The Everlasting (Holy Slayers)

From the back streets of Hiyal to the Pearl Banks
and from the Pantheon to the Free Cities, rulers
shudder at the mention of the zealots who watch them
for signs of impiety or unrighteousnessthe holy
slayer fellowships whose methods bring fear to sultan
and beggar, general and hakima. They strike by
daylight, in the marketplaces, in the mosques, and
even on holy days. Viziers cannot erase their bloody
deeds through cleverly planted rumors or falsehoods.
Sultans wear mail under their robes for fear of the
blades that might be hidden in the robes of supplicants
and petitioners.
The holy slayers’ cries of vengeance and holy wrath
ring out for all to hear in the suq or the diwan, and the
people know that the slayers’ martyrdom at the hands
of bodyguards assures them a place at their god’s side.
The threat of death only inflames their zeal.
Assassin Mountain is a sourcebox for player
characters using the AL-QADIM™ rulebook. It details
the holy slayer fellowship of the Everlasting and
contains a set of special adventures centered on holy
slayers. The adventures are set in the north of Zakhara,
among the Free Cities and the Haunted Lands of the
Burning World. Drawing from the great dramatic
traditions of the assassins in stories and movies and
Hasan i-Sabbah and Rashid al-Din Sinan, the greatest
of the historical Grand Masters of the assassins, these
adventures carry PCs from the bustling docks and
markets of the seafaring cities to the silent deserts,
through the chill valleys of the Furrowed Mountains to
the genie-dominated reaches of the Haunted Lands.
Assassin Mountain includes two booklets. Read this
booklet first, which details the holy slayers of the
Everlasting, their methods, beliefs, tools, and powers,
their activities in the Free Cities, and their
headquarters in the Haunted Lands. The second
booklet contains three adventures that can be played
separately or as a continuing story. Special DM tips for
handling holy slayer PCs are provided.
Techniques of the Assassins
Although they rely on their faith for their ultimate
success, holy slayers are not such fanatics as to
forget the mundane necessities of a mission. Mid- and
high-level slayers are unusually well equipped to avoid
detection, to gain access to targets, and to slay their
victims quickly. Some of their tools and methods of
organization are described in this section.
Clothing
The holy slayers of the Everlasting believe that their
assassinations are sacred affairskillings performed
with the consent and blessings of their god. When the
Everlasting seek to slay an infidel, they often wear
white clothes as a token of the purity of their faith. In
addition, blood shows more vividly on white cloth,
which adds to the impact of a public slaying. The
assassins are also known to wear formal clothes, such as
a sash and turban. Among the Everlasting, these items
are red, while the Grey Fire’s are black.
Holy slayers seeking simply to dispose of an enemy
and not to incite fear in the public typically affect the
dark clothes of a burglar.
Female holy slayers generally take the veil, but not
simply because they are devout. Veils make excellent
disguises and conceal most expressions, making them
doubly useful when approaching a victim.

Weapons
Holy slayers employ a number of weapons not common
among city warriors or desert tribesmen.
In conjunction with oil of liquid stars (Greek
fire), the members of the Flamedeath Fellowship
employ a wavy-bladed dagger called a flame knife. This
weapon is often smeared with pitch or oil of liquid
stars and set aflame. A successful hit causes dagger
damage plus 1d8 the first round, 1d6 additional
damage the second round, and 1d4 additional the third
round. The flame knife is often used in nighttime holy
slayings or is left behind as a warning to those straying
from the path the fellowship endorses.
The garotte is a strong wire (sometimes with leather
or hardwood handles) used to choke a victim to death
and is generally used to strike from behind. Surprise
provides a +3 attack roll bonus; no surprise provides a
-3 penalty. Holding a victim in the garotte for 3
consecutive rounds kills the victim. A THAC0 roll is
needed to hit the victim on round 1; successful
THAC0 rolls are needed on rounds 2 and 3 to hold
the victim. On rounds 2 and 3, the victim’s armor class
is calculated using only magical armor and Dex
bonuses; physical armor offers no protection.
Example: Irfan the warrior wears plate mail, a ring of
protection +2, and has Dexterity 17. His normal armor
class is -2. On rounds 2 and 3 of the garotte attack, his
armor class is considered to be 5.
The victim of a garotte assault can still attack, but
with a -2 penalty to his THAC0.
The garotte cannot be used on targets that are size
L or larger.
A sap or blackjack is a weapon used to knock out a
bare-headed opponent. When striking from
concealment or with surprise at an unarmored head
(AC 10), the attacker inflicts normal damage and
knocks the victim out on an attack roll of 4 or more
than the required number.
The whip sash is a leather sash with a metal wire
core and a steel tip, covered with silk to disguise its
true nature. It varies in length from 8 to 20 feet and
may be used either as a horsewhip or as a garrote. It is
the weapon of the Moon-spinners.
Name Cost Weight Size Type Speed S/M L
Flame knife 2 gp 1 S P+fire 2 1d4+fire 1d3+fire
Garrote 3 sp 1 S Special 2 1d4 Nil
Sap 2 sp 2 S B 5 1d6 1d3
Whip sash 6 gp 2 M S 5 1d3 1d2
Poisons
Although some fellowships (notably the Wind of Fate
and the Soft Whisper) will use poisons in holy
slayings, most assassins of the Land of Fate avoid them.
Poisons are commonly guarded against by public
figures, and the existence of magical protections and
neutralize poison spells makes them unreliable at best.
Among the Grey Fire, the Everlasting, and the
Flamedeath Fellowship, using poison is also considered
impious in all but the most extreme circumstances.
Those fellowships that do use poison rarely use
simple mineral- or vegetable-based poisons or the
quickly-decaying venom of poisonous animals, which
may not be enough to kill a hardy subject. The holy
slayers of Zakhara have mastered the art of creating
magical poisons, and each fellowship has its distinctive
trademark.
The Everlasting, despite the group’s opinions about
the use of poison, has developed a unique substance
called phoenix powder, which is described in Death
on the Mountain in the Adventure Book.
The Flamedeath Fellowship occasionally uses an
extremely rare magical brew called the Infernal Death,
derived from the ichor of fire elementals. It is a slowacting poison that causes death in 12-48 hours unless a
saving throw is successful. Neutralize poison alone is
ineffective against it; this spell must be cast
simultaneously with protection from fire, 10’ radius for
the Infernal Death to be neutralized. Thus, two clerics
are required to rid the victim of this poison. Slow
poison merely prolongs the agony.
Infernal Death is said to be highly reactive and can

be served to a victim only in spicy dishes because of its
sharp, acidic flavor. Victims who make their saving
throws at a -2 penalty suffer severe, debilitating rashes
for 1-4 days, resulting in a temporary six-point
reduction in Dexterity.
The Soft Whisper is said to use Silver Sparka
luminescent liquid said to be derived from distilled
moonlight and bottled passiona heady, gaseous
poison that is so rich and musky that victims cannot
resist breathing deeply when a holy slayer offers it.
This perfume-poison takes effect in 1-6 rounds and
causes ten points of damage each round for the next
2-8 rounds. Victims who breathe it voluntarily suffer a
-4 penalty to their saving throws. If the save is made,
there is no effect.
The Wind of Fate uses several ordinary venoms for
their blowgun darts, especially giant scorpion or giant
cobra venom taken from beasts captured or killed in
the wild. Their only enchanted poison is called
khamsin, and it functions as a contact poison as well as
an injected one, so an envenomed dart need only
touch the skin to be effective.
Khamsin acts almost instantly, with an onset time
of 1-3 rounds, and it causes the victim to literally turn
to dust in a single round if a saving throw versus death
magic fails. Khamsin is sometimes applied to the hilts
of daggers, jambiya, or scimitars given as gifts. It is said
to smell like honey.
Whether other holy slayer groups have enchanted
poisons, or use poison at all, is up to the DM.
Magical Items
In addition to their special venoms and weapons,
assassins use a number of magical items particular to
their profession. These items are all quite uncommon,
and possessing them is enough to bring a death
sentence to their owner in many civilized cities. They
are rare even among the holy slayers, and generally are
only found in the hands of the da’is, or, in rare cases, of
the rafiqs (see below).
Blade of Forgetfulness: These weapons vary in size
from scimitars to jambiya and katar. They give the
wielder no bonus to hit or damage, but anyone who
weaves the blade in a figure-eight pattern can induce
amnesia in those who view it. This forgetfulness
includes everything the viewer has seen in the past
three rounds, the round of use, and the following three
rounds. The viewer may make a saving throw versus
spell at a -3 penalty to avoid the effect.
An attack with such a blade entitles the victim(s)
to another saving throw with a +3 bonus to shake the
effect entirely. These blades are very useful for
bypassing guards, bodyguards, servants, and sentries.
Lamp of the Four Winds: Once every three days,
this lamp can be used to summon 1-3 wind walkers,
which must obey the owner of the lamp for three days
or until the task assigned by their master has been
completed, whichever comes first.
Tapestry of Folded Existence: These tapestries
always show an interior space such as a palatial room,
the cavern of a genie’s hoard, or the interior of a ship.
The viewer can enter or leave the magical room of a
tapestry of folded existence simply by speaking a
command word and walking into or out of the tapestry.
The threads of the tapestry depict in great detail
everything (including people) brought into or out of it.
They are generally used as treasuries, prisons, or
workrooms.
These tapestries always measure at least 6 feet by 10
feet and are of the finest craftsmanship. They require
at least two people to carry. The interior room can vary
from 5,000 to 10,000 square feet. Creatures and items
within a tapestry of folded existence require neither food
nor drink and suffer no aging effects while they remain
in the tapestry. These tapestries function only when
placed on a wall or floor. They are items of concealed
wizardry (see LOF boxed set, Chapter 5) and cannot
be discovered with detect magic spells.
Phylactery of Righteousness: This collection of
sacred writings allows the wearer to strike the
Unenlightened (those who reject or are ignorant of

the Law of the Loregiver) with a +4 bonus to attacks
and damage, and to strike those who have offended the
wearer’s god at +2 to attack and damage. The
phylactery is worn on the user’s weapon arm.
Sand of Truth: This coarse, blue-grey sand is a
magical dust formed from the dusty remains of a slain
sandman. It can reveal illusions, geniework, false auras,
and polymorphed or otherwise altered creaturesin
short, it acts as a gem of seeing, but it physically returns
things to their true shape when thrown into the air or
sprinkled on objects, rather than merely revealing
them to a single viewer. Sand of truth can be applied to
creatures or objects only once, and its enchantment
fades thereafter. In combat, the wielder must make a
successful attack against AC 10 to coat an unwilling
target.
Shimmering Sash: This brightly-colored sash is
always embroidered with layers upon layers of holy
texts of protection and warding. It allows the wearer to
appear as a blur, often indistinguishable from the
shimmering heat of the desert air. The effect is equal
to a blur spell with a 10-round duration and can be
called upon at will up to three times per day.
Sleeping potion: This tart liquid lets the imbiber
sink into restful sleep for 2d6 turns, during which time
the sleeper feels a sense of well-being and peace. The
potion mimics the effects of normal sleep, so hit points
are regained as for a full night of rest, and spellcasters
can drink this potion instead of resting before
memorizing spells. Upon waking, the user can
memorize spells as if he had slept a full night.
Unwilling victims are not entitled to a saving throw.
The recipient of this magical slumber always wakes up
instantly if attacked. This awakening nullifies any
benefit of the potion.
Turban of Multiplication: This turban is
permanently enchanted to create mirror images of the
user once per day as if cast by a 12th level mage.
Turban of Silence: This turban is enchanted to
radiate a permanent silence, 15’ radius, around the
wearer. This magical silence can be activated up to
6
three times per day and can be canceled by the
wearer’s mental command.
Magical Item Values
Item
Blade of forgetfulness
Lamp of the four winds
Tapestry of folded existence
Phylactery of righteousness
Sand of truth
Shimmering sash
Sleeping potion
Turban of multiplication
Turban of silence
XP Value
1,000
3,000
7,000
1,400
900
600
300
400
600
Organization of the Assassins
No man was allowed to enter the Garden save
those whom he intended to be his Ashishin. There
was a fortress at the entrance to the Garden strong
enough to resist all the world, and there was no
other way to get in. He kept at his Court a number
of youths of the country, from 12 to 20 years of age,
such as had a taste for soldiering. . . . Then he
would introduce them into his Garden, some four,
or six, or ten at a time, having first made them
drink a potion which cast them into a deep sleep,
and then causing them to be lifted and carried in.
So when they awoke they found themselves in the
Garden.
Marco Polo
The greatest tools of the assassins are their terrorist
tactics and guerilla organization. These operations
require careful recruitment, richly nurtured fanaticism,
vows of secrecy, and a clear chain of command. This
section covers these aspects of the Everlasting.
Vow of Secrecy
One of the most powerful tools of the assassins is the
silence that surrounds them. Assassins never speak of

their affairs, and most holy slayers prefer death to
capture. Among the Everlasting, this secrecy is
enforced by a magical oath overseen by a tasked
oathbinder genie. The Soft Whisper and the Grey Fire
use the same system. The Storm Which Destroys and
the Flamedeath Fellowship use rings of the holy slayer to
enforce silence among members. Most smaller groups
have no magical system for enforcing silence, and
some, like the Friendly Word, require none, as they
rarely engage in combat.
All groups have some ceremony of initiation that
includes a vow of secrecy and silence. If broken, the
offender is usually hunted and killed. For smaller
groups, this is usually enough.
Among the Everlasting, the oath is not usually
demanded from a devotee immediately, as not all holy
slayers are ready for such a commitment. In addition,
the fellowship must pay the genie for its services. A
member must be proven as valuable, tried, and
tempered before being asked to join the fedayeen the
elite, magically bound holy slayers who are the core of
the organization. Initiates are almost always slayers of
at least 4th level. These slayers sometimes call
themselves Al-Ahd, of the Oath.
At the DM’s option, members of the Everlasting
who accept the magical vow gain additional powers, as
the ceremony grants the assassins privileges as well as
obligations. Once they are drawn into the mysteries of
the fellowship, they may change self once per week
(beginning as soon as they have taken the oath and for
as long as the secret is kept). At 8th level, they may
become invisible for 1 turn per week, and at 12th level,
they may cast blur and pass without trace once per day.
At 16th level, they may cast nondetection at will.
Members of the Everlasting not bound by the oath do
not gain these powers.
Holy slayers of other fellowships may gain slightly
different powers than those above if they use a
different oathbinding ceremony. All such powers are
lost if the oathbinder genie is slain.
Details of the oathbinder tasked genie are given in
this sourcebox.
the Monstrous Compendium description included with
Oathbinding
And may Hajama betray him who betrays this
oath.
Conclusion of the Oath
Being asked to swear the Oath of Secrecy among the
Everlasting is the ticket to the inner circles of power
among the fellowship, and few who are offered the
Oath ever refuse. The ceremony is always held in a
cave two days’ march south along the Wadi is-Sib, the
very cave where the Grandmother of the Everlasting
captured the first oathbinder genie with her beauty.
Candidates are blindfolded before being escorted there.
Once the candidate arrives, he or she is expected to
present an offering to the da’i overseeing the
ceremony, usually something of great value: a magical
item, an art object such as a book of illuminated sacred
writings, expertly crafted and embellished weapons, or
a set of gems. The value of the donation must exceed
the cost of the oath to the fellowshipusually 1,000
gp per level of the candidate.
If the offering is sufficient, the candidate is
surrounded by eight rafiqs who begin intoning prayers
to Hajama. The da’i then lights the Lamp of Devotion
and fills it with rich (possibly magical) incense.
Halfana al-Yamini, the current oathbinder genie of the
Everlasting, arrives within 10 rounds. The da’i sets
forth the conditions of the Oath, asks the supplicant if
he enters into this contract of his own free will, and, if
he agrees, the agreement is considered sealed.
The conditions of the Oath state that the candidate
will reveal no detail of the Everlasting to anyone not
bound by the Oath, upon pain of death. The Oath is
binding for the time that the candidate’s hama resides
in Zakhara; if he is summoned back from Paradise by
magic, the Oath is again in force and overrules speak
with dead and similar necromantic magic

Vengeance
The vengeance taken against those who fall from the
path is swift and final. Those who betray the Oath first
suffer the oathbinder’s attentions, and few survive that.
Those who do survive are hunted down by powerful
assassins, generally da’is (see below). If the oathbinder
genie is slain, the Grand Master assassin may come
down from the fellowship’s stronghold to deal with the
heretic personally.
Structure
Men and women are housed and trained separately
among the holy slayers and are seldom allowed to
marry. The rare exceptions are matches within the
faith, and these must be approved by the Grandfather.
Orders that depend on the children of their own
converts are liberal in allowing marriage. Men and
women are generally trained for differing roles, with
men generally responsible for public slayings and
women for secret ones.
Men and women are both employed for gathering
intelligence. Women are more often propagandists in
the cities, and men are enforcers and tax-collectors
among those sympathetic to their cause.
The chain of command in holy slayer fellowships is
always clearly defined. The Grandfather or Grandmother assassin rules absolutely, and generally appoints
ministers or generals to marshal the fellowship’s actions
in different areas. These ministers are called da’is, or
missionaries. Some typical positions include the
ministers of the faith, of propaganda, and of devotion.
The minister of the faith is responsible for finding
and training new recruits and for gathering funds. The
minister of propaganda is responsible for maintaining
morale, preaching to the Unenlightened, and passing
swift, accurate, and secure communications to the
order. The minister of devotion is responsible for
counter-espionage to prevent infiltration of the order
and to ensure defense of headquarters and the secrecy
and security of all members. Most da’is are at least
10th level.
8
Below the da’is are the rafiqs, or comrades, who owe
complete obedience to the da’is and the Grandfather.
These are generally section leaders; they are
responsible for a stronghold of the fellowship or for its
operation in a city. They arrange meetings, disseminate
propaganda, follow the orders of the Grandfather,
consult the Grandfather for guidance, and run the
affairs of a city or region. Section leaders command the
fedayeen and lasiqs (see below) to collect alms and
donations, to watch suspicious characters or potential
targets, and to carry goods, orders, or money from one
point to another. The rafiqs are always bound by the
Oath of Secrecy, and thus are always at least 4th level.
Below the rafiqs are the fedayeen (sing. fidai), who
are the active members, the couriers, and those asked
to perform most holy slayings. They are the devoted,
willing to give their lives for their god’s cause. The
rafiqs vary from 2nd to 5th and even 6th level.
At the lowest level of the hierarchy are the lasiqs, or
novices. They are active cell members, but new
initiates are rarely told more than they need to know
and are expected to obey without hesitation. They are
rarely greater than 1st level holy slayers.
Recruitment
Recruitment varies from one branch of a fellowship to
another. Few holy slayers will begin training any
human after the age of ten or eleven, after which
fanatical devotion is harder to instill. In some regions,
a member must be be born into a holy slayer cult. Most
fellowships, however, are open to all comers. The
strictest are the slayers of the Final Chord, which
accepts only local children, generally freely given up
by their parents so that they may be raised by the
fellowship.
Some isolated groups will steal children and raise
them at their headquarters, far from the world other
than that which their foster parents provide; the
fellowship of the Moon-spinners is known for this.
These extreme techniques guarantee greater loyalty
and fanaticism.

Recruitment is always open to all the faithful; holy
slayers may be of either sex, from any race, clan, or
region. All that is required of them is obedience and a
willingness to kill for their god. Humans, dwarves,
hobgoblins, and ogres are the most common holy
slayers. Elves, gnomes, halflings, werecreatures, and
even giants are much less common, but have been
successful holy slayers.
The Call
Holy slayers spend their lives hoping and training for
the moment when they will be called to make the
ultimate sacrifice. Trained in the hidden strongholds of
their fellowship, they are sent out into the world to
observe and infiltrate courts, mosques, and other
institutions. There, they take on mundane trappings,
but they serve as the eyes of their god, watching and
waiting for an opportunity.
The call can be given only by the Grandfather or
Grandmother Assassin. Ministers can request that
certain foes of the faith be slain, but the final decision
always lies with the fellowship’s leader. The actual
slaying is purely a matter for the holy slayers to plan
and execute, within the limits of the fellowship’s
weaponry and beliefs.
The call always comes at night. A rafiq speaks a
word or phrase to the chosen slayer, followed by a
meeting time and place. The code phrases used to alert
a comrade or an entire cell to prepare themselves vary
from group to group. Examples include, among the
Everlasting, The hour knows your name; among the
Wind of Fate, May the spirits of the air guard your
coming, and may the spirits of the earth guard your
going; and, among the Final Chord, Shall the song
be stilled forever?
At the meeting for the chosen, the target is named
and a deadline is set for completion of the holy slaying.
There is no debate. Failure to either meet the
conditions or die in the attempt is grounds for
expulsion from the order, which usually means death.
Many holy slayers kill themselves rather than face
capture, and those who escape often attempt to vanish,
cutting all ties to the fellowship they have failed.
Those who die in the attempt, whether successful or
not, are martyrs to the cause and are venerated as nearsaints. Those who succeed and survive are considered
heroes, and they are expected to serve again in the
same capacity. They may take the title Al-Nasab, for
they have been proven and found worthy in the war
for the faith.
Targets
The holy slayers’ terror tactics are ineffective against
institutional hierarchies like those of the mamluks, for
slaying their leaders merely results in promotion for
others. It’s hard to get results with public killings in
Qudra or against societies like the Dauntless, and
attempting to slay such leaders is a waste of valuable
men and resources
Since some mamluks are trained almost from birth,
it might seem that their societies are difficult to
infiltrate. While holy slayers do concentrate on
converting mamluks in positions of power within the
hierarchy, they are more likely to simply choose one of
the rafiqs to gain the appropriate facial tattoos when a
spy among the mamluks is called for. This strategy has
been somewhat successful: the Everlasting have
converted a few of the followers of Hajama within the
mamluk societies to their cause, and their tattooed
imitators serve admirably to inspire chaos by disrupting
orders, misdirecting troops, misappropriating funds, and
freeing captured slayers who are valuable to the cause.

Beliefs
So when the Old Man would have any Prince slain,
he would say to such a youth: Go thou and slay Soand-So; and when thou returnest my Angels shall
bear thee into Paradise. And shouldst thou die,
nevertheless even so will I send my Angels to carry
thee back into Paradise.
Marco Polo
Holy slayers are fearless and dangerous, not because
of their skill or their numbers, but because of their
willingness to die for the cause. Their eyes are set on
paradise, and death is the key to the gate. The
Everlasting fear nothing but their own cowardice in
the face of death.
Assassins have no word for failure; if they die in
service of their god, they are martyrs, but they have
not failed. When they die, they go to live under the
eye of their god.
The holy slayers of the north are in many ways
more open and more violent than their counterparts
elsewhere, for they feel the Free Cities are greatly in
need of bravery, daring, and piety. The surrounding
land is wilder and more prone to ajami incursions

Holy slayers hope to do more than simply withstand
the trespasses of ajami gods; they hope to take the
battle to the outlanders, and to win there, they must
be pure and stout-hearted. Obviously, there is no room
in the ranks for those who oppose what they see as the
will of the gods. Killing these cowardly, stubborn,
blasphemous fools is not murder, but an act of
enlightened piety, a purification of the body politic

Some might say (though not to their faces) that the
Everlasting, the holy slayers of Hajama, are cowards for
living in a stronghold so far from civilized reaches. To
this they merely shrug and reply that even the most
stalwart defender of the righteous needs to learn and
practice and perfect his skills somewhere. They see
their time on the mountain as a retreat from the world,
a time to gather strength.

There is no hatred quite so rich as that between
rival branches of the same faith. Pragmatic and
moderate followers of Hajama call the difference
between courage and daring the difference between a
strong will and a soft head. The moralists disagree, and
see the slayers as a noble army of martyrs. Less pious
commoners see them as a gang of terrorists.
Methods
Holy slayers prefer to strike in public, such as when a
target is praying, presiding in the diwan, attending or
performing a wedding, dining, walking the streets, or
shopping in the market. When a target is heavily
guarded, assassins sometimes strike in a private place,
such as a hallway, a bedroom, or a rural path.
Holy slayer assassinations are treated as
backstabbing attacks as per the thief class. Thus, the
relatively weak fighting strength of the holy slayers is
enhanced by the element of surprise. If they disguise
themselves and strike unexpectedly, they usually gain
the element of surprise.
Surprise
All holy slayers may hide their weapons successfully by making a successful sleight of hand/pick
pockets roll. They palm small weapons like jambiyas
or katars until the last moment; scimitars and
blowguns are kept hidden in the folds of their aba or
robes. Even a holy slayer standing in a crowd can
attack by surprise.
As many as three holy slayers may attempt to attack
a target by surprise at the same time. A single die roll
is made for surprise attempt. The slayers suffer no
penalty as long as they operate in relatively crowded
conditions. Three killers cannot creep up on a victim
unawares on an empty street!
If the streets are empty and more than one holy
slayer seeks to ambush a victim from the shadows, all
the other holy slayers involved must successfully
conceal themselves. If any of the slayers fails to hide
successfully, the victim cannot be surprised, and the

attempted assassination fails unless the holy slayers
can defeat their victim in ordinary combat.
Table 1: Surprise Modifiers for Holy Slayers
Successfully disguised + 1
Weapon concealed +2
Striking from a crowd + 1
Striking from shadows +3
The first three of these modifiers are cumulative;
the last is not cumulative with other modifiers. See
also the surprise modifier table (Table 57) in the
DUNGEON MASTER™ Guide.
In some cases, such as when striking down traitors
to their fellowships or especially well-guarded targets,
holy slayers may attack helpless opponentsthose
who are asleep, bound, or magically held, for instance.
In this case, attacks hit automatically for maximum
backstabbing damage on the first blow. Thereafter,
combat proceeds normally.
High-level holy slayers of the Everlasting may
double or triple more than just weapon damage. Holy
slayers of 7th level or higher know how to use the full
force of a blow, even when their strike is by stealth.
They may apply the backstab multiplier to their
strength bonus when figuring damage. Holy slayers of
14th level or higher are aware of the arcane strength of
their weaponry and may multiply their weapon’s
magical energies when attacking from concealment.
They may apply the backstab multiplier to the magical
damage bonus on a successful backstab. These modifers
may be applied only to pre-planned, coordinated
attacks, and then only when the holy slayer is
summoned by the call.
The strength and skill to gain these bonuses is
granted to the slayers by their god, in return for
remaining true to his Word. However, this skill is
theirs only as long as they do not use poisons, which
adherents of Hajama universally denounce as a
coward’s weapon.
Other holy slayer fellowships may also be granted
this special ability, if the DM wishes. However, it
should be granted only to those holy slayers who
forsake the use of poisons.
Inflitration
Assassins are trained not only in combat skills, but
also in foreign languages and the tenets of other gods.
This enables them to blend smoothly into any regional
background, from the Free Cities to the Pantheon to
the barbaric islands of the distant south.
Holy slayers are rigorously trained in the arts of
disguise, diversion, and deception. Mamluk tattoos can
be faked or imitated by the truly fanatical. Many holy
slayers take positions as accountants, tutors, foremen,
merchants, and so on to gain access to powerful
houses. These are usually spying missions, and the
slayers assigned to these positions are only expected to
report to their leaders, not slay a target.
Others take on disguises as Free Priests, market
vendors, camel drivers, caravan guards, mendicants
and beggars, entertainers and storytellers, kitchen
help, musicians, grooms, servants, students, and horse
trainers. These positions are usually temporary in
nature, and they are used simply to gain a target’s trust
prior to slaying him or her.

Reports from the Faithful
The comrades of the Everlasting have an extensive
net of supporters, informers, and operatives in all
of the Free Cities as well as in Qudra, Hiyal, Hilm, and
Talab. A long-standing agreement between the
Everlasting and the Grey Fire asserts that the Free
Cities and Qudra are the province of the Everlasting,
and Huzuz, the Pearl Cities, and the south belong to
the Grey Fire, though each fellowship is granted access
to the lands and resources of its ally.
This agreement has broken down somewhat
recently, but the two groups still use one another’s
networks and operatives to increase their reach. Thus,
both fellowships seem able to reach targets almost
anywhere in Zakhara. A few plots and operatives of
the Everlasting from throughout the Land of Fate are
detailed below.
In Qudra, the Everlasting have a hard time getting
close to the reins of power, as they are held by the
almost unbribable mamluks. Nevertheless, not
everyone in the city is a slave soldier, and many
prominent merchants, scholars, tax collectors, and
others are, in fact, holy slayers. These holy slayers
rarely act directly against the mamluks, but they
frequently cause trouble that simultaneously gains
them some advantage. For instance, slayers posing as
tax collectors have roamed the streets lately, and they
have taken to imprisoning the children of those who
cannot pay. Many of these unfortunates become
unsuspecting recruits of the Everlasting, spirited away
to their bases in the Furrowed Mountains by night and
then indoctrinated.
Liham is a melting pot of Everlasting activity.
Anwar al-Sifr (see statistics in the Adventure Book) is
the leader of the holy slayers in town. During the day,
he serves as chief constable, reporting to the caliph
and his mamluk council. This allows him considerable
power, as he can frequently obtain information from
mamluk societies that are affiliated with Qudra, where
information is much harder to come by. Many of the

Everlasting’s traitorous informants or exiled members
have fallen into his hands; when they do, they
disappear in the dungeons beneath the palace.
Hawa is a city of so many adventurers and rogues
and so little law and order that members of the
Everlasting recruit openly on the streets here. It is said
that they offer a bounty to anyone willing to sign their
children on as apprentices to the assassin masters. Of
course, this bounty is a thin excuse for selling children
into their ranks.
In Qadib, a number of mages have recently
disappeared or been murdered, causing a minor panic
among the remaining mages. These disappearances
have been secret operations by the Everlasting as they
attempt to recruit new mages to aid their cause. The
da’i responsible for recruitment has approached several
sand and wind sorcerers, sha’irs, and flame mages.
Though two have accepted (and been spirited away),
all those who refused have been slain by magical
creatures or weapons striking in the night. Lawful
neutral or lawful evil PC mages who worship Hajama
or Najm might be approached with a similar offer.
Umara has been the site of two recent slayings
attributed to the Everlasting. The death of a corrupt
and cowardly captain of the customs officers has been
celebrated by the merchants and dockworkers, and the
Everlasting’s slaying of a extortionist priest of Jisan has
further raised their popularity.
Muluk has recently been the scene of much friction
between the Everlasting and the Flamedeath
Fellowship, though Farouk Abd al-Bazan has been
trying to make contacts there for his faction, the
Sword Dancers (see Factions among the
Everlasting). A number of the Everlasting and their
sympathizers have been found dead in the streets, at
the hands of the Flamedeath Fellowship. These were
members of other factions who interfered with Farouk’s
plans for the Sword Dancers.
Hiyal is a hotbed of activity for the Everlasting, the
Soft Whisper, the Flamedeath Fellowship, and the
Storm Which Destroys, but it is also a very dangerous

place to operate, because few plots escape the notice of
Tocka, the gnomish master of the Gilded Palm in that
city. Few schemes that Tocka does not approve of
come to fruition in Hiyal.
One of the most infamous members of the
Flamedeath Fellowship, Matruda ai-Muhif (hfT/hs/13),
is rumored to have fled the city of Hiyal. Recent
reports have placed her in Muluk, where she is said to
be gathering a large supply of oil of liquid stars.
Halwa is a dumping point for slaves taken by the
Everlasting and for initiates who fail to pass the tests to
come into the lowest ranks of the fellowship. These
slaves are usually mute when they arrive in Halwa;
their tongues have been removed to ensure that the
secrets of the fellowship are kept.
Hilm has been the site of recent activity by Aida
al-Irrahman al-Qudra, the minister of propaganda of
the Everlasting. The mistress of disguises has robbed a
number of moneylenders by imitating the manner and
dress of various well-known merchants and getting
large loans secured with their property. This has led to
legal chaos as the moneylenders attempt to take
possession of shops, caravan goods, warehouses, and
even slaves when the merchants default on their
loans. There is, of course, no trace of Aida and the
money. The qadi of Hilm has posted a large reward for
her capture.
Factions Among the
Everlasting
Each of the five main factions among the
Everlasting is detailed below. The most powerful
are the Loyalists (hand-picked favorites of the Shadow
Caliph), the Preachers (loosely representing the
moralist priesthood of Hajama), and the Unclean
(feared by everyone for their master’s influence with
genies). The Sword Dancers, a charismatic cult of
dancers, are a rising power. The sect of the Winged
Bull, a faction once responsible for communications,
propaganda, discipline, and transport of material, is a

fallen power. They are currently little more than the
bully-boys of the Loyalists in the inner circles of the
fellowship. Each faction has holy slayers among its
members. The leaders of these factions are only
cursorily presented here; full details may be found on
Cards 1-6.
The Grandfather
Grandfather Marwan al-Jabal al-Hiyali (hmT/hs/15),
the Caliph of Shadows, rules over the fellowship of the
Everlasting. That is to say, he manages to keep control
over a seething vipers’ den, where plots are constantly
hatching like serpents’ eggs and venom seeps forth to
stain the sands. Competing claims to the succession
are constantly in motion, and somehow, deftly, played
off against one another. The Old Man of the Mountain
is both wise and wicked, and even so barely manages
to keep ahead of his followers.
The Grandfather is a widower, and he has sworn
never to leave the precincts of the mountain. He killed
his own son for cowardice; he acts as mercilessly as he
does because he believes that he acts not for himself,
but for the sake of others.

The Loyalists

Marwan rarely appears the same way twice, for he
enjoys using the arts of disguise to walk among his
followers undetected, the better to pick up plots
against him and the rafiqs’ true feelings. When he
holds audience he wears tightly-fitting garments of
dark blue silk and a dark blue silk turban set with a
small egret’s feather and a large opal.
His servants are the Loyalists, who obey him
without question. He is also the master of Halfana
al-Yamini, the oathbinder genie. His command of the
genie will pass to his successor upon his death.
The Loyalists have always supported the Shadow
Caliph, but in the wake of his death they will strive to
consolidate the power they have begged and scraped
for. Grandfather Marwan has been their ultimate
leader for so long that they no longer quite know what

to do without him. There are currently 142 Loyalists in
Jabal Sarahin.
The leader of the Loyalists is Yusuf bin Ayyub
(hmT/hs/9), a brownnoser who plans on lording it
over a great number of people the day he assumes
power. He has been planning for Marwan’s death for
yearsplanning it very thoroughly and very, very
carefully. He is the minister of devotion for the
Everlasting.
Yusuf is paranoid that everyone envies his position
at the Grandfather’s right hand, and so he is constantly
accompanied by three werelion mercenaries, Jamila alZahab, Jezeed al-Kadarosti, and Aziz al-Asra. Jamila is
an exotic woman, powerful and willing to flaunt the
strictures of Zakharan society. She is rumored to be
Yusuf’s lover, though others say this is merely jealousy.
She is very diligent in the performance of her duties as
a bodyguard. The werelions are detailed further in the
Adventure Book.
Marwan and Yusuf share a confidant, Marwan’s
niece, Sayida ibn Afa (hfT/r/6). Though she knows all
their secrets and serves as a sort of vizier to the
Everlasting, she has no stomach for killing. She knows
that if Yusuf dies or takes Marwan’s place, she will
become the new leader of the Loyalists, so she fully
supports Yusuf’s bid for the mantle of Grandfather.
Sayida is suspicious of Farouk’s (see below) romantic
overtures towards her; her intuition tells her that a
plot might be growing against Marwan.
Several of the loyalists are the jann who built
Sarahin and were converted by the efforts of the holy
slayers. They are completely loyal to Marwan and his
anointed successors. They are unable to see through
the illusions of Farouk, and they rarely mix with the
mortals who now overrun Sarahin. They hold
important posts, including the master of the hounds,
the guardians of the Gate of the Bulls, and the
guardians of the Garden of Delights.

The Preachers
This powerful group is the self-appointed arm of the
moralist mosques of Hajama and their imams, a group
that the Grandfather must always at least appear to
defer to if he is to retain the loyalty of his followers. In
fact, Batina al-Shaat, the moralist priestess who leads
the faction (dfP/m/11), is a bit of a rogue. Most
moralist priests are not willing to support the holy
slayers who kill enlightened people in the name of
their god; though the most rabid priests may cheer
them in private, they denounce them publicly. A
number of the faction’s members are priests, though
most of the citadel guards are also loyal to the
Preachers (insofar as anyone cares about their
opinion), usually because their officers are supporters.
Since few human priests, even moralists, enjoy
distant, blazing hot mountain postings, the task has
fallen to a single (and singularly powerful) dwarf,
Batina, who has surrounded herself with dwarven
followers of the faith. Her desire is clear: to guide the
hand of the assassins and keep it striking, hard and
often, at anyone she sees as an enemy. If this includes
those among the Everlasting who don’t meet her
standards, so be it. She smiles broadly and often at her
followers, but her smile is not pleasantshe seems to
be constantly contemplating how much loyalty, fervor,
and service she can wring from the faithful. No matter
what subject comes up in conversation, her
interpretation must always be right.
Batina is a hard woman, never satisfied with her
followers. For some reason, the way she goads them
only inspires them with an even greater desire to
please her. She has thin white hair and a thin beard, a
source of some aggravation to her. She tends to yawn
often, widely, and unattractively at all hours of the day.
This does not indicate disinterest or scorn, though her
followers (and the PCs) may see it that way.
Batina enforces ideological purity among the
faithful and advises the Grandfather in all things. She
is the minister of the faith for the Everlasting. She has
never had designs on the rulership itself; she views her

position as almost as powerful and a great deal safer
than actually seizing control. She views all political
maneuvering as transitory; only the teaching of
Hajama and the Loregiver are eternal. She does have
two great enemies: one is Emir Hatit Abd al-Wajib,
the dwarven leader of the council of mamluks of
Qudra, who once rejected her for a powerful post there
among the slave soldiers’ societies. She has never
forgiven him. Batina also hates Akim al-Kalaas (see
below) passionately and hopes to convince others that
he must be driven away during the confusion of the
succession.
Batina’s faction includes two 5th-level and six 4thlevel dwarven priests, and three 3rd-level, seven 2ndlevel, and 15 1st-level dwarven farisan of the
Courageous, also called the Abd al-Jari. The dwarves
are all darkly tanned from hours spent staring from the
ramparts at the horizon. Their thick beards are
bleached completely white from the sun, but the
dwarves are entirely bald.
Batina’s closest ally is Mamoud ibn Asra Abd al-Jari
(dmF/f/7), her chief enforcer among both the human
guards and the warrior dwarves. He is specialized in the
use of the scimitar. Mamoud commands not only
Batina’s dwarves, the Courageous, but also the citadel’s
hobgoblin defenders, called the Eagles. Typical stats
for each are given below. The six commanders of the
Courageous are 3rd level. There are ten honor guards
and 70 citadel guards.
The warriors of the Courageous have high selfesteem, excellent training, and an unbreakable loyalty
to Mamoud. Many of them crossed the desert with
Batina, but their loyalty to Mamoud has been forged in
battle against the desert tribes.
The Eagles, the hobgoblin footsoldiers of Sarahin,
are quality troopers with a fair amount of discipline
and a lot of fervor, but they are not battle-hardened
no one has assaulted the castle in living memory.
There are only 20 hobgoblin troopers, and they spend
most of their time drilling or on watch. Use them as
decoration to remind the players that their characters
are in a fortress, with soldiers watching, drilling, telling
stories, dicing, and generally standing around bored a
great deal of the time. In any real combat, the party
should send them to their reward by the score. Use
them as cannon-fodder and as screens for the major
NPCs. If the head of an important faction needs help,
the guards are just a shout away.

The Unclean
The Unclean are a quiet and unassuming faction,
recent but powerful arrivals to the plots and schemes
of Assassin, Mountain, and ruled by the half-mad sha’ir
Akim al-Kalaas (hmW/sh/14). They are the smallest
faction in Sarahin, with only fifteen members, four of
whom are sha’irs. The others are the sha’irs’ five genie
servants and six holy slayers who hope to gain a
martyr’s death through close work with the sha’ir.
In fact, the holy slayers are little more than
information sources for the other factions, which is
why the sha’irs never tell them anything of
importance. Three of the assassins are willing spies for
the Preachers, Loyalists, and Sword Dancers. The
other three are merely foolish holy slayers who are
pumped for information on a regular basis. In
addition, Akim has created a pack of ghouls and a
gibbering mouther which currently live under the
mountain.
Although the priests of the church moral
vehemently preach against the sha’irs and all of the
works of genie-kind, Grandfather Marwan has found
them very useful, even indispensable, allies here in the
Haunted Lands. He was delighted to gain the services
of Akim al-Kalaas, a zealous follower of Hajama and
the only sha’ir ever to be exiled from the city of Hiyal.
The uneasy peace between the Jann of the Haunted
Lands and the Everlasting is Akim’s doing. Although
he is a follower of Hajama, he prefers to express his
fanatical devotion to the ideal of bravery by foolishly
18
tempting the patience of genies. He has also flirted
with secret knowledge best left undiscovered; the
gibbering mouther in the Pit is the result of one such
summoning.
Akim is a tall, unnaturally thin man with a dark
scraggly beard, hooked nose, and wild eyes. He wears
robes of either dark green or maroon samite and silk,
and always wears a deep yellow turban set with an oxblood red ruby. He always carries a teak staff, carved
with two interlocking spirals and topped with a brass
figurine of a capering monkey. He cultivates his
reputation as a madman.
When he was younger, more foolish, and slightly
less powerful, Akim attempted to magically coerce the
sultana of Hiyal to marry him, with an eye to having
her cede the throne to him, but his plot was uncovered
and he took to his heels. Since Marwan is a native of
the City of Intrigue, his spies and sources there are
excellentwhen Akim fled, Marwan was immediately
informed of the most recent development at court.
The Everlasting saw their opportunity and offered him
sanctuary and all the materials he might requirefor a
price.
Akim was welcomed like a brother returned from
the desert, feasted, honored, and given free rein in the
fortressbut he swore an oath bound by an oathbinder
genie to put his not inconsiderable services at the
disposal of Marwan al-Jabal al-Hiyali until such time as
the Old Man of the Mountain dies or passes on his
mantle to a successor. At that time, he is free to
negotiate another arrangement. Akim’s oath prevents
him from killing Marwan himself, but he does
everything he can to stir up the other factions against
Marwan, so that his servitude will come to an end.
Currently, Akim hopes that the marrash he has
summoned will cause enough mayhem in the cities he
sends them against (as allies of the slayers, of course)
that someone will come against the Everlasting and
slay Marwan, releasing him from his given word. So
far, his minions have had no success in causing a major
epidemic.

Akim is well known for using the Everlasting
against rival sha’irs as part of his price for
enchantments he creates and genies he summons to
protect their fortress. He realizes that Batina hates him
and intends to try to finish him if she can, but he is
confident in his ability to deal with her. He is much
more worried that the jann may some day settle their
affairs of their amir and come back to claim Sarahin
from its current occupants.
The lamp of the four winds is a magical item that
Akim researched and had a genie create for him. Its
intended purpose was to summon lesser djinn. While
the scrolls he consulted for details of its enchantment
were accurate, the work was flawed by bad materials
(the metalsmith responsible died a prolonged and
agonizing death), and as a result only wind walkers
hear the call of the lamp. Because it is the only
magical item he has researched himself, Akim is
inordinately proud of the lamp and will not consider
selling it, loaning it, or even showing it to anyone he
does not trust and respect. As the Grandfather is the
only person on the mountain he trusts, Marwan is the
only one who knows of the lamp.
Ali Abdal Akim is the sha’ir’s second gen, a brutal
and sadistic little sand gen. He always harasses guests
when he knows he can get away with it, even to the
point of drawing blood. Akim tolerates this
misbehavior because most of his visitors are too cowed
to object, and Akim enjoys seeing fear in his guests’
eyes. However, Ali knows a few secrets that he has
been keeping from Akim. He knows, for instance, that
Farouk (see below) is an efreeti in disguise, but he is
unwilling to tell anyone other than another gen,
because Ali is afraid of what the genies might do to
him when his sha’ir dies and the gen returns to the
elemental planes.
Akim has two new apprentices, Mara and Safia alGurab Sagir (hfW/sh/2), and a senior apprentice,
Nikolai Nikopolis, an outlander who has sought to
learn the secrets of Zakhara through its magic.
Nikolai (hmW/sh/4) is a complete and utter pig, a

smug and smirking example of what happens when
someone feels immune to any and all retribution. He
knows he is Akim’s best student, and since no one
would willingly anger Akim, he uses this status to do
whatever he pleases with the guards, holy slayers of
low station, servants, and even the dwarven farisan.
He is a tall and pale fellow with dishwater blonde hair
and dark blue, almost violet eyes.
The women are new apprentices who obey their
master in all things and keep apart from the other
inhabitants of Jabal Sarahin. They are overworked,
mistreated by Nikolai, and not sure that their work is
appreciated. They know nothing of the machinations
of the various factions, and will only fight to defend
Akim (Nikolai could fall off a cliff and they would
swear they didn’t see a thing). Mara and Safia are
sisters, with glossy black hair, skin, and eyes.
Akim has command over several genies as well. The
dao in the Lion’s Shrine is his guardian for his
lifeproofing gem. He also commands two tasked genies:
Naomi, the dancer, and Ibrihim, the deceiver.
If Akim dies, his servants are freed from any
controls. The wind walkers no longer obey the
fellowship, and they proceed to exact their vengeance,
blowing guards off the battlements and messenger birds
out of the sky. The fortress is effectively under siege;
however, the wind walkers do not go into any of the
buildings, and after a week, they leave, seeking out the
high mountains. In addition, the ghouls are released
from Akim’s constraints and rise from the pit, seeking
to kill as many as they can.
The release of the other genies is less catastrophic.
The dancer leaves unless a skilled male mortal dancer
has caught her eye. The deceiver genie abandons the
area without further mischief. The dao returns to its
home plane, leaving the gem in the Lion’s Shrine
unguarded.
Sword Dancers
The Sword Dancers are an offshoot of the Court of
Rhythm mystics found in the south. They are a young
faction of rather heterodox worshippers, and believers
in the power of certain cleansing rituals, such as fiery
purifications and fasting, as well as ecstatic dancing.
They are allies of the Unclean, who at least respect
their beliefs, and who depend on the Sword Dancers’
numbers to add weight to the sorcerous power of the
Unclean. The Sword Dancers are often whipped into
frenzies of devotion by Farouk Abd al-Bazan, their
charismatic leader. There are 43 Sword Dancers in
Sarahin, and their numbers are growing. Farouk holds
no ministerial post, though his influence with Marwan
is increasing.
An efreeti with designs on the leadership of the
Everlasting, Farouk has been passing himself off as a
sorcerer of wind and flame. He is Akim’s closest
confidant and advisor, and also a close (but false)
friend of Yusuf. Though hakimas and sha’irs can
normally see through genie disguises, Farouk’s amulet of
proof against detection and location protects him from
this and thus Akim suspects nothing of his true nature,
a source of perpetual amusement for Farouk.
He has used his polymorph self ability to take the
form of a dark and devastatingly handsome man of
about 26, with dark brown hair and dancing green
eyes. He can become invisible, assume gaseous form,
detect magic, enlarge, polymorph self, create an illusion
with both visual and audio components, or create a
wall of fire once per day. Farouk can produce flame or
cause pyrotechnics as often as desired. He takes no
damage from normal fire.
Farouk figures that replacing the Old Man of the
Mountain is a simple way to gain a powerful hold over
the cities of Zakhara. He underestimates the cunning
of the assassins, but he will learn.
If Farouk dies, the faction collapses and disappears
within weeks. Most of them join the Loyalists, others
join the Winged Bulls.

Winged Bulls
This faction consists of the most loutish of holy slayers,
generally dim bulbs who are given their own leader
and their own tasks to keep them from screwing up the
plans of other, better organized factions. They are
foaming-at-the-mouth zealous but they are utterly
inept slayers, the sort of rafiqs who dream of
martyrdom but lack the wits to achieve much of
anything. Although they are constantly full of good
intentions and grandiose plans, they are too lazy and
blunt to carry them to completion.
The Winged Bulls are led by Marwan’s
grandnephew, a young and overweight fellow named
Nusrah bin Kerim (hmT/hs/2). Nusrah has dark brown
skin, thinning curly grey hair, and bad teeth. He sports
a tiny beard, which his followers in the fortress imitate,
making their allegiance plain. There are only twenty
Bulls in Sarahin, all of them holy slayers no higher
than 3rd level.
Use the Bulls for comic relief. Whenever the
plotting gets grim, a thuggish Bull may wander by,
asking snide, rude, or embarrassing questions (So, why
are you still alive? What’s that wand do? How’s it feel
to know you’ll die a coward’s death? You look pretty
scrawny for a warrior. Boy, that was a dumb thing to
do.). They constantly barge in at the wrong time, say
the wrong thing, attack the wrong person. Their
advice is a recipe for disaster.
While the Bulls on Assassin Mountain are hopeless,
they are also the least capable of their faction. Their
true leader, Aida al-Irrahman al-Qudra (hfT/hs/12), is
building their strength elsewhere. Aida is the minister
of propaganda for the Everlasting, and she is currently
spreading the word among the people of Huzuz. She is
a pale-skinned woman with dark black curls and dark
brown eyes, a long face, and thin limbs. Her fingers are
long and narrow.
Aida is cunning, a master at the art of disguise
(frequently assuming the appearance of a young man),
and a stunning orator. She has many followers outside
the precincts of Jabal Sarahin, and many expect the
mistress of the Winged Bulls to become the next leader
of the Everlasting. Grandfather Marwan does consider
her his best choice for a successor, and has made sure
she stays far away from the plots and treachery of
Assassin Mountain for that very reason.
If Nusrah dies, there is little fallout. In fact, a PC
holy slayer or a devoted worshipper of Hajama could
probably take charge of the faction if he were so
inclineduntil Aida returns.

The Fortress of Sarahin

The fortress of Sarahin was built by one of the lords of the jann, the
Amir Heidar Qan. While out hunting one day in the Haunted
Lands, he loosed a golden eagle, which settled on the rock. The
amir saw the strength and beauty of the site, and at once he commanded his
hosts to build a castle upon it. He called it Sarahin, which means the wolves’
den, for he intended it to be his winter hunting grounds.
It was not to be, for Amir Qan vanished from the sight of men and stopped
paying fealty to the Grand Caliph. At the same time, the fortress of the
everlasting was overrun by the Dauntless and other mamluks of Qudra, and
the holy slayers scattered among the Free Cities. While searching for a new
headquarters, a young holy slayer learned of the castle. After much scheming,
it was decided that the new site was found; it needed only to be taken.
The seizure of Sarahin was carefully prepared. From Hiyal, Grandfather
Hasan had sent devotees to work in the village nearby. From the village,
teachers were sent to the castle to convert the jann, some of whom became
worshippers of Hajama and who attempted to convert their sheikh. He
pretended to be won over, but afterward ambushed the missionaries, and the
blood of the Everlasting washed the stone ramparts. The jann of the castle
sent the Grandfather the heads of his followers and a letter saying that the
fortress belonged to the sheikh.
At this, the Caliph of Shadows left Hiyal to visit the fortress of Sarahin,
where he was welcomed as a guest. After the evening meal, Grandfather
Hasan said he would forgive the sheikh the slaughter of his followers if the
sheikh would give him, for 3,000 dinars, as much land as an ox’s hide would
contain. The sheikh agreed before his court. Hasan split the hide into strips,
and with them surrounded the castle. The sheikh at first refused to honor his
word, but the jann rose against him and forced him to keep it. Grandfather
Hasan remained in the castle not for three days, but for the rest of his life.

The fortress of Sarahin is also called the Rock of
Courage, the Nest of Eagles, the Abode of Fortune,
and the Emerald of the Haunted Lands. The land
nearby is dry but not entirely desolate; when the rains
are good, enough forage grows to keep small herds of
goats or cattle. The stronghold itself is on top of a
sprawling ridgetop plateau, at an altitude of 10,200
feet. Although it is the highest point for miles around,
the fortress cannot be seen from the ground because
the outer walls were quarried from the same stone as
the plateau and its towers are not tall enough to be
seen over the walls. One must take the path almost all
the way to the upper gate before the castle is apparent.
The Tower of Martyrs
Built of mud bricks and decorated with carved statuary
and mosaic designs, this tower is only an outpost of the
fortress of Sarahin. It commands a view over the desert
for miles. Its base is about 40 feet in diameter, and it
stands fully 200 feet tall. It is a solid column; there is
no interior, only an exterior stair. The tower’s base
serves as a kennel for the saluqi greyhounds, and the
rooftop is an aviary for pigeons (both for eating and for
messages).
Three wind walkers are magically chained to the
tower; they allow only members of the fellowship and
worshipers of Hajama to climb the tower. If others
climb it, the wind walkers wait until they are half-way
up and then throw people from the tower. On
successful attacks, victims on the outer staircase must
make a saving throw vs. petrification to avoid being
flung to the bottom. The fall inflicts 10d6 damage and
requires a save versus death magic to avoid instant
death (DMG, page 75).
In addition to its scouting and communications
functions, the Tower of Martyrs is the point of
departure for holy slayers traveling to the coasts. They
are carried by the wind walkers, who use their ride the
wind ability to lift travelers and push them along over
any terrain. The smaller number of returning assassins
travel by the same method from a number of secret
locations in remote areas throughout the Free Cities
and the ruins of the coast of the Golden Gulf.
Wind walkers (3): Int Very; AL N; AC 7; MV 15, Fl
30; HD 6+3; hp 33, 32, 21; THAC0 15; #AT 2; Dmg
3d6; SA attack in series; SD spell immunities; SZ L;
ML 13; XP 2,000.
Bab il-Hawa
Bab il-Hawa, or the gate of the wind, is the lower of
the two gates into the fortress. The lower gate was
once an offshoot of the fortress but now serves mainly
as a place for two desert giants who served the
Everlasting as caravan guards and messengers before
the arrival of Akim al-Kalaas and his sorcerous allies.
Now they sit rocklike on either side of the gorge,
holding a slab of stone between them on their gritty
shoulders so that they appear to be ancient and
weathered gate carvings. When visitors approach, they
heave themselves to attention and challenge them,
though they are not eager for combat. They are loyal
to Mamoud, the captain of the guard, and share his
hatred of the genies.
The giants will stop hostile parties, but if they are
bribed (etiquette check to know the size of a proper
bribe) or impressed with a cleric’s holiness (successful
debate skill), they may allow a peaceful party to pass.
If the PCs stumble across the desert without the
guidance of Fadiya and Omar (see the Adventure
Book), the giants will eventually try to capture the
PCs or lead them back to civilized lands.
Beyond the gorge, a two foot wide path winds back
and forth up to the ridge. Ponies, mules, and donkeys
can make this climb while carrying a rider or goods;
camels and horses must be led.
Desert giants (2): Int average; AL N; AC 1; MV 15;
HD 13; hp 64, 60; THAC0 7; #AT 1; Dmg 2-12+7;
SA hurl spears; SD camouflage; ML 14; XP 5,000.

The Gate of the Bulls
Guarded by jann, this gate is flanked by colorful
mosaics of winged bulls, lions bearing swords, and
snakes climbing up to the sun. It is more ornamental
than effective, but it does give the jann a good
checkpoint for entry into the fortress itself.
These jann all have 18/01 to 18/50 strength, with
an attack bonus of +1 and a +3 damage bonus.
This gate is also the current roost of the marrash,
though they rarely perch for longer than it takes to
gorge themselves on carrion and sleep until they digest
it. If the gate is attacked, they take to the air.
Jann (6): Int very to exceptional; AL N; AC 2 (5);
MV 12, Fl 30 (A); MD 6+2; hp 36, 33, 29, 22, 21, 13;
THAC0 13; #AT 1; Dmg 1-8 plus strength bonus;
SA spells; SD 20% magic resistance; SZ M; ML 15;
XP 2,000; jann lamellar armor, scimitars.
On the Mountain
Once past the gate, the assassins’ fortress sprawls
over the ridge for hundreds of yards and descends
into the earth in a number of secret caverns and
passages. Its towers and minarets command a modest
view of the riverbed and the sloping desert terrain on
all sides.
Dark Wind Stables
The stables are largely kept for racing beasts. The
camels are mehari, racing camels, and courier camels
for messengers. The horses are racing stallions, with a
few riding mares kept for hunting parties. The stables
are amazingly lavish for such a lowly building, with
basalt floors, cedar stalls and lintels, and whitewashed
stone walls. At either end are two unusual mounts kept
for special occasions.
One is a two-headed roc used for major raids,
called Sar, or Vengeance. It is used when the
Everlasting raid caravans between Halwa and the
coast, or between Qudra and the south. The sight of
the roc is often enough to frighten off many guards;
the monster feasts on the camels and guards that are
slain.
The other prize mount is the Grandfather assassin’s
steed, a pegasus called Sulbain, or Steeleye. He trained
the mount from birth and broke it to his will; his harsh
training and brutal punishment for disobedience has
kept it from its natural alignment. The Caliph of
Shadows has reserved Sulbain for his special use; no
one else may ride him.
The ostler is a holy slayer from the desert tribes of
the Haunted Lands, Hisan bin Hanif. He handles the
horses, ponies, and the pegasus. The falconer cares for
the roc, which is much too large to fit in the mews.
Hisan is, quite reasonably, afraid of the great bird,
though his faith doesn’t allow him to admit it.
Two-headed roc, Zakharan: Int Low; AL CE; AC 4;
MV 3, Fl 24 (C); HD 16; hp 69; THAC0 5; #AT 2 or
2; Dmg 3-18/3-18 or 4-24/4-24; SA Boulder attack,
swoop, snare; SZ G; ML 13; XP 14,000.
Pegasus: Int average; AL N (CG); AC 6; MV 24, Fl
48 (C, D mounted); HD 4; hp 16; THAC0 17; #AT 3;
Dmg 1-8/1-8/1-3; SA Dive, rear kick; SZ L; ML 9;
XP 975.
Training Grounds
An open sandy courtyard, this stretch of level ground
is pocked with barriers, pits, wooden training machines
of various kinds, and spilled blood.
The training grounds are surrounded by the Halls of
the Faithful, the stables, the kennels; the mews, and
the arsenal.
Arsenal
The zardkhanah or arsenal is a utilitarian building that
serves as both storage and repair area for all the
weapons of the assassins. Three sergeants-at-arms of
the farisan rotate the guard duty here, though their
vigilance is less than one might hope. The sergeants

Abd al-Jari always carry a magical blade that assists
them in their sentry worka sword enchanted with a
continual light spell.
The zardkhanah is always locked with two locks of
excellent quality (-20 percent to pick).
The arsenal contains 200 scimitars, 70 bows, 2,000
arrows, and a wide variety of light armor, helmets, and
shields, as well as the robes, turban wraps, and tunics
of the various ranks. All of them are well-oiled and
carefully stored; the sergeants regularly inspect and
maintain them.
Feisal, Taleb, and Haroun Abd al-Jari
3rd-level male dwarven warriors (farisan)
AL LN; AC 6; MV 6; hp 27, 15, 11; THAC0 18;

AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 16; XP 175;

scimitar, jambiya, throwing axe.
Kennels
Two packs of saluqi greyhounds are kept here, one of
which is always set free at night to guard the lands
around the keep. The other one is kept for hunting
when the Grandfather or one of the faction leaders
desires some sport. Farouk has been availing himself
of these hounds fairly frequently, and has converted
the master of the kennels to side with the Sword
Dancers.
The master of the hounds is a janni named Sirhan
al-Din, a convert from the days when the jann built
the fortress. He is completely loyal to the Sword
Dancers, and is not willing to help the PCs with
matters unrelated to hounds or hunting. However, if a
sha’ir of at least 5th level summons a janni while in
Jabal Sarahin, Sirhan will be the one compelled to
answer. He has served Akim before, and will not
answer his call again. Sirhan is over 6 feet tall, with
dusky skin, dark chestnut hair, and black eyes. He has
Strength of 18/70.
Sirhan is always accompanied by two trained
hunting cheetahs, used to bring down gazelles. They
are very protective of him, and growl when others
approach him too closely.
Sirhan al-Din (janni): INT exceptional; AL N; AC 2
(5); MV 12, Fl 30 (A); HD 6+2; hp 25; THAC0 13
(11 with Strength bonus); #AT 1; Dmg 1-8 plus
strength bonus of +3; SA spells; SD 20% magic
resistance; SZ M; ML 15; XP 2,000.
Cheetahs (2): INT animal; AL N; AC 5; MV 15,
sprint 45; HD 3; hp 13, 7; #AT 3; Dmg 1-2/1-2/1-8;
SA rear claws for 1-2 each; SD surprised only on a 1;
SZ M; ML 10; XP 175.
The Halls of the Faithful
These barracks for the holy slayers are segregated by
sex and faction. The women are all in the northern
section; the men are in the southern. The Loyalists,
Preachers, Sword Dancers, and Winged Bulls all have
their own sections, and Farouk and Nusrah lead their
factions from their quarters here.
The hallways are decorated with abstract mosaics,
mostly vague cloudlike forms of whirls and spirals, but
the rooms are bare of any ornamentation that might
distract the assassins from their tasks.
Tower of the Dawn
The call to prayer rings out over the desert from this
tower every morning, noon, and evening. The Tower
of the Dawn is a gathering site for important occasions,
as it adjoins the training grounds and offers speakers a
high platform. It is the site of induction ceremonies,
where new holy slayers are sworn into the order as
initiates or lasiqs A sacred flame is kept burning here
each night, known as the Lamp of Devotion, used in
the ceremony of the vow of secrecy. Lasiqs and
disobedient fedayeen are often required to tend the
lamp during all-night vigils.

Criminals are punished near the tower as well;
offenders are branded, hanged, or thrown from the
parapet to their deaths, depending on the severity of
their crimes. The fellowship assembles in the training
grounds below to watch.
The Falconer’s Mews
The falconer is a holy slayer named Fatik al-Amin. He
cares about very little other than his strong fliers and
their training. His charges include the Zakharan roc in
the stables, two saker falcons from the island of Dir
(see the Golden Voyages sourcebox), four peregrine
falcons, and a golden eagle. Each is well-trained and
worth a fortune: the falcons vary from 900 to 1,300 gp,
and the eagle is easily worth 1,500 gp.
Fatik al-Amin (hmT/hs/3) is a quiet man, devoted
to the Loyalists, and not prone to rumor-mongering.
Although he is a skilled animal handler, the true secret
of his expertise is a ring of avian control. The ring
allowed him to tame the roc kept in the stables, thus
securing his reputation as a master falconer.
Saker falcons (2): Int Animal; AL N; AC 5; MV 1,
Fl 36 (B); HD 1-1; hp 5, 4; THAC0 20; #AT 3;
Dmg 1/1/1; SA Special; SZ S; ML 6; XP 65.
Peregrine falcons (Hawks) (4): Int Animal; AL N;
AC 6; MV 1, Fl 33 (B); HD 1; hp 8, 6, 4, 3; THAC0
19; #AT 3; Dmg 1-2/1-2/1; SA Special; SZ S; ML 9;
XP 65.
Eagle (1): Int Animal; AL N; AC 6; MV 1, Fl 30 (C);
HD 1+3; hp 8; THAC0 18; #AT 3; Dmg 1-2/1-2/1-2;
SA Special; SD Special; SZ S; ML 9; XP 175.
Feast Hall
This area is reserved for the celebration of holy days
and special events. A gilded and painted archway in
the western wall leads down into the Caverns of the
Everlasting.
Kitchens, Granary, Well, and Herb
Garden
The kitchens are blazing areas, always full of hectic
activity and bustle, clanging noise, steam and heat,
and heady smells. The staff is much too busy to take
notice of visitors, unless they get in the way.
The water used here comes from an artesian well.
Layers of limestone shale trap and carry water under
the desert to this ridge, where the fedayeen and the
jann have dug a well. A team of mules turns an
Archimedes’ screw to pull the water up into the
kitchen, where it is used for cooking and washing.
Dirty water is used to irrigate the herb garden, and
what clean water remains flows down to the
underground stream of the Garden of Delights.
The kitchen’s granary contains small amounts of
millet, rye, barley, and wheat, as well as sacks of dried
beans, peas, and lentils.
The herb garden is a wonder of clashing smells.
Small herbs grow in thick green beds, and trees bear
almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans. The scents of mint,
sage, rosemary, dill, parsley, oregano, thyme, and
cilantro waft up from the plants.
Observatory
Grandfather Marwan is a firm believer is astrology, and
the observatory, built by his command, is a recent
addition to the structures of Sarahin and is filled with
charts and scrolls detailing the heavens and
constellations. The building is of plain white marble,
gilded in a single band where the dome of the roof
meets the curve of the walls.
Akim al-Kalaas comes here on clear nights to
complete astrological charts. Any character using the
resources of the observatory for an entire evening gains
a +4 bonus to astrology proficiency checks for that
evening.
Shrine of the Bold
As Hajama’s confidant and brother, Adventurous
Najm is respected among the holy slayers, and

occasionally priests of that faith visit here. This shrine
is kept for the few devotees of Najm among the farisan
and the hobgoblins, although no priests maintain it
and no holy slayers worship here.
Because it is so rarely visited and because of its
romantic view over the orchards, the Shrine of the
Bold is a popular locale for midnight trysts and
assignations. PCs who catch the eye of one of the holy
slayers will be asked to meet them here.
Priests Quarters
These are bare and cheerless chambers, meant to
provide a minimum of distractions and only a
modicum of comfort. These rooms are also popular
with the Preacher faction.
Guest Chambers
These fine rooms overlooking the herb garden are
richly appointed with layers of bright rugs, shining
lamps, screens, embroidered pillows, and beds covered
in silk. However, the doors can be barred from the
outside as well as the inside, and the beautiful tall
windows are much too narrow (about 4 inches wide)
to allow anyone larger than an infant in or out.
The lion’s Shrine
his beautiful green-tiled mosque and adjoining T minarets are where the daily prayers to Hajama
are recited and the sacred texts are stored. Only devout
believers are allowed to enter. Two members of the
Courageous at the entrance enforce this at all hours.
Two griffon statues stand at the top of the stairs
leading up to the shrine. The northern one has a small
secret compartment tucked under one stony wing. The
compartment contains twelve doses of gritty phoenix
powder poison, which belong to Farouk, leader of the
Sword Dancers. He comes here invisibly every other
night to make sure that his cache is still safe.
In the courtyard before the mosque is the lion pit, a
twenty-foot-wide and twenty-foot-long pit that serves
to cage a full-grown lioness. This is where the test of
courage known as the Lion’s Mouth is conducted.
The holy relic known as the Heart of the Lion lies
on the altar. It is a bright red carnelian said to have
been torn from the body of the Lion of Suja by the
bare hands of the founder of the Everlasting. Fading
flowers and vials of aromatic oils are often left here as
offerings in his memory.
The stone itself is huge, fully a foot across and
surely priceless. Flaws and inclusions give the interior a
darkened look in spots, but the whole still shines. It
shows strong necromantic magic if detect magic is used
on it because Akim al-Kalaas has cast a lifeproof spell,
using this gem as the receptacle. Usually, Akim counts
on the reverence the holy slayers have for the gem to
keep it safe, but the PCs are an unknown quantity.
Consequently, he has warded it well, assigning his
personal genie servant to watch over it night and day.
This dao defends the gem from destruction by striking
first at anyone who attempts to destroy the gem, and
he attempts to kill anyone who lifts it from its resting
place. The dao is currently lurking out of sight
invisibly, but he never shows his true form while in the
stronghold, to avoid implicating Akim al-Kalaas in his
sentry work. To further prevent others from associating
him with Akim and the Unclean, he has taken the
form of a black panther. However, he has no flesh or
blood in this form, only claws of steel, a body of black
basalt, and eyes that sparkle like black opals.
Three smaller fragments of the stone are also on the
altar; these radiate a weaker necromantic aura. Each of
these fragments is capable of casting the following.
spells once per day in the hands of a devout worshiper
of Hajama: bless, cloak of bravery, cure disease, dispel evil,
and heal. Together, these spells can cure the plague
caused by the arrows of the marrash.
Dao: Int Low; AL NE; AC 3; MV 9, Fl 15 (B), Br 6;
HD 8+3; hp 51; THAC0 11; #AT 1; Dmg 3-18;
SA Special; SD Special; SZ L; ML 16; XP 4,000.

Orchards
Left from the time of the genie construction, these
enormous, twisted fruit trees no longer bear a large
harvest, despite grafting and the effects of the genie
magic still within them. The orchard contains rows of
date palms, coconut palms, limes and orange trees.
They are home to a small clan of ashiras.
The ashiras may befriend a PC who spends a great
deal of time in the orchard, or who uses magic that
affects their grove, such as plant growth, speak with
plants, and create water. Though they can do little to
aid the PCs, they can tell the story of the taking of the
castle from the jann (as told on page 22) or the tale of
the Grandmother and her genie lover (given on page 6
of the Adventure Book).
Ashiras (4): Int average; AL CG; AC 7; MV 12; HD
3; hp 17, 14, 12, 10; THAC0 17; #AT 2; Dmg 1-6/1-6;
SA charm; SD meld with tree; MR 10%; SZ M; ML 8;
XP 270.
The Garden of Delights
When therefore they awoke, and found themselves
in a place so charming, they deemed that it was
Paradise in very truth. . . .
Marco Polo
The great black stone dome near the audience
chamber and the orchards is actually a permanent
illusion wrought by Ibrihim to cover the panes of
glassteel that keep a paradisiacal garden of delights from
the eyes of Sarahin’s inhabitants. The gate to this
garden lies underground, accessible only through a
secret entrance in the Hall of Audience. The doorkeepers are two mute and fanatical jann, sworn to
defend the doors against everyone but Marwan,
Batina, and Ibrihim. They are both exceptionally
strong, with 18/93 Strength. They both wear the
lamellar battle-armor of their race. One of them is
usually asleep while the other stands watch invisibly.

Ibrihim, the tasked deceiver genie, is allowed onto
the rock of the assassins only when new devotees are
induced into the cult’s rites and mysteries. Then he
magically creates images of paradise to intensify the
garden’s effect, but the place is quite wondrous all by
itself. Batina sings the music of the spheres to the
initiates to make them more susceptible to the genie’s
illusions and charms.
Lemons, tangerines, oranges, pomegranates, and
passion fruit hang from the trees, and glittering
fountains splash and bubble. Peacocks roam freely
throughout the garden, and nightingales,
mockingbirds, doves, curlews, and swallows flitter from
cherry trees in bloom to flowering almond trees. The
streams flow with nectar, and the sky is covered with
rippling banners of silk.
When initiates are brought here, huriye wait on
themthey are women as beautiful as the moon, and
men as bright as the sun. The huriye attend them,
graceful as gazelles, cooling the fevered novices with
fans, cool ices and juices, and savory dishes. The
initiates may dally as they wish, and beds of soft moss
are hidden in numerous odd corners and dens.
The initiates may spend days here, resting in the
pavilion by night. The pavilion is of rose-colored stone
with pillars of lapis lazuli and a roof of carved and
painted wood. Jasmine and roses surround it,
perpetually in bloom.
When the garden is abandoned, six giant cobras are
allowed to roam freely here. These serpents are kept on
the verge of starvation, and they attack anything that
moves. A character who stands still may escape their
notice, but the chamber is only opened and the snakes
lured away for feeding times each day at sunset
heroes waiting for a chance to escape may have a long
wait. Combat in this area cannot be heard elsewhere,
though any dead snakes will be discovered at sundown.
Because the cobras are barely fed, they pursue prey
eagerly. They use the undergrowth to their advantage;
it slows movement for humanoid creatures to half
normal but has no effect on the snakes.
Jann (2): Int very; AL CG; AC 2; MV 12, Fl 30 (A);
HD 6+2; hp 38, 32; THAC0 15 (13 with strength
bonus); #AT 1; Dmg 1d8+5 Strength bonus; SA
Strength, spells; MR 20%; SZ M; ML 15; XP 3,000.
Giant cobras (6): Int Animal; AL N; AC 8; MV 12;
HD 3; hp 22, 19, 16, 15, 13, 9; THAC0 17; #AT 1;
Dmg 1-8; SA poison, charm; SZ M; ML 15; XP 270.
Hall of Audience
This chamber is perpetually lit by thousands of
candles. The pillars are of red porphyry, and the
balcony steps are of polished marble. The walls are
covered with mosaics of turquoise, gold, and alabaster,
and mirrors reflect the candlelight. Soft carpets are
strewn about, depicting fruit trees, animals, and star
patterns. The chamber is scented with jasmine. The
areas under the balcony are hidden by screens.
The ceiling is set with windows of translucent glass,
stained in various colors. When the sun shines
through, the effect is similar to being underwater.
The Hall of Audience is strictly off-limits for those
who do not have an invitation to speak with the
Grandfather or one of his ministers. The doors are
always guarded by four visible members of the
Courageous: two rafiqs hiding in the shadows, and
several archers up in the balcony.
Archers (5)
3rd-level male human thieves (holy slayers)
AL LE; AC 8; hp 16, 13, 11, 10, 7; THAC0 19; #AT 2;
Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 18; XP 120; short
swords, short bows.
The Tower of Akim Al-Kalaas
This tower is well removed from the main area of the
compound because most of the holy slayers feel
uncomfortable around its sorcerous inhabitants. The
tower was granted to the sha’ir Akim al-Kalaas, his
genie servants, and his apprentices when they threw in

their lot with the Everlasting. Among the fellowship,
the tower is referred to as the Tower of Al-Kalb, the
tower of the dog.
The tower is a grey stuccoed structure on the edge
of the ridge. It is dilapidated on the outside, and large
chunks of plaster have fallen away, revealing the
mixed stone structure beneath.
Heart of the Eagle
Hidden within the cracked and dusty walls of the
abandoned quarters near the tower of Akim, these
shallow, worn limestone steps lead down into a cool
chamber of pillars and benches. Every inch of these
chambers has been carved out of the rock of the ridge,
and so the chamber is small and the tunnel leading to
it is cramped and low-ceilinged. To make up for this,
windows look out over the river gorge, hundreds of feet
below, and tapestries cover the walls. One of these
tapestries depicts a treasure room; this tapestry of folded
existence is the assassins’ secret storage area for their
wealth, though few know it.
The treasure includes frankincense, sandalwood,
amber, lapis lazuli, gold and silver jewelry, ornamental
daggers and swords, brooches for turbans, gilded coffee
cups, carved ivory, collections of scrolls and banners,
and ordinary coins. The total value of these goods is
approximately 30,000 gp, though the scrolls and
banners might bring an additional 5,000 gp if sold to
collectors rather than in the bazaar. A caravan would
be required to haul it all away.
The room contains scroll cases and a single huge
desk. The scrolls cover accounts, theology, poetry,
astrology, and mathematics. One of the scroll cases
contains seven doses of phoenix powder, kept there for
emergencies. The desk is dominated by a life-size
statue of a Bengal tiger, carved of reddish orange jade
and worth at least 8,000 gp. Several scrolls lie open on
the desk, held down by the tiger’s forepaws.
The Cavern of the Everlasting
This natural cavern is often used for rallies and
celebrations during daylight hours, when all the
chambers above are stifling. Five statues of heroic
figures of the order are placed about the cavern. It is
stocked with two dozen wooden tables and fifty stone
benches. Most of these festivals and revels celebrate
the death of an enemy at the hands of the rafiqs,
though other ceremonies welcome new initiates to the
fellowship or mourn the passing of leaders or martyrs.
The cavern’s cool environs make it a comfortable
audience chamber.
The Rock of Fastings
The citadel’s prison is a pillar of bare stone, 600 feet
high and accessible only by a narrow rope bridge
guarded by a wind’walker. The rock is blazing hot
during the day, with no shelter from the sun, and
freezing cold by night, when dew settles and frost forms
on all exposed surfaces. Attempts to climb down from
the rock are met with violence; each hit by the wind
walker forces a Strength ability check at -2. Failure
indicates that the PC has fallen and suffered 20d6
damage from plummeting onto the rocks below.
Rescue attempts are not advised, as the wind walker
will tear out the rope bridge (on a successful attack
against AC 10) as soon as it realizes what is
happening. PCs on the rope bridge when it snaps must
make a Dexterity ability check or fall. See the rules on
death from massive damage, DMG, page 75.
Wind walker: Int Very; AL N; AC 7; MV 15, Fl 30;
HD 6+3; hp 30; THAC0 15; #AT 2; Dmg 3d6; SD
spell immunities; SZ L; ML 14; XP 2,000.
The Pit of a Thousand Voices
Although most holy slayers who violate the precepts of
the sect are exiled or simply killed outright, some few
are chosen for a more gruesome fate. They are brought
to this pit and slowly lowered into it; as they near the
bottom, a sound like the baying of a pack or a mob

rises from below. When the voices grow still, the
outcasts’ screams or silent bravery are noted.
The creature responsible is a gibbering mouther, an
unholy abomination summoned by Akim al-Kalaas
from writings better left unread. It is formed from the
bodies of holy slayers and saluqi greyhounds, giving it
both human and canine voices. The fellowship refers
to it as Shakashik, meaning Many Clamors, or
Al-Bakbuk, the Babbler.
A PC lowered into the pit can try to engage the
mouther or try to flee through the tunnels. Fighting
unarmed is generally futile, though pulling sharply on
the rope at the moment that the PC arrives on the
floor of the pit may (on a successful Strength ability
check) bring the holy slayer at the top tumbling down.
This unfortunate is killed by the fall; his short sword
and dagger are available to the PC for combat.
Otherwise, the PC must trust Fate to keep him out of
the numerous dead-ends and loops that allow the slow
mouther to catch its prey.
The gibbering mouther never leaves its tunnels and
caves because it hates the desert sun and heat.
Ghouls who serve Akim al-Kalaas also live here,
created, by the use of animate dead and a limited wish
spell, Unless the gibbering mouther is disturbed, they
remain hidden, feasting on the scraps of meat from the
kitchen and the bones of the dead.
The largest cavern is the ghouls’ treasure chamber,
guarded by the living idol they worship, which is
carved to resemble a great ghul. Anyone paralyzed by a
ghoul in combat is immediately seized and dragged off
to the living idol as a sacrifice while the remaining
ghouls fight a rear-guard action. This idol has been
here for generations, and dates from the time before
the cities of the Haunted Lands were abandoned due
to the’ intervention of Fate (see LOF boxed set,
Appendix A).
The ghouls have amassed a small fortune from their
victims, amounting to 700 dinars, a silver necklace
worth 100 gp, a carved ivory armband of linking
dolphins worth 400 gp, and an empty copper scroll

The Loyalists
The core of the Everlasting are the Loyalists, the
faction that obeys Grandfather Marwan’s every
command without thinking or hesitation. If he told a
Loyalist to leap off a cliff, she would.
Marwan al-Jabal al-Hiyali, the Caliph of Shadows
15th-level human male thief (holy slayer)
AL LE; AC -3; MV 12; hp 67; THAC0 13; #AT 5/2;
Dmg 1-8+3; SZ M; ML 18; XP 12,000.
PP 55; OL 85; F/RT 70; MS 95; HS 95; DN 70;
CW 95; RL 70; Backstab x5.
S 12 D 18 C 17 I 12 W 13 CH 1 7
Non-weapon proficiencies: astrology, blind-fighting,
debate, disguise, poetry, religion
Magical items: studded leather armor +3, mamluk
scimitar of obedience +1, jellaba of eyes, ring of protection
+3, ring of shooting stars, scroll of protection from genies,
wand of size alteration
Marwan is middle-aged but in great physical
condition, and as sharp as ever in his plots and
counterplots. He is specialized in the scimitar.
Halfana al-Yamini
Oathbinder genie: Int Average; AL LN; AC -1;
MV 15, Fl 30 (B); HD 12; hp 52; THAC0 1; #AT 1;
Dmg 4-24; SA spells; SD immune to victim’s attacks;
MR 45%; SZ L (9’ tall); ML 16; XP 12,000.
Halfana can use each of the following abilities three
times per day as a 12th-level caster: command, evil eye,
greater malison, hold person, otiluke’s resilient sphere,
unluck, and wall of force. She is devoted to contracts
and traditions, and she has a patronizing liking for
Marwan, though she detests the rest of the fellowship.
Yusuf bin Ayyub
9th-level human male thief (holy slayer)
AL LE; AC 5; MV 12; hp 28; THAC0 16; #AT 2;
Dmg 1-8+4 or by weapon type; SZ M; ML 18; XP
2,000; leather armor, scimitar, 3 throwing daggers.
PP 15; OL 40; F/RT 25; MS 85; HS 90; DN 45;
CW 80; RL 35; Backstab x4.
S 13 D 15 C 14 I 9 W 11 CH 14
Magical items: scimitar +2, ring of protection +2, ring of
invisibility
Yusuf is devoted to duty and patient enough to wait
for years before attempting to seize power. He is often
tyrannical and harsh because he is unsure of himself.
He is specialized with the scimitar.
Sayida ibn Afa
6th-level half-elven female bard (rawun)
AL LN; AC 7; MV 12; hp 26; THAC0 18; #AT 2
(fights with two weapons); Dmg 1-4+2/1 -6; SZ M;
ML 12; XP 975; leather armor, shield, short sword.
PP 60; DN 30; CW 70; RL 30.
S 6 D 14 C 15 I 14 W 15 C H 1 7
Magical items: dagger of quickness +2, qanun of quiet
Spells: hypnotism, sleep, taunt; scare, shatter
Sayida is a serious half-elf with a dark sense of
humor and a sharp eye for other people’s character and
ability. For years, she has been privy to the
conversations between Yusuf and Marwan.
Essafah al-Nisr al-Qadibi
9th-level human male wizard (sand/flame sorcerer)
AL LE; AC 10 (4 with spirit armor, first 9 attacks
absorbed by stoneskin); MV 12 (24 while hasted);
hp 25; THAC0 18; #AT 1 (2 while hasted); Dmg 1d4;
SZ M; ML 15; XP 3,000; jambiya.
S 11 D 9 C 12 I 14 W 11 C H 1 0
Magical items: fez of disguise
Spells: fire burst, hold portal, jump, sand slumber; dust
curtain, mirror image, sundazzle, fireball, haste, spirit
armor; stoneskin, sunfire; teleport
Essafah is a vain and somewhat cowardly sorcerer
who specializes in the magics of fire and sand. He often
leads dangerous missions against magically warded
targets, and his success in the field has won him high
honors from the bulk of the Loyalists.

The Preachers
The Preachers are the most devout of the factions,
those who joined the Everlasting for noble or idealistic
reasons. They are not the firebrands that the Loyalists
or the Sword Dancers are, but they do insist on a high
degree of outward piety. They despise the Unclean as
one step above the Unenlightened, but they realize
that they cannot move against them openly.
The farisan of the Preacher faction are warriors who
lacked the quickness and the treacherous instincts to
make good holy slayers, but they are just as fanatical in
defense of Hajama as their roguish counterparts. All of
the Preachers adore Batina al-Shaat and attend her
bombastic sermons.
Batina al-Shaat
11th-level dwarven female priest (moralist)
AL NE; AC 3; MV 6; hp 52; THAC0 14; #AT 1;
Dmg 1-6+2; SZ M; ML 16; XP 5,000; lamellar armor,
short sword
S 11 D 11 C 1 3 I 9 W 1 8 C H 1 4
Magical items: powder of the hero’s heart, short sword
+2, shield of the holy
Spells: Bless, command, cause fear, detect magic, cure
light wounds (X2), sacred guardian; aid, draw upon holy
might, enthrall, hold person (X2), music of the spheres;
dispel magic, emotion control, prayer; cloak of fear, cure
serious wounds, reflecting pool; flame strike, rainbow; heal
Batina is hard to please; she is justifiably proud of
having led her followers through the desert to the
fortress, but she is inclined to be very harsh toward
those she distrusts or suspects of less than perfect
devotion to Hajama. She is not above extracting
confessions by force, and her chambers are sometimes
the scene of gruesome torture. Batina has never had
designs on the rulership of the Everlasting; she views
her position as nearly as powerful and a great deal safer
than actually wielding control.
Mamoud ibn Asra Abd al-Jari
7th-level dwarven male fighter (faris)
AL LE; AC 4; MV 6; hp 63; THAC0 14 (13 with
strength bonus; #AT 2; Dmg 1d8+3 (battle axe) or by
weapon type; SZ M; ML 15; XP 2,000; battle axe,
scimitar, heavy crossbow.
S 17 D 13 C 16 I 10 W 12 CH 13
Magical items: lamellar armor of the desert evening,
shield +1
Batina’s closest ally is the dwarven warrior Mamoud,
her chief enforcer among both the guards and the
warrior dwarves. He enforces discipline in the ranks
and makes promotions; he also selects which troops
will be employed on caravan raids, forcible recruitment
drives (press gangs), and honor guard or bodyguarding
duties. Mamoud is firm but fair in his judgments, and
he lives for the glory of his command. He is specialized
in the use of the battle axe.
The dwarven warrior society of the Courageous is
firmly under Mamoud’s (and thus Batina’s) control.
These dwarves are expected to train diligently and
obey without question. The warriors of the Courageous
have high self-esteem, excellent training, and an
unbreakable loyalty to Mamoud. Many of them crossed
the desert with Batina, but their loyalty to Mamoud
has been forged in battle against the desert tribes.
The hobgoblins that comprise the troops of the
Eagles are just grunts. They are devout worshippers of
Hajama and fierce fighters, but they are strictly used
for police duties and as watchmen at the gates and
ramparts. Much of the time they are bored, and there
are occasional discipline problems of brawling, dueling,
and blood feuds among the Eagles.

The Unclean
The Unclean is the faction of the mages of the
Everlasting, a group which has fallen under the
command of Akim al-Kalaas.
Akim al-Kalaas, the Sage, the Undaunted, Opener of
Wisdom, He Whom the Stars Obey.
14th-level human male wizard (sha’ir)
AL NE; AC 6; MV 12; hp 45; THAC0 16; #AT 1;
Dmg 1-6 (staff); SZ M; ML 14; XP 9,000.
S 14 D 14 C 15 I 16 W 9 CH 13
Magical items: lamp of the four winds, carpet of fighting,
soundstaff (5 charges), wand of illumination (40
charges), bracers of defense AC 6, ring of chameleon
power
Spells:
9th time stop 40% (takes 1d6+9 turns)
8th river of sand 50% (1d6+8 turns)
7th forcecage 60%, monster summoning V 20%
(1d6+7 rounds)
6th control weather, globe of invulnerability,
summon wind dragons 70%, chain
lightning 30% (1d6+6 rounds)
5th dream, fire track, teleport 80%, control
winds 40% (1d6+5 rounds)
4th fear, improved invisibility 90% (1d6+4
rounds)
3rd dispel magic, fly, lightning bolt, slow 90%,
cure serious wounds 60% (1d6+3
rounds)
2nd alter self, strength 90% (1d6+2 rounds)
1st magic missile 90%, cure light wounds 80%
(1d6+ 1 rounds)
Akim is zealous follower of Hajama who prefers to
express his fanatical devotion to the ideal of bravery by
foolishly tempting the patience of genies. He has also
flirted with secret knowledge best left undiscovered;
the gibbering mouther in the Pit is the result of one
such summoning. He cultivates his reputation as a
madman.
Ali Abdal Akim
Sand gen: Int low; AL N; AC 5; MV 9; HD 7; hp 34;
THAC0 13; #AT 1; Dmg 2d6; SZ S; ML 18; XP 4,000.
Ali is Akim’s gen servant, a sadistic little daolani
who enjoys tormenting those who visit his master.
Nikolai Nikopolis
4th-level human male wizard (sha’ir)
AL LE; AC 8; MV 12; hp 11; THAC0 20; #AT 1;
Dmg 1-6 (staff); SZ M; ML 14; XP 420.
S 11
Magical items: potion of levitation, scroll of wind wall
Spells:
D 16 C 11 I 15 W 13 CH 10
3rd lightning bolt 50% (1d6+3 turns)
2nd alter self, strength 60% (1d6+2 rounds)
1st sand slumber, magic missile 70% (1d6+ 1
rounds)
Nikolai knows he is Akim’s best student and that no
one would willingly risk angering Akim; he uses this
status to do whatever he pleases with the guards, holy
slayers of low station, servants, and even the dwarven
farisan.
Mara and Safia al-Gurab Sagir
2nd-level human female wizards (sha’irs)
AL N; AC 9; MV 12; hp 7, 4; THAC0 20; #AT 1;
Dmg 1-6 (staff); SZ M; ML 9; XP 120.
S 7 D 15 C 11 I 14 W 14 CH 12
Spells:
2nd alter self, strength 50% (1d6+2 turns)
1st sand slumber, magic missile 60%
(1d6+ 1 rounds)
Mara and Safia are Akim’s new apprentices, though
the wagging tongues of some holy slayers hint at some
darker purpose that Akim has in store for them. Mara
is the more confident and industrious of the two; Safia
is a nervous hen, prone to worrying and whining. Both
are opportunists.

The Sword Dancers

The Sword Dancers are a very new faction, formed and controlled by one man, Farouk Abd al-Bazan. They are generally younger, more fiery, and more reckless than their brethren, especially after a night of mystic

preaching and dance-induced trances. Batina and the
Preachers consider them almost heretical, and watch
them closely for some damning slip that will reveal a
breach of faith and allow the moralist faction to
consign them to a horrid death.

Farouk Abd al-Bazan
Efreeti: Int Very; AL LE; AC 2; MV 9, Fl 24; HD 10;
hp 57; THAC0 11; #AT 1; Dmg 3d8; SA spells;
SD immune to fire; SZ M (L); ML 15; XP 4,000.
Magical items: amulet of proof against detection and
location, staff of the sands (12 charges).
Farouk has used his polymorph self ability to take the
form of a dark and devastatingly handsome man. Even
in this form, he can become invisible, assume gaseous
form, detect magic, enlarge, polymorph self, create an
illusion with both visual and audio components, or
create a wall of fire once per day. Farouk can also
produce flame or cause pyrotechnics as often as desired.
He takes no damage from normal fire.
Farouk is fond of hunting and other blood sports,
and he regards his attempts to seize power among the
Everlasting as a game. He tends toward sarcastic
conversation and thinly-veiled threats. He sees others
only in terms of how he can use them, and all his
friendly advances are false.

Sirhan al-Din (janni): INT exceptional; AL N; AC 2
(5); MV 12, Fl 30 (A); HD 6+2; hp 25; THAC0 13 (11 with strength bonus); #AT 1; Dmg 1-8 plus strength bonus of +3; SA spells; SD 20% magic resistance; SZ M; ML 15; XP 2,000; jann lamellar

armor, scimitar.
The master of the hounds is a janni named Sirhan
al-Din, a convert from the days when the jann built
the fortress. He is completely loyal to the Sword
Dancers, and is not willing to help the PCs with
matters unrelated to hounds or hunting.
Sirhan is always accompanied by two trained

hunting cheetahs, which he uses to bring down
gazelles. They are very protective of him, and growl
when others approach him too closely.
Cheetahs (2): INT animal; AL N; AC 5; MV 15,
sprint 45, HD 3; hp 13, 7; #AT 3; Dmg 1-2/1-2/1-8;
SA rear claws for 1-2 each; SD surprised only on a 1;
SZ M; ML 10; XP 175.
Typical Sword Dancer
3rd-level human priest (mystic)
AL LN or LE; AC 10; MV 12; THAC0 20; #AT 1;
Dmg 1-6; SZ M; ML 16; XP 175; short swords.
Spells: Cure light wounds, cause fear, spiritual hammer
The Sword Dancers are rather heterodox
worshippers, believers in the power of certain
cleansing rituals, such as fiery purifications and fasting,
as well as ecstatic dancing. They are often whipped
into frenzies of devotion by their charismatic leader.

The Winged Bulls
The Winged Bulls are the weakest faction on Assassin
Mountain. Their true leader, Aida, is always working
at the various strongholds and city safe houses of the
Everlastings’ network. The Shadow Caliph favors her
as his true successor, which is why he is grooming her
far from the feuds and deadly infighting of Assassin
Mountain.

Aida al-Irrahman al-Qudra
12th-level human female thief (holy slayer)
AL LE; AC 1; MV 12; hp 46; THACO 15; #AT 2;
Dmg 1-8+2; SZ M; ML 18; XP 10,000; scimitar.
PP 45; OL 40; F/RT 25; MS 90; HS 90; DN 60;
CW 85; RL 40; Backstab x4.
S 15 D 17 C 9 I 18 W 16 CH 18
Magical items: bracers of defense AC 6, chime of
opening, dagger of life stealing (three charges left), +2
jellaba of protection, ring of human influence (13 charges)
Aida is a sharp, wily, and somewhat unapproachable
person, too obsessed with furthering the cause of the
Everlasting to spend time making friends. She views
romantic liaisons in the same calculating way; she
seduces and discards powerful or useful men with
regularity. Aida is a great orator, and her followers
listen to her speeches with rapt attention. When not
in disguise, she enjoys wearing golden rings on all her
fingers; jewelry is one of her secret vices.
Nusrah bin Kerim
2nd-level human male thief (holy slayer)
AL LE; AC 8; MV 12; hp 8; THAC0 20; #AT 3/2 with
short sword; Dmg 1d6+2 or by weapon type; SZ M;
ML 14; XP 65; leather armor, short sword, jambiya.
PP 5; OL 20; F/RT 20; MS 40; HS 40; DN 20;
CW 60; RL 0; Backstab x2.
S 15 D 13 C 13 I 9 W 8 CH 9
The leader of the Winged Bulls is a young and
overweight fellow named Nusrah bin Kerim. Nusrah
keeps a minimal presence before the Grandfather on
behalf of Aida, but he has no illusions that he has any
real power.
Bismalla bin Ala’i
5th-level human male thief (holy slayer)
AL LN; AC 5; MV 12; hp 16; THAC0 18 (17 with
scimitar); #AT 1 (3/2 with scimitar); Dmg 1d8+3 or by
weapon type; SZ M; ML 18; XP 270; studded leather
armor, shield, scimitar.
PP 5; OL 10; F/RT 5; MS 50; HS 60; DN 15;
CW 40; RL 0; Backstab x3.
S 16 D 15 C 12 I 1 2 W 6 CH 13
Bismalla is the PCs’ guide to Assassin Mountain, a
genial fellow who is always polite and deferential, and
quite canny about the rules of the Everlasting. He
speaks slowly and carefully, as he has to think very
hard about what to say. He knows a thousand dull
aphorisms and proverbs common among the
Everlasting, almost all of them completely useless.
Bismalla is a middle-aged, pot-bellied holy slayer
who has been put out to pasture, for despite having the
strength of an ox, Bismalla also has the brains of an ox.
He is balding and greying, but still tall and strong in a
chunky kind of way