Rising out of the dust like the shattered fang of an
enormous beast, Roqom appears only at the peak of
midday on the hottest days of the year. This sharp,
jagged spire of basalt lies in the wilderness beyond the
Beastbarrens, but according to legend, it appears wherever
its master can work the greatest mischief. The master
of Roqom is Fajjayad, a great rakshasa prince, and he
occasionally uses magical sendings to lure silt sailors and
travelers to his black palace – especially travelers who
have a desperate need of some sort. Fajjayad claims to
be able to provide for any such needs in exchange for
services to be rendered within 1,001 days.
The rakshasa is unfailingly polite and candid. If asked,
he freely admits that the task he sets is likely to be
difficult, even deadly, and that his “clients” might die
while attempting it. However, Fajjayad assures them that
“the laws” (a term he does not define) forbid him from
setting a task that is impossible or whose outcome is
certain death. For his magic to work, the task must have
an element of chance and uncertainty. Still, if any group
has ever profited from Fajjayad's bargain, its tale is not
known.
