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The Gates of Damascus

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The Gates of Damascus Table of Contents Introduction: Thunder in the East ............................. 9 Theme .......................................................... 30 Syria by Night ................................................... 10 Mood ............................................................ 30 The Rise of the Ikhwan ................................ 10 Using Raqqa by Night .................................. 31 Ideologies and Ambitions ............................. 11 The Ikhwan in Raqqa .................................. 31 Words and Lore ................................................ 11 History .............................................................. 32 Lexicon ......................................................... 12 Empires at War ............................................. 32 Prince, Basileus, and Emir ............................ 12 The New Rome ............................................ 33 Levant and Syria ........................................... 13 Persia Resurgent ........................................... 34 A Note on Names......................................... 14 Years of Conquest ........................................ 35 Using this Book ................................................ 14 The Arab Empire ......................................... 35 History and Continuity ................................ 15 Raqqa, the Capital ....................................... 36 Historiography .............................................. 16 Burning Raqqa ............................................. 36 Chapter 1: Geography of Syria ................................. 19 Hamdanid and Seljuk .................................. 36 The Prefectures ................................................. 20 The Crusades ................................................ 38 A Web of Knives .............................................. 22 The Ikhwan in Raqqa .................................. 38 The Emirates of Syria ....................................... 24 Melissa’s Fate ................................................ 39 Mapping Syria ................................................... 26 Geography ........................................................ 40 Reading Area Maps ...................................... 26 The City in the Desert ................................. 40 Reading Location Maps ................................ 27 Travel ........................................................... 40 ChSampleapter 2: Raqqa by Night ...................................... 29 The Town .................................................... file 42 Raqqa, Crossroads of Empire ............................ 30 The Cainites of Raqqa ..................................... 44 The Gates of Damascus 7 The Rulers of Raqqa ..................................... 44 Travel ........................................................... 66 The Ikhwan .................................................. 45 The Town .................................................... 68 The Subject Cainites .................................... 46 The Cainites of Amman .................................. 70 Chapter 3: Amman by Night ................................... 59 Amman and Jerusalem ................................. 71 Amman, The Ruined City ................................ 60 Amman and Ariha ....................................... 72 Theme........................................................... 60 Chapter 4: Elsewhere in Syria ................................... 79 Mood............................................................. 60 Dabiq, Battlefield of the Apocalypse ............... 80 Using Amman by Night ............................... 61 Palmyra, the Ruined Metropolis ...................... 82 The Ikhwan in Amman ................................ 61 The Rise of Palmyra ..................................... 82 History .............................................................. 62 Patrons and Clients ...................................... 82 The Seleucid City ......................................... 62 An Eastern Empire ....................................... 82 Roman Conquest .......................................... 62 The Ruins of Palmyra................................... 84 Decadent Nights ........................................... 63 Ariha, Paradise on the Jordan .......................... 86 The End of Philadelphia ............................... 63 Crusades and Conquests .............................. 86 The Desert Stronghold ................................. 64 The Jordan Valley ........................................ 87 Amman Destroyed ........................................ 64 Cainites of Ariha.......................................... 87 The Seljuk Sultanate .................................... 64 Deir, Monastery on the Euphrates ................... 90 The Citadel of Ahamant .............................. 65 Abu Qubays, Frontier Stronghold .................... 92 The Coming of the Ikhwan .......................... 65 Appendix: Key Dates ............................................... 95 Geography......................................................... 66 Key Dates in the History of Syria ..................... 96 The Fringes of the Desert ............................. 66 Index ........................................................................ 98 Sample file The Gates of Damascus 8 INTRODUCTION: rom the time of the Second City, the Children of Haqim have been F the judges of the Children of Caine. Respected, honoured, and occasionally feared, the Banu Haqim has long been the rock which has formed the foundation of Cainite society in Syria, Persia, and Africa. Yet times are changing and, in recent years, many of the Banu Haqim who arrive in the Levant are harsh and uncompromising, wanting to impose their own ideas of order upon the Cainites of the land. There are some who say that this change is a response to the faithlessness of the Ashirra; others claim that this shift is due to a schism within the clan, and that competing interests amongst the Children of Haqim are fighting for dominance. Regardless of the reasons for the rise of this new breed amongst the clan, their appearance is seen by many Syrian Cainites as an ominous sign. There are some who claim to have heard the thunder in the Sampleeast, warning of an approaching storm. file The Gates of Damascus 9 yria is a land familiar with conflict. On the boundary reason. The coming years will show whether such fears S between the Mediterranean to the west, Arabia to are justified. the south, and Persia to the east, Syria is a contested land, one which has been the focal point of many wars. Yet, at the same time, conflict is not the sole defining The Rise of the Ikhwan In the year 1099 the city of Jerusalem was captured by a feature of Syria. The region lies upon many trade routes, Crusader army. Whilst this was a relatively and is an area where cultures and religions mix freely. unremarkable feat in military terms, the event had an The cities of Syria can be exciting and invigorating enormous cultural impact across Europe, North Africa, places to reside, for mortals and Cainites alike. and Western Asia. The importance of Jerusalem to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam meant that the Syria by Night conquest of the city was highly symbolic. It was an event The Gates of Damascus is a sourcebook describing the with repercussions across the world for centuries to region of Syria for Vampire: the Dark Ages. The various come. chapters which follow contain general information on The effects were felt not just in mortal society, but Syria, as well as information on some of the more also amongst Cainites. Some interpreted it as a sign of notable domains found within the area, along with the approach of Gehenna; others saw it as an details of the notable Cainites within these domains. opportunity which might be exploited to gain power The material within this book in intended to support and influence. Still others were motivated to act on the the work of a Storyteller who wishes to set a chronicle basis of their religion, either through a desire to support within Syria. the Crusader victories, or through a wish to return the In the year 1242 the region of Syria is divided Levant to Muslim rule. These competing interests and between a number of small states, known as emirates, desires quickly transformed Cainite politics in the which recognise the ruler of Egypt, the Sultan of Misr, region. as their overlord. The emirates cover a wide range of The effects of the Crusades were also felt far from landscapes from the arid plains and rocky deserts of the Jerusalem. In 1100 a delegation of Assamites from Emirate of Kerak in the south, to the green hills and Baghdad travelled to Alamut and demanded that the fertile farmland of the Emirate of Hama in the north. Silsila must take action against the Crusaders. The This is a wealthy land, one which supports a number of matter was discussed at length over seven nights, at the large cities including Damascus, former capital of the end of which the Silsila delivered a formal decision, Caliphate, a great and glorious centre of trade and ruling that the Children of Haqim should be guided by learning. Syria is a land rich in possibilities. their own moral judgement in relation to their response The wealth of Syria means that influence over the to the Crusades. Though the Silsila understood that region has been contested by Cainites for thousands of many younger Assamites were outraged by the Crusader years. This is an area which has seen more than
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