Battleground of Light and Dark
From the introduction of the book:
PERSIA is a complete survey of the Eternal City's great eastern rival, and it can be used by the ZENOBIA Game Master in a number of ways. Persia exerts a powerful influence on the East (including the Empire's own eastern provinces) and this book provides a comprehensive guide to how its presence will affect characters and campaigns. Imperial characters may meet Persians or other inhabitants of Iranshahr (such as Chaldeans or Sarmatians); and the adventurous might even cross the border to explore this exotic land first-hand. Finally, the GM might relish the opportunity to let players create Persian characters and to run a wholly-Persian campaign, referring to the Eternal City only as a "mysterious western empire." In order to convey the power and richness of the Iranian culture and to provide a complete gaming experience for those who wish to see the world from the Persian perspective, PERSIA is written from the Iranian viewpoint and where possible I use Iranian words and terminology. For Iranians, Iranshahr is the center of the universe, not some half-forgotten fringe power, and the way that this book is presented will reflect this. We look at Persia and Persian characters though Persian eyes,
not those of a cynical and pragmatic Imperial.
Persia is not the Eternal City. Immense and mysterious forces are at work here. This land has been a cosmic battleground since the dawn of Creation. Light and dark, truth and falsehood, good and evil all wage eternal war. Followers of truth must fight the demons of darkness wherever they appear. These demons are the nefarious servants of
Ahriman - Prince of Darkness. For centuries the warrior-heroes of Iranshahr, aided by the wisdom of magoi fire-priests, have pursued the legions of Ahriman. Often the vile demons take human form, or recruit their own human champions. Try as you might, you cannot avoid this cosmic struggle, pick a side - and fight!