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 SIX 151: The Real Meaning of Nobility and Titles in Tsolyanu 152: The Unholy Grail 153: Subadim and Hrugga 154: A Difficult Situation 155: A Difficult Situation Response 156: Subadim and Hrugga Reply 157: Difficult Situation Reply, and State of the Empire 158: Difficult Situation (more) Reply 159: Difficult Situation Response 160: Current Events Around Jakalla 161: Ah, l'amour 162: Tekunu's Notes on Recent Jakalla Events 163: Ah, L'amour Reply 164: Tekunu's Rememberances of the Jakallan Food Riots 165: Prince Taksuru and Events around Dhich'une's Rise to Power 166: Temple Art Styles 167: Professor Barker's Reply to Tekunu's Rememberances, Take 2 168: Prince Taksuru Reply 169: Temple Art Styles Reply 170: More Info on Taksuru 171: Pechano 172: Sea Travel around the Five Empires 173: Tekunu's Sea Travel Notes 174: Weather Musings 175: Tekumel-Con Update 176: More Pechano 177: More Weather Musings 178: Thanks to Tekunu 179: Ditlana 180: Tsolyanu Newcomer's Guide ************************************* //151 [Moderator's Note: Bob Dushay asks a question about Nobility, and its real ] [ meaning on Tekumel. ] Professor Barker: I was wondering about how nobility works in the social hierarchy of Tsolyanu (and the other Five Empires). Is nobility an obsolete title that denotes breeding, like most of modern Europe, or is it a mark of real status and power above being a member of a high clan/high lineage? How does one become a noble? How does one lose noble status? Are the perenially rebellious Vriddi and Ito clans noble? Here's a brief [brief? ;)] answer to Bob Dushay's question: In the Tekumel Sourcebook (Zocchi edition, p. 61), I wrote: "The hereditary nobility of the Five Empires is descended from the aristocracy of the Bednalljan and Engsvanyali periods. A noble title now carries no necessary concomitant of political power or wealth, but there is still a correlation: the high clans which bear these appellations are the same clans which have remained close to the centres of authority the longest. Thus, while one may sometimes encounter a "High Lord" who has neither money nor an Imperial office, it is much more common to find such a person at the helm of affairs. As examples, one may cite the Tsolyani titles of /Arsekmekoi/ (the slashes denotes italicisation in the original) "Baron, a fiefholder of middle rank" (/-koi/ is a suffic added to most "noble" nouns; cf. the Tsolyani grammar), /Hehellukoi/ "Count," /Pachukoi/ "Lord," and /Mringukoi/ "High Lord." The first of these was once a Bendalljan military rank -- the commander of a city garrison; the second denoted a class of provincial courtiers in the Empire of Engsvan hla Ganga; the third was used for the kinsmen of the Bednalljan rulers; and the fourth signified the family members of the Engsvanyali Priestkings. These titles are only rarely conferred today, and they serve only as marks of Imperial favour. In the south they pass from eldest son to eldest son, while in the north they descend through the female line: a woman's husband holds the title only as long as she lives and/or the marriage lasts. Her sons are still "noble" but have no right to the title itself." There is a link between clan and title of course. Middle and low clans almost never have members who hold these ancient titles, while the wealthiest and most prestigious clans (e.g. Sea Blue, Golden Bough, Golden Sunburst, Vriddi, Might of Ganga, Cloak of Azure Gems, etc.) include many title-holders, each tied by tradition, family, etc. to clan land holdings. Getting a new title is VERY difficult, if not impossible. The current Emperor, Lord Dhich'une whose throne-name is "Eternal Splendour," has issued none at all -- perhaps because the worshippers of Lord Sarku were conspicuously ignored in both the Bednalljan and Engsvanyali peerages and were granted few such titles. As a result, the Sarku-worshipping clans tend to disdain such honours. Most title-holders are males, but there are many women (particularly in the matrilineal north). There have even been one or two Pe Choi and a Pachi Lei in the distant past. None of the other nonhuman races has been so honoured. I think I have had only one player character in all the years we have enjoyed Tekumel who actually achieved the title "Pachukoi." He had performed such services for the Empire that old Hirkane Tlakotani finally bestowed it on him. Others have applied but have been politely "put on hold" -- as I am sure most of us would be if we wrote in to the relevant British authorities today and asked for a peerage! There is no egalitatarian in the Five Empires: when a title-holder attends a large party or festival, his/her title is read out by the chamberlains whose task it is to admit and seat guests. It is also read with many honorifics and flowery praises when he/she is presented to the Governor or in the Hall of the Petal Throne. It is inscribed in gold ink on deeds, writs, and other documents, and mention of it will almost always get the person in to see priests, officials, and bureaucrats. As stated above, land ownership is largely clan-based, so that only _personal_ lands may sometimes go with a title. A clan title, however, usually remains with a lineage and a family within that lineage, so that it is likely to be passed on to some scion of that family, rather than to some other person. Thus, as long as the Chaishyani lineage of the Golden Sunburst clan of Jakalla maintains its honour and position, the title of /Mringukoi/ that it has held since the days of the Priestkings will likely be handed on to the eldest son of the current owner. It would only devolve upon some other person if the Chaishyanis had no children or were disgraced. Then the clan elders would meet and after much politicking, a new /Mringukoi/ would be selected. Money, clan loyalty, and service would play a large part in this, of course. A noble _must_ hand on his/her title to the eldest son (in the south; cf. above), of course. One cannot just decide to give it away to a friend! If lands go with the title, then the fiefholder is responsible for taxes, arrears, and other expenses. Failure to pay these will bring about clan censure and quick action by the elders, who may pay amounts due but will then compel the fiefholder to surrender a share of the crops, produce, and business profits accruing from the land. Complete failure to pay -- or unwillingness -- will result in the clan getting a confiscation order from the Palace of the Realm, and the title will then be taken away from its holder and bestowed on some other clansman -- together with much social opprobrium and disgrace! I cannot remember the last time this rare step was taken. THere are ceremonies, special costumes, honorific forms of address, and many other details that go along with a title, of course. The title-holder is expected to be a little more ceremonious, aloof, and dignified. He/she is also expected to marry a person of similar glorified lineage as his/her "First Spouse," although concubines and lesser wives/husbands can be added without a problem. Note that the "Baron" of Yan Kor is an /Arsekmekoi/ -- and very proud of it. He obtained this title years ago when he fought for the Tsolyani (before Kaidrach Field), and he retains it to this day. He could now grant himself all sorts of Yan Koryani titles and glorified epithets, but he does not. (Rather like "Colonel" Qadhafi of Libya, who, one assumes, could call himself pretty much what he pleased within his nation's boundaries.) I hope this has been helpful. Phil [Moderator's Note: I followed up with the Professor about this, and here is ] [ what he had to say. ] > Are the perenially rebellious Vriddi and Ito clans noble? They both have MEMBERS who hold noble titles. THe Vriddi have more, the Itos considerably less. I don't know the exact number of "Lords," "Cou nts," etc. for either, however. I suspect it's about 10 ttitles for the Vriddi, some of which are clan-based, and 2 or 3 are "personal." The Itos probalby have only 1 or 2 clan-based titles and maybe 1 personal one (the current Ito overlord). >I would think the Vriddi are, since they have local control of Fasiltum (they >do, don't they?). I don't think the Itos have local control of their area, >but then again, I could be wrong about that, too. "Control" does not matter at all, any more than it does for modern British peers. Nobody "owns" or "controls" land. Titles are NOT based on "control" but on ancient tradition, rather like modern Europe. Fiefs of land are ALL _Imperial_ in nature and can be given, changed, or taken away by the Emperor at any time. This applies both to "personal" lands and to clan-based lands. Temples also own land (under the Emperor), but corporations do not "own" land; their members do -- under the supreme right of the Emperor, of course. The Emperor normally does not rock the boat by depriving people of their hereditary clan lands or their personal lands. This would cause a lot of opposition that he doesn't need. He CAN confiscate ANYTHING, if he so desires and deems necesseary. Getting it away from its current owners is another story, of course, particularly in these troubled times. Legally, Dhich'une could even deprive his siblings of their Imperial titles and holdings and grant them his Sarku cronies. That would make his hold on the Petal Throne even more unstable than it currently is, and so he is very unlikely to try it. Answer your question? [Moderator's Note: And then some! Thanks 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. //152 [Moderator's Note: Bob Alberti offers up this tantalizing tidbit of info on ] [ the possible effects of tinkering with planar realities. ] Engaged in the neverending process of organizing my data (read "getting my Chlen-droppings together"), I came across this monograph by a scholar priest of Ksarul noted for his singular understanding of the Many Planes, an adherent to the "Great Tree" faction of interplanar scholars. Reviewing the monograph offers a glimpse into one school of Tsolyani scholarly thought regarding the nature of the Many Planes. ----- Arjai hiVaisoner, Cloak of Azure Gems, Clan. On the Employment of the Cup of Instant Extirpation and How this Item is Best Used The Cup of Instant Extirpation is a powerful magical device which can be employed to destroy an individual across a multitude of Planes of Reality simultaneously. However, elementary interplanar physics suggests that the employment of such a device can only generate useless side-planes, to the detriment rather than benefit of the wielder. The author explains some means by which this cup can be employed safely and effectively. The so-named "Cup of Instant Extirpation" has its origins in the unknown past. Some claim it was and is sought for some time by the Undying Wizard whose name, T d, is foreign to the ear. There is, of course, no way to confirm or deny these speculations. In appearance the Cup is mundane, seeming to be a simple clay cup approximately three inches deep by two-and-a-half in diameter at its widest point, ovoid, and based on a conical clay stem about three inches high, two in diameter at the base, one-and-a-half where it joins the cup (Figure 1). It bears what appears to be a black (sometimes deep blue) ceramic coating. It appears only slightly magical to the trained eye. Do not be deceived, however, for this is a mighty magical item! ____ < ____ > \_ __ _/ | | |_ _| Figure 1. The Cup of Instant Extirpation. Until recently the cup was lost among the belongings of a Priest of Ksarul in Mrelu, who was employing it as a mundane toothbrush- holder! The advances of the forces of Prince Eselne hiTlakotane into that region forced his evacuation to Hmakuyal, where the item was recovered by the author. When properly employed, the Cup acts to destroy a given target individual, slaying them instantly not only on the plane of employ, but on all nearby side-planes for several (an untranslatable unit of measure). While potent in its effect, it is rendered almost useless when examined from the point-of-view of multiplanar causality. Multiplanar causality demands that the most likely things occur in the most likely fashion. For instance, if I release a stone, it should fall a predictable path and land on the ground before me. If it does so, it exists on a plane which can be called "normal", and which runs a normal path through the multiverse of possible planes (Figure 2, a). If the stone behaves in an "unlikely" manner, say it is affected by a Translocation spell to fly upwards or sideways, then it exists on a slightly-less-normal plane, one which moves down a path divergent from what is "normal" (b). If the stone behaves in extremely unlikely manner -- turns into a flock of Kuni-birds, for instance, which fly away -- then it can be presumed to exist on plane which runs an extremely unusual path through the multiverse (c). (a) Normal =======================> stone at rest | (b) \========> stone's path diverted by magic \ (c) \___. stone spontaneously becomes Kuni birds Figure 2. Elementary Planar Physics. It is well-understood, therefore, that there are many cases in which an action is so unlikely or its effects are so profound that they can generate "impossible" planes -- planes which are physically or logically inconsistent. These planes can suffer several fates. They can loop endlessly in time; they can fade into insubstantiality; and they can "break" from their original plane and become a "pocket" or "side" plane (ref. the work of the noted scholar Kalusu hiViridame "On Small or Unlikely Planes and their Qualities and Fogulations", available in the Library of Azure Knowing in Bey Su). We return from our excursion into planar physics to the circumstance of the Cup of Instant Extirpation. It should now be obvious to the reader why such an item is dangerous; its use would possibly place one's own plane, and many others, into a highly unlikely state. When it is considered that it would most likely be used as a weapon of political assassination when wielded by those unversed in the knowledge of our Blue Lord, its possible ramifications become daunting indeed. To employ this cup against a figure of some influence, say against a high priest or major head-of-state, would possibly send one's plane off to join the dusty texts of Priestess Kalusu upon some scholar's shelf! However, it IS possible to employ this cup, both safely and effectively, and this I desire to demonstrate with this document. Consider first that some bumbling peasant or Thumis priest wields the Cup, inadvertently or not, against some foe. Instantly, and across many planes, that individual's Skein of Destiny is ripped from its loom and woven as sail-fabric into the barques which carry the Gloriously Departed to the Isles of Teretane. The spontaneous and apparently causeless death of this individual would cause many planes to diverge sharply from normal circumstance. If this person is of no import to events on the plane -- if, for an extreme example, he or she were about to perish of natural means -- then the plane might soon rejoin the "normal path" towards the future. However, if this person were to have spawned several children, and if one of those would have, say, overthrown the Salarvyani in war and secured the Influence of Tsolyanu across the eastern portion of the continent, then it is possible that the side- path might never rejoin that which is fated to see the God Emperor control all the world. And if this person was mighty in stature, and due to influence all of Tekumel, the plane might proceed off into the realm of the Unlikely and Impossible, losing physical cohesion as it loses logical possibility, finally evaporating into Nothing. All this time, the original wielder of the Cup is trapped on a side- plane of his or her own making. The Cup and wielder remain with the plane as the prime cause of these unlikely and unfortunate events. A logical and just end for those who would thwart the will of the very Gods! Consider now, another circumstance. The Cup is borne by a competent user, a Priest of Ksarul versed in the Arts, to some distant and unoccupied side-plane. To this place the target is lured forth. Consider: now the target has, by his or her own will, divorced themselves voluntarily from the Planes of Reality which we call "normal". These planes proceed forth, unaffected by the fate which befalls the target. The Cup may then be employed effectively, and the wielder can return by magical means to the Primary Planes, which remain unaffected by the not-at-all unusual circumstance of the victim's failure to return from the Planes Beyond! And consider finally this median circumstance. The Priest of Ksarul, by grace of our All-Knowing Lord, proceeds as described to an unoccupied and distant side-plane. There he wields the cup against a target who remains on the Primary Planes. What are the effects? The apparently causeless effect of the spontaneous extirpation of an individual from a Primary Plane would undoubtedly be the creation of a multitude of dire side-planes. However, the wielder would not be on any of those planes. By definition, those planes which split off towards some unpleasant end would no longer be Primary Planes. The Priest then returns by magical means. He will find himself back on his original Primary Plane, sometime after he left, with his target apparently unaffected and whole. Possibly the target could now be tricked into fleeing to the resultant side-planes, where his presence would be unchallenged by his original on that plane, but where his eventual doom would be sealed as the side-plane met its end. Regardless, this example serves to illustrate that the Cup of Instant Extirpation is not an entirely suicidal and useless device, but an item which can be turned effectively to one's ends if wielded carefully and with due consideration. Of course, these suppositions and theories must remain only that; theory. The effects of the Cup of Instant Extirpation upon the Planes of Reality are non-trivial, and should never be explored. To do so is to risk the lives of uncounted millions! Be warned! Even the attention of the Gods themselves might be turned towards those so foolish as to attempt to employ the dire Cup! 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. //153 [Moderator's Note: New list member Evan Nitsopoulos requests any info on ] [ Subadim and Hrugga. ] I have put some posts on the Tekumel newsgroup requesting info on either of these individuals but as of yet I have recieved no response. Any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated. Also I would like to know if anyone out there has any info they could share on the Shadow Gods. I am running a campaign and I would like to incorporate the above elements into my game. Unfortuneately the info that I have on the above mentioned subjects is rather sketchy. Evan [Moderator's Note: Info on Subadim and Hrugga is sparse, but there are some ] [ bits floating about here and there. Perhaps the professor] [ can provide some ideas of where to look, or a paragraph or] [ two. ] ----- 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. //154 [Moderator's Note: Alan Brain from down under seeks some assistance in un- ] [ tangling a difficult mess. ] A character ( rather than a player ) asked me a difficult question some time ago - and I have no answer. Suggestions please: Background: This 15 year old girl is the Niece of a fairly well-connected ( or ill-connected ?) Sorceror, and former Protector Pro Tempore of (an area near?) the Charigarri Protectorate. ( For a very short period of time, in between 'real' Protectors, who come from much higher lineage. In fact, starting just before a Ssu Incursion, and finishing as soon as the peril had been dealt with). Her family is an offshoot of the otherwise undistinguished Sable Bough Clan, of middle status - her Uncle having brought the Clan great honour by his extremely temporary elevation. Her Uncle has dissappeared ( not unusual ), but this time without leaving his affairs in order. Her Father is fighting somewhere in the west, her Mother is continuously "unwell", and the Clan Elders are gently reminding her that they are there to help. Her problem is that she has been left with the Family Secrets. She has been left aghast at what she's learnt. Her family is not of the lineage she thought - a 'poor but not ignoble' one, but instead of an ancient lineage indeed, yet ignoble. One tracing back to Kheiris. In fact, they claim to be the only family NOT connected in any way whatsoever with Pendarte, and still able to claim the name (translated from the Mu'ugalavyani) hiKheiris. And not connected in any way with the Sable Bough clan either, except by adoption and deceit. I say translated from the Mu'ugalavyani. In fact, her esteemed, heroic and Noble Uncle, honoured for his Imperial Service many times over, is in fact a Mu'ugalavyani, one of the detested Red Hats. He merely awaits the day when he will be 'activated', a day which may never come. Many things now begin to make sense. Why was the family relocated en masse from the borders of Do Chaka clean across the Empire? Her Uncle was 'honoured' all right. Honoured with a suicide mission that he managed to accomplish with a whole skin. The 'gifts' he had given to the Military Party, and to the Imperium may have saved the Family - or may not. Regardless, neither the Ndalu clan nor (as her Uncle put it) "the dunderheaded half-baked RBC" were pleased by her Uncle's actions. And her Uncle's friends from the Blue Curtain are incommunicado or dead now. It also seems most unlikely that any service he could do for the Four Palaces could make up for the power contained in even one of the 'gifts'. But these are all minor matters. Her real problem is that she has been cast adrift from all she knew and held sacred. What she wants to know is: What is the 'honourable thing' to do? Bare all, and have her Father, Mother and Infant Brother disgraced, reviled and Impaled, her adopted Clan forever shamed? Or to carry on the Family Business, hoping she never gets the Message 'Mne'ivi'ish - The Four Sleepers Awake'? One thing she doesn't have to worry about: the Family Secrets known not even to the Red Hats include certain mental exercises, techniques and disciplines that preclude mental eavesdropping - probably one of the main reasons why her family was chosen for the mission. Such techniques - very similar in some ways to the standard Body Control abilities taught at certain temples - do have some side-effects though. They CAN lead to Mental instability in the weak ( as in her Mother...), difficulties in verbal communication (her brother still cannot speak properly), and other effects ( an increased aptitude for manipulation of other planar energy involving Mind Control ). (Description of the latest conversation) According to her, Communication with some Ssu IS possible. After a fashion. She said "Examine the shape of a Lintel.. by changing the shape of it, you change the path a Dri will choose upon it, nga? You communicate with it, and it with you by its actions. Of course (she giggles) Ssu are MUCH harder!". She then looked somewhat sad, and dreamily murmured "The Shamtla they seek runs in our veins..." then recovered with a start. [Moderator's Note: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH! ] [ :) Not again! ] "Here is the dagger my Uncle left. You know the story?" ( I did, but didn't interrupt ) "A most Mighty, Powerful and Puissant Ssu, there was, Yea, Black, Sorcerous, and Terrible. From the uttermost East she(?) came, riding the tempest, high above the lands, Havoc her breath, Devastation her words, Death her Lover and her Friend. Yea, the weeping and the lamentation rose to the Sky, but not in her path - for there reigned only tenebrous silence." This was NOT the style, nor the wording, I was familiar with. The facts I knew: that a Black Ssu, a powerful Magician (as much as one can use that word applied to something so Alien), riding an Aircar of some sort, had carved a swathe of complete desolation, casually immolating soldiers and their sorcerous contingents without slowing. Somehow ("The Lintel" she whispered then - which gave me pause) her Uncle, a sorceror of hitherto unrevealed power, had met this entity in single combat - and after a magical duel of epic proportions ( though no-one who witnessed all of it survived - which is why there has been no epic - or perhaps the epic has been suppressed...) had fought it to a standstill. Neither Man nor Ssu could penetrate the other's defence, though automata crashed and parried, Walls rose and fell. Until this Sorcerer, his every resource expended, exasperatedly threw the dagger his niece was now holding in the general direction of his opponent - directly into one milk-white eye. Thus the story. The blasted craters, the wreckage, the area where even now things grow strange and un-natural - if at all - attest to its veracity. "Silly, she WANTED to die! Wasn't that obvious? Oh, my apologies, Exalted Sir (she used the form -tlakome`lu rather than dlaka`n- , but I let it pass), forgive this poor vessel for her most intemperate outburst. I shame my Parents, My Clan" ( at this a few tears started to fall, as she whispered under her breath) "whatever it is.." then continued "...and Myself. I beg your leave to meditate on my penitence" ( Thus in accordance to the prescribed forms for a well-brought up child apologising to one of equal status in that part of Tsolyanu near Charigari). The dagger appears to be just the sort of thing a Magician of some power would carry. Fabulous Iron - but not of particularly good quality. Enchanted - but no more so , indeed, less so, than one could expect of such a Magician. Yet she took this, the Family Treasure, with her, and held it close as she retired into the Great Library, once more to peruse the Congnoscent Splendour of Pulchritudinous Sapience, or perhaps the Illuminated Tome of Exalted Erudition (Volume 17 - the one with Mythical Animals and Fabulous Beasts - especially horses - in). Again - suggestions please, on how to help this young person? For she has already started the wheels in motion to declare herself Aridani - a neccessary step before SHE makes the decision. | Alan & Carmel Brain | | Canberra Australia | ----- 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. //155 [Moderator's Note: Chuck Monson provides a solution, but I somehow don't ] [ it was what Alan had in mind. :) ] I suggest an elegant cliff diving party.... [Moderator's Note: I have to admit, I did think of this solution, too. ] [ There were just too many machinations in the situation to] [ be able to deal with, how could anyone's life be so rid- ] [ dled with complexity (and stay sane) is beyond me. But, ] [ she did sound a bit touched, didn't she? ] //156 [Moderator's Note: The Professor responds to Evan's message about Subadim ] [ and Hrugga. He has sent me some info, and has pointed me] [ in the direction of Subadim, so I will check into that ] [ and follow up with that info in the next day or so. ] Subadim is mentioned on p. 11 of the Sourcebook (Zocchi version). There isn't much there. Subadim is the protagonist of many legends, mostly later Ensvanyali or early Classical Tsolyani, but he is also rumoured to have lived long before these under other names. His visit to the Home of the Gods, and his search for the Egg of the World on Thenu Thendraya Peak are stories known to every schoolchild. He is said to have possessed a magic cup (perhaps the one described by Arjai hiVaisoner in a Blue Room dispatch I have just enjoyed, and also a magic ship that moved without oars or sails and was made of scintillating white metal. He also wrote a book about the Farther Planes beyond the Pylons; it was titled "Realms Beyond the Triple Knot," and it is now lost. The last copy is said to have been destroyed when the armies of Emperor Trakonel I burned the temples of the One Other in Tsolyanu. The epic of Hrugga is clearly a legend built up around a real warrior. His exploits run on to several volumes, and there are at least two recensions of these, giving different dates, places, and adventures. He is thus a little like Hercules. The stories are in Engsvanyali verse in the longest recension ( -- and don't ask me to write it all out or quote extensively!) and are episodic in nature. Hrugga was apparently one of the Heroes of the Age, groups that the Gods choose to defend the structure and stability of Tekumel's Plane. These small groups are picked at crisis points along the main timeline, whenever there are threats (usually from the Pariah Gods) to the Skein of Reality. They are given specific taks and objectives. If they win against the foes the enemies cast up against them, then all is well and the universe goes on. If they fail, then there is catastrophe and doom and darkness across the lands. It is said that the failure of the Engsvanyali hero Kokun led tot he sinking of Ganga and the rise of the northern seas to become the central interior plain of Yan Kor. Hrugga is said to have gambled with Avanthe,"won the world, two moons, and half as much again," but nobly continued playing until he lost it all back so as not to embarrass her. (This is from a Bednalljan court poet from the time of Nayari -- so he is at least that ancient.) He is also reported crushing the demon Qu'u on Thenu Thendraya Peak, zapped the Demon of Death (Missum) on Dormoron Plain in defence of the heroes of Stability, and fought the giant Nirusama in a terrible battle that is said in the legend to have lasted "three ages and an aeon." I have not put these epics together in written form. You'll have to piece them together from whatever your Tsolyani friends tell you as you experience Tekumel. I must note that I do NOT allow these characters to become central in my games - - it tends to put too much pressure on the players to have to deal with worldshaking events far beyond their ken -- and they can then savour the occasional chance to meet and gain aid or advice from such mighty figures of legend. Do you refer to the Shadow Gods of Livyanu -- or possibly to the three Pariah Deities, who now exist only in secret cliques and enclaves here and there across the Five Empires? The Shadow Gods are briefly described on pp. 53-54 of the Zocchi Sourcebook. The Pariah Gods are mentioned on p. 55. (Somebody can tell us what the TOME version page numbers are, if they are needed.) One of these days I'll get around to writing more about these various pantheons; I know what they are and what they are attempting to do, but they are not central to my own interests on Tekumel, and so they have never been completely codified. I hope this helps a bit. As I say, this is not one of my own major areas of interest, and legend, in my opinion, ought to remain legend... Regards, Phil [Moderator's Note: New listmember Joe Saul let me know that there is an ar- ] [ ticle on Hrugga in one of the issues of the Eye of All- ] [ Seeing wonder. A British Magazine dealing with Tekumel, ] [ but the material in it is not stamped as official Tekumel ] [ by the Professor. In any case, it may have some info in ] [ it that you find useful. ] ----- 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. //157 [Moderator's Note: The professor adds his opinion on the difficult situation ] [ Alan described, and adds some very tasty news of the em- ] [ pire. WOW! ] This is the sort of difficult question that I am most reluctant to address. It is clear that the girl has a duty to the Imperium (patriotism, as we might put it these days), but her loyalty to her clan, lineage, and parents is likely to be greater and more compelling. (What, for example, would YOU do if you found your father was a spy for a hostile power?) At the moment, she is far from the Mu'ugalavyani border and from any pressing reason to run in to the Palace of the Realm and "fess up." The Empire is in flux these days anyway, and it will likely not matter what she says or does at this point. Prince Rereshqala's armies have just marched unopposed into Thraya, and the next step is Sokatis. The Governor of Sokatis is a worshipper of Durritlamish, but he despises Dhich'une and will likely collaorate with either Eselne or Rereshqala, whoever gets to him with enough troops first. The Sarku legions have been routed in the southeast, and there is rumour of a mighty battle to the east of Avanthar, with Prince Mirusiya's Vimuhla troops from Fasiltum receiving direct aid from the Baron of Yan Kor and the Lady Deq Dimani. Her Legion of the Fishers of the Flame contains crack troops with a lot of battle experience. I think Dhich'une's in trouble... There is even a story to the effect that the Worm Emperor has fled westwards to Aukesha and farther to the City of Sarku. No one can confirm this. Prince Taksuru, the most recently revealed heir to the Petal Throne, is also said to have driven Dhich'une's forces back north to the very gates of Avanthar, where he hopes to meet with Mirusiya and the Baron and decide on strategies against both Eselne and Rereshqala. All is chaos... To the specific question of the girl: Her father has survived the battle for Bey Su, fighting for Prince Taksuru. He is now on furlough and has written to his wife to ask about his daughter. Her mother's illness might be helped if her handsome, heroic husband were to get a leave and come home. Her uncle is probably fled to Mu'ugalavya, where the Red Hats have put him into a unit charged with administering the conquered lands of Pan Chaka. They may pull him out at any time and send him back into Tsolyanu to try to cause disruption between the Princes and shape things more to their liking. At the moment, her uncle is not a problem to her. Nothing she does can really stop him or even hinder his plans. The Empire is too fragmented for messages to travel all the way across to the Chakas, and there are more important considerations (including mobs of refugees pouriing into Sokatis and Thraya from the battles farther west. I doubt whether the Mu'ugalavyani will ever bother to "activate" her or her family. They are just a little preoccupied in Pan Chaka nd down in Livyanu. Her mind-control abilities can be easily overcome by more powerful sorcerers, of course. Less experienced sorcerers will find her impossible to "read," and if she ever REALLY comes to the attention of the Imperium, they'll simply pass her on to somebody who'll riffle her mental pages like a telephone book! I hope she never actually HAS to try to converse with a Ssu. My current group is all too familiar with the monsters! Good luck. (In my campaign she'd be unable to get a message across on any regular basis unless she rolled a percentile dice score of 1-10 each time.) The Ssu would almost certainly have her for breakfast. The Black Ssu are the most dangerous of all. They are anything but "insensate beasts," possessing all the intelligence, courage, and talents of their human enemies and then some! If they bred faster, there would be no stopping them -- unless the great Hokun empires of the southern seas could defeat them. Her story is interesting. One wonders how she survived in the midst of such a battle? I would suggest for now that the girl remain silent. See her father, if possible, and leave the Mu'ugalavyani problem strictly alone. Only if there is some reason for her to travel to the Chakas -- or for her uncle to reappear -- does she need to think about telling the Omnipotent Azure Legion of her family's ugly little history. Hopes this helps, 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. //158 [Moderator's Note: The Professor adds to Chuck's answer. ] Chuck has hit the legendary nail on its proverbial head. I think the idea was to keep the girl alive and get her OUT of trouble -- not just "off" her. Bad! Naughty! But tempting in such complex circumstances. Or maybe let the Mu'ugalavyani know she's thinking of finking, and let THEM take care of her... The Mourners in Sable are at least as nasty as the Omnipotent Azure Legion -- not quite up to the standards of the Livyani Vru'uneb, but getting close. We've all been reading too many John LeCarre novels, I suspect. Phil ----- //159 [Moderator's Note: Another good reply, this from Tekunu. I have to agree ] [ with him about his solution. ] I am Tekunu hi'Qolyelmu, perhaps you have heard of me in the third solitaire adventure book. Well hmmmmmm......I was faced with a similar situation, related but outside the adventure as addressed in the solitaire adventure book. I found out that my family secret proves that I am indeed the great-uncle to the current emperor and most of his siblings of whom I am aware. In effect, for the good of the empire, (tis' better to say that than to admit being a coward) my father had given up the gold and we were secreted away to become a member of the Golden Sunburst clan in order to stabilize the area around Jakalla for the imperial family and to watch and sit upon the important access to various machines, tubeway stations and other secrets located just under the surface on my fief. More or less strengthen ties you see. The Watchers at the Threshold. And other obscure titles. Much to my consternation I found myself involved with politics....nasty, vulgar and totally useless pastime that interferes with my study of the Four F's: Flora, Fauna, Feasting (Jakalla Cuisine only please), and Fornication (I believe I owe the Temple of Dlamelish about a million kaitars, or is it two). So what does one do when faced with such things that threaten to ruin your very existance, your reason to live!! Travel !!! Stride forth mightily, by the Gods with approval and backing of some truly noble one like myself. Thats what she needs to do. She is more than welcome to come along with me to the Southern Continent to help obtain exotic and rare plant clippings. Or to sail along the Salarvyani coast with Cap'n Pior to hunt for the Great White Akho : Moab hi'Dikh! If she wishes she must make it to the docks at Jakalla by the 17th of next month. We already have about twenty or thirty agents and spies aboard the ship, but I don't believe we have an agent for the Mu'uglavya yet. (Maybe we already have two. I forget.) Anyway, we could always use another Red Hat spy to balance the party. She could convince that she has been invited along on a secret mission for the prince, must go, opportunity of a life time and all that. She can spy and report her findings on the Southern Continent or the Salarvya. I'll even make sure she "discovers" some secrets along the way, to give her a chance for glory. I have the adventures somewhat mapped out, to ease the refereeing. I can provide you with what notes I have as time goes on. Let me know. Tekunu hi'Qolyelmu ----- //160 [Moderator's Note: Evan asks some questions about the current environs around] [ Jakalla, given the state of the empire. More good info ] [ here! ] Frankly, I don't know the answers to some of Evan's questions myself. Prince Rereshqala left the city in charge of some city guard officer or other, and I don't have the man's name. Dhich'une's troops did try to retake the city -- briefly and abortively -- by an invasion across the river from the swamps to the west. They had complete surprise but were too few to win past the walls of the Foreigners' Quarter into the main city. Rereshqala's household guards (from his palace SE of Jakalla) worked with the city guards, some temple troops, and elements of various legions stationed there to defeat them handily. >I was curious if any body could help me with the following questions? >1.) Which Legions are still stationed in Jakalla? Who is in command of >them i.e. the name of the commanders.? At the moment, only Tlaneno the Steersman is known to be in Jakalla. Some other high officials are with Rereshqala near Thraya, heading north towards Sokatis. Several are blocking Eselne's push southward on the Sakbe Road just north of Usenanu. Eselne himself is in Hauma, trying to negotiate with Taksuru, who is in turn in league with Mirusiya (and the Yan Koryani under Baron Ald and Deq Dimani), who are now advancing on Avanthar. >2.) After the Sarku forces were repulsed what happened? Did the people >burn down the temple of Sarku? What about the city itself? Was it badly >damaged during the invasion? Did the people riot after the forces of Sarku >were defeated or were they too terrified and shocked? The city was not badly damaged -- the yearly summer food riots are often worse than this was! The temple of Sarku was sealed y order of Prince Rereshqala, and his troops prevented it from being burned down totally. Some parts were damaged, however. >3.) What did the other temples do during the invasion attempt? I would >especially like to know what the followers of Ksarul did and are currently >doing. All of my party happened to choose Ksarul as their diety and I would >like to know what the temple of Ksarul feels about the current state of >affairs in Jakalla and the Empire. The temple of Ksarul wanted to join with Taksuru (who is a worshipper of the Doomed Prince), but Rereshqala's presence kept them from doing so. They thus stayed quiet, went about "business as usual," and avoided the conflict, while offering food and other non-military aid to the people of the city. They thus won some points for being good samaritans! Rereshqala keeps an eagle eye on them, since his campaign cannot succeed if he is stabbed in the back by disaffected temple politicians! He has assured the Ksarul people that he will work with Taksuru to ensure a good share of the goodies of a reunified Empire for them. The temple lacks troops and support in Jakalla proper to do very much about this, although they do have more followers across in Pala Jakalla (not in Musa Jakalla, though). The general opinion in the tmeple is that at least Rereshqala will give them a fair deal, whereas Eselne will not want to work with them or with Taksuru, and Mirusiya would almost certainly be a disaster for Ksarul's interests! He actually gets along better with the followers of Karakan than he does with the two "knowledge" temples. >4.) What is the current situation in Jakalla? What is the mood of the >people? Is everything under control or does lawlessness rule the streets? The city guards have most of the city under control by now. Rereshqala left a unit or two of his household guards in Jakalla, and some small contingents of other Jakalla legions are also helping out. The fighting did deter the usual summer heat/food rioting somewhat, and the temple of Avanthe joined with the temple of Hnalla (both Rereshqala supporters) to arrange for grain, fresh water, fruit from the villages, and other needed supplies. The city declared a special holiday of thanksgiving for Rereshqala, which was celerated on the summer solstice (3rd of Langala) with much free food, liquor, and general rejoicing. Sarku's people were the only ones who did not attend. >5.) What is the current date/timeline in the proffesors game? The >most recent info regarding the state of affairs in Tsolyanu I could find was >from Nov 1994. Any help would be appreciated. Our current group is off in the hinterlands northeast of Sokatis, and I haven't had a chance to look at a calendar lately. I know it is Fesru (23? 25?) in the year 2,367 -- I think! I can't be certain without some calculation. Ask Bob Alberti, who is a better record keeper than I. I hope this answers some of your questions. I can't go into them in more detail because I haven't been back to Jakalla myself (in our game) for months, and I tend to lose track. All my party is getting out in the wilds of eastrn Tsolyanu is rumour and stories from the refugees who keep coming into Sokatis from farther west. They report that there have been a number of battles against the Sarku legions north and east of Jakalla, which Rereshqala's forces won. No one in our group has actually seen the military dispatches, however. Best I can do from here. Phil ----- //161 [Moderator's Note: Bob Alberti writes (although in my opinion this is better ] [ grist for Ask Kayalin)... Maybe we should resurrect that ] [ column... :) :) :) (It was Kayalin, wasn't it?) ] Dear Professor Barker, I am a 23-year-old worshipper of Karakan of the Sword of Fire Clan, working in as the assistant to the majordomo of a small fief. The fiefholder is a beautiful woman of my clan, about my age, who worships Vimuhla. I am smitten with her, and she seems to like me too. How do I approach her under these circumstances? On the one hand she is a clan-cousin, and our temples get along passably well as long as Imperial Prince Eselne is not directly contesting with Imperial Prince Mirusiya. We are not particularly partisan nor terribly pious, so we don't feel this would cause many problems. On the other hand, she is the ruler of the fief, and my boss's boss. He is a hardened veteran who could as easily slice me into lunchmeat as look at me, and I don't want to tick him off by having undo influence with his boss. Additionally, how do I court her in a manner which befits our status while isolated in this tiny rural fief? Assuming I could obtain proper gifts and dress, what clan-rituals, customs, and taboos will I face? Finally, assuming I'm successful and I sack this babe ^H^H^H^H^H ^H^H^H^H^H^H win this lady's affections, how long do I have before she, and everyone else, start expecting me to marry her? If she twists my arm into marrying her, how is the wedding arranged, considering that my home is halfway across the empire, and her family is in a city which is a few days away? How elaborate is it? How long does one plan such a wedding? How do the different temples handle marriages, or isn't marriage considered a particularly relgious institution? Please respond soon. I've been reading your column ever since I was in temple school, and I always follow your advice. Signed Quandry in Kashkomai ----- //162 [Moderator's Note: Tekunu provides us with some more info about Prince ] [ Reresqala and the goings on around Jakalla. ] Oh Truly Great One (Phil). I will add what notes I took about the attempted storming of Rareshqala's Palace by the Salarvyani. Hmmm....well here it goes..... >From the Journal of Lord Tekunu hi' Qolyelmu: Ed notes: Usual spelling errors, please excuse Great One. [Moderator's Note: I tidied up some of them Alan. ] Summoned by the Lady Devai to her presence on the 16th of Langala, 2366. The guards took us down to her. She is lolling upon a divan surrounded by many pets and animals. Others are about her having a good time playing empress. She asks after the comfort of the party during the previous evening. We are fed and asked if we will leave this day. We say yes as we are duty bound. Devai is drinking a clear pale liquid that has a heady perfumy smell. Is very powerful and good, and has a perfumy after taste. A couple of the girls discuss as to what they are going to do. Then Meeyab came in and said the next time you do this to one of my people I will float you out in the harbour. It seems that the previous night one of her greater friends had died. When Rereshqala comes back to the palace she will tell on Devai. Devai kicked her out of the palace and she left the palace with just her clothes on her back. She was condemned to death if she returns. Devai then asks us to stay another day. Bechagga Dzuvayya, a concubine of the prince, wishes to go back to Shiggath on the flats. Kagor the cook (cooks the best Jakallan cuisine outside of Jakalla in the Five Empires), wants to come along and needs to get the best food. Pi'ur hi' Garuma is the captain of the ship. The first officer is a Vimuhla worshipper, Hrinuo. He is a good ship's officer. It costs about 1000 to make the writ good as to get the ships stores correct. We have 12 Marines and 25 sailors aboard the ship and we are preparing to go forward on the adventure. Bechagga wishes to go. She lets us know that the Salarvyani have almost conquered the forest. The shipping has expanded and the Tsolyani have almost moved out of the southeast ocean. They have lost much face. There is someone who killed another person because he spoke Tsolyani with an accent. The parties start in the afternoon and continues into the evening. The lady is fickle and her assistants may be quick to die. Kama'ay, the Naqsi woman, also wishes to go home. She wants to come with us. She knew the brother of a party member and she could speak the languages of the south. Bria will also come with us. She is a musician of incredible ability and can sing with an excellent journey. She was Sonkolel's friend. The tides are at 4:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Fireworks display for the entertainment of the assembled whorde. Dancers and perverts. The banquet is splendid. A Salarvyani officer has come forth and talked to Devai. The Salarvyani troops have marched up the coast and demand that the palace surrender. The palace has 400 troops and who knows the size of the Salarvyani force. There are too many dandies in the force. The party continues forward as with having fun. We cannot get into the armory but they will allow us to use the lightning bringer if we can fly to the roof. Riestu hi Vraicha is the noble who kills instantly without mercy anyone who insults Tsolyanu. What a man!! I speak with him, praising his nobility, we rattle our swords and he prepares a sortie. (He is bold and brash to the point of being foolish, I egg him on calculating that it is better him then me leading a sortie outside the walls with a Hairy Hoard of Salarvyani looking for blood) At about midnight, we go to Devai. The difficulty is that there are many guards here and there are not many that have actual combat experience. The point further is that those that know what is going on are of lower ability. Oh well, what can be done. We form our party into a group, ready to fight our way out if necessary. We call again at the armory and we find further that there is a magical shield around the top of the facility. No one must be able to get in or out. We get crossbows from the firing range and training area. There is a disturbance at the northern end of the palace. Sarku Troops and 20 to 30 dandies are charged with defending the road engage in a fight with the Salarvyani. Then Riestu hi Vraicha makes his sortie with about 15 to 20 dandies. The party remains behind to hold the gate and fight the Salarvyani most of the eveningjust outside the gate. We send out several hundred non combatants to get them away from the action. The gate is damaged. The next morning there are about 30 of the men coming back. Several hundred Salarvyani are routed and a hundred killed in the battle. Riestu hi Vraicha is an incredible individual. He single handedly killed every Salarvyani officer we ran into. (If he wasn't so sticky and full of himself and an ass, although a noble one, I would ask him along) We strike a noble pose defending the gate at dawn for everyone in the palace to see. Documents are sent to the prince that all is well. There is a Tsolyani force we hear of far to the east. A Hlaka has seen them but then did not approach. The boats were saved. We go to the longboat and prepare to go away. We sail on the 17th of Langala. I will attempt to find my notes concerning riots and fighting in the city. All is well. P.S. If anyone is near Jakalla and is interested in reading my book Flora and Fauna of the Southern Continent (illustrations by Lord Trinesh hi Saynuna) which can be examined or copied at a modest cost at the Golden Sunburst's clan house located in the southeast section of Jakalla. (Or ask for Matlor Gaishu, the accountant at the clans warehouse facilities nearby). ----- //163 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker responds to Bob's Love woes... ;) ] I will try to answer some of the societal questions raised by Bob Alberti's letter, but I am not able to deal with love affairs, dating, sexual dalliances, and related personal problems! > I am a 23-year-old worshipper of Karakan of the Sword of Fire >Clan, working in as the assistant to the majordomo of a small fief. >The fiefholder is a beautiful woman of my clan, about my age, who >worships Vimuhla. I am smitten with her, and she seems to like me too. You'll have to see how your clan and her clan like the idea. Unlike our own "individualist" society, Tekumel is strongly based on societal ties. Nobody exists in a cultural vacuum on Tekumel. A quick roll in the hay is fine on Tekumel, and marriages between totally opposed religions and clans are not unknown. If you want approval, however, you should seek connections that both clans approve. > How do I approach her under these circumstances? On the one >hand she is a clan-cousin, and our temples get along passably well as >long as Imperial Prince Eselne is not directly contesting with >Imperial Prince Mirusiya. The relationship between a Karakan worshipper and a follower of Vimuhla is more easily possible than some others, provided neither party is fanatic about religion. The temples of the two "war" gods are actually fairly friendly these days, although their prime protagonists, Princes Eselne and Mirusiya, are likely to come to blows sooner or later. >We are not particularly partisan nor >terribly pious, so we don't feel this would cause many problems. >On the other hand, she is the ruler of the fief, and my boss's boss. >He is a hardened veteran who could as easily slice me into lunchmeat >as look at me, and I don't want to tick him off by having >undo influence with his boss. You'll have to see how your boss feels about it all. He is really irrelevant, of course, unless he also wants the woman. If he does not, and as long as you don't cross him in your official, business capacity, he shouldn't have much objection. > Additionally, how do I court her in a manner which befits our >status while isolated in this tiny rural fief? Assuming I could >obtain proper gifts and dress, what clan-rituals, customs, and taboos >will I face? A roll in the hay comes to mind: Hmelu do it, Chlen do it, peasants manage -- why not you two? You cannot expect to obtain all the fancy gifts and other things that might be available in a bigger city. If you want clan approval, you'll both have to return home and present yourselves to your clans, parents, and relatives. They'll organise feasts, parties, etc. and arrange for whatever wedding festivities you two might desire -- if it comes to that. Quick affairs are a lot easier and do not carry much social opprobrium. > Finally, assuming I'm successful and I sack this babe ^H^H^H^H^H >^H^H^H^H^H^H win this lady's affections, how long do I have before >she, and everyone else, start expecting me to marry her? That's up to you two. Nobody will "expect" you to marry her, but she may herself feel that way. As I say, quick affairs are easy and frequent, and you two can just "try it on for size" without worry, as long as you have a large supply of Lisutl-root. >If she >twists my arm into marrying her, how is the wedding arranged, >considering that my home is halfway across the empire, and her family >is in a city which is a few days away? How elaborate is it? How long >does one plan such a wedding? How do the different temples handle >marriages, or isn't marriage considered a particularly relgious >institution? All of these questions depend upon the couple, the clans, and the temples involved. One assumes your clan is represented in her city, so that your clansmen can stand in for your parents and relatives. Weddings depend upon wealth and clan traditions. Weddings are not particularly "religious," although priests may be invited to offer prayers and eulogies. See the (Zocchi) Sourcebook, pp. 42 and 48. If neither of you have prior commitments, and if both are free and independent (Aridani for her), then you can organise the wedding much as you wish. >Please respond soon. I've been reading your column ever since I >was in temple school, and I always follow your advice. Right. Ann hiLanders ----- //164 [Moderator's Note: Tekunu recalls what he can of the Riots in Jakalla prior ] [ to Langala 2366. Sorry for the delays recently. I am ] [ in the midst of setting up a new computer at home, so I ] [ can work on Tekumel stuff and stay married at the same ] [ time. :) So hang with me a few more days, and I should ] [ have some cool stuff to share that the Professor has sent] [ to me. ] Hmmm er well....couldn't find the journal entry about the riots in early Langala in Jakalla but I will recall what I can remember. Background: The Golden Sunburst Clan House is located in the Southeast Quadrant of the City, our warehouses are located nearer the river. I came to the city after the Worshippers of Sarku had taken my fief from me with some excuse concerning back taxes. Prince Rereshqala was to provide me with a legal remedy that would only take about a decade to get through the courts. Meanwhile, I am to leave the empire temporarily to prevent attempts to permanently remove me from my position. I remember entering Jakalla just before the riots started coming in from the north. Everything was quiet, although there was an underlying restlessness to the city. I went to the clan house, and I understood that almost everynight the lower classes were moving about on the streets looking for trouble. I always had liked coming to Jakalla for the food riots in the Summer as it made for good entertainment. I had a usual position on the roof that I would take and stand with my great bow, my faithful huntsman (Gubanu) who would hold my arrows) and my messenger (Daragma) who would keep tally. From that position on top of the clan house I would spend many an evening firing my bow into the rioters below and present the tally kept by Dargma for anyone who would put a claim against me. The cook, meanwhile would prepare Jakallan tidbits. And my wives and concubines would bet on which way the rioter would fall when I hit them with an arrow. It was rather an interesting pastime. It was from my usual position that I watched the riots in the streets during the recent trouble. What was unusual was that although there was not the same intensity of rioting as during the annual summer food riots, there seemed to be a darker purpose behind them. Although there was the usual groups of looters and rioters, there were other groups that seemed to move and engage in acts with purpose. Sometimes among the rioters you could smell the worm boys moving around. You know that rotting, smell of decayed flesh, carelessly perfumed and no regard for fashion. You could almost detect them just beyond your vision, dark shapes moving, directing the crowd. I had a servent kidnapped by some rioters and when I went to retrieve her, I was ambushed. Not randomly, but purposefully with hopes to kill me or worse, make me a plaything of the worm. She was a famous singer and musician, given to me by the prince. I saw the Worm Bitch that cut off her hands. Even though healed, the musician lost some of that magic of her playing. I put the Worm Bitch who did that to her in the frying pan right after we stormed the Temple of Sarku and listened to her sizzle and pop. Revenge is a dish best served in the Jakallan style: Hot and spicy!!! Made a few enemies that day I'll tell you. No one really seemed to know what to do. Even the garrison troops as they were, only set up roadblocks and did not consider clearing the streets until directed by the prince. The prince you know, did his best to stay out of politics. He told me so on several occasions. Even our clan put together a small force to help protect and block the intersection near the entrance to our clan house. The trouble with Jakalla is the extensive underworld that is half habitated and half explored. There are too many places for a worm to hide down there. I got lost down there once for a month, until my nose finally led me to the basement of the Temple of Dlamelish.. there is a sweet musty smell about that temple that one never quite forgets.....the fete following my adventure cost me 50,000 kaitars and a few hlash....but that is not to be recounted here.... although I do have found memories of the small, petite brunette......oh well. I believe the Sarku troops never really had a chance to take the city. As a matter of fact, a good number of the Sarku troops as I recall actually did not really want to follow their orders. I remember one column of them trying their best and the rest seemed to just be there for the show. After the danger was pretty much gone, but in plenty of time to make a brave showing, strike a noble pose, claim glory and lead the final assault over the nearly crumbled defenses I went to the Temple of Sarku and assisted in the initial sacking of parts of the temple we could get to. I remember lots and lots and lots of traps. The Sarku priests have been working on illusions so elaborate that even persons trained in detecting and springing these traps were fooled!!! ..... I remember persons from Onchash Chairon, Illusion Masters, who were fooled for months into believing whatever the Sarku illusionists wove for them. La! but that is yet another story......The Temple was sealed, I believe because the prince didn't want to lose troops unnecessarily working there way through that viper's nest. Best thing to do is like the Muuglavyanie in Livyanu, just seal em up and keep moving. After the city had been cleared, I went to the palace. There were Sarku troops stationed and ordered to hold the road outside of Prince Rereshqala's palace and not let anyone pass without proper authority on the road. I simply left the road a few feet in front of them and used it again on the other side of them. That was no problem to them. They really did not seem to want to cause any trouble. As a matter of fact, they assisted us in the defense of Rereshqala's palace from what I can remember, although many were lost in the fighting. I will continue to look for my notes. If there is any variance between this and what The Truly Great One Phil remembers, Phil is right. Tekunu ----- //165 [Moderator's Note: Bob Dushay asks about Taksuru, and the note Bob Alberti ] [ sent out on the newsgroup a few months ago. I'll include] [ Bob's posting to the newsgroup for reference. ] Out here in the hinterlands, the last we'd heard of Prince Taksuru was that he had left Bey Su to parley with Dhich'une in Dohala 2366, and had never been seen since. I figured he had been lured to his death. What happened? While we're at it, what happened to Bey Su, which was "covered by the hand of Sarku" shortly thereafter? [Moderator's Note: Professor, care to comment on these activities, or Bob, ] [ do you have any updates? ] Begin included news posting. Article 79 of alt.games.frp.tekumel: Newsgroups: alt.games.frp.tekumel Path: bigfoot.wustl.edu!newspump.wustl.edu!gumby!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!zip.eecs.umich.edu!umn.edu!msc.edu!network.com!wings!albatros From: albatros@wings.network.com (Bob Alberti) Subject: The Rise and Fall of Hiriktashte Message-ID: Sender: news@network.com Reply-To: albatros@wings.network.com Organization: Network Systems Corporation X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Date: Fri, 30 Dec 1994 18:31:58 GMT Lines: 57 On the 21st of Dohala, 2366, Prince Taksuru Tlakotani marched forth from Bey Su to Avanthar with the purpose of meeting with Emperor Dhichune. He has not been heard from again. On the 23rd of Dohala the Council of the Priesthoods dispatched an envoy to the Golden Tower to convey a challenge to the Emperor by an unspecified Imperial Prince, calling into question the legitimacy of his rule. With this envoy travelled a retinue, including several nobles and a squad of soldiers as escorts. Upon ariving at Avanthar via tubeway car, several members of the retinue disappeared. Disguised among them were the Baron Ald of Yan Kor and Prince Mridobu Tlakotani. Taking advantage of the Prince's secret knowledge of his home in Avanthar, the squadron quickly entered the Golden Tower. Even as the envoy was delivering his challenge to the Emperor, Dhich'une was fleeing for his life from his half-brother and the Baron. So it was that Emperor Hiriktashte, "Risen to Rule", ascended the Petal Throne. His first act was to name Ald the High General of the Empire. His second was to seize the Council of the Priesthoods in Bey Su, and thereby set about legitimizing his hold on the Throne. All of Mridobu's staunchest supporters were called in to begin the task of organizing and assuming control of the Empire. The bureacratic nightmare of taking over an empire the size of Tsolyanu was underway. But it was not to be. On the 25th of Dohala the trap was apparently sprung. Emerging from beneath Avanthar, through passages unknown even to the wily Mridobu (and possibly new since Hirkane was deposed), swarms of Undead emerged and overwhelmed the occupants of Avanthar. Captives were not taken and quarter was not given. Individuals who did not fall to the sword of copper were instead trampled beneath the feet of their ancestors, torn asunder by their groping claws, or hurled bodily through the windows of the upper stories to perish in the river or on the land below. Left largely undefended by the withdrawal of the forces of Ald, Mridobu and Taksuru, the city of Bey Su was overwhelmed and interdicted. No word nor refugee has emerged with news of what occurred. Telepathic and magical contacts with Bey Su and Avanthar are not possible. The Hand of Sarku has covered the mouth of the city. Rumors abound concerning the recent events, but the concensus seems to be that Dhich'une has once again skillfully executed a major coup. Beginning with his 'betrayal' of Ald earlier this year, he set the stage for the elimination of the entire Ksarul power structure, and the retaking of Bey Su. By betraying Ald, the General could ally with Taksuru and Mridobu. Having done so, those individuals were drawn out, and destroyed. It is now the second Intercalary day of 2366-2367. In the city of Usenanu and elsewhere about the Empire, the normally raucous celebrations are muted and reserved. Only the necessary and formal relgious rites are practiced to meet the demands of doctrine. The streets are not filled with revelers, the temples conduct ceremonies before small crowds of dour, anxious faces. All wonder what new malaise the year 2367 A.S. shall bring. ----- Bob Alberti (albatros@wings.network.com) //166 [Moderator's Note: Evan asked some questions about temples, and I pointed ] [ him to the articles on the server. But he has a question] [ that the articles don't answer, completely. ] The articles on Ksarul, Thumis and Sarku were fantastic. They contained pretty much every thing I needed. What I was still curious about was if there was a monastery of Ksarul near Jakalla, its name, signifigance, and location. On a slightly different topic. One aspect of Tekumel that I have always been curious about is what type of decoration do the temples have? In India for example the temples are covered in gorgeous statues paintings of Vishnu, Shiva etc. Is this the case in Tsolyanu as well? If so what "style" of asian art could you compare it to i.e. are they adorned in a style similar to say the Balinese demon figures or, like the ruins at Angkor Vat? Or are the temples similar to the Aztec Mayan etc pyramids of Central America? I would like some type of comparison to show my players what the temples would look like. [Moderator's Note: Phil? ] Evan. ----- //167 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker comments on Tekunu's Rememberances and ] [ on my comment. ] Is it possible to visit Tekumel and stay married on this world at the same time? I have -- but, then, my lifestyle is somewhat different from most... [Moderator's Note: It hope so! I intend to keep my wife. :) ] Lord Tekunu is largely correct in his recollections. It must be pointed out that his avowed "hobby" of potting off peasants from the rooftop of his Jakalla clanhouse is NOT socially santioned. He has always used his high clan status (plus wealth, high lineage, etc.) to indulge his personal idiosyncrasies. His clan has paid out lots of Shamtla to his victims, and I think his clansmen were actually quite happy when he decided to leave Jakalla and take his bow elsewhere. -- Not that his actions are illegal in Tsolyanu, however: killing "rioters" can be justified as a loyal attempt to restore tranquility and protect the innocent. Those engaged in "rioting" are, clearly, acting against Imperial law and are thus liable to punishment. Lord Tekunu simply carries it over into his private avocation. This may seem deplorable to some, but it is borderline legal, and when Shamtla is paid to the aggrieved relatives, only the immediate families of the victims may still harbour grudges and seek revenge. (It was a good thing Lord Tekunu decided to depart when he did!) As a noble, obeying the dictates of Tsolyani "Nobility," Lord Tekunu did no wrong. >Sometimes among the rioters you could smell the worm boys moving around. >You know that rotting, smell of decayed flesh, carelessly perfumed and no >regard for fashion. You could almost detect them just beyond your vision, >dark shapes moving, directing the crowd. I had a servent kidnapped by some >rioters and when I went to retrieve her, I was ambushed. Not randomly, but >purposefully with hopes to kill me or worse, make me a plaything of the worm. >She was a famous singer and musician, given to me by the prince. I saw the >Worm Bitch that cut off her hands. Even though healed, the musician lost some >of that magic of her playing. I put the Worm Bitch who did that to her in >the frying pan right after we stormed the Temple of Sarku and listened to her >sizzle and pop. Revenge is a dish best served in the Jakallan style: Hot >and spicy!!! Made a few enemies that day I'll tell you. Those enemies are stilling looking for Tekunu. The kidnapping and maiming of the pretty musician was partial revenge for what Tekunu had done to the Worm Lord's interests. They will want more. [Moderator's Note: Woops! ] All of this unrest has opened the gates to vigilante justice and oppor- tunism. Looting and murder are rampant, and the great clanhouses, temples, and businesses locked their doors and stayed inside until Prince Rereshqala's troops had restored a semblance of order. Now (mid-summer, 2,367) there is quiet. >I believe the Sarku troops never really had a chance to take the city. >As a matter of fact, a good number of the Sarku troops as I recall actually >did not really want to follow their orders. I remember one column of them >trying their best and the rest seemed to just be there for the show. After >the danger was pretty much gone, but in plenty of time to make a brave >showing, strike a noble pose, claim glory and lead the final assault over the >nearly crumbled defenses I went to the Temple of Sarku and assisted in the >initial sacking of parts of the temple we could get to. The temple of Sarku was initially sacked by mobs of looters, city guards, local contingents of the legions, and even temple guards from other temples! It was this that Lord Tekunu remembers so vividly. The temple was restored after he had left the city in the interests of order and peace between the sects. It's open for business as usual now. Prince Rereshqala apparently has no intention of destroying any sect or group; he only demands obedience to the law of the land and continued efforts to rebuild the Empire. His troops later punished a few of the most flagrant looters and those responsible for the burning of the sanctuary of Sarku. As said above, it was a good thing for Tekunu that he left the city when he did... Almost everything Lord Tekunu relates is as it actually transpired. Here and there he differs in emphasis or minor detail from the way I recall it, but in the main his memories are accurate. What doesn't appear is what happened AFTER he had left Jakalla. This is thus rather like getting a news report for one particular day, in one particular month, in one particular year, from Sarajevo: it doesn't present a long-term, ongoing picture of what is happening. It cannot (and does not purport to) give a larger view of events across the Empire. This is to be expected. Phil ----- //168 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker elaborates on Taksuru and the Message ] [ Bob sent dealing with goings on in Dohala, 2366. ] This is another case of a very real issue: when one is ON Tekumel and can see only one's own personal surroundings, the view tends to be somewhat microscopic! It's like an individual's recollections of any historical event: the assassination of President Kennedy, the Battle of the Bulge, etc. Without the modern "global" view provided by TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, etc., it is hard to say what actually DID happen -- and even then, as we are all aware, there are differing theories, perceptions, ideas of "reality," and the like. >Out here in the hinterlands, the last we'd heard of Prince Taksuru was >that he had left Bey Su to parley with Dhich'une in Dohala 2366, and had >never been seen since. I figured he had been lured to his death. What >happened? While we're at it, what happened to Bey Su, which was "covered >by the hand of Sarku" shortly thereafter? Lord Arjai left Bey Su near the end of 2,366. His present whereabouts on Tekumel's primary Plane are unknown. Hence, he missed much of what happened during the spring of 2,367. I can only partially fill this gap since I myself have not been back to Bey Su to "look" with any party of players since. [Moderator's Note: Maybe a bit of background info on Taksuru would be ] [ appropriate. I just don't know much about him. Could ] [ you elaborate a bit on him, Professor? ] Prince Taksuru was not slain, nor has he disappeared. He sent out all of his available troops (some of the Bey Su legions, some city and temple guards, and a contingent of the Baron's soldiers from Yan Kor), plus hordes of city-dwellers armed with axes, clubs, and whatever. Dhich'une had no large garrison nearby -- Avanthar actually houses only a small number of defenders -- and in a pitched battle north of Bey Su, the Imperial forces were defeated (barely!) and sent fleeing back into Avanthar. Taksuru regrouped and camped where he was. (It was at this point, I think, that Lord Arjai's party left the area.) After some weeks of fruitless parleying with Eselne's emissaries, then Mirusiya's, and finally Rereshqala's, Taksuru saw that his position was increasingly fragile, and he ordered a retreat into Bey Su. His troops are now esconced in tye city and are in full control. The "Darkness" which Dhich'une had called down upon Bey Su was dissipated by Ksarul priests summoned from the ancient stronghold of Hmakuyal. The skies are now clear, and the mood of desolation and oppression is now gone -- replaced by a very real mood of grim apprehension mingled with some hope for a compact between the Princes. >On the 21st of Dohala, 2366, Prince Taksuru Tlakotani marched forth from Bey >Su >to Avanthar with the purpose of meeting with Emperor Dhichune. He has not >been >heard from again. This is incorrect. If Lord Arjai had stayed, he would have seen the Prince's somewhat-less-than-triumphal return into the city. What follows is essentially correct. The attempt to put Mridobu on the Petal Throne was not due to Taksuru but to a plot within the Temple of Ksarul to put a known quantity -- the stable and efficient burueacrat, Mridobu -- on the Throne. >On the 23rd of Dohala the Council of the Priesthoods dispatched an envoy to >the Golden Tower to convey a challenge to the Emperor by an unspecified >Imperial Prince, calling into question the legitimacy of his rule. >With this envoy travelled a retinue, including several nobles and a squad >of soldiers as escorts. > >Upon ariving at Avanthar via tubeway car, several members of the retinue >disappeared. Disguised among them were the Baron Ald of Yan Kor and >Prince Mridobu Tlakotani. Taking advantage of the Prince's secret knowledge >of his home in Avanthar, the squadron quickly entered the Golden Tower. >Even as the envoy was delivering his challenge to the Emperor, Dhich'une >was fleeing for his life from his half-brother and the Baron. Actually, Mridobu had learned that Dhich'une had been summoned to the City of Sarku to attend a very special High Ceremony for the Worm Lord. Of course, it is absolutely illegal for an Emperor to leave the Golden Tower, but this would not be the first time a monarch had slipped out for some important reason. Hence, Mridobu knew in advance that Dhich'une would not be "at home," and he counted upon this for success. >So it was that Emperor Hiriktashte, "Risen to Rule", ascended the Petal >Throne. This was Mridou's choice of a throne-name. Not too prophetic, it turned out... >His first act was to name Ald the High General of the Empire. His second was >to seize the Council of the Priesthoods in Bey Su, and thereby set about >legitimizing his hold on the Throne. All of Mridobu's staunchest supporters >were called in to begin the task of organizing and assuming control of the >Empire. The bureacratic nightmare of taking over an empire the size of >Tsolyanu was underway. He didn't have to "seize" the Council of Priesthoods. He already had large numbers of the senior politicians on the temple staffs in his figurative pocket, and all he had to do was threaten Prince Taksuru's supporters with temple retribution if they objected to him. Most gave in rather meekly, but Taksuru himself was not ready to give up. >But it was not to be. On the 25th of Dohala the trap was apparently sprung. >Emerging from beneath Avanthar, through passages unknown even to the wily >Mridobu (and possibly new since Hirkane was deposed), swarms of Undead >emerged and overwhelmed the occupants of Avanthar. Captives were not taken >and quarter was not given. Individuals who did not fall to the sword of >copper were instead trampled beneath the feet of their ancestors, torn >asunder by their groping claws, or hurled bodily through the windows of the >upper stories to perish in the river or on the land below. This is apprently true, although no one knows whether Prince Mridobu was among the dead. It IS known that Baron Ald escaped, fighting his way down to the tubeway cars and back to Yan Kor. He's been sighted there recently. >Left largely undefended by the withdrawal of the forces of Ald, Mridobu and >Taksuru, the city of Bey Su was overwhelmed and interdicted. No word nor >refugee has emerged with news of what occurred. Telepathic and magical >contacts with Bey Su and Avanthar are not possible. The Hand of Sarku >has covered the mouth of the city. This is true. Lord Arjai cannot have known of what transpired afterward. The Hand of Sarku has now been mostly lifted. Prince Mirusiya made an abortive assault on Avanthar but was driven back. Now, it is learned, he and Taksuru have combined with the Baron to make yet another attack on the fortress, and this time they are determined to win or perish. [Moderator's Note: Hmmm... Taksuru and Mirusiya together. I thought you ] [ had stated before that Mirusiya's rise to the throne ] [ be terrible for the temples of Thumis and Ksarul... Why] [ would Taksuru join up with him? Is it an alliance of ] [ convenience, just to get a valid Kolumejalim? ] >Rumors abound concerning the recent events, but the concensus seems to be >that >Dhich'une has once again skillfully executed a major coup. Beginning with >his >'betrayal' of Ald earlier this year, he set the stage for the elimination of >the entire Ksarul power structure, and the retaking of Bey Su. By betraying >Ald, the General could ally with Taksuru and Mridobu. Having done so, those >individuals were drawn out, and destroyed. This was TRIED, but the rumours are just that: rumours. He betrayed Baron Ald indeed, but the Baron got back to Yan Kor, spent some time "mending fences" within his shaky alliance of city-states and local interests, and is now once again meddling in Tsolyani politics. He is said to be with Prince Mirusiya -- though some say he himself is still in Yan Kor but has sent his leman, the inimitable Fu Hsi, and possibly Lady Deq Dimani (with her Tsolyani comrade, Lady Kalusu hiViridame) to lead the Yan Koryani contingent. >It is now the second Intercalary day of 2366-2367. In the city of Usenanu >and >elsewhere about the Empire, the normally raucous celebrations are muted and >reserved. Only the necessary and formal relgious rites are practiced to meet >the demands of doctrine. The streets are not filled with revelers, the >temples conduct ceremonies before small crowds of dour, anxious faces. >All wonder what new malaise the year 2367 A.S. shall bring. This is reasonably true as reported. The difficulty is only that it is a "gnat's eye" view of events. Even I have no information about many of these things, particularly of what goes on inside the Sarku camp. It is now mid-summer, 2,367, and my party of player-characters has opted to go and live in a small, remote fief northeast of Sokatis on the Salarvyani border. There, they are bothered only by the Ssu, the Salarvyani, various demons, ghosts, and local peasants... Wish them well as they bravely face the Unknown...! Phil ----- //169 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker replies to Evan's questions about Temple ] [ art. ] Glad you enjoyed the articles. The nearest Ksarul monastery -- aside from small, local "city" monasteries and temples within Jakalla itself, lies to the west in the great ruined city of Hmakuyal. You might ask Lord Arjai hiVaisoner about it -- he hails from there. I cannot think of any other one near Jakalla, which doesn't mean there isn't any! The Temple of the Lord of the Blue Room is not known for putting up public billboards! You can see pictures of various temples here and there in the literature. [Moderator's Note: Soon I will try to scan in some of the artwork from ] [ articles and make it available on the ftp site. There ] [ is just so much to do, and so little time.... sigh.. :) ] The old Journal article on the Temple of Ksarul had a little sketch (mine) of one of the temples, and there have been others. The external walls of most temples tend to be carved and painted with mythological scenes. Not completely from top to bottom, the way the great temples of South India (e.g. the Minakshi temple in Madurai) are crammed with sculpture, but in long friezes of statuary, bas reliefs, and mosaic done in bands along the upper area of a temple wall. The temples differ, too: Lord Hru'u's temples usually have only plain outer walls, with single statues placed here and there; Lord Vimuhla's walls are often plain, although in the eastern Sokatis style (influenced by Salarvyani baroque art), great processions of priests, gods, kinds, and mythological figures line the upper registers and crawl all over the domes and porticoes. Lady Dlamelish is strangely demure about her temples: they tend to be of one storey only, entered by climbing broad stairs under lowering colonnades, and sculpted high up with grotesque gargoyles and depictions of her various Aspects. Inside, her shrines are a riot of what one might term NC17 art! Lord Thumis prefers stately processionals of priests and mythological scenes from the Epics, while Lord Hnalla is fond of geometric designs in eye-boggling detail. Sarku's temples are ponderous, usually brown or ochre stone, with twisting, fearsome images of the Worm Lord placed at gateways and on pylons around them. Lord Belkhanu and Lord Karakan use various types of friezes or statuary, mosaics, and bas reliefs that differ widely from place to place, although as one might expect, Lord Belkhanu's colours tend to be yellow, while Lord Karakan prefers crismson. Lady Avanthe's shrines are often of translucent blue glass, with scenes made of glass or coloured crystals inset into the walls. Her fountains are legendary, particular in Katalal and Thraya. This is about all that can be said in so short a space. Temples differ in style and decoration from place to place and also from era to era. A temple built in "Late Ensgvanyali" style will look like a floating vision of shimmering glass, while the blocky, heavy, Bednalljan genres appear fearsome, ponderous, and awesome. A full discussion of Tsolyani art styles and religious iconography would require a set of encyclopaedias! Maybe I'll get around to sketching some of them one day... I hope this helps a little. Phil //170 [Moderator's Note: The Professor responds to my question reqesting more info] [ about Taksuru. ] >[Moderator's Note: Maybe a bit of background info on Taksuru would be ] >[ appropriate. I just don't know much about him. Could ] >[ you elaborate a bit on him, Professor? ] Prince Taksuru is another of the "hidden" Princes. The Tsolyani encourage the great clans, temples, and powerful families to take one of the Emperor's children just after birth and bring him or her up away from the Court. In this way, te reasoning goes, the empire will be assured of candidates who are not just pampered and spoiled princelings, who have no experience with reality. For this reason, Prince Mirusiya was handed over to the Vriddi clan of Fasiltum, and he grew up there not knowing who he was until the Omnipotent Azure Legion was instructed to offer him the "Gold." The clan saw to his education, training, and progress, and if he had shown signs of weakness, they would have quietly shunted him off to live out his life as a simple clansman somewhere. They would have reported his failings to the Omnipotent Azure Legion, and the latter would never have given him a chance at the Throne. Thus it was with Taksuru hiTlakotani. He was raised in the Cloak of Azure Gems clan in Bey Su and was told he was a Viridame, an old and famous lineage. He was educated in the temple schools, entered the priesthood of Lord Ksarul, and was trained in a variety of fighting and scholarly skills. His tutors never told him who he was but quietly encouraged him to enroll in the subjects they knew he would need for the Kolumejalim, the "Choosing of Emperors." He was contacted by various agents of the Throne, as well as his temple authorities, and the consensus was that he would someday be ripe for revealing: when the time came, an agent of the Petal Throne would appear and offer him the "Gold." (He now says that he guessed his true identity as early as his twelfth birthday, when his teachers discouraged him from learning music and art and directed him towards sorcery and unarmed combat skills instead.) He remained under the eagle eyes of his clan, his temple, and the Omnipotent Azure Legion all during his adolescence. Eventually he was introduced to Lady Kalusu hiViridame, who was of the same lineage but of a different clan (Hand of Darkness). She is a "Marek": an ancient and secretive body of guardians who are charged with watching over important people, candidates for the Throne, and the like, without ever revealing their identities or powers. Taksuru liked her, but she was not terribly fond of him, being smitten with a certain powerful northern ruler and having higher plans for herself than "playing nursemaid" (as she put it) to a young man (who was almost the same age!). Taksuru grew up to be a handsome, rather serious, taciturn young man. He is strong, intelligent, always balanced and watchful, and quite talented. Whether he is good enough to defeat the other candidates for the Petal Throne or not remains to be seen. He is not equal to Dhich'une in sorcery, nor to Eselne in sheer physical power, nor to Rereshaqala in diplomacy, nor to Mirusiya in leadership of troops. But Taksuru's combination of talents may be enough to survive, especially since the others are weaker than he is in one or more of the requisite talents. The temple of Ksarul prefers him over Mridobu, who was more of a bureaucrat and less fervent in his religious observances. Prince Mridobu would have kept Taksuru from being revealed, however, because he himself wanted to be his temple's candidate, and his clique within the temple and Imperial power structure could have kept those who favoured Taksuru away from the limelight. Mridobu lost his chance when Dhich'une out-manouevred him and got to the Petal Throne after Hirkane died (or was slain). Now it's too late, probably, for Mridobu. He may even be already dead. Taksuru is thus the only hope of the Ndalu Clan and related factions in the temples of Hru'u, Gruganu, and Wuru. He is acceptable to the other temples because he seems to be a balanced and non-fanatic young man, who would not rock too many boats or take out his pique upon those who disagreed with him. He can get along, it is thought, even with Hnalla, Thumis, and Belkhanu, although he has little to recommend him to Karakan, Vimuhla, or to Avanthe and Dlamelish. At least he is not openly hostile. In view of current political developments, Taksuru has had to make an uneasy alliance with Prince Mirusiya and the Vimuhla faction. Politics does indeed make strange bedfellows. It is rumoured that some deal has been struck which leaves Mirusiya on the throne and Taksuru as Chancellor -- or vice-versa, perhaps, with Tksuru as Emperor and Mirusiya as First General. How this will play out is not yet known, if such a deal exists at all. The Baron of Yan Kor has worked with Taksuru, after he had learned his lesson from Dhich'une's duplicity and betrayal. He may have something to say about all of this, of course, as may Rereshqala and Eselne. The other Princes and Princess Ma'in can probably be safely ignored. There is much more to this story, but this will have to do for the present. Phil //171 [Moderator's Note: Evan fires another round of questions and the Professor ] [ replies. ] Dear Evan, Pechano is an interesting place. One of our current characters has friendly relations with the king (the Chaegosh; cf. Sourcebook p. 75). The Pechani consider Ssu-hunting rather as the British think of "riding to the hounds." They often treat guests to hunting parties that are meant to demonstrate heroism -- often foolhardiness -- and cameraderie: sort of a Norse Valhalla crossed with a Victorian fox-hunting party -- tallyho, and all that! >1)The government. Is the country on a constant military "footing"? How >do the leaders of the realm rule? What type of leader do they have in >Pechano? A king, A Baron (like in Yan Kor), A military dictatorship? >Does the constant threat mean that a state of martial law is in effect >on a regular basis? As you can see from p. 75 of the Sourcebook, the Chaegosh is the oligarch of the old ruling clan of Mechaneno, the Beneshchan. Since no land is actually ever truly "sold," a buyer becomes the "vassal" of the person from whom he buys the land. Make sure your players understand this, or they could end up serving dinner in some lord's feudal hall! Pechano is, of course, thoroughly oriented towards war, particularly against he Ssu but also against the great leviathan of Salarvya to the south. Pechani children learn several types of fighting the moment they are able to walk. Heroism is highly valued, and prowess is measured in terms of "kills." The Pechani seem harsh and taciturn to the more "refined" Tsolyani, but they are essentially decent folk who practice the casual brutality of a feudal warrior society. >2)The military. What type of army does Pechano have? How good are their >troops? Do they see much "action", or are they just a show army that >occasionaly fights off a Ssu raid? How are they organised? Along what >lines? Are they similar to the Tsolyani or more like the Salarvyani? >Or uniquely Pechani? Volume V of the "Armies of Tekumel" series (xeroxed only) contains a list of Pechani "Nchesh" (the Salarvyani term borrowed for "legion"): pp. 22-27. Perhaps you can persuade Chris Davis to copy the Filemaker Pro dataase section on Pechani legions, so that you can get their names and those of their generals. It's in the "Warriors and Soldiers" character list, which has not yet been put up on tye FTP site. The [Moderator's Note: I'll see what I can do, Evan. The Professor has sent me ] [ quite a bit of stuff to go through, with the hopes that ] [ it will get on the ftp site at some point. ] "Armies of tekumel" series is mostly out of print now, but some kind soul could mail you a xerox of the xeroxs -- I'd do it myself, but I don't have time right now. Briefly, the Pechani army is organised much like the Salarvyani, with a strongly feudal basis. The troops of the Rekhmel lineage don't like fighting beside those of the Beneshchan family, and constant duelling and "offenses of honour" make cooperation perilous at best. Read pp. 71-75 of the Sourcebook for an overview. [Moderator's Note: I am not sure I have Armies of Tekumel 5, but If I do, I ] [ will try to send you a copy. As a matter of fact, I do ] [ have most of them, maybe I'll see if some of our volun- ] [ teer typists can type them in. If they aren't too long. ] >3)The priesthoods. Which of Pavars dieties are worshipped in Pechano >and are any held in "more regard" than others? I don't see someone >like Thumis being more widely worshipped than Lord Karakan or Vimuhla. >Are the priesthoods of Pechano more on a spiritual "plane" or on a >secular one. Do they operate like the Livyani clergy? The Gods of Pechano are the "Seven Deities of the Rising Peaks"; cf. the Sourcebook, p. 54. These are essentiially similar -- though not identical to -- Thumis, Karakan, Vimuhla, Avanthe-Dlamelish (like Shiringgayi in Salarvya), Ksarul, Belkhanu, and two local ones: Quoth the Many-Eyed, and the warrior-hero Nyesset of the Pinnacle. Religion in Pechano plays a minor role, compared to Tsolyanu, and the priesthoods are not held in as high esteem as the warrior lineages. The priesthoods do have monasteries, but they are not government-funded. >4)Foreigners. Many of the realms on Tekumel appear to be quite xenophobic. >Do the Pechani also suffer from this to a large degree? Is there an OAL >or a Vru'uneb type of organisation(s) present in the realm? How restricted >is the movement of foreign nationals (if at all)? The Pechani honour "heroic" foreigners, including Aridani women. They treat women quite well, in general, and female soldiers and heroines are honoured and are the subject of "heroic" epic poems. Foreigners can move fairly freely through Pechano, but the local feudal society may harbour a few whimsical, cruel, or downright unpleasant individuals, who may rob or seize small parties of unprotected foreigners. Getting the backing of the Chaegosh (king) is thus as VERY good thing -- or the support of the oligarchs of the Rekhmel lineage of Teshkoa. The Pechani do have police forces, road guards, and "royal agents," but nothing so fancy as the Omnipotent Azure Legion. Good luck with Pechano! Phil //172 [Moderator's Note: Bob Dushay asks about sea travel around the Five Empires.] >What is sea travel really like around the Five Empires? We know that >coast-hugging is the rule, yet ships travel to places like Haida Pakalla >and the Southern Continent, which necessarily involve crossing open ocean. >I had assumed ships come close to land and drop anchor for the night, >and the smaller military ships are probably beached like the ancient >Greeks used to do, but this is clearly impossible for vessels sailing >across the open sea. They can't drop anchor, either--do they navigate >at night using the planets, or do they keep going in the same direction >and adjust by day? (While >I'm at it, do ships navigate by the planets >or do they use rutters or some other means? Having no north star must >lead to trouble.) If ships on the open ocean can sail at night, do >ships closer to shore do so? Passenger and cargo vessels are usually the larger square-rigged Tnek. These hug the coasts and travel from port to port during daylight hours, with only a few longer stretches requiring night travel. Most skippers also have regular pilots whom they hire on for voyages in unfamiliar waters. The faster war-galleys have too little space and too restricted food supplies to do much open-sea travel. There are certain well-known crossings, however: e.g. the one you mentioned across from Salarvya to Haida Pakala, which is about 600 Tsan at its best point. There are regular pilots and navigators who know these waters well and who are familiar with seasons, tides, currents, and dangers. Otherwise,there isn't a lot of ocean sailing -- though Magellan, Columbus, and others made difficult voyages over open waters in our own history. It's not impossible; it's just perilous and time-consuming! For people who just want to travel from Jakalla to Kheiris or to Tsatsayagga, it's best to get a cabin on one of the regular merchantmen that perform this kind of service. >Are some areas of ocean known to be monster infested, while others >are known to be safer? This could explain why some open ocean sailing >is done, but not a lot of it. There are indeed "famous" creature-infested regions: e.g. the "Shoals of the Akho," south of Salarvya. Sea travel is not as dangerous as I inadvertently made out in the old "Empire of the Petal Throne" rules. In the interests of providing an exciting game, I had sea monsters popping up everywhere! There are more and bigger leviathans on Tekumel than on old Earth, but not so many that travel would become impossible! I thus always make a confirming dice roll whenever I produce a really large critter during a sea voyage in the game. Sea travel is one of the best ways of getting people and cargo from one place to another relatively fast, and if it were as difficult as I had originally made it, there would be a great decrease in commerce! Stick to the coasts for cargo and passenger travel, and hire a good pilot for open-water voyages. Very few navigators would ever try to sail out to the Isle of Eyes or the lost little city of Mardza on the Isles of Ill Wind! Navigators have simple compasses (a magnetised needle and a pot of oil). Steering by the positions of the moons and planets is common, and there are ephemerides that tell the sailor where these bodies will be in the sky on any given night of the year. Since there are no stars, there are no fixed reckoning points (like Polaris on Earth), but the configur- ations of the heavenly bodies give considerable information, which, combined with experience and navigational know-how, usually get the traveller from one place to another. Take care -- and beware the deadly Akho of the Deeps! Phil //173 [Moderator's Note: Tekunu recounts information about his seafaring ] [ adventures. ] Sea Travel: I have adventured on the sea as Achan Tlashte; Tekunu hi'Qolyelmu; Matlor and even role played a pearl-diver (I can't remember his name). I have sailed with Phil at the helm for a number of years and have a detailed description (and maps) of most of the coastal hexes (location of fresh water, villages, ruins and the like) in Tsolyanu, Mu'uglavya and some of Salarvya and some of Livyanu, part of the southern continent, a section of the far side of the planet, and islands in between. (It's my rudder and I haven't decided how much I can find) Having been on the seas for about a quarter of my 20 years of playing Tekumel, I would agree with the Great One: If you stick with the commercial vessels and take the major routes you can travel comfortably and safely, but as soon as you get out of the well traveled areas you are in danger from some of the more fearsome monsters of the deep. It's really not all that often, but it's kind of like an airplane crash, its usually fatal. Then on the other hand most people who adventure on Tekumel go into area looking for trouble. Like Earth Prime if you look for adventure and trouble you will find it. For instance I sailed with Captain Pi'ur in search of The Great White Akho: Moab hi'Dikh. We generally only ran into trouble when we left the major sea lanes to take a "short cut". Well there usually is a reason why ships don't travel through "short cuts" on the map. It's because it may be mating grounds for some underwater nasty or a ghost ship may be haunting the area or there may be a sea weed bed that has spider like creatures crawling all over it or a host of other reasons. I can't remember getting into much trouble except with pirates in the sea lanes. I have seen all sorts of things on the water and I would imagine 90% of the trouble was because of where we were (our choice) and not a random roll of the die (The Great One's). Here are parts of my journal from a trip from Jakalla along the coast of Salarvya to Dlanta Isle: We have continued along the way for several weeks now and we have not had any adventures. We set into the port of Petris Layoda. We have decided to take the wife of one of the adventurers along. Palanes is coming along. One slave is taken along to take care of the wife. 10th of Fesru we take sail. On day three we see three ships fighting. One is a Tsolyani ship full of adventurers, there is a Muuglavyani Swamp Folk Ship, and a merchant vessel. Use massed combat to fight the battle. In the leap over we lost several of the marines and the captain of the marine. The swamp folk are backing away from us, as they are backing away from the ship's crew. The swamp folk are fighting at the other merchant vessel. Tekunu was the first over the side of the vessel, and Gubanu and Daragma followed. I was critically wounded in the fight and fell. The marines fight across the vessel. Tekunu is healed and then engages the enemy captain in single combat and slays him. We left the enemy ship with no loot, the pirate ship went one way and we went the other. We lost two marines and gained three sailors from the sunk merchantman. (Hex 1814) 7th of Fesru. Hex 1815 this day. We run into four Akho who attack the ships. There is one large, two very large and one huge Akho. Three attack the other ship, one attacks our ship. The tentacles come up out of the ocean and attempting to seize sailors. We drive off our Akho. Two of the other three are attacking the ship. The largest off is under the ship. We approach and fire the port ballista and hit one that is crawling aboard the other ship. Tekunu fires the bow and damages the other. Two tenticles come aboard and attack the crew, knocks down Tekunu. It gets several strikes at the ship. We drive the Akho off the other ship. We pick up several sailors that are swimming in the water. We lost another marine. They lost two sailors, a marine and a cook. We run into a boat in the middle of the night. We run into a round Hlutrgu coracle. It is full of dead bodies. They smell pretty bad. It is Fesru and they are migrating between the continents. By dawn the sea is littered with little coracles. There are a few of the coracles that have critters. We go to Hex 1716. We turn away from them rather than take the chance of being attacked. [Moderator's Note: Coracles are the little leather ships Hlutrgu use. ] We see more ships on the horizon but they do not come close to us at all. That night we hit something that causes the ship to go boom, crunch and we find a number of Hlutrgu coracles under the bow. They are already dead. Brea plays the Zarur on the bow of the ship. The ship's crew is happy to hear her playing. My servant, Gubanu is in love with Kayel. We reach hex 1616 on the 10th of Fesrul. We run into a ship from Salarvya. It is the coastal patrol and we pay taxes so that we can get documents to allow us further on the coast. We also run into a Livyani ship suffering from scurvy and the like. We give them some fresher food and continue. We appraoch the tropical paradise of Songyal. Brea plays the Zarur on the bow of the ship and the crew appears to be content as we have not encoun- tered an adventure in several days. We may even make it as far as the Dlantla Isle. We see ships on the coast of the Isle. We make the Isle by sunset. There are numerous reefs and rocks near the shore. The cap- tain knows these waters. We have been out for five days and we stop to get fresh water before we continue to run. We pay 100 kaitars to stay, they will give us anchorage and water, we must pay for food. Up the street are the food places and room for the night. The whores are up the road. I send Kagor out for food. Kagor comes back to say that six or seven people wish to go to another port. They wish to go to Dlanta Isle or to Haida Pakala. We can take them to Dlanta Isle, passage can be had for 300 Kaitars a passage. We sail on the morning tide after the food is taken aboard the ship. There is a cool grey sea, birds are screaming overhead. A man comes with the bread, it is a little crusty, but alright to eat. A cart makes its way down the street. Two slovenly Salarvyani are bringing the bread. Six members of the crew come down with rickets or scurvy. Kagar comes back with supplies. The tide is ready to go out at noon, the weather is getting to be a little rough. The ship castes out and the sea is rough. We head to the south. There are some villages, some precipitous rocks. The main port. Many fishing vessels, small crafts of all kinds. A great many soldiers, fortifications, ratty could not hold off a determined assault. We travel slowly along. We are in the company of five or six other ships. They are Salarvyani vessels with black hulls, military cut but not prepared for battle. The children of the foreigner are playing a flute like instrument. It is played with both hands in Haida Pakala. I invite the foreigner to dinner. 3 males, 4 wives and 3 children. We are on the edge of hex 1417. There is a brisk breeze and we have dinner as best as we can. We eat on the afterdeck. We eat with them, to the east of Haida Pakals. Nyemesel Island. They wear helmets made of shell, bone and wood. Language is the popping of many farts all at once. He has relatives that are ship's captains. He knows many persons who can guide us. The captain is invited to the dinner. He is in Gorulu. Nyemsel Isles, ruins along the coast. Rumors far away where the Ahoggya dwell. The Ahoggya have laws that change every day depending upon who is in charge, the astrology will casue the laws to change. There are islands to the east of Salarvya that have black persons on them. Brea then begins to blow on the flute. She played the Zaror. A little girl appears to be a thief. The morning passes the day passes without any trouble. Any one who gets sea sick will do so now. We continue to sail along for awhile. Some of the water barrels have leaked and spoiled some of the grain. It is in the grain bin. Kayel says that she must leave our service. She must go away at this time. She will only have sex with males as part of her employment. Other than that she wants to have nothing to do with us. She will not do so willingly but will do it as part of her job. A party member pisses her off and she does not wish to be around with someone who is interested in her. The various ship persons are doing there work. There is an explosion off the bow. A huge rising bubble comes up to the surface and causes trouble. Small bubbles come up and explode when they near the surface. Stench of the gas within the bubbles is terrible. Swamp gas but only more troublesome. The sea is bright green and luminescense. Tiny little swimming things in the sea below. The Haida Pekalani say there is a wildlife that when it rots under the sea, the things are rising and even ships can be destroyed in the ocean. Bits of vegetation remain and all kinds of things come to the surface to feed on the creatures. They come up from the bottom to eat and they are creatures are not normally seen on the surface. Some have lights on them. I take notes for my journal on the southern continent. This is a uncommon event. On the 15th we are in 1218. The rigging is humming and we are traveling at a fast rate across the ocean. We are traveling at a good rate. We batten the hatches. The Salarvyani woman is alone in her cabin. A sailor has fallen overboard and dissappeared. We get The Eye of the Goddess (Dlamelish) or St. Elmo's Fire gets into the rigging. Bria is ill and is sick to her stomach. Kagor is unable to cook. Lord Tekunu is also getting sick. On the 16th we get to hex 1119. The day still dawns pearly gray and is pink and misty. We have a tough day trying to keep everything together. The little girl was sacrificed to Mretten, kind of like Avanthe with more to do with the sea. It appears that the little girl was required to appease the goddess. The man blamed Lord Tekunu that such things were his fault. They do not speak to anyone else on the ship during the course of the storm. On the 17th we get to the eye of the storm and the heat builds up. It appears like the sacrifice worked. There is a difficulty on the ship, Kama-A senses an aura of a curse about the captain. The captain may be cursed. She screwed the Captain but she cannot feel comfortable as he has the feeling of doom about him. She can read psychic emanations from the others. Sometime the last night there was a sacrifice. Kama-A has noticed the emanations for several days. The Captain like he is already in the tomb. We have had these troubles since before the Tsongyal Isle. We may have had this trouble after the contact with the Livyani ship. The Captain may have caught the plague. We have no idea if whether the Captain really is cursed or not. We cannot tell whether he is really cursed, he feals fine, there are no difficulties. We attempt a Disenchantment spell in order to have the Captain feal better. An examination of the Captain determines that there is an aura about him and he is ill. The Disenchantment is attempted and we do no know if he is cured. Visitation to determine if there are any extra planer connection. We cannot determine if there are any trouble with this curse, the Captain does not feal a thing at this time. A diagram is made that entraps the entity. It is short, squat and amorphous and vaguely frog-like looking. It is sitting in the Captain's shadow. He can see it out of the corner of his eye. Kama-Eh cannot see the shadow demon. They are creatures of the sea. They live in caverns in the ocean and the vegetation on the bottom of the sea. They manifest themselves with St. Elmo's fire. They cause doom. They cannot kill you, they eat your soul and you become like them. They will cause you to lose money and the like. For years this thing may follow you before the kill occurs. It can go further back into shadows. Procession up the trail, and an old woman comes up the stair. Heavy set woman in her 50's with a staff. Karadja (Shiringai). Food, fruit and Dna Grain. Dlanta worshipper. These are hairless people with ancient records that date back many thousands of years. We know that to the east there are thousands of island. A kingdom of Ahoggya. There are areas of Hargish, tranlucent beings that keep men as pets. There are areas of vast jungle that cascade down to the ocean. Nang va sa -- Land of Goru. The city of Beesa is a wonderful city on Dlantla Isle. -- 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. //174 [Moderator's Note: Listmember Shawn Garbett contributes the following. ] I was reading a Science News the other day and it mentioned the concept of global warming causing a hypercane. Essentially it was saying that if global temperatures passed a critical point, then hurricanes could overcome one big limiting factor they are subject too now. Hurricanes top out against some layer of the atmosphere and don't have enough power to get any bigger because of this, but if temperatures got hot enough then this layer could be puntured and Hypercanes (that's the term the author coined) could occur. Now Tekumel is already there in terms of heat, so what does this list think about the possibiliy of a hypercane. It would be a perfect manifestation of Origob, flipping sections of continents over, etc, etc. Shenyu would be the most likely target, but one could hit any coastal region during the summer months. Penom after the surge would have about 3 or 4 feet of mud deposited and anything that wasn't a pyramid would be gone. The insect population would surge because of the amount of large decaying organic matter. [Moderator's Note: Shawn. We have discovered that trying to apply 20th ] [ century science to Tekumel, is hard at best, and impos- ] [ sible at worst. We just don't have enough hard fact on ] [ Tekumel to apply Science. Your article does raise some ] [ interesting questions. I spoke with the Professor and he ] [ offered up the following: Hurricanes are not very prev- ] [ alent on Tekumel at all. He supposed that this was due to] [ the atmospheric terraforming, regulating the orbit, ] [ smoothing out the atmospheric pressure, and tides. ] [ He also said that about the only area that suffers from ] [ hurricanes is in the south, around Haida Pakala, and they ] [ are few and far between. ] ----- 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. //175 [Moderator's Note: David Cheng updates us on the Tekumel-Con. I will be out] [ of town starting tomorrow (Saturday) and won't be back ] [ until Thursday. ] Here is a very brief update on what's going on with Tekumel-Con planning: DATE I've been working inhuman hours lately, and unable to devote enough time to con organization tasks. I now think Spring of 1997 is a more reasonable target date. I like using national holiday weekends; how does May 24-27 (Memorial Day Weekend) sound to you? Or, would you rather use more vacation time and have less crowding on your plane? COST This is _tentative_, but I think con registration will be in the $35-40 range, with participation in the LARP an extra $10-15. I've made a first pass through the literature the hotels have sent me. It looks like room rates will be in the $60-75/night range. I know this looks a little steep at first glance, but I feel it's justified for a few reasons: 1) Have you seen how rates for ~average~ cons have gone up lately? 2) Tekumel-Con will be a classy event at a good hotel. 3) This might very well be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We're going to do our best to make you feel it was worth every cent. GEOGRAPHY As mentioned before, Tekumel-Con will be held in Minneapois, Minnesota. I am concentrating my hotel search on places right by the mega-Mall of America. Not only is this very close to the airport (free shuttle service), but if you're bringing family, it gives them a big attraction/distraction too (free shuttle to the Mall). LIVE-ACTION ROLE-PLAYING Work on the LARP is coming along, albeit slowly. We are going to shoot for about 75 players in the game (which will be a good chunk of the attendees, I figure). It will be more fun than you can imagine. APPEAL We need feedback on the ideas presented above. We need volunteers for event judges and front-desk-help. We still really need someone in the Minneapolis area to tour a few hotels. Please contact me directly if you can help with any of these. More as things develop, -David Cheng Tekumel-Con Chair drcheng@stern.nyu.edu < or > cheng@io.com (212) 472-7752 (before midnight EST) ----- 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. //176 [Moderator's Note: Evan has some final questions about Pechnano. ] >You made reference to some of the major houses in Pechano namely the >clans: Beneshchan and Rekhmel. Are these the only two clans of note >in Pechano or are there others as well. How are there relations towards >each other? Does a Machiavellian atmosphere exist between them? Are >assassinations and blackmail etc a common way of doing business as far >as these two are concerned? There are perhaps 50 clans in Pechano. No one has ever done a census. The Beneshchan and Rekhmel lineages are the biggest and most powerful. Some are remote mountain clans, almost equivalent to "tribes." A few are occupation-based: bakers, wine-makers, carters, smiths, butchers, arms and armour-makers, and the like. A couple are religious in nature: secretive and devoted to their deities. >About the deities of Pechano. Is there any more info you can give on the >following items. What are the names of the "Seven Dieties of the Rising >Peaks" in the Pechani language. Chris, the article I sent you by Ksamanduish the Traveller contains brief descriptions of the Pechani deities. Please xerox and quote this to Evan. Or put it into e-mail and send him a copy -- or put it up on the FTP site where he can download it. [Moderator's Note: The Document in question will be added to the ftp site ] [ as soon as I get to the office and can add it. ] Briefly, they are: (1) Thumis = Tsomeq; (2) Karakan-Vimuhla = Vihar; (3) Avanthe-Dlamelish = Sehta; (4) Ksarul = Kazherh; (5) Sarku-Belkhanu = Su'urkha; (6) Quoth the Many-Eyed; (7) Nyesset the Hero. Quoth is said to be "King of the Gods. What are some of the ceremonies of Neyesset and Quoth? Not much is known. Their worshippers gather together in processions and march through the mountains to remote shrines, where animals and fruits are sacrificed and eaten in large feasts. There are many epics and heroic legends. I don't have much more on this topic -- we never gamed over there. >The Chaegosh. How is he appointed to his position? Does he have to >"duke it out" aginst all comers? Is he elected (perish the thought) >or is his position hereditary? Does only the Beneshchan rule or can >one of the other clans take the throne? Is he secluded like to >Tsolyani Emperor? The Chaegosh is selected by his clan. The position is not hereditary, but it tends to become almost so by virtue of the fact that his lineage and his entourage make up themost powerful people in the land. Usually the Beneshchan have ruled, again by virtue of power and proxmity to the ancient throne of Mechaneno. A few Rekhmel rulers are quoted in the histories, as are a sprinkling of members of other clans a long time ago. The Chaeogosh is not secluded but goes forth with his heroes to hunt Ssu and lead heroic expeditions into old Ssuyal. The current Chaeogsh is a youngish man who calls himself just "Beneshchan," as is the custom. If he ever had a personal name, it is never used. He is flamboyant, loves gambling and drink, and fights very well. He is said to follow Vihar. He is quite hospitable, as long as his guests enjoy endless hunting parties, bouts of drinking, Ssu-fighting, and challenges to display bravery. He often gives the winners wives -- or male spouses, if the contestant be female -- and encourages joyful public coupling at one of his feasts in order to produce more heroes for the Seven Gods! >How did Pechano come to exist? Did a group of Salarvyani clans break >away from the rest of the country and make a go of it? It would seem >that this is not unlikely what with all the similarities between the >two nations. Pechano is one of the daughter-states of the old Engsvanyali Empire. The Priestkings split the region into two Governorships: one based in Tsatsayagga, the other in Mechaneno. The southern one expanded, while the northern one remained small and limited, locked in eternal battle with the Ssu. There are indeed many similarities between Pechano and Salarvya, but the Pechani are much more open, less greedy, and more harebrained and heroic. >On a lighter note when I mentioned to one of my players that Ssu >hunting was the "official" sport of Pechano his eyes became somewhat >glazed and he started saying "MMMM SSUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!". He is running >the psychopathic Pe Choi NKEK P'KEK.A would be priest of Ksarul and >full time menace. I haven't told the player who's running the Ahogg'ya >that he may get to fight Ssu. He is even crazier that the Pe Choi. It is >a miracle that they haven't taken the high ride yet. The Pechani are not fond of Ahoggya, but they tolerate them -- and put them right up front in battle with the Ssu. They hardly know what a Pe Choi looks like, although some travellers and merchants have seen them, of course. [Moderator's Note: One of the first characters I had was an Ahoggya, and I ] [ think I can say that most only tolerate the Ahoggya (with] [ the exception of the Shen!). ] Send your group down to the ruins near Ssuganar: old Ssyrayal, which I believe you mentioned to Chris. (Where did you find out about this place? Did I mention it in a book somewhere?) It's called the "Sideways City", because many of the old subterranean levels were lifted and turned almost exactly on their sides by earthquakes right after the Time of Darkness began. What used to be floors are now walls, etc. It's amusing to have somebody step confidently out of a tubeway car (which has its own internal gravity) and try to walk towards the far wall of the great station. It's a long and deadly fall "down" to that wall now! Ssurayal has only one inhabitant: a hermit named Haggopya (accent on the "ya") who lives in a well-fortified house on the surface by the entrance to the underground regions. He's friendly, though aloof, and speaks Tsolyani somewhat. I think he is from western Salarvya or possibbly Tsolyanu, but he never talks about himself. Your players can get some advice from him -- but no secrets. [Moderator's Note: Due to a book-keeping error, this message (sent later) ] [ was answered prior to the one above. ] >One more question on Pechano. What is going on currently at Ssurayal? Is >this a set of ruins abandoned by all? Or are the Ssu trying to retake it? >What about the Pechani? Do they largely ignore it and steer clear of it? >Are there any tubeway car stations to be found there? I need to get the >party to Pechano as quickly as possible and it seems that the tubeways >are the way to go. I am puzzled. The only ruins marked on the map in Pechano are the great Ssu city of Ssuganar. I never put Ssurayal on it, although it rightly does belong there because of its size and ancient strength. It was the headquarters of the human guards who were set to watch over the Ssu "reservation." After the end of the Latter Times the place was pretty much abandoned. There are still some surface ruins there, as well as a complex of mostly destroyed underground centres, including living quarters, weapons chambers, intelligence-gathering devices, and even a spacecraft or two. Most of this was turned almost edgewise by a great earthquake at the end of the Latter Times, and those who take the tubeway car to the old station may find that they step out of their car (which has artificial gravity of its own) and try to walk over to the nearest entrance, 100 metres away across what looks like a flat floor -- only to plunge 100 metres straight down! There isn't much left to find. It's been looted by the departing humans, by various warlords of the Latter Times, and by the Ssu, of course. The exit is difficult -- up through narrow crevices to the surface. Ssuganar is much more difficult. No tubeway cars go there. It was the headquarters of the Ssu themselves before the Time of Darkness. It is still visited by parties of Ssu, and there is more danger than even a strong party can handle. ----- 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. //177 [Moderator's Note: David Bailey responds to the Weather topic. ] Hypercanes <> Origob? Sounds more like Kirikyaga to me. -- 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. //178 [Moderator's Note: Roger Pearse encloses a note of thanks to Tekunu for ] [ typing up his adventure notes. I would like to add my ] [ thanks also, as Alan has taken extensive notes during ] [ the time he played in the Professor's campaign. Anything] [ in the way of typed up notes you wish to offer will be ] [ welcomed here! ] Tekunu, Just a note to say thanks for the details of your adventures in Tekumel which you've been giving us via the Blue Room. I know that I personally would be happy to read as much as you care to give us! Do you have any special memories of your visit to the Island of Ganga? Thanks again, Roger Pearse ----- 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. //179 [Moderator's Note: Tom Robertson wants more information on Ditlana. ] >I Have recently introduced an experienced party (including my 14 year old >son) to the intrigue of Tekumel. After a none too brief time above ground >fighting the bureaucracy of Jakalla and Pala Jakalla they find themselves in >the upper levels of the Underground - and then to question time - how did >the underworld develop? Thus to the explanation - the underworld developed >from the practice of Ditlana "the renewing". Further questions followed >from my youngest: >How did a city get leveled - bit at a time? >If the city is leveled at one time where do you house all the people eg the >Population of Jakalla during the renewal? >Many of the major cities are hundreds of year overdue - how will the current >civil war affect any proposed Ditlana - Were any planned? The Emperors designated one or more cities as candidates for Ditlana, relying upon the priesthoods, omens, astrology, and religious symbolism. Once a city was chosen, its inhabitants were moved a block or so at a time from their homes to temporary lodgings, to other clanhouses, to relatives in other cities, etc., and the empty block was given the urban renewal treatment. Knock it down, flatten it, cover over holes, tunnels, and pits, and strengthen the new "ground-level" floor with masonry, then build new buildings atop this according to plans and needs submitted by the owners. Thus, for example, if the Red Sword clan decided to put up a new clanhouse in the empty space where the old one had stood, they prepared plans (at their own plus Imperial expense), hired masons and builders, and consulted with city planners to develop the best building possible. The great clans could do this since money from other places was available: all the cities of the land were never done at the same time! Materials, transport, labour, all had to be pre-arranged. This is no easy task, not even for a society as rigidly controlled as Tsolyanu. The custom has now fallen behind schedule by many years, due to economic, political, and military pressures. The population has grown, and the country is too unstable to allow for the expenditure of the huge amounts of wealth, time, materials, and labour needed. As an example, Jakalla is now seriously overdue, but with the war in the north dragging on, and Prince Rereshqala digging into the treasury for funds for his army, it is unlikely that the priesthoods will be listened to for some time to come. Just before the current war, the Red clans of Tumissa (Red Sword, Red Sun, etc.) were considering uniting to "do" parts of old Tumissa, but these ideas are now on hold while the princes fight out the succession to the Petal Throne. It's likely that the powers that be will get back to Ditlana again, once a new Emperor has been chosen, and the old stability is restored. Ditlana is still spoken of as an important social renewal, one that MUST be done from time to time in order to maintain the nation. A lot of conservatives are deeply concerned that this has not been possible in recent years. Everybody is waiting for Dhich'une to be ousted from Avanthar, and a new -- and proper -- Kolumejalim to be held; then you'll see the various city fathers headed off to Avanthar with plans and budgets and offers of clan support. Regards, 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. //180 [Moderator's Note: Bob Dushay is putting together the Tsolyanu Newcomer's ] [ Guide. He has been working on coordinating this project] [ and is now ready to begin the actual writing. For that,] [ he needs help. ] [ Also, I am using a new system to mail out messages. No ] [ longer will there be a huge list of headers. I am also ] [ working on setting up a more automated processor. The ] [ list will still be moderated, but I won't have to hand ] [ mail all the posts. Freeing up time for me to work on ] [ other Tekumel projects. ] Last summer, we discussed putting together a "Newcomer's Guide to Tsolyanu". I volunteered to coordinate/edit this project, and I am now ready to get started. Professor Barker has agreed to look over our work and help us gain the official Seal of Approval, and Ed Wimble of TOME is guardedly enthusiastic about such a product, provided the professor okays the final version. All we have to do now is write it! That's WE. I can't do it alone. I am looking for reliable volunteers to write chapters of the book. I am aiming for a cross between the old Sourcebook and a Fodor's guide to Tsolyanu. It will provide cultural and background information for beginning players and referees, while hopefully providing color and descriptions useful even to us experienced folks. Unlike a Fodors (or the Sourcebook), this book is going to also have to serve as a useful reference book, which means excellent indexing, and some effort to keep related material together. This book will replace many of the functions of the old sourcebook, and we can borrow liberally from that. I want a different focus for this work than a simple up date of the sourcebook. Furthermore, I want it all in one volume, which is why I am going to limit it to Tsolyanu alone. I want to model this book on the Book of Ebon Bindings, in that it will take itself seriously as having been either written by Tsolyani contacts and translated into English, or by those of us from this world who have travelled to Tsolyanu. Similarly, this book will have no rules or game specific information. I want each chapter to feature Tsolyani voices. The chapter doesn't have to be written by a Tsolyani, but each author should cultivate one or more Tsolyani personae to add color and flavor to the book. This book should include voices from many walks of life, and not be limited to priests of Ksarul and Thumis! Most importantly, this book is going to be a recruitment tool for new players. We want stuff that will draw people into the world. For me, the biggest thrill the original sourcebook was that it filled me with the desire to see places like The Plain of Towers, Ssuganar, the Shaft Which Transfixes the World, or the labyrinth near the city of Tkekmar. I want this book to make readers want to taste the fine cooking of the House of Five Pillars in Mrelu, to sample the pleasures of the Portico of Ebullient Delights in Tsatsayagga, or to study the items in the curio cabinets of Lord Tekunu, just to name a few examples. Every chapter should have hooks in it to make newcomers say "Cool! I want to check that out!" If possible, it would be nice if the book also contained some adventure hooks. Dragon Magazine's reviewer always complains when sourcebooks don't provide beginning GMs with adventure ideas. On the other hand, our book is NOT going to be a description of NPCs, locations, and maps. If we can give referees ideas with our book, great. If we can't, don't worry too much about it. I have a proposed list of things we'll need to cover from our summer discussion (special thanks to Paul Snow and Alex Stojanovic for their submissions). There's going to be some overlap with the other books, even the ones that are currently available, but I insist that this book not be full of "refer to Adventures on Tekumel, Part One to find out about ...". This list can be reorganized and changed. 1. Some basic facts about Tekumel. A lot of this has been done overtime and again, but to be complete, our book should have it too. I'd like to include the following topics: A. A quick review of Tsolyanu: geography, temperature, major products, the big cities, the Sakbe roads. B. Common animals and plants everybody would know about: Chlen, Hma, Hmelu, Kaika, cats, dogs, Renyu, Kuni, Kheschal-birds, dna-grain, yafa- rice, the lack of riding animals, etc. We don't need every creature in the Bestiary. C. Basic history. This should quickly sketch over the empires of Llyan of Tsamra, the Dragon Warriors, The Three States of the Triangle, the Fisherman Kings, the First Imperium, the Engsvanyali empire, the Five Empires. A quick sketch of Tsolyani history--mention some of the more well-known emperors, an interregnum or two, etc. The idea is to provide enough information for players to figure out what their upper-class Tsolyani characters would know. D. Languages. A very brief section. Explain how the languages of the Five Empires are all descended from the Engsvanyali; a word about secret argots, other language families. Some useful bits, like how Engsvanyali is often used in official greetings, long-winded praises to the Emperor open all official business, noble-ignoble nouns instead of masculine-feminine, the 26 forms of you, attitudinal prefixes, the fact that some temples have their holy books in different languages. The idea here is to give beginning players reasons to study some of those esoteric languages listed in AoT, Part One. 2. Social customs, including clothing and nudity, meshqu, sex, Aridani status, etc. Travellers to a new country have to know what to wear, that there is no such thing as a "nondescript costume", who they can sleep with, and so on. It is also going to be important to understand the dual statuses for women. This chapter can flow into a typical clanhouse life, below. 3. Clans and status. Building blocks of society, common mythological roots for clans, lineage, the hierarchy of loyalty (friends, family, lineage, clan, temple, nation), and typical clanhouse life. [Note: AoT Part One has some of this.] One way to do this might be to write it as though a Tsolyani were bringing somebody into the clanhouse. It is crucial that players understand the different treatments one may expect as a citizen, a civilized foreigner, and a barbarian. Players also need to know things like getting letters of credit, favors they can ask of their clan, responsibilities toward the clan, living arrangements, etc. 4. Political institutions. The four palaces, the political chain of command from the village headmen up to the Emperor, the Tlakotani clan and the Kolumejalim, the political power of the great clans and the military, royalist, priestly, and imperial parties, the perennially restive Ito and Vriddi clans, etc. This chapter should help players understand who to go to for political help, which bureaucracy to get travelling papers from, how to pay taxes, what high posts they might reasonably petition to obtain, etc. Tekumel works hard at having players involved in society, unlike most role playing games--this is where we hammer the point home. 5. The law. The Concordat, slavery, arming slaves, shamtla and other punishments, the Manifesto of Noble Deliverance, assassins, tomb robbing, and the actual amount of crime around. A list of some of the more notorious prisons around the Empire would be educational. Players should understand what to expect from the law, what is illegal, what penalties to expect, how to file a lawsuit and how to defend oneself from one, responsibilities when hiring people for dangerous adventures, and so forth. 6. The noble professions. A quick gloss on the career paths for most players. A. The military. A quick word about how the legions have histories and reputations, likes and dislikes. Perhaps a word about how the Sakbe road guards, temple guards, and tomb police figure into the military system. Maybe a quick piece on Tsolyani warfare. Most of this information is found in AoT Part Two, Vol. One, so we only need a light gloss on this material. B. The priesthood. Also covered in AoT Part Two, Vol. One. A fast discussion of the various types of priests (ritual, scholar, sorcerer, administrative). Maybe some words about their duties, and how they are not free to simply travel from town to town and go on adventures. C. The bureaucracy. Neglected in AoT, so we should cover it. Circles, how to get promoted, the various organizations to belong to and the Tsolyani love for visual representation of status with their daises and scribes. Players may not want to be bureaucrats, but they're going to want to know how to manipulate them. A word or two about how inducements are a major source of income, and that it costs money to keep up appropriate appearances for high status jobs. D. Merchants. Most of AoT Part Two, Vol. Two covers merchant adventures. We'll need to talk about clan involvement, how one arranges a caravan, sailing vs. walking, the sorts of goods one may deal with, what to expect when crossing a border, what happens during war, smuggling, paying duties, and so forth. 7. Religion. Covered to some degree in AoT, Part One, and Part Two, Vol. One. In addition to a quick review of the gods and cohorts, and a whisper or two of the Pariah Gods, players who read this chapter should understand they will primarily belong to one faith, but can visit other temples (of the same general alignment). Players should know about Aspects and have a list of some of the more important ones, know how and when to make sacrifices, know about ecclesiastical courts, the role of temples in Tsolyani society, etc. We will scrupulously avoid competing with Bob Alberti's work in progress on the gods, so we'll keep this basic and focus more on the average citizen's view of religion. 8. Magic. People should know the basics of magic (the Planes Beyond, "reaching through", the fact that metal disrupts spells, the technology of the Ancients compared to modern magic), and also the less precise knowledge of the average Tsolyani citizen. Players should know about bazaar sorcerers, whose powers are suspect at best, the superstition of the Tsolyani, the difference between sorcerer priests and laypriests, the role of magical bodyguards. While we're at it, a section on common pieces of ancient technology would be nice: lightning bringers, aircars, Eyes, Ru'un, etc. I would prefer that this chapter emphasize the "real Tekumel" rather than the magically rich game Tekumel. 9. The calender. The writer will need access to the Zocchi edition of the sourcebook to have the original calendar information. Creative persons will have to list all of the national holidays, the major holidays in all of the cities, and possibly all of the minor festivals in one city, such as Jakalla or Bey Su. Descriptions of some of the festivities would be nice. Again, we complement Bob Alberti's book, not overlap it. 10. Common non-humans, where they live in the Empire, what you can expect when you meet them. Covered to some degree in the Bestiary and the Archetypes. Reliable volunteers should email me, Bob Dushay (rdushay@delphi.com) and tell me which chapter or part of a chapter you'd like to write. You don't have to be a Tekumel expert--I don't think there are more than five people on earth who feel they are Tekumel experts. Newbies are very welcome to write! At the very least, you can take the appropriate section(s) of the sourcebook and rewrite it to fit my new format, and add some color. Even small contributions may be useful. If there's information you think this book should have, and I haven't included it in the outline above, let me know. [Moderator's Note: Please correspond directly to Bob on this project. I ] [ will help any way I can, but I will be starting on the ] [ Sourcebook project. If TOME decides not to publish, ] [ our ftp site will be happy to be home for the guide! ] If you are one of the voices complaining about the lousy job TOME has been doing, or that the game is dying for lack of interest, here is your best chance to do something useful. This is perhaps our last, best chance to bring Tekumel into the role playing world's consciousness. Let's hear from you. Technical stuff. I work on a Mac System, and would prefer submissions to be Mac MS Word 5.1 format, with accents in place. If you have a PC or other system, you can easily submit files as ASCII, using the standard Blueroom accent code system." [Moderator's Note: A copy of that system is available by sending me email. ] ----- 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.