Introduction to the Roleplay

Welcome to the Temple of Anahita!

We are an in-depth, high-quality roleplay with a rich storyline and a small but vibrant community of dedicated roleplayers. We encourage storytelling and group interaction, and work to facilitate a fun, dynamic environment for creative individuals to flourish. Our story has some well-established elements, but we're flexible enough to adapt to improvisation and fresh ideas from our players. We strongly encourage collaboration and keep a firm line between in-character drama and our out of character environment.

The most important part of the setting is, of course, the temple itself. It houses the Ahibanu, a religious order of magicians devoted to the worship of the water goddess Anahita as well as the Nasir al Din, non-magical devotees of the same goddess, and the Mahdi, magical men under the Ahibanu's control. It rests in a lush oasis watered by the goddess and surrounded by harsh desert on all sides, keeping it fairly isolated from the broader world. Travelers do come through, those trading with nearby tribes or farther-flung cities and settlements, those curious about the Ahibanu, or those simply seeking shelter from the harsh conditions. There are thus many ways to introduce new characters and story elements to the setting without necessarily having them be permanent fixtures.

Magic in the setting is fairly limited and well established; we feel it's strong enough to have fun with but not so strong as to eliminate conflict or potential for in-character drama. It is separated into a few "schools," with limited talents among each. Perhaps the most important aspect of magic is that it can be drained, normally with complicated rituals; if a magical character is completely drained of magic, they will die. Magicians are distinguished by their eyes; while not everyone with blue eyes has magic, every magician has blue eyes, and it's said to be a family trait (i.e., if a non-magician has blue eyes, it's likely their ancestors had or children will have magic at some point). Rarely a non-magical disciple (or, to keep firmer control of them, a prisoner) is blessed with magic; their eyes retain their natural color and they're branded with a special mark to identify them.

The Ahibanu themselves are composed three principle classes: neophytes are fresh recruits and are either learning the theory or practice of magic, depending on their own inborn talents. Initiates are the mid-level disciples; those born without magic are granted it at this stage. Lastly there are the full Sisters, the Daughters of Anahita, who run the temple and serve the goddess indirectly through Seht. The Ahibanu are primarily made up of, and entirely dominated by, women. Magic runs most strongly in women; the Mahdi (male magicians) are kept tightly controlled and never allowed to rise above the level of neophyte; those males granted magic are tutored privately, if at all.

In these pages you will find background and reference information for the setting, rules and guidelines for the dream, character information and more.