Benevolent Spirits & Helpers of the Land

Fragments of Yazatas Among the Folk

While great Yazatas wage eternal war on Sepehr-e Nohom (9th planet), their fragments filter through the Broken Sun's Shield into the mortal realm. Unlike Deevs who corrupt and consume, these fragments help and bless—though they are far weaker than their source.

Xēyr Bar Kar (خیر بر کر) - The Blessing-Bringer

Region: Lorestan (Lak people)

Name Meaning: "She who distributes blessings/sustenance"

Appearance: Bird or old woman (shapeshifting)

Behavior: Visits homes and herds at night, distributing sustenance and prosperity

Yalda Night Ritual: On longest night (winter solstice), Lak families leave:

• Pot lid open (invitation to share meal)
• Door/tent flap slightly ajar (welcome to enter)
• Light burning (consciousness beacon)

Blessing: Households she visits receive year's prosperity. Crops grow better, livestock healthier, family bonds stronger.

In Némand:

• Fragment of: Ashi Vanghuhi (Yazata of reward/recompense) or Parandi (Yazata of abundance)
• Alignment: Pure Spenta (benevolent)
• Tier: 2 (gentle but consistent power)
• Consciousness Principle: Only visible to those with "pure hearts" (high Spenta alignment). Angra-aligned people cannot see her even if she's present.
• Mechanism: Radiates positive consciousness field. Plants/animals near her get passive Spenta-Vapour exposure, improving vitality.

Story Hint: Protagonist staying in Lak village during Yalda. Skeptical of ritual but participates out of respect. Wakes to find family pot mysteriously fuller. Catches glimpse of bird transforming into old woman. First encounter with benevolent supernatural. Teaches: not all magic is conflict. Sometimes it's quiet kindness.

Tambulak (تمبولک) - The Farmer's Friend

Region: Hormozgan (southern coast)

Category: Jinn/Genie (benevolent)

Habitat: Gardens and orchards near villages

Behavior:

• Guards crops from thieves and pests
• Helps with irrigation (operates water channels at night)
• Can appear day or night
• Only visible to those with pure hearts (high Spenta alignment)
• Completely harmless unless orchard is threatened

In Némand:

• Fragment of: Haurvatat (Water Amesha Spenta) or agricultural Yazata
• Power: Subtle manipulation of water (Daryāft + physical understanding). Redirects moisture to roots, prevents over-watering.
• Tier: 1-2 (weak individual power, but valuable for agriculture)
• Why Invisible: Operates in narrow consciousness band. Only those with Didār sensitivity (observation mastery) or Spenta purity can perceive it.

Story Hint: Protagonist hiding in Hormozgan orchard. Watches in amazement as irrigation channels flow perfectly without human operation. Sees Tambulak for first time—realizes magic isn't just war/power. Sometimes it's a jinn watering tomatoes. Moment of wonder showing beauty in the magic system.

The Goodness Queen (ملکه‌ی خیر)

Region: Various (Khuzestan, Hormozgan references)

Alternative Names: Sayel Kheir, Alay Kheir, Malek Kheir

Domain: Kindness, charity, generosity

Manifestation: Appears to those performing acts of genuine charity

Blessing: Amplifies good deeds. Coins given to beggars feed more people than logical. Seeds planted by kind farmers yield extraordinary harvests.

In Némand: Fragment of Spenta Armaiti (Devotion Amesha Spenta). Rewards selfless action with tangible results.

Tier: 2-3

Story Hint: Protagonist shares last food with starving child. Goodness Queen appears, multiplies rations. Teaches karmic mechanic: genuine altruism creates actual magical benefit. Not "good things happen to good people" philosophy—literal consciousness mechanics.

Neutrals: Neither Good Nor Evil

Khidr-e Zendeh (خدرِ زنده) - The Green Saint

Alternative Names: Khezr, Al-Khidr, The Verdant One

Appears In: Islamic, Zoroastrian, and pre-Islamic Persian tradition

Appearance: Ageless man in green robes, staff of living wood

Domain: Hidden knowledge, mysterious guidance, life/fertility

Behavior: Appears to lost travelers offering cryptic advice. Sometimes helps, sometimes tests. Never explains fully.

In Némand:

• Nature: Not Yazata, not Div. Something older. Possibly consciousness fragment from previous cycle that learned to persist.
• Knowledge: Knows secrets of current AND past cycles. Can teach forgotten techniques.
• Price: Never asks for payment, but his "help" often involves moral tests. Right answer grants knowledge. Wrong answer means he disappears.
• Alignment: Neutral-to-Spenta (helps those worthy, ignores those not)

Tier: 4-5 (immense knowledge, moderate direct power)

Story Hint: Protagonist lost in desert/mountain. Khidr appears, offers water and advice about "the path ahead" (literal and metaphorical). Advice seems useless initially—but later proves critical. Teaches that guidance comes in unexpected forms. Can appear multiple times as mysterious mentor figure.

Implementation Notes for Writers

• Balance: Not every supernatural is enemy. Helps make world feel real—mix of threats and allies.
• Regional Variation: Different provinces have different fragments. Shows geographical diversity.
• Visibility Rules: Spenta-aligned characters see benevolent spirits. Angra-aligned see Deevs more clearly. Neutral characters see neither well.
• Folklore Truth: Every folk tale has mechanical reality in this world. Old woman warnings to children? Actual div prevention. Good luck rituals? Yazata invocation. Research real Persian folklore for story ideas.