Regional Spirits: Folk Entities of Persia

The Nature of Folk Spirits

Beyond the major Yazatas and divs lie countless regional entities—fragments so small they manifest as local legends, folklore, and superstition. These are pieces of larger cosmic forces, filtered through the Broken Sun's shield until they become provincial spirits tied to specific locations and people.

Benevolent Spirits & Minor Yazatas

Hura (هورا) - Spirit of Creation's Dawn

Origin: Kermanshah region folklore, fragment of larger creative force

Domain: Creation, life, artistic inspiration, childbirth

Manifestation: Radiant sun or golden spiral appearing at dawn

Nature: Benevolent fragment aligned with Spenta and Gardūn (Transformation law)

Powers: Blesses artists, inventors, and mothers. Dawn hours near Kermanshah are 50% more effective for creative magic.

Cultural Practice: Followers honor creation through art, invention, and welcoming newborns at sunrise

Story Hint: Protagonist seeking inspiration for innovative device might receive vision from Hura at dawn. Early-game blessing or mid-game breakthrough moment.

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

Origin: Lorestan Province (Lak people folklore)

Domain: Sustenance distribution, prosperity, household blessing

Manifestation: Appears as bird or old woman at night, visiting homes and herds

Nature: Benevolent fragment, possibly minor Yazata of generosity

Powers: Grants prosperity to those who share (leave pot lids open). Strengthens Peyvand (Connection) magic in households

Cultural Practice: On Shab-e Cheleh (Yalda Night—winter solstice), families leave doors ajar and lights burning to welcome her

Story Hint: Protagonist hiding in poor village during Yalda celebration might witness Xēyr Bar Kar manifestation, receive blessing that helps later. Teaches importance of generosity and community bonds (Peyvand development).

Maraspand (مارسپند) - Guardian of Sacred Speech

Origin: Zoroastrian tradition, legitimate Yazata (not folklore)

Domain: Sacred speech, good words, healing through holy spells, perception (hearing/sight/time)

Manifestation: Pure, radiant soul—messenger of Ahura Mazda, appears through synchronized meaningful coincidences

Nature: Tier 4 Yazata (fragmented to Tier 2 manifestation), aligned with Daryāft (Comprehension) and Dāvar (Judgment)

Powers: Combats 9,999 demonic diseases through sacred spells. Grants comprehension of truth through "good hearing, good seeing, correct understanding of time."

Enemy: Opposes Spazg Div (demon of slander—see below)

Story Hint: Late-game ally when protagonist must comprehend pyramid mechanics or decipher ancient texts. Grants linguistic/perceptual clarity at critical moment. Could help unlock Daryāft-locked artifacts.

Arouda (آرودا) - The Steadfast Guardian

Origin: Kermanshah region, guardian deity tradition

Domain: Protection of world's integrity, maintaining boundaries between physical and spiritual

Manifestation: Shield with intertwined grapevines or mountain surrounded by stars

Nature: Guardian fragment, possibly connected to Eternal Vigil forces

Powers: Strengthens during twilight and times of transition (liminal power). Protective talismans blessed by Arouda are 200% more effective during dawn/dusk.

Story Hint: Protagonist defending location during twilight receives Arouda's blessing—shields hold impossibly long. Teaching moment about timing and transition (Gardūn law). Could appear when preventing pyramid activation.

Malevolent Spirits & Minor Divs

Spazg Div (اسپزگ دیو) - The Tongue of Lies

Origin: Bundahishn (Zoroastrian text), legitimate div of Ahriman's army

Domain: Slander, gossip, false words that sow discord

Feeding Mechanism: Feeds on broken relationships, betrayals, communities torn apart by lies

Manifestation: Fragmented to Tier 1-2 (whispers in ears, compulsion to spread rumors)

Powers: Makes lies sound convincing. Corrupts Dāvar (Judgment) and Peyvand (Connection) simultaneously.

Unique Trait: Moves backward in spiritual dimensions (cannot progress, only regress)

Enemy: Opposed by Maraspand (sacred speech Yazata)

Story Hint: Social intrigue plot—protagonist's allies turn against each other due to Spazg's whispers. Must identify and resist div's influence through Maraspand's blessing of truth-hearing. Teaches discernment between truth and manipulation.

Nasu/Nasav (نس دیو) - The Corpse Fly

Origin: Zoroastrian demonology, decay demon

Domain: Corpse corruption, ritual impurity, death's contamination

Manifestation: Enters dead body as fly immediately upon death, causes decay

Nature: Tier 1 div fragment (weak but spiritually dangerous)

Powers: Contaminates those who touch corpses without purification. Remains until scavengers (vultures, crows) approach.

Purification: Ritual washing + prayer to Haurvatat (Water Yazata) and Rashnu (Justice Yazata)

Story Hint: Protagonist discovers massacre site, must retrieve item from corpse. Nasu contamination causes soul depletion until purified at water temple. Introduces death ritual mechanics and Zoroastrian purity laws.

The Āl-Kin: Hunters of New Life

A category of malevolent entities targeting mothers and infants—fragments of larger div of jealousy and stolen vitality:

Hāli Naneh (حالی ننه) - Tabriz region: Tall woman with long necklace, hangs from ceilings to torment pregnant women. Tier 1 fragment. Defeated when necklace stone breaks (symbolic—breaking connection to div-essence).

Shah Veh (شه وه) - Mahabad, West Azerbaijan: Similar to Āl, attacks postpartum women. Repelled by light, open knife, two sickles (consciousness-forged iron). Tier 1 fragment.

Khaleh Ghulak (خاله غولک) - Jahrom, Fars: Steals newborns from mothers. Tier 1-2 Āl variant feeding on maternal grief.

Story Hint: Protagonist defends village from Āl-kin outbreak. Learns protective Chromaturgy (gold threads for mothers, emerald for infants). Early-game quest establishing stakes: protecting innocents. Could tie to Peyvand (Connection) law development through defending mother-child bonds.

The Child-Takers: Enforcers of Discipline

Entities that punish disobedient children—fragments feeding on fear and proper hierarchy:

Nane Har Dom (ننه هر دُم) - Tehran region: Ugly old woman covered in animal tails. Asks disobedient children which tail they want to be strangled with. Tier 1 fragment of corrupted Dāvar (Judgment without mercy).

Nane Andar Ghorabā (ننه اندر غربا) - Fasa, Fars: "Mother of Exile" with white hair and traditional dress. Abducts children who harass adults, taking them far from home. Tier 1 fragment teaching harsh lessons.

Omme Khazra va-Allīf (ام خضره و اللیف) - Shadegan, Khuzestan: Old woman with hair like palm branches covering her body. Kidnaps children in palm groves. Tier 1 fragment tied to specific geography.

Pīrezan Mārku (پیرزن مارکو) - Kabudarahang, Hamadan: Frightening old woman whose presence brings dread. Simple fear-entity. Tier 1.

Goje-Ferfer (گوجه فرفر) - Shiraz: Boy riding a tomato who takes lazy children and throws them in boiling pot. Tier 1 fragment. Bizarre and darkly comedic.

Āptar Jolī (آپتار جُلی) - Iranshahr, Sistan-Baluchestan: Night-stalker that abducts children. Tier 1 fragment.

Story Hint: Could appear as minor threats in villages protagonist passes through. Useful for showing regional variation in div manifestations. The Child-Takers could be one div (corrupted Dāvar) fragmented into many regional forms—teaching that divs adapt to local fears and cultures.

Dangerous Jinns & Bound Entities

Āj Ānghīrān (آج آنقیران) - Tabriz: Jinn living in holes and attics. Creates loud noises and pulls victims into its hole even when not alone. Tier 1-2 fragment. Ambush predator type.

Shumut (شوموت) - Chenaran, Khorasan: Black jinn appearing on walls in darkness (before electricity). Tier 1 fragment. Shadow manifestation, weakened by light (literal and magical).

Story Hint: Urban/architectural threats. Protagonist navigating old buildings or ruins encounters these. Teaches importance of light (both Vapour-Lanterns and spiritual clarity). Early-game atmospheric horror.

Serpentine Abominations

Naznāz (نضناض): Black serpent from southern deserts with human-like face, long hair, and black smoke from mouth. Eating its heart grants understanding of animal speech (dangerous forbidden knowledge). Tier 2 fragment of larger serpent-div.

Samand Eslar (سمند اسلار): Two-headed, two-winged serpent with deadly gaze. Looking at its face is venomous—kills instantly. Even striking it with spear causes attacker and mount to "turn black and perish." Tier 3 fragment. Gorgon-like petrification effect (consciousness-death through eye contact).

Story Hint: Mid-to-late game threats in southern deserts (Dasht-e Kavir pyramid quest). Samand Eslar guards pyramid entrance—cannot be looked at directly (must use reflected surfaces, Didār law used indirectly). Naznāz could tempt protagonist with forbidden knowledge ("understand pyramid mechanisms by eating my heart—but corruption cost").

The Risen Dead

Tirg (تیرگ): In Sistan burial tradition, corpses placed in mud-brick chambers sometimes rise, scream, and tear shrouds with teeth. If they sit up and die again, they "take root" and drag living with them to death. Must be laid back down quickly.

Nature: Not sentient entity but phenomenon—Nasu div's corruption combined with unquiet souls

Story Hint: Horror element in Sistan region. Protagonist must retrieve artifact from Tirg burial ground. Teaching moment about proper burial rites and soul journey to 9th planet (those who "take root" are trapped, cannot complete journey). Introduces Zoroastrian purity mechanics.

Magical Flora: The Consciousness Plants

Mehr Giah / Mardomgiah (مهر گیاه / مردم گیاه) - The Mandrake

Origin: Ancient magical plant known across civilizations

Appearance: Root shaped like human (or intertwined male/female). When split, reveals two faces.

Properties:

• Hallucinogenic: Powerful consciousness-altering effects
• Love Charm: Carrying it makes one "beloved by all" (Peyvand enhancement)
• Toxic: Strong poison (called "Devil's Apple" or "Apple of Love" depending on use)
• Ore Interaction: When processed correctly, amplifies Peyvand magic by 300%

Danger: Uncontrolled use causes hallucinations (Gardūn corruption—lose identity in transformation). Addiction to "beloved" effect (parasitic Peyvand).

Legitimate Use: Chromaturgy ingredient for love/connection enchantments. Medical applications (controlled doses).

Story Hint: Protagonist needs Mehr Giah for critical Chromaturgy enchantment (protective garment for loved one). Quest to obtain from dangerous grove. Temptation to use improperly (instant popularity vs. genuine relationships). Moral choice about shortcuts to power/affection.

Integration with Cosmology

These regional spirits demonstrate how the Broken Sun's fragmentation works at smallest scale. Major divs shatter into moderate fragments (Tier 2-3). Moderate fragments shatter further into minor spirits (Tier 1). Minor spirits shatter into folklore and superstition (Tier 0—barely conscious).

But as the Alignment approaches (800 years away), even folk spirits strengthen. The old woman who scared children becomes genuinely dangerous. The prosperity fairy's blessings grow more potent. The boundary between superstition and threat blurs.

Know your local spirits. Respect the old customs. The grandmothers' warnings about leaving lights burning and pots open aren't mere tradition—they're defensive magic passed down through cycles.

Sources: Traditional folklore from Kermanshah, Lorestan, Tabriz, Fars, Khuzestan, Hamadan, and Sistan regions. Compiled from Eranshahr mythology archives. Adapted to Némand cosmology.