as a pre-Islamic Arab divinity, perhaps even

claiming descent from such ancient gods.

Mortal characters descended from Infernal jinn or truly demonic jinn are best represented by the rules for Devil Children, given in Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 99–101, and begin with the Devil Child Special Virtue, Demonic Blood and the following starting Virtues and Flaws: Second Sight, Susceptible to the Divine, and Greater Malediction (when he enters a bargain, he is bound to the agreed terms unless its partner reneges first) instead of the usual template listed. Examples of such characters include the whelps of Infernal ghul, children conceived by corrupt shaitan, or the grandchildren of Iblis himself. Repellent is a common Flaw, and some of the more powerful of these individuals have learned various Hedge Arts, including the Goetic Arts of Summoning and Commanding to enslave their pious jinni cousins.

Player character jinn created with a Might Score are susceptible to summoning, dispelling and controlling spells that affect Vim rather than Mentem, regardless of Realm, although it should be noted that magi and mundane companions without Might can be equally affected by Corpus and Mentem magic that penetrates their Magic Resistance, if any.

This section includes several Virtues and Flaws first detailed in Realms of Power: Faerie that are appropriate for Faerie jinn and characters with strong jinni heritage

New and Modified Virtues

These virtues are appropriate for Faerie jinn characters.

External Vis

Minor or Major Virtue, Supernatural

The faerie's spiritual essence (anchor) resides in one of the props traditional for its role, and this can be carried far from the faerie's body without the faerie suffering ill effects. There is an Arcane Connection between the object containing the faerie's spiritual essence and the faerie's body. If this connection is broken, or the object is destroyed, the faerie's distant body disintegrates, but the essence can construct a new body, given sufficient time. If the vis in the prop is used, the faerie is permanently destroyed.

When selected as a Major Virtue, the prop provides its bearer with any one Minor Virtue, selected at creation. This provides the faerie with a little additional power, but its main advantage is that humans who discover the object are far more likely to treasure it, and keep it safe. This provides the faerie with time to form a new physical body and reclaim his object.

As an example, a faerie warrior with a Might of 20 uses his sword as his spiritual anchor. A character that defeats the warrior finds that the sword contains 4 pawns of vis, but also finds that the sword has no Encumbrance and grants a human wielder a +2 bonus on the Single Weapon Ability. The bonus comes from the faerie's Grant Puissance power. If the human keeps the weapon, then eventually the faerie can generate a fresh body, and seek out the wielder and challenge him to a duel.

Faerie Sight

Minor Virtue, Supernatural

This Virtue, which works constantly at no cost to the faerie, is used in conjunction with the Awareness Pretense. It allows faeries to:

• • Tell mundane things from glamorous ones. (automatic success: no roll is required)

• • See the borders of glamour, so that they know which faerie props and territories belong to (automatic success: no is roll required)

• • See Arcane Connections, so that they know which objects belong to a human (automatic success) and which human (if human and object can be observed, automatic success.)

• • Read each other's glamour. Faerie Lore is a body of knowledge that humans learn through experience, so very few faeries have it. (Ease Factor = Might of other faerie/5). Faeries use this ability

• to read each other's glamour to guide their interactions, instead of using Faerie Lore.

• • See mundane things hidden by glamour (Ease Factor = 3 + (Might of Faerie causing the glamour – Might of the faerie attempting to see through the glamour)/5)

Faerie Speech

Minor Virtue, Supernatural

Many faeries have a Pretense called Faerie Speech that they use instead of acquiring human languages. Faeries seem to know the same languages as whomever they are talking to. If speaking to a group that has demonstrated mixed linguistic skills, the faerie may select which language to speak.

This effect occurs whenever the faerie speaks and costs no Might. It is not magically resisted, because the effect only alters the behavior of the faerie. If the faerie has not heard a person from its audience speak, it may only use whichever language it last used with humans. Once its audience speaks the faerie may then converse in the correct language for its audience.

Faerie Speech is frequently given to characters designed as NPCs. Characters designed for possible use by players have this Virtue more rarely, to free up a Virtue slot, but it is still appropriate for a wide variety of faeries.

Reputation as Confidence

Minor Virtue, Supernatural

Some faeries are forced, by their glamour, to live up to their Reputations. These faeries don't have true Confidence, but pretend to have it to such a skilled degree that the distinction does not matter. A faerie with this Virtue gains a number of false Confidence points equal to its highest reputation, and may spend them, one at a time, on rolls that support any Reputation. The faerie regains these points when a human would regain Confidence.

Highly Cognizant faeries may be aware of the link between their Reputation and their need to uphold that Reputation with Confidence; other faeries with this Virtue are not.

These flaws are designed by Ferie jinn characters.

Intangible Flesh

Major Flaw, Supernatural

The character is immaterial, and cannot physically influence the world. Characters with this Flaw should consider the Eidolon and Loosely Material powers.

Traditional Ward

Minor Flaw, Supernatural

If a taboo is selected as a Minor Flaw then the faerie may not touch a thing protected by the ward with its glamour. The faerie is likely uncomfortable in the presence of the ward, but is not compelled to flee. The faerie cannot regenerate Might points in the presence of a traditional ward. If forced to touch the ward the glamour holding the faerie's body together begins to break down: their body begins to flake away. Prolonged contact with the ward destroys the body of the faerie by unpicking the glamour holding its body together.

This may appear to humans as if the ward is burning the faerie. The damage to the faerie's body can be simulated with the Heat and Corrosion rules found on page 181 of ArM5. Assume that the object acts as a source of damage with an intensity of +6.

If a faerie receives an Incapacitating wound from an item that is a Traditional Ward, then in addition to the usual effects of Incapacitating wounds (ArM5, page 178–179) the faerie cannot spend any further Might points. It can still activate powers with a zero cost. If the character has constant-effect powers with a nonzero cost, they expire at the next sunrise or sunset and cannot be reactivated until the character is no longer Incapacitated. The character may heal at a human rate, or may remove the injury with an appropriate story event.

Monstrous Appearance

Major Flaw, General

Something about the character looks strange and frightening to others, giving the character a –6 penalty in all social situations where its appearance is a factor.

Sovereign Ward

Major Flaw, Supernatural

If a taboo is selected as a Major Flaw the faerie may not harm a person or thing that is defended by the ward. "Harm" is defined very broadly in the faerie's glamor. A faerie that is vulnerable to religious symbols, for example, can not work around the symbol by putting mundane poison in the food of the wearer, or burning his house down around him. The person is completely safe from the faerie. The faerie must attempt to flee the ward, and its body is destroyed instantly by the ward's touch.

Vulnerable to Folk Tradition (Islamic)

Minor Flaw, Hermetic or Supernatural

The being's magic is susceptible to various folk-remedies for averting hostile spells. Any target that is aware that the creature has just used its magic may attempt a folk ritual, such as making a sign against evil, spitting, and so forth. This grants the target or targets a Magic Resistance equal to (5 x the target's appropriate (Realm) Lore or Theology: Islam), or 0 if the target does have either of these Abilities, against the being's magic only. Furthermore, someone with the appropriate (Realm) Lore or Theology: Islam may be able to devise a manner to break a lasting enchantment, such as plucking nine hairs from the tail of a cat and burning them in an enclosed room with a possessed victim; this typically requires an Intelligence + Ability roll against an Ease factor of (9 + the spell effect's magnitude) or greater.