17 February 2009

Do the Jinn want to play?

I have new information and don't yet know what to do with it. It has to do with the Jinn. Jinn are the spirits that Allah created out of fire before he created man. Not really demons, they can become Moslems and will enter heaven on the day of resurrection or enter hell.

Jinn also play a part in Moslem Alchemy. This might be why the one Moslem who succeeded in the quest for the philosopher's stone, then walked away from it. Ptolemy was supposed to be able to summon the fire spirits as well, though in Egypt in general the Jinn weren't really acknowledged until Islam.

Among the responsibilities of the Jinn is guarding the tomb. Some of the more powerful - Afreets - are also said to haunt graveyards, gnawing on the bones of the dead. Marids - the most powerful Jinn - cause great damage and mischief, even physical injury.

So I have a king's tomb at Nemrud. That is where the library has been moved. Ptolemy's book is in the library. Do the Jinn guard both the tomb and the libarary that contain the secrets of how to use them for Alchemy?

The real question is whether I want to let the story enter the metaphysical realms and treat both Alchemy and Jinn as real things that might be encountered on this adventure?

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