1001 Nights
by Meguey Baker
In the palace of the Sultan are many rooms. In these rooms are many people, and the people have many stories. Most intriguingly for our tale, many of these people cannot leave these many rooms. The ornately carved walls surrounding the fragrant pools and exotic gardens are high; the lace-like doors are webs of iron; the delicately cool tones and publicly refined manners raise the significance of an arched brow by feverish degrees. This 'place apart' holds the Sultan's peace, for to disturb it would be foolish indeed. Yet, beneath the surface of any still pool are many currents, and this is no exception.
Nights especially can be long in the desert. The sun sinks, and as the relief of evening washes over the palace, the inhabitants stir themselves, bathe, dress, eat, and scheme. Music of cymbals, tambours, strings and drums slide along the marble walls. Smoke, perfumed and otherwise, seeps into thick color-soaked carpets. Coriander, dates, wine, cardamom, black pepper, coconut, saffron and mint mingle on the tongue. Oiled skin glows beneath fine cotton and silk, set off by leather and gold. And always, the planets dance overhead, taunting in their freedom high in the cool air. Is it a wonder those here turn to tales of mystery and magic, beauty and bold adventure, to fly away in thought, if only for a time? And, if one's tale is well told, and brings one favor of one kind or another, so much the better, is it not so?
Gather three or more players; more than six becomes unwieldy. Give each a pencil and a character sheet or a small piece of paper. In the middle of the table, put a bowl, pleasing to look at, and filled with dice of many colors, shapes and sizes. These are the gems of the Sultan.
Character Creation
There are two levels of character in 1001 Nights, Court and Story. The first is the Court level character. This is as we are generally familiar with playing; a character that we give flesh and shape and temperament to, and every player chooses a Courtier from the following non-exhaustive list:
the Captain of the Guard
the Food Taster
the Chronicler
the Sultan's Newest Wife
the Midwife
the Assistant Physician
the Chief Eunuch
the Water Boy
the Assistant Gardner
the Master of the Hunt
the Seamstress
the Favored Musician
the Favored Dancer
the Junior Advisor
the Cook
the Aged Nursemaid
the Serving Girl
the Falconer
the Perfumer
the Visiting Scholar
the Astrologer
the Scholar of the Koran
the Chief Poet
the Historian
If you do not find your desired Courtier here, discuss it with your fellows, remembering that all the relevant Court members are, for the most part, confined to the Palace. The Headman of the Trade Caravan would not be a likely character for the Court; unless he was the Maimed Ex-Headman, perhaps. There are some, like the Master of the Hunt and the Visiting Scholar, who will have greater circles of movement, but are still tethered to the Palace. Consider also the social rank: there are many reasons for a Serving Girl, the Astrologer, and the Sultan's Newest Wife to be together, you'll just have to discover those reasons.
Choose for your Courtier a name. Remember the setting, and choose a name that fits the Palace of the Sultan. A list of names is at the back of the book in case you need it. Some names are clearly male or female, some are less distinct; make sure all players know the gender of all Courtiers, and remember some may be eunuchs. You may chose to be precise as to age, but it is enough to say of your Courtier that they are old, young, of middle age, venerable, just past youth, or the like. Write these on your sheet for all to know.
Now, to give them flesh. Consider the senses - Hearing, Sight, Smell, Taste, and Touch. List these on your paper, and describe each in a short sentence, so: I wear rows of tiny bells in my clothes to announce my presence, I am hard of hearing, I love music –My eyes are warm and smiling, I have a piercing gaze, I have seen death –Cinnamon and cloves scent my skin, I smell always of leather and animals, Strong smells upset me – I love almonds and honey, I can make a rich and savory meal, I smoke a pipe – My hands are delicate but stronger than they look, I can tell a good horse from a bad one by feeling it's coat, I have deep scars on my arms. Make sure at least one sense is described as a physical attribute, but not all.
Consider the Courtiers on the table. Each has a place, and skills and connections real and imagined. What must each feel towards the others? What does each wish of the other's place? Does the Cook envy the Eunuch's soft hands? Does the Scholar long for the Water Boy's simple life? Write down what your Courtier envies about each of the others. Note that the Scholar only sees the simplicity of the Water Boy's tasks, not the heavy, wet buckets and the constantly sore back – what your Courtier envies may not be truth in fact. Let this information be known to all players.
Each Courtier's envies drive an Ambition, some grand or small thing they wish to achieve: I envy the Gardner his fresh air - I wish for access to the garden, I envy the Chief Eunuch his access to the Sultana's ear - I want the favor of the Sultana, I envy the Scholar her travels - I long to see the ocean before I die. Make your Courtier's Ambition something they must strive to achieve, not some triviality.
Story level
Every person has many stories, and every player and every Courtier gets turns to GM. Draw lots to determine who begins as GM. Everyone begins with five gems, including the GM.
The task of the GM:
As GM, have your Courtier assign roles to the other Courtiers for the sake of the Story. Here you may further your Courtier's cause, in assigning the haughty Astrologer the role of the humble Sheep-boy, the quiet Guard she admires the role of noble Lord, and cast her rival Handmaid as the Unfaithful Wife. Thus the roles of the Story can shift and illuminate the alliances of the Courtiers. You are responsible for the starting setting of the Story, but ought not have a set outcome in mind. Casting the Courtiers into the Story and setting them together in the scene is the role of the GM, and then to unfurl the Story just before the feet of the players, this is the GMs role.
Begin with the setting of the Courtiers, the Name of the Story and assigning Story roles, similar to the following:
We are in a small garden in the late afternoon. The leaves overhead are thick and green, the roses nod in the warm sunlight. A white tray holds silver cups of mint tea, and there's a silk carpet on the grass. "Now hear the Story of the Humble Shepherd, the Noble Lord, the Unfaithful Wife, and the Lost Slipper. Guard, will you play the Lord, Astrologer the Shepherd, and you Handmaid the Unfaithful Wife. Our tale begins in the morning in the Lord's household. He has lost his green jeweled slipper, and is curious where it has gone."
Now wait on the action of the others.
As GM, resolve any conflict within the Story by whim and chance. The GM picks any gem of any size, declares the possible outcomes, for example: “on a 1-3 this happens, on a 4-10 this other happens, on a 11-12, this third thing.” You may find it unwieldy to have more than three outcomes.
The task of the player:
As the Story unfolds, you may, at any time, reward the GM, for fine work by giving her a gem from the bowl. This can be for a particularly richly defined scene, a cleverly executed plot twist, a deftly played NPC, or any other thing that inspires your praise. You can do this at your whim, but explain your reason.
As the Story unfolds, whenever a situation arises that interests you, take a gem from the bowl and place it before you on the table. Declare your interest: I'm curious to know if the rabbit got away – I'll bet it was the elder brother – Well, was it the lost ring of the Princess? You may find it useful to make note of what you have declared, jotting down a word or two and setting the gem on the word. It falls upon you to know what you have declared; any gem whose declaration you have forgotten, return that gem to the bowl unrolled. You and another players can declare interest in the same event, but only if your hands meet in the bowl.
As the Story unfolds, the events of the Story will naturally resolve. As your declared interests resolve, one by one, roll their corresponding gems. Every gem that rolls Odd, pass these to the GM; every gem that rolls Even, keep for yourself. You have not wagered on a certain result, merely invested in a point of interest. Whether the rabbit got away or not, whether it was the brother or not, whether it was the ring of the Princess or not – if it has been made clear, roll the gem.
At the close of a Story, all players:
Divvy the gems in your possession between Safety, Freedom and Ambition
.
Roll the gems in Safety: At least one must be Even each time, or the displeasure of the Sultan falls upon your Courtier. The first time there are no Evens, your Courtier loses favor with the Sultan; mark off one box on your sheet. The second time, the Sultan is displeased - mark off a second box. The third time, mark off the third box, and the Sultan has your Courtier beheaded for their offense.
Roll the gems in Ambition: For every Even, your Courtier may advance towards their Ambition, or set another Courtier back in their attempt to gain their goal. Your Courtier needs 5 Even gems to achieve their Ambition.
Roll the gems in Freedom: Keep track of Evens, in hope of gaining 7 Even gems, enough to buy the Freedom to leave Court as you wish.
Discard your Evens back to the bowl; keep your Odds as gems for the next story.
Court level
After the Story and the resulting gem rolls, play out any relevant Court scenes: whom the Sultans' councilors reprimand, who curries the favor of the Sultan and may now come and go as they wish, who has undercut his rival's desired ambition. If there are no Court scenes explicit by the gem rolls,
( Also, once per session, each player may spend a gem to the bowl to Interrupt a Story with an event at Court. This Interrupt must actually be able to interrupt the Courtiers from their pass-time: a letter arrives, a fight breaks out, it suddenly begins to rain. The story in process is cut off – all unresolved dice return to the bowl and the Court scene plays out. After the Court scene is complete, a new story is started.)
Begin the next Story. Consider first the players who have not yet had a turn as GM. Of them, the player with the least gems becomes the next GM. Should there be a tie, choose the player to the left of the last GM. If you like, make your Stories follow one to the next: they may have a common character, a common motif, a common setting.
Once the Sultan Beheads a Courtier, or a Courtier achieves their Ambition, or wins Freedom to come and go, the game is over. Give an Epilogue for your Courtier.
If you would like to play again with the same Courtiers, you may, except the Courtier who is gone from Court. When you are the player of the Courtier who is Free or Beheaded, choose another character, and devise new Envies and Ambitions with the new and existing Courtiers.
Color
Remember the five senses and use them often in your play; they will make for richer gaming. When you are the GM, start each Story by giving the setting: what time of day, what physical space, what light, what refreshment, what mood at Court. Every object has shape and color, weight and texture; there is always scent and sound, or else the notable absence. In the Stories, when you are the GM you may not invest in events, so must earn gems by your skill in describing the places, people and events you create.
Also, consider the space in which you play: Can you burn incense or candles? Can you have tart grapes and dates and honey and sharp peppery crackers? Can you have music softly in the background?
Story seeds
For the start of a Story, you need go no further than the tales of childhood. Fairytales, nursery rhymes, songs and poems are all available to you as the beginnings of Story.
Do not have the whole of Humpty Dumpty in mind, only that an object is broken, and needs mending beyond the ability of those present. Do not expect it to be Cinderella, just that it concerns a shoe that will fit the chosen bride. In this way, the Story is free to unfold before the cast, while giving the GM a comfortable framework.
Naming a Story sets the tone – The Story of the Celebration of the Fairy's Wedding is far different from The Tale of Mustapha the Demon-killer or Three Brothers – a cautionary tale. It also can introduce the primary characters and their relationships, giving the Courtiers a moment to grasp their role. Naming a Story The Woesome Tale of Hakim, a Barber, and his trusty camel lets the players understand that one Courtier will play Hakim, one a barber, and one will most likely play the camel. There is a list of Story titles at the back of the book if you feel you need it.
Recap:
Create a Court character
Describe the Court character with a short sentence for each sense.
Determine the things your characters Envy in each other.
Determine your character’s Ambitions.
Each player starts with 5 gems
Chose a starting GM by lots, or default to whoever best knows the game..
The GM assigns Story roles for the other Courtiers, keeping her own Envy and Ambition in mind.
The GM assigns Story resolution options: “If 1-4, then X; if 5-10, then Y, if 11-12, then Z” This is totally at the whim of the GM, and any size gem can be used for Story resolution. Don't use more than 3 options.
Players stake gems on the outcome of Story events – interesting points in the Story – by taking any gem from the bowl, declaring their interest, and placing the gem in front of them. Multiple players can state interest in the same event, only if they do so simultaneously.
Roll gems when the Story event is decided.
Odds go to the GM, Evens go to the player.
Court Interrupts cost one gem from the player to the bowl, and end that Story with all undecided Story event gems returning to the bowl. Each player may Interrupt once per session.
At the close of a Story, divvy your gems between Safety, Ambition, and Freedom.
Roll gems.
You need at least one Even in Safety to remain on good terms with the Sultan: three strikes, and you’re out.
5 Evens buys Ambition.
7 Evens buys Freedom.
Discard Evens back to the bowl, keep Odds to roll after the next Story closes.
Play any Court scenes resulting from the divvy; someone gets closer to Freedom, someone gets closer to their Ambition, someone loses or regains the Sultan’s favor.
The player with the fewest gems becomes the next GM for the next Story; ties go to the player to the left of the last GM, then to the player who has not yet been GM..
Each new Story ought to link somehow to the last.
When someone is Beheaded, Free, or has achieved their Ambition, the game ends and every Courtier gives an Epilogue.
Name list:
These names are taken from the 1001 Nights collected by Andrew Lang. If you feel the need for a character with a full name, an easy way is to choose Name ibn Father's Name for a male and Name bint Father's Name for a female, or Name the Adjective (as'the Lionhearted', the Bald' etc.) For nobility, Amir and Amira for Prince and Princess is easy.
Male:
Al-Adin
Ali Cogia
Ahmed
Baba Abdalla
Baba Mustapha
Behman
Cassim
Damriat
Danash
Douban
Firouz
Gifar
Haroun
Hasad
Mahmoud
Marzaman
Mihrage
Nouronnihar
Perviz
Rashid
Schan
Schraiaz
Sidi
Zouman
Female:
Aziza
Badoura
Balsora
Dina
Dinarzade
Imma
Maimoune
Malika
Maryam
Morgiana
Nour
Nourigan
Paribanou
Parizade
Serendib
Serit
Zoulika
You will find any Google search for Arabic names useful. This site is extremely helpful: http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/arabic-naming2.htm