Islam has a difficult relationship with magic. On the one hand, mainstream Islam is generally not fond of magic; on the other hand, Awakened individuals have been very useful in advancing the cause of Islam in some instances, so they cannot dismiss it entirely. More conservative factions forbid women from practicing magic (some extremists have been known to assense female babies and exile or kill them if they are Awakened), while progressive Muslims welcome female practitioners and use them to teach the next generation of Islamic spellcasters.

One common thread binding all Muslim Awakened together is the analysis they dedicate to their tradition. They are thorough and detailed, bringing a mathematical rigor to their study of magic. This results in some very advanced but elegant formulae and practitioners who are among the leading magic academics of our time.

Given the uncertainty over the nature of spirits, Muslim Awakened generally consider it better to steer clear of the whole area on the off chance that the immaterial beings are demonic. They don’t take mentor spirits and often don’t summon spirits at all. Some elite mages conjure djinn and ifrit, hoping they can control the fire and terror these beings tend to bring with them and harness their fierce abilities.

Islamic magic is disciplined. Practitioners believe there is a place for experimentation, and that place is most certainly not in the field. They do not like making things up on the fly. They generally do not need to, though, because they tend to be well-trained and well-prepared. They move forward knowing the spells and techniques they intend to put into play have been thoroughly tested, and they have a confidence that comes from reliability.

Muslim spellcasters and spell designers abound. Spell formulae from leading Muslim mages are usually sold for premium prices, since the confidence in their ability to work as expected is high. There are also a large amount of Muslim adepts, especially among the more conservative groups, as they channel their powers into acting as mujahedin (holy warriors) for their cause.

Ibrahim Addaya was a well-respected scholar at the Prince Sultan University until recently, when his unethical use of certain persuasive spells on his more attractive students was uncovered and he lost his job. He is currently unemployable, living off his savings and trying to develop an income by selling his own line of spells. Without the backing of the university, the market for his materials has dropped, but that has made him more willing to sell his services—and his services are now more affordable. The shadows of Riyadh have taken note of the opportunity to obtain top-notch formulae.