Harbiyah bureau

The Haribyah bureau was a Hidden Ones bureau situated in the Shari' region of Baghdad's northern Harbiyah district. During the 860s, it was headed by the Master Assassin and Rafiq Fuladh Al Haami.^[1]

History[edit | edit source]

After Caliph al-Mutawakkil's death in 861,^[2] the Alamut Hidden Ones installed multiple bureaus to fight and stomp out the Order of the Ancients' influence across the city.^[1] Together, Fuladh and the Master Assassin Roshan founded the bureau in Harbiyah and traveled there with their new initiate, Basim ibn Ishaq. After the three Hidden Ones discussed the leads found by their comrade Nur, Basim was tasked to investigate.^[3]

Following his investigation at a dyeing factory^[4] and his discovery of "Al-Ghul" being in charge of enslaved workers and prisoners,^[5] Basim returned to the bureau and was reacquainted with its engineer, Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Musa. He then spoke with Fuladh and Roshan, who had learned of a deal between Ali ibn Muhammad's freedom fighters and Nur to fight against the Caliphate. Fuladh instructed Basim to meet him at the Damascus Gate Prison to rescue Ali, while Roshan met with the rebels at their Water Mill base outside the city to find out more about the deal.^[6]

Before leaving, Basim talked with Abu Jafar about the contract board and the tool enhancements he could provide for him.^[6] After Basim freed Ali from prison^[7] and learned of Al-Ghul's identity as the soap mill owner Mas'ood Al-Ya'qoob,^[8] he met Roshan at the caravanserai where Mas'ood was conducting his business. There, Basim located and assassinated him.^[9]

Afterwards, Basim returned to the bureau and greeted Fuladh and Roshan before presenting a feather dipped in Mas'ood's blood as proof of his death. All three later discussed how more bureaus were being set up and led by fellow Hidden Ones Rebekah and Tabid in western Karkh and Abbasiyah, respectively, while Fuladh would leave to oversee another bureau in Sharqiyah. Once Roshan and Fuladh left, Basim talked with Abu Jafar a final time about his devices, before he left to meet his fellow Hidden Ones.^[1]

Much later, once the Order's influence had been purged from Abbasiyah,^[10] Karkh,^[11] and Sharqiyah,^[12] Fuladh returned to oversee the Harbiyah bureau. Together with Basim and Roshan, they hoped to determine the identity of the Ra's Al-Af'a of the Order, narrowing it down to three suspects: the poet Arib Al-Ma'muniyya, the royal concubine Qabiha, and governor Muhammad ibn Tahir. Without any leads, Basim left for the Round City to investigate all three and learn who was leading the Order.^[13]