The Jazira

To the north of Iraq lies the Jazira. Like Iraq, this is mostly a fertile area where agriculture flourishes. Much of the region is ruled by the Ayyubids, who currently spend much of their time intriguing against each other, with the result that those cities that are not ruled directly by them are able to assert their independence, only acknowledging their authority in name. Most of the rulers here, including the Ayyubids, acknowledge the ultimate authority of the caliph, although again this has little real impact on them.

Mosul lies on the east bank of the Tigris, opposite the remains of the ancient city of Nineveh. Since 1128 the city has been held by members of the Zangid (ZANG-gid) family, whose progenitor, 'Imad al-Din Zangi (d. 1146) is best known for having taken Edessa from the crusaders in 1144. Currently Mosul is effectively ruled by a Mamluk regent, Badr al-Din Lu'Lu', ruling on the behalf of the emir al-Qahir Mahmud and acknowledging Ayyubid overlordship.

Mosul is defended by a double wall, a strong citadel and, on the east side, the Tigris itself. Outside the walls are suburbs and fertile gardens, while a wide north-south road runs through the city itself. Many of the houses are built of marble. Mosul contains numerous important religious sites, including mosques housing the tombs of Jonah and St. George (who is also a prophet in Islam), a healing spring, a squash tree planted by the Prophet himself, and several madrasas and Christian monasteries. The population here consists of a mixture of Muslims, Christians and Yazidis (on the last, see Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 136).

Mosul is particularly well known for its textiles. Indeed, it is from the name of the city that the word "muslin" is derived.

The city of Barqa'id is avoided by travelers, for it is populated almost entirely by thieves who rob unwitting visitors and prey on caravans passing it

The House of Ibn Muljam

As indicated in Chapter 2, 'Ali was killed by a political opponent with a poisoned sword. His killer, named 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam, was subsequently executed. However, his sword was taken away by associates and buried in a house where he secretly stayed while he was in Kufa, in which it has subsequently spread an Infernal taint while also becoming an object binding 'Abd al-Rahman's ghost to the site. Since then the house has changed hands many times; because of the uncomfortable feeling there, and the many household accidents that occur, it has been labeled as cursed, although the locals do not know why. The house finally passes into the hands of a friend of the characters who has enough insight to realize that there are supernatural forces at work, and he contacts them to ask for their help in discovering and removing the cause of the troubles. However, by the time the characters reach Kufa the spirit has become strong enough to possess their friend. Can they remove the taint and defeat the ghost without harming him?

Tensions in Mosul

The people of Mosul follow a righteous path, doing pious works. You will meet none of them but has a cheerful countenance and a soft word. They are generous to strangers, receiving them kindly, and using justness in all their dealings with them.

— Muhammad ibn Jubayr (d. 1217), Travels

The characters are contacted by a magus or sahir who recently traveled to Mosul. The wizard in question, having read the travelogue of Ibn Jubayr, decided to investigate and see if the legendary kindness of the people of the city had a supernatural cause. However, his magical experiments in the city have gone awry, and he has inadvertently set the people against each other, so that civil war is brewing. The wizard has the Blatant Gift, impeding his ability to defuse the tension, so he asks the characters to come and act as mediators between the hostile factions while also helping him to cancel the effects of his magical meddling.

Against the City of Thieves

The characters are victims of a raid conducted by the people of Barqa'id, and their victory over the thieves is witnessed by the inhabitants of a local village, who offer them succor. When they arrive at the village they find themselves welcomed like heroes, and it quickly becomes evident that the people are expecting them to destroy Barqa'id and rid them of their oppressors. How will the characters respond to these expectations?

The Battle for Nasibin

Nasibin is actually the site of an invisible battle for souls between an angel and a demon, of which the outward manifestations are the roses and the scorpions. So far, the battle between the two has reached only a stalemate, but either party might decide to try and enlist the aid of the characters. If the characters are taken in by the appeals of the demon, either succumbing to promises of rewards or mistaking the disguised demon for an angel, they may unwittingly find themselves aiding the cause of Hell.

on the road to Nasibin. As a result of its ever-worsening reputation, and the consequent reduction in the number of travelers passing near it, its inhabitants have become ever bolder in their atrocities, attacking other nearby towns and villages, to the point that their victims have appealed to the rulers of Mosul and Nasibin for help; however, each ruler has refused, claiming that it is the other's responsibility and leaving the people to fend for themselves.

An important center of Nestorian Christian scholarship and the seat of a bishop, the city of Nasibin is home to a mixed population of Christians and Muslims. It is famous for its gardens, said to be 40,000 in number and blessed with unusually large and fragrant white roses, but also for its scorpions, which deliver a particularly venomous sting and fill the city in great numbers.

The Astrologers of Nasibin

For most of the history of the Suhhar Sulayman, Nasibin was home to a great bayt al-hikma known as the House of the Heavens, the seat of the great family of Solomonic astrologers called the Ashab al-Najm. This was a series of five large buildings carved from white stone and placed around a central building that housed an observatory with an astrolabe, with a great procession of statues in the courtyard between them fashioned to represent each of the ancient Babylonian figures associated with the planets and zodiacal constellations.

In the year 1186, however, a fascinating event occurred. It is said that soon after the vizier representing Nasibin and the Asala al-Najm returned to the bayt from that year's Majlis, they and all of the other sahirs of the city departed in a mass exodus. Some of them had made arrangements and had their possessions ready to transport, while others simply set down their work and left whatever they were doing unfinished. This depar-

And it was said: O earth! Swallow thy water and, O sky! Be cleared of clouds! And the water was made to subside. And the commandment was fulfilled. And (the ship) came to rest upon al-Judi and it was said: A far removal for wrongdoing folk!

— The Qur'an 11: 44

And in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. — The Bible, Genesis 8: 4

According to the Bible, Noah's ark came to rest upon Mount Ararat in Armenia, something that accords with Christian and Jewish belief, but contradicts Islamic belief. In fact, both groups are right in a sense: the remains of the ark are in a regio that may be reached from either mountain. On Mount Judi it is possible to enter the resting place of the ark from the mosque; characters have merely to walk through the mihrab, even though it appears to be made of solid marble, in order to be transported there. For more on Mount Ararat and the resting place of Noah's ark see Ancient Magic, pages 70–73.

ture occurred just before the end of summer, and astrologers have calculated that at about that time all seven planets were in the sign of Libra, a rare event that indicates powerful celestial influence in acts of subtlety, independence, and the assistance of others.

Neither the Asala nor the vizier who once led the House of the Heavens have been heard from since, and so have never explained this strange direction the great house suddenly took, but there are now many groups of sahirs who tell different stories and give different reasons. The predominant belief is that they scattered to better assist Salah al-Din in the Battle of Hattin and the recapture of Jerusalem in 1187, though others say they acted to put a plan into place that would remove Rashid al-Din Sinan of the Syrian Nizaris (see Chapter 8: Mythic Persia, The Nizari Isma'ili State).

All of the remaining sahirs from Nasibin now travel in roving caravans across the Mythic Middle East, each occasionally stopping in one place or another when the stars seem right. Their mobile laboratories are still more common in Jazira than other regions, being closest to where they came from. Meriq, the current Asala (see Chapter 8: Mythic Persia, Savah) maintains that their family bayt is still located in Nasibin, even though no one currently lives there, and supposes that those who left must eventually return there one day.

Mount Judi is believed by the Muslims to be the final resting place of the Ark of Noah. The mountain is topped by a mosque marking the spot, and at its foot lies the city of Thamanin ("eighty"), said to have been founded by eighty of Noah's companions, whose inhabitants claim descent from this illustrious group.

The black basalt city of Amid has been massively fortified by its Turkish overlords with thick walls, multiple watchtowers and iron gates. The central portion of the town includes a high hill upon which is built the citadel. Outside of this wall lie the suburbs of the city, again enclosed by fortified wall. The city is home to several religious buildings, including both a major Sunni mosque and a great Jacobite church, both of which are built of black basalt and iron and are renowned for their beauty.

The over-fortification of Amid is the result of repeated attacks on the city made over the centuries by immense armies of Faerie creatures, wielding wood and stone weapons and clad in an ancient and unknown form of leather armor. The precise reason for these attacks is unclear, though

they always take place on the spring equinox. The people of the city have become fatalistically used to preparing for these attacks on a regular basis. On the other hand, the shared foe has proved to be a factor that has led to extremely good relations between the Muslims and Christians of the city.

Once a residence of the caliph Harun al-Rashid, Raqqa is enjoying something of a resurgence under the Ayyubids. Its markets are flourishing, and it is famous for its blue-glazed ceramics. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the Euphrates from the city is the site of the Battle of Siffin, which was fought between 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan in 657. After several months of skirmishing, Mu'awiya asked his opponent for resolution of their dispute by arbitrators. 'Ali agreed, but some of his followers did not and so abandoned him; Ibn Muljam, who slew 'Ali, was an adherent of this dissenting group.

The supporters of 'Ali who died in the battle are buried here, and it is possible to see through the ground to their uncorrupted bodies from afar. However, when one comes to the places where they lie, the bodies may no longer be seen. The battlefield is a place of holy pilgrimage for Shi'is.

Currently ruled by the Ayyubids, the city of Harran has an ancient pedigree as the dwelling place of Abraham, and later as the first center of the scholarly movement that began translating many works of Classical scholarship into Arabic in the eighth century. About nine miles south of the city is a shrine marking where Abraham and Sarah dwelled. Harran is also famous as having been the center of a cult of monotheistic star-magicians known as the Sabians, who were first encountered by the Muslims in the ninth century; they are said to have since died out, but some may still exist, posing as Muslims to avoid harassment. Harran is also home to a prominent cult dedicated to the Ashshur, patron god of the Assyrians.

The city of Edessa has changed hands many times in its history, having been held variously by the Byzantines, the Muslims, and others. In 1098 it was taken by the crusaders, who made it the capital of one of their four states. However, as noted previously, on Christmas Eve 1144 it was conquered by Zangi, and it is currently under the control of the Ayyubid sultan of Aleppo, al-'Aziz (r. 1216–1236). The majority of the population are Christians of various churches, and its chief claim to fame used to be a Christian relic, the Holy Mandylion — a cloth bearing an image of Christ's face that was sent by him to King Abgar of Edessa. However, this relic was given to the Byzantine Emperor in exchange for prisoners by the Muslim rulers of Edessa in the tenth century, and then lost when the crusaders sacked Constantinople in 1204. What became of the relic remains unknown, but the people of Edessa hope it will be miraculously restored to them someday.

Crossing the River Sanjah, a tributary of the Euphrates, is an exceptionally well-made bridge, consisting over a single

The Death of Tenik

In ancient times there were two chieftains named Tigran and Vasdes. Tigran ruled a village on the site of Amid, while Vasdes ruled another village nearby. One night, Tigran raided the village of Vasdes and took the latter's wife, Tenik, hostage. The following night, the night of the spring equinox, Vasdes led his troops out to rescue his wife and take revenge on Tigran, but Tenik, who wished to prevent further bloodshed, threw herself between the two warbands in an attempt to halt the fighting, meeting an accidental death under her husband's already-swinging club. Horrified, both men called a halt to the conflict and resolved their differences.

The Faeries at Amid seek to re-enact the conflict of Tigran and Vasdes, but they are unable to bring it to its final resolution due to human ignorance of the story. In the meantime, their army, the Faerie manifestation of the warband of Vasdes, has grown as Amid has grown, with the result that it continues to be a threat to the city. The characters learn of the story from a Faerie that lives nearby and realize that the conflict may be brought to an end if someone takes the role of Tenik and falls under Vasdes' axe. Yet how may this be achieved without someone having to die?

The Dead of Siffin

The identity of one of the corpses buried at Siffin causes concern for the characters.

Perhaps the one of the bodies, from a distance, looks like an ancestor of a character, in which case, why is the ancestor here among the dead? Did an ancestor of the character travel here and become involved in the fighting between 'Ali and Mu'awiya? If the ancestor was in the region for a significant amount of time the character may have other, unknown relatives in the region, waiting to be found. This has even more interesting implications if the character in question is Gifted; perhaps there is a whole magical lineage to which she is related.

Alternatively, maybe the cause for concern is a corpse that, from a distance, resembles a still-living character or one of the characters' associates. Is this a warning of some sort, a premonition of the future?

Of course, with both storylines the characters will need to find ways to observe the corpse in question more closely, to ensure that they are not merely seeing a coincidental resemblance. This can probably be achieved using magic either to gain a closer view of the body or to mark the grave so that they may disinter the corpse. Of course, if they do the latter, they will have to ensure that they are unobserved by people who might object to them disturbing the site.

The Heat Is On

This is a town with no beauty about it. It has no shade to mitigate its feverish heat, and its climate follows from its name (harran, "hot"). Its water bears no acquaintance with freshness, and its squares and outskirts never cease to burn from the heat of its midday sun. No noontime place of rest will you find there, and you will breathe no air that is not heavy. Thrown into the naked waste, it has been founded in the midst of the wilderness and, without the brightness of a city, its shoulders have been stripped of the clothing of verdure.

— Muhammad ibn Jubayr (d. 1217), Travels

Why is Harran so unusually hot? The characters discover that the growing heat in the town is the work of remnants of the Sabian magi, who hope that by making the city inhospitable they may drive away the population, leaving it an empty site that they may excavate for ancient treasures of their tradition and in which they may resurrect their cult. This desire to reclaim the site may find sympathetic ears among the characters, since Hermetic magi often have mixed feelings about similar mundane encroachment on magical sites. The magi may be tempted to aid the Sabians in their efforts, or they may seek to arrange some sort of compromise that allows them to practice their magic while leaving the local populace undisturbed.

The Holy Mandylion

The Image of Edessa (as the Holy Mandylion is called by the West) is now in possession of Otto de la Roche, the crusader Duke of Athens, not only one of the most powerful mundanes in the Theban Tribunal, but now virtually invincible thanks to this powerful relic. For his persecution of the orthodox clergy, the pope has recently excommunicated de la Roche (see The Sundered Eagle, Chapter 5: Athens, and 9: Relics of Constantinople). The characters are somehow motivated to return the relic to Edessa; perhaps they are hired by an Armenian nobleman (or magus), or else it is necessary to defeat a great evil that threatens Edessa.

The Missing Talisman

The characters are approached by representatives of the villages around the Sanjah Bridge. The talisman has been stolen, and the bridge is starting to crumble at a supernaturally fast rate. The local villagers depend on the bridge to allow them to transport crops to market. Can the characters track down the thief? Even if they do, can they restore the talisman's magical effect before the bridge collapses completely?

arch over 200 paces long, made from huge blocks of dressed stone. This was constructed in ancient times by a sorcerer working for a local ruler, who was aided by a talisman that he carried. The talisman is now implanted in an arch at the crown of the bridge. No one knows exactly what its function is, nor what would happen if it were to be removed.

Arzanjani brass-smithshave a magical talent that allows them to manipulate brass by hand, enabling them to produce exceptional pieces of work. This is represented by the Minor Supernatural Virtue Lesser Power (Realms of Power: Magic, page 45), which is gained through guild Initiation. The Initiation Script to gain this power always includes the Minor Personality Flaw Vow (guild loyalty). Mechanics for Initiation can be found in The Mysteries Revised Edition, pages 8–16. Organization Lore: Arzanjani Brass-Smiths' Guild may be used in place of (Mystery Cult) Lore in this instance.

Crafter of Brass

1 Fatigue level, Init equal to (Qik – 6), Terram

R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind

A piece of brass touched by the user of this power becomes supple to the touch, so that it can be reshaped into a different form. This does not enable the smith to fuse pieces together, so she must still carefully cut out the basic shapes of the objects to be made. However, it does enable an imaginative smith to create pieces of great intricacy and beauty.

ReTe 15 (base 4, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +1 for intricacy): Lesser Power (15 levels, –2 Might cost)

A character may begin the game with this Virtue, in which case she should also take the Vow Flaw and a score of 1 in Organization Lore: Arzanjani Brasscrafters' Guild. She should also consider taking Flaws that represent the experiences of her Initiation.

A magus of House Verditius is intrigued to learn about the powers of Arzanjani brass-smiths and sends the characters to find out more. He particularly encourages one of the characters (perhaps a filius) to learn the Mystery, so that they may later examine its similarities to aspects of Verditius Magic. However, in order to achieve this the characters will have to persuade the elders of the Arzanjani BrassSmiths' Guild to initiate one of them, including convincing them that their secret will not be shared with the world at large.

The bustling market town of Arzanjan is mostly populated by Armenian Christians. It is famous for the quality of the various pieces of work produced by its crafters, with pride of place going to its brass-smiths, who produce works of remarkable beauty in shapes unattainable by the brass-smiths of other towns.