Hakima

More than a few tales from the Arabian Nights portray intelligent and outspoken women with mystical abilities. The Hakima discipline is modelled after such extraordinary characters. A Hakima's gaze can penetrate the veils of magic and lies to perceive the underlying truth. Although her other abilities are limited, the Hakima's insight is highly valued both in the desert and the cities of Zakhara.

Role: Wise women are not fighters or aggressors by nature, but they still know how to defend themselves. They are the keepers of the home fires, the protectors of the family, and the unifier of tribes. They may rise in power to be leaders themselves, or guide others along the path to greatness. (Although women in the Land of Fate are treated with great equality compared to those in Arabian history, most Zakharan leaders are male.) A wise woman does not normally contest others directly; instead she opposes them more subtly, more cleverly, with champions and feints and challenges. A sultan could choose no one better than a loyal Hakima to be the leader of his household, as well as his favoured confidant and domestic spy.

Equipment: The Hakima may not purchase any form of armour with her initial gold, though she may buy it later. Most Hakimas don padded armour when anticipating a battle. Hakima dress ranges from ordinary to spectacular. Most women wear veils in the Land of Fate, especially in settlements. In the city, a short, diaphanous curtain serves more as a fashionable custom than as a restriction. In many areas of the hinterland, veils are optional, serving only to keep the wind off one's face. However, a few tribes do require women hide their features behind a dark, heavy mask. In such tribes, the Hakimas follow suit.

Important Attributes: Charisma and Perception

Restrictions: Hakimas (hah-KEEM-ahs) are usually female. In some rare instances amles may function within this class, but this requires an unusuall passive mindset for a male.

Karma Ritual: The Hakima sits quietly, but not necessarily by herself. She meditates upon each person in her surroundings, contemplating how each fits into society and what their true motivations and nature might be. As soon as she has contemplated all people close to her, the ritual ends.

Artisan Skills: Cooking, sewing, tent embroidery, dancing, storytelling.

FIRST CIRCLE

Talents

• Avoid Blow (D)
• Detect Falsehood (EDC) (D)
• Healing (AQ) (D)
• Karma Ritual
• Perceive Station (AQ) (D)
• Taunt

SECOND CIRCLE

Talents

• Disguise
• Durability (5/4)
• Haggle (D)

THIRD CIRCLE

Talents

• Astral Sight (D)
• Rumour Mill (D)

FOURTH CIRCLE

Karma: The Hakima may spend a Karma point on any roll involving Perception only.

Talents

• Survival (AQ)
• Thread Weaving (D)

FIFTH CIRCLE

Social Defence: Increase the Hakima's Social Defence by one.

Talents

• Abate Curse
• Fire Heal (D)

SIXTH CIRCLE

Recovery Tests: The Hakima can give away one of her recovery rolls to another character when using the Healing talent.

Talents

• Administration (AQ)
• True Sight (D)

SEVENTH CIRCLE

Karma: The Hakima may spend a Karma point on any roll involving Willpower only.

Talents

• Empathic Sense
• Evidence Analysis (D)

EIGHTH CIRCLE

Spell Defence: Increase the Hakima's Spell Defence by one.

Talents

• Lasting Impression (D)
• Slough Blame (EDC)

NINTH CIRCLE

Social Defence: Increase the Hakima's Social Defence by 1.

Spell Defence: Increase the Hakima's Physical Defence by one.

Talents

• Arcane Mutterings (D)
• Evaluate (AQ)
• Resist Taunt (D)

TENTH CIRCLE

Wise Advice: The Hakima may advice another character before an expected encounter. This takes about a minute, costs one point of strain, and improves that character's social defence by two for that encounter.

Talents

• Bardic Voice
• Safe Thought (EDC) (D)

ELEVENTH CIRCLE

Karma: The Hakima may spend Karma on any action involving Charisma or Toughness only, including recovery tests.

Talents

• Exorcism (AQ)
• Mind Wave

TWELFTH CIRCLE

Sense Lineage: When an Hakima successfully uses the Perceive Station talent, she learns the lineage of the person whose station is perceived. One ancestor, and his relationship to the scried person, is revealed for each point of margin.

Talents

• Orbiting Spy (D)
• Thought Link (EDC) (D)

THIRTEENTH CIRCLE

Karma: The Hakima may spend Karma on a Recovery Test take by one of her patients.

Recovery Tests: The Hakima gains one additional Recovery Test per day.

Talents

• Genie Binding (AQ)
• Truth Skit (EDC) (D)

FOURTEENTH CIRCLE

Physical Defence: Increase the Hakima's Physical Defence by one.

Spell Defence: Increase the Hakima's Spell Defence by one.

Talents

• Dominate Animal
• Lion Spirit

FIFTEENTH CIRCLE

Karma: Increase the Hakima's maximum Karma pool by 25.

Talents

• Second Chance (EDC)
• Thoughtful Expression (EDC)