[ ArsM] Ars Magica in the Exotic East Ars Magica, eh? It's the Proust of roleplaying games.

Everyone admires it but no body's actually done it because, well, it's complicated... troupe-style play... grogs... etc. So we thought we'd dust off ArMg by starting off just roleplaying grogs, let a few years slide by, then introduce companions, a few more years pas s, finally you get to play the Magi. A cute rationale will be having the grogs g o questing for the apprentices who will one day graduate as the PC magi. Nice to uch! Then there's the setting. Frankly, we're a bit jaded with Medieval Europe. The e pic Mage chronicle ranged across the 15th century. Since then we've done all sor ts of Fae-themed scenarios and I feel I can GM an encounter with the Horned God or the May Queen or sundry faerie types without waking up. Clanking knights and dripping northern forests and henges and grim inquisitors - it all feels a bit o ld. But PERSIA! Just the sound of it... PERSIA! The 1001 Nights! Sohrab & Rustum ! Caliphs and viziers! Assassins! ISLAM! Deserts and jinn! Scimitars! So, a Persia-based Ars Magica saga, set around 1200 AD (596 AH for Muslims, 4960 for Jews). There don't seem to be published rules for this, though there is a L evant Tribunal sourcebook for adventures in the Holy Land - however, we're going much further east. There's Ars Arabica, an unofficial web sourcebook, which has some cute ideas but departs too radically from the ArMg magic system for my tas te. What I'm needing are new Houses for a Persian setting. Might as well invent 'em myself... TARIQAH AL-ASRAR I-HURMUS The mythical figure of Hermes Trismegistus lies behind the magical traditions of East and West. The original Hermetic Corpus was recorded in Egyptian then trans lated into Arabic long before it made its way into Latin or Greek. A community o f mystics studied the Hermetica at the Turkish town of Harran until the advance of Islam forced them to go underground. Commemorating their tradition, followers of the Hermetic Path are often called Sabians. The Tariqah al-Asrar (Secret Order) itself wasn't possible until two Hermetic scho lars met in Baghdad in the early 8th century: the European mage Bonisagus and th e Zoriastrian priest Khalid ibn-Barmak. Bonisagus was scouring the known world f or clues for his Unified Theory of Magic and Khalid had many insights and ancien t texts at his disposal. When Bonisagus returned to Europe for a decade of seclu sion, Khalid involved himself in politics, orchestrating the overthrow of the co rrupt Ummayad Caliphate and ushering in the Golden Age of the Abbasid Caliphs. But he passed on his mystical goals to his son and grandson, both Viziers to the ne w Caliphs. It was the grandson, Jafar ibn-Yahya, who was to accomplish so much. Jafar becam e vizier to the great Caliph Harun al-Rashid and set about a huge scholarly proj ect: the Bait al-Hikmah or House of Wisdom. This enormous institute gathered toget her scholars from all across the Caliphate from Turkey, China and India to trans late Greek science, Persian astronomy, Chinese medicine and Indian mathematics. However, a core group of occultists were set to work on the scattered fragments of the Hermetic Corpus. In a few years they were able to do what had taken Bonis agus a lifetime: develop the Hermetic Unified Theory of magic. But Jafar's work was not done. The new Caliphate broke with tradition by welcoming non-Muslims to court and appointing Persians and Turks to high positions. Jamal invited the most prominent sorcerers to Baghdad to form a secret community for mutual protection and the advancement of knowledge; in exchange, he would teach

them the Khamsa wa-Khamis (Parma Magica) and Hermetic magic. The Zoroastrian Maz dakites strongly supported this, since Jafar's family was descended from their ran ks. The wandering Green Ones needed little persuasion, nor did the Houris and th e Chaldeans of ancient Babylon, whose magic was in danger of lapsing into obscur ity. There was more resistance from the Solomonites, who claimed their own mysti cal founder in the person of Sheikh Sulayman, and the Stygians, who regarded Har mus/Hermes as their own, an incarnation of the god Thoth. The arrival of the Has hashin at this summit surprised everyone. The Tariqah was formalised, comprising the Houses of Mithra, al-Khidr, Chaldees, Houri, Solomon, Stygia and Hashashin. But Jafar's pre-eminence was deeply resente d. Then, in 803, Jafar was arrested by the Caliph's guards and sentenced to death for treason. The ostensible cause was his affair with the Caliph's sister Abbasa b ut sorcery was implicated and betrayal by the Houris was suspected. Jafar's loyal friends wanted to come to his aid but from prison he pleaded with them to do not hing. One of the Pillars on which the Taraqah was founded was that the magi woul d not use their arts to contest the will of a divinely ordained monarch the Cali ph, who was descended directly from the uncle of the Prophet himself. Jafar beli eved that magi must work alongside mortal and divine power, not in conflict with it, and was prepared to die to enshrine this principle. Jafar's death did not divide the Tariqah, but it did lead to the formation of a ne w House, the Dar el-Hikmah, know as the Jafarites. These mages were drawn from J afar's loyal students and the close friends he had made in a range of other mystic al traditions outside the main magical fraternities. They dedicated themselves t o continuing Jafar's studies but also to maintaining the Tariqah, through al-Hiday ah ("guidance"), a combination of policework, diplomacy and acting as the voice of conscience. Since Jafar's death is now seen as a mystical martyrdom, their pres tige is much enhanced by association with his name. CHALDEANS (House Kaldu) This order is based on the magical traditions of Babylon and is intensely mystic al and ritualistic. They are renowned tomb raiders and explorers, seeking out th e wisdom and magical power of the past in the catacombs under the ancient cities and pyramids of Mesopotamia. They lay great store by prophecy and have a reputa tion as seers and scryers. This means their services are in much demand as fortu ne-tellers and long-range spies, but they are unreliable partners, since they at tempt to live their life conforming to prophecies, which can lead to erratic beh aviour. They resemble CRIAMON in Ars Magica with the scholarly credentials of BONISAGUS but their ritualism makes them less effective at spontaneous magic but excellent at formulaic spells. Starting Abilities: Enigmatic Wisdom 1, Tariqah Lore 2, Magic Theory 4, Khamsa w a-Khamis 2, Scribe Arabic/Persian 3, Speak Arabic 4, Speak Persian 5 (or Arabic at 5 and Persian at 4) Starting Experience Points: 7+age Typical Virtues & Flaws Magical Affinity with Divination Magic (varies) Method Caster (varies) Book Learner (+1) Magic Sensitivity (+1)

Secret Vis Source (+1) Premonitions (+1) Visions (+2) Divination (+4) Blatant Gift (-1) Reclusive (-1) Obsessed with ancient secrets (-1) Twilight Points (-1) Slow Caster (-2) Sense of Doom (-3) Non-Spontaneity (-6) DAR AL-HIKMAH (House Jafar, the Hokkam or "arbitrators") This House was formed by Jafar ibn-Yahya's friends and students after his death or martyrdom, as they saw it. Most of these students were drawn from diverse magic al traditions outside the other big Houses, but a sense of common purpose and Ja far's Hermetic discoveries spurred them on to great a powerful and tightly-organis ed House. They work towards Jafar's dream of getting the Houses to cooperate and a void conflict with the mortal world. In this capacity they are the Hokkam and ac t as diplomats and mediators and occasionally as police or judges, though they h ave little formal authority outside Baghdad and a few other key cities in Greate r Persia. They resemble a mixture of BONISAGUS, being magical theorists, QUAESITORIS, as j udges, and EX MISCELLEA, coming from unusual backgrounds. Starting Abilities: Tariqah Lore 3, Magic Theory 5, Khamsa wa-Khamis 2, Scribe A rabic/Persian 3, Speak Arabic 5, Speak Persian 4 (or Persian at 5 and Arabic at 4) Starting Experience Points: equal to age Typical Virtues & Flaws Book Learner (+1) Clear Thinker (+1) Hakam (as Quaesitor, +1) Higher Purpose (+1) Knack with Magic Theory (+1) Tariqah Prestige (+1) Blatant Gift (-1) Dutybound (-1) Driving Goal (-1) Their unusual backgrounds can lend them exotic Virtues or Flaws (eg Lycanthrope, Diabolic Upbringing or Giant-Blooded) or magic that manifests unusually (Necess ary Condition, Warped Magic etc). Alternatively, build a Beast Mage or Spirit Ma ster as per ArMg rules. DAR AL-HURIYA (House Houri; the Ishtarites)

Despite the name, you don't have to be female to join this order (though many Hour is are women). The Houris specialise in magic of the mind and the passions yes, love magic but also any form of illusion, telepathy and mind control. They also know the secrets of the body and delight in physical transformations. They are a worldly group and enjoy mortal society and company; they are passionate and imp ulsive by magi standards. A somewhat discredited House, they are widely blamed f or the fall of Jafar ibn-Yahya and other magi often regard them as too inclined to get involved with the intrigues of mortals or act for short-term interests. L ess widely known is the Houris descent from the ancient priest-queens of Babylon and Assyria, the worshippers of Ishtar and Astarte. Driven underground by the p atriarchal forces of Zoroastrianism and later Islam, they have reinvented themse lves as poets, performers and prestidigitators. They resemble JERBITON in Ars Magica, but with the anarchic qualities of CRIAMON or FLAMBEAU. Starting Abilities: Carousing 1, Guile 1, Tariqah Lore 1, Magic Theory 4, Khamsa wa-Khamis 2, Scribe Arabic/Persian 3, Speak Arabic 4, Speak Persian 5 (or Arabi c at 5 and Persian at 4) Starting Experience Points: 8+age Typical Virtues & Flaws Magical Affinity with Charm or Illusion (varies) Gentle Gift (+1) Free Expression (+1) Venus' Blessing (+1) Enchanting Music (+2) Entrancement (+4) Bad Reputation (-1) Necessary Condition (-1, often "singing", "dancing" or "playing instrument") Discredited Lineage (-2) Noncombatant (-2) Commonly: True Friend (+1), Gossip (+2), Patron (+2), True Love (+2), Protection (+3) or Dependent (-1), Favours (-1), Lost Love (-1), Meddler (-1) Secrets: The Houris are far more than poets and illusionists. Their own traditio ns remember the glory days of Sumer and Assyria, of Ur and Babylon the Great. Th ey know they are priests and priestesses of the Goddess whose song chimes in the hot blood of passion and ecstasy. Once they presided over the sacred couplings and holy blood-letting atop the ziggurats of Mesopotamia when their Goddess - va riously Isis, Ishtar, Uzza and Cybele - was incarnate in man and woman. These se crets are not forgotten and the Houris now work to exploit all that the harsh re ligions of the sky calls forbidden (haraam). This can range from celebrating amo rous poetry and erotic dance, through intoxication and sexual deviancy or even t he ecstastic mysticism of the Sufis and Dervishes. Poetry and art are common too ls, but so is alcohol, sexuality or political dissent. The Houris move in the sh adows, never counselling outright revolution but encouraging free expression, su bversion and decadence in one way or another. In this they find curious allies i

n both the Hashashin and also the faerie Peri - many of whom perceive themselves as the displaced gods and goddesses of the ancient world. Of course, not every Houri works towards the downfall of Islamic or Zoroastrian society - many are po ets, tricksters and mystics who delight in challenging assumptions and opening up new ways for hidebound mortals to experience the world anew. DAR AL-KHIDR (The House of Green; the Green Ones) Al-Khidr is a mysterious figure in Islam: an immortal wandering mystic who teach es occult power. In Persian, he is Al-Khezr. The Green Ones who follow his teachin gs have a deep attachment to nature and created the first paridayda (paradise; Ara bic "jannah") the beautiful tended gardens the Persians love. The Green Ones hav e power over growing things and sympathy with animals and commune with nature re gularly. They tend to be wanderers who travel between different places of study and are widely used by other magi and messengers and newsbearers. They can be re cognised by the green mantle (khirqa) they wear. They combine aspects of BJORNAER and MERCERE in Ars Magica. The Green Ones can u se any site of natural beauty or cultivated garden as a laboratory for a few Sea sons. This enables them to maintain their research while keeping on the move. Starting Abilities: Tariqah Lore 2, Magic Theory 3, Khamsa wa-Khamis 2, Scribe A rabic/Persian 3, Speak Arabic 5, Speak Persian 4 (or Persian at 5 and Arabic at 4) Starting Experience Points: 12+age Typical Virtues & Flaws Cyclic Magic (seasonal, may be a Flaw) Affinity with Nature (varies) Herbalism (+1) Free Study (+1) Well-Travelled (+1) Intuition (+2) Ways of the Land (+4) Stingy Master (-2) Follower of Al-Khidr (+1): You get the same respect given to Redcaps in ArMg; in addition you can use gardens or places of natural beauty as laboratories for a season Secrets: Al-Khidr is the guardian of the Maul Hayat (water of life). DAR AL-MUMIYYAH (House Stygia; Stygians or Khemites) This ancient order of Egyptian necromancers takes its name from the bitumen used in their funerary practices. Outsiders identify them by their Egyptian homeland : Stygia in Greek, Khem in Egyptian, Kimiya in Persian. These magi project an im age of power and mystery. Like the Chaldeans, they explore tombs but the bodies of the dead are the treasures they seek. They are renowned as spiritualists and mediums, raisers of zombies and seekers after immortality. Proud and aloof, they consider other Houses their inferiors but seem little interested in political f euding.

No clear equivalents in Ars Magica, except CRIAMON and TREMERE up to a point. Starting Abilities: Occult Lore 2, Tariqah Lore 2, Magic Theory 4, Khamsa wa-Kha mis 2, Scribe Hieroglyphs 3, Speak Arabic 5, Speak Persian 4 Starting Experience Points: 5+age Typical Virtues & Flaws Magical Affinity with Necromancy (varies) Alchemy (+1) Second Sight (+1) Ghostly Warder (+4) Cursed (varies) Magical Deficiency with Healing or Living Creatures (varies) Bad Reputation (-1) Dark Secret (-1) Reclusive (-1) Twilight Points (-1) Plagued by Ghosts (-4) Secrets: The elders of Stygia are, of course, mummies. The Stygians long ago dev eloped potent longevity rituals that wholly suspended death and decay, leaving t he "mummies" hovering in a Twilight state, wholly immortal yet wholly disconnect ed from the living world. The personal costs of this transformation are rumoured to be horrific, yet magi of House Mumiyyah have traditionally sort immortality at the expense of all other goals. The presence of centuries-old (or millennia-o ld) immortals ruling the House has rendered Stygia both intensely conservative a nd monolithic in structure. Joining the Tariqah has upset this ancient status qu o, exposing younger magi to models of freedom, morality and alternative philosop hies heretofore unknown. The elders have resorted by trying to restrict and supe rvise their underlings even more closely, but division is intensifying: not the secretive civil war that plagues House Solomon, but something more subtle. Moreo ver, the pagan Stygians are at odds with the Islamic culture of the East and spe cifically antithetical to the Green Ones, who are said to guard another, more en lightened route to immortality. DAR AL-SULAYMAN (House Solomon) This order traces its power from the magic of King Solomon, particularly in powe r over demons (shayatin) and jinn. They are intensely competitive and inclined t o arrogance. They also disdain non-Arabic philosophies, especially Zoroastrians; this leads them to challenge continuously the Mazdakites and to a lesser extent the Chaldeans and Stygians. They are probably the most powerful House, especial ly in the Arab West where the Crusades afford their aggression a fresh outlet bu t also draws them into conflict with the Jafarites who believe magic should not settle the territorial disputes of mortals. They equate to TYTALUS in Ars Magica, but with the prestige of BONISAGUS and som e of the Fae links of MERINITA (albeit based purely around controlling or banish ing jinn).

Starting Abilities: Jinn Lore OR Occult Lore1, Tariqah Lore 2, Magic Theory 4, K hamsa wa-Khamis 2, Scribe Arabic/Persian 3, Speak Arabic 5, Speak Persian 4 Starting Experience Points: 7+age Typical Virtues & Flaws Jinn Blood (variable; as Faerie Blood) Self-Confident (+1) Strong Personality (+1) Tariqah Prestige (+1) Well-Known (+1) Famous (+2) Jinn Friend (+2, as Faerie Friend) Jinn Magic (+2, as Faerie Magic but includes Demiurgy) Thaumaturgy (+4) Driving Goal (-1, usually to bind a particular jinn or destroy a demon) Jinn Enmity (-1, as Faerie Enmity) Tormenting Master (-1) Over Confident (-2) Cursed (variable; from a jinn or demon) Secrets: The Solomonites present a united front and an aggressive stance to riva ls, so few suspect the crisis in their ranks. For centuries the heirs of Solomon drew their power from the servitude of jinn and, though it is forbidden, demons . Spirit-binding is, of course, a loser's game and it's a credit to the wiliness and willpower of the House of Solomon that the magi dominated their supernatura l servants for so long. But eventually the rot set in. Jinn served out their ter ms of duty, then returned for revenge; ancient bindings faded and the knowledge of potent seals were lost. In response to this mutiny, reckless Solomonites fell to bargaining with demons, rather than extirpating them. The crisis escalated. By the dawn of the Christian era the House was riddled with corruption, with man y magi demon-possessed, mere pawns to demons or else bound themselves to jinn ov erlords. The advent of Islam and the Dar as-Salam (Muslim Dominion) came as a re spite, stifling the powers of jinn and (especially) demons and allowing younger magi to break away from their corrupted masters and seek a new, less destructive , route to power. Hermetic Theory provided this. Yet in this time, many of the a rch-magi of the House of Solomon remain jinn- or demon- bound: astonishingly pow erful, yet mere catspaws for their supernatural masters. The Hermetic Solomonite s work to cleanse their own ranks, yet have so far contrived to hide this intern al crusade from outsiders - though the Hashashin, of course, find lucrative cont racts regardless. DAR ALUH-AMUT (House Hashashin; or Assassins) This is a very mysterious House. The mundane Hashashin are known to the world as fanatic Ismailis dedicated to the cause of Shi'a Islam. The mystical tradition is

rumoured to be both deeper and older. The House name refers to Alamut, the assa ssins' stronghold in the northern mountains, but also means the Eagle's Teachings. Amo ng themselves, the Hashashin refer to themselves as Dar al-Hijra, the House of Re fuge. The Hashashins' targets tend to be military leaders or governors, often those implicated in genocidal crimes, but the whole role of assassin may be a distrac tion from this House's real objectives. There are no equivalents in Ars Magica, except perhaps TREMERE. Starting Abilities: Hashashin Lore 2, Tariqah Lore 2, Magic Theory 3, Khamsa waKhamis 2, Scribe Arabic/Persian 3, Speak Arabic 5, Speak Persian/Turkic 4 Starting Experience Points: 9+age Typical Virtues & Flaws Hashashin tend to have affinities for Perdo magic, stealth and combat but also w ith esoteric and alien arts and knowledges. A common Flaw is Outsider (Ismaili), Dutybound and a Bad Reputation. DARB E-MEHR (House Mithra; or Mazdakites) The national religion of Greater Persia is Zoroastrianism, a monotheistic faith with an institution of fire-temples, priests (mobeds) and liturgy (avestan). Zor oastrianism frowns on magic but venerates the natural elements. The Mazdakites a re a heretical sect whose name is often applied to the sorcerers who use Zoroast rian rites to gain magical powers. They refer to themselves as Darb e-Mehr, the G ate of Mithras. The Mazdakites are a proud lineage but recognise that only by wor king with the Muslim incomers can they preserve their culture and traditions. Th ey see themselves as seeking occult knowledge that is explicitly forbidden by Go d (Ahura-Mazda), forcing them to practise in secret and avoid holy places. There's no real equivalent in Ars Magica. Starting Abilities: Tariqah Lore 2, Magic Theory 5, Khamsa wa-Khamis 2, Scribe A rabic/Persian 3, Speak Arabic 4, Speak Persian 4 Starting Experience Points: 4+age Typical Virtues & Flaws Common Virtues include: Elementalist or Affinity with elemental Forms, Alchemy; also Susceptibility to Divine Power and Sense Holiness/Unholiness are common as is Blatant Gift.