Persian Supernatural Factions

In addition to the Suhhar Sulayman — who are ubiquitous in Persia's cities there are five key supernatural factions who are active throughout Mythic Persia.

In ancient times, the kings of Persia received assistance from sorcerers who went by the name of yatus. Unlike the mobeds who served Persia in a sacred fashion, the yatus were wholly secular, and had practices that were deplored by the Mazdean priests. Several of the ancient Persian kings used cadres of these sorcerers attached to their armies; the initial successes of Darius and Xerxes against

The peris are the courtly faeries of Persia. Peris are almost exclusively female, and are extraordinarily beautiful — a pretty maiden in Persia is occasionally referred to as "peri-faced." Their game statistics are the same as for lesser nymphs (Realms of Power: Faerie, page 73), and they fulfill the same

role as entrapping lovers. However, peris rarely have powers over plant life. Peris are occasionally accompanied by diminutive male assistants who cater to their every whim; these are effectively sprites (Realms of Power: Faerie, page 85) except that they have brightly-colored birds' wings.

A pairika is the Persian term for the Aerial Powers (Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 42). These demons are treated as corrupt jinn by sahirs (see Chapter 4: The Jinn). They are cncountered throughout Persia and most commonly embody the crushing heat of the desert or the dreadful power of the earthquake.

Magic Might: 5 (Animal)

Season: Spring

Characteristics: Cun 0, Per +1, Pre 0, Com 0, Str –20, Sta 0, Dex +3, Qik +10

Size: –12

Virtues and Flaws: Magic Spirit; Magic Sensitivity; Gluttonous

Magical Qualities and Inferiorities: Greater Power (Donning the Corporeal Veil), Greater Power (Swarm Form), Ritual Power (Corpse-Feeding); Improved Damage x10, Improved Powers; Miniature x5

Personality Traits: Hungry +6*

* Essential Trait

Combat:

Swarm bite: Init +10, Attack +7*, Defense n/a, Damage +10

* A nasu swarm cannot be parried, only dodged.

Soak: +0

Wound Penalties: –1 (1), –3 (2), –5 (3), Incapacitated (4), Dead (5+)

Abilities: Athletics 3 (flying), Awareness 3 (corpses), Brawl 3 (biting), Magic Sensitivity 3 (wizards)

Powers:

Donning the Corporeal Veil, 0 points, Init +9, Animal: Allows the nasu to take material form, which it can dismiss at any time. Nasu usually only leave the material world when there are no more corpses on which to feed. Cr(Re)An 25 (base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 requisite) Greater Power (25 levels, –3 Might cost, +2 Init)

Corpse-Feeding, 3 points, Init +8, Animal: When a nasu enters an orifice on a corpse, it can emerge three rounds later as ten individuals. Each of these individuals is identical in every way to the original nasu, including having this power, except that each swarm, no matter how large, has a single pawn of vis. Every three rounds, a nasu swarm can gain three points of size, and its ability to grow is limited only by the number of corpses it has available; of course, as it grows, it attacks living things and creates more bodies. CrAn(Vi) 25 (base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Group, +1 requisite) Ritual Power (25 levels, –2 Might cost, +3 Init, including Improved Powers) Swarm Form 0 points, Init 0, Animal: A

nasu does not attack as an individual, but rather as a swarm. The combat statistics are for an entire swarm, which must be the same Size or larger than its opponent. Thus a swarm of 100,000 nasus (Size +3) can attack a standard group of humans. A nasu swarm cannot be killed by normal weapons, only by area effects such as fire or smoke. The storyguide should consider how much of the swarm is affected by the area effect and assign damage in terms of Might points: if one-fifth of the swarm is affected then it loses one Might point; if twofifths is affected it loses two Might points, and so forth. Greater Power — no Hermetic equivalent.

Vis: 1 pawn of Animal, in body.

Appearance: A three-inch-long fly, with a red and yellow striped abdomen. They make a fearful buzzing sound when they fly.

The nasu is a Persian magical nonjinni spirit which is attracted to the bodies of the recently dead, especially the corpses of magical creatures or sorcerers. They rarely take material form unless summoned; they are minor spirits, and any apprentice summoner can call one, which is why many masters are very careful to indicate why they should never be summoned — one nasu can become millions in a matter of minutes if sufficient fresh meat is around. Although a magical spirit, nasu are not jinn and cannot be called by sahirs using Solomonic Sihr, although they can be summoned by wizards using (Spirit) Summoning.

the Greek city states can be attributed to the lack of preparedness among the Greeks for such magical assaults.

In the main, yatus of old were faerie wizards; legends hold them as the inventors of the Ars Fabulosa (Realms of Power: Faerie, page 131), which encompasses Faerie Summoning and related practices. Oral history recounts that these Arts were adapted directly from Canaanite Necromancy, which is held to be the origin of all summoning powers. Some yatus followed darker Arts and it was these Goetic yatus who prompted the persecutions by the mobeds that eventually lead to the decline of Persian magical warfare. When the Suhhar Sulayman was formed, Persia contributed several lineages of yatus who had survived the Mazdean purges and the Muslim invasions, and they brought with them the knowledge of True Names and the Invocation of Names of Power Virtue (see Chapter 3: Order of Suleiman).

The yatus today can be found in western Persia, Iraq, and the Northwest provinces. Most are members of the Suhhar Sulayman, combining Faerie Summoning with the Solomonic Arts, principally Solomonic Storytelling. Non-Solomonic yatus are faerie wizards specializing in the Ars Fabulosa. Faerie blood is quite common among the yatus. They are often pagan, which causes them to clash with many sahirs, so they tend to found closed communities of solely yatu buyut al-hikma.

The glory days of Zoroastrianism are long gone, but the faith is by no means extinct. Enclaves of mobeds can be found in Yazd, Daylam, and Kirman. For more information on the mobeds, see Chapter 5: Mythic Zoroastrianism.

The original assassins, Nizari Isma'ilis are a fanatical sect who use murder to further their religious and political agenda. They are a renegade faction of sahirs, and are detailed in Nizari Isma'ili State, later.

Zahhak was a demonic ruler of Persia in its heroic age, holding the nation in his evil thrall. He ruled from Ctesiphon in the days of Jamshid (see Istakhr, later), and conquered Persia after sawing Jamshid in two. Under his reign, virtue was despised and wickedness lauded. His thousand-year reign was eventually ended by the hero Feridun. Since that time, a Zahhak has periodically appeared and been battled by Persian sahirs, but he has never achieved the same level of power that he did in Jamshid's day.

Zahhak is not a demon in the tradi-

The last Zahhak was the Shansabani Sultan Mohammed al-Ghuri, defeated 14 years ago (see Ghur, later). It would be unusual for another to be formed so quickly, but some Persian sahirs believe that Genghis Khan is, or is advised by, a Zahhak. The predatory way in which he is turned towards Persia is typical behavior of possession by Azi Dahak. If, in your saga, Zahhak is behind the Mongol invasion, then a whole campaign could revolve around ridding the Horde of the demonic influence.

The first Zahhak was not killed by Feridun; rather, he was chained and buried under Mount Damavand (see Mazandaran, later) with the assistance of an angel. He is no longer possessed by the demon, but dwells there still, protected from death by the divine bindings about him. This ancient individual from Persia's heroic age might be able to give an insight to characters facing a reborn Zahhak.

Order: Duke of the Spirits of Deceit Infernal Might: 40 (Mentem)

Characteristics: Int +2, Per +2, Pre 0, Com +1, Str +12, Sta +4, Dex +5, Qik –1

Size: +4

Confidence Score: 3 (9)

Virtues andFlaws: Ablating, Binding, Commanding, Summoning; Inspirational

Personality Traits: Deceitful +6, Hatred of Persia +5, Trustworthy –5

Reputations: Legendary Tyrant King 7 (Infernal)

Hierarchy: 7

Combat:

Bite*: Init +1, Attack +15, Defense +10, Damage +20

* Azi Dahak can bite three targets in each round; he acts like a Trained Group with three members.

Soak: +15

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–9), –3 (10–18), –5 (19–27), Incapacitated (28–36), Dead (37+)

Abilities: Athletics 5 (flying), Brawl 8 (bite), Guile 8 (promises of power), Intrigue 5 (nobles), Leadership 4 (own heads), Organization Lore: Suhhar Sulayman 4 (viziers), Penetration 4 (Possession), Teaching 5 (Goetic Arts)

Arts: Ablating 12, Binding 8, Command-

ing 8, Summoning 10

Powers:

Coagulation, 4 points, Init –1, Animal: Azi Dahak can form a physical body, and dismiss it at will.

Obsession, 1–3 points, Init –5, Vim: Azi Dahak can invoke the Personality Trait of Power Hungry. See Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 31, for more details.

Envisioning, 1 point, Init 0, Mentem: The demon can appear in the dreams of a person.

Possession, variable points, Init +2, Mentem: Azi Dahak usually places all of his Might Pool into possession and can control the actions of his victim. He cannot regenerate Might points until the possession ends, so he has to leave periodically. During this time, his victim suffers terrible dreams of his death and torment in hell, and may act to prevent the demon returning. See Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 32, for more details.

Trust of the Innocent, 1 point, Init –1, Mentem: The target of this effect loses all judgment and believes a specific lie (as long as it is passable) until presented with evidence to the contrary. An Intelligence roll against an Ease Factor of 6 is allowed to resist the effect.

Forked Tongue of the Serpent, 3 points, Init –1, Mentem: The target believes any lie, no matter how preposterous, until he relates that lie to someone else. At this point he realizes how ridiculous the falsehood sounds, and the demonic power is broken. An Intelligence roll against an Ease Factor of 9 also reveals the lie to be false, with the first roll allowed an hour after the effect was used, and further rolls permitted once every subsequent hour.

The Serpent's Oracle, 2 points, Init –3, Vim: The demon can duplicate the effects of any Intellego spell for the cost of 2 Might points. It may also gain a morsel of future knowledge, understanding the most immediate consequences of any one specific action.

Empower the Possessed, 0 points, Init 0, Vim: Whenever a possessed victim is willfully using the Goetic Arts, Azi Dahak grants a bonus equal to his own score in that Art. Furthermore, the demon's Hierarchy score can be used in place of the possessed character's score.

Weakness: Abhorrent Material (flame from a Mazdean temple)

Vis: 8 pawns of Mentem vis prava, in eyes.

Appearance: On the rare occasions it takes material form, Azi Dahak is an immense winged serpent with three heads, bearing six eyes and three pairs of fangs on each head. When wounded, snakes and scorpions spew from its wounds.

tional sense. Rather, when Azi Dahak the demon possesses an individual, that person becomes Zahhak. Possession is indicated by the growth of a black snake from each of the victim's shoulders. When cut off they simply regrow; only removal of

the possession can cure them. The snakes crave human brains, and the victim is driven to satisfy this need by the demon inside him.

In the first instance, the possessing demon forces the new Zahhak to do evil deeds, but over time the victim is corrupted by the whispers and promises of power of the demon, and so far none have resisted his lure. Once the victim embraces evil, he is taught the Goetic Arts (Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 114), and can use Ablating to extend his life, gain magic resistance, and call upon all manner of evil powers by stealing them from other demons and supernatural creatures.

The Ghuzz are a race of magicblooded humans who originate from the steppes to the north of Persia and east of the Caspian Sea. Legend tells that they are the scions of the biblical giants Gog and Magog, and there is no denying the giant blood that runs strong in these fearsome tribesmen. In addition to their size and their warrior reputations, the Ghuzz are also infamous for their uncontrollable nature. They would be all the more terrible if they could remain organized or loyal enough for long enough to make an effective force. The Ghuzz can be found in many of the southern provinces of Persia, particularly Kirman, Makran, and Seistan. Ghuzz breed and ride huge horses; those of the magic kin are the size of elephants.

All Ghuzz tribesmen have the Large Virtue, except for those in whom the blood of Gog and Magog runs strong. These, typically the leaders of the Ghuzz, are magic kin, and they have the Giant Blood Virtue, and a Greater Immunity to mental manipulation. These Ghuzz cannot be swayed through mundane or magical means, and thus cannot be controlled through Leadership, Charm, or Folk Ken, through Virtues such as Inspirational, or even through the Command the Masses Greater Power Virtue common among the Ghuzz leaders. The Ghuzz — magical kin or otherwise — often

have the Rebellious Personality Flaw.

New Virtue: Greater Power (Command The Masses)

Major, Supernatural

This new Virtue grants the Command the Masses power that is described later. The Greater Power Virtue is further described in Realms of Power: Magic, page 44.

Command the Masses, no cost, Init Qik – 2, Mentem: The Ghuzz can issue an order, and a standard Group of men are strongly inclined to obey this order. In battle, this secures total leadership, and the Ghuzz need not spend his turn forming a trained group or changing their actions. ReMe 30 (Base 5, +2 Voice, +1 Diam, +2 Group) Greater Power (30 levels, –3 Might/Fatigue cost, +1 Init)

New Flaw: Rebellious

Major or Minor, Personality

The character reacts adversely to any attempt to impose authority over him, and actively works against those who are in command. He does not necessarily have any desire to be a leader himself, but he does not easily submit to another's leadership.

This province was the birthplace of two of the greatest Persian dynasties, the Achaemenians (6th–4th centuries BC) and Sassanian (3rd–7th centuries AD). It thus gave its name to the whole region, for the original name Parsa became Hellenized to Persis. Fars is currently an atabegate ruled from Shiraz by the Salghurid dynasty.

Climatically, the province is divided into two parts: the Hot Lands (Garmsir), the lowlands near the coast; and the Cold Lands (Sardsir) to the north, in the highlands. In its southwest corner is the desert of Mandistan.

The westernmost of Fars' five great cities, Arranjan lies on the south bank of the Tab River, which forms the border with Khuzistan. It is surrounded by date gardens and olive groves, and is known for both soap and bitumen. There have long been Isma'ili strongholds on the many hilltops around Arranjan, and the city itself has recently been captured by the Isma'ilis.

The circular city of Darabgerd was founded by a family of Daylamite origin, and has always held Isma'ili sympathies even if this has not been openly declared. Near Darabgerd is the Kubbat-al-Mumiya, the "Bitumen Dome," which is locked by an iron door and opened once a year when an officer of the sultan arrives and gathers in a box the twelve months' accumulation of bitumen for royal use.

This is a small but prosperous town near the Persian Gulf. Endemic to the region is a type of magical worm that grants skill and luck to those that possess it. The

Hindijan is the port of Arranjan on the lower reaches of the Tab River. Many fruitless nights have been spent by treasure hunters in Hindijan, searching for a cache of treasure rumored to be hidden there. A certain well has drawn much interest from the treasure hunters; it emits poisonous vapors, such that any bird flying over it fall dead into the well. However, because of its poison, the well remains as yet unexplored.

Near to Darabgerd is a hill where rock salt of seven colors is occasionally dug out. This salt is of interest to sahirs for it is Dedicated Vis (Realms of Power: Magic, page 122), exceptionally suited to the summoning of jinn, who find it particularly pleasing. Each pawn of this vis gives the same bonus as two pawns of normal vis when summoning jinn (but not other types of spirit). Princes like to keep control of the salt mines and use the salt of seven colors to court sahirs, or reward them.

Story Seed: Summoner's Salts

A sahir is gifted with a princely sum of salt of seven colors, either as an inducement or a reward for a trivial task. This allows him to summon and bargain with much more powerful jinn than he ever could before, and his benefactor hints that he can get much more. Unfortunately, the salt provided to the sahir is tainted to be highly addictive, and the jinni summoned keeps demanding more and more. This is fine while the benefactor keeps supplying the salt, but he eventually starts to ask for bigger and bigger favors. The sahir comes to the characters (or perhaps is one of the characters) in need of solutions: how to escape from the powerful jinni he has summoned, and how to uncover the nefarious plot of his "benefactor."

The worms are an unusual Beast of Virtue, in that they can be Enriched (Realms of Power: Magic, page 124) while they are still alive. A worm must be kept on its own in a box for a season, and not be exposed to any light during this period. Every day the worm must be fed twelve mulberry leaves, each one precisely folded into a pellet. At the end of the season, the worm grants the Luck Virtue to the person who fed it. If it was fed by more than one person, it dies. A Kajarani worm eats any other worms it comes across. After a year, the Enrichment process must be repeated, or else the worm dies. If repeated, the worm grows bigger — to the size of a mouse — and grants Puissant (Abil-

ity) Virtue to its owner in addition to Luck. To prevent the worm from dying it can be Enriched in the third and fourth years; the worm grows to the size of a cat and a dog respectively, and grants the Venus' Blessing Virtue in the third year and the Wealthy Virtue in the fourth.

All Virtues are cumulative, but if the worm dies, they are lost. However, in the third year the possessor of a worm cannot refuse to pander to the worm's comfort (the Compulsion Flaw); and in the fourth year it begins to repulse him, eventually developing into the Fear Flaw. No one in Kajaran permits their worms to live for a fifth year, in fear of becoming another Haftvad.

growing rice and pomegranates.

On the hills to the northwest of the city are the Sih Gundaban, the "Three Domes," three great fortresses, behind which has been built a great dam in a deep gorge. The dam provides sufficient water for a thousand men during a year long siege. There is also a training ground on a flat hilltop.

Between Shiraz and Istakhr is the Forest of Kamfiruz, an oak forest surrounded by pasture land, and the town of Bayda. The forest is home to fierce lions, which are the terror of the cattle on its pasture.

Kish

of the Persian Gulf. A great walled city dominates Kish, which lies about 12 miles from the coast. Famous in its own right for the pearls fished here, Kish throngs with trade from Arabia, Africa, and Al-Sindh; products are transported to Huzu on the mainland and taken north to Shiraz. Kish has risen in prominence over the last hundred years or

The island of Kish is the principal port

so, since the previous port of Siraf further west around the coast was destroyed by an earthquake that lasted seven days.

Abarkavan

The Long Island is home to pirates and raiders, and is the bane of the emir of Kish who prefers that the traders coming to his port are unmolested. Kish's lucrative pearl fishery banks are also close to Abarkavan, and divers risk encounters with the pirates whenever they collect their harvest. The pirates have among their number an elementalist (Hedge Magic Revised Edition, Chapter 2) who plays havoc with the wind and waves.

This mountain is home to Adur Farnbag, one of the three Royal Fires of Zoroastrianism (for the others, see Mihr and Takht-i-Suleiman, later). The Royal Fires were believed to have been ignited before creation, and brought forth on the

the mountains.

The governance of the north district of Fars is administered from Istakhr, which was known to the Greeks as Persepolis. Around and inside the city are several buildings that date to the time of Jamshid and King Solomon. The shores of nearby Lake Bakhtigan are crowded with villages

fortune it grants is proportional to its size, but the Kajarani are careful not to allow the worm to grow too big. In the past, Haftvad allowed his worm to grow for seven years, into a glossy black dragon with a splendid saffron-colored pattern on it. Once a simple peasant, Haftvad used his good luck to became a tyrant who controlled all the land from Basra to Kirman. His armies defeated King Ardeshir (founder of the Sasanid dynasty), and it was not until Ardeshir killed the elephant-sized dragon with boiling lead that Haftvad's luck ran out and he was slain. Haftvad's mighty fortress still exists, hidden high in

The fourth king to rule the world, according to the Shahnameh, Jamshid made his capital at Istakhr, which then was called Takht-e Jamshed. He was a mighty sorcerer who had control over all the jinn of the world, and invented armor and weapons, weaving and dyeing, masonry, making wine, and navigation and ship-building. He was endowed with the royal farr, a shining light that indicated the blessing of Ahura Mazda. However, he grew to boast of his accomplishments, and the farr abandoned him. Without the farr, Zahhak (see later) was able to make war on him, and Jamshid was brutally murdered by the demonic tyrant.

The Jaam-e Jam

The Cup of Jamshid is a silver cup ringed seven times with gold and gems. For it to work, it must be filled with an elixir of immortality. This can be any liquid that grants long life, such as al-Iksir (see Chapter 3: Order of Suleiman) or a Hermetic Longevity Ritual in an appropriate form. This liquid must be invented afresh each time it is made, and brewed specifically for the user of the cup; this permits use of the device for one season. Once used in the cup, the elixir loses its magical properties. When activated, the cup allows the bearer to see any place in the world, similar to Summoning the Distant Image, but without the need for an Arcane Connection to the place scried. The user needs to merely mention the name of the place to be viewed, and an image appears in the cup. The Jaam-e Jam can also give visions of the heavens, which doubles the wielder's Artes Liberales for astrological calculations, and doubles Solomonic Astrology for magical workings.

The Cup of Jamshid was used by the ancient Persian dynasties right up to the Muslim invasion. It was never taken by the Arab rulers and remained hidden in Istakhr until rediscovered by a sahir several years ago.

Story Seed: The Spying Sahir

The sahir in possession of the Cup of Jamshid has been using it for petty purposes — spying on his neighbors and rivals, which may include the characters. In the midst of his nosy scrying, he stumbles upon a noted member of the community doing something unconscionable, such as binding a sentient being, sacrificing to the devil, or something similar. There is no way he can reveal what he has seen without revealing how, and so he must manipulate the characters through his secret knowledge of them, making them uncover the nefarious deeds of the eminent citizen.

The shrine of the brother of the fourth imam and the shrine to the daughter of the sixth imam have a long and bitter rivalry. The former is found on the Street of Butchers, and is known for baraka to cure injuries to the limbs. The latter has a much more prominent position just off the main square, and grants baraka to cure all problems with the feet. When a powerful emir is inflicted with a painful abscess on his foot, devotees of each shrine clamor for his attention, knowing the prestige (and riches) they will earn from his healing. Characters who have been healed at one of the shrines might be asked to provide testimony, and get caught up in the riots when the other shrine tries to disrupt the proceedings. The emir might ask the characters to determine which of the two shrines is the most worthy — or the most likely — to cure his complaint.

back of the ox Srishok to propagate faith and protect mankind. Adur Farnbag is to be found within a terrestrial Divine regio (see Realms of Power: The Divine, page 13) with an aura of 8. The entrance to the regio opens on the west side of the mountain every dawn and the east side of the mountain every dusk; the pure holy fire pours forth from the regio entrance, earning Kavarvand the epithet of "the shining mountain."

Adur Farnbag is housed within a Zoroastrian fire temple. It is accounted the most holy of the three Royal Fires because it is seen as the earthly representation of the yazata Atar, who burns in the presence of Ahura Mazda. It was originally located in Khwarazm, but later brought here by mobeds who still dwell on Kavarvand, thanks to the Gifts of Gayomart (see Chapter 5: Mythic Zoroastrianism). Adur Farnbag represents the priests of Ahura Mazda, and anyone who is an ervad or higher initiate receives a bonus to all Ability and magic rolls equal to their Theology: Mazdean Ability while within the regio. Mount Kavarvand is a place of pilgrimage for Zoroastrians. Any temple fire which is lit from a flame deriving from Adur Farnbag has its Divine aura increased by an additional +1.

Shiraz was made the capital of the Persian empire by the Buyid dynasty (945–1055), who decorated it with palaces, with mosques, and with the great wall that surrounds it. Today, Shiraz is famed as a place of learning, home to several academies and schools of famous poets, and it has been granted the epithet of Dar al-Elm, the House of Knowledge. Its central position in Fars makes it a thoroughfare for most of the province's business and trade. It is packed with narrow, crowded markets, and boasts three great mosques.

Perhaps the most famous structures of Shiraz are its many shrines to the imamzadihs — the relatives or descendents of the twelve Shi'i imams. Each imamzadih can grant a different miraculous power (mostly regarding healing specific ailments, finding a spouse, or easing childbirth), and the shrines vie for the attention of pilgrims and visitors.

The City of Flowers, as it is sometimes known, Shapur's exports are irises, violets, jasmine, narcissuses, and, most notably, the red rose of Shapur. Ten different kinds of perfumed oil are made in Shapur, made from the various flowers of the city. Of these, attar of roses is perhaps the most famous; this expensive perfume makes it all the way to the courts of England and France.

The mountainous region around Yazd became the stronghold of Zoroastrianism after the coming of Islam to Persia, and remains one of the few regions where the Mazdean faith is still practiced openly. The mountains around Yazd contain six holy shrines, or pirs, which form the destinations for yearly communal pilgrimages for the Zoroastrian villages, and an excuse for feasting and dancing.

The city of Yazd is well-fortified, and has two iron gates on the Istakhr road. The city is very fertile, thanks to the streams that flow from the nearby mountains, and it seems like paradise to have such a fertile land so close to the Great Deserts. The mobeds are held responsible for this minor miracle.

In a cave near Shapur is a 40-foottall statue of a man carved in black stone. At the base of the statue are three carved leaves. Some say that the statue is carved to represent King Shapur; others believe it to have been a real man turned to stone by God. The kings of Persia's ancient dynasties used to anoint the statue in oils, but none have given it homage for many centuries. The cave behind the statue has a waterfall, and a wind always seems to be blowing from its mouth.

The statue is actually a mighty div (demon), bound into this statue by a mobed many centuries ago. It is believed to be one of the 45 named demons (Chapter 5: Mythic Zoroastrianism), but which one is unknown. Knowing he was not powerful enough to bind the demon in perpetuity, he fashioned the three leaves — originally colored green — as a warning of when to repeat the binding; as it eroded the color would fade from the leaves. In the days of the Zoroastrians, the anointment of the statue was accompanied by a blessing by the mobeds to renew the binding. Since the days of Muslim rule this practice was abolished as idolatry, and the demon is close to being free. Only one tenth of one of the leaves remains green.

A famed export from all over Persia is the intricately woven carpet or rug, and the center of excellence in Persia is Isfahan. A traditional Isfahan rug has an ivory-colored field bearing a single central medallion surrounded by leaves and vines. Vibrant hues of blue, rose, and indigo are employed using dyeing techniques that are a closely guarded secret of the Isfahani weavers.

There are several weavers of magical carpets in Isfahan; these craftsmen mostly have the Touched by Magic Major Virtue (City & Guild, page 72). This Virtue allows a weaver to make a magical carpet by adding the magnitude of the magical effect and the Uses per Day modifier to the basic Craft Total of 12. Each weaver can only instill magical effects which cover two Hermetic Forms. A magical carpet only ever operates for the person for whom it was made.

The two most famous weavers are Dadvand and Yarankush. Dadvand is a manufacturer of the famed flying carpet. Dadvand's family have been making these carpets since the time of the Sasanids, and they have patrons among the Suhhar Sulayman. These are exceptionally expensive due to the skill required to make them. Dadvand makes other magical rugs as well, such as ones that promote an aura of health which speeds recovery from wounds.

Yarankush is known for making carpets which protect their owner. He specializes in rugs that let out a loud noise when they are stepped on by anyone other than their owner, and in these days of secret murder such carpets are a boon to any powerful man. Unknown to all, Yarankush is a member of the Isma'ili assassin sect (see later), and in the design of the carpet he hides a secret warning so that they know not to step on it. Since advertising that one has a Yarankush rug defeats the point of having one, this has not affected Yarankush's sales.

Dadvand's Steed of the Air

Twice per day, this heavy woolen carpet can lift off the ground and transport its owner, and everything he is carrying, through the air as fast as a horse can run. ReAn 15 (Base 1, +1 Conc, +2 very unnatural motion, +1 carry person on carpet, +1 speed; +5 maintains concentration). Ease Factor to make: 16

Yarankush's Murderers' Chagrin

Twice per day, the owner can activate the warning function of this carpet. As long as he remains in contact with the carpet (sleeping or sitting on it, for example), any other individual touching the carpet causes it to emit a loud sound for a round; each carpet produces a different noise. CrIm 3 (Base 1, +1 Touch, +1 Size). Ease Factor to make: 14