Poets and Qareen

'Abqari, contemporary poets blessed with an artistic qareen*,* can be created using the rules for Legendary Artists or Maestro Mythic Companions (see Art & Academe, pages 133–135). The qareen of such characters are best reflected by the Faerie Friend, Magical (Being) Companion, or Impious Friend Minor Flaws, depending on the Realm affiliation of the artist. Many 'abqari possess Enchanting Poetry and the Muse Minor Supernatural Virtues (Houses of Hermes: Societates, page 56). Some of these poets are granted such power over words that they may mimic the Folk Witch power of Cursing or the Gruagach Arts of Give, Blessing, and Curse, reflecting their ability to lampoon and satirize opponents into misfortune through their verse (see Hedge Magic Revised Edition for details of these non-Hermetic powers).

Journeying to 'Aqbar may compose part of an Initiation Script for a member of the Merinita "Keepers of Tales" Mystery Cult, or be of interest to Jerbiton magi or artistic Redcaps passionate about the stories and legends of The Thousand and One Nights.

Once a year the small oasis town of 'Ukaz, situated halfway between Mecca and Medina, holds a poetry competition, a tradition dating back to ancient times. The seven great poems known as the Mu'allaqat ("the Suspended Odes") that now grace the walls of the Ka'ba had their origin in this fair. Today, the winner's prize varies from year to year as the sponsorship of the fair passes from one tribe of jinn to another. The prize is always something of great value — one year, the jinn may reward a winner with the secret path to 'Abqar, another year they may bestow kinship with their tribe for eternity, and yet another they may offer the service of one of their younger jinn as an unconditional servant. Depending on the prize, magi and sahirs may be drawn to the festival, hoping to gain something otherwise impossible to acquire — something vital to their plans. Competition is always fierce, but the poetry is always breathtakingly beautiful.

man named 'Abd al-Qadir, his son Yusuf, and Yusuf's wife Farida.

Depending on how you wish to depict the cult in your saga, you may choose to generate the members of the cult using the rules for Spirit Votaries (Realms of Power: Magic, pages 88–89); alternatively, it may be that the cult is infernally corrupted, in which case the rules for Diabolists may be more suitable (Realms of Power: The Infernal, pages 101–113).

'Abd al-Qadir, as the representative of al-Lat, has powers over fertility and travel, including the ability to control the growth of humans, animals and plants, and travel supernaturally swiftly from one place to the next. Yusuf, as the representative of al-Manat, can affect probabilities, affecting players' die rolls, and Farida, as the representative of al-'Uzza, is supernaturally strong and also has powers over Venus' traditional realms of beauty, romance, the performing arts and communication.