Tahran

"The ‘People of the Wind’ refers, in a broad sense, to those ensnared by the winds. The winds are those ethereal, mysterious, and magical forces that permeate existence and hold dominion over all mankind. No one, no power, possesses the strength to contend with them; humanity stands before them so helpless and wretched that they have no recourse but sacrifice and surrender. The winds are omnipresent—in all seas and upon all lands, forever seeking a weary and distraught soul. Wherever terror and dread prevail, the winds are potent; and in every corner where poverty and unemployment are rampant, the wind’s might is even greater.

The Zar (the wind-affliction) resists every device and remedy, refusing to relinquish its hold. Neither the spread of food, nor the beat of the drum, nor poetry, nor even blood can subdue the Zar. Three days of rhythmic beating and dancing stretch into seven; after the seven-day ritual, it extends to twelve. When the Zar continues to resist and refuses to subside, and the afflicted remains in that broken and discordant state, the ‘People of the Wind’ lose all hope of his salvation. Such a person is called a ‘Tehran.’ A ‘Tehran’ becomes a spectacle, a pariah, and by any means necessary, the community seeks to exile them from the settlement."