Player Characters

[Jewel]

Dahabi:
Asher al-Basiri
Qasim al-Basiri
Sada-al-Haffit
Soraya al-Menjari

Invindi:
Arash Karuvah

Mekham:
Al-Haddar
Ali ibn Farid
Aydi al-Qais
Bazir Ibn Abdullah
Cassim
Faruq Al-Farhan
Lamis Naaji
Nasim ibn Jalil
Zara

Ra'Shari:
Kezia
Nihira
Raya

Rokugani:
Ide Rettousei
Qara al-Hazaad

Senpet:
Meresanhk
Tarset Kishan

Yodotai:
Claudia Gabinus
Rufus Belgica

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

Name: Faruq Al-Farhan ("The one who knows right from wrong, the happy one")
Age: 22
Origin: Mekham
Build: Lithe but resilient
Hair: Shoulder length, brown
Eyes: Light brown
Starring in: A fest of arrows, Longest nights means shortest days

Usually dressed in simple clothes, kept as clean as circumstances allow but often with a pleasant enough smell from perfume and incense, Faruq has the air of someone who has been through much and seen a lot- but below a serious, sometimes blunt outer shell is a kind, considerate young man.

Born in a poor family that had been in Medinaat Al-salaam for generations, Faruq knows the city well- or, as he sometimes says, he knows 'some of its beauties, and much of its ugly side'. He sometimes has an air of sadness about him that speaks of difficult times, but when asked about it he just gives a wistful smile and says 'the past is in the past; what we are now is the present'.

The present, as it is, is life in a humble hovel at the border of the Maze, where he provides some medical services, writing and whatever other help he can to the homeless and other poor residents of the area. Those who know him say he has no family to speak of - but he sometimes speaks of his parents, Affan and Khayriyya, and a sister, Sakina, who he has hope he will one day meet again.

Hooks:

- Are you a local? We can speak of the good, the bad and the ugly of the city.
- Well acquainted with life in poor neighborhoods? We have something in common...
- Do you help the poor whenever and however you can? Faruq is a fellow gentle soul.
- Views on great richness, but a putrid underside in the Jewel? Care to share?
- Fellow physician? Maybe we can help people together.

[Kezia]

Name: Kezia ("Mom liked the sound of it, I think it's something to do with some kind of spice tree")
Age: 19
Origin: Ra'Shari
Build: Lithe and willowy
Hair: Shoulder length, dark brown
Eyes: Dark brown

There are two faces of Kezia a stranger is likely to encounter-
One is a slightly built figure in practical- not to say ragged- desert garb, with baggy trousers, an overcloak, and a furtive air.
The other is dressed in a flamboyant dancer's attire, eyes ringed with kohl, every move graceful and perhaps a little- just a little- enticing.

Both are true- neither is complete- not even if both are compared and set together.

Kezia was born into the Great Caravan of Entertainment nineteen years ago, and in that time has done a fair bit of wandering, but has relatively little experience with Medinaat al-Salaam itself- she knows the look of the outside of the place far better than the inside, and while she has a fairly cosmopolitan outlook when it comes to people, the place is still a bit much for her.

And then there's the... odd bits. While many Ra'Shari will perform the odd bit of divination (especially if someone is willing to pay), Kezia appears to have a bit of a knack for getting it right. She is also considered- among her caravan, at any rate, as someone it's best to be on good terms with.

Freshly arrived within the city itself, and more or lest left to her own devices, Kezia has taken a mild interest in the recent fad for archery- she's no great student of the bow, but as she's fond of telling anyone within earshot, she'll try anything once.

Hooks:

- Got a beef with the Ra'Shari? wanna make something of it?
- Need to hire a dancer or a singer? She's better at the one than the other, but capable enough at both.
- Want your fortune told? She'll do her best.
- Down on your luck? Things are tough all over... but they can be a bit easier with a friend's help.
- Got weird foreign knicknacks? So does she, and she likes swapping stories about places the listener has never been.

[Rufus Belgica]

Name: Rufus Belgica
Age: 17
Origin: Yodotai (Gallim)
Build: Wirey
Hair: Short cropped, coppery
Eyes: Light brown

Rufus is part of the Yodotai effort to assimilate the members of the newest addition to the Empire, the Gallim. Orphaned and with no one to claim him, Rufus was taken in and raised by the state. With no inheritance, and no family willing to show him a trade or adopt him, service to the Empire was one of the most reliable ways to make a living as he reached adulthood. Rufus, named such for his reddish hair and origin in the province of Belgica, make his way to the Grekoi Battle School, an academy for those who wished to become officers in the Yodotai army.

A bit quicker and smarter than the average recruit, Rufus was still outshone by people more naturally talented, and those with better connections, and he found that there were no commissions available as a Centurion. The idea of being a frontline Legionaire was less appealing, so Rufus elected to join the scouts, and was tasked with learning more about this city to the East.
Hooks:

-Any sort of engineering or school around here? Rufus will be rather interested.
-Rufus is an outsider...but maybe he could be swayed
-What happened to that ruin of a building in the River Quarter? Rufus wants to investigate

[Bazir]

Name: Bazir Ibn Abdullah
Age: 19
Origin: Mekham
Build: More athelic then is would seem
Hair: Short and dark
Eyes: Dark brown

New owner of The Cat's Tail café after the passing of his parents, Bazir is an amiable fellow who knows when to keep his mouth shut or when to open it. Outsiders are not likely to know much about him but the locals know that he provides a fine remuneration for those who come to perform on his establishment's stage.

After the Feast of Arrows

In the week following the festival Ra'Shari entertainers have blessed the café with song, music and dance until the caravan of entertainment eventually departed. It is to say the establishment was quite lively during that time and Bazir considers adding one or two new items inspired by the caravaneers on the menu.

Hooks:

- Are you a local? Come take a drink and talk with your fellows
- Stranger? Come and Bazir will help you become acquainted with the city and it's culture
- Something to hide? Perhaps we can talk.

[Tarset Kishan]

Name: Tarset Kishan
Age: 18
Origin: Senpet
Height: 6'3"
Build: Muscular and full
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Jet Black

Among the Senpet, most women are lithe, graceful, and wise. Tarset is thick, precise, and stubborn. While a few become warriors, Tarset has fully embraced the art, to the point that she's the equal of many men. While she was born outside the city, the only life she's known is life in the jewel, raised by the gangs of the back alleys and underground dens. Tarset has gained a reputation for all the wrong reasons, usually involving fist fights and general brawling. That isn't to say she can't be well behaved and civil... just don't count on it.

Hooks
- If you're from the Jewel, especially the seedier, rougher parts, you likely've run into Tarset, or at least seen her around.
- Like brawling, wrestling, or working out? How about all 3? Excellent.
- In need of hired muscle? That's right up Tarset's alley... literally.
- She might not look it, but if you need someone tailed or tracked down subtly, she can do that too.

[Nasim ibn Jalil]

Name: Nasim ibn Jalil
Age: 16
Origin: Mekham
Build: Lanky
Hair: Black, short and curly
Eyes: Dark brown

While Nasim is not a street rat, his every day appearance and demeanor would suggest otherwise. He likes to hang out in the seedier parts of town and has the roving eye and easy gait of a well practiced street kid. Speaking to him though belies that he has obviously had an education however so how much of his demeanor is a ruse is up to question.

Nasim hasn't made much of a name for himself yet but those in the know would know that he has a way of getting his hands on items that are sought after one way or another and has started to make a name for himself in that way.

Hooks
- Live on the seedier side of life? You've probably seen Nasim around.
- Want to get your hands on an item and don't have questions on how you get it? Nasim may be your man.
- Nasim is well educated and can sometimes be seen carrying an astrolabe, odds are he knows something about the art of divining the future.

[Soraya al-Menjari]

Name: Soraya al-Menjari
Age: 18
Origin: Dahabi
Build: Pampered but athletic
Hair: Long and black, often in rings
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'2"

Public Knowledge:
Only legitimate offspring of a Merchant King of House Menjari, Soraya is as pampered and rich and sheltered as only the daughter of a wealthy and strict man can be. She was never seen outside the walls of her father's compound before her sixteenth birthday without a veiled palanquin and guards, and even after that the guards stayed when she would go to any part of the city besides the Dahabi noble district west of the Palace. Now that she is a grown woman though she is slowly getting more leeway, especially since her father remarried and got a step-son a few years back, one the man seems to be grooming as his successor instead of Soraya. To be frank, this doesn't alarm or surprise anyone; With someone so doted on, those who know her or her father figure he is shielding the girl from the more seedy parts of being a merchant, and most people who have met her appreciate that fact as they seem to enjoy her pure and kind demeanor. Either way she seems an untouchable and noble angel to most common people who have met her around the city, a welcome change from the usual conniving Dahabi more interested in business and wealth than people.

Hooks:
- Oh, you're from far away? I would LOVE to hear stories of your lands; I've only read about them in books, after all.
- Do you like animals? Maybe you have one? Would you like to meet Iabu or Sheera, my pets?
- I am so down for exchange fashion or beauty tips; My father and his guards are so useless for that kind of thing.
- Daddy never lets me have any fun, but he said I don't need to have the guards with me at this tournament... maybe we can sneak off and have some fun?
- Do you like games? I might have one with me, if you care for a round...
- Gossip is so fun! Sometimes it's scary too, but it's always such far away stuff anyways, it doesn't matter.

[Qasim al-Basiri]

Name: Qasim al-Basiri
Age: 20
Origin: Dahabi
Build: Average
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'9"

Description:

A man of average height but above average looks and taste Qasim boasts a handsome face and impeccable fashion sense, which when paired with his silver tongue tends to get him what he wants in most cases. Friendly and sociable the Dahabi rarely has trouble making friends or connections. Though his friendly and open nature belies a ruthless and cunning business mind. Many will note various pleasant aromas that accompany the man, seemingly with different scents for different days of the week.

Information:
Qasim is the fourth born son of a middling family in the House of Basiri. He was one of insignificant birth but of surprising skill, seemingly blessed by both spirits of eloquence and success, the Dahabi boy was a gifted speaker and natural negotiator. Where he went money and deals flowed allowing him to open a shop right in the Jewel which he has guided to a fair amount of success. It is known that if one wishes to acquire something Qasim is someone who can get it or can make a connection for you to find it.

Hooks
- Perhaps you are someone of fine taste who has shopped in his store
- Qasim is a life long resident of the Jewel, if you are too you have more than likely crossed paths at some point
- Interest in trade or local gossip, Qasim has cornered the market on both!

[Aydi al-Qais]

Name: Aydi al-Qais
Age: 20
Origin: Mekham
Build: Fit
Hair: Black, Short
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'11"

Aydi is a cheerful, resourceful and friendly man who works as an investigator, both for the authorities and on his own account. He is well-groomed and wears respectable clothes, so he doesn't look too off among almost any social strata. He can be told apart by his stylish red fez.

Aydi is a cheerful, resourceful and friendly mountain shepherd dog. Well. the man is not the dog. Though he's sometimes called one. Because of the job, and of... other reasons. And sometimes without reason. Also, a good boy. All in all, there's two of them. They stick together. It's confusing.



Hooks:
Have a case to solve, a hitch to address?
Fancy trips in the city, or a game of chess?
Seeking adventure, a dawg for - well - guess!
All you need then is the man in red fez!