Desert Fantasy (Prince of Persia meets Aladdin)

[TheHumbleMagnificent]

Hello RPers. I'm fairly new to this site and have joined a couple RPs already, but have not started my own yet. I've looked around the interest checks and didn't see anything like this and wonder if anyone would like to join in.

To expand on what the title suggests, the RP will be centered around a massive Oasis Kingdom in the desert. Sultan Alzarai has bloated its upper class by weighing the working class down with heavy taxes, and heavy-handed law enforcement. Magic is outlawed, its use is restricted only to the Sultan's officers. Protestors and revolutionaries were mercilessly beaten into exile, forced to survive the unforgiving conditions of the vast desert. Since the Oasis Kingdom is the only safe haven, the people must accept the way things are.

Well, not everyone.

We'll be playing Robin Hood-esque type players about to be initiated into a newly formed thief guild. Every guild has a different creed and objective, but ours is to help those in desperate need. We operate in the shadows, away from the prying eyes of the Sultan's police. We'll be taking on assignments like helping a merchant get back a precious heirloom taken from a corrupt officer. Or empty the troves of a deceitful nobleman. It is treated as an underground sport, and the guild that presents the most trophies at the end of the year wins great luxuries, including the title of Champion Headmasters. However, not all is fun and games. The strings of a sinister plot will start to unravel, one of ancient lore and myth, that could change everything.

[Nug Soth]

I'm confused. When you say "every guild", do you mean every guild-member? Or are ther many guilds? And if there are many guilds, are they all thieves guilds?

[TheHumbleMagnificent]

Yeah, there are four thief guilds, including ours.

[Assallya]

Errr.... how is it that the winning guild is gifted great luxuries? I rather suspect that the Sultan and his nobles aren't providing these gifts.

I am, despite my confusion, eager to enter into Agrabah or whatever this great city is called.

[Onarax]

Couple of questions:

One will characters have any special powers or the like?

Are Djinn a thing?

Also do we have to be a part of the guilds, or could we for example play one of the Sultan's guards trying to the stop the thieves and reform the city from within?

[TheHumbleMagnificent]

Assallya said
how is it that the winning guild is gifted great luxuries? I rather suspect that the Sultan and his nobles aren't providing these gifts.

A percentage of earnings gained from all guilds goes to the crowned headmaster. Don't have a name for the city yet. Suggestions are welcome!

Onarax said
Couple of questions: One will characters have any special powers or the like? Are Djinn a thing? Also do we have to be a part of the guilds, or could we for example play one of the Sultan's guards trying to the stop the thieves and reform the city from within?

Yes. Characters can use magic, but can be imprisoned or tortured if used in public. Djinns are definitely a thing, but are less common than magic users. This will be flushed out later on, provided there's enough interest to warrant an ooc.

As mentioned, we will be rping under one thief guild, unless there's a lot of interest shown as the Sultan's guard, however, they won't be in a position to reform much.

[Izaka Sazaka]

Interested on playing both sides of the fence, both Sultan's Guard and Thief seem like intriguing options.

[TheHumbleMagnificent]

Thanks for showing interest!

[Izaka Sazaka]

TheHumbleMagnificent said
Thanks for showing interest!

The pleasure's mine~

[Imperfectionist]

There really isn't ever enough Islamic fantasy on the Guild. Sign me up!

Is the faith itself going to be a thing, or is the focus mostly on the legends instead? Also, I definitely want to play a jinn, if that's at all possible (you say they're around, but playable hasn't been confirmed)...

[Jannah]

Ooooo...I have interest. Are assassin type characters allowed? I have an assassin woman who convincingly disguises herself as a man while she goes about her work.

[Jannah]

Imperfectionist said
There really isn't ever enough Islamic fantasy on the Guild. Sign me up!Is the faith itself going to be a thing, or is the focus mostly on the legends instead? Also, I want to play a jinn, if that's at all possible (you say they're around, but playable hasn't been confirmed)...

I'm going out on a limb here since this isn't my RP, but I'd wager it's more based around the legends. Although to be fair, a lot of the later ones were heavily Islamically influenced. Society as a whole actually, assuming we're sticking to some semblance of real history. That'll certainly make my female assassin's breaking of gender roles more significant.

[Nug Soth]

Alright, alright. So, theoretically, I could play a heretical magic user who is being driven insane by the forbidden truths he's learning from the ancient dark forces that he's learned to call upon to enact his magic???

[TheHumbleMagnificent]

Welcome Imperfectionist and Jannah! Yeah, I'd like to steer clear of the faith and basically have the lore loosely based off the legends, much like how Jade Empire was inspired by ancient china. It's a mythos I'm not well versed in, so I'm all for collaborative world building with everyone involved. An assassin I could see happening for either group, but a Djinn would be kinda tricky...unless I make them as avatars of the elements where people draw their magic from...

Edit: @Nug that's an awesome possibility that I'll allow!

[Imperfectionist]

I don't see why such a restriction would be necessary. Jinn are many many things. Some are powerful, some are weak, some are malicious and some benevolent. They're wildly varied, just like humans, with their own minds and lives and everything. The wiki article is quite good.

Obviously, I wouldn't play a shaytan/ifrit/maarid, or any kind of evil jinn, but a benevolent one, of the type who are infinitely fascinated with humans.

EDIT: Basically, a curious minor jinn who joins the guild on a lark, in order to better understand people.

[Jannah]

The understanding I have of Jinn is that they're kind of like spirits or ghosts, which as we know tend to vary in form.

[Imperfectionist]

Jannah said
The understanding I have of Jinn is that they're kind of like spirits or ghosts, which as we know tend to vary in form.

More like spirits than ghosts, in that they exist separate from humans, have their own souls/free will, and aren't simply imprints of the dead. :) They're very interesting. Also, of course, in Islam some of them play the role of "demons". Seeing as they have free will, just like us, some powerful, arrogant jinn have chosen to scorn Allah and lead mortals away from salvation, to their doom...

EDIT: There's no way for angels to rebel, as angels by definition have no free will, so the Corrupter-of-humanity figure is the first Jinni (the "Adam/Lilith" of Jinn), who grew arrogant, and turned away from the Creator.

EDIT 2: Meaning, in case it wasn't clear, that the first jinni is the equivalent of the Christian Satan, and the evil jinn are the equivalent of Christian demons, except possibly more tragic, in that they have free will, and they chose to be the way they are...

[Jannah]

Imperfectionist said
More like spirits than ghosts, in that they exist separate from humans, have their own souls/free will, and aren't simply imprints of the dead. :) They're very interesting. Also, of course, in Islam some of them play the role of "demons". Seeing as they have free will, just like us, some powerful, arrogant jinn have chosen to scorn Allah and lead mortals away from salvation, to their doom...EDIT: There's no way for angels to rebel, as angels by definition have no free will, so the Corrupter-of-humanity figure is the first Jinn (the "Adam/Lilith" of Jinn), who grew arrogant, and turned away from the Creator.

Hah, alright. I was close then. I know more about Islam than the average person, but I'm not Muslim so I'd be lying if I said I was a complete expert. However, from my understanding there was also Pre-Islamic Jinn myths.

[Imperfectionist]

Jannah said
Hah, alright. I was close then. I know more about Islam than the average person, but I'm not Muslim so I'd be lying if I said I was a complete expert. However, from my understanding there was also Pre-Islamic Jinn myths.

We are the same, Jannah. I know a little bit more than average for a not-muslim-raised American, at least. As for pre-Islamic myths, I'm sure you're correct, but the codification of the origins and nature of jinn comes (for me) from the scripture and teachings of Islam. Before the Prophet, there were stories of spirits (as most cultures have), but their identity was uncertain, compared to what he taught.

[TheHumbleMagnificent]

That's great information thank you. We'll be loosely drawing from myth and legend to create our own lore in this mystical realm. I think that's fine having a curious Djinn, though I do plan on having other deities or spirits used as generators for magic users.