Abu Ja’far

A well-known individual on the world of Rabiah, Abu Ja’far is the main character for several of Rabiah’s most prominent legends and tales, and acts as a supporting character in dozens more. Unfortunately for him, Ja’far most often plays the roles of villain in these stories, presented as evil and unscrupulous, willing to do whatever it takes in the search for power. The truth of the matter is far less simple, and not nearly so black-and-white as the citizens of Rabiah present it to be.   Power in Fire While Ja’far features prominently in hundreds of Rabian tales, only one has a grain of truth at its core- the story of Ja’far’s eventual death. In life, Ja’far served as the vizier to a powerful sultan, a ruler who had created his empire through war. Ja’far had helped the sultan accomplish this using fire magic, summoning powerful efreeti soldiers to lead the sultan’s armies. In the end, the sultanate filled an entire continent, and the sultan relied heavily upon Ja’far’s help to rule it. When the sultan grew old and died, his youngest son orchestrated for the rest of his brothers to be killed, and the power of the kingdom passed to him. Ruling selfishly and with enormous cruelty, the new sultan neglected Ja’far’s advice and wisdom, and ordered Ja’far executed so that he could not interfere with the sultan’s decisions.   Plea of the People Fleeing from the castle in the dead of night, Ja’far took to the streets, where he saw the misery of the people under the iron fist of the new sultan. Hoping to repair the situation and regain his former power, Ja’far offered his services to an alliance of rebels which intended to overthrow the sultan. Working together, Ja’far and the rebels fought the sultan’s empire with the help of Ja’far’s efreeti servants, but in the end their coup failed. Captured and brought before the sultan, Ja’far’s execution was ensured, and the sultan ordered that Ja’far be burned alive under the searing heat of the desert’s noonday sun. While Ja’far did many things in his lifetime, most in pursuit of power, little about him was truly wicked. But when the sultan crushed the rebellion, he twisted the story of Ja’far into that of a power-hungry madman, intent on taking the reins of the throne for himself.   Fiery Remnants The popular place that Ja’far himself holds in the stories of Rabiah, a figure who exists in every culture’s legends and lore, has led to the appearance of a peculiar psychic manifestation. When someone with untrained or unrealized psychic power curses someone, this manifestation of Ja’far can often appear as a result of its presence in Rabiah’s zeitgeist. Each of these psychic manifestations is distinctly different, sharing no memories, but each having a similar personality. Gifted with considerable charisma, these same manifestations act more akin to the stories of Ja’far than the truth, seeking any position of power into which they can worm themselves, at any cost necessary. If revealed as little more than an unusual ghost, the manifestation grows irrationally angry, attacking those who reveal its secret. If killed, the spirit bursts into flames, searing everyone nearby in a reflection of the real Ja’far’s eventual execution in the sands of the desert.