Spectral Soldiers of King Kush (cont'd)

Power, Gentle Air, Greater Power (x2), No Fatigue; Improved Abilities (x14), Improved Characteristics (6x), Improved Powers (x5), Lesser Power (x2); Restricted Power (x2)

Personality Traits: Brave +3, Determined +3, Dutiful +3, Loyal +3

Short Sword/Round Shield: Init +3, Attack +11/+12, Defense +10/+13, Damage +8

Soak: +9

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6– 10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Destroyed (21+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Egypt 4 (things to lament), Artes Liberales 3 (astronomy), Athletics 3 (marching), Awareness 3 (in combat), Bargain 4 (haggle), Brawl 5 (dagger), Carouse 2 (drinking), Charm 3 (wit), Coptic 4 (ancient), Etiquette 4 (courtly), Folk Ken 3 (warriors), Greek 5 (ancient), Hunt 2 (track), Intrigue 4 (alliances), Leadership 6 (soldiers), Philosophiae 3 (natural), Profession: Soldier 5 (honor guard), Single Weapon 7 (with shield), Survival 2 (forage)

Strike, 0 points, Init special, Terram CrTe 10 (Base 5, +1 Touch); Lesser Power (10 levels, –2 cost, special Initiative)

Animation, 0 points, Init +2, (Corpus)

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind ReCo 25 (Base 10, +1 Touch, +2 Sun; Lesser Power (25 levels, –5 cost, +5 Initiative); Restricted

Summon the Spectral Soldiers, 0 points, Init +2, Mentem

R: Arcane, D: Mom, T: Ind or Group

The prince can summon any or all of his soldiers, regardless of the intervening distance (however, this cannot be done across Magic Realm Boundaries). This power only works upon the ghosts of his army, not upon other spirits.

ReMe 50 (Base 15, +4 Arc, +2 Group, +1 Flexible), Greater Power (50 levels, –5 cost, +5 Initiative); Restricted

Ghost Touch, variable cost, Init (2 – Might points spent), Terram The prince's ghost can move physical objects around (see RoP: Magic, p. 102) ReTe2 5, Focus Power

Eidolon, 0 points, Init +1, Imaginem R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind The prince is able to create an illusionary image of himself that can be seen and heard

by corporeal beings (see RoP: Magic, p. 102)

CrIm 15 (Base 2, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +2 move by command, +1 intricacy): Greater Power (15 levels, +1 Init, –2 cost)

Presence, 0 points, constant, Imaginem

R: Arcane, D: Constant, T: Ind The prince is able to perceive all that occurs within the Marble Palace (see RoP: Magic, p. 103)

InIm 30; Greater Power (30 levels, –3 cost)

Equipment: Short sword or spear, round shield, full scale armor

Vis: 3 Rego and 5 Mentem in ghostly essence

Appearance: The prince appears more regal and stately than his soldiers.

level 5 Faerie aura during the day, and a latent level 4 Magic aura. At night the Magic aura waxes to a strength of 5 and the Faerie aura wanes to a strength of 4. The supernatural properties of this aura restore all lost fatigue levels to a character who spends a full night and day resting at the oasis. Also, recovery rolls for disease and injury are greatly hastened, and one recovery roll can be made for each disease and injury after sleeping here for a single night.

The Oasis is inhabited by a jinni named Da'ud, the genius loci and caretaker of the pond and garden. He is the spirit of the invigorating cool breeze that protects the pond from evaporation and helps nourish the garden. Da'ud is a friendly and helpful jinni. He has heard the words of the Prophet and believes that it is his duty to aid the faithful. He can provide the characters with refreshment and nourishment from the garden, and he has the power to fabricate material goods out of thin air.

He also has a habit of showing off his knowledge and cannot help but let information slip from his lips. He is happy to tell the characters how to get to the Marble Palace and everything he knows about it. On their own it would take a week, but if the characters follow his directions they get there in three days. If Da'ud joins the expedition, he can lead them there in a single day.

In this encounter, the characters face the threat of a severe sandstorm, a natural hazard that carries with it a supernatural menace. The sandstorm picks up slowly as the characters travel, at first being a mild annoyance, then building to obscure vision, and eventually increasing to the point of inflicting a stress die + 5 points of damage per round of exposure to it. The sandstorm is completely natural and Magic Resistance provides no protection, although Auram or Terram Form Bonuses add to a magus' Soak roll. On the other hand, as it is completely natural, Rego Auram and Rego Terram spells can provide complete protection.

During the storm, a character spots a massive dark cloud in the distance. Extending from the ground to the sky all along the horizon, the sheer wall of whirling sand is headed their way. This is a magically created sandstorm, although the characters are unlikely to realize that fact as they desperately seek shelter. A malicious jinni named Sorash D'resh al-Zawba'a, also known as the Wrath of Scorching Sand, is generating the magical sandstorm.

Sorash is using his Lord of the Desert Focus Power to create a Very Severe weather Phenomenon (CrAu(Te) 35; Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Concentration, +2 size, +1 Terram). Although awe inspiring, a storm this massive is not unnatural for this terrain. Once it hits, the magical storm lasts for a full minute (10 rounds), and inflicts +30 damage per round on all those exposed to it. This storm represents the upper limit of Sorash's Focus Power, and the Penetration is only 7 (his Penetration Ability score, adding Finesse because of the Penetration Mastery).

Though it appears to the characters that the sandstorm is moving towards them, they are actually moving towards it, even if they remain stationary. What they are experiencing is a mobile regio boundary, and Sorash is the genius loci of that boundary. A Magic aura suddenly rises up at a strength of 6 (this adds to his Penetration, but also adds to Parma Magica-based Magic Resistance). Sorash attacks those who cross the boundary simply because he is malicious. After the storm, he may attempt to harass the characters further. This is an opportunity for the magi to overpower him and coerce him, and he can be forced to take them directly to the Marble Palace.