These messages are the accumulation of the messages that were sent out on the Blue Room email list between May 1995 and June 2000. A large portion of the information is directly from Professor M.A.R Barker. When the list members joined during the time the list was active, they agreed to refrain from sharing this data with non list members. When the list ended, it was urged that the data be made available to non-list Tekumel fans, and it seemed like a good idea all around. I only ask that if you download these digests, or have received them in some other way, please respect the agreements the list members made, and refrain from passing them around and instead point people to the Tekumel web site, www.tekumel.com so that they can download them for themselves, and see all the other material available on the Tekumel.com web site. Many Thanks. Chris Davis Moderator: Blue Room mailing list Creative Commons - Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs CC BY-NC-ND BLUE ROOM ARCHIVE -- VOLUME 8 211: PHD Games' Minatures Catalog 212: An Encounter with First Imperium Mrur 213: Kraa Hills and the Heheganu 214: Hirkane's Funeral 215: Questions about Wuru Worshippers 216: Playing Wuru Priests 217: Professor Comments on Wuru Priests 218: Comments on Sarku Speech 219: Playing Wuru Priests 220: Miscellaneous Questions 221: Loyalties 222: Fisherman Kings 223: Clanhouse Food Preparation 224: More on Tekumel's fauna. 225: The Golden Tower and the Emperor's Life 226: Naval Warfare on Tekumel 227: Character Group Dynamics 228: More Golden Tower and the Emperor's Life 229: More on Naval Warfare 230: Character Group Dynamics Response 231: More Golden Tower and the Emperor's Life 232: Eyloa's Submarine 233: More on Tekumel's Fauna 234: TITLE UNAVAILABLE 235: More on Character Group Dynamics 236: More on Tekumel's Fauna 237: The Siege of the City of Sarku 238: More on Character Group Dynamics 239: More on Eyloa's House 240: An Underworld Adventure ************************************* //211 [Moderator's Note: Wes Postlethwaite asked if we could put his catalog of ] [ Tekumel miniatures on the list, the Professor agreed. ] [ This is the latest catalog update, and we are working to ] [ have an electronic copy of the catalog on the ftp site, ] [ nexus.prin.edu. Look for it there in the future. ] [ Wes further notes that he is running 3 events at GenCon ] [ this year (I am guessing that these are Tekumel mini- ] [ atures events), and wants to remind anyone else planning ] [ on running an event there that the deadline to register ] [ the event is Jan 31. ] CATALOG UPDATE SHEET (summer 1995) We now sell in retail packs only. The following chart shows the correct part numbers, prices, and references to the numbers in the catalog. PART # DESCRIPTION PRICE PACKAGE CONTENTS TK1501 Tsolyani command group $5.99 1-TK1001, 1-TK1002, 1-TK1003, 1-TK1004 TK1502 Serqu Sword of the Empire $5.49 4-TK1005 TK1503 Serqu Sword of the Empire $5.49 4-TK1006 TK1504 Legion of the Mighty Prince $5.49 4-TK1007 TK1505 Legion of Hnalla $5.49 4-TK1008 TK1506 Legion of Hnalla $5.49 4-TK1009 TK1507 Omnipotent Azure Legion $5.49 4-TK1010 TK1508 Omnipotent Azure Legion $5.49 4-TK1011 TK1509 Legion of Red Devestation $5.49 4-TK1012 TK1510 Legion of the Seal of the Worm $5.49 4-TK1013 TK1511 Tsolyani medium infantry $5.49 4-TK1014 TK1512 Legion of Lord Kharihaya $5.49 4-TK1015 TK1513 Legion of Joyful Vrayani $5.49 4-TK1016 TK1514 Sakbe road guard $5.49 4-TK1017 TK1515 Legion of Ever-Present Glory $5.49 4-TK1018 TK1516 Legion of the Doomed Prince $5.49 4-TK1019 w/halbred TK1517 Legion of Lord Chegarra $5.49 4-TK1020 TK1518 Legion of the Broken Bough $5.49 4-TK1021 TK1519 Legion of the Doomed Prince $5.49 4-TK1022 w/pike TK1520 Legion of the Sweet Singers $5.49 4-TK1023 of Nakome TK2501 Yan Kor command group $4.99 1-TK2001, 1-TK2002, 1-TK2003 TK2502 Mighty of Yan Kor $5.99 5-TK2004 TK2503 Gurek of Hekkekka Nna $5.99 5-TK2005 TK2504 Yan Kor infantry $5.99 5-TK2006 TK2505 Yan Kor infantry $5.99 5-TK2007 TK2506 Gurek of Ngaku $5.99 5-TK2008 TK2507 Gurek of Dharu or Vanu $5.99 5-TK2009 TK2508 Gurek of Dharu or Vanu $5.99 5-TK2010 TK2509 Gurek of Tleku Miriya $5.99 5-TK2011 TK2510 Yan Kor infantry $5.99 5-TK2012 TK2511 Gurek of the Mad Ones of Hlikku $5.99 5-TK2013 TK2512 Yan Kor infantry $5.99 5-TK2014 TK2513 Gurek of Makhis $5.99 5-TK2015 TK3501 Mu'ugalavya command group $4.99 1-TK3001, 1-TK3002, 1-TK3003 TK3502 Legion of Victorious in Vimuhla $5.99 5-TK3004 TK3503 Legion of Destroy in Glory $5.99 5-TK3005 TK3504 Legion of the Exhalted Flame $5.99 5-TK3006 TK3505 Legion of Sanguine Victory $5.99 5-TK3007 TK3506 Legion of the Lightning Shaft $5.99 3-TK3008 TK3507 Legion of the Long Arrow $5.99 5-TK3009 TK3508 Mu'ugalavya infantry $5.99 5-TK3010 TK3509 Legion of Triumphaiant of $5.99 5-TK3011 Terror TK6501 Nluss $4.99 4-TK6001 TK7501 bearer slave $4.99 5-TK7001 TK7502 priests and priestesses $6.99 1-TK7002, 1-TK7003, 1-TK7004, 1-TK7005, 1-TK7006 TK8501 winged Sro $34.99 1-TK8001 TK8502 wingless Sro $29.99 1-TK8002 TK8503 Churstalli $7.99 1-TK8003 TK8504 Mrur $4.99 3-TK8004 TK9501 unarmored Shen $3.99 2-TK9001 TK9502 armored Shen $3.99 2-TK9002 TK9503 unarmored Ahoggya $7.49 2-TK9005 TK9504 armored Ahoggya $7.49 2-TK9006 TK9505 Hlaka $5.99 1-TK9007, 1-TK9008 TK9506 grey Ssu $5.99 3-TK9009 TK9507 black Ssu $6.49 1-TK9010, 1-TK9011 TK9508 Pachi Lei $7.49 2-TK9012 TK9509 Mihalli warrior $4.99 3-TK9013 TK9510 Mihalli Sorceror $4.99 3-TK9014 TK9511 unarmored Pe Choi $5.49 2-TK9015 TK9512 armored Pe Choi $5.49 2-TK9016 TK9513 Hluss neuter warrior $6.99 2-TK9017 TK9514 unarmored Tinaliya $4.99 4-TK9018 TK9515 Urunen command group $5.99 1-TK9019, 1-TK9020, 1-TK9021, 1-TK9022 TK9516 Urunen halbardier $4.99 5-TK9023 TK9517 Urunen crossbowman $4.99 5-TK9024 TK9518 armored Tinaliya $4.99 4-TK9025 TK9519 armored Pygmy Folk $5.49 3-TK9026 For a complete catalog or more information you can e-mail PHD Games at w.postlethwa@genie.geis.com or write P.O. Box 177 Anderson IN 46015. We do accept Visa and Mastercard. ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //212 [Moderator's Note: Steve Lopez provides this first hand account of the ] [ discover of a group of Mrur from the First Imperium. ] [ I sent a copy to the Professor when I received this, and ] [ have included his comments at the end. Nice work Steve! ] As promised, here is a first-person account of the discovery of a group of mrur that were created during the First Imperium. The names of the characters have been changed to prevent reprisals by any Nighted Tower clan members who may read this. My commentary is found in brackets ({}). {Background: Four clan brothers from Bey Su are spending a few days in a small Kerunan village, located at the edge of the Gilraya Forest not far from the Salarvya border. One of the young men, Omel, steals off into the forest with a local girl, Vishaya, for an afternoon's "fun". Quite accidently, they discover a pit with a tunnel leading from its bottom. They return to the village to round up Omel's companions, as well as a lad named Tsodlan (who fancies himself an expert swordsman). The strangers are making no friends in town. Both Vishaya's father (who happens to be the village headman and the local Sarku priest) and Tsodlan (who had, until today, been Vishaya's exclusive lover) are unhappy about Omel's attentions to Vishaya. Pi'ur (the narrator of the following piece) has a somewhat rude, sarcastic manner that is offensive to many. Meanwhile, Vishaya is playing all ends against the middle. She has several ways to come out on top: go off with Omel when he returns to Bey Su, betray Omel and his companions should their expedition turn up anything of interest to the Empire, stay on Tsodlan's good side (he could be useful for killing the strangers should the need arise, plus the boy's restless nature won't allow him to stay in Kerunan forever), betray her own father to take over the Sarku temple's leadership, and so on. Her duplicity will spell trouble for someone; exactly who that someone will be depends on what lies at the end of the underground tunnel... Our characters are: Pi'ur -- scribe, sometime warrior, and our narrator; Omel -- jack-priest of Ketengku, who has an eye for the ladies; Kagesh -- bodyguard and clan-brother of Pi'ur and Omel; Sanjesh -- a huge brute of a man, a mighty warrior who is much smarter than he looks; Kerrune -- torchbearer, slave of Omel; Tsodlan -- village boy, whose ambition is to be the greatest swordsman in the Five Empires; Vishaya -- priestess of Sarku, and trouble personified I've omitted the beginning of Pi'ur's account, which opens with a devotion to Lord Ketengku and a brief description of the events leading up to the party's arrival at the top of the pit.} ***** All of us were silent as we looked over the edge of the pit and stared at the bottom some distance below. Finally, Omel asked the inevitable question. "Who wants to be first?" He smiled as he looked from face to face. "I'm not afraid!" Tsodlan cried. "I'll go!" "And probably get us all killed," I muttered. The boy glared at me. Omel laughed. "Well, _someone_ has to be first!" "Why not you?" Vishaya replied, with a twinkle in her eye. "You should have the honor; after all, you discovered the pit." Omel gave no reply. I spat in disgust and nudged Tsodlan. "Come on; we'll go." I turned to Omel. "Send the slave down next with a lighted torch. Once he's down, I don't care who follows." Kagesh and Sanjesh lowered the two of us to the pit's bottom. The slave was lowered a moment later. "What do you see?" Omel called down once the torch was lit. "A hideous face!" I cried. "A face?" "Yes -- it's leaning over the top of the pit!" Omel swore. "By the Gods, Pi'ur! If we weren't clan brothers..." The last thing I heard as I entered the tunnel was Omel muttering, "It's small wonder no one likes him..." ***** The tunnel was cool and dry. The lack of moisture was evidently due to the fact that it initially sloped upward, so any rainwater in the pit remained there. The passage's width varied, but it was usually a little over two dhaiba across. We could easily walk two abreast within it. The floor and walls were made of packed earth. "It would be terrible if the ground suddenly shifted and this tunnel collapsed," Sanjesh remarked. There followed a low moan from directly behind me; the slave Kerrune was none too excited about accompanying us on our expedition, and Sanjesh's comment had done nothing to reassure him. Vishaya spoke up. "This tunnel won't collapse. It's been here awhile," she said. "It's not man-made. It was probably created by some animal. See -- the surfaces are very irregular." "Excellent!" I replied. "I'm about to realize my life's ambition: dinner for a dnelu!" I heard Tsodlan laugh beside me. "You city folk", he said, shaking his head. "If there was a dnelu here, he'd have grabbed up your friend when he discovered the pit..." His voice trailed off. I saw him glance over his shoulder to look at Vishaya and Omel walking side-by-side behind the torchbearer. The look on his face would have chilled the blood of the fiercest Shen. Omel failed to notice. Kagesh cleared his throat. "Perhaps it would be best for us to remain silent -- in case something besides dnelu dwell here." His point was well-taken. We crept along silently, following the twists and turns of the tunnel, until it abruptly ended at a stone wall. In the wall's center was a gaping crack, big enough for a man to pass through. I turned to look at my companions. Kagesh was shaking his head. "What--" he muttered. "Now _that's_ man-made!" whispered Omel. "Some animal evidently built the tunnel for its den," I said. "It continued to dig until it reached this wall, quite by accident. My guess is that it's now living on the other side of that fissure." I turned to Tsodlan. "Well, lad, are you ready for some adventure?" He scowled. "'Lad'? Why, you're not much older than me!" "Not much wiser, either," I replied, "else I'd still be safe in our clanhouse back in Bey Su." I reached behind me and tapped Kerrune. "Bring that torch up closer to the crack; I'm going in." With that, I drew my short sword and gingerly climbed up into the aperture. I looked down and saw that the floor was only a half-dhaiba below. I dropped down on the other side of the crack. I turned and hissed "Kerrune, you worthless scum, get in here with that torch!" After a moment, the slave was standing at my side. I found that I was standing in a man-made hallway, around two dhaiba wide and about the same height. The walls, ceiling, and floor were made of massive stone blocks, fitted together so tightly that a sheet of the finest parchment couldn't be slid between them. There was lettering along the top of the walls, ugly, block-like lettering that reminded me of a Yan Koryani document I'd once seen. There were vertical niches in the walls, starting about a half-dhaiba from the floor, but I wasn't close enough to them to see what they contained. The spot where I stood was at a three-way intersection. The corridor stretched ahead of me and to either side, disappearing into inky blackness. I motioned for the others to join me. As Omel stepped down into the corridor, I pulled him aside. "Beware the boy!" I hissed in his ear. "He yearns to spill your blood!" "What?" he whispered back. "Why would--" I cut him off. "The girl! He has eyes for the girl!" Omel's mouth dropped open and he nodded in comprehension. "I'll keep him up front with me," I said reassuringly. At that moment, I heard Vishaya call from a few dhaiba farther down the corridor. "Ohe, look at this!" I moved toward her, then saw what had surprised her. Many of the wall niches were empty, but the one before Vishaya contained human remains! The person in the niche before her was little more than a skeleton. Long strands of hair drooped from a few bits of scalp that still clung to the skull. The corpse's fingernails had grown to prodigious lengths, giving its hands the appearance of talons. A few shreads of tattered clothing still hung in places from the body. Its chin rested on its chest and its arms hung akimbo at its sides. We could see a few more such corpses in some of the other wall niches. Sanjesh looked puzzled. "A burial chamber? Here? By the Gods, we're out in the middle of nowhere!" "Look at the walls," Omel replied. "This place wasn't built anytime in the recent past. No one uses huge blocks like these anymore." Vishaya spoke up. "It's not of recent construction, that's true enough. I few summers ago, I helped some men from Sokatis who were in Kerunan looking for ancient ruins. They taught me a little about old writings. That lettering along the top of the wall -- it's of Bednalljan origin." "First Imperium?!" I cried. "That's impossible! These corpses would have turned to dust long since!" Omel and Vishaya turned to face each other, their thoughts as one. "Sorcery!" they said in unison. Omel wheeled toward the rest of us, his arms outstretched. "No one touch any of these bodies!" he cried. But it was too late. Tsodlan has spotted a sword hilt half-hidden behind one of the bodies. The grasped the hilt and pulled forth -- a hilt. There was no blade attached to the handle, merely a short blackened stump from which a few fragments flaked off and fell to the floor. But in pulling it forth, his arm had brushed against the corpse. It was the merest touch, but it was enough. Suddenly, Vishaya cried out in surprise. We turned again to look. She was backing quickly away from the wall. Up in the niche, we saw the corpse's head slowly lift from its chest. An eerie light blazed from somewhere deep within its cavernous eye sockets. With an audible grinding, the mrur stepped down from the niche and advanced slowly toward us. As I looked about, I saw the same horrible scene being repeated in niches all along the catacomb. Instantly, Kagesh and Sanjesh had drawn their longswords. The boy Tsodlan had his sword out as well, and sprang forward with a whooping battle-cry. I motioned for Kagesh and Sanjesh to join me in forming a semi-circle to protect Omel, the girl, and the slave, all of whom were unarmed. I shot a glance over my shoulder to Omel. "Don't let that maggot run off with the torch!" The mrur slowly advanced. Tsodlan was well ahead of us, leaping at the foremost of the undead. His sword sliced an arc through the air, landing with full impact against the side of the fiend's head. With a loud crunching sound, the top of the creature's head shattered. The monster was unarmed, but it nevertheless swung viciously with a taloned hand. Tsodlan dodged the blow and swung backhanded at the mrur's midsection. With a sickening popping sound, the undead creature fell to pieces at the boy's feet. "La! This is easy!" he called. Just then, a mrur approached from his blind side and struck a cruel blow at Tsodlan's shield arm. The claw struck home and blood began to flow from the boy's upper arm. Even after the creature's follow-through, one of its fingertips remained stuck in Tsodlan's arm. "Get back here, boy!" Kagesh called out. "Form up with us, or they'll get in behind you!" The boy retreated and took a place beside me. I stole a backward glance. Omel stood with Vishaya behind him, both of them blocking the opening in the wall so that our torchbearer couldn't escape and take our illumination with him. "But you're a Sarku priestess!" I overheard Omel saying. "Surely there must be _something_ you can do!" I laughed ruefully upon hearing this. An instant later, the ponderous assault of the mrur finally reached us. To my surprise, Tsodlan was correct: it _was_ easy. Our undead foes were unarmed and unarmored. All that was required was a single well-placed swordstroke to make one of the animated corpses collapse into a pile of bones at our feet. It took just a few yom for the battle to be won. The only wound suffered was the one to Tsodlan's shield arm. Omel offered to cast a healing spell on the boy. Tsodlan sneered at Omel. "Not you -- her!" he spat, pointing at Vishaya. I walked over to him and examined his wound. "A healing spell isn't required; it's not that serious." I removed the mrur's finger joint from his arm and bound his wound with a strip of cloth. "That will stop the bleeding," I announced. "Which way now?" Kagesh pondered. "Straight ahead," said Sanjesh, and we began to carefully make our way down the corridor. ***** {There's much more to Pi'ur's tale, but this will do for now. There are many unanswered questions here. How did the mrur survive all those centuries down in the catacombs? Why were they so easy to destroy? Why weren't they better armed? And the biggest question: what _is_ this place? Actually, I know the answer to the last question, but that will wait for another time. I have a good idea as to why the mrur weren't better armed, but this, too, will wait. The biggest questions for our discussion are the first two. I'm not sure why the mrur survived all those centuries, although I'm convinced that it was a very powerful sorcerer who animated them in the first place. Perhaps the tomb was tightly sealed, and the decomposition process didn't really begin in earnest until the wall was cracked. As for why they were so easy to kill: it took an enormous amount of sorcerous power to animate the mrur for that extended period. However, even powerful magic wears off after time. The sorcery used to animate the mrur was powerful enough to last over the centuries, but had degraded to a point where the mrur were almost the figurative "bag of bones", ready to fall apart at any moment. A last observation: the mrur didn't move until one was touched. Perhaps this was a spell variant in which the mrur were kept in a sort of "stasis" until one of them was touched. This _might_ be a method through which sorcerous energy was conserved, which would also explain why the mrur survived for so many centuries.} -- Steve Lopez [Churak hiMrukkal, Grey Cloak Clan of Fenul] [Moderator's Note: The Professor's response to Steve's article. ] Dear Chris, This is an excellent account. Most of it is very creditable and "Tekumel- authentic." I hve really little to add. Do some more! >The biggest questions for our discussion are the first two. >I'm not sure why the mrur survived all those centuries, >although I'm convinced that it was a very powerful sorcerer >who animated them in the first place. Perhaps the tomb was >tightly sealed, and the decomposition process didn't really >begin in earnest until the wall was cracked. Sorcery of that power has to be very rare and rather unstale after all those centuries. The bodies would have decomposed, even in a sealed environment, and I can't think of any other means of preservation short of pickling! >As for why they were so easy to kill: it took an enormous >amount of sorcerous power to animate the mrur for that >extended period. However, even powerful magic wears off >after time. The sorcery used to animate the mrur was >powerful enough to last over the centuries, but had degraded >to a point where the mrur were almost the figurative "bag of >bones", ready to fall apart at any moment. You are correct here. The power of the ancient sorcerer must have been stupendous, but everything does have its limits. >A last observation: the mrur didn't move until one was >touched. Perhaps this was a spell variant in which the mrur >were kept in a sort of "stasis" until one of them was >touched. This _might_ be a method through which sorcerous >energy was conserved, which would also explain why the mrur >survived for so many centuries.} Again, this is conjecture. You may be correct. Phil ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //213 [Moderator's Note: The Professor responds to some of Nick's questions, and ] [ a message I forwarded directly to the Professor. ] For Nick: >But "nihil nihilo fit" -- I'm hoping to learn more about the Sarku- >following Kraa hill tribes (my PC group's origin), and the City of the >Dead and local figures of Purdimal, because we don't yet have that much >to go on. Of course, left to myself I can have a hack at making it up: >I was just hoping to avoid the necessity (and the risk of contradicting >your own campaign materials). Good luck with your scenario and forthcoming game! Keep good records -- and think, possibly, of putting them onto the Blue Room or the FTP site at a later time. The Sarku worshippers of the Kraa Hills are now pretty average peasant stock, having lost much of any "non-Tsolyani" culture they might once have had. They are a lot more assimilated to Tsolyani life than the Ito clan of the Chakas, for instance. They now remember only a few words of what they say was once a complete language, and their rites are very similar to the urban Sarku worshippers in the City of Sarku. They tend to wear brown or ochre smocks and lace-up boots. The latter are probably a protection against the Alash snakes and Epeng that frequent the mountains of their area. They cut their hair in a sort of "Norman" fashion: long on top and shaved all around the sides -- no beards or moustaches. Other Tsolyani consider them "slow," but they are not stupid -- just canny, aloof, and secretive about their religious practices. Some say that there are temples to Lord Sarku back in the ravines and rocky valleys of the Kraa Hills that even the priesthood of Sarku does not know about. >Your descriptive passages on individual Tsolyani cities (Sourcebook 1.422) >are invaluable for travellers: they have a lovely "tourist guidebook" >feel, with the mix of physical description, colourful history and quaint >local features. Now "Deeds of the Ever-Glorious" is on my word processor >(thanks, Chris and John!), it's easy to extract cross-references to >particular cities, temples, etc. to build up more background information, >with just a few word-searches and a bit of digging and compiling. Glad you find the descriptive passages in the Sourcebook useful. I wish I were indeed a Jajgi (as some of my detractors claim), so that I could have a second lifetime to fill in all the blanks! I'll try to help on specific questions, if they're not too many and too demanding. >At the end, of course, I'll have the players set up as Tomb Police in an >unfamiliar and unlovely city, ready for adventures against tomb-robbers, >undead incursions, corrupt politicians, sinister secret societies, and >maybe even the Old Ones of the Splendid Paradise. So more information >than the Sourcebook and novels hold on the Heheganu and Hehecharu would >be very welcome indeed -- were these subspecies created/mutated from >human stock by the Ksarul worshippers of ancient days, or did they come >about in some more (or less!) natural way? The Heheganu and Hehecharu may well be mutated human stock, created during the Latter Times by some local warlord to serve as population in the misty swamps around old Purdimal. Some think they are indeed creations of the Temple of Ksarul, but for what reason? The Lord of the Blue Room is indeed the most powerful deity in Purdimal, as he is in Hmakuyal and a few other enclaves, but I don't see the need for his followers to modify a separate genetic group just so they can harvest Ssar-wood in the morasses around the city! Must have been some other reason. Nuff for now. Phil ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //214 [Moderator's Note: The Professor responds to Steve's question about the ] [ funeral scene of Hirkane in the blue Adventures in ] [ Tekumel book. ] Dear Chris, >Please forgive me if I seem a little slow on the uptake by asking >this. In "Coming of Age on Tekumel" (the blue AiT book), Section >B13, whose eye is staring out of Hirkane's sarcophagus? Was Hirkane >buried alive (or "semi-alive" -- Dhichune *is* a follower of Sarku >after all!), or was it one of the other royal heirs being "disposed >of" in a particularly gruesome manner? It is thought that Mridobu managed to escape from Avanthar in some mysterious fashion. What better way than to befriend the embalmers and the escort of his father's sarcophagus? Probably took a drug to keep him dormant while it was being shipped down to Bey Su. >"Some claim to >have encountered Mrur and Shedra attired in Engsvanyali armour and >cerements, while a few unattested reports describe still older >specimens garbed in tattered raiment reminiscent of the First >Imperium". It would be VERY difficult to maintain a Mrur or a Shedra that long. However, magic being what it is... ??? Phil [Moderator's Note: Well, if any of you are wondering, the account of meeting ] [ those Mrur and Shedra was in Message 212. Sorry for get- ] [ ting the messages out of order. ] ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //215 [Moderator's Note: Paul Snow asks about Priests of Wuru. I'll hit one of ] [ the points, but I'll leave it to others with more ] [ experience to handle the others. ] Hi { especially to Bob Alberti :-) }, I have a friend who is about to play a Priest of Wuru. The sourcebook says of Wuru that- " He is the active antagonist of Stability, and he aids those who promote Change and overcome permanency. ... He aids those who combat the minions of Stability ..." Has anyone of the Blue Room congregation played or met a Priest of Wuru? What is a _fanatical_ worshiper of Wuru like? How can they fulfill the goals of their god without always breaking the Concordat? [Moderator's Note: Perfessor says, He who ventures out into the underworld, ] [ or other such lonely places, without some type of strong ] [ representation, often gets asked the question, "What ] [ Concordat?" Also, as much combat goes on in halls of ] [ justice and government, etc as goes on in the arena. ] [ Fighting arms are not always the weapon of choice in a ] [ combat. Conflicts can be started in many ways. ] Also, how does the average temple-goer worship Wuru? Is it the case that the visible side of temple life, the ceremonies and rituals of appeasement are always there for the ordinary man. Only a few priests and agents actually go forth to live a life of overcoming stability? Finally, how common if the worship of Hru'u and Wuru? We know of centres of worship for Vimuhla, Ksarul, Sarku and Dlamelish yet where are the followers of Hru'u? What sort of %age of people worship him. Is it the case that worshiping the Supreme Principle of Change is just too hard for most people as it is so difficult to know how to follow and please Him? Paul Snow ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //216 [Moderator's Note: Brett Slocum comments on playing Wuru Priests. ] [ If anyone had trouble sending email yesterday, I apol- ] [ ogize. I did a major upgrade to my internet server yes- ] [ terday. For a while, incoming mail bounced. Things are ] [ stable now. ] >Has anyone of the Blue Room congregation played or met a Priest of Wuru? >What is a _fanatical_ worshiper of Wuru like? How can they fulfill the >goals of their god without always breaking the Concordat? I've had Wuru worshippers in my game. The fanatical ones were heavily involved in Dark Trinity (the cooperation between the activist secret socities of Hru'u, Sarku, and Ksarul) conspiracies to mess up the other temples, especially the martial temples and Stability temples. ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //217 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker replies to Paul's Question about Wuru ] [ Priests. ] On Wuru: >Has anyone of the Blue Room congregation played or met a Priest of Wuru? >What is a _fanatical_ worshiper of Wuru like? How can they fulfill the >goals of their god without always breaking the Concordat? The Concordat applies to _above-ground_ relationships. A priest of Wuru must thus be circumspect, courteous, and respectful -- as must all other priests of the many deities. A snide remark now and then is permitted, but nothing that can be taken as cause for legal action or violence. Below ground, in the ancient labyrinths, "nobility" means defending one's temple, shrines, property, etc. in any way one can, and violence is winked at there -- though not always an automatic response. Just as in this world, violence is a "sometime" response to provocation or to obtain a goal; imagine a meeting of a Russian and an American in Paris at the height of the Cold War. There may be no cooperation and very little friendliness, but courtesy and proper behaviour are very important. >Also, how does the average temple-goer worship Wuru? Is it the case >that the visible side of temple life, the ceremonies and rituals of >appeasement are always there for the ordinary man. Only a few priests and >agents actually go forth to live a life of overcoming stability? This is true of all the temples. Only a select few may be chosen to perform the inner ceremonies and rituals, or to serve as defenders of the faith. How many Catholic priests perform regular exorcisms? >Finally, how common if the worship of Hru'u and Wuru? We know of centres >of worship for Vimuhla, Ksarul, Sarku and Dlamelish yet where are the >followers of Hru'u? What sort of %age of people worship him. Is it the >case that worshiping the Supreme Principle of Change is just too hard for >most people as it is so difficult to know how to follow and please Him? Worship of Wuru and Hru'u is commoner in some cities and regions than in others. Around Purdimal, for example, many of the average people follow Lord Ksarul, yet there are villages, enclaves, and clans that traditionally belong to Wuru and/or Hru'u. This is just as true in Penom, in Jaikalor, etc. in varying degrees. Other deities are similarly represented. In a given clanhouse, too, a few families, lineages, and individuals may follow a deity who is not the "popular" deity of that group: e.g. a follower or two of Sarku, Hru'u, etc. may belong to the Tlakotani clan, to the Golden Sunburst, etc. His/her fellows may think the person weird or misguided, but in ecumenical Tsolyanu, mst folk will not raise overt objections -- of course, if a favourite son or daughter of a Hnalla-worshipper suddenly shows predilections for Lord Sarku or Lady Dlamelish, there may be some family arguments and even a little ear-boxing! But a determined convert is usually left to follow wherever his/her faitgh leads. I can't give percentages easily since enclaves of devotees are so intermixed and confused. I'd estimate that Lord Hru'u's temple is indeed one of the smaller sects, in terms of population, but its members go back to very ancient roots. The same is true of Lord Wuru. We have had several players over the years who have chosen to follow Wuru or Hru'u. At the moment, Lord Kotaru (I forget his lineage name) of the Sea Blue Clan is prominent in our group. I don't think he is on the Blue Room, however. Phil ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //218 [Moderator's Note: Bob Dushay comments on Nick's Sarku Speech. ] I really liked Nick's speech, but I felt it was lacking a bit of feel. The soldiers would have been trained from birth that one does not question the God-Emperor or an Imperial Prince: people are theirs to use as they like. While there may be private dissatisfaction, I don't see a public address as the proper audience to express these doubts. I think the address would be more along the lines of "glory to our leaders, and the worm," and bravery in the face of adversity, etc. Bob Dushay ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //219 [Moderator's Note: David Bailey adds to the Wuru Priest topic. ] It may amuse you to hear that my longest surviving character is a Wuru priest, Midori Ito. He stays alive by mixing huge quantities of opportunism with a dash of pragmatic restraint. He is famous for deliberately paying vastly excessive prices for things in open cry markets, so as to destabilise the local economy. He has a habit of giving 'grey hand' handshakes to people when they are in the underworld, at random, just to create confusion and chaos. He never attacks anyone openly - it is far more productive to live off the fear and confusion created by his own presence in a room. He has sent for demons in the daytime just to see if it could cause trouble for a certain Vimuhla priest. By associating with the wildest fringes of Chiteng, Hrihiyal and Ksarul, he catalyses events that lead to sudden and dramatic changes in peoples lives, in the local bureaucracy, and - he hopes - in larger events. ...but most of the time he pays his taxes (early, too much and with a smile), runs his farms and his palatial house on the river near Jakalla, manages his little shipping fleet (benignly and carefully), hunts with Jygg (a renyu) and wonders why his neighbours still spread rumours that he is homosexual when it only leads them into "bad dreams" and "accidents". [Moderator's Note: Remember, in Tsolyanu sexuality is not a big deal. ] [ Spreading rumors about ones sexual preference is ] [ like spreading rumors that one has black hair! ] [ Who Cares! Certainly not the Tsolyani. Now if you] [ in Yan Kor, or Livyanu, there might be a problem. ] [ The Professor says in the Sourcebook, "In Tolyanu, ] [ the only thing not tolerated is intolerance. ] David Bailey ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //220 [Moderator's Note: This is a trio of questions, covering miscellaneous topics] [ that I have received for the Professor. The first covers ] [ domesticated animals, the second covers the Urunen, and ] [ the third covers Vra. ] [ Sorry for the slow period. I have been a bit under the ] [ weather. Haven't been out for almost a week. Things ] [ should return to normal now. ] Question 1 >Worry of the Moment > >If hma and hmelu are essentially sheep and cow analogs for Tekumel. What >animal fills the ecological role taken by goats on Earth - able to leap >from rock to rock on very barren hills - hardier than sheep. I'm sure >that they are scampering around on the high barren hills on the north of >Vra. > >For that matter. Why has man often had sheep, cows and _pigs_. What is >good about pigs for farmers? What is the equivalent on Tekumel? > >Yours Urbanly > >Paul Snow The Hmelu and the Hma fill the places of goats and sheep. Hmelu milk (and sometimes the much thicker and more oderiferous Hma's milk) fills the posaition of cow's milk on earth. The Kaika bird fills the ecological niche of the chicken (turkey, etc.). There is no direct equivalent of the cow. Large amounts of meat are usually got from the Tsi'il, which cannot be completely domesticated. No pigs! [Moderator's Note: I commented to the Professor whether it is necessary to ] [ have direct corollaries on Tekumel to Earth. He responds.] [ I didn't mean this to invalidate your question, Paul, but ] [ I just wanted to make sure I was clear on the subject. ] Why SHOULD there be exact equivalents of every earth creature on Tekumel. Look at ancient Mesoamerica and South America: no cows, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, etc. Deer and turkey were what the Aztecs and the Maya had. No cow, no milk. So the usual European patterns were missing there, too. Question 2: [Moderator's Note: New list member John Nowicki asks the following... ] >I've always been curious about the Urunen, since I encountered them in >the Swords & Glory books. Their culture is so radically different from >most of the races on Tekumel (the lower status of the military in their >society, for starters). Given their geographic seperation fronm the Five >Empires, do they have much contact with the rest of Tekumel? Is there >even a very strong awareness of their existance on the part of the >Humans, Pe Choi, etc..? What is their relationship with the Hokun, who >live relatively near to them? > >Outside of politics/interaction issues, I always had the feeling that >their isolation may have left them with a greater level of historical >(and perhaps technical) knowledge than the rest of the spacefaring >races. At least, they would have avoided some of the cataclysms (i.e. >Ganga) or serial conflicts that wrack the region of the Five Empires >periodically. > >Finally, what is their religious situation. I have a vague remembrance of >their clerics being held in far lower esteem than in human society. Do >they worship some fariation of the standard pantheon, or something >different? I've always been interested in any race that see the "gods" as >something other than traditional deity (i.e. the Mihalli Aluja's comments >at the end of "Flamesong") The Urunen are interesting. They are so far from "north Tekumel" that they had little idea of the great human empires there. They are reachable only via tubeway car, and this is perilous at best. Their society is quite different from those of north Tekumel. They do not worship the same pantheon found in the Engsvanyali-derived cultures of the Five Empires. They get along with some Hokun and are in perpetual combat with other Hokun states (there are several). There isn't much on them, outside of the Bestiary and the Sourcebook. A couple of high officials from Avanthar found their way down there via tubeway car after Dhich'une took over Avanthar. The Urunen were hospitable but puzzled. These exiles were so lonely and so lost away from their familiar surroundings that they finally left -- in spite of the obvious dangers of returning to Tsolyanu. Question 3: [Moderator's Note: Paul Snow sent this question in on Vra. ] > >Greetings from Nikun hiSayodla, > >Lacking the current political map of southern Tsolyanu I have requested a >fellow follower of the Doomed Prince (Arksa hiJagetlu of the Standing Stone >Clan from Jakalla) to describe it to me. He reports the following :- > >>The isle of Vra is actually split into two provinces. The boundary line >>starts below >>Lornis on the west coast, rises to run SSW-NNE so as to pass in between >>Lnoris >>and the town of Vra, and then goes east to end on the east coast about a hex >>above Vra town. The northern province (containing Lnoris) is called Sine >>(accent on the e) and the southern province is called, again, Vra. > >I assume that my esteemed and learned uncle is correct in this matter but >it leads me to ask the following questions. > >What is the story behind the separation of Vra into two regions? >I presume that one is governed from Lnoris and the other from Vra. > >[Can anyone comment on the etymology of Sine and Vra ?] > >Does the partition of Vra into two provinces of Tsolyanu cause any >political complications or frictions for the government of Vra? I had >assumed that Imperial authority would be centred in the City of Vra with >taxes etc. administered from there. Is there intense rivalry between >the two Imperial Governors? > >If the boundary line passes through the fertile region of Avanthe's Table >then which province lays claim to the greater part of the area's riches? The etymologies of Sine and Vra are not known -- lost in history. Probably even pre-Engsvanyali and even First Imperium.The division into two provinces was certainly Engsvanyali and was done for ease of adminis- tration. Vra and Lnoris are clearly two separate ancient power centres. (I once heard a legend that there had been warfare between them at some unguessably early time in mythological history. I could never find any sources, however.) Now there is really little rivalry between these provinces; the rulers of Vra itself seem to have triumphed, economically, over the inhabitants of Lnoris. It's pretty much one country nowadays: rather like Kent and Surrey. Vra seems to be the richer of the two provinces, and its agricultural products are more widely famed than those of its sister-province. Nobody seems to mind very much. The real provincial governor resides in Vra, while the governor of Lnoris is much less important. Phil ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //221 [Moderator's Note: Paul Snow asks about Loyalties. ] In reply to Paul Snow: >Looking at the sourcebook [Zocchi p58] we find that the hierarchy of >loyalties that a Tsolyani would list are to :- > > My immediate family > My lineage > My clan > Friends outside the the clan > Religion > Social Class > Nation > >Now I am interested in where other loyalties might naturally fit. I would >guess that a soldier joining a military unit would naturally start of >thinking of his military unit at the level of "friends outside the clan". >This gives a level around which the more or less fanatically devoted soldier >will rank the importance of his Legion. This is hard to quantify. Loyalty differs from individual to individual, of course, as it does in this world. One person may feel intense loyalty to his military unit (company, church, or other group), while the next person is not particularly loyal to that same group, even though their experiences with it may be relatively similar. (Like sex? Some feel it, some don't...) I'd put military unit loyalty generally BELOW family, lineage, and clan, but there might be soldiers to whom "the corps is my mother and my father." >Where does allegiance to the political parties come in this ranking? I >would put this at the level of loyalty to your social class. Thus the >average royalist of the Sea Blue clan supports the party line but thinks >of friends and religion before party if he has to choose between his >interests. Again, this must differ from person to person. I think you are generally correct, however. >I realise that fanatic followers of a cause will rank these things >differently but that is why they are fanatics and interesting. They are >the ones driving the events on Tekumel. As on this planet... >Now, for my campaign I want the all the characters to share at least one >factor of family, lineage or clan with the other characters. In >particular I am interested in cases where a lineage crosses clan lines. I >believe this happens and I am really enquiring now about a few examples >of this. Yes, it is very frequent. The ancient lineages often intermarried and mingled across clan lines. This is true of many but NOT all lineages: e.g. Ito, Tlakotani, and Vriddi are rarely found in other clans than their own. On the other hand, Qolyelmu, Chaishyani, and Tlelsu are rather more widely spread among the high clans. Vaisoner, Tirrune, and a few others are more often members of Ksarul- and Hru'u- centred clans than others, but they are almost always in "high" or "very high" clans. The minor lineages are similarly found mostly in less important clans. >In particular, are there any lineages of the Joyous of Vra that are >shared with other clans. If so which? If this has not been explored >before have you any guidelines for me to help my visit to Vra. Many of the old lineages have been represented on the island of Vra for millennia, and a number of these have members in the Joyous of Vra. Intermarriage is fairly common and not frowned upon, provided that the link is with an equal or higher clan. Hence, lineage names often overlap, and the Vrayani are an amiable, outgoing bunch, who don't mind such unions. In the City of Sarku, Hmakuyal, or even Khirgar, on the other hand, the locals are more aloof and jealous of their ancient connections. Good luck, Nikun, with your academic strivings! Phil ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //222 [Moderator's Note: A question about the era of the Fisherman Kings. ] I would like to know if you have any idea how a citizen of the Empire of the Fisherman Kings might have referred to that empire. The citizen in question was originally from the area of what we now call Mechaneno, but I have seen that you say that Salarvya and Pechano were Govenorships set up in Engsvanyali times. Was the the previous empire dubbed 'Fisherman kings' by the Priestkings? I believe they would have spoken Bednalljan - would they have therefore been 'Bednalljani' themselves? Yes, during the Fisherman Kings' period, the northeast was divided into provinces, although these tended to be ephemeral, vague at the boundaries, and often semi-autonomous. The Bednalljans called their empire by a variety of names, too, depending on who was in power, which capital was currently running the local show, etc. As I recall, there was no one single name that endured for any length of time. Palikollan (accent on the -an) is one that did endure for a few hundred years, but it only referred to the centre of the Fisherman Kings' domain and the coast of western Salarvya. As far as language is concerned, the Fisherman Kings spoke a group of dialects of ancient Salarvyani. These are related closely to Bednalljan Salarvyani, of course. Their scripts were different -- some are still not deciphered. Phil ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //223 [Moderator's Note: Bob Dushay asks about Food preparation in clanhouses. ] [Further Note: I had told some people that I would extract out to text ] [ some info from the databases that the Professor had sent ] [ to me. I have not been remiss. I don't seem to be able ] [ to get them into text files. The accent marked charac- ] [ ters may have something to do with that. I will continue] [ working on the problem. Just wanted you to know. ] >In Tsolyanu, people eat in clan dining rooms. Who prepares the food? >Do the clan women all cooperate, do individual women prepare food for >their family only, or it is organized by lineage? In higher status and >noble clans, do the lower-status lineages cook for the higher, or are >outside chefs hired from allied clans, or do slaves do it? While I'm >on the topic, what about other household chores: do the clan women do >it, or do lower status lineages and slaves do it all? In more wealthy clanhouses the food and chores are done by slaves or hired servants. Some of the more penurious of one's clan-brothers and sisters may also be paid by the clan to oversee these tasks -- and to perform them, if need be. Younger brothers and sisters also may be required to labour in clan enterprises or do houehold tasks as a matter of discipline and training. Those who are elderly or indigent are also supported by the clan in return for a few hours of work: supervision, watching over flocks, pruning the gardens, etc. Labour for one's clan is not considered "lowly," as it seems to have been among the aristocracy of 19th Century Britain. Physical work is good for a child, the clan elders say, and responsibilities make good clansmen. Only in the very wealthy and anciently noble clans does one find slaves performing every task and serving every morsel of food, etc. Even so, these clans often put younger clans-brothers and sisters to work as discipline, training them in the crafts, arts, business, accountancy, sciences, etc. at the same time. In poorer clans, and in the rural clanhouses of the great clans, too, there is a general tradition of hard work for all members. Herding a Chlen-beast is great therapy! Cooks and other specialists may also be hired from outside, particularly when some elaborate production is desired. Fancy parties require the best food, entertainment, costumes, etc. that the clan can afford, and it is considered noble (and hence "good") to bring in these experts from outside: not only cooks and pastry-makers, but also vintners, perfumers, makers of fancy toiletries, mimes, singers, musicians, dancers, acrobats, athletes, gladiators, flower-arrangers, and a multitude of other trades and crafts are required -- and are lavishly laid on by the great clans. A Tsolyani feast in the Clan of the Golden Bough in Bey Su is a memorable event indeed! Phil ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //224 [Moderator's Note: Paul deepens and clarifies his previous question about ] [ ecological roles the fauna of Tekumel play. ] [ >[ = previous message Moderator note > = Professor Barker >[Moderator's Note: I commented to the Professor whether it is necessary to ] >[ have direct corollaries on Tekumel to Earth. He responds.] >[ I didn't mean this to invalidate your question, Paul, but ] >[ I just wanted to make sure I was clear on the subject. ] > >Why SHOULD there be exact equivalents of every earth creature on Tekumel. >Look at ancient Mesoamerica and South America: no cows, pigs, goats, sheep, >chickens, etc. Deer and turkey were what the Aztecs and the Maya had. No cow, >no milk. So the usual European patterns were missing there, too. OK. I was just thinking that as Tekumel is an ecosystem that has been ticking along quite nicely for ~100,000 years that there must be a balance between wild animals, domesticated animals and man that ecologically works as an equilibrium. In this system there must be slots filled by carnivores, omnivores, scavengers etc. Are there any zoologists out there who can use these ideas to comment on the wildlife on Tekumel. We know that Phil is happy to make technical comments part of official Tekumel if they fit in. Given that there are no pigs on Tekumel but knowing that on earth pig farmers around towns used to feed the pigs food waste from the towns I guess that on Tekumel the food waste goes straight to the chlen pens. The chlen are renowned for their smell for it seems to fit the slot. Another angle on this is to consider the effects of the animals that we know exist. The typical downland countryside of southern England (that we want to preserve for its natural beauty!) is man made in that it is the result of chopping down forests and grazing sheep on the hillsides. Equally I seem to remember that somewhere in the world (possibly SE Asia) there are two adjacent countries that have different landscape because one doesn't keep either pigs or goats. (Can anyone help ne out with this half remembered fact?) Anyway, I presume that on Tekumel wherever chlen graze the grass, bushes and trees all get munched by these enormous creature. So the open plains or fields grazed by Chlen will reflect their eating habits. I think that this is shown in the illustration in the bestiary that depicts open grasslands except for small clumps of large sturdy trees. This is probably more like savannah where elephants roam. Taking this onward. Bull elephants can be vicious when protecting a herd or if they become "rogues". How difficult to handle are chlen in the rutting season? There is a beast I wouldn't want to have an argument with. Are only female [cow?] chlen used for pulling carts as they are more docile? Paul ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //225 [Moderator's Note: Roger Pearse asks questions about the Golden Tower and ] [ the Emperor's life inside it. ] [ Further Note: Sorry for the delays lately. I have been under the weather ] [ for some of it, and so has my wife, keeping me very busy ] [ when I feel up to it. Our ftp site, nexus, will be down for] [ a bit today, (right now, actually) for a backup. It will ] [ also go in tomorrow for a checkup. It is having some prob- ] [ lems. Please be patient while I get things fixed. I have ] [ hopes of getting caught up this weekend, although there is ] [ not much of anything in the queue to go out. Less than 4 or] [ 5 messages total. Look for at least one more to follow this] [ one. Once again, bear with me. Thanks. Chris Now on to ] [ Roger's Question. ;) ] >I was thinking about the Kolumel in the Golden Tower >(doesn't everyone) and I got to wondering what would >happen if some traveller on the planes beyond were to >pop in unexpectedly. How would this be handled? In >addition, since Avanthar is such a nexus, the chance of >this happening must be really rather considerable. No >doubt it has already happened. So you have the >Emperor and a bunch of unarmed tongueless slaves in >a room together with a powerful sorceror who may not even >speak Tsolyani. What happens? > >On a related note, who does the emperor talk to? He >must talk sometimes himself, or go nuts! On the Kolumel: the region around Avanthar is one of the most carefully protected, magically impenetrable places on Tekumel. This probably dates from the Latter Times but may have been enhanced by the Engsvanyali. As far as I know, it has only been penetrated by interplanar travellers a VERY few times in history, and then usually by mistake from planes that were not known or which were thought not to impinge on Avanthar. The ancient planetary defenses from before the Time of Darkness are also said to be still operative, sleeping in caverns on the mountaintop. I think they did fire a couple of times in my recollection. As for somebody to talk to, the Emperor has access to the Hall of the Petal Throne, where he can speak to his subjects. A very few high officers of the Omnipotent Azure Legion also are allowed to speak to him from within specially designed private rooms, where he can see them but they cannot see him. The OAL also brings concubines and wives into the Golden Tower for his delectation; these are kept closely watched and segregated, but they may actually touch his sacred person, when he wishes. All in all, it's not too bad a life... Phil ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //226 [Moderator's Note: Elliot James asks numerous questions on Naval Warfare. ] [ Sorry for the tardiness of the answers, it was my fault, ] [ not the Professor's. ] >Warships- > >1) Details of the diamentions and (if possible) displacement of different > types of warships, >2) Speeds of the various types of warships. >3) Size of crew of different types of warships, split between marines, > rowers and sailors, with reguards to marines the split between > those primarily armed with missile weapons and those primarily > armed for boarding actions. I would urge the questioner to look up warship sizes, [personnel, etc. in the Sourcebook. I am sure that most of this is in there in some form or other. I don't have time to dig it all out myself. Most of questions 1, 2, and 3 is already in the Sourcebook. Question 4 (about catapults) is also there, but it may be noted that both rams and catapults are common on Tsolyani, Salarvyani, and Mu'ugalavyani vessels. The Shen use rams but only occasionally have artillery on their ships. >5) Are warships armed with rams, if so are the prows situated below > the waterline, as in the ancient world, and so designed as > 'ship-killers' or above the waterline designed to disrupt the > enemy rowers, as in the Byzantine Empire through to the 17th century. Both: various ship-types have rams designed for various purposes. It is hard to say at any given time just how many of each ram-armed vessel there are. >6) Has any form of fire based weapon been developed, as in the 'Greek > Fire' of the Byzantines and other. If so how is it delivered to the > enemy - fired by some form of engine, dropped from 'fire pots' on > booms as in the Rhodian navy, or fired by syphons as in the Byzantine > navy, or a combination of all three. Greek fire has not been developed, but bundles of burning wood, stones heated red hot, etc. are occasionally cast from artillery. The Hlaka are sometimes trained to drop firepots on enemy ships, but they hate travelling by ship and tend to head for the nearest land! >7) How effective is magic in naval combat. Have any particular spells > been developed for naval combat. Most large naval vessels are "magic-proofed" by special spells like those used to protect city and temple walls. Personal magic is not very effective at sea because of ranges and defensive spells put up by one's opponents. >8) Number and arrangement of masts and sails by different types of warship. See the Sourcebook for common naval ship types. >9) Method of construction and seakeeping abilities of different types of > warship - i.e are they clinker built as in Norther Europe and therefore > more robust or closer to the Mediterranean galleys. Most Tsolyani and Mu'ugalavyani ships are clinker built; Salarvyani ships vary, as do those of such smaller nations as Haida Pakala. I don't have much information on the Yan Koryani ships of the northern sea. Livyanu and the Shen also prefer clinker built ships, but they are not as well designed. In the case of the Shen, the emphasis is on massive, and the hull is covered with thick black gum (like pitch) that becomes smooth and hard. There is a lot more, but I lack the time right now to reply to all of it. I hope this much helps. If I get a few minutes later I will try to respond to your queries about organisation. Phil ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //227 [Moderator's Note: List member Joe Saul seeks information on the subject of ] [ how a game group meshes when from a divergent background, ] [ especially clan and religion. ] [Nexus is still down, and will not be back up before some time on Monday. ] [Will Keep you posted. ] The only Tekumel campaign I have had direct contact with is Patrick Brady's, in London, where he has made all of the player characters members of the same clan. This allows characters of otherwise diverse backgrounds and religious beliefs to work together, as their clan loyalty overrides other issues. I get the impression, though, that such is not the case with Professor Barker's campaign. The characters I have heard about in that game sound extremely diverse in loyalties and affiliations. As I am about to start a game, I welcome advice, anecdotes, warnings, etc. about how to (or how not to) put the party together. I am not averse to having characters pursue divergent goals (I am an experienced Amber DRPG gamemaster, and divergent PCs are the rule in that environment), but I would like them to hang together enough to provide good roleplay opportunities. My current intention is to bring the characters in at a fairly elevated level of society (probably the High clan range) because I enjoy political games. [Moderator's Note: I'll speak to this. I think that this makes for a great ] [ roleplay situation. There has to be enough commonality ] [ to get people to meet, or some drastic circumstance (to ] [ get together a group of extremely opposed individuals). ] [ In a life or death struggle, my Sorceror Priest of Ksarul] [ is unlikely to quibble with the extremely talented ] [ Warrior of Karakan wiping out Ssu coming at both of us. ] [ I hope he feels the same way when I wipe out a handful ] [ via magic. When I roleplay, and this may be just me, and] [ not likely in "Real" Tekumel, I tend to put myself into ] [ the character. I find that I am much more tolerant of ] [ things, like diametrically opposed religions, beliefs, ] [ views, etc, as long as there is an understanding of trust] [ between us. As the interested party, I tend to gather ] [ the best people possible to adventure with, whether they ] [ are of my own temple/clan/family or not. Phil will speak] [ relative to "Real" Tekumel. The great roleplay referred ] [ to above can test the "friendship/partnership" in many ] [ ways, Pressure from clan, temple, family, society at ] [ large, etc. ] Thanks in advance for any help! Joe Saul ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //228 [Moderator's Note: David Bailey adds to the Emperor's Life discussion. ] >On the Kolumel: the region around Avanthar is one of the most carefully >protected, magically impenetrable places on Tekumel. This probably dates >from the Latter Times but may have been enhanced by the Engsvanyali. As >far as I know, it has only been penetrated by interplanar travellers a >VERY few times in history, and then usually by mistake from planes that >were not known or which were thought not to impinge on Avanthar. The >ancient planetary defences from before the Time of Darkness are also said >to be still operative, sleeping in caverns on the mountaintop. I think >they did fire a couple of times in my recollection. Roger initially wondered about a scenario where there were just a few Servitors of Silence between the Emperor and a visiting sorcerer. Are the Servitors of Silence harmless? I doubt it! Given that there are such demons as Origob and the Beast Without A Tail, it seems that if there were not weapons or defences of incredible power, then Avanthar would long since have ceased to exist. The defences cannot be perfect, to wit: Baron Ald and Mirusiya dropping in unexpectedly while Dhich'une was out; but must be pretty good. On a piece of wild speculation, I wonder if the defences are 'tuned' to the current emperor by the same mechanisms that power the Jade Arch, or whether they depend on the emperor being in proximity to the Petal Throne. Ummmm. [Moderator's Note: Remeber, the Jade Arch is said to be malfunctioning ] [ these days, according to the Professor. ] What I would really like to know, in my search for ever greater pyrotechnics with which to scare players is what the 'firing of planetary defences looks like? Is it an expanding web of coruscating energy, as when the Weapon Without An Answer was fired in the North? >As for somebody to talk to, the Emperor has access to the Hall of the >Petal Throne, where he can speak to his subjects. A very few high >officers of the Omnipotent Azure Legion also are allowed to speak to him >from within specially designed private rooms, where he can see them but >they cannot see him. The OAL also brings concubines and wives into the >Golden Tower for his delectation; these are kept closely watched and >segregated, but they may actually touch his sacred person, when he wishes. > > All in all, it's not too bad a life... Or, in the current case, not a bad undeath, eh, Dhich'une... ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //229 [Moderator's Note: David adds to the Naval Warfare topic. ] Thanks for all that stuff on ships and naval warfare, now I won't have to resort to using Rolemaster SeaLore again! ISTR that the Wizard Eloa has a submarine in his armory in Livyanu, are there any more about? David Bailey ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //230 [Moderator's Note: The Professor responds to Joe's question about party ] [ dynamics. ] This question reminds me of the old ethnic joke that starts, "Once there were a Rabbi, a Catholic Priest, and a Protestant Reverend all stranded on a desert island ..." The problem is with the way players see their characters and their reactions. If one takes the stance that all characters are "fanatics," quick to respond to the least offense with violence, then you will have a very short game indeed! Most people, in this world as on Tekumel, are not really fanatics and can tolerate neighbours, colleagues, and even close friends who do not share their precise brand of politics, religion, etc. One just does not discuss controversial topics at polite dinner parties. The people of Tekumel do wear more garments and insignia to distinguish their faiths, clans,and allegiances than do most of us on Earth, and it is thus easier to see who is who. Rather like different army uniforms, not just a discreet little cross worn on a chain around the neck. Oh, people don't wear the heavy ritual priestly garb pictured in earlier works on Tekumel: the tall helmets, the plumes, the smiling silver masks, and the like. Just as Her Majesty doesn't always wear the great crown of state and carry the sceptre and the orb, and the Pope doesn'twalk around his private apartments in mitre and crosier, so do the folk of Tekumel attire themselves informally in kilt and sandals, perhaps a little vest or tunic, with perhaps a clans symbol at the throat or embroidered on the garment. People tend to be "time servers," and not "fanatics." It is thus possible for laity and clergy of different faiths to cooperate together, socialise, and even intermarry. The only time one gets hostility is when there are real cross purposes and conflicting objectives. Sometimes one does meet cranks and fanatics and truly unpleasant people, of course, who cannot resist insults and gibes at those who belong to different faiths or persuasions. Such rude persons are rarely included inmutli-faith parties sent out to seek some objective that will benefit the various patrons. There are fanatics, of course: the arrogant Vriddi, the aloof and secretive Ito or Domed Tomb people, for example. Even devotees of Lady Dilinala can be fanatics, unwilling to allow others the opportunity to speak or act in any un-Dilinala-like fashion. Most of the expeditions on which players are sent are made up of people who are not fanatics -- or who are at least polite and clever enough not to let it show. When it comes time to divide up the loot or seize the goal sought, however, some of these people may well show their true colours and exert themselves! Insults, gibes, and "humour" are kept to a minimum in Tekumelani society anyway, unlike many American groups I have known. It's too dangerous. When push comes to shove, however, there may be friction or even open hostility, but this is relatively rare since patrons generally know their people and their objectives, and do not send out an "ecumenical" party to acquire something that might be better suited for another patron organisation. In my experience, thus, it is possible to have people of different faiths and political persuasions in the same group. It is BETTER if all are of related groups, clans, ineages, and the like, but a mixed group works if people are willing to MAKE it work -- and a patron who finds that some member has created unnecessary problems is not likely to be pleased with that member. Right now, the mission to the Valley of Kashkomai (northeast of Sokatis) contains Vimuhla, Wuru, and Ksarul people. There is one Karakan worshipper and even a priest of Ketengku. A contingent of Dlamelish priests have just entered the valley to set up a shrine, and some of the bodyguard consists of Dilinala warrior women. There is also a Pe Choi major domo, and a band of Pechani mercenaries has hired on with the Wuru priests. Many of these factions will probably come to hostilities, if an objective of real importance is discovered. In the past, we have experimented with parties of different complections. We have tried VERY diverse groups and also groups made up of a single clan from a single lineage in a single city who all share the same faith. (The latter is easier, of course.) The one thing we found that does NOT work is a discrepancy in social status: nobles and peasants, or free people and slaves. Tekumelani society is too class-conscious for players to take on roles that are too far apart on the social ladder. One can tolerate a priest or priestess of a hostile deity far more easily than a noble can bear to rub shoulders with a slave, artisan, or commoner. If a party of "lower-class" people is wanted, thus, we make sure that it consists of such persons only, and that contact with arrogant nobles and clergy is kept to a distant minimum. Essentially, a good and viable group for "adventuring" should contain enough people of diverse faiths and backgrounds to provide different skills, but not so diverse that members cannot tolerate each other or practice forbearance. We have had trouble with Vriddi members who saw their roles as vehicles to express social and religious snobbery, and we have given up trying to include Sarku worshippers in parties containing most ofther faiths. Dlamelish and Hrihayal tend to create social/sexual problems for some players, too, while all others seem to get along a little better. Of course, fanatics of all persuasions are generally not included: e.g. a strongly missionising priest of Thumis is almost as unpleasant as a stern and uncompromising follower of Chegarra or Gruganu. Our solution is to let players find their own levels. If they act out of character, or if they are so rigid and fanatic as to create problems, the referee can swiftly provide corrections. >As I am about to start a game, I welcome advice, anecdotes, warnings, >etc. about how to (or how not to) put the party together. I am not >averse to having characters pursue divergent goals (I am an experienced >Amber DRPG gamemaster, and divergent PCs are the rule in that >environment), but I would like them to hang together enough to provide >good roleplay opportunities. My current intention is to bring the >characters in at a fairly elevated level of society (probably the High >clan range) because I enjoy political games. All of this sounds wonderful. I wish you well! In fact, I wish I could be there to join you. If I can be of further help, let me know. Perhaps some of our erstwhile party would also care to reply? ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //231 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker answers David's questions about Avan- ] [ thar and the Golden Tower. ] >Given that there are such demons as Origob and the Beast Without A Tail, it >seems that if there were not weapons or defences of incredible power, then >Avanthar would long since have ceased to exist. >The defences cannot be perfect, to wit: Baron Ald and Mirusiya dropping in >unexpectedly while Dhich'une was out; but must be pretty good. It was Mridobu and the Baron, but they came in the front door. Mridobu was disguised as an ordinary priest of Ksarul, sent on a mission to the Emperor. There are so many people coming and going that it was not detected until too late. The temple of Ksarul used a lot of spells to disguise Mridobu, and the rest of his own party did not even know it was he. As for the Baron, he was Dhich'une's ally until very recently. So... nobody has tried to get into the citadel THROUGH the magical defences for a very long time! >On a piece >of wild speculation, I wonder if the defences are 'tuned' to the current >emperor by the same mechanisms that power the Jade Arch, or whether they >depend on the emperor being in proximity to the Petal Throne. Ummmm. I'll ask the High Chancellor, but I probably don't get a straight answer. >[Moderator's Note: Remeber, the Jade Arch is said to be malfunctioning ] >[ these days, according to the Professor. ] >What I would really like to know, in my search for ever greater >pyrotechnics with which to scare players is what the 'firing of >planetary defences looks like? Is it an expanding web of coruscating >energy, as when the Weapon Without An Answer was fired in the North? I only recall one party that flew over Avanthar in an aircar. The effect was rather like a ring of blazing light that rose swiftly from the citadel and enveloped the car. Apparently it was not set to instant destruction because the car continued to limp on southward and crashed in the Bay of Jakalla! Apparently the weapons are either automatic or else can be set to repel invaders with different degrees of intensity. ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //232 [Moderator's Note: The Professor responds to David's question about Eyloa's ] [ submarine. ] >ISTR that the Wizard Eloa has a submarine in his armory in Livyanu, are >there any more about? [Moderator's Note: What does ISTR mean David? Phil adds, What does ISTR ] [ stand for? Something like SPQR? As moderator, I can also] [ ask Phil, what does SPQR stand for? ] The old cities still hold their secrets. Eyloa's house is a major nexus point and supply depot, set up before the Time of Darkness, maintained during the Latter Times by some one of the local warlords, and expanded and further developed during the time of Llyan of Tszamra and the Duru'ob Kings. It is stuffed with technological prizes. But it is also thoroughly well defenced, both by Eyloa and also by previous residents without his knowledge! He does have a submarine (actually a starship with submersible capabilities), but he doesn't know how to use it. Some of the Undying Wizards covet it, too, and he is not likely to have it for long unless he does something to protect it better. The Lady Sarvodaya Di'ela (one of the less pleasant of the Undying Wizards) is eager to acquire it -- she already has a couple of ancient ships that work by "magic." The submarine emerges from a pen under Eyloa's "House," proably through a permanent nexus point, directly into the ocean off the coast of Livyanu northeast of Laigas. The method of this is not understood -- and, as I recall, Eyloa himself never questioned how the submarine got from under the Tlashte Heights directly out into the sea! But,then, he wasn't very technologically inclined. As I recall, he hired a crew and taught them how to maintain the simpler systems of the ship. Once or twice, he ordered it to submerge while a steersman was still topside at the helm! One does lose some very good steersmen that way... Phil ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //233 [Moderator's Note: David Bailey responds to the message on the fauna of ] [ Tekumel. ] >>Why SHOULD there be exact equivalents of every earth creature on Tekumel. >Look at ancient Mesoamerica the usual European patterns were >missing there, too. That is looking at it from an anthropocentric point of view. If you look at it from the point of view of the flow of energy and resources, there were plenty of carnivores, omnivores, detritovores, pollinators, seed eaters, grass eaters, fruit eaters, etc. Perhaps you meant to say that there were no giant sloths, no capybara, no giant birds and few fruit bats in Europe? >OK. I was just thinking that as Tekumel is an ecosystem that has been >ticking along quite nicely for ~100,000 years that there must be a balance >between wild animals, domesticated animals and man that ecologically >works as an equilibrium. And before that it had its own native flora for eons, then we came and wiped them out! IMHO, the best analogy is the continent of Australasia, where a marvellous flora was eliminated by the intervention, conscious and unconscious, of man and his domesticated animals (and diseases). Man had been in Australia for 40,000 years, and the ecology was by no means in equilibria when 'modern man' arrived more recently. An excellent discussion of this is in a book called 'Ecological Imperialism'... I'll try and find the authors name... rats, I've lent it to a friend, maybe next week. >In this system there must be slots filled by >carnivores, omnivores, scavengers etc. Are there any zoologists out >there who can use these ideas to comment on the wildlife on Tekumel. We >know that Phil is happy to make technical comments part of official >Tekumel if they fit in. I'm only an accountant who once trained as a farmer and forester, I fear, but I would be happy to discuss any such matters. I am sure there are others with more relevant experience. A plea: lets not get stuck in the babble of Runequest /AD&D pseudo-ecology. >Given that there are no pigs on Tekumel but >knowing that on earth pig farmers around towns used to feed the pigs food >waste from the towns I guess that on Tekumel the food waste goes straight >to the chlen pens. The chlen are renowned for their smell for it seems >to fit the slot. And the odd dead slave gets into the mulch as well. >Another angle on this is to consider the effects of the animals that >we know exist. The typical downland countryside of southern England >(that we want to preserve for its natural beauty!) Not me squire, plant more trees and be done with the landscape of opium crazed poets of doubtful moral values!!! >is man made in that it is the result of chopping down forests and grazing >sheep on the hillsides. Equally I seem >to remember that somewhere in the world (possibly SE Asia) there are two >adjacent countries that have different landscape because one doesn't keep >either pigs or goats. (Can anyone help ne out with this half remembered >fact?) Thailand, Bhutan I think. My cousin is a missionary in Bhutan, but my geography is appalling. >Anyway, I presume that on Tekumel wherever chlen graze the grass, >bushes and trees all get munched by these enormous creature. So the open >plains or fields grazed by Chlen will reflect their eating habits. I >think >that this is shown in the illustration in the bestiary that depicts open >grasslands except for small clumps of large sturdy trees. This is >probably >more like savannah where elephants roam. Or, indeed the N American buffalo plains. >Taking this onward. Bull elephants can be vicious when protecting a >herd or if they become "rogues". How difficult to handle are chlen in the >rutting season? There is a beast I wouldn't want to have an argument >with. Are only female [cow?] chlen used for pulling carts as they are >more docile? Ah, now there is scope for a scenario. 'Noble master, your cousin has been gored by a rutting chlen, you must don the mantle of Prime Inter- locutor for the clan immediately' David Bailey ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //234 [Moderator's Note: Joe's question about character group dynamics in a ] [ campaign sparked a comment from one of the other play- ] [ ers in that campaign. Steve Foster adds this. ] >The only Tekumel campaign I have had direct contact with is Patrick >Brady's, in London, where he has made all of the player characters >members of the same clan. This allows characters of otherwise diverse >backgrounds and religious beliefs to work together, as their clan loyalty >overrides other issues. Hah! Not so! I was poisoned by my own clan-brother in this campaign! (...after I'd gone out to rescue him from smugglers, too!) Steve F ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //235 [Moderator's Note: Bob Alberti adds his ideas to the discussion about Char- ] [ acter Group Dynamics. ] The question of group dynamics is very complex, and straddles that grey line between the player and the "character". As Professor Barker points out, Tekumelani social differences are extremely difficult to overcome. In one game I recall, my Ksarul priest, Arjai hi Vaisoner of the very high Cloak of Azure Gems clan, encountered the famous Captain Harchar when Dave Arneson (of the original D&D) came to visit one evening. Despite my PERSONAL desire to enjoy Mr. Arneson's visit, Arjai would have NONE of it. In the middle of a very difficult military campaign (for which the noble Arjai had consented to assume requisition and supply duties for the good of the cause), along came this near-Nakomai rogue, this scruffy ruffian, swaggering through the camp and messing things up. Who was he? How dare he! As my personal dismay grew, the Ksarul priest grew more and more irritated with this low-class slimeball. Finally, someone opened up a nexus point in the vicinity, and Captain Harchar decided to stick his head through and see what was on the other side. Arjai seized the opportunity and used his "Visitations of the Other Planes" spell to slam the nexus point shut, hoping to separate Harchar from his head. Harchar survived, but his scruffy beard was trimmed a few centimeters shorter than it had been! Along with class differences, there are personal differences between the players which sometimes the best roleplayers cannot overcome. We have had enmities between group members which prevented otherwise-logical character alignments. More common are affinities between group members which overcome otherwise illogical character alignments: two people who are pals at the table can usually trust each other's characters not to stab the other in the back. The best role-play overcomes many of these differences while keeping the doctrinal schims nicely subtle. Early in the game, Arjai's specialty was the last-minute end-run, aka "taking credit". For example, one time our party used magical means to acquire a large cache of iron bars. The party transported this iron to Avanthar, with the expressed intent (by the Vimuhla worshippers present) of giving it to Mirusiya or maybe the Emperor. Arjai was able to link up with a telepath prior to arriving and notified Prince Mridobu's agents first, so that Mridobu received the iron, and Arjai received the credit. Nobody in the party got hurt or 'stabbed in the back' -- the group was simply met by a different set of OAL guards upon approaching Avanthar, and escorted to a different place than they would have been to drop off their iron. The conflict existed and was played out, but without bloodshed or even great disagreement between the members. The thanks of an Imperial Prince are a great thing to have, and if its one rather than the other, well, that's still pretty good. However, things are not always peaches-and-chumetl. Conflicts really came to a head when one of our Vimuhla-worshipping players insisted on flirting with Sarku. Those were difficult times for the party and for Professor Barker. In the midst of a struggle against Dhichune and the Worm, an incredibly powerful Vimuhla priestess with unique magical abilities (she could "draw energy" out of an area and use it for herself!) was seduced by Gereshma'a. Distrust of this character increased steadily even as the player insisted that her character's behavior was completely logical for that character. Unfortunately, the LOGICAL response by the rest of us would be to kill that character as soon as possible! We were all quite distressed. Arjai attempted to diffuse the situation by means of a summoning where Gereshma'a and Jeneksha were to fight it out over this mortal ("once and for all") but this nearly turned into a Ganga-style disaster! Fortunately, or unfortunately, for all concerned, the character decided after this debacle to have herself "purified" by Vimuhla of the Sarku influences... and upon a set of bitterly bad dice rolls, perished, permanently. So despite the best efforts of everyone involved, this conflict was played out to its bitter end. It was unfortunate, but these things do happen. At such times it is best if the players involved can separate themselves from their characters and the conflicts within the game -- otherwise people can foster hard feelings. The differences between these two circumstances were greatly influenced by the goals in each case. When the goals involved are some treasure and some credit, the conflict does not get as deadly. When one is involved in a civil war and a powerful individual has questionable loyalties, death walks close at hand. Arjai hi Vaisoner, Priest of Ksarul, Cloak of Azure Gems Clan. Tarinu hiKirisaya, Warrior of Chiteng, Golden Bough Clan. Adlar hiFershena, Warrior of Karakan, Red Sword Clan. Bob Alberti, Priest of Ethernet, Programming Geeks Clan. ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //236 [Moderator's Note: Bob Alberti adds more to the Fauna of Tekumel discussion.] >[Moderator's Note: David Bailey responds to the message on the fauna of ] >[ Tekumel. ] > >>>Why SHOULD there be exact equivalents of every earth creature on Tekumel. There is a distinction which is missing from this discussion, and that is the role played (pardon the pun!) by the creatures... in two systems! The first system is the "Natural" system. In that system, a pig is a rooting herbivore. The second system is the "Human" system. In that system, a pig is a domesticated protein source. Looked at in this manner, you can see that it's perfectly possible for an animal to fulfill one role, but not the other. The science of ecosystems may mandate a "rooting herbivore" to carry out the task of oxygenating the soil, unearthing deeply-buried seeds that might otherwise not sprout, or whatever it is that make rooting herbivores important to an ecosystem. However, nothing about this role dictates that the resulting animal be easily domesticable, high in protein, or even particularly tasty. So while Tekumel may lack pigs, it may not lack for rooting herbivores. I know I'm always out there rooting for the herbivores. Rah! Rah!\ Arjai hi Vaisoner, Priest of Ksarul, Cloak of Azure Gems Clan. Tarinu hiKirisaya, Warrior of Chiteng, Golden Bough Clan. Adlar hiFershena, Warrior of Karakan, Red Sword Clan. Bob Alberti, Priest of Ethernet, Programming Geeks Clan. ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //237 [Moderator's Note: Brett Slocum relays questions which he received through ] [ USnail mail from James Roach. ] [ I will be out of town starting Friday Morning, and won't ] [ be back until Sunday morning. Please don't count on any ] [ traffic after this message until Sunday. (maybe 1 more) ] Anybody have more details regarding the siege of the City of Sarku that occured during the reign of Shaira Su? Deeds of the Everglorious only mentions that the Legion of the Blue Kirtle attended. What other legions participated in the siege? [Moderator's Note: Since I read every page of Deeds numerous times in the ] [ editting process 8-/ I can tell you that there is much ] [ information on Shairu Su's reign, and about the Seige of ] [ the city of Sarku. I don't remember all the details, but] [ there is quite a bit of information there. ] Has Dhich'une taken any punitive action against this legion during his reign? [Moderator's Note: I am betting that Dhich'une has done nothing substantial ] [ because he is too busy just holding on to power. If he ] [ did try anything, it would likely be and "empty" threat ] [ on paper, while the troops would run to Eselne or Reresh-] [ qala. If they haven't done so already. Phil will let us] [ know I am sure. ] Brett Slocum slocum@io.com ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //238 [Moderator's Note: Alan Brain comments on Bob Alberti's experience. ] [ Word has come in on SPQR and ISTR, ISTR = I Seem to ] [ Recall: SPQR is latin, Senatus Popolusque Romanus: ] [ "The Senate and People of Rome" -- what the army used to ] [ put on its standards back in my earlier days...(From Phil] [See note at the end of this message, too. ] Legend > = Bob Alberti = Alan Brain >So despite the best efforts of everyone involved, this conflict >was played out to its bitter end. It was unfortunate, but these >things do happen. At such times it is best if the players involved >can separate themselves from their characters and the conflicts within >the game -- otherwise people can foster hard feelings. Way back in 1977, a Ksarul-worshipping magician of middle status ( and as it turned out, One of the Four Palace's sleeping agents ) engaged in a little recreational archaeology, along with a number of others of like mind. One of the members, despite solemn oaths to the contrary, attempted to keep the major item found in an otherwise unrewarding and disasterous foray for himself. The rest of the band were not amused. This mage then paid out his share of the loot - ah - re-distributed the found artifacts amongst his brethren - and took possession of the bound and gagged unfortunate. Shortly aftwerwards, Amidst great ceremony in a nearby (and covert) Ksarul Shrine, this otherwise healthy, unmarked and unblemished captive had a ceremonial dagger inserted between the 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae, according to the forms. (That same mage and that same dagger appeared in a starring role in another tale, previously told here..) The player whose character it was just could not believe what my character did. A naive young American Lawful amongst us Australian Chaotics, to use the vernacular common at the time. For a while, there was some bad feeling. But he got over it. He saw the logic, and was eventually able to separate his character from himself. ------------------------- C++ - The APL of the future | Alan & Carmel Brain | Unix - THE operating system for the 1980's! | Canberra Australia | C - Structured Portable Assembler ------------------------- Ada83/95 - For when your life depends on the Program Z gauge - Small is Beautiful ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. [Moderator's Note: This is the last message I have, and no more will go out ] [ until Sunday if they come in. I have arranged ] [ dropping off the Zocchi sourcebook with our scanner while] [ I am gone. It was a most depressing thing, ripping up my] [ Sourcebook... :( Hope everyone appreciates that bit of ] [ mayhem.... I hope that it scans well after all this. ] [ I am just beginning the process of editting the Different] [ Worlds Source books, (both volumes). The scanning was ] [ pretty clean, but no guesses as to how long it will take.] [ We plan to publish the whole Zocchi Sourcebook (unless it] [ just doesn't scan well), and then pull off what would ] [ have been part 3, and make it available separately, for ] [ those who might have the printed editions of 1 and 2 al- ] [ ready. ] //239 [Moderator's Note: Tekunu provides the following information on Eyloa's ] [ house. ] Yes Indeed! I Achan Tlashte (formerly Achan hi'Sayanu of Jakalla), Champion of Eyloa Tlashte, have indeed traveled in the marvelous item that is known as a submarine. Please be advised that said item is presently in an unreachable part of the house these days due to floods and an infestation of some sort. The nexus access to the submarine pens has also moved, making it unreachable. Somewhere I have a map of a Hlyss ship....at least as far as I got in it. We attacked it in the submarine..... Let me say I will never ever ever go on a submarine again. Eyloa's house is indeed a marvelous place full of passages and wonders. I had attempted to map the house only to find out tha the house had shifted at times through the planes. In other words a map is only as good as the day upon which it was made. Eyloa's house is located in several micro universes with access to and from nexus points. Some parts do not move. The main gate is defended by several lightning bringers in copula's. Directly ahead is a hall with a formal reception area for the King of Tlashte Heights on the left and the reception area for his other titles on the right. Further to the right is the Hall of Remembrances, and the Hall of Contemplation. Beyond this is the Hall of Guests (leading to the the guest areas, library, ru'un firing range, tub room, ru'un pleasure servants, museum of curiosities. Finally the Hall of Victory leads to forbidden areas of the house. Further to the left are the permanent residences of the servants of Tlashte. Including myself. Sevice Automoton centers are in this area. Being in the house for a period of three years allowed me to relate the wonderous items contained within but let me note this: Never....and I repeat never....take or even contemplate using items of great power. There are those who are always watching for these items. Most of these items have been claimed by the mighty ones. To show or use them will only cause them to be taken away. So you might as well give them up right away. In my days as an adventurer, whenever I strode forth in Achan's Power Armour with Demon Swords and Eyes of all Kinds, I usually was up to my neck in trouble, chased through the planes and the like. But..... whenever I went forth in Chlen Hide, with a simple steel sword (in a Chlen Hide scabbard), and only carried a Ring of Recall and a simple eye or two .... I was never bothered and could travel freely. I learned this lesson when traveling down a road in my youth. I travelled in great style with sedan chairs, guards, concubines, cooks, etc. etc. etc. Every night and day the greater beasts, creatures and groups of men would attack me furiously and yet when I looked off to the side of the road there were farmers in the fields peacefully working. How could this be? How could they work with all of these nasties trying to kill them? La Ho it is because the beasts think them not worthy. Therefore I learned to travel in disguise. It works, don't laugh. ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable. //240 [Moderator's Note: Tekunu also provides the following message about the ] [ Underworlds of Tsolyanu. FYI Alan, and all, the Prof ] [ sent me a note saying that the last message was enjoyed,] [ and brought back pleasant memories of those adventures. ] [ Also Alan, some listmembers have expressed interest in ] [ your map of the Hluss ship mentioned in the last mes- ] [ sage. Can you email me an encoded version? I have a ] [ scanner available, if you don't. ] I Tekunu hi'Qolyelmu have found my original notes and maps (of my fief and the underground beneath) that were expressed in Part Two/Volume Three of the Solitaire Adventures by the Great One. With your permission I will relate these journal entries for those who wish to know what it was like being a player in that adventure. I Tekunu hi'Qolyelmu of the Golden Sunburst am the Anseknekus of the Fief of Jikutlar (hex 3016 on the old map). I am a landed noble with my immediate entourage of about 100 persons. Of my followers I take special note of Daragma hi Turugda and his son Gubanu who are my hunter and messenger respectively. My Fief takes up about a third of the hex and consists of my house in the central east with the following towns and villages: Numar, Semus, Chuluga, Mritl, Diride, Tekunek, and Mashtla. To the Northwest is the fief of Ajinasa, under Vriyatal hi Semen, to the northeast and east is Mirikanu under Beshkma hi Zharmuru and to the south east and south is the fief of Achura under juragjishu hi Nyelatsar. To the West and South is my good friend Tekenta hi Talkelmu, a Dlamelish worshipper that I used to dally with in my youth and have an affection for to this day. I have the usual retainers Arko the Butler, Bedha the Cook. 8th of Trantor: The arecheology team is back in the pits. Ssu remains in the pits. The area was not all man made, this is obvious to me. Some of this was a natural cavern. A huge steel mace is recovered by myself but I left it in the pit. Engvanyali, Benlgen, and Square Characters are written on the walls. All under the ssu area are the spores (ssugun). A number of people digging from the temple of Hnalla. It appears we have the local students clubs for the archeologists. During the past few days there are no longer my serveants and peasants working. They have been taken off the case. I request that I be kept informed. I order a reception for the students in the garden after sunset. I have decided to open the dig to all temples in the hopes that with no secrecy they will fight over the rights for years allowing me to explore in the meantime. I have some hesitation in allowing the worm-boys in but I should let every temple be represented. 9th Trantor: We find a collapsed building. A chimney about seventy feet leads to the west. I lead the exploration. We enter two connected rooms and proceed into a cavernous area. A beast dwells there that I slay and we explore the six exits. Looking around we find more script on the wall. We find a tube that is about 4 inches in diameter that looks like a wasps nest. Everything is quiet through the area. Pottery is found with Eng. designs. We leave and come back. The monster's body is not here. We widen passages and bring slaves down to help establish this area as a base camp. We seal off the four corridors that lead south, south west, west, and west. The corridor to the northwest has a four foot by four foot marker 3/8 to 1/4 inch thick white metal that is coated with enamal. It has lettering. This is a small hole next to the marker. There being a box behind the marker. When the marker is pulled away a lump is inside the box. There is also a metalic object a about 6 inches in diameter contained within. We opne the tube and find a document a spell of regeneration. There is another document that is written in a similar language as the sign. It appears to be a commentary to the language. Decree and translation of the language. Ancient Script and a translation in a newer language. This could be the key to translate all of the script we may find down here. A stairwell is in front of us. I decide not to go down but to take the final passage first. We pull back and head up the passageway going north. On the wall are heavy mosaic letters. These are new and different from what we have seen. In a small chamber we find an egg. It must be to the monster we killed. Karenuma (A Hnalla Priest and a theorist of languages) who came along with us notes that we are seeing a succession of scripts from the later times until about 300 years ago. We travel through a twisted area of natural rock to the north east until we reach a cul de sac. The two exits leading northeast and northwest are blocked. The corridor to the northwest that leads to the stairwell down appears to be the only way out other than the series of rooms we came through. We leave and will return on the morrow after the slaves have made this area more habitable. (I will continue if you wish to hear more, it does get more exciting I promise) [Moderator's Note: I don't know about everyone else, but I am interested.] ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: nexus.prin.edu Open 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down or unavailable.