Landscape and Society

The landscape of Arabia is more varied than most western travelers would expect. North Arabia, once known as Arabia Petra to the Romans, is a desert land of stone and sand. While much of the peninsula is indeed covered by arid deserts, there are also mountain ranges running parallel to most of the coastal regions, with narrow but fertile coastal plains between them and the sea. Of particular note is a large high plateau in the eastern half of the peninsula, encompassing the provinces of the Najd and Yamama, which has fertile valleys where crops are grown and animals (mainly sheep and goats) are pastured. In the south, the land rises into hills and mountains rich with incense trees, water, and other natural resources — significant portions of Hadramawt and Yemen are forested, and these features gave rise to the Roman name for the province, Arabia Felix. The old trade routes of the incense road that once ran through the deserts now track through the Red Sea around the Arabian coast and onwards to the fabled ports of the Erythraean Sea of the ancients.

Much of the peninsula is dotted with oases, around which villages and towns have sprung up. This is particularly true of the coastal provinces and the Najd/ Yamama region, though such settlements may also be found in some of the deserts. The exception is the dreaded Empty Quarter, an inhospitable wasteland that is rumored to swallow all who venture into it.

The inhabitants of Arabia consist of a mixture of settled townsfolk, many of whom cultivate crops for a living, and Bedouin nomads who wander with their families and flocks, trading with the townsfolk or working as guides and caravan guards on the network of trade and pilgrimage routes that cross the area. Periodically tensions flare up between townsfolk and nomads, but for the most part relations are peaceful. One influential factor here is the religion of Islam, which most people follow in one form or another, although there are also many Christians and Jews living throughout the region.

The Cradle & The Crescent

Magic Might: 18 (Terram)

Season: Summer

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

Size: 0 (+1 in material form)

Confidence: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Magic Spirit; Jinni; Greater Immunity (heat), Ways of the Deserts; Berserk, Keen Vision, Second Sight, Wilderness Sense; Blatant Magical Air, Driven (to kill), Greater Malediction (bound by bargains), Magical Air*; Baneful Circumstances (in contact with iron)

Magical Qualities and Inferiorities: Greater Power x3, No Fatigue; Improved Attack x2, Improved Initiative x2, Improved Soak x2

Personality Traits: Angry +2, Vicious +3, Merciless +2; Bloodthirsty (Strength) +3*

Combat:

Clawing Wind: Init +8, Attack +12, Defense +8, Damage +6*

* Includes Bloodthirsty Essential Trait earlier. The zawba'a may also cause additional damage with its Flay Power, later.

Soak: +7

Wound Penalties (material form): –1 (1**–6), –3 (7–12), –5 (13–18), Incapacitated (19–**24), Dead (25+)

Abilities: Arabic 5 (abuse), Athletics 2 (sprint), Awareness 2 (potential victims), Bargain 1 (magical bargains), Brawl 5 (clawing wind), Desert Lore 3 (trade routes), Folk Ken 1 (wizards), Hunt 3 (tracking), Penetration 3 (Corpus), Second Sight 4 (invisible things), Survival 3 (deserts), Theology: Islam 1 (Jinn), Wilderness Sense 3 (deserts)

Powers:

Donning the Corporeal Veil, 0 points, Init +1, Terram: The zawba'a can assume material form (Size +1, as described later) to allow it to attack its opponents physically. (Greater Power; see Realms of Power: Magic, page 102)

Flay, 0 points, Init +1, Corpus: As the zawba'a touches its opponent his skin is partially flayed from his body. The victim suffers a Heavy Wound. (R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind. Greater Power, 20 levels, –2 Might cost, +1 Initiative, remaining Mastery points used for Penetration Ability)

Presence, 0 points, Constant, Imaginem: The zawba'a is aware of everything happening in the area that it haunts, which can be up to a Structure in size. (Greater Power; see Realms of Power: Magic, page 103)

Vis: When the zawba'a is destroyed, it leaves behind a small whirling column of black sand that if collected yields 3 pawns of Terram vis and 1 pawn of Auram vis.

Appearance: In corporeal form, the zawba'a appears as a column of sand whirling at high speed, within the heart of which chuckles a malicious, bloodthirsty face. It is about 8 ft tall.

The zawba'a is a bloodthirsty jinni of the Arabian deserts, which takes delight in slaying anyone unfortunate enough to stray across its path. It is, however, a rather single-minded creature and is unlikely to adopt any tactic beyond the frontal assault, making it relatively easy to outwit.

Some experienced sahirs are able to bargain with zawba'a and bind them as servants using the khadim bond (see Chapter 3: The Order of Suleiman). Such sahirs often use these desert jinn as a form of travel — the sight of a powerful sorcerer being carried across the landscape by a whirling sandstorm instead of a mundane mount strikes respect into even the most powerful of mundane rulers!

Story Seed: Death by Zawba'a?

The characters are called in to investigate a murder. The victim was found flayed to death in his chamber, which was covered in a fine layer of sand. Investigating, the characters uncover a plot by a shadowy cabal of sahirs from a minor Islamic sect who have learned to bind the zawba'a, deadly jinn whirlwinds, to their service. The sahirs use them as weapons against their political enemies, unleashing them on unsuspecting victims. Is this what happened here, and if so, who was responsible?

The inhabited parts of Arabia are generally ruled by local dynasties, most of whom owe nominal allegiance to the Abbasid caliph of Baghdad. The Hijaz, 'Asir, and Yemen are divided between members of the Ayyubid family ((ay-YOO-bids), the family of Salah al-Din (Saladin)), with the Hijaz falling under the nominal control of the sultan of Egypt (al-Kamil Muhammad, r. 1218–38), while 'Asir and Yemen are controlled more directly by the sultan of Yemen (al-Mas'ud Yusuf, r. 1215–1229).

Arabia contains three major deserts: the Nefud Desert to the north, the Empty Quarter to the south, and the Dahna corridor that links the two. These deserts present a range of hazards that must be overcome if characters are to travel safely within them.

The sun burns hot in the deserts, meaning that characters need to take precautions against heat and sunstroke. This includes covering their skin to avoid sunburn and carrying adequate supplies of water to stave off dehydration. The Deprivation check time for lack of water is reduced in the deserts to 4 hours, while the sunlight does +1 non-combat damage if skin is left exposed (see ArM5, pages 180–181).

Another (usually natural) hazard is dry quicksands, which can swallow a man and his mount in seconds. If a character steps on one of these, he begins to sink immediately and is pulled under within two rounds. Death from suffocation follows if he is not rescued (again, see ArM5, pages 180–181). A character who is caught in an area of dry quicksand may make a Strength or Quickness stress roll against an Ease Factor of 9 in

The Bedouin are known for their fine horses, but also use dromedary camels in war and trade. Their jinni cousins may ride more exotic mounts such as giant ostriches, leopards, or even stranger beasts.

For a mundane Arabian racehorse, use the statistics for the Courser given in the Book of Mundane Beasts (see Realms of Power: Magic, or the Atlas Games website) and add the Imposing Appearance x2 Quality and the Great Quickness Minor Virtue, raising the beast's Presence to +1 and Quickness to +3. Similar Arabian steeds bred for war or other roles can be created using the base Destrier or Charger as templates and adding the aforementioned traits.

For a single-humped dromedary camel, use the statistics for Bactrian camels (Chapter 9: On the Silk Road) with the following modifications: decrease Strength to +1 and Stamina to +3, and increase Dex to 0. Drop the Long-Winded Virtue and the Feral Scent Flaw. Drop the Hardy Quality and decrease Fatigue Levels by one. Reputation is Cranky +1 (much of Arabia). Change combat statistics to: Init 0, Attack +4, Defense +2, Damage +2 and Soak +3. Change to Survival 3 (home terrain). Full statistics for dromedary camels are given in Magi of Hermes, pages 10–11.

the first round to leap or pull himself free before he sinks a significant distance, with a botch indicating that his arms are trapped in the following round. Thereafter it is up to his companions to help him escape its clutches, though if his arms are free he may assist in the second round, reducing any further Ease Factors that he may have to roll against by 3. Thereafter he has been pulled under and is not able to help.

Characters also must be wary of brigands, who prey on caravans crossing the deserts. They are likely to avoid a caravan that is clearly well-guarded, but this depends on how desperate they are for goods to support themselves.

Sandstorms may suffocate travelers or even strip the flesh from their bones. These may be natural, created by the magic of malevolent sorcerers or the manifestations of elemental jinn*.* The zawba'a, detailed in the nearby insert, is an example of a malicious jinn of whirling sand.

Various other desert jinn and demons seek to harm unwary travelers. In some cases they may use powers that affect the mind or conjure illusions, presenting travelers with visions of lush, palm-filled oases where they may quench their thirsts. A character may only realize that she has been deceived when she takes her first long draught of water, only to find her mouth full of sand.

Although the nomads of northern Arabia have nominally all converted to Sunni Islam, remnants of their pre-Islamic culture or code, known as muru'a, have survived. The importance of hospitality (diyafa), courage (hamasa), and honor (sharaf for men, ird for women) remain paramount and color aspects of even urban Arab society. Forgiveness, loyalty, and self-sacrifice are also integral concepts. The Bedouin tribes still revere the camel above all animals, according it greater respect than even the magnificent Arabian horse or their prized falcons. Most Arabian sahirs belong to a Bedouin tribe and comparatively few dwell within cities or formal buyut, preferring to form alliances along tribal kinship and bloodlines. Due to the rich sources of vis in the area, the Bedouin wizards are heavily involved in magical trade with their urban sahir cousins, exchanging vis for rare books on the Solomonic Arts or even personal teaching.

Bedouin characters may have Personality Traits or Personality Flaws that reflect these cultural legacies. The Minor Flaw Dutybound (Bedouin code) is all but universal among Bedouin characters and reflects a general obedience to these customs. Rare characters from the deep deserts may even have the Pagan Major Flaw.

Many Faerie jinn mimic aspects of Bedouin culture, particularly the less powerful creatures referred to as jann. Most of the nomadic tribes have jinnblooded elders, are advised by wandering sahir viziers accompanied by powerful 'afrit or marid servants, and count families of true Faerie jann among their blood kinsmen. Such jinn most often take the shapes of animals beloved of the tribes: camels, falcons, saluqi hounds, or the noble Arabian horses. The ancient Jurhumite tribe, former rulers of Mecca in pre-Islamic times, contains only dark Faerie jann*-*blooded members and still refuses to submit to Islam. Several other

Although most dogs (kalb) are considered unclean by non-Maliki school Muslims, the noble breed known as the saluqi are prized by their masters, often sleeping in the tents of their Bedouin owners and being lauded in poetry after their passing. Prized both for their beauty and hunting skill, these greyhound-like dogs act as coursers, operating either in speedy packs or as bird dogs in tandem with falcons. Details on hunting with hounds are given in Lords of Men, Chapter 5: Leisure.

Saluqi use the base statistics for

greyhounds listed in The Book of Mundane Beasts or Realms of Power: Magic, page 143, modified accordingly: add the following Qualities: Grapple, Imposing Appearance x2, Keen Eyesight and drop Keen Sense of Smell; add the Endurance Virtue and an additional Improved Characteristics Virtue; increase Presence to +1 and Stamina to +3; change to Hunt 4 (track by sight). Exceptional saluqi may have the Puissant Hunt Virtue and have powers similar to Faerie Hounds as detailed in Realms of Power: Faerie, pages 88–89.

Trees, especially the date-palm, windsculpted rocks and precious wells are treated with a respect that borders on the worshipful by the Bedouin — many of these sites are the abode of a supernatural spirit referred to as an 'ashira ("close friend"). These creatures are appeased with gifts or respect and their homes are typically the location of auras or vis sources aligned to the various Elemental forms.

Some of the more powerful 'ashira are Magic jinn, genii loci manifestations of Arab deities worshiped in pre-Islamic Arabia, or else Infernal jinn that have usurped their place. The following represents a selection of such deities:

Abgal: Guardian god of Bedouin and camel drivers.

Dhu'l-Khalasa: God of oracles and divination.

Dhu Shara: God of mountains.

Hubal: Senior deity associated with the moon and divination.

Ishtar: Goddess of fertility, sexual love, and war. More commonly worshiped in ancient Mesopotamia.

Manaf: A fertility deity worshiped by women, though women were not allowed to touch its idols during their time of menstruation.

Nakhla: Goddess of the date-palm tree. Al-Qawm: God of war and the night. Protector of caravans.

Sa'd: Associated with steadfastness in battle.

Wadd: Protector god.

Yaghuth: Associated with victory in battle.

The nature of such old deities may vary and multiple entities bearing the same name can be found within miles of each other, but with widely different realm alignment and power. The benevolent version of Wadd venerated by a tribe from northern Najd may be an aloof Magic jinni, while the vengeful Infernal incarnation of the same deity feared by tribes in Uman may be a False God trying to subvert the nomads away from their faith. Others may be Faerie jinn woven out of the stories told by the Bedouin at their night fires about such fantastic natural locations. The weakest may be no more powerful than a minor elemental jinn with a Might score of less than 10, whereas the spirits of larger and more isolated landmarks may have Might scores approaching 50.

A group of magi or sahirs wishing to settle a pair of uniquely shaped rock outcrops in a remote Magic aura inadvertently offend the local Bedouin tribe, who consider the stones 'ashiras and thus part of their tribe. Their legends tell of two giants, Aja and Salma, banished lovers who dwelt for five hundred years at the site, slowly transforming into the vaguely human-shaped stone sentinels of today. The tribe fears that the wizards will awaken the spirits of the ossified giants or draw the attention of the dark Faerie and Infernal jinn that haunt the outcrops at night.

To settle in the area or access vis from the site, the characters must not only deal with the representatives of the local tribe, but also the evil jinn that haunt it. Frequent magical activity may awaken the sleeping giants, who may not respond favorably to the interlopers depending on whether they are elementals, demons, pre-Islamic jinn or even cursed humans.

tribes from the ancient times are believed to live on in Bedouin memory as clans of Faerie jinn*,*such as the Jadis, the tribe of Tasm and the Thamudites

Regardless of whether he is human or jinn, Muslim or pagan, a member of a Bedouin clan owes absolute loyalty to his clan first, his family second.

Bedouin Wizards

A disproportionately large number of Bedouin possess supernatural ability when compared to the town dwellers in the settled parts of Arabia. It has been noted that Bedouin sahirs are more often Gifted than their fellows in other areas of the Mythic Middle East. Such sahirs typically specialize in either Solomonic Storytelling or Solomonic Travel, although some Bedouin sahirs disdain the more specific techniques and concentrate on summoning and bargaining with jinn exclusively. These sahirs are usually accompanied by their favorite falcon or saluqi, which is actually a Faerie jinn servant bound by a khadim bond (see Chapter 3: The Order of Suleiman for further details on sahirs).

All tribes include at least one sahir, often supported by female hedge magicians known as hakima ("wise women") or kahina ("soothsayers") that resemble Folk Witches aligned to the Faerie Realm, or male shai'ir, poets resembling the ancient artists of pre-Islamic times. The unGifted hedge witches typically lack the Cursing and Flight powers and have the Animal Healing and Entrancement Virtues instead. Details of Folk Witches can be found in Hedge Magic, pages 33–53, although some of the ideas for Faerie Doctors presented in Realms of Power: Faerie, pages 117–118, may be equally appropriate. Details on Arabian poets are given in the sidebar on Arab Poetry later.

Brothers of the Tribe

Knowledge of muru'a is treated like a non-Hermetic Mystery Cult Organization Lore that can be learned like any other Ability. It is used to initiate various Faerie-aligned Supernatural Virtues of value to a desert nomad using the rules found in The Mysteries: Revised Edition, pages 8–20, with the tribe's hakima acting as Mystagogue. The following Virtues can be initiated and are commonly possessed by exceptional Bedouin: Animal Ken, Art of Memory, Arcadian Travel, Cursing, Death Prophecy, Dowsing, Enchanting

Poetry (as Enchanting Music), Entrancement, Greater Immunity: Thirst, Puissant Arabic, Spiritual Pact, Ways of the Desert, and Wilderness Sense.

Initiation scripts vary from tribe to tribe, but typically involve Ordeals related to the central concepts of the Bedouin code and inflict Major or Minor Personality Flaws that reflect these tenets: Generous, Higher Purpose, Overconfident, Oversensitive (to breaches of honor), Proud, Vow (always keep your word), or Weakness.

Believed by some to have originated in Mesopotamia, the art of falconry, or al-Qanas, is widely practiced throughout Arabia, particularly by the Bedouin tribesmen. Unlike in Mythic Europe, the primary goal of hawking is to supplement the meager nomad diet, particularly in the winter months. An exceptional bird, particularly one of the better-suited females, is still considered a mark of status by tribal leaders. The main prey hunted are the houbara, the karwan (stone curlew), and the hare. The most commonly used bird is the saqr, similar to the gyrfalcon, but the peregrine falcon, known as the shahin, is sometimes preferred.

The authority on falconry is an unnamed Arabic text by the falconer Moamyn, equivalent to a summa Level 4, Quality 7 on Animal Handling (falconry), but also containing the equivalent of a tractatus on Hunt (hawking), Quality 7. In the next decade it will be translated into Latin as the De Scientia Venandi per Aves by Master Theodore of Antioch at the court of King Frederick II, with a resultant Quality of only 6. By 1250, the work will have been corrected and glossed by the Stupor Mundi himself, resulting in the superior work known as De arte venandi cum avibus (Quality 8) which becomes widely copied.

See Lords of Men, Chapter 5: Leisure, for further details on hawking and Realms of Power: Magic, page 86, for training animals using magic.

Saqr

Similar to its European cousin the gyrfalcon, detailed in The Book of Mundane Beasts, Realms of Power, page 142, or Lords of Men, page 59, the bird most commonly used by Arabian falconers is the saqr*.* Known for its endurance rather than its speed, the saqr has the following modifications: add the Tireless Quality and the Long-Winded Virtue. Exceptional saqr*,* especially prized by the nomad sheikhs, possess the Puissant Hunt Virtue and the Imposing Appearance x2 Quality.

Shahin

These smaller hawks are equivalent to the peregrine falcons of Europe. These Size –4 raptors are the fastest falcons but have much less endurance. They excel in catching smaller birds on the wing, but are less suited for desert hawking. Increase the basic falcon's Quickness by 1 but subtract 2 from Strength, change to Ambush Predator, add Stealth 3 (ambush prey), decrease to Flight 3 (climbing flight) and modify their combat statistics accordingly.

Anqa

The Arabian phoenix, or anqa, is very similar to the rukh detailed in Chapter 9: On the Silk Road — its coloration consists of bright red, orange and gold. Like an Eagle of Virtue, as the anqa ages its feathers grow dim and it flies to its aerie above the Mountains of Qaf. There, immolating itself in flame, it is reborn as a single black egg. Hermetic magi observing this process over a season can treat the experience as a significatos, gaining experience in the Arts of Animal, Ignem, or Vim.

Legend tells of the longevity of Lukman. One day, the son of 'Ad heard a voice calling to him and discovered a nest with two falcon fledglings. Choosing the stronger, he brought it up as his boon companion. The falcon lived for a full 80 years and the falconer aged not a day. When it died, he returned to the nest to discover another fledgling, which lived another 80 years. Once again, Lukman retained his youth. He repeated this another five times, growing sadder with the passing of each successive hawk. The seventh falcon he named Lubad, "the accumulation of all times," and when it passed, the weight of five centuries crashed down on Lukman and he finally died.

The nest lies within a Magic regio, accessible only after an arduous climb in western Arabia. Each fledgling, if raised and trained as a companion, grants its trainer immunity from all Aging rolls for a fixed duration of 80 years. Each year, the owner gains a single Warping Point. The falcon's boon is incompatible with standard Hermetic Longevity Rituals or similar magic. Once the falcon dies, the owner suffers from the Age Quickly Flaw until he raises the next hatchling. Unlike a normally fragile hawk, the bird does not need to make Aging rolls until it reaches 80 years old at which point it suddenly dies without a roll. The bird has a Magic Might of 8 and the Unaffected by The Gift Minor Virtue. It can be slain or die by other mundane means.

The tale of Lukman reaches the characters and they may wish to gain the secrets for themselves or to see if the bird's power may provide insight into a potential Longevity Ritual Breakthrough. Unfortunately, the current falcon has been trained by a Bedouin sheikh who is unaware of his magnificent hawk's value. The wizards may try to slay the immortal hawk and then follow its aggrieved owner to the secret location of the nest, but risk the ire of the tribe's sahirs and their jinn allies. Even if they defeat or compensate the sheikh, will the bird accept a foreigner ignorant of the Bedouin code of honor?

Story Flaws such as Close Family Ties, Dependent, Enemies, Feud, Pagan, and Oath of Fealty may also be appropriate for Bedouin characters.

European characters who seek to gain such Virtues may seek out the Bedouin and petition for membership of a tribe. Foreigners that demonstrate values admired by the Bedouin may be invited into the clan and eligible to undergo such ceremonies, forging a blood kinship with a nomad tribe and gaining both Dutybound (Bedouin code) and the Close Family Ties (adopted Bedouin clan) Flaw. To the Bedouin and their jinn allies, this bond of clanship ('asabiyya) supersedes all other loyalties. This may create difficulties for Hermetic magi when their adopted clan's interests do not align with those of their covenant or the Order of Hermes as a whole and they are forced to sacrifice either the Code or relations with their new kin. The Quaesitors may come looking for the transgressor, only to come face to face with a fully armed tribe of jinn-blooded Bedouin backing up the renegade, or that same tribe may turn up at a covenant, looking for vengeance.

Various myths tell of the origin of kohl, the black or blue powder, made from frankincense and other spices, used by women all over the Mythic Middle East as eye makeup. Many attribute its origin to the jinn, as the powder can be readily purchased from the stalls of the hidden race within the bazaars of Golden Baghdad, although the price is seldom in money. In Yamama, they tell a legend about a blueeyed witch named Zarqa al-Yamama who was blessed with vision so keen she could see a man approaching thirty miles in the distance. In ancient times when the country was still called Tasma and Jadis, she was killed by an invading Yemenite king who ordered his physicians to examine her eyes to discover the secret of her magical vision. Her eyes were found stained and smudged with kohl.

The most common magical kohl in Arabia is equivalent to a potion created by Bedouin folk witches, and confers the Minor Virtue Second Sight on a character for Sun duration when applied. Other formulations of kohl have been noted to confer differing Virtues related to enhanced sight: Keen Vision, Magic Sensitivity, Piercing Gaze, and Wilderness Sense. Ability scores granted by magical kohl have a typical score of 2 or 3, equal to the folk witch's Brew Potency/5 (round up) as detailed in Hedge Magic, pages 41–42.

Sahiras or Hermetic magi may use such substances for their enchantments. Kohl powder has a Shape and Material bonus of +3 to affect vision. Its main component is ground from charred resin, usually frankincense obtained from southern Arabia (see later).