History DarthWiki / BlueHeaven

* BellyDancer: Many of the Riff female characters, especially Tiziri.

* ButNotTooBlack: The Red Shadow is of mixed Arab, Berber, and Black West African ancestry and is obviously a bit darker than most of his tribesmen. His grandmother on his father's side was a Black slave and concubine who his grandfather, a tribal chief, fell in love with.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: General Bierbeau of the Foreign Legion is a skilled swordsman and excellent soldier. So is Captain Fontaine. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] as a successful military officer in a force like the Legion has to be ''very'' skilled and able to cope with the harsh discipline. Their role is as a supporting force to the ''regular'' army. Also, the Red Shadow and his lieutenant, Sa'id Abdel-Kader (Sid).

* MixedAncestry: Tiziri is the granddaughter of a Legion officer who had a Riff (Qamari) mistress.

* NamesTheSame: Both this novel and ''Theatre/TheDesertSong'' have a reporter called Ben(nie) who joins a gang of Riffs, a Spanish courtesan named Clementina, a Caid named Ali Ben Ali, a bandit called the Red Shadow, a General's son named Pierre, a French girl named Margot Bonvalet, and a Captain Paul Fontaine.

* ArabOilSheikh: Ali Ben Ali.

* HistoricalFantasy

* InterracialRelationship: [[spoiler:Tiziri and Captain Fontaine]], the Red Shadow and [[spoiler:Margot]] the Red Shadow's grandparents, and [[spoiler:Clementina and Ali Ben Ali]].
* IntrepidReporter: Ben
* IstanbulNotConstantinople: Many.
* LegionOfLostSouls: Of course.

* SteamPunk

A novel based on an idea by MorwenEdhelwen. The plot can be described as "A combination of the ''ArabianNights'' with ''TheDesertSong,'' with some steampunk and AlternateHistory. It was intended as a response to/commentary on Romberg's operetta and on Orientalist works with Arab cultures and settings.

The Red Shadow is actually a [[spoiler: fourteen-year-old]] who's the youngest son of the dead previous Caid, has the ability to change his appearance and mannerisms at will. If he observes a person frequently enough, he can also automatically pick up their knowledge, leading to a perfect disguise and general success in raids so far. This ability's one of the reasons for his nickname, along with his red burnoose.

!!'''This work contains examples of the following tropes:'''

AChildShallLeadThem: The Red Shadow, Caid of the Oulad Qamar, is only 14.

AlternateHistory: The Caliphate of Cordoba still exists.

ArabianNightsDays: Flying carpets, powerful kings, luxurious palaces, dancers, maze-like streets, casbahs and ifrits in a steampunk colonial setting with a Foreign Legion.

ArabOilSheik: Ali Ben Ali.

AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: General Bierbeau of the Foreign Legion is a skilled swordsman and excellent soldier. So is Captain Fontaine. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] as a successful military officer in a force like the Legion has to be ''very'' skilled and able to cope with the harsh discipline. Their role is as a supporting force to the ''regular'' army. Also, the Red Shadow and his lieutenant, Sa'id Abdel-Kader (Sid).

BedouinRescueService: The Red Shadow's men rescue a Columbian (no, that's [[IstanbulNotConstantinople not a typo]] reporter who lost sight of his guide and[[spoiler: convince him to join them]].

BellyDancer: Many of the Riff female characters, especially Tiziri.

BilingualBonus: "Oulad (or "Ouled") Qamar" means "Children of The Moon." "Qurtuba" is Arabic for Cordoba.

ButNotTooBlack: The Red Shadow is of mixed Arab, Berber, and Black West African ancestry and is obviously a bit darker than most of his tribesmen. His grandmother on his father's side was a Black slave and concubine who his grandfather, a tribal chief, fell in love with.

{{Expy}}: Tiziri is basically Azuri from ''TheDesertSong,'' but more sympathetic.

FantasyCounterpartCulture: Qeshimor is Algeria and Morocco, Neustria is France, Tartessos is Spain (Qurtuba is Andalusia), Bretaigne is Britain, Columbia is the United States of America. Costa da Pimenta is Liberia. The Riffs are basically Bedouins and Sahraoui, with aspects of actual Moroccan Riffs and the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouled_Nail Ouled Nail]] in Algeria.

HistoricalFantasy

HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Nabila, Sid's wife, was a dancer and prostitute in her youth. Also Tiziri and other Riff girls and women, and Doña Clementina, the Spanish actress, singer and dancer.


InterracialRelationship: [[spoiler: Tiziri and Captain Fontaine]], the Red Shadow and [[spoiler:Margot]] the Red Shadow's grandparents, and [[spoiler: Clementina and Ali Ben Ali]].

IntrepidReporter: Ben

IstanbulNotConstantinople: Many.

LegionOfLostSouls: Of course.

{{Magitek}}: Explosives powered by ifrits.

MeaningfulName: "Tiziri" means "Moonlight" and Tiziri's beauty is often compared to the moon.

MixedAncestry: Tiziri is the granddaughter of a Legion officer who had a Riff (Qamari) mistress.

NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: The Red Shadow's name is Anwar ''Khattabi'' after the famous Moroccan freedom fighter [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ibn_'Abd_al-Karim_al-Khattabi Abd-el Krim el-Khattabi]], who was the inspiration for the Romberg character.

NamesTheSame: Both this novel and TheDesertSong have a reporter called Ben(nie) who joins a gang of Riffs, a Spanish courtesan named Clementina, a Caid named Ali Ben Ali, a bandit called the Red Shadow, a General's son named Pierre, a French girl named Margot Bonvalet, and a Captain Paul Fontaine.

OlderSidekick: Sid was the Red Shadow's father's closest friend.

ParentalSubstitute: Sid, Nabila, and Aminah (a slave woman who was the Red Shadow's wet nurse) for the Red Shadow/Anwar. Also, the General has been Margot's guardian after her father died in the line of duty, fighting for the Legion.

RecycledInSpace: ''TheDesertSong'' WITH TEENAGERS AND STEAMPUNK AND MAGIC!

ShoutOut: Clementina ran the "House of The Brass Key'' back home. When Ali asks her about the key on her neck, she says "It's the key to my heart, which you can keep if you know how to open the door."

SteamPunk

WaxingLyrical: "Do you hear the thunder of the Shadow and his band? It's the sound that warns you the Riffs will strike a blow."

"I'm officially one good boy gone wrong! Here's to flinging my youth away!"

HotScoop: Susan

SpiritedYoungLady: Margot is a tomboyish vaudeville comedienne with a desire for adventure (and material for her next act).

"I'm officially one good boy gone wrong! Here's to flinging my youth away!"

NamesTheSame: Both this novel and TheDesertSong have a reporter called Bennie who joins a gang of Riffs, a Spanish courtesan named Clementina, a Caid named Ali Ben Ali, a bandit called the Red Shadow, a General's son named Pierre, a French girl named Margot Bonvalet, and a Captain Paul Fontaine.

AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: General Bibeault of the Foreign Legion is a skilled swordsman and excellent soldier. So is Captain Fontaine. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] as a successful military officer in a force like the Legion has to be ''very'' skilled and able to cope with the harsh discipline. Their role is as a supporting force to the ''regular'' army. Also, the Red Shadow and his lieutenant, Sa'id Abdel-Kader (Sid).

FantasyCounterpartCulture: Qeshimor is Algeria and Morocco, Neustria is France, Tartessos is Spain (Qurtuba is Andalusia), Bretaigne is Britain, Columbia is the United States of America. Costa di Pimenta is Liberia. The Riffs are basically Bedouins and Sahraoui, with aspects of actual Moroccan Riffs and the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouled_Nail Ouled Nail]] in Algeria.

The Red Shadow is actually a [[spoiler: teenage boy]] who's the youngest son of the dead previous Caid, has the ability to change his appearance and mannerisms at will. If he observes a person frequently enough, he can also automatically pick up their knowledge, leading to a perfect disguise and general success in raids so far. This ability's one of the reasons for his nickname, along with his red burnoose.

AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: General Bibeault of the Foreign Legion is a skilled swordsman and excellent soldier. So is Captain Fontaine. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] as a successful military officer in a force like the Legion has to be ''very'' skilled and able to cope with the harsh discipline. Their role is as a supporting force to the ''regular'' army. Also, the Red Shadow and his lieutenant, Sayyid Abdel-Kader (Sid).

HookerWithAHeartOFGold: Nabila, Sid's wife, was a dancer and prostitute in her youth. Also Tiziri and other Riff girls and women, and Doña Clementina, the Spanish actress, singer and dancer.

WaxingLyrical: "Do you hear the thunder of the Shadow and his band? It's the sound that warns you the Riffs will strike a blow."

The Red Shadow is actually a [[spoiler: teenage boy]] who's the teenaged youngest son of the previous Caid, has the ability to change his appearance and mannerisms at will. If he observes a person frequently enough, he can also automatically pick up their knowledge, leading to a perfect disguise and general success in raids so far. This ability's one of the reasons for his nickname, along with his red burnoose.

The Red Shadow is actually a [[spoiler: young boy]] who's the teenaged youngest son of the previous Caid, has the ability to change his appearance and mannerisms at will. If he observes a person frequently enough, he can also automatically pick up their knowledge, leading to a perfect disguise and general success in raids so far. This ability's one of the reasons for his nickname, along with his red burnoose.

NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: The Red Shadow's name is Anwar ''Khattabi'' after the famous Moroccan freedom fighter [[ Abd-el Krim el-Khattabi, who was the inspiration for the Romberg character.

---'''This work contains examples of the following tropes:'''

Magitek: Explosives powered by ifrits.

ShoutOut: Clementina ran the "House of The Brass Key'' back home. When Ali asks her about the key on her neck, she says "It's the key to my heart, which you can use if you know how to open the door."

SteamPunk

ShoutOut: Clementina ran the "House of The Brass Key'' back home. When Ali asks her about the key on her neck, she says

NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: The Red Shadow's name is Anwar [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ibn_'Abd_al-Karim_al-Khattabi Khattabi]] after the famous Moroccan freedom fighter Abd-el Krim, who was the inspiration for the Romberg character.

InterracialRelationship: [[spoiler: Tiziri and Captain Fontaine]], the Red Shadow's grandparents, and [[spoiler: Clementina and Ali Ben Ali]].

FantasyCounterpartCulture: Qeshimor is Algeria and Morocco, Neustria is France, Tartessos is Spain (Qurtuba is Andalusia), Bretaigne insBritain, Columbia is the United States of America. Costa di Pimenta is Liberia. The Riffs are basically Bedouins and Sahraoui, with aspects of actual Moroccan Riffs and the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouled_Nail Ouled Nail]] in Algeria.

A novel based on an idea by MorwenEdhelwen. The plot can be described as "A combination of the ''ArabianNights'' with ''TheDesertSong,'' with some steampunk and AlternateHistory. It was intended as a response to/commentary on Romberg's operetta and on Orientalist works with Arab cultures and

NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: The Red Shadow's name is ''Anwar [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ibn_'Abd_al-Karim_al-Khattabi Khattabi'']] after the famous Moroccan freedom fighter Mohammed ben Abd-el Krim al-Khattabi, who was the inspiration for the Romberg character.

NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: The Red Shadow's name is ''Anwar [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ibn_'Abd_al-Karim_al-Khattabi Khattabi]]'' after the famous Moroccan freedom fighter Mohammed ben Abd-el Krim al-Khattabi, who was the inspiration for the Romberg character.

A novel based on an idea by MorwenEdhelwen. The plot can be described as "A combination of the ''ArabianNights'' with ''TheDesertSong,'' with some steampunk and AlternateHistory. It was intended as a respose to/commentary on Romberg's operetta and on Orientalist works with Arab cultures and

AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: General Bibeault of the Foreign Legion is a skilled swordsman and excellent soldier. So is Captain Fontaine. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] as a successful military officer in a force like the Legion has to be ''very'' skilled and able to cope with the harsh discipline. Their role is as a supporting force to the ''regular'' army. Also, the Red Shadow and his lieutenant, Sayyid (Sid).

BedouinRescueService: The Red Shadow's men rescue a reporter who lost sight of his guide.

ButNotTooBlack: The Red Shadow is of mixed Arab,

In order to ensure the chances of a successful campaign, our hero infiltrates the Neustrian fort by adopting the form of the General's son Pierre, who feels that he can never please his father, secretly sympathises with the Riffs, and loves to write poetry, getting the real Pierre involved with the cause by showing him how to create better illusions in order to throw his father off on the hunt for the Red Shadow by taking the leader's place on raids.

---'''This work contains examples of the following tropes:''

AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: General Bibeault of the Foreign Legion is a skilled swordsman and competent soldier. So is Captain Fontaine. Justified

A novel based on an idea by MorwenEdhelwen. The plot can be described as "A combination of the ''ArabianNights'' with ''TheDesertSong.'', some steampunk and AlternateHistory.

The plot focuses on the Foreign Legion of Neustria, which has sent troops to the colony of Qeshimor (Algeria/Morocco) to quell the revolt of the nomadic and semi-nomadic Riff tribes of the Sahara, including one in particular, the Oulad Qamar, who are led by the mysterious L'Ombre Rouge, or the Red Shadow.
The Red Shadow, whose real name is Anwar Khattabi and who's the teenaged youngest son of the previous Caid, has the ability to change his appearance and mannerisms at will. If he observes a person frequently enough, he can also automatically pick up their knowledge, leading to a perfect disguise and general success in raids so far. This ability's one of the reasons for his nickname, along with his red burnoose.

---'''This work contains examples of the folowing tropes:''