The Travels of Marco Polo · Character
al-Musta'sim
Also known as the last of the Abbaside Khalifs, the Ha-li-fa, al-Musta'sim Billah
- Supporting
- First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 42
There is something both commanding and fragile about this great old man, whose presence fills a treasure tower with the weight of centuries. His eyes hold the calculation of one who has guarded unimaginable wealth, yet there is a weariness beneath the avarice. When he moves among his gold and silver, the air seems thick with the dust of ages.
- Gender
- male
- Age
- Elderly (over 90)
- First appears
- Book 1 · Ch. 42
- Books
- 1
Al-Musta'sim began as the last Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad, a ruler whose authority stretched back through generations of Islamic leadership. His world of vast treasure and religious power was shattered when Hulaku's forces captured him, imprisoning him within his own treasure tower where starvation became his companion. In his final days, he witnessed a mountain move at the command of Christian faith, leading him to secretly convert and wear a cross beneath his robes, a transformation discovered only after his execution by trampling within a carpet.
Description
An elderly man of great age, described as a 'great old man' with the weathered features of ninety years. His face bears the deep lines of long authority, framed by white or silver hair and beard. Dark eyes reflect both calculation and the weight of accumulated years. He wears the traditional robes of an Abbasid caliph, rich fabrics with gold embroidery befitting his station, and carries himself with the dignity of one who has ruled from a throne of treasure. His presence suggests both the grandeur of his position and the frailty of extreme age.
Story so far
BOOK 1The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1
Appearances
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