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 26 [27 June 1998 - 20 July 1998] 751: Campaign Materials Response 752: More Climate and Road Travel 753: The N'luss 754: Climate of Tekumel Reply 755: More on Campaign Material 756: More on Campaign Notes 757: Tekumel in Other Languages Reply 758: Old Gamers... 759: Beginning Ref Response 760: More on the N'luss 761: Another Limerick 762: Beginning Ref Response 763: Web Site News 764: More "Reality" of Tekumel 765: Beginning Ref Response 766: Tekumel at UCon 767: More on Sanjesh 768: More on "Reality" of Tekumel 769: More on the N'luss 770: More Old Gamers... 771: Beginning Ref Response 772: More Beginning Ref 773: Campaign Contributions 774: Beginning Ref Summary 775: Web Site Move 776: Temple of Jneksha'a 777: Beginning Ref Report 778: A Different Sanjesh 779: Rumor Confirmation 780: Miscellaneous Questions ******************************* //751 [Moderator's Note: James Maliszewski comments on Peter Huston's campaign ] [ materials. ] I, for one, would like to see more of this sort of material on the mailing list. While I am always fascinated by new Tekumelani lore, I would appreciate seeing information that has a more direct application to roleplaying on Tekumel. As a previous message of mine has already indicated, I have set up a small website that I hope will become a much bigger repository of information about roleplaying on Tekumel. I'd love to see more of Peter's notes and, if he'd like, I would be willing to post them as a document on my website. The same is true of anyone else who has gaming material that doesn't really belong either on this list or in the ftp archives. Just e-mail me and we can discuss it further. Thanks, James Maliszewski maliszew@interlog.com ----- //752 [Moderator's Note: George Hammond also comments on climate and travel on the] [ Sakbe roads. ] >[Moderator's Note: Stan Rydzewski comments on the Climate of Tekumel. ] >The climate of Tekumel post sparked a couple of questions in my mind: >It would seem that shade would be even more desirable on the Sakbe >roads, unless everyone travels at night. Do the roads have any >such provisions, or do travellers have to provide portable shade? >From what I recall from "Man of Gold", even slave caravans carry tenting >for shelter, and adjust their travel hours to avoid high temperatures. >It would seem that (for part of the day) travelling beside the road, >on its outer side, would be cooler, albeit less noble, than travelling >on the road. Given the extreme nature of the heat, it would seem >likely that some people of neglible status would be willing to do >this--if not for comfort's sake, then to save money on water. Is >such a thing: > >a) unthinkable for social reasons. true for many travellers. Those entitled to travel on the higher levels would never lower themselves, and those of low status probably don't travel much except as labor or merchandise. >b) impractical because of terrain. (I'm sure it is in certain locales.) and only worthwhile if the road runs north-south (else not enough shade) >c) prevented by the "Sakbe-wardens". quite possibly, perhaps encouraged by the road concessionaires who control travellers' access to food and water. Also perhaps frowned on by farmers adjacent to road (Chlen can be very destructive...) >d) feasible perhaps, but relatively rarely. I would bet that the gain in ground covered might often be lost to the slower rate of movement off-Sakbe. Better to wait til the cool of night and then move swiftly by the red and green light of the moons. George Hammond ----- //753 [Moderator's Note: The Professor responds to a question from Dwight Grosso ] [ about the N'luss and their genetic roots. ] >It occurs to me that the Nlyss resemble the Maori and the Samoans in physical >size. This, coupled with both group's reputation for fierceness as warriors >makes me wonder if this is the genetic stock from which the Nlyss came from. >They appeared to be some kind of conquering race that settled on Tekumel >alongside the rest of humanity. Is this assumption even close to what the >professor envisioned? I remember reading about certain Asian tribes were known >for their large physique. So are the Nlyss some kind of genetically engineered >Asian/ Pacific Island race of super soldiers? Thanks for any help. I had not known that the Maori and Samoans were physically huge. Are they larger than, say, Scandanavians? I had thought that the Nordic sub-racial type would be the largest (save for some, like the Watusi of Africa, who are exceptionally tall). It does look likely that the N'luss were "engineered" for size and strength, but this does not necessarily mean that they were direct descendants of any particular Terran group -- after all, millennia passed between our own time and any possible starting date for the N'luss, N'luss legend states that they came from a "homeland" in the Plain of Towers, and that they served as guards and soldiers in the armies of Lords Vimuhla and Chiteng on Dormoron Plain. From this, comes the origin of the Dragon Warriors, whom the N'luss proudly call "our fathers." They may well have been some sort of special military unit landed on Tekumel before the Time of Darkness. They have maintained their pride and their physical prowess ever since. Regards, Phil ----- //754 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker responds to Stan Rydzewski's message ] [ about the climate of Tekumel. ] >The climate of Tekumel post sparked a couple of questions in my mind: > >>...cities are likely to have a tremendous amount of shade built-in. >>Porticos, awnings, arbors, extended eaves, colonnades, and pavilions >>are likely to be major parts of the architecture. I would bet many >>cities are similar to Sokatis, where you can walk the length of >>the city without stepping into the sun. Are parasols used in the 5 >>Empires? Most "high" folk in the Five Empires prefer to remain indoors during the hottest parts of the day. Slaves and labourers have no such choice and tend to crisp nicely. I know that only the weak die off during intense heat coupled with physical hard labour -- I once watched a gang of several hundred workers (including women and older children) carry baskets of earth and stones up a mound to build a dam in India. The temperature was about 105 F! I was unaccustomed to this and left a trail of perspiration like a slug on a hot griddle! The Indians shrugged off the discomfort and worked all day. Many middle-class houses in the cities of India have extensive cellars, often interconnecting with neighbouring houses, where people spend the summer days. I've used these cellars myself in the blazing heat of Lucknow -- and went visiting underground to the next-door family via tunnel. Sokatis is rather unique. It was developed by an early Tlakotani governor, whose skin was extra-sensitive to heat. He had the arcades joined together and roofed with thick slabs of coloured glass. Keeping this feature in repair (and clean enough to see through!) is a major budget item every year for the locals! Other cities just swelter -- or dive underground. Building an entire city underground is occasionally possible, of course, but expensive! If it were easy, they'd have converted frigid Minneapolis long ago to a netowrk of caverns. Montreal, Canada, where I lived for years, created a subway and a system of underground shopping malls, offices, etc. that works quite well. It *can* be done. >It would seem that shade would be even more desirable on the Sakbe >roads, unless everyone travels at night. Do the roads have any >such provisions, or do travellers have to provide portable shade? Shade is indeed very desirable on the roads. As in India, many folk just grimly bear up under the heat, sweat, drip, and march. The wealthy ride in palanquins borne by slaves (who have no choice), but a good master is too smart to kill off his slaves for nothing and so does not use them for this except in emergencies. People carry sunshades, wear loose, dark headclothes (like the Arab bedouins), and travel during the mornings and evenings, when there is more coolth, and at night (but then seeing where one is going is more of a problem). >It would seem that (for part of the day) travelling beside the road, >on its outer side, would be cooler, albeit less noble, than travelling >on the road. Given the extreme nature of the heat, it would seem >likely that some people of neglible status would be willing to do >this--if not for comfort's sake, then to save money on water. Is >such a thing: Most Sakbe-road walls drop down into fields, low underbrush, rocks and pebbles, and other undesirable (if not actually unwalkable) surfaces. You *can* get down there and work your way along the wall, but it will be a slow and thorny trip! Better to lie in and snooze during the day and travel at dawn, dusk, or at night. This is not necessary, of course, during the short winter season, when daytime travel is not so uncomfortable. "The bootmakers get rich during the summer" (Tsolyani proverb): have you ever tried to walk barefoot or with thin-soled sandals on hot pavement or sand? When my wife and I were on Pilgrimage to Mecca, we circumambulated the Ka'ba (the great square building in the centre of the sacred precincts) barefoot on marble paving! The temperature was about 105 F. Needless to say, we were not happy campers... Later, when we went up to the Plain of Arafat for the day of the actual Hajj itself, the temperature in our tent reached 127 F by my Egyptian friend's pocket thermometer. Never was more soda pop consumed...! >a) unthinkable for social reasons. >b) impractical because of terrain. (I'm sure it is in certain locales.) >c) prevented by the "Sakbe-wardens". >d) feasible High folk never walk along beside the wall. They rent a room or a space inside on of the road towers and "hole up." At dusk and before dawn there is a lot of noise and hullabaloo as palanquin-masters get the bearers up, feed them, pack luggage and ready the Chlen-carts. Then it's off onto the road for a couple of hours or more until the traveller s decide to go to ground somewhere. It is socially unacceptable to clamber along in the brush and debris beside the wall. Low and medium-level folk frequently avoid the Sakbe road altogether, travelling on the network of village secondary roads. Others sleep on the Sakbe road tower platforms (it is forbidden to sleep *on* the road pavement itself, so people who cannot afford a qirgal or two to the road police have to get off and sleep in a field or under a tree in the villages below. Sakbe road police do not prevent people from walking along the bases of the walls, Village and town constabularies may prevent travellers from trespassing and ruining crops or gardens growing along the walls, however. Mostly, such travellers end up walking on the network of secondary roads. In some places, there are no secondary roads, of course (e.g. the swamps around old Purdimal), and the Sakbe road is the only method of travel. Perhaps you can understand why player characters who try to wear armour all the time must roll dice every few minutes to check on heat stroke! Even in European climates armour heats up unbearably because it cannot "breathe." Strong knights used to drop of heat prostration. Regards, Phil ----- //755 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker comments on Peter's plants. ] I am happy to have you develop certain plants for Tekumel. They don't all need to be horrid, ravenous, slime-dripping, sentient goobers, of course. A few simple vegetables for environments outside the hot southern plain of Tsolyanu might be nice: say, Ghaton, Mu'ugalavya, the coast of Salarvya, various islands and ocean locales, etc. Send descriptions of these plants to the Blue Room FTP sight, or, if they are useful for gaming, to James Maliszewski, who is developing a website focussed upon *role-playing* and not so much on sociology, etc. [Moderator's Note: Peter Huston offers up some material for campaigns. ] >Plants , Creatures and other Stuff from Ye Olde Tekumel Campaigne. >Greetings! Like many of us on this list, I seem to have slipped into a >phase of my life that does not actually include role playing games. >Nevertheless, curiously, my interest in Tekumel continues -kept active by >the quality of material, not so much the need for it. > >Most of the material I created for this game was when I was in my teens >and early twenties, over ten years ago. I've decided to share bits and >pieces of it with the list. I shall do so in drips and drabs as I expect it >will make things more interesting and relaxed for all concerned. In a >spirit of nostalgia, I have decided not to edit my own creations, but to >repeat them as is and share them as created back then. Looking at them >again, there are some that I personally would not use in my own campaign >today but thought were quite good back when I wrote them down in my >notebook. Some I can see that I copied from some other source. Its possibly >that I might have slipped up and copied and then forgotten. It's been a >while. Please point out any borrowings or plagiarisms, if I don't catch >them and have forgotten. I would be honored if some were declared >"official", but might I suggest that some might merely be, at best, >"Tsolyani Folklore", perhaps. Things many Tsolyani believe to exist, but do >not? And some, I suppose just won't exist at all, even in the wildest >imaginations of the most ignorant and naÔve Jakallan slum dweller. > >Alas, Alas. . . . Nice stuff. Work out your flora, fauna, and ecology, and send it on. Balance the science against the play-value: it does not matter to a beleaguered swordsman just how many stamens a poison plant may have! >In some cases, I'll share the EPT stats I created, but in most cases I >don't think there's much need for this. Lets start with the plants as >that's where some people's minds have been lately. >PLANTS (I don't seem to have named the plants for some reason. There's >one other plant, but I specified it was only found in the Mihalli ruins, so >I'll include it some other day.) >PALLIS WEEPER- >Touching causes poison throw at ñ3 or death. If surprise there is a 1/6 >chance of "bumping into" it. I think this is in the "Bestiary." ??? >PLANT # 1. >Large pot surrounded by large leafy fronds. Entering area causes a saving >throw versus poison. If failed character wanders around hallucinating for >six turns then approaches the plant and goes to sleep. After an hour the >character will be wrapped up by the large leaves. He/She will then lose 12 >hit points a day. After he/she reaches ñ6 hits revification is impossible. "Pot?" Who made the pot? :-) I assume you refer to a *natural* bowl-like base for the plant. Regards, Phil ----- //756 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker comments on James Maliszewski's recent] [ campaign recounting. ] >The characters described above are all members of the Golden Dawn clan, a >medium ranked clan of the city of Khirgar. The characters had returned to >their clanhouse for the celebration of the wedding of their clan-cousin, >Sanjesh, to a young clan girl of the powerful Golden Sunburst clan. This >impending marriage was considered a major coup for Golden Dawn, as it gave >the clan further respectability by aligning itself with the respected Golden >Sunburst. Sanjesh was the "fair-haired boy" of the clan, being a >high-ranking bureaucrat within Khirgar's Palace of War. His marriage would >secure Golden Dawn an important place in the city's politics. What is Sanjesh' lineage name -- and the name of the girl he wants to marry? We have a "Sanjesh" in our campaign here, but his lineage name is "hiKirisaya," and it is thus unlikely he is the same person. "Sanjesh" is a fairly common first-nasme in the higher Stability clans. It is said to have been the name of a heroic, intelligent, and rational Thumis-worshipping officer of the garrison of Ganga. When the island sank, he loaded one of the last small boats with his wives and children (and others, too), braved the tidal waves and temblors of the fall of Ganga, and made it across the eastern passage to the swampy and jungle-covered shores south of Msumtel bay, After a year of wandering and fighting Hlutrgu, he and his little party managed to build a raft and paddle up Tamkade Bay to Heru, where he was warmly received. He later returned to Tsolyanu, and there the tale wanders off and ends. It is said that Sanjesh began as a very large and sturdy man, but when he reached Heru, he was down to "the size of an underfed boy." Many of his people had perished, and the tale lists only his wife, Peri, her oldest son, Kanyel, and a couple of nameless servants as survivors. The Golden clans still use the name Sanjesh frequently. Regards, Phil ----- //757 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker replies to Ted's question about Tekumel] [ in other languages. He provides a list of publications ] [ made in other languages. ] >Bruce Roberts has done a wonderful job compiling a comprehensive Tekumel >Products list. I wonder, though, if there are Tekumel materials out >there in languages other than English (and Tekumel languages)? > >Chris has said that list subscribers live in many different countries. >A search of "Tekumel" on Yahoo turns up German, Finnish, Japanese, and >other non-English pages. I'll have to go and look... >Has Professor Barker ever licensed >translations of any of his Tekumel works? Are any list members aware of >non-English 'zine articles or other items? TOME and I did license "Gardasiyal" in German. This was published but never sold. No one knows where the stocks (if any) went, and it cannot now be obtained. It was named, "Tekumel - Kindheit und Jugendjahre in Tsolyanu." It was translated by Hans Joachim Suetterlin, and was published by Detlef Wenzlik, Agema-Verlag, Bauerheide 5, Postfach 2143, 44511 Luenen, Germany. It was a very nice edition with pretty illustrations. Too bad it is unavailable.. [Moderator's Note: I saw Phil's copy and there is some very nice artwork!] >While we are on the subject of unknown Tekumel materials. I recall >reading somewhere that before the publication of EPT, Professor Barker >wrote stories for science fiction magazines. Is this true? Were any of >these Tekumel-related? I *wrote* science fiction before the publication of EPT, but these were not *published* by the aforementioned magazines! They were too smart! :-) One of my novels, "Man of Gold," was issued in a British edition ("Man of Gold," Century Hutchinson Ltd, London. nd). The same book appeared in German, "Der ungewoehnliche Goldmann: Abenteuer in Tekumel." pub. by Wilhelm Goldmann Verlag, Berlin, 1986. Both of these are out of print, alas. "Flamesong" was never translated or republished. I won't bother mentioning my translations of Engsvanyali romances. Perhaps Arjai hiVaisoner will oblige with more of his Tekumelani poetry? Regards, Phil ----- //758 [Moderators' Note: Gordon Neff comments on what seems to be a trend with ] [ gamers. Many of us don't actively game any more, but ] [ we do seem to keep up with 1 or 2 world settings that ] [ continue to interest us. ] <> I think that may describe a surprisingly high percentage of us. I know it's dead on in my own case. I'm not really willing to admit that I've "grown out" of RPGs-- and Tekumel is one of the major reasons. Can anyone imagine paying this much attention to, say, Grayhawk, or -anything- TSR does these days? "Neither the government for the temples can make a person Nakome without concurrence of that erson's clan. He *has* to be expelled first. There are plenty of Nakomeyal anyway: lowest of the low people who perhaps never had a clan, or whose parents lost theirs.." How could anyone lose interest in something that -works out the plural form- for its terminology? I too have my little notebooks squirrelled away in a box somewhere. I imagine most of us do. Now, if only I could persuade Flying Buffalo to merge its own Tunnels and Trolls, or begin producing Tekumel-specific modules... Gordon. ----- //759 [Moderator's Note: James Maliszewski offers up some advice for our begin-] [ ning referee. ] My own thoughts are manifold, but I think I can narrow it down to two basic pieces of advice that have served me well. They're related and work hand in hand. 1) Start small and move slowly. Tekumel is a rich and complicated setting. Few people besides the Professor know all of its complexities well enough to integrate them properly without some effort. Use only those elements you need for your beginning adventures. Add others as time goes on. Soon enough, you and your players will become comfortable with Tekumel. It'll feel natural and not nearly as inaccessible as it once did. 2) Remember that Tekumel is a fantasy setting. Sure, it's brand of fantasy is different than most others. Nevertheless, you should never forget the place of the fantastical and awe-inspiring in a Tekumel game. The Gods are real. Magic exists. Ancient devices turn the tide of wars. These all need to be accounted for. To forget them is to turn Tekumel into just another hidebound, conservative land without much to offer the roleplayer. Tekumel's cultures (for me, anyway) are as fascinating as they are because they offer a wonderful juxtaposition with the fantasy that is also part of the setting. Finally, you might want to check out my new website at www.interlog.com/~maliszew/jade.html. It has some information that might of use to someone beginning a new game. Good luck and enjoy your stay! James Maliszewski ----- //760 [Moderator's Note: Gordon Neff offers his opinion on the idea that the ] [ N'luss were genetically engineered. ] <> Excuse me, but with all due respect, I doubt the 'engineering' hypothesis strenuously. If there was any engineering going on, it was entirely environmental, and yes, it took thousands upon thousands of years. Heck, look at how long the entire Latter Times lasted! The Engsvanyali civilization itself lasted easily long enough for any local equivalent to the Maori, the Scandinavians, or the white Northern Europeans, for that matter, to have emerged full-blown. If you want to postulate some sort of special beginning, I'd suggest 'transportation'-- that is, Australian-style convicts in a Tekumeli gulag. Those who survived that environment would be Dragon Warriors indeed-- as encountered one hundred centuries later... [Moderator's Note: I seriously doubt that Tekumel was used as a Gulag. It] [ was terraformed as a vacation planet/playground of the ] [ wealthy. I don't think they could sell that picture ] [ while they were shipping in criminals from every other ] [ corner of the galaxy... (Well, maybe Microsoft's ] [ marketing department could!) :-) ] I'll admit, that does put a different spin on the Plain of Towers. If those are millenia-old spacecraft, they may not have been -intended- to lift off again, but merely to provide elementary shelter and sustenance for the dumped-off criminals. An aerial or low-orbital view would be instructive-- if they're scattered higglety-pigglety wherever they happened to come to rest, this would tend to support the theory. If they're ranked in regular array, that implies eventual re-use was intended. They've found jungle-swallowed Mayan irrigation canals with radar interferometry. I wonder what the Plain of Towers would show. Gordon. ----- //761 [Moderator's Note: An answering limierick to Bob's Engsvanyali gem. It ] [ was donated by Steve Pisani. ] Fellow Violators of Tsolyani Poetic License, The following is part of a tomb inscription found in Purdimal. A scion of old Fasiltu'm, Went up to a lesbian's room. They argued all night', Over who had the right, To do which, and with what, and to whom. -Visan hi Burusa' Lnoris ----- //762 [Moderator's Note: Bob Dushay offers up a few tips for Kevin King about ] [ running a beginning campaign. ] >What I would like from the list are a few posts describing a typical EPT >gaming session. What is the structure of a scenario in Tekumel? What is the >pace? How much emphasis is placed on role play as opposed to game play? The >scenario I will construct, but, as I have never played EPT with an experienced >group, I lack a sense of the appropriate tone and mood for the game. Any >comments welcome. Thanks. Bravo on running a Tekumel game at a con! I've run a short and incomplete campaign, and three convention scenarios that were terrific. There's little to say about the campaign: I inherited the group, and ran a run-of-the-mill kind of game where the PCs were basically following a treasure map. It was not well thought out, and was constructed one session at a time. My convention scenarios were designed to introduce newcomers to the complexities of Tsolyanu and were not run of the mill at all. All three depended heavily on role-playing skill and are light on combat or game mechanics. I always included individual player goals, often contradicting the goals of other players. In "A Matter of Honor", the PCs were called upon to defend the clan's tomb from tomb-robbers. One PC discovered that his father, who had been responsible for tomb offerings, had been robbing the tombs himself to pay off gambling debts, so he was frantic to keep the rest of the group from discovering the evidence. The tomb robbers themselves were Zu'ur smugglers who had concealed their stash in the tomb, and were trying to recover it. This scenario was published in an issue of "The Eye of All Seeing Wonder", either the last one or the one before it. In "Against the Grain", I reassembled the PCs from A Matter of Honor. This time their job was to defend the clan's grain warehouse from the annual food riot, especially since the grain inside had been sold to Prince Rereshqala. Rereshqala intended to distribute the grain at the peak of the riots to make himself look good and the Emperor Dhich'une look bad, but Dhich'une's agents intended to destroy the grain first to spoil Rereshqala's plan. Two PCs are old guard OAL agents, currently working as mercenaries for Rereshqala. Complicating matters are two Sarku-worshippers among the PCs who will be put on the spot to either defend their Emperor and betray their clan or vice versa. Both times I've run this game players roleplayed to the max. "Unwelcoming Party" covered the efforts of the staff of the Tsolyani Legate to Tsatsayagga to throw a diplomatic party for the grandees of Tsatsayagga while simultaneously backstabbing each other, and then later on in the evening, attempting to escape with their lives when things go sour. This scenario is fairly unique in that none of the PC's have any combat or magic skills because they're all playing middle-aged bureacrats. My first serious Tekumel adventure involved sending a group to Mu'ugalavayani-occupied Do Chaka to rescue a sacred artifact for the Temple of Vimuhla in Tumissa. It ran long for a convention scenario, and basically involved outsmarting the Mu'ugalavyani guards and smuggling the article out from the temple after defeating the guardian. In retrospect, it was a pretty run of the mill kind of adventure, but it was a good exercise for me and captured some of the feel of the Chakan frontier at the time of Dhich'une's ascension. Regarding the feel and mood of the games, these vary. I prefer a game that is loaded with detail and character but light on combat, while others play a more D&D style game with traps, monsters, and loot. ----- //763 [Moderator's Note: Peter Gifford updates the status on his web page for ] [ Tekumel. If I may say so, his site is incredible! ] [ Visually appealing falls terribly short of describing ] [ the look of his site... Way to go Peter! ] After a six month hiatus (2 month trip to India and swamped with work) I've finally found the time to finish a World of the Petal Throne website revamp/redesign/rebuild. You'll find design and layout improvements, new graphics and additions to the Excellent Travelling Volume. Currently I'm working on a new map of Tekumel. http://www.magna.com.au/~unihead/tekumel As usual, all comments, contributions, constructive criticism and suggestions are greatly welcomed ! Thanks to all those who have made contributions or sent comments so far. In particular, scans and information to make the Excellent Travelling Volume complete are always required. I'd also like to invite someone to write a piece on the 'Recent History' of Tekumel (Baron of Yan Kor to present time) for the History section (last page). I'm rusty on this period and need a write-up - it would be greatly appreciated! There's an email link at the bottom of every page. Enjoy, Peter Gifford ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Roll over the main device light to access the Chronology from the homepage. The site is designed for optimum viewing with NetScape Communicator 4+, with font sizes set to defaults. Times New Roman and Helvetica are the ideal fonts to have installed while browsing the site. PC users should set their font default to one size smaller for maximum design compatability. JavaScript rollovers are in common use. The site is graphic-heavy but I've done my best to keep the bandwidth demand low. 'Tekumel: The World of the Petal Throne' Site: http://www.magna.com.au/~unihead/tekumel ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peter Gifford ----- //764 [Moderator's Note: Al Musielewicz adds to the "Reality" thread. ] As to the reality of Tekumel, I myself have experienced this reality. Several times I have told the Professor to stop in an adventure and I will write down what I see and what is in the room. When he describes it, it is exactly as I saw it. What is interesting is that I have never been to these areas before and further I have described things that I have not run across before. Achan hi' Sayanu ----- //765 [Moderator's Note: Keith Dalluhn offers up an adventure idea to Kevin King.] Someone was asking about ideas for a Tekumel adventure. I will give you either a starting, a middle or an end depending on which you choose. Now, depending on how you want to run it, his fief could be the starting point in an adventure by having the party meet Sanjesh in Usenanu and offering the party a job in obtaining an item of your choice. It could be the middle of an adventure by having the party seek out Sanjesh to identify or obtain an item from him. Or it could be the end by having the party deliver an item or message to him. Sanjesh owns a fief about 6 hours walk along the river outside of Usenanu. The walk to his fief is not grueling, but should be undertaken early inn the morning as to avoid the hottest part of the day. Travel at night can be done but is not recomended. About a tsan from the actual home, you wil begin to see well tended fields of Dna grain, and orchards. The laborers and slaves all seem well fed and content with their lot. They will all mention that Lord Sanjesh is a kindly master to work for. Mainly because none of them, for the most part, have ever met him. The trip through the fields is easy, and the house proper sits on a small hill surrounded by a 4' high wall. It is built on a low stone platform reminscent of the temple in Usenanu. The gate is usually guarded but sometimes not. People can be seen doing menial tasks such as tending the gardens of the house, or hanging laundry. The chlen pens can be seen off in the distance behind the house. The guards will direct the party to the major domo of the house. He will tell them that Lord Sanjesh holds court to hear petitions in the early morning. If the party looks trust worthy and has equipment they will be asked to camp near the far wall inside the compound. If they are untrustworthy they will be directed to stay outside the fence. High level guests will be directed to a small outbuilding where they will be set up nicely with baths and a servant of their own. When the party is actually led into the house proper, it is designed like a typical Tsolyany manor, save for a large circular hole that extends the entire length of the house. It is about 2 feet across, and in some rooms has been filled with glass. There is a chance that Sanjesh will not be home when the party arrives. 10% of the time he is gone. 40% of the time he is at the temple, and the other 50% he is home. Sanjesh hiKirisaya is the scholar high priest posted to the temple of Thumis in Usenanu. He is in his 30's, average hight with a middle age spread already starting. It is widely known that Sanjesh is an outgoing kindly fellow who has a great interest in devices. When the party meets him there is a 90% chance that he is with his wife. She is a stunning beauty with large almond eyes, a pale complection and glistening jet black hair that nearly touches the ground. She will be introduced as the Lady Ais (ah' ees). As the party talks with lord Sanjesh she will interupt with questions of her own, and will whisper advice to lord Sanjesh. Sanjesh has several loyalties, they are, in order: 1 His wife and family (he has a child) 2 Lord Horodai. 3 Prince Mirusiya. 4 The empire. 5 His Temple. Lord Sanjesh is, as stated, a kindly man. He will help parties as best he can. Giving gifts of money, advice or devices. He has a 90% chance of recognizing the name of a device. He has a basement full of items. He has most any eye known to man, and a long list of devices. There is a 75% chance of having any eye asked for, and a 35% chance of having any given device. Wether he is willing to part with any of them is up to the game master. One last thing, should the party attempt to harm Sanjesh, his wife and family or his lands, they are in for one of the worst fights of their lives. Lady Ais has her patented 'Moonbeam' spell. She is able to slowly open her closed and cupped hands to produce an invisible wall that turns any living thing it touches into nothing more than dust motes. Lord Sanjesh has a large arsenal of devices he can bring to bear on the party, and failing that, he is able to call on the Demon Horodai who has an uncanny ability to eat many people at one time. Any party he meets is well advised to be polite. Should you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. Keith ----- //766 [Moderator's Note: Joe Saul informs us of a Tekumel track at a regional con.] I was going to hold off until I had more specific event information, but those posts about having given up gaming sounded so unbearably sad, somehow. I felt that I had to offer this to those of you who would *like* to game in Tekumel, but can't find anyone to do it with... as well as those who already have groups, but like to meet new Tekumel fans. And anyone else I've omitted... Tekumel at U*Con! ================= Come to U*Con, November 20-22, in Ann Arbor, MI. We'll be running a special "Tekumel Track" all weekend, with role-playing, minis (hopefully), seminars, and a free-form with a guest appearance (voice only) by Professor Barker via speakerphone. If the reason you aren't doing Tekumel gaming any more is, in part, the lack of a group of people to do it with, we can help you -- if only for a weekend. We've got a small but active community here in Ann Arbor (you've met myself, Lisa, Michael Schwartz, and George Hammond on the list; we're only the tip of the iceberg) and we're hoping to draw in folks from as far away as the West Coast. Carl Brodt is even considering showing up with loads of neat stuff for you to buy... TekumelCon didn't work out -- but we can hold our own mini-TekumelCon, piggybacked on a long-running (10 years) and very successful regional gaming convention. This Track *will happen*. I have chaired U*Con two years running, and now it's my turn to have fun instead of spending the con worrying whether everyone else is. Please come join me! Logistics & Pricing ------------------- Ann Arbor is 30 minutes (if you adhere to speed limits) from Detroit Metro Airport (DTW), a major Northwest hub and International Airport. Shuttles run regularly from the Airport to the convention site (it's on the UM campus). Hotels are cheap. Crash space may be available. The con costs all of $15 for the weekend, plus $2 per game (and the weekend fee is waived for GMs). We're a very cheap con if you can drive. Given the November date and our local airport, we're even relatively cheap to fly to. (Hint for US West Coasters and Southerners: Southwest flies here.) Special Offer ------------- Come over from Britain, and I'll personally pay your convention fees. And buy the first round at one of our local brew-pubs. (I may also be able to find you cheap, or free, housing. Airfare is your problem.) Contact Information ------------------- U*Con's web page is at http:/www.deathstar.org/~ucon, with general information about the con. It's slightly out of date (it doesn't mention any of the special events or Guests of Honor), but what information is there is accurate. If you're interested in the Tekumel Track, please contact me directly either by email (jmsaul@umich.edu) or phone (+1 734 429 8427). I'm still recruiting GMs and people who want to run miniatures events (and have access to minis!), so don't hesitate to volunteer. If you just want to play, or hang around and talk Tekumel, that's great too! Joe Saul jmsaul@umich.edu ----- //767 [Moderator's Note: The Professor and Bob Alberti respond to Keith's intro ] [ to Sanjesh and his fief. ] Professor Barker says... Dear Chris and Sanjesh, This is one of the best introductions to a Tsolyani fief and its owner I have yet seen. Sanjesh lives and breathes! You didn't go into Ais' family background, of course; that might have been too much to contemplate. But you see her *exactly* as she is. You may also have to explain the circular hole in the wall... This can be used just as you described: beginning, middle, or end of a scenario. Now you'll have to introduce the new party to some of your (ahem) friends, like Arjai, Chitlasha, Arumel, I'ena, Nisaya, Mirek, Mt'tk, Takan, and Echine. A note for Sanjesh; please pass it on to him: Wish I could join the new party on an adventure or two, but several of us are off to visit the Island of Vridu, where we shall be guested by Lady Deq Dimani. She still pines for her lost Tsolyani lover, Ahan Basrim, but she is going on with governing her island and performing the flame rituals of her temple. As for me, I look forward to a pleasant sea voyage with a certain lovely Tsolyani spy, one Kalusu hiViridame. I tire of gloomy Ke'er and family squabbles. Rejoice, Baron Ald of Yan Kor Regards, Phil ---------------- Bob Alberti adds... >Someone was asking about ideas for a Tekumel adventure. I will give you >either a starting, a middle or an end depending on which you choose. Note that two thirds of the time, Sanjesh ends up with more items than he started with. >Sanjesh owns a fief about 6 hours walk along the river outside of Usenanu. During the war, this fief traded hands about as often as a Salarvyani hooker. Draw back the new-looking tapestries in any part of the house and you'll find obscene grafitti regarding Dhich'une's endowments. Slaves are still scouring the walls. >The laborers >and slaves all seem well fed and content with their lot. They will all >mention that Lord Sanjesh is a kindly master to work for. Mainly because >none of them, for the most part, have ever met him. Note that recently many of them met Lord Sanjesh when they were invited to view him as he stood at the balcony of his home. Strangely enough, their descriptions of Lord Sanjesh will not be consistent. Lord Sanjesh' home was recently commandeered by a Dhich'une loyalist named Elon, who tried or is trying to undermine Sanjesh' position by assuming his identity for a short time, installing a temple of Sarku, running up the water bill, etc. If you visit Lord Sanjesh and he is small, slender, and wearing a lot of copper, you're well advised to pretend to be itinerant beggars and continue on. >the house proper sits on a small hill surrounded by a 4' high wall. Four feet high? I thought it was at least twice that tall, and I should know. I've camped outside that fence many times. >If they are untrustworthy they will be directed to stay outside >the fence. Oh. >High level guests will be directed to a small outbuilding where >they will be set up nicely with baths and a servant of their own. Hey! The rest of the party never told us about this... >a typical >Tsolyani manor, save for a large circular hole that extends the entire >length of the house. It is about 2 feet across, and in some rooms has been >filled with glass. Two feet across? I thought it was at least twice that wide. And I should know, I was there when it was made. Maybe that's why I sleep outside... >There is a chance that Sanjesh will not be home when >the party arrives. 10% of the time he is gone. 40% of the time he is at >the temple, and the other 50% he is home. Right now there is a good chance that someone POSING as Sanjesh will be home. >It is widely known that Sanjesh is an outgoing >kindly fellow who has a great interest in devices. Note that interest is not the same as competence... >the Lady >Ais (ah' ees). As the party talks with lord Sanjesh she will interupt with >questions of her own, and will whisper advice to lord Sanjesh. Despite the fact that both will be adorned in kilts, it will soon be clear which of the two wear the pants... >He has a 90% chance of recognizing the name of a device. Again the terminology is important. This states that, if you mention the name of a device, Lord Sanjesh will recognize the name. This does NOT say that, presented with a device, Lord Sanjesh will know what it is. This, however, will not stop him from trying to operate the device... >He has a basement full of items. He has >most any eye known to man, and a long list of devices. There is a 75% >chance of having any eye asked for, and a 35% chance of having any given >device. Wether he is willing to part with any of them is up to the game >master. Whether any of them WORK is also up to the game master. Here's a helpful guide: TOP TEN HINTS YOUR VISIT SHOULD END QUICKLY 10) Eye, when button is pushed, begins to make a FIZZZ sound. 9) Lady Ais' hands take on a silvery sheen, especially on the palm. 8) "Have you met my friend Horodai?" 7) The box in Lord Sanjesh' hands emits a grid of blue lights. 6) Lord Sanjesh says, "Here, let me show you how this works." 5) Copper box, when opened, curtly instructs you, "Shut de box." 4) "Woops. Ais, maybe you and the child should go visit your father. NOW." 3) Pink goo begins to appear out of nowhere. 2) "Hm, it's never done THAT before..." And the number one hint your visit should end quickly: 1) "Maybe I'd better ask my friend Arjai for assistance." >One last thing, should the party attempt to harm Sanjesh, his wife and >family or his lands, they are in for one of the worst fights of their >lives. Lady Ais has her patented 'Moonbeam' spell. She is able to slowly >open her closed and cupped hands to produce an invisible wall that turns >any living thing it touches into nothing more than dust motes. Keith exaggerates of course. The party will not be in for any fight at all, since they will be dead faster than a red-shirted Star Trek lieutenant during the teaser.. With these caveats in mind, a stay in Lord Sanjesh' fief is bound to be a delightful experience, with all the nobility, dignity, and hospitality that a Lord of his stature can convey. Unless, of course, Thumis chorales make you want to toss your cookies. ----- //768 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker adds to Al's message. ] >As to the reality of Tekumel, I myself have experienced this reality. Several >times I have told the Professor to stop in an adventure and I will write down >what I see and what is in the room. When he describes it, it is exactly as I >saw it. What is interesting is that I have never been to these areas before >and further I have described things that I have not run across before. >Achan hi' Sayanu I recall a colour-blind player who could "see" Tekumel's various military uniforms but couldn't tell whether they were green or red! When are you finishing up the article on Onchash Chairan? Your experiences there make you invaluable! The player party got to Eyloa's House in the Tlashte Heights, met a gaggle of the Undying Wizards at a party, and then found out the festivities were held to welcome Eyloa himself home. Most of the Livyani high command showed up to plan strategies against the Mu'ugalavyani oppressors, including Narayeb, Fire-Face, Rua, Eyloa's son (Darkia), and Achan himself. Good to see them all again. As ever, Phil ----- //769 [Moderator's Note: Dwight Grosso continues on the N'luss. ] My original idea, of the N'luss being "engineered, does seem a bit far fetched. The concerpt of the N'luss being who they are from being a product of their environment does seem to have merit. Consider our own world for a moment. How many people in the United States are physically larger than their parents and grandparents? I stand 6' 6", towering over all but two of my relatives. I'd like think that genetics has something to do with that, but I also know that my diet contains more proteins, fats, and vitamins than my previous generation's diet did. The better the food you eat, the healthier you are, as far as dieticians are concerned. Granted, heart disease and other things can also be linked to richer diets.... Consider also that the N'luss are a warrior based society. If they were the descendants of some military that turned to barbarism it would make give the arguement of environment over engineering. Military doctrine, martial techniques, and discipline shape and mold people. How many friends have you had that went into the service and came back completely different, even more different after they had been through real conflict? I can't really imagine what it's like, but I have seen the effects of it enough to know that it does change a person. So you get a group of very well developed people, with very developed martial skills, making them somewhat akin to Waffen SS troopers. What happens when discipline breaks down and raw survival is the only thing holding a group together? Perhaps the N'luss were something like MP's at the Plain of Towers. If the world was going through the throws of the cataclysm, their military doctrine would give them some kind of stability. If any central authority was left, martial law could have been established as a means of keeping a society going. I imagine the N'luss acted not to dissimilarly to some of the Japanese soldiers who were still holed up twenty years after World War Two. The machines fail, food runs short, riots occur, the Ssu and Hlyss make raids, the N'luss step in to take control of the situation, and then realize that they can take and have whatever they want. Now granted this doesn't happen overnight, but it certainly is a possibility for their origins. Just some conjecture on my part. Sincerely, Dwight ----- //770 [Moderator's Note: Peter Huston adds some more thoughts to the old gamers ] [ thread. ] >[Moderators' Note: Gordon Neff comments on what seems to be a trend with ] >[ gamers. Many of us don't actively game any more, but ] >[ we do seem to keep up with 1 or 2 world settings that ] >[ continue to interest us. ] ><phase of my life that does not actually include role playing games. >Nevertheless, curiously, my interest in Tekumel continues -kept active by >the quality of material, not so much the need for it. >> >I think that may describe a surprisingly high percentage of us. I >know it's dead on in my own case. I'm not really willing to admit that I've >"grown out" of RPGs-- and Tekumel is one of the major reasons. Can anyone >imagine paying this much attention to, say, Grayhawk, or -anything- TSR >does these days? >"Neither the government for the temples can make a person Nakome without >concurrence of that erson's clan. He *has* to be expelled first. There are >plenty of Nakomeyal anyway: lowest of the low people who perhaps never had >a clan, or whose parents lost theirs.." >How could anyone lose interest in something that -works out the >plural form- for its terminology? I agree and am flattered by the attention that my thought on this has recieved. Okay, so I don't really game anymore. I guess I have "outgrown" it. (Well, never say never.... If the right group of people were to come along I might be talked into a game, but the truth is I would rather just sit around and discuss Tekumel over a coffee or a beer or, if my friend Lewis the wine buff were around, a fine wine. Perhaps we can think together of a more "mature" thing to do with the Tekumel world creation than RPGs. I have no suggestions, by the way. But I would love to hear if anyone has any thoughts on this matter as to what us "post-gamers" can do with our Tekumel interests. In the meantime, keep posting, please. Maybe internet discussions are the thing that us "post-gamers" should be doing. : -) Peace everyone. ----- //771 [Moderator's Note: Geoffrey McVey adds to the beginning ref discussion. ] [ I add my comments to this message at the end. ] In light of the recent conversation on how to begin a Tekumel campaign, I thought that I might take a moment to add a few of my own comments. These are the observations of someone who has only recently become familiar with the setting, but who, I hope, knows enough about games in general to be of some use. On Sun, 5 Jul 1998, James Maliszewski wrote: > 1) Start small and move slowly. Tekumel is a rich and complicated setting. > Few people besides the Professor know all of its complexities well enough to > integrate them properly without some effort. Use only those elements you > need for your beginning adventures. Add others as time goes on. Soon enough, > you and your players will become comfortable with Tekumel. It'll feel > natural and not nearly as inaccessible as it once did. This is good advice for any game, to prevent it from collapsing under the weight of its creator's ambitions. However, Tekumel has its own characteristics which can -- and should -- give those people playing in the setting reason to be uncomfortable. I am not referring to issues of language, which seem to be a stumbling block for some people; anyone who has run a lengthy campaign in an otherworldly setting will have discovered that dedicated players will adapt to new words and names eventually (and willingly). What concerns me more in Tekumel is what strikes me as a remarkably immature attitude towards women and sexuality in general. There are probably those would answer by telling me that Tekumel is a fantasy world upon which it would be unfair (I am expecting the word "politically correct" to turn up) to impose the standards of late 20th century North America. Those people are, unless I'm greatly mistaken about the makeup of this list, largely North Americans living in the late 20th century. Their standards are going to be present in the game whether they wish it or not: it has become clear through the recent "poetic" contributions to the list that there are certainly listmembers who have brought the sexual fantasies of their culture's men along with them. I have found very little in the setting which would challenge those assumptions in any way, which seems unusual for a world whose devotees pride themselves on its uniqueness. The examples I can provide can come only from what I have seen of the game material as it has been published; if Tekumel as it is played is something completely different from the way that it is presented in the books, I would be pleased to hear it. As I have said, however, the comments of players on this list so far make it seem unlikely. The women of Tekumel are, in the vast majority of cases, presented as sexually manipulative or predatory (Nayari of the Silken Thighs being the most obvious, and most often repeated example, although I could draw out a few more if I had books at hand) or as beautiful objects/decorations/toys (Keith Dalluhn provides an excellent example with the wife of Sanjesh in message 762; her "moonbeam" spell does not make her any less an object, but instead puts her into the "look but don't touch" category so popular with male fans of comic books). While the former play the part of obstacles or villains and the latter the part of rewards, both have their motivations and personalities constructed around male fantasies of women rather than around women themselves. I am curious about the apparent exception to the rule, the Aridani: I would be interested in some examples of how they are portrayed in the world, since while I think I have read what I have with some care, I can find relatively few Aridani personalities. In any event, Aridani appear to be the minority, and -- feel free to correct me -- largely the domain of men wishing to play female characters. The goddesses of Tekumel show a similar limit of scope: as my wife commented when reading through the list of deities. "Oh, I see: this one's the goddess of sex and this one's the goddess of... sex." Making a distinction between "fertility" and "hedonism" still basically defines women solely around their ability to have sex, perpetuating an image which our own culture seems not to have shaken off. I am somewhat disappointed that, tens of thousands of years from now in a world whose social structure is completely different, so many things stay the same and so few people appear to question it. > > 2) Remember that Tekumel is a fantasy setting. Sure, it's brand of fantasy > is different than most others. Nevertheless, you should never forget the > place of the fantastical and awe-inspiring in a Tekumel game. The Gods are > real. Magic exists. Ancient devices turn the tide of wars. These all need to > be accounted for. To forget them is to turn Tekumel into just another > hidebound, conservative land without much to offer the roleplayer. Tekumel's > cultures (for me, anyway) are as fascinating as they are because they offer > a wonderful juxtaposition with the fantasy that is also part of the setting. I would add an extra point to this piece of advice: remember that Tekumel is a human setting. While it has features of the fantastic, you will be shortchanging your players if you offer them only shallow psychologies and projected fantasies. Most referees consider themselves above giving in to their players' wishes for greater and greater rewards, more and more outlandish treasures. It would be a sign of some maturity if you could resist the temptation of the setting by not offering them people (even imaginary ones) as replacements for those treasures. Geoffrey McVey ----- My (the moderator's) comments. We have seen this topic before. It seems that this mileau (ie Fantasy/SF role playing) is dominated by young males. As such, it quite often is presented in a way that Geoffrey describes above. Let me give you assurances that it is not always that way. In the short time I have played in the Professor's Thursday night group I have met and experi- enced many diverse situations. The first experience I had playing I was almost abused by a company of Salarv- yani soldiers. I was male, by the way. And I think the beards were too light for the soldiers to have been Salarvyani female.... :) Again that was a sexist joke, too. Sorry! I have to admit, it was embarassing. But in the end, I think I would have been equally embarassed had I been a female. The keep I was travelling to was run by an Aridani woman. She was definitely "in charge" and efficient. Let me clarify some issues as to the Gods. Each God has many aspects. There are male and female aspects of each particular god (except maybe Dra and Dilinalia). Check out Mitlanyal for more details (if you have a pre-release copy). I don't disagree that the overall picture of the gods are as you stated, however. If you dig a bit deeper, there is more to the picture. I am not saying that you are necessarily wrong. I am saying that the building blocks are there to build an instance of Tekumel that fits with your vision. I am also saying that we see Tekumel as we see it. If I am a young male I am apt to see the typical comic book type Tekumel where men are hugely muscled, women have massive helium breasts and curvy hips, and the streets are awash with beautiful people having lots of great sex... However, knowing what I know (and looking at the rules for generating char- acters), my vision of the people of Tekumel is quite close to the mix of people you see today. Without the genetic variations of hair and eye colors. I see tall, short, average, thin, fat and everything in between. I see them all mostly naked because of the oppresive climate conditions. Many people have complained about Tekumel material being sexist because of the drawings. That is more a 20th century American product. Ask TOME if they would have published a drawing that contained male anatomy in it. My guess is they would not. That is a here and now hangup. Not a Tekumel hangup. We have had this discussion before, and we'll likely have it again. If you have something new to offer, do so. Your point of this message is valid. Tekumel should not be limited to 20th century male dominated mentality. The tools are there for it not to be. It just takes our efforts to make sure that it doesn't happen. On the other hand, if someone wants their Tekumel to be that way, we have to accept that, too. I think that if you read the novels you'll get a good feel for "Real" Tekumel, and find that it is pretty much what you expected, even if the goddesses seem sex related. (I really don't think of Avanthe as a goddess of sex - even though sex plays a part in some of her rituals.) But, if that is how you see it, I don't have any problem living with that. On the joke issue, we just have to be big enough to laugh at ourselves, too. We just have to be flexible. I have to admit, my ordeal with the Salarvyani was a bit embarrassing at first. I kind of took it personally. When I shrugged off that baggage, I didn't have a problem afterward. My thoughts. Chris ----- //772 [Moderator's Note: Peter Huston continues on the beginning ref question.] Hey, I've got an idea! How about a big hole in the ground and you could fill it full of all kinds of treasure.... Only there's a catch you see.... All this treasure.... They can't come and just take it, ya see.... Cause like it's all guarded by monsters, ya see.... And well like the characters have to fight the monsters to get it ya know.... Only like don't really have 'em fight, cause if you do that then somebody might get hurt and it'd probably be illegal.... I bet you could just like roll dice or something and the guy who gets the highest number wins or something .... Sorry, I've been under stress lately. ; -) Let me offer the following real suggestions. 1) Familiarize yourself with the rules first. Try things out and see what happens. 2) Pre-roll the characters. 3) Be very careful about just how much exotic stuff to insert. Put in some but don't overload the players. Without some you might as well play D&D. With too much you will basically be running the game yourself. "Okay guys, now here's the situation... It seems like you have many options, but really on this world you only have one due to societal pressures so what you all must do now is...." repeat many times .... pretend the players are actually doing something.... This is especially true if you don't know the players. Might I suggest a raid on something of some sort relating to the civil war? Make it a Sarku something and it can be guarded by undead. They could be trying to steal some lost technology only to discover that it doesn't work anyway (Tekumelani armies love to do things like lug broken lightning bringers all around the country side just so everyone can see that they have 'em and be scared while they pray -literally (by sacrificing prisoners)- that no one finds out it's broken. (What a loss of prestige!!!!) You could use some non-human player characters, perhaps even Ahoggya. Personally I would never allow an ahoggya as a PC in a campaign but in a one off game why not? Or better yet use the Ahoggya as NPCs and they can do annoying things like demand copper and rip off the legs of important prisoners in an untactful way at inconvenient times. Use Pe Choi as PCs and make sure you show the characters the pictures. Most of the game would focus on "down-to-Earth" tactical problems, but there would be enough exotica to keep the players aware that this aint the usual D&D game. I'd avoid urban intrigue games with strangers in a one off game by all means. Otherwise you could easily spend much too much time "dumping data" on the players and stating things like "No, you can't do that. You can't "marry" the beautiful slave girl. No Tsolyani would ever do that. It would result in too much loss of prestige." or similar statements. "But of course you know that as this is a fourth circle priest of Durritmalish from Sokatis that he couldn't possibly have stolen your prunes...." Let me offer a pair of non-Tekumel related experiences. 1) Last campaign I tried to organize was the Talsorian Cyberpunk game. I'd designed a detailed world setting, a dark and gloomy high tech Miami which was sinking under the ocean from global warming. I loved doing this. The players, much to my annoyance, preferred a more tactical style of play. Now these guys really would have been having just as much fun playing Squad Leader (and that's cool in a way.) But I'd designed a high tech murder mystery and they were supposed to be trying to understand their environment and solving mysteries. They just couldn't or wouldn't do it. They would approach NPCs who knew one clue and one clue only and then shoot them when the NPCs would not tell them who the killer was. (The NPCs had no idea at all By the way.) As I said, a very bad fit..... And I take as much of the blame as anyone.... 2) Speaking of exotic games. Remember Traveller? Well Traveller has an alien race called the K'Kree (sometimes called Centaurs) The K'Kree are militant vegetarians who travel in large herds. Traveller had once put out a supplement where the players could be a K'kree herd. I invited some people over. I said in advance, "This is not a normal game. You will all be aliens. You will be expected to be aliens and act like aliens." Okay cool they said. I figured that had clinched it. Then when they arrived they began looking things over and said, "Cows! You expect us to be cows!!!" Well its been ten years and a friend of mine just the other day said, "Oh yeah, I remember that one night that you wanted us to be cows!!! Hah... I guess it's good you gave up gaming, har har...." ooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhh!!!!! In this case I refuse to take the blame as I insist I warned the players in advance what to expect and they refused to even try it out (so why did they come to visit anyway????) So go easy on the players. If you dump too much exotica on them, well they might not do to well and you will all be dissapointed. Thass' my advice. The first EPT game I ever played was at a convention and it was a simple dungeon crawl. I loved it!! You don't need to do too much on the first try. Peter Huston ----- //773 [Moderator's Note: Peter Huston offers some more original creatures. ] Ye Olde Tekumel Campaigne First of all thanks to James Malikewski for all the attention and flattery. It was great to see MY gaming related stuff on his website. I never realized how much it meant until I saw it there. Anyway, as they say, flattery will get you everything so here goes another installment. (Now, James, my friend, perhaps its enough to describe my crude fiction as "unpublished" and leave out the harsh but true "rejected" part.) : -) Anyway, .. First we have a pair of unnamed creatures that exist only in the Mihalli ruins. Creature Number One. Another weird plant and quite immobile. Physically this looks like a large "puff ball", with a single stem sticking up in the middle with a few small flowery things fluffing out on the top of the stem. It has a large network of roots spread out all along the surface in many directions along the surface of the rocky surfaces of the bombed Mihallli slag heaps where it thrives. At times these are hidden under the other vegetation and grasses of the area. The creature has a unique and terrible means of spreading its seeds. Not only do these roots serve the conventional purpose of obtaining nutrients and such for the main body of the plant, but they all serve as triggering devices. In other words, when a wandering animal, creature or, hint hint, adventurer, comes traipsing along and steps on one the puffball will explode. My notes state that there is a 2/3 chance that someone will step on a root when they are within the radius of the roots (at least a meter, maybe two.) Tiny seeds will fly in all directions in a vast fluffy cloud. (Something like those milkweed seeds that would have the little "parachutes" on them but much smaller say about a fifth of the size.) As the passerbys suddenly find themselves engulfed in these clouds, unless they have taken precautions of some kind, then they are quite likely to inhale some seeds. Unfortunately, these seeds are looking for a nice, warn, wet, dark place to germinate. So expect them to sprout in about 2-12 days or so. Expect the affected victims to be forced into immobility but to be able to last a bit before they die. This will allow the rest of the party to have to lug them around for a week or tow and seek special medical attention and such. (Perhaps a possible source of such medical aid might be those rumored underground Mihalli settlements which your PCs now have to go and visit first hand, an unlikely proposition, but how else are you going to save poor little Horuk? * Remember, don't kill characters right away. Torture them first. But do give them a chance to survive the torments you inflict on them.) It seems likely that this plant might have certain times of the year when it is "in seed". This time of the year should be whenever the players happen to visit the Mihalli ruins. ; -) Also it seems likely that the native tribespeople might wear bandannas over their mouths. Of course, the haughty folk of the Five Empires would never emulate such uncivilized behavior. They'd laugh at the backwards barbarians with their ridiculous clothing. Creature Number Two. Another Special from the Mihalli ruins, and, not a plant!!! This is another nasty thing. It lays crystaline eggs of a beautiful and jewel like appearance. The ignorant folk of the Five Empires will surely find such "jewels" to be of great potential value. If they take them home they may have a problem. Seems that if they do something to carry the "jewels" next to their skin then the jewels will hatch and the little beasties inside will jump out and burrow into their nice warm flesh. Ouch! Lose a hit point or two. Well, now you've got three more problems. First, is how do you get the little things out. Second, what about when they start to grow. Third, the mama creature is gonna start following you around through a telepathic link. This link may be considered completely unbreakable. Unless you have some truly monstrous sorcery of some kind. She wishes to make sure that the things hatch. Mama creature is as follows: Two large red eyes, Six limbs, walks on four, the others are specialized claws with a large dagger like thumb. About the same number of hits as a large strong man. Leathery skin. It moves about 120% of man's normal speed. Sees in the dark just like it was day. Carnivorous. And. never sleeps. Mostly it just stalks whatever its eggs have been hatched into. Its always there, just over the next hill, waiting to be seen. If the characters are doing something that endangers the eggs, then it will attack. If the characters are doing something reckless and foolhardy, like entering the underworld or spending too much time in ruins or engaging in strange sorcerous practices that even an animal can tell are not normal, then it will attack and thus ensure that its eggs get laid and hatch in a nice warm corpse. Peter Huston ----- //774 [Moderator's Note: Kevin King shares the results of the responses to his ] [ message about beginning refs. ] I'd like to thank James Maliszewski, Bob Dushay, and Keith Dalluhn for their comments and advice. I have decided to take a little from each of you. The gods will play a role, as James suggested, and I have decided to add a touch of politics. When William and Mary contended for the throne with the Catholic heir to the Stuarts, Colonists in the Americas saw it as an excuse to rid themselves of troublesome authorities. When the Crown reorganized, the Colonists claimed they had acted in the interests of the Glorious Revolution back home. I have a feeling human nature remains consistent, even across dimensional rifts, and minor nobles on the periphery might use the instability back home as a pretext to advance their interests. The factions will divide between Ksarul and Sarku, though disciples of the Inner Mysteries or Devotees of the Worm Lord from other regions might look askance at the local interpretation of these Deities' objectives. Nevertheless, the gods can't be too picky as they do seem to interact with humans, and will manifest their interests despite mortal lack of comprehension of the same. Their agents in this scenario will be an aged priest named Mizhotl hi'Soruna of clan Dark Water and Firu hi'Kutonyal of Scarlet Sail. They will be on the edge of events at first, but may appear later at crucial moments and attempt to turn events in either Sarku or Ksarul's favor, respectively. The setting is the island of Te'chune which is located on the northern edge of the Chanayaga Deeps, in the waters south of Ganga. It is about 60 miles across with one small city that fancies itself Tsolyani. The island has one ill-tended Sakbe road leading north into the sea and south toward a partially submerged ruin. The road is used primarily as a wall separating the farming communities of the west from the highland jungles of the east and their ignoble inhabitants. The recent instability in the capitol and its local counterpart has stirred archaeological interest in the ruined city to the south. Though its deeper levels are submerged, clan Rising Sun has discovered a site in the highlands just to the east of unknown antiquity. Just as the expedition penetrated a new level it was attacked. Most were killed, including all of high birth. The clan elders believe the island's tribals to be responsible and have hired the pc's to investigate discretely both the incident and the site itself. Though I'm not going to use Keith's character as an npc (thanks for the offer) I am going to use a noble who is similar. His name is Tsodlan hi'Chankolu of Rising Sun and is largely responsible for his clan's local affiliation with Ksarul. He is a true believer though he has no clue about the Inner Mysteries. An independent thinker with high intelligence, he would have gone far in the empire if his family obligations had permitted him to leave the island. Instead, he has developed a philosophical system inspired by some partial writings he found exploring the ruins to the south as a youth (many years ago) and interpreted for him by a priest of Ksarul. His interpretations are internally consistent but have borrowed many local beliefs and contain outdated perspectives derived from the scrolls he discovered. As a consequence, any outsider witnessing a ceremony at the Temple of Ksarul his clan helped build, might be tempted to interpret it as evidence of heresy. Tsodlan knows more about the ruins than he is letting on, and it wasn't mere chance that his clan discovered this site. He is also emotionally involved in events as one son and two granddaughters of Tsodlan were killed in the attack. He believes a Temple of Ksarul may lie buried below containing a repository of artifacts, tomes, and miscellany that will aid his clan in their competition with Dark Water. It is vital to him that these items be recovered if they exist as Dark Water has outmaneuvered him politically and an attack may be imminent. Well, that's the adventure. I hope it's Tsolyani enough because I'll be representing the professors game at this con, though obviously a personal interpretation of it. Any comments will be welcome. Kevin King ----- //775 [Moderator's Note: Peter Gifford notifies us that his web site address (and ] [ email address) is changing. ] This is to inform you that the Tekumel: The World of the Petal Throne site has moved to: http://www.universalhead.com.au/tekumel The old address will still be valid for another two weeks before being taken offline, but please UPDATE YOUR BOOKMARKS NOW! Thanks to all who have sent comments! Please note my email address has also changed - see below. Regards, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peter Gifford ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tekumel: The World of the Petal Throne Complex Cultures on an Imaginary World http://www.universalhead.com.au/tekumel Email: ----- //776 [Moderator's Note: Charles Martin asks a couple of questions, but they are ] [ best answered by separate people. So, Professor and Bob ] [ please chime in, and anyone else can feel free, too. ] In IMJ II 1 (Fall 2358 A.S.) there is a reference to a map series for the Pass of Skulls, complementing the Northwest Frontier set. Does this exist, perhaps in remnants that could be released to the FTP site? How about an update on the release schedule for Mitlanyal? Now for a "real" question: Northwest Frontier, Hex 4604, the Temple of Jneksha'a: This is a combined temple and monastery to Jneksha'a, one of the demons of Lord Vimuhla. It is still held by the Tsolyani, although the Mu'ugalavyani have laid seige to it several times since 2360. [c.2358 A.S.] My question is, what would be the likely fate of this or any other such temple or monastery were it to be taken over by the Mu'ugalavyani? Would the religious icons, statues, and trappings be thrown down, would the Mu'ugalavyani send their own priests of Vimuhla to take up residence, or would current ascetics perhaps be allowed to continue on? Would Tsolyani inscriptions be rubbed out and replaced with similar passages in Mu'ugalavyani? Etc. In a broader context, what happens when military or political actions overflow religious institutions? Since the tenants of Pavar's thought and iconography are somewhat cross-cultural, are there particular cases of continuity of worship or devotions even in the face of repeated shifts of "secular" allegiance? ----- //777 [Moderator's Note: Kevin King reports how his con session went. ] Hexicon 8 went off as planned and I was able to run E.P.T. Only one person signed up for the scenario ahead of time, which had me worried, but three actually ended up playing. Of those who played, two had tried it before. Everyone, including the new person, enjoyed the game. It's too bad others didn't have the courage to try it, as a larger party was what I had intended and some of the encounters were a bit tight. The experienced players reacted nicely to the fresh scent of cinnamon that greeted them as they entered the subterranean layers of the ruin. Perhaps I'll run it again for Hexicon 9 with a few more players. Kevin King ----- //778 [Moderator's Note: James Maliszewski clarifies information on his Sanjesh. ] The Sanjesh we dealt with in Khirgar was of the Vraisu lineage, a relation of Artukka, the clanmaster of Golden Dawn clan. The clan-girl Sanjesh was to marry was named Dletana hiViriktani, a young and talented woman nevertheless without prospects of marriage to someone of a higher clan. Of course, there are those in Khirgar who suggested that Golden Sunburst gained as much from this marriage as did the mid-ranked Golden Dawn, namely access to a trading network to sell the undistinguished wines that are the personal project of its clanmaster, Mirgan hiDolumesa. Do you know any of these people? James Maliszewski ----- //779 [Moderator's Note: James Maliszewski seeks confirmation of a rumor. ] I have received a report from a group of Khirgari adventurers currently operating out of Khirgar that they have uncovered a subterranean "farm" of the Food of the Ssu in a cavern complex beneath the fens of Komore. This farm seems to have been deliberately cultivated by unknown persons for unknown purposes. There was likewise evidence of harvesting the Food, although there were no signs of either the harvesters or the diabolical "farmers" who maintained it all. Has anyone else ever encountered such an unusual phenomena? If so, why would anyone purposely grow the Food given all of the risks involved? James ----- //780 [Moderator's Note: Charlie Goering asks about Maps, and other topics. The] [ Professor replies. ] >1. With the hand-drawn maps used by traders, is there a convention as to >how the map is to be oriented, north to the top for example? Also, do >such maps have a scale referenced on them or is distance given in travel >time from point A to point B? Many merchant clans use "maps" that consist of lines (roads/routes) and circles/squares (towns and cities). These connect to some major supply city. Usually these maps show just one "route": city A to city X, passing through various intermediate towns,etc. There is no scale; The map is usually oriented north-south, with the ""top" to the north, but I have seen examples oriented south-north: e.g. Bey Su down to Jakalla, with Jakalla at the top. The travel times from town/city to town/city are often inscribed in some convenient place on the map. Have a look at Arab mediaeval maps for a comparison. If a "better" map is wanted, the Tsolyani draw a picture: a stylised portrayal of a town, etc., with figures of its residents drawn in here and there; cf. the box cover of the original EPT. As far as I know, there are no maps (either like ours or theirs) of "scenery": i.e. a "map" of a seacoast or mountain range that is made just to display terrain. The Tsolyani merchant clans require line/circle maps for economic purposes and do not decorate them much. The "picture maps" are for upper class clansmen who want to "see" what a given city looks like and who lives where in it. Many clans also keep their trade routes and useful information secret, using code to write the inscriptions, inserting fake obstacles, cities, etc. and not indicating travel times. A merchant's map is thus a valuable commodity. Stealing one is not a good idea. >2. Are the squirming runes found on the emblem of the Goddess of the Pale >Bone, She Who Is Not To Be Named, a language used by her followers or >just abstract symbols? They are said to be "sorcerous," with innate magical powers. Nobody seems to know just what these powers are or how to make them work. Somebody who knows Sunuz may be able to help -- but, then, who wants to activate these terrible runes anyway? >3. Are the titles of Grand Adept and High Princeps interchangeable? Lord >Gamalu hiBeshyene has been called the High Princeps in some articles, is >he also the Grand Adept of the Temple of Lord Thumis? They are technically different: "Grand Adept" is a magical/religious title for the seniormost priest/sorcerer in the hierarchy, while "High Princeps" denotes the highest official of the temple council, more of an administrative title. In the temple of Thumis Lord Gamulu hiBeshyene holds both posts. Some temples try to keep them separate; others lump them into one. >4. Does the Temple of Thumis in Paya Gupa have an official name like the >Temple of Eternal Knowing in Bey Su? Is there only one Temple to each God >in a city such as Chene Ho, or is there one main Temple and other >"neighborhood" Temples? The great Thumis temple in Paya Gupa is titled "The Pearl Grey Spire." It is truly a marvel. There is usually a "primary" temple in each district/province of the land, with smaller temples to the same deity in the cities and towns around, rather like cathedrals, basilicas, and neighbourhood churches. All of these are administratively under the authority of the main temple. Thus, Lord Gamulu "commands" his temple in Paya Gupa directly and has authority also over the clergy of other Thumis temples in his city and district, with last-resort powers over Thumis temples elsewhere. The structure is complex; variables include rank, temple size, religious importance, economic importance, tradition, and history. Some very small temples and monasteries are thus considered of higher "rank" than the mighty edifices in one of the major cities. >5. Could you provide some idea on the terms of address used in the >military? I would assume that higher officers would be called "My Lord" >by subordinates, but how would lower ranking officers address each other >and how would other ranks address junior officers? Address is by title: "Kasi" ("Captain"), "Molkar" ("Major" -- more or less), "Dritlan" ("Colonel" -- more or less), "Kerdu" ("General"), etc. These can each have the honorific endings "-koi" and on occasion other honorifics: e.g. "Kerdudalisakoi" ("Great and powerful General"). There is no "my lord," which smacks of Renaissance Europe -- unless the addressee really does hold one of the ancient Engsvanyali or Bednalljan noble titles: i.e. "Mringukoi" "Arsekmekoi." or "Hehellukoi." If one does not choose to use one of the special 2nd person pronouns given in the Grammar, one can just say "Tusmidalikoi" ("you honorific") and address a stranger as "Horokoi" ("Sir, Gentleman") A lady is similarly addressed as "Hororakoi." Regards, Phil ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: http://nexus.prin.edu or ftp://nexus.prin.edu Available 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down, or unavailable.