I was recently reminded that at one time I played around a fair bit in the old Al Qadim setting. Including one group that “broke out” and wandered the world for a bit. Having remembered them, I think they’ll need to make their way out into an adventure next year. They are described in DND 5E terms as they are most likely to end up being used in another Solasta user mod campaign. So many good ones I haven’t yet tried!
These guys are great for justifying doing the scattered unrelated side-quests that are often bundled with a seemingly pressing main quest. Between Sadiira’s patron and Hakeem’s cryptic divine guidance they often find themselves diving into missions for poorly explained reasons.
Samir, the Fox in the Dunes
Race: Human/Iraqi
Class: Rogue/Acrobat
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Samir was originally a Thief-Acrobat – back when that was an actual variant class.
“A Luis Royo bust portrait fantasy painting of a cocky iraqi thief. He is age 22, athletic, with a wide round face,stubble, and mussed dark hair. He cocks his head appraising the viewer with a clever smirk. He wears a light headband with sleeveless corsair leather armor.“
Samir is many things. A pickpocket. A con artist. A tale teller. A cat burglar. And in his own mind a bit of a Robin Hood. A personification of free-flowing chaos that takes advantage of opportunities as they present themselves and slides through life seeking out whatever causes catch his fancy. None would call him an upstanding citizen, but he has his own form of honor and his own code. Sly, clever, cocky, and with a taste for adventure. He gets his friends *into* trouble almost as often as he gets them out.
He is a natural at up-ending whatever he sees as an unfair or unjust situation. Bandits making it hard on the local merchants guild? He couldn’t care less – unless they are paying a pretty penny for services. Bandits preying upon pilgrims and refugees? Now *that’s* a horse of a different color.
He is a master of the long con – preferring to win by clever wit rather than force of arms. He’s certainly not above combat if it comes down to it, and favors acrobatic staff fighting and improvisational use of scenery that humiliates and enrages his opponents rather than straight-up brawling. But if he can trick his opponent into destroying themselves? Without a blade even being drawn? So much the better. Especially if they *know* they’ve been had.
Duping bandits into attacking a well-armed military caravan. Tricking slavers into attempting to sell a Vizier his own kidnapped daughter. Goading a guild of assassins into taking a contract on a dragon in disguise. These are Samir’s stock in trade.
Maruf the Man Mountain
Race: Goliath
Class: Barbarian/Path of Stone
Alignment: Neutral Good
Back in the day Maruf was a Half-Ogre, but short of that the current 5e Goliath race fits him so well that changing is practically a no brainer.
“A Luis Royo dark fantasy painting of a large burly turkish ogre standing at ease. He is age 30, bald, with a dark braided goatee, and stony gray skin with dark geometric patterns. He has large brow ridges over pale blue eyes. He wears arabic pants with a thick belt. He smiles patiently at the viewer.“
Maruf is a bit of an odd duck. Ogres and the like are regular members of society in the lands of Zakhara, but as a half-breed that developed in unusual ways even among his own kind he stands out. He comes from a mountain clan that claims stone giant lineage, and he certainly has the appearance to substantiate it. He is big and strong like a mountain, and agile and quick-witted… as a mountain. He is by no means stupid, he just takes his time coming to conclusions. He says little, preferring only to speak when he has something meaningful to say. But he carefully watches everything and everyone. He notices everything. And he has a photographic memory. The Mountain never forgets.
Fighting him is like fighting inevitability itself. He is patient and controlled, and many opponents believe that dodging and diving while draining him with nicks and cuts is a viable strategy. Unfortunately for them he has a tough hide and legendary endurance, and all he has to do is tag you *once* to turn the battle decidedly in his favor. And if he should manage to actually get a hand on you… then may Fate bless your passing. Because his clan settled disputes by wrestling… and he grew up wrsetling full-blooded Ogres.
Sadiira al Sabaab, Daughter of the Wind
Race: Human/Turkish
Class: Warlock/Pact of the Elements
Alignment: Neutral Good
Sadiira has been one of the “breakout” characters from this band. She has made solo runs through games such as Drakensang, as well as made her way into other parties over the years. She was originally a Shai’ir – which means she has been translated as many things over time. In 5e a Warlock/Pact of the Genie would be perfect for her. Unfortunately it is not one of the subclasses added by mods.
“A Luis Royo dark fantasy painting of a fiesty turkish sorceress in an arabic market. She is age 24, with brown skin, electric eyes, wearing a light blue vest and harem pants. She has long dark braided hair, and a tiny blue dragon is on her shoulder.“
Sadiira’s story begins as many in arabian tales. A poor child of a desperate family who found an odd lamp in a dusty abandoned pile. But after using her first wish to get her family out of trouble and secure their position, she surprised the Djinn with her second and third. She offered to set him free… on one condition. She wanted him to “teach her magic”. Not “give her magic”. Not “make her a powerful wizard”. “Teach her magic”. She used one wish to make the request, and the other to make the payment.
So now she learns elemental magic from a Noble Djinn, who speaks to her through her Jen – the tiny dragon Zamir. Sometimes she travels as she pleases, sometimes her Patron makes requests – either for his own purposes, to teach her a lesson, or both. She is impetuous, headstrong, and almost as clever as she thinks she is. The perfect match for Samir.
Hakeem ibn Akbar, Servant of the Desert Sun
Race: Human/Swahili
Class: Cleric/Sun Domain
Alignment: Lawful Good
Hakeem is the other breakout from this set, with his biggest outing being my primary character in the old MMORPG “Island of Kesmai” on CompuServe – way, way back in the day. I had all his spells linked to Arabic chants in the game’s chat client.
“A Luis Royo fantasy bust portrait painting of a strong sudanese cleric. He is age 28, with a small smile, with a simple red turban, dark hair, dark skin, a thick beard, and wearing simple leather armor over red moorish robes. He has small dark face tattoos.“
Hakeem is a Priest of the Sun, following the guidance of the Great Gods of Zakhara as he struggles to understand their direction. Unlike many he does not need to concentrate in prayer to know the will of his Gods. He hears them. Directly. Unfortunately for him he hears them *all at once*. And rare is the occasion they all agree. He has learned to tune out the tumult, but listen carefully to those rare occasions when they speak with one voice – for that is when matters are truly most dire.
Hakeem is the most straightlaced of the band – arguing for calm deliberation when Sadiira is fired up and Samir is scheming. He seldom *wins* these arguments, but takes it as an accomplishment if he at least forces the others to hear and understand the likely ramifications of their rash decisions. Unfortunately he also often finds himself having to argue for seemingly odd courses of action demanded by the Gods, with cryptic instructions. And they seldom bother to include niceties like “why” and “how” in their directions.
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