Arabic/Egyptian folk hero needed!

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I know absolutely nothing about Mercury Ali, but I suspect that the name refers to the element rather than the god.

Speediness is the key element in either case. It's a metaphorical name. I can use Rajek the Wanderer the same way, either way. It's meant to be inspirational, not a direct translation.

 

[Klaus]

These are good suggestions, thanks. My problem, though, is I'm looking for someone lowly enough not to upstage mid-level characters, and flexible enough to leave the capital city of the region and travel with them to the lost temple of Tiamat. A plucky street urchin with a bazaar beggar's grasp of multiple languages is more what I'm looking for (he'll probably be Group Level -2 as a rogue as well).

I'm thinking I'll merge Mercury Ali and Aladdin (pre-djinn) for my purposes. There's even a messenger god I can use instead of Mercury, too.

Any reason not to use Ahmad ibn Fadlān ibn al-Abbās ibn Rašīd ibn Hammād, the real-life 10th century writer and traveler that inspired Antonio Banderas' character in the 13th Warrior?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Not sufficiently young and plucky, and too likely to be taken into a dungeon that will grind him to splinters. (The temple of Tiamat is a DCC module and will have the added fun of having a competing group of NPCs inside.)

 

[Klaus]

Not sufficiently young and plucky, and too likely to be taken into a dungeon that will grind him to splinters. (The temple of Tiamat is a DCC module and will have the added fun of having a competing group of NPCs inside.)

Sorry, but whatnow?

If Ibn Fahdlan can hold his own against the wendol (in the movie) and survive a trip to Varangia and back (in real life), that can certainly be extrapolated as a quite "plucky" individual in a D&D world (where he'd be a full-fledged bard, or at least a rogue/expert).

 

[Tonguez]

I know absolutely nothing about Mercury Ali, but I suspect that the name refers to the element rather than the god.

there lived once at Cairo, in the days of Saláh the Egyptian, who was Chief of the Cairo Police and had forty men under him, a sharper named Ali, for whom the Master of Police used to set snares and think that he had fallen therein; but, when they sought for him, they found that he had fled like zaybak, or quicksilver, wherefore they dubbed him Ali Zaybak or Mercury Ali of Cairo
Ali Zayback would be a cool Rogue, but could the PCs trust him?


But then Sindbad the Porter makes perfect sense as a hireling
There lived in the city of Baghdad, during the reign of the Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, a man named Sindbád the Hammál, one in poor case who bore burdens on his head for hire.

 

[Kesh]

You could always go with Abdul Al'Hazred!

… what?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Sorry, but whatnow?

If Ibn Fahdlan can hold his own against the wendol (in the movie) and survive a trip to Varangia and back (in real life), that can certainly be extrapolated as a quite "plucky" individual in a D&D world (where he'd be a full-fledged bard, or at least a rogue/expert).

Right. I'm NOT looking for an equal to the party. I'm looking for a sidekick who can help with translations.

Ibn Fahdlan is not a sidekick.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

You could always go with Abdul Al'Hazred!

… what?

Heh, I've already got THAT part covered.

 

[Klaus]

Right. I'm NOT looking for an equal to the party. I'm looking for a sidekick who can help with translations.

Ibn Fahdlan is not a sidekick.

Ah, right.

 

[Kheti sa-Menik]

"The sons of the Prophet were brave men and bold
And quite unaccustomed to fear.
But the bravest by far in the ranks of the Shah
Was Abdul Abulbul Amir."


hehe. Use Abdul Abulbul Amir as his name and see if your players pick up on it.
(An 1877 Percy French folksong)