Lands of the Nile Chapter Two: Playing Egyptian Characters

See Also

• The Ars Magica Reference Document
• The Lands of the Nile Open Content page
• The Lands of the Nile product page on this wiki

Chapter Two: Playing Egyptian Characters

Egypt is a center of travel and trade. This chapter assists players in designing characters who fit this cosmopolitan setting.

Pick A Religion

Of all the Muslim-ruled nations described in Ars Magica supplements, in Egypt, religion matters the least. It is still an important part of every individual's life, but the constraints on non-Muslims are laxest in this country. The Muslims of Egypt also have a less restrictive interpretation of their faith than either the communities closer to Mecca, or the west African dynasties.

Some Virtues of A Good Muslim

Islam has five key activities, referred to as Pillars, which demonstrate the submission of the worshiper to the will of Allah.

Profession of Faith and Attempt to Follow The Faith's Laws: To become a Muslim, a person must make the statement that there is no God but God, and that Mohammed is His Prophet, in the presence of Muslims. This serves a vaguely similar role in Islam to baptism in Christianity, in that it brings the person into the community of the religion. The religious instructions given to Mohammed are recorded in the Qur'an. In addition to this, Muslim jurists consult a series of sayings and exemplary actions which have passed down from the Prophet.

Regular Prayer: A good Muslim prays at five specified times each day, while facing Mecca. These times are between dawn and sunrise (preferably well before sunrise), slightly after noon, in the afternoon, after sunset but before dusk, and after dusk (preferably before midnight). Before prayer, the worshiper washes certain parts of the body. A Muslim need not go to a mosque to pray, but many find it convenient to do so. A mosque provides water for cleansing, and has a niche to mark the correct direction to pray toward. Friday is the holiest day, and many Muslims make a particular effort to get to the mosque at midday.

Giving Alms: Characters are expected to give alms. Some rulers also collect taxes for redistribution as alms. The idea that wealth is a reward for virtue, or conversely that the poor somehow deserve to be poor, is foreign to Egyptian thought. Egyptians believe in Fate instead, and Fate is not something you deserve due to your actions.

Fasting: Particularly during the month of Ramadan, a character is required to fast, unless a child, elderly, pregnant, ill, or traveling. Fasting includes not drinking water, so it can be difficult to adjust to the fast when it occurs in hotter times of the year. During the evenings of Ramadan, people often break their fasts with lavish feasts, taking turns to host their friends and neighbors. There are certain other dietary taboos in Islam, like pork and alcohol, which are observed with varying degrees of stringency.

Pilgrimage: Every Muslim, particularly every man, should try to visit Mecca, and preferably also Medina, at least once in his lifetime. A character who returns from pilgrimage is honored with the title of Haji (masculine) or Hajja (feminine) and many wear green head coverings to mark their status. Poorer people often go on pilgrimages to other places: Cairo, for example, has many popular pilgrimage sites.

Non-Muslim Characters: The Dhimmi Flaw

The Roman Empire, or the leaders of their Coptic subjects, surrendered Egypt to the invading Muslims, and this makes its territories different from those which were taken by force. The agreement under which the country was surrendered is binding not just in mortal courts but, to a pious Muslim, before the eyes of God. This means that non-Muslims permitted to live in Egypt (who are called dhimmis in Arabic) are treated far better here than in many other places.

All dhimmis are theoretically Peoples of the Book. Most Dhimmis are Coptic Christians, the descendants of the people who lived in Egypt when the Arabic invasion took place. Jews from the Maghrib (North Africa west of Egypt) also make up a large contingent. The leader of a large community in Kairoun fled to Egypt to avoid persecution when a dynasty with a very strict interpretation of Islam came to power in the West. There are very few Zoroastrians in

This Is Not Real Islam

Real-world Islam is too complex to be described in a role-playing sourcebook. This book instead contains simple guidelines to allow non-Muslims to play characters who are superficially suitable for telling stories similar to traditional folktales. In these tales wealthy, urban people are less stringent in their observance than poor or rural people. No offense is intended by this. Players are encouraged to learn more about Islam, to enrich their game experience.

Egypt, but a group who claim to be Sabeans, and therefore People of the Book, have communities in Egypt, and practice a superficially-similar fire religion. They are particularly noticeable in Cairo, as they venerate the Keeper of the Dead (what modern players would call the Sphinx of Giza – a term no Mythic African would use). Some dhimmis are freed slaves from the interior of Africa. Technically these people must convert, and there are incentives to do so, but many retain various "pagan" religious practices.

Dhimmis are allowed to remain provided they are usefully contributing to society. Their duties and proscriptions are reflected in the Dhimmi Flaw, which is a Minor General Flaw. Characters from Europe might use Outsider instead. In Egypt, many of the prohibitions are softened by custom.

Dhimmis must not:

• avoid paying the annual tax on dhimmis. A notable exception to this are the dhimmis who live in Alexandria, who by ancient agreement pay no tax beyond a small annual contribution to the poor.
• hold offices of government. A Muslim may, however, hire a Christian to do the actual work of his office. A Muslim noble given the role of port inspector, for example, may pay a Christian to inspect cargoes and collect the money owed, on his behalf.
• hold ranks in the army. Mercenaries who lead their own companies on behalf of Muslim rulers are exempted from this.
• proselytize. Technically they are not even meant to try to convert each other, but that is not enforced.
• have sex with or marry Muslim women.
• carry weapons. Most people carry a knife, though, because it is more a tool, and shopkeepers often have something they could use as a club handy.
• plot with the enemies of the ruler.
• give evidence against Muslims (even in self-defense). Having a Muslim who is a friend, employer, or employee advocate on your behalf is, however, legal.
• wear religious symbols. Note this does not include the distinctive garb of monks and priests, or the distinctive clothes of particularly traditional Jews. In some areas, dhimmis must wear a distinctive mark on their clothes. This mark is often an unambiguously religious symbol.
• be disruptive, by praying or ringing bells, or having lavish funerals. This is not enforced in some areas, the Coptic parts of Old Cairo for example, because if you move there you are expected to know what you are letting yourself in for.
• create new places of worship, or repair current ones without permission. Many new churches are founded in Egypt. The Islamic authorities permit this because they accept that these are not "new" places of worship, just revivals of the places of worship which existed in various communities before the Muslim invasion. At its most extreme, they have accepted that new churches are replacements for churches from unnamed villages which presumably existed before the invasion, which have been swallowed by the desert.
• publicly do things Muslims find unsightly, like eating pork or drinking alcohol. Except, of course, if a lot of Muslims are doing the same thing at the same time, when it's still illegal but not enforced.
• ride horses or camels. In urban Egypt, dhimmis do ride, but dismount and walk their beasts past mosques and the homes of powerful Muslims. This is permitted, in part, because it is seen as a greater demonstration of deference than simply walking. A Muslim can tell he has become a major player in his town when the dhimmis start dismounting before his house.
• react badly to expressions of contempt, by Muslims, for their low status.

Slightly Disreputable Professions For Dhimmis

Dhimmis, as people officially outside of polite society, have opportunities to make money in professions forbidden to upperclass Muslims.

Merchants Who Deal With Ifranj

International trade is seen as slightly unsavory, and some Muslims leave it to the dhimmis, who have the language skills and lack of morals required to flourish in it. Christian and Jewish merchants form enclaves in many of the coastal cities of Egypt, but they are particularly prevalent in Alexandria, as its residents pay fewer taxes than even Muslims in Cairo. Trade to Christian Europe is common. Sicily, in particular, is a major market for African goods. Players with merchant characters may find the City and Guild supplement useful.

Moneylenders

Muslims are prohibited from lending each other money for interest, but are not prohibited from paying interest to those whom they owe. Christians and Jews act as usurers in Egypt. Moneylenders are thought badly of, much like in Europe, and the people paying them are seen as their victims. A slight difference to European practice is that some Muslims feel that it is fine to lend money to Christians or Jews, who are basically damned anyway. This means its legal, although tawdry, for a Muslim to lend money to another Muslim provided that there is a dhimmi in the middle, soaking up the sin for the Muslims on either side.

Knows People (Minor General Virtue)

This Virtue takes an Egyptian approach to social usefulness. Social contacts are not important for what they give you directly: they are important because they allow you to match up the desires of your various friends. A skilled socialite is a middleman, who is owed gratitude for bringing opportunities to his friends, not someone who demands favors based on friendship.

Once per story or session, a character with this Virtue may ask for a bait for a non-player character. A bait is the beginning of a scene or short, secondary story, outside the main story being told, which if completed allows the character to gain aid from the nominated target. For example, if the player characters are unable to gain the assistance of a nobleman, a player may demand a bait. In the game, this means the character uses his social skills to determine the needs of the nobleman, and to hint that he may know a third person with a solution. If the troupe then plays out a brief scene in which the nobleman's problem is sorted out, he becomes more biddable.

Troupes may veto any use of these connections which spoils the tension and pace of the game.

Bootleggers

Muslims are forbidden to make, transport, drink or sell alcohol, but many drink it regularly. All Christians are meant to know a priest, and all priests require wine for their sacramental functions. Many Muslims have a Christian contact who is their supplier. Most wine is imported, but some is made in Egypt. Virtually all of it comes from Christian monasteries.

Aiding the Ashamed

Characters attempting to expiate shame may seek the aid of the magi and their companions, to make the task easier. Given that directly asking for favors may cause shame, these requests may come as suggestions through mutual friends or redcaps. Examples include:

A nobleman whose polo party trampled people in the market needs help to find all of the people he injured, to make restitution.

An heiress whose father has died on a trading expedition needs to find his remains, so that he can be buried decently, and his goods distributed to his heirs.

A merchant whose ship has sunk is hounded by his creditors, and asks the magi to raise his cargo from the bottom of the sea.

A wealthy adulterer has convinced a Sicilian sailor to take the blame for his wrongdoing, but needs to smuggle the sailor out of town, once he has boasted of his conquests.

A noble drunkard needs a doctor of high standing to pronounce his actions due to sunstroke, not inebriation. Can they find a suitable expert?

Speech

Egyptian characters speak in a more formal way than equivalent European characters. This makes them distinctive, and can lead to enjoyable roleplaying.

Dignity

Maintaining the dignity of those to whom a character speaks is of great importance in Egyptian culture. Politeness requires a certain formality, even between friends and family members. If a character is unsure of the station and situation of the person to whom they are speaking, the honorific sidi for a man, or lella for a woman, can be used. It implies higher political status, greater wealth, being older, or being wiser. This politeness is only required in private or formal settings; people in the street are surprisingly rude to each other given the formality of conversation. Calling faeries or demons sidi is dangerous, because it accords them a commanding status.

Direct Requests

A character must meet any reasonable request made of him. To fail to do so is a disgrace both to himself, and to the person who embarrassed him by making the request. To avoid this, two methods are used. Many requests are carefully worded as opinions or suggestions. Other requests are carried as news or gossip by an intermediary. The Egyptian view of what constitutes a reasonable request is broader than the European view. Crucially it includes requests for information. A character asked about something important loses face if he cannot answer, as does whoever asked such an impertinent question.

The Gift

Although being Gifted is not, of itself, shameful, it makes people distrust magi. This makes it easy for magi to develop negative Reputations, which are shameful.

The Future

Respect to God is demonstrated by the use of the phrase "if God wills it" when speaking about intended actions. By using this phrase, the character is signaling his acceptance of his unalterable fate. Some people think that curses are more easily laid on those who boast foolishly. This is represented as a +6 bonus on Hex rolls, to destroy the circumstance discussed, by any character who envies the speaker. A character using the protective phrase nullifies this bonus.

How to Act

Egyptian culture is more formal than European culture, particularly in the interactions of masters and servants. Players are encouraged to portray their characters as speaking in an elaborate, and tangential, way.

The Social Mindset

Players with Egyptian characters may find the following rule of thumb useful: whenever a character is doing anything alone, the character is probably being played badly. A player should seriously consider whether the character could have bought a friend along, or thrown a party, or had a gossip circle with other people doing the same thing. A character who bathes at home, or prepares food alone, is wasting the chance to exchange news with his or her social network.

The home is the center of social life. Even major religious rituals, like circumcisions, marriages and funerals, are performed in the home. All of these rituals are marked by festivities. A locked sanctum, where a magus hides for months, may be interpreted as a sign that the character is doing shameful things, is insane, or is attempting to withdraw from the world to seek a form of transcendental holiness.

Shame

In Egypt it is considered wrong to be known as a disreputable person. A person who is disreputable reflects badly on the trustworthiness of his family members. A family with a shameful member can repudiate him, to restore the family's good name. Banishment from the family is considered a terrible thing in Egyptian culture, so this is a last resort for a flagrant abuser of the family's name. Egyptians are used to the idea that people make mistakes, and then need to publicly atone for their shamefulness.

Reputations and Shame

If a character has a negative Local Reputation, the usual method of removing it is to deliberately do contrary things, so that a rival Reputation is formed. Once the competing Reputation equals the undesired Reputation, new experience gained in the second Reputation can instead be used to buy down the first (rules for this are found on page 167 of ArM5). This culture has such a strong emphasis on shame that other characters expect and accept that characters with a shameful Reputation will counter it in this way. It is not seen as cynical; attempting to reconcile with society is both morally right and the obvious course.

The epitome of removing shame is to go on the Haj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. The Haj is, from a game perspective, a series of scenes. Each of these grants Reputation experience to erode negative Reputations and grant a positive Reputation as a Haji +1. It also provides other benefits, depending on the events which take place during the character's travels. Shorter pilgrimages can also remove negative Reputations but because they contain fewer events, they may not provide as much experience. This is why, in game terms, some pilgrimages are described on the basis that "five (or three, or whatever) pilgrimages to here are equal to a pilgrimage to Mecca."

Beyond its social role, in mediating shame, the Haj also grants religious insight. The Haj may be simulated using the rules for pilgrimages given in The Church (page 15 onward). A character can undergo both enlightenment and social rehabilitation simultaneously, but these are different processes. Shame removal through pilgrimage is a social, not a supernatural, tradition.

Dark Secrets?

Female characters are often restricted by the social mores of the Egyptian setting. Some female characters pretend to be male. This may be represented by various Flaws, depending on how serious the group thinks discovery should be. If it will ruin the character's life, it is a Dark Secret. If there are regular opportunities for discovery, but this merely causes inconvenience, the Gender Nonconforming Flaw is appropriate. If a player simply wants to keep the group together, but doesn't want the ruse to generate potential stories, then the character may still pretend to be a boy, but this isn't a Flaw.

Travel, while accompanied, is permitted to married women, so a character might pretend that one of the other characters is her husband. This is a Dark Secret if its exposure and the consequences are likely to draw the troupe into grave difficulty. If the troupe does not care to explore that sort of story, then the ruse may still be used, but it isn't a Flaw.

Act as a Member of Your Social Class

Wealthy or educated characters must reinforce their place in society by commanding those with less status. Characters socialize within their own class. If your character has an education, or wealth, he must not do physical labor. The country is full of slaves, or people who can be employed for virtually nothing. To fail to employ people is to fail one's community.

Dress Appropriately For Your Wealth

Male dress in Egypt is usually simple. Loose trousers meet the standards of modesty required by Islam, but to wear only trousers is a symbol of poverty or menial work, so other garments are added. A long, often hooded, robe and a head covering, tough slippers and a jacket usually complete an Egyptian man's wardrobe.

Women in the presence of men not closely related to them are required to cover their bodies and arms in garments loose enough to be unprovocative, but not so loose as to make them indistinguishable from each other. They must also cover their hair. Styles of clothing vary widely, particularly in those areas where merchants bring contact with other civilizations.

Clothes are a useful way to express social distinction. The clothing of rich people is brighter and has finer embroidery than that of the poor. Rich people have larger and more expensive accessories. In a deliberate reversal of this, characters on pilgrimage all wear white, unadorned clothing.

Separation of Women To The Private Sphere

Strict sexual segregation gives female characters useful opportunities when gathering information or exploring the homes of non-player characters. Women often socialize at the baths or while performing chores, either in their homes or on their rooftops. They are expected to exchange useful information with each other; failure to gossip is odd, and probably rude.

Haram

It is forbidden (Arabic: haram) to breach the privacy of the women of a house. Their quarters are called "haram." (The term harem, and the use of the word to refer to the people who live in the harem, occurs after 1220 and is Turkish.) The haram's residents include all of the women of the household, such as relatives, children, wives, concubines and servants. Political rivalry between the women of a household appears in many folktales.

Men are permitted four wives, provided they treat them all equally well, and can afford to maintain them. Men are effectively permitted as many concubines as they can afford, although it is not pious to keep concubines. A slave-concubine who bears a Muslim's child is automatically freed, and must be maintained, so offering marriage is usual.

A Note on Playing Copts

All of the earlier notes on playing Egyptian characters, save those which are noted as specifically Muslim, are suitable for Coptic characters. The following additions are small cultural differences that the companions of magi might note.

Copts are even more curious about foreigners than Muslims are. The more a Copt can learn about foreigners, the more likely it is that he can arrange for their needs to be met by someone of his acquaintance. Copts trade with outsiders more than Muslims, so the social circle of any given Copt is more likely to contain people who can aid, and be paid by, foreigners, than a Muslim of equal status. This benefits the Copt, as it makes him a man who knows people who can get things done. Such approaches are usually made to the servants of great men, companions or grogs, because great men have servants to deal with practical matters.

Rude people are almost always forgiven by Copts. Under the dhimmi law, they need to allow Muslims to berate them at will, and in some areas even spit on them. This training means that if a foreigner causes them to be shamed, they are more willing to assume that in the distant land from which this person comes, their actions are polite. If a shaming action does occur, although a character will be forgiven, an intermediary will still be sent to explain the mistake, so that the character can remove the shame on both by a rectifying act.

Coptic priests have more influence on individuals than Muslim clerics. This is so for two reasons. Copts use membership of their faith as a way of identifying themselves as a separate group, which gives them a social life and legal protection if their dhimmihood is ever challenged. Christians also have geographically-hierarchical priesthoods, whereas Muslims can swap mosques and teachers more easily, particularly in the large cities.

Although Muslims are very family-oriented, the Copts are even more so. Difficult, embarrassing matters are best dealt with inside the community.

Copts host regular festivals at the tombs of local saints, and during these festivals, the world does not work in its usual way. For example during the moolid (festival) for Sitt Dimiana, no thief can successfully steal anything, and any man who looks on a woman with the intent to harm her is wounded in his eyes or…other parts. These miracles always work: there is no record of a clever sorcerer ever stealing or raping during the festival. During the Festival of Saint George, no person may remain possessed by evil spirits. Similarly, although there are stories of people being tricked into possession immediately after the festival ends, there is no record of a demon managing to avoid being forced out. This sort of guaranteed miracle is considered theologically problematic by the Western Church, but not by Copts. Muslims and Christians tend to attend each other's festivals, and on years where the Nile's inundation seems poor the Sultan orders combined religious processions.

---

Based on the material for Ars Magica, ©1993-2024, licensed by Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games®, under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license 4.0 ("CC-BY-SA 4.0"). Ars Magica Open License Logo ©2024 Trident, Inc. The Ars Magica Open License Logo, Ars Magica, and Mythic Europe are trademarks of Trident, Inc., and are used with permission. Order of Hermes, Tremere, Doissetep, and Grimgroth are trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB and are used with permission.

Open License Markdown version by Tugdual & OriginalMadman, https://github.com/OriginalMadman/Ars-Magica-Open-License