Imam

The whole complex of Imams is complicated. All Zakharan Imams worship God, which Barsavians would see as an abstraction of the power of magic. The religion itself is divided into sects and orders, some of which are so different that it is hard to speak of a single faith at all. The unifying force is that all disciplines are seen as ultimately powered by the power of Fate.

The issue is further complicated by the fact that the dogma of the Loregiver does not include Imams nor miraculous powers. At the same time, religion in an organised form has grown so strong that a professional Clerical staff is unavoidable. But Imams are only teachers and leaders of the community, not the mouthpieces of God. Of course, there are many different sects of the faithful, and some stretch these tenets thin, but in general most Imams see themselves mere teachers and guides.

Imams are not spell casters. Rather, they manipulate magical forces on a more primal level, channelling healing powers and seizing control of magical phenomena directly. The different types of Imams are really the same, with only organisational differences, though all Imams must choose a type. This tyåe can change during the campaign, though.

Mystic

Lone figures who stride out of the desert, mystics are strange and flamboyant free priests whose words have moved armies and are said to have moved mountains. They require no conventional channels to hear the gods' words, and they shun the convenience of an orthodox hierarchy. At times they are allies of hierarchical clergy, but just as often they are foes. Mystics bring new revelations and new ideas - often gained through euphoric dancing, meditative trances, and other exotic means. At best, the organised church finds their ideas difficult to accept.

Role: Mystics are free priests, and while they may worship the same God as their more organised cousins in the hierarchy, they follow their own agenda, one which may be at odds with that of the ordered faiths. For that reason, the extremely conservative moralists have no love of mystics of any stripe, and the feeling is mutual.

There are as many types of mystics as there are mystics themselves, all of whom receive their revelations and priestly magics in a different fashion. Dervishes receive spells after inducing euphoria or a higher circle of consciousness through wild and energetic dancing. For anchorites and hermits, solitude and meditation open a pathway to the gods. Some mystics sing, engage in simple work, take long walks, or employ other means to receive their inspiration.

Equipment: Mystics begin poor, with only one chosen weapon and 3d6 gold each. All donations are welcome after that point. Mystics are very poor initially, but those who attain success tend to drab themselves in wealth.

Important Attributes: Charisma, Toughness and Willpower

Restrictions: Members of this discipline may be either gender and any non-genie race, as exemplified by the Dancing Dwarf warriors of the Al-Akara mountains.

Karma Ritual: Each mystic must have some form of inspiration. This inspiration can be dancing, fasting, chanting, flagellation, drug stupor or other similar, repetitive activities. To perform their karma Ritual, the mystic must engage in this activity for half an hour. This Karma Ritual leaves them exhausted, demanding an equal time of rest afterwards. The benefit is that the mystic may perform several Karma Rituals in a row, up to a number equal to their Toughness step, in the same day.

Artisan Skills: Dancing, chanting, meditation or any other skill relevant to their type of mysticism.

Pragmatist

Pragmatists are Imams of the common folk. They believe that others can easily be shown the true course in life through example and debate. Free to wander far from their temples, they are the most common Imam encountered in the Land of Fate. They preach tolerance among conflicting religions and gods, and they promote mediation over religious conflict. This is not to say that they cannot fight, nor will they hesitate to do so when confronted with a threat to themselves, their faith, or their people.

Role: Pragmatists are considered the most understanding and even-tempered of Imams. Further, the organised church tends to provide great leeway for the actions and whereabouts of their pragmatic brethren. Long disappearances are not uncommon. And it is not unreasonable for a pragmatist to hold a single position for only a few months before moving on, either to another town or to a life of adventure, while preaching and living up to the tenets of his or her faith. Other pragmatists only leave their home village to study, then return home and stay in the shadow of their mosque for the rest of their lives.

Pragmatists tend to be tolerant of other faiths, and pragmatists from opposing factions may be found in the same party, bound together by a common goal. The best summary of pragmatist thought is this: "All faiths have good points, and we may learn and make our own faith stronger through interacting with those faiths."

All religions in Zakhara have a pragmatist wing, even the heavily moralist pantheon. The most popular church among pragmatists is the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods, which in theory includes every deity ever known, as well as those who are yet to be discovered or born.

Equipment: Imams of the Faith Pragmatic have no set "uniform" or dress, other than the holy symbol, which are prominently displayed. They are allowed to wear any type of armour. (Of course they suffer the usual heat limitations in the field.)

Important Attributes: Charisma

Racial Restrictions: Imams of the Faith Pragmatic may be of any non-genie race, of either gender.

Karma Ritual: The Imam must lead a gathering of the faithful (that can be but one person) in worship or partake in worship lead by another Imam, of any type.

Artisan Skills: Calligraphy, embroidery, dance.

Ethoist

Most Imams of the Faith Ethical disapprove of those who worship sects which they do not - even if the "misguided" happen to be ethoists, too. The ethoist world view can be summed up as follows: "Other faiths are all very nice, but they are quite wrong, you know. Only our faith is the one true way. Not that we're pushing, mind you."

Equipment: In Zakhara, Imams of the Faith Ethical are more easily identified than their pragmatic brethren. All ethoists wear a turban adorned with the holy symbol of their particular sect, rendered in a precious metal. In addition, they always have shoulder vestments, also marked with the symbol of their particular faith. Beyond these requirements, ethoists dress as they see fit. Most wear black robes while in the city, however, and loose tan or white robes while in the wilderness.

Ethoists are allowed to wear any type of armour. However, if they choose to don heavy armour in the shimmering heat of Zakhara, they suffer just like anyone else.

Special Benefits: Ethoists tend to receive greater assistance from their temples than pragmatists. Assuming a local temple of the appropriate faith is available, an ethical priest can request and expect the following aid (and perhaps more):

• Safe haven, food, and board within the temple (or mosque or monastery). In exchange, the ethical priest is expected to help the other clergy present. This hospitality is automatically extended to as many companions as the priest has circles. (A generous and gracious temple may extend it to anyone.)
• A loan. Moneys borrowed may equal up to twice the ethoist's circle times a hundred (in gold). The loan must be repaid within 30 days.
• Muscle. An ethoist may request the services of number of 1:st-circle fighters (either askars or farisan) equalling twice the priest's circle. All fighters will be equipped with chain mail and scimitars. The time of service cannot exceed the ethoist's circle in days, and the purpose of the mission should somehow advance the cause of the priest's faith.
• An ethoist assistant of the same faith. The helper's experience circle equals half that of the priest served, rounded down, up to a maximum of 4:th circle. The assistant may be kept for up to one week per circle of the priest before having the option to leave. First and second circle Ethoists cannot request an assistant.

Special Hindrances: Compared to pragmatists, ethoists are more tightly tied to their church organisations. Whether they're PCs or NPCs, Imams the Faith Ethical are expected to follow the direction of higher-circle ethoist priests within their personal faiths. Of course, some ethoists may choose not to follow such orders, but they'll be held accountable for their actions by the church.

Ethical priests who fail to follow the directives of their faith lose the special benefits outlined above and are "demoted" to pragmatist status.

Important Attributes: Charisma and Perception.

Racial Restrictions: Members of any non-genie race may be Imams of the Faith Ethical. Under the tenets of the path Ethical, each deity has a manifestation that is pleasing to its worshipers. This manifestation is a physical being. Most worshipers believe that God's true appearance is that of their own race; another's perception of God is an altered manifestation, which the God creates purely to aid their comprehension of his or her greatness.

Karma Ritual: The Imam must lead a gathering of the faithful (that can be but one person) in worship or partake in worship lead by another Imam of the path Ethical.

Artisan Skills: Calligraphy, singing, gardening, mosaics.

Moralists

The moralist wing of the organised faiths of Zakhara are the heart and fire of their churches, the keepers of the true faith, the sword of their god's vengeance, and the protectors of their people. They are the most militant of God's worshipers as well as the most fervent, zealous in pursuing the goals of their personal faiths. At best, moralists cannot understand why anyone would choose not to share their beliefs. At their worst, they seek to convert others by fire and sword.

Most organised faiths have a moralist wing, or at least a few moralist individuals mixed in with the ethical hierarchy. Faiths that have a large number of moralist priests tend toward holy crusades and, on a national circle, holy wars. The Priests of the Pantheon, for example, are heavily moralistic; as a result, the cities of the Pantheist League are the most repressive to other faiths.

Role: Moralists are the most zealous of all the Imams of Order. To many Zakharans, moralists are also the most dangerous. (Of course, to those who embrace compatible ideals, moralists can be charismatic role models.) Each moralist believes that his or her own faith is correct. While other Zakharans may be equally devout in their daily lives, few are as intolerant of other religious beliefs as the moralists. To moralists of a given faith, all correct actions are dictated by god, and all life is encompassed by the worship of god alone. While they accept pragmatists and ethoists of the same faith, they still look down upon them and are little more than civil. Priests from other faiths are openly disliked, as are mystics. Characters using strange magics - such as sha'irs, sorcerers, and ajami - are openly despised.

Unless sanctioned by the appropriate god, distractions of earthly concern are pronounced counterproductive, to be avoided at all costs. While moralists are permitted to go out among "ordinary" people, they may do so only when they have specific missions in mind, never for simple pleasure or relaxation. For example, a moralist might be told, "Preach the holy word among the people, and find out what those lazy ethoists in the next town are up to now."

A stem face and a closed mind are the hallmarks of moralists; lightheartedness and an easygoing attitude are not. To others, it often seems that they derive no joy from their faith, or perhaps that their only "pleasure" stems from attempting to remain joyless themselves while squelching the joy in others. Even actions encouraged by god may be conducted in a grim and serious manner. For example, priests of an order of charity make sure that every dinar they give away is accompanied by a stiff lecture on self-worth. And moralist priests of an order of wine tend to be sullen drunks. Insobriety and devoutness might seem incongruous, but moralists can never go too far in the service of god; to them, excess in the name of faith is no sin.

Moralists are excellent and profuse record-keepers, since they feel they may be called upon to offer proof for anything they say or do. They are expected to communicate early and often with their higher-ups. That suits the more powerful moralists just fine.

Special Hindrances: Moralists are tightly tied to their hierarchies. An order from a higher-circle moralist priest of the same faith is to be followed to the letter. Those who fail to do so are outcast from their church. Outcasts suffer a discipline crisis and lose all benefits from their church organisation until they atone. Even after this effort, the formerly faithful are restored with the organisational benefits of ethoists of the faith, not, moralists.

Moralists are expected to tithe 50 percent of all earnings to their church. Before the donation is made, the priests gain the usual legend points for acquiring the wealth. Skilled in fund-raising, moralists also encourage others to contribute to the "correct" church.

Important Attributes: Charisma and Willpower.

Restrictions: Moralist Imams may be of any non-genie race, organised moralists of a given faith tend to be of a single homogeneous race. Similarly, moralist priests may be of either gender, but men and women are normally segregated, either in different buildings or even separate temples. Each tends to believe that god is of the same race, and that their race - whether human, elf, or otherwise - was created "in god's image." That image is rarely shown, however. Most moralist faiths, regardless of race, believe that any visual representation of a deity is an anathema. Such representations, they say, encourage idol worship, not the veneration of god's true spirit. Hence, while moralist dwarves believe that god is a dwarf, too, they never portray their deity as such (or in any manner, for that matter). To do so would be heresy.

Whatever their personal faith, moralists take vows of celibacy and chastity. Their lives are highly structured by the church. (For this reason, most are NPCs rather than PCs.)

Karma Ritual: The moralist must pray in absolute seclusion from the mundane world. No-one can be permitted at such a prayer meeting but other moralists. In an emergency, the moralist can seek solitude in the wilderness, at least fifteen minutes walk from civilisation, with no-one within earshot. Sadly, this can be an excellent opportunity for an heretical assassin or holy slayer, so faris bodyguards are permitted.

Artisan Skills: Calligraphy, scribe, mosaics.

FIRST CIRCLE

Talents

• Anticipate Blow
• Begging (AQ)
• Healing (AQ)
• Karma Ritual
• Melee Weapons (D)
• Steel Thought (D)

SECOND CIRCLE

Talents

• Astral Sight (D)
• Durability (7/6)
• First Impression

THIRD CIRCLE

Talents

• Invoke Fate (AQ) (D)
• Book Memory

FOURTH CIRCLE

Karma: The Imam may spend Karma on any roll involving Charisma only.

Talents

• Steely Stare (D)
• Thread Weaving (D)

FIFTH CIRCLE

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

Talents

• Survival (D)
• Tiger Spring

SIXTH CIRCLE

Physical Defence: Increase the Imam's Physical Defence by 1.

Talents

• Evidence Analysis
• Exorcism (AQ) (D)

SEVENTH CIRCLE

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

Talents

• Administration (AQ)
• Detect Falsehood (EDC) (D)

EIGHTH CIRCLE

Conversion: The Imam can use the Incite Mob talent to make rousing speeches, creating converts out of infidels. This takes a month of frantic preaching, and 10% of the town's population will convert for each degree of success scored. The difficulty is the Social Defence of the highest-ranking representative of an unelightened faith in the community.

Talents

• Book Recall (D)
• Incite Mob (D)

NINTH CIRCLE

Social Defence: Increase the Imam's Social Defence by two.

Talents

• Cold Purify
• Resist Taunt
• True Sight (D)

TENTH CIRCLE

Spell Defence: Increase the Imam's Spell Defence by two.

Talents

• Rally (EDC) (D)
• Safe Path

ELEVENTH CIRCLE

Judgement of the Wise: The Imam needs to gather twelve wise men or women, usually Imams, to use this ability. The Imam and the eleven others discuss a topic. If all twelve can agree to an answer to this topic, this answer will be true and possible to implement, though it will certainly be coloured by the attitudes of the twelve. Each day during the discussion, the Imam may make an Invoke Fate step roll, with a step bonus equal to the lowest circle of the twelve wise men. Difficulties must be set by the gamemaster, and can be staggering. If this roll succeeds, the group has reached a conclusion. If several Imams in this group has this ability, all can try each day.

Talents

• Aura Armour (EDC)
• Sense Genie (AQ)

TWELFTH CIRCLE

Social Defence: Increase the Imam's Social Defence by two.

Karma: Increase the Imams maximum number of Karma points by 25.

Talents

• Evil Eye (AQ) (D)
• Perceive Station (AQ)

THIRTEENTH CIRCLE

Physical Defence: Increase the Imam's Physical Defence by 2.

Talents

• Dominate Beast
• Genie Binding (AQ)

FOURTEENTH CIRCLE

Absolute Conviction: By spending a point of Karma, the Imam can make himself immune to all tests directed towards Social Defence for one hour. This ability can be used as often as desired, but must be activated in advance, it does not reduce the effect of interactions that have already been successful.

Talents

• Lion Spirit (EDC)
• Orbiting Spy

FIFTEENTH CIRCLE

Influence Fate: The Imam is so inaugurated with the power of Fate that he can influence Fate at any time simply with his presence. The Imam can spend a point of Karma on any action to which he is a witness. This is in addition to any Karma spent by the person performing the action.

Talents

• Genie Prison (AQ)
• Netherwalk (EDC)