Jebel Qaf, known as Bakhu by the Hem-Ka Sobk and sometimes identified with Meru, is the location of the Correspondence Point in Batini lore.
Overview[]
Metaphysically, Qaf seems to occupy a similar space like the Alder Bole. The interaction between the two realms is not well understood and some even theorize that they are the same place seen through different lenses.
Qaf is described as a mountain so high that it would encompass every other mountain on earth. A vast wilderness radiates outward from the Mountain; sometimes it’s a desert, other times a forest, and still other times a rocky plain or an expanse of ice. Bygones known as Rocs were rumored to nest on its slopes.
The Batini used Mount Qaf as their headquarters, dwelling in the Sihr Maqamut at its slopes. For them, Mount Qaf symbolized the quest for Ascension, similar to the Path of Thorns. They guarded its location jealously and it featured in several of their sacred texts, including the Doctrine of Unity.
Jebel Qaf mysteriously vanished in the 20th century, only a short time after the Batini had withdrawn from the Traditions. Some theorize that the Digital Web is the successor realm of the Mountain, given that it appeared only a short period of time later. Sometimes, Adepts are rumored to see the image of a bright mountain while in the web, only to have it vanish later.
The Fae have their own theories about the fate of Mount Quaf. See the article Chakravada.
References[]
- MTAs: The Digital Web, p. 11, 22
- MTAs: The Infinite Tapestry, p. 28
- MTAs: Lost Paths: Ahl-i-Batin & Taftâni, p. 45
- MTAs: Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition, p. 102