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 34 [29 May 1999 - 24 July 1999] 991: More Proper Titles 992: More Humor? 993: Ghostly Sakbe Road 994: Miscellaneous Questions 995: Temple of Ksarul Hierarchy 996: Chatting with Chiteng 997: Thursday Night Session 11/19/98 998: Ssu Hypnotism Response 999: Identification on Tekumel 1000:Planar Physics 1001:Report of Machine Intelligences 1002:Chatting with Chiteng Response 1003:Beginning Character Feedback 1004:Another Request for Character Feedback 1005:The Hirilakte Arenas 1006:Notification Message 1007:More on Identification 1008:Chatting with Chiteng Reply 1009:Beginning Character Feedback Reply 1010:Another Character Feedback Reply 1011:Hirilakte Arenas Reply 1012:Identification Reply 1013:Another Character Feedback Response 1014:Thursday Night Group Summary 1015:Thursday Night Group Summary Continued 1016:More Character Feedback 1017:Thumis Legion 1018:Company of the Crystal Sword 1019:Nighted Tower Clan 1020:Legion of Serqu ******************************* //991 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker replies to George Hammonds question about] [ Titles and Honorifics. Leonard Erickson also chimes in. ] I think you would find it actually *less* clumsy to learn just those Tsolyani pronouns (p. 17 of vol. 1 of the "Tsolyani Grammar") that you need. Use those. Your comrades will quickly catch on. I know this is "extra language learnng," but it adds verisimilitude. [Moderator's Note: George Hammond comments some more on the thread about ] >[ the proper use of titles. ] > >--snip-- > >>The use of the term "lord" has been a sore point with me for years. For a >>while almost all of my players were addressing each other as "Lord This" >>and "Lady That." The custom stems from D-n-D, which is set in a mediaeval >>world, or perhaps from SCA (the Society for Creative Anachronisms). These >>titles have thus been engraved in most gamers' memories. I tried to >>discourage it because it does not suit Tekumel. A stranger who is visibly >>of high-clan, high-lineage, wealthy, learned, etc. is addressed either with >>the pronouns given on p. 17 of vol. 1 of the "Tsolyani Grammar," or else >>as "Horokoi" ("honourable male person") while a woman is spoken to/of as >>"Hororakoi." Those of you familiar with Tsolyani grammar will know that the >>"-koi" is omitted after prepositions and in certain other constructions, >>and in colloquial Tsolyani, thus, one hears "Horo" and "Hora." > > >I've been wondering about this as well. I am playing a tirrikamu of >temple guards in James Maliszewski's Plain of Towers game >(http://www.addr.com/~rpghost/tekumel/index.html for the curious), and as >one of low folk on the social totem pole, my character has lots of >proprieties to keep in mind. To avoid too many "my lord"s, I've been using >"your excellency" or "your eminence" for superiors generally, "your >sagacity" for specific scholar-priests, and "noble sorceror" or "noble >priest" as appropriate. > >I've thought about direct translations of the Tsolyani, e.g.: "your >perfect piety (piousness?)", "your victoriousness", "your divine >reverence", but some of these seem rather clumsy ("your spirit >seekership"?), and some are difficult to convert (the "you of profound >submission" for instance). > >I'd appreciate any other suggestions. As above: learn the shorter Tsolyani forms themselves! You do not need any non-English pronouns, of course, if you don't try for maximum verisimilitude and reality. You can always just use "you" and say that the honorifics and fancy language is just "understood." Regards, Phil -- Leonard writes... >I've thought about direct translations of the Tsolyani, e.g.: "your >perfect piety (piousness?)", "your victoriousness", "your divine >reverence", but some of these seem rather clumsy ("your spirit >seekership"?), and some are difficult to convert (the "you of profound >submission" for instance). Well, I have to admit that "Your submissiveness" might convey the wrong idea. :-) But before deciding that things are too clumsy consider the *actual* titles of various European monarchs as recently as Napoloenic times. "His Most Christian Majesty" "His Most Catholic Majesty" "His Brittanic Majesty" -- Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow) shadow@krypton.rain.com <--preferred leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com <--last resort ----- 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. //992 [Moderator's Note: Bob Dushay offers up a bit of humor. ] The glorious God-Emperor, master of the world, lord of the Petal Throne, of the Golden Tower of Avanthar and all the lands of Tsolyanu, slurped his Chumetl as he read the morning report from the Chancellory of Purple Robes. In a hidden corner of the room, the chorus chanted the paean of praise to the God-Emperor, sung uninterrupted in Avanthar for over two millennia. "The God-Emperor is drinking his Chumetl, and the Gods are gladdened; the weight of state sits upon his brow as he considers the Empire...." Mirusiya had learned in his months as Emperor to stop paying attention to the chorus that followed his every activity. Studying the report from the Chancellory more carefully, he pondered the latest problems of the Empire. The priests of Sarku, Lord of the Undead, requested the return of certain artifacts "borrowed" by his brother Dhich'une, last occupant of the Petal Throne and High Adept of the Temple of Sarku. Should he confiscate them for the good of the Empire, or buy some momentary loyalty from the worm-kissers by returning them? The Empire might be safer with some of the artifacts out of the Temple and under Imperial control. He crooked a finger, and one of his attendants, a Servitor of Silence, deaf-mute since birth, approached and prostrated himself. The singers chanted, "The God-Emperor, glory surrounding him, summons a servant." Mirusiya, cursing his inexperience with the subtle finger-signs used to communicate with his servants, signaled, "Prepare a message of refusal to the Temple of Sarku. Place all of the requested items into a secure storage room, and ask the Temple of Ksarul for a savant to study their secrets." As the servant signaled acquiescence, the Emperor heard a discordant note from the paean of praise, and he paused. Could he have possibly heard what he thought he heard? The Servitor of Silence could not possibly confirm his suspicion--had the chorus really sung "The God-Emperor has made a mistake?" Impossible. Such a treasonous action would result in the most terrible punishments the Empire could devise. Still, perhaps he had been hasty; it might be poor strategy to sustain enmity. Mirusiya signaled again: "Wait. Tell the Temple of Sarku we will return the artifacts, but be sure a savant of the Temple of Ksarul has a day to examine them." He cocked a careful ear, but the chorus only sang, "the omniscient God-Emperor has made a ruling of state." The next item on the Emperor's report was a request from the Governor of Purdimal for imperial funds to repair the local Sakbe road. The Sakbe roads must certainly be maintained, but the Governor had been sent to the pestilential city as a punishment for his greed and incompetence. Opening the imperial treasury could lead to more embezzlement: it might be better to force the governor to pay with his own funds. He chose a compromise and signaled the Servitor, "Tell the Governor of Purdimal that the Imperium will supply half of the cost to repair the road, and he must raise money for the other half." He felt pleased with the decision, only to realize the chorus had hiccupped again: had they really sung, "The God-Emperor has turned a deaf ear to a repentant servant?" The impudence! But he couldn't be certain that it was really what he heard, and the Governor had been prudent with Imperial funds for the last year or so. Perhaps another ally's loyalty could be cemented. The Emperor thoughtfully signed the Servitor with new instructions. ... Some time later, Chancellor Migor hiSsanmira conversed with Lord Trivalsh hiMorudu. "The Emperor seems to be under some strain lately. He is hestitant with all of his decisions, and often reverses himself." "It is most unusual," signalled Lord Trivalsh. "Perhaps he is struggling with another problem. I have noticed that he is often distracted, as though he is paying attention to something else in the room, even when there are no other persons present." "Whatever the cause," signalled the Chancellor, "the reconsiderations are often wiser than his rapid decisions. Perhaps Lord Thumis is passing on wisdom." ... In the Emperor's bedchamber,the chorus was singing, "The God-Emperor will find wisdom in signing the edict concerning the Pachi Lei, and he will find comfort in ordering the curtains cleaned throughout the Golden Tower. He would be well pleased to choose Chitlasha hiMorollu as his companion tonight, and the evening breezes in the West Garden would best complement her beauty. The God-Emperor might prefer his sheets to be purple tonight..." ----- 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. //993 [Moderator's Note: Thomas Worthington follows up on the ghostly Sakbe Road.] >The NW frontier gazetteer mentions a couple of haunted locations and >comments that these are particularly dangerous on nights when the two >moons are full, while if I remember correctly there's also a reference >to an entire ghostly Sakbe road which manifests on moonlit nights >somewhere in the Sourcebook. >How common are such manifestations and how might a GM handle them - >for instance can Tekumelani ghosts possess victims or be bound into >objects by sorcerers and used as a portable power source, can they >remember and use any form of sorcery that impacts on the material >world, are there Tekumelani equivalents to succubi/incubi who can >drain other beings pedhetl, do priests of Belkhanu or other deities >have the power to 'exorcise' such revenants etc As I remember the ghostly Sakbe road it seemed to be a vision of the ancient motorway/freeway upon which many of the Sakbes are founded. Perhaps Tekumel ghosts are just little temporal distortions caused (at least in this case) by alignments of the moons and or particular currents in the magical 'flow' of an area. If this is the case then what would be the scope for players to meddle with events long past, to get traped, or to find out the answers to some particularly thorny scholars' questions? And what, if anything, would The College do to prevent paradoxes arising? Got to be material for a few scenarios in there. Thomas Worthington ----- 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. //994 [Moderator's Note: Bob Dushay asks a few miscellaneous questions. ] A couple of random thoughts. 1. Given the bureaucratic nature of the Five Empires combined with the low rates of literacy, it would seem to be necessary that illiterate guards, etc., have some means of recognizing whether a document is legitimate or not. That implies the Five Empires make great use of seals, stamps, and chops to legitimize papers. It also implies that one could use, say a travelling paper permitting travel to Purdimal to convince a Sakbe road guard that you're authorized to travel to Bey Su. 2. Astrology is frequently used on Tekumel. Given that Astrology doesn't necessarily use magic, is Tsolyani astrology any more accurate than earthly astrology, and if so, why? 3. The lands of the Lorun are magically barren, yet they have shamans with sorcerous power. How does that work? ----- 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. //995 [Moderator's Note: Bob Dushay asks about the hierarchy of the temple of ] [ Ksarul and how well known the actual power structure is.] We all know that the high status members of the Temple of Ksarul have no real power, and the real powers conceal themselves as minor functionaries. Has far has this knowledge penetrated into Tsolyani society? I'm assuming the normal population are unaware of this. Priests seem to catch on during their training, perhaps by first or second circle. How much do outsiders know? Would priests in other temples know about it? Senior temple administrators in other temples? Imperial officials? --Bob Dushay ----- 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. //996 [Moderator's Note: Mike Klein asks an interesting question about dealing ] [ with the admittedly rare event of meeting face to er, ] [ presence with a God on Tekumel. (It seems that most of ] [ the time you don't know it. If you do, I imagine that ] [ all the deity present would hear from one of my charac- ] [ ters would be muffled floor or dirt, depending on if I ] [ was inside or outside!) ] I have attempted to DM an EPT campaign for some years however in my current campaign a situation has occured that I cannot answer. What is the correct present tense rendering for the full name of Chiteng? Would it be 'Chiteng Hlimekluyal' I wonder because nothing about Tekumel is ever that simple. Assuming you encountered Chiteng and lived and wanted to address him by name: What would you call him? This is in formal modern Tsolanyi. I know it sounds wierd but I suspect my players are testing my knowledge of Tekumel =(. This one has me wary. Thanks for any help rendered, Mike Klein ----- 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. //997 [Moderator's Note: Giovanna Fregni whipped up a summary of what transpired ] [ from the gaming session I sat in on when I visited Phil ] [ and crew the last time. Ken Fletcher took the notes she] [ worked from. We are trying to work out the logistics ] [ of a regular submission from them (weekly) so that folks] [ can have an idea of what is happening on Tekumel. (or ] [ where-ever the Thursday night crew happens to be...) ] Tales of the Thursday Night Game at Phil's (as transcribed by Nisaya from notes taken by Mirek) Earth Date: 19 November 1998 Tekumel Dates: Early 2369 or late 2368 Characters: Sanjesh hi Kirusaya, High Scholar Priest of Thumis at Usenanu where he has a fief. He also has a fief outside of Bey Su. Sanjesh is fond of devices of the ancients and is adept at collecting them. Ai'is, Sanjesh's first wife. She knows more spells than anyone, with the possible exception of Chitlasha. The more we know about Ai'is, the more we try to forget about it. Otherwise we'd be terrified... Vresa, Sanjesh's second and very recent wife. She was brought into the family to keep an eye on Sanjesh's holdings while he and Ai'is were away on 'business'. Unfortunately, she stepped into the nexus point and is trying to hold on to her sanity. Arjai hi Vai'soner, Priest of Ksarul. He has an amazing knack for summoning demons. He has also been revivified more times than any player character on record. Chitlasha, Arjai's wife. Priestess of Ksarul, at least we think she is. We don't ask too many questions. Anything said about Ai'is goes for Chitlasha. Echune hi Mrishlnu, Priest of Hru'u, a quiet guy. Arumel hi Chankolel, Former Hero of the Age. Follower of Vimuhla with a strong attraction to armor and believes that you can't be a real high and mighty magic user unless you can blow things up. Iena, Wife of Arumel. She's also in a class with Chitlasha and Ai'is... Mtk, A Pei Choi and follower of Wru'u. Takan hi Viridame, A Hru'u priest, but has had a run in with Dlamelish. He is prone to hysteria now and then. Mirek hi Takonai, a humble and lovable priest of Qon Nisaya hi Takonai, token Avanthe priestess, who is perfectly willing to let Arumel tread water outside of her Breath of the Goddess spell until he admits that she doesn't have to blow things up in order to be a high and mighty magic user. [Moderator's Note: A bit of intro is needed here. The party has been ] [ working on the knotty problem of the Red Hats. ] [ They have been working with Fireface (the Livyani ] [ resistance leader) on the problem of the stones the] [ Mu'ugalavyani have been using to set up magical ] [ barren zones prior to their attacks. For those who] [ haven't heard these stones, when set in a certain ] [ pattern will negate all magic within that area. ] [ We are talking about major regional areas, not just] [ around battlefields or even cities. Then the Red ] [ Hats come ripping through. The party has discovered] [ this information and found it difficult to disrupt ] [ the pattern (the stones are apparently well guarded] [ all the time). A stone was found in Kapranoi Bay. ] [ Through Nisaya's Breath of the Goddess spell, the ] [ party was successful in disrupting the magic-nega- ] [ tion zone, for a little while... ] The party is finishing a well earned rest at the tower of Thomar, the undying wizard. They successfully (at least they think they were successful) broke the magical blockade at Tsamra. Unfortunately, Mtk was fatally wounded in the Chakas. The group was able to bring his body back to Thomar's tower with the hope that he could be revivified. Only a partial revivification could be accomplished, he is instructed that he must drink from the Water of Life from the Temple on the Island of Avanthe off the coast of Salarvya. This must be done within a month, or else. In an attempt to make contact with Fireface (the rebel leader of the Livyani), we ask Thomar to send us back to Tsamra. Once we arrive, we find out that the blockade was down for only a day. This means that the information we had about the magical stones that form the blockade was wrong. We confer with Fireface and arrange for a fishing boat to take us beyond the blockade, so that we can use a spell to open a nexus point and get Mtk to the Island of Avanthe. We manage to skirt Mu'ugalavyani ships (one of which was probably carrying another shipment of the magic nullifying stones) and cast a spell for a nexus point. We do it so well that the entire ship goes through! And it runs aground in a desert. (This has been happening too often lately...) We are at the bottom of a tall ledge. Up at the top we can see a monastery. It's extremely hot and Arumel opts to carry his armor. Once at the top the party starts to look for an entrance. Every door seems to be blocked. Nisaya comments that this doesn't look like your usual Avanthe type of place, but Arumel assures her that most monasteries look like this and that it was possibly the Temple of The Eye of The World. All our confidence is shaken when we come across a huge pile of amphorae. Some of them are broken and we can see what look to be the bones of small children. Echune casts a fly spell to see if he can get a look over the wall. A silver globe shoots past him and explodes. We all run for cover. Echune can see that there are people inside the monastery firing a mortar at him. He returns to earth as they reload. Presently an old woman opens a postern door (that we hadn't noticed before). She greets us in bad Salarvyani. We are invited in and meet the high priestess. In fact she tells us that she is goddess here. She is the Goddess of the Blue Gem, Siringai. When asked if she was a priestess of Avanthe, she told us that she served an aspect of her. Chitlasha tells us that we are safe here. We tell her about Mtk's problem and she opens up a door into a rainforest paradise. We can see a fountain nearby. She explains that this door opens up onto another plane where the Goddess herself likes to visit. She hands a dipper to Mtk, when he drinks he knows that he is healed. She also touches Arumel's head and tells him that his heart was in need of healing. Arumel is surprised and thanks her. [Moderator's Note: Even though Gio didn't mention it, Kenichar hiVaika ] [ was also present (your's truly). I was quite concerned] [ by the dead children in the amphorae, and I had no idea] [ that priests and priestesses of Avanthe used machines ] [ like (mortars - the silver ball throwers) and laser ] [ like rifles. Especially in a fire first speak later ] [ mode. But when Chitlasha said we were ] [ safe, I believed her. I am glad that I wasn't injured ] [ in any way, though! The next section also deserves ] [ some introduction. The Temple of the Seven Moons is ] [ located well, we don't exactly know where. The group ] [ usually reaches it by nexus point, so we don't really ] [ know where (or when!) it is. It appears that it is, or] [ seems to be, a structure that can deny ] [ the Goddess's access to Tekumel. You use a Crystal ] [ Claw and Silver Butterfly to activate the machinery. ] [ Bob or one of the others can describe the process (in ] [ theory) if they feel like it. ] When we have time to talk, she tells us that the black stones that disrupt magic are called 'Korju'. She also tells us that The Temple of the Seven Moons in the Valley of the Seven Sighs (where we had recently been) has been a treaty spot since the Battle of Dormoron Plain. And also, every time we go there we are accidently stirring things up and accelerating the cycle (she also told us that disturbances there acted as a summoning to the minions of the Goddess of the Pale Bone). This was all news to us, and we'd have to rethink some of the ideas we'd had about The Temple. As she tells us about how the Gods of Stability will appoint a Hero of the Age, a small child comes out with a handful of Crystal Claws. We turn to see other children playing with Silver Butterflies on the floor. While our minds are reeling at that, she tells us that she can send us directly to the Island of Avanthe and that the ship and its crew will be safely returned to Livyanu. When we arrive, we are told that we will see a set of white tablets and that we should follow the instructions on them. As we are sent through the nexus point, Mirek sees the Lady has a white skull face. Once we arrive, Arumel, who's been here before, assures us that this is indeed the Island of Avanthe. Everything is lush and green. We see the white tablets, but before we read them, Echune casts an ascertainment spell on them. They disappear, but not before Ai'is notices that the script they were written in appeared to be Sunuz. Ahead is a white marble gazebo and in front of that is a fountain. As Mtk reaches for it, the water boils. He cannot touch it. Other members of the party are able to dip their hands in and even drink, except for Arumel (who was also healed by her). We realize that we had been dealing with the Goddess of the Pale Bone. She had been fairly evasive when asked about matters pertaining to the Temple of Avanthe, but she had won us over entirely too easily. We wonder now, what can be done for Arumel and the Pei Choi and speculate on how much of what she told us was the truth. We also wonder what kind of damage could have been done by reading those tablets. [Moderator's Note: Not only did the water boil, it moved away from Mtk. ] [ It would not allow him to even touch it. ] In the evening, food appears, even though we haven't seen any humans here, besides ourselves. Luminous spirits appear laughing and talking. They join us for the evening and we spend the night enjoying the pleasures of Avanthe, except for Arumel and Mtk. ----- 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. //998 [Moderator's Note: Brett Slocum responds to Bob's question about Ssu. ] [ His answer sounds like a plausible one. ] [ I am going to work on the digests after this message (I am ] [ two behind), and send out digests to new members. So it may] [ be a couple of days before new stuff comes out. Chris ] > A small question about the Ssu: Is the hypnotization power based on magic? > Does it still work in a magically barren area? I don't know the Official answer, but I've always handled Ssu hypnotism as psychic in nature (as opposed to a magic spell) and therefore known by all Ssu. I put the Pe Choi's life detection and death of another Pe Choi detection into the same category. These are innate abilities of the respective species and not learned magic. In my campaign, they work regardless of the local magic level. --- Brett Slocum -- slocum@skypoint.com -- ICQ #13032903 Home page: http://www.skypoint.com/~slocum/ ----- 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. //999 [Moderator's Note: Joe Saul writes on the subject of identity papers on ] [ Tekumel. Administrative note: The last delay was ] [ caused by a 6 month project coming to a close. Our ] [ main mail server was replaced and upgraded. Sorry ] [ for being quiet so long. I have about 7 messages to ] [ send. You'll be glad to know that one of my official] [ projects is to set up internal mail lists. What does] [ have to do with the BlueRoom? Well, I'll have the ] [ software to handle a moderated list installed on our ] [ server, and I can use it for our external list. That] [ will help alleviate the periods when I get busy, as I[ [ can have some other moderators step in for me. I'll ] [ let everyone know when we make the cutover. ] > 1. Given the bureaucratic nature of the Five Empires combined with the low > rates of literacy, it would seem to be necessary that illiterate guards, > etc., have some means of recognizing whether a document is legitimate or > not. That implies the Five Empires make great use of seals, stamps, and > chops to legitimize papers. Agreed completely. They must. It also implies that one could use, say a > travelling paper permitting travel to Purdimal to convince a Sakbe road > guard that you're authorized to travel to Bey Su. I didn't think people needed permits to travel as a general rule. At least, I've never assumed that *citizens* do -- perhaps resident foreigners do. Joe ----- 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. //1000 [Moderator's Note: Well, our 1000th message. What a great milestone. Bob] [ Alberti discusses the ins and outs of planar inter- ] [ action in Tekumel's universe. And ooh, we find out the] [ Goddess has been busy again... ] >If this is the case then what would be >the scope for players to meddle with events long past, to get traped, or >to find out the answers to some particularly thorny scholars' questions? >And what, if anything, would The College do to prevent paradoxes arising? Well, paradoxes manifest themselves in more complex fashion than the traditional sci-fi "I Killed My Grandfather" tradition. Small historical changes most often simply generate a separate deviant branch which rejoins the main flow of history. More significant historical changes can result in a signficant branch-off from the "main trunk" of history. If the changes do not contradict the eventual foundation of the College at the End of Time, then they remain as separate historical branches, and even these eventually dovetail back into the main trunk prior to reaching the College. (By definition, they ALL dovetail back to the main trunk in order to establish the College.) Significant historical changes which preclude the college usually result in "bubble planes". These planes can often evaporate, which is not a pleasant thing to behold. If you've ever seen the movie "The Neverending Story," it looks rather like that, although less violent: encroaching "nothingness" into which one can walk if one wishes never to have been. However, profound paradoxes can occur that alter the entire shape and structure of the tree of history. In these the College usually does take a significant interest, acting to prevent or restore conditions to roughly what existed before. Some "recent" events include the deviation of a sizeable branch of existence out through the Pylons, and a brief "interregnum" of the entire spacetime of about an hour's duration, during which nothing existed at all. Viewers of the Globe of Distant Discernment have noted that these events were presaged by a fresh assault by the Goddess upon the continuum, in which encroaching nothingness was seen to spill down from the top of the Globe like ink poured over a sphere. Following the interregnum, the encroachment has been colored bright red rather than black, for reasons nobody can explain. ----- 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. //1001 [Moderator's Note: Michael Schwartz offers up a report of an experience ] [ with a Machine Intelligence. ] James Maliszewski wrote: >While exploring in the Tsuru'um deep beneath Old Ch'ochi, a party of >Tsolyani recently encountered several automatons... claiming to serve >a "machine intelligence" housed in "The Iridescent Fortress." If these >beings are to be believed, this machine intelligence governs some of >the environmental controls that made (make?) Tekumel habitable for >humans and other species. >Moreover, several of the Tsolyani are convinced that this Iridescent >Fortress is associated with the cult of the One Others. Some (servants of >Ksarul) even go so far as to believe that the Fortress holds one of the Keys >to the Blue Room! >Has anyone else heard rumors of such a place, or of machine intelligences of >this sort? If the mad ravings of a mariner from Jakalla... apparently the sole survivor of a trade expedition to the port of Yra in Shenyu which was blown off-course and wrecked upon the shores of Hlussuyal by a freak storm... are to be believed, another realm of automatons serving a so-called "machine intelligence" exists deep beneath the ancient ruins on the western coast of that accursed isle (Map 2, Hex 1802 on the Gamescience maps). The man in question... if he could truly be called a man any longer... stumbled through a nexus point into the midst of a Semetl of temple guards who were escorting a scholarly expedition to the Bednalljan levels of the Tsuru'um beneath Urmish roughly five years prior to the Civil War. One of the priests identified the quaint Tsolyani spoken by the man, who was confused and near death, as a millennia-old dialect used by the maritime folk of Jakalla which had died out in the aftermath of the Mottled Plague of 1,046 AS. By virtue of an Eye held by a member of the scholarly contingent, the man's life was preserved long enough so that scribes could record his horrifying account of shipwreck; battle with, capture by, and escape from the Hluss; descent into a nightmare world beyond description; and finally "modification" at the command of the vast "intelligence" encounter beneath the surface of Tekumel, which he alone among his companions came through with any vestige of sanity. Tales told of the nature and extent of these "modifications" are beyond horrific and, to this very day, the remains are sealed in a vault deep beneath Avanthar. The report of the scholar-priest who examined the remains, in the library at the temple of Belkhanu in Urmish, tells of "flesh and metal intertwined like unto two colors of thread woven together upon a loom." The portions which were entirely flesh, moreover, were said to be "as dead and blackened as that of an ancient corpse, were its burial shroud rent to reveal that within." Whether this is the same "intelligence" as that which the automatons beneath Old Ch'ochi claim to serve can only be the subject of conjecture. There are also obscure warnings found among the most ancient surviving records of the Palace of the Realm in Fenul, warnings which refer to an "Iridescent Fortress" and its "Legions of Steel" as "implacable foes and inscrutable allies", and caution against descending too far into the Tsuru'um of that city. These date from the time of the Dragon Warriors, and are inscribed in imperishable gold so that, in the words of the inscriber, "future generations will not forget" the error of the earliest overlords of Fenul, "made in pride and paid for with bloodshed unimaginable." Legend has it that Gamulu, founder of the Fisherman Kings dynasty, called upon the "Legions of Steel" which rose to his aid in the final, desparate years of the Ssu Wars. Amongst the superstitious commoners of Chaigari, Pechano and northwestern Salarvyani the tale is told of a "true heir" of Gamulu who will someday return, leading the "Legions of Steel" in a final, apocalyptic war to exterminate the dread Ssu for all time. Michael Schwartz mschwartz@mindspring.com Ann Arbor, MI USA ----- 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. //1002 [Moderator's Note: Keith Dalluhn offers up his advice for chatting with ] [ Tekumelani deities. He probably speaks from first hand] [ character experience.... :) ] >What is the correct present tense rendering for the full name of >Chiteng? > >Would it be 'Chiteng Hlimekluyal' I wonder because nothing about >Tekumel is ever that simple. > >Assuming you encountered Chiteng and lived and wanted to address him by >name: What would you call him? >This is in formal modern Tsolanyi. > >I know it sounds wierd but I suspect my players are testing my knowledge >of Tekumel =(. > >This one has me wary. For my part, I would never use the gods name. I would use many oh great ones, a few mighty lord, and even your omnipotence. To use the actual name when face to face with him seems to me to be a bit presumptuous. ----- 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. //1003 [Moderator's Note: Martin asks for some ideas about a beginning character. ] We're about to start a campaign and are working out the details of characters (I as the first person joining am supposed to direct the direction we are going - YIKES!) I was thinking about meddling in the life of a Livyani adept of Yanaz Mitlamu. He would/could bear the scars of the plague and might be part of the resistance. The idea would be for him to be traveling by sea for reasons unknown to all but him. Could I get help in finding one such as he? Where would I be from? What clan? What temple? Who do I worship? What are the ritual tattoos on the face? Does this even make sense? Thanks Martin ----- 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. //1004 [Moderator's Note: Mercutio asks some assistance with a new character. ] After some years, I'm finally in possession of my own copies of Tekumel materials. I've just obtained both "Growing up in Tekumel" and "Coming of Age". I've come to the conclusion that I like the first character I've rolled up and would appreciate some help in fleshing him out. The basic problem I encountered with my first character is that he was born into a family of fairly devout worshippers of Lord Thumis and he is of 'slightly less than average' intelligence. After rolling up Lord Thumis as the God favored by my lineage, I rolled a low intelligence score. So I rolled a D10 to see how devout my clan fathers and mothers would be, I got a roll of 7. This pretty much convinced me that my character would be pushed fairly hard in academic subjects, despite the fact that he is not greatly gifted with intellect. The problem of native intelligence was compounded by the roll on the psychic ability table of 01, an anti-psychic! I figured a guy with this sort of background would try hard and plod, step by step, through the academic subjects and become somewhat athletic in compensation. I also figured that with a dexterity a bit above average, he would go into pursuits like calligraphy as well. I am still trying to get a handle on some specific traits so I can finish basic character development and go on the solo adventures in "Coming of Age". What I'd like to know is where in his religion an athletic and somewhat intellectually slow devotee of Lord Thumis might find himself. I haven't read Blue Room very closely, being busy with school. But I do remember some commentary about temples to Lord Thumis probably not supporting Legions, but very likely supporting 'temple police' or something of the sort. Is this the sort of career my character might find available with training in the administrative priesthood? Is there an Aspect of Lord Thumis such as "Protector of Knowledge"? I picture the this lad being very attracted to police or paramilitary work, protecting scholars on digs perhaps. Or acting as a guardian of Lord Thumis' libraries. Maybe even being a methodical and plodding investigator of temple related crimes someday. The only other thing on which I'd appreciate some comment would be lineage and personal names of the Clan in which my character finds himself, Joyous of Vra'. That's where I find myself. I look forward to anything the Blue Room might contribute. And I apologize for the length of my post. mercutio@ripco.com //1005 [Moderator's Note: Peter Huston asks about the Hirilakte arenas. ] I just finished reading "Cruelty and Civilization" a book on the Roman "games" including the gladiatorial combats. What were the origins and motivations of the original founders of the Hirilakte arenas? Is there a "higher meaning" to them than spectacle? Has their ever been? I'm not sure how they tie into Tsolyani/ five empires culture in a meaningful way. Or do they? What do they teach about the people who created the institution? (Other than that they really don't place too high a value on their fellow citizens?) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Peter Huston phuston@capital.net ----- 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. //1006 [Moderato's Note: This is a notification message. In it are messages from ] [ Carl Brodt, Peter Gifford, and John Ross. Carl lists his] [ current offerings Tekumel, Peter sends a not about the ] [ tekumel.com website, and John sends notice of an eBay ] [ auction of a Tekumel item. I will probably group up ] [ messages like these together in the future. ] CarlBrodt@aol.com Join the Tekumel Revival! Tita's House of Games, c/o Carl Brodt, 1608 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA. 94703, ph. (510)848-3260, has expanded its Tekumel line to include the following items for sale: The Original Rules, World Information, and Adventures ----------------------------------------------------------------- Empire of the Petal Throne (Different Worlds) - $19.95 Jakalla Map (a 22" x 23" black and white copy of the Jakalla map from TSR's Empire of the Petal Throne, reprinted in a reduced form in the Different World's version) - $2.50 **(5)** Western Tekumel Map (western part of the beautiful large two section map which originally came with the TSR version of the Empire of the Petal Throne - I priced out how much it would cost me to redo on a full scale basis, and my cost would be about $12.00) only $4.95 **(5)** **(1)** The Nightmare Maze of Jigresh (HOG reproduction/adventure) - $3.95 The Nightmare Maze of Jigresh (Judges Guild original/adventure) - $5.95 The Best of the Journal: The Pettigrew Selections (reproduction from The Best of the Journals - $7.95 The Art of Tactical Sorcery (also compatible with Swords and Glory below) - $5.95 **(1)** The Best of the Journals Vol.I (cover creased with other minor dings) $20.00 **(1)** Swords and Glory and Compatible Adventures ------------------------------------------------------- Swords and Glory Vol. 1, Books 1-3 (World Sourcebook by Gamescience / includes the maps below) - $35.00 **(2)** **(3)** Tekumel Maps $14.00 (attractive full color, 11"x17" reproductions of the 4-section map in the 1983 Gamescience Swords and Glory) Swords & Glory, Vol. 1, Book 1 (Different Worlds) - $12.00 Swords & Glory, Vol. 1, Book 2 (Different Worlds) - $12.00 **(1)** Index to S&G Sourcebook Vol. I (1997 printing, good only for Gamescience S&G above) - $5.95 Swords and Glory Vol. 2 (reproduction of Players Guide - visually stunning 4-color cover with wire binding) - $35.00**(3)** Combat/Sorcery Summaries(reproduction on special harder-than-normal paper for S&G Vol. 2) - $8.95 Swords and Glory Character Sheets (five 8-page booklets with staple in each, special harder-than-normal paper) - $5.00 Tomb Complex of Nereshanbo (reproduction/adventure) - $3.00 Jakallan Intrigue (reproduction/adventure) - $3.95 The infamous missing page of the early printings of Jakallan Intrigue (not the one above - The page concerns Event 4: The Battle) - $0.25 **(6)** Current RPG Rules, Supplements, and Adventures from TOME --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Garda'siyal (includes vol. 1-3 below) - $44.00 **(4)** Garda'siyal Deeds of Glory: vol. 1 - Player's Guide - $12.95 Garda'siyal Deeds of Glory: vol. 2 - Sorcery & Spells - $14.95 Garda'siyal Deeds of Glory: vol. 3 - Referee's Guide - $16.95 Part one - Growing up on Tekumel - $10.95 Part two: vol. 1 - Coming of Age in Tekumel - $18.95 Part two: vol. 2 - Beyond the Borders of Tsolyanu - $16.95 Part two: vol. 3 - Beneath the Lands of Tsolyanu - $16.95 The Tekumel Bestiary - $18.95 Mitlanyal: The Gods (coming late-1999?) Other World Information & Adventures ----------------------------------------------- Tsolyani Language (2 vols) - $12.95 Tsolyani Language Tape (reproduction - coming QIII99?) Book of Ebon Bindings (Different Worlds - Black, larger pages and better printing than the original small red Gamescience version) - $19.95 Northwest Frontier Gazetteer and Maps - $10.95 Northwest Frontier Gazetteer (reproduction) - $7.00 Northwest Frontier Maps - $4.95 Northeastern Frontier Maps and Gazetter (coming QIV99?) The Best of Barker (reproductions from The Best of the Journals and elsewhere - coming QI00?) Novels / Used ----------------- Flamesong - $12.00 (well read) Man of Gold - $9.00 (well read) Board Game --------------- War of Wizards (1999 HOG reproduction)$17.95 War of Wizards (TSR original, counters unpunched) $100.00 **(1)** Miniatures ------------ Miniatures Painting Guide $5.95 (reproduction) Tsolyani (4 figures/pack) by PHD Games TK1501 $5.99 - Tsolyani command group / temporarily unavailable TK1502 $5.49 - Serqu Sword of the Empire - pike / temporarily unavailable TK1503 $5.49 - Serqu Sword of the Empire - bow / temporarily unavailable TK1504 $5.49 - Legion of the Mighty Prince / temporarily unavailable TK1505 $5.49 - Legion of Hnalla TK1506 $5.49 - Legion of Hnalla / temporarily unavailable TK1507 $5.49 - Omnipotent Azure Legion / temporarily unavailable TK1508 $5.49 - Omnipotent Azure Legion **(1)** TK1509 $5.49 - Legion of Red Devastation TK1510 $5.49 - Legion of the Seal of the Worm / temporarily unavailable TK1511 $5.49 - Tsolyani medium infantry **(1)** TK1512 $5.49 - Legion of Lord Kharihaya**(1)** TK1513 $5.49 - Legion of Joyful Vrayani TK1514 $5.49 - Sakbe Road Guard TK1515 $5.49 - Legion of Ever-Present Glory**(1)** TK1516 $5.49 - Legion of the Doomed Prince - halberd **(1)** TK1517 $5.49 - Legion of Lord Chegarra TK1518 $5.49 - Legion of the Broken Bough / temporarily unavailable TK1519 $5.49 - Legion of Sweet Singers of Nakome / temporarily unavailable Yan Koryani (5 figures/pack) by PHD Games TK2501 $4.99 - Yan Kor command group (3 figures) **(1)** TK2502 $5.99 - Mighty of Yan Kor **(1)** TK2503 $5.99 - Gurek of Hekkekka Nna **(1)** TK2504 $5.99 - Yan Kor infantry/ temporarily unavailable TK2505 $5.99 - Yan Kor infantry / temporarily unavailable TK2506 $5.99 - Gurek of Ngaku / temporarily unavailable TK2507 $5.99 - Gurek of Dharu or Vanu TK2508 $5.99 - Gurek of Dharu or Vanu TK2509 $5.99 - Gurek of Tleku Miriya TK2510 $5.99 - Yan Kor infantry TK2511 $5.99 - Gurek of the Mad Ones of Hlikku / temporarily unavailable TK2512 $5.99 - Yan Kor infantry / temporarily unavailable TK2513 $5.99 - Gurek of Makhis Mu'ugalavyani (5 figures/pack) by PHD Games TK3501 $4.99 - Mu'ugalavya command group **(1)** TK3502 $5.99 - Legion of Victorious in Vimuhla / temporarily unavailable TK3503 $5.99 - Legion of Destroy in Glory **(1)** TK3504 $5.99 - Legion of the Exhalted Flame TK3505 $5.99 - Legion of Sanguine Victory / temporarily unavailable TK3506 $5.99 - Legion of the Lightning Shaft (3 figures) / temporarily unavailable TK3507 $5.99 - Legion of the Long Arrow / temporarily unavailable TK3508 $5.99 - Mu'ugalavya infantry **(1)** TK3509 $5.99 - Legion of Triumphant in Terror **(1)** Salarvyani ($2.50 per figure / combine any 2 figures to make a pack) by Robert Richardson E-1 Nchech of the Mace of Steel E-2 Nchech of th Sable Sea E-3 Nchech of the Grey Standard E-4 Nchech of the Silver Standard E-5 Nchech of the Black Standard E-6 Nchech of the Unsheathed Blade E-7 Archer E-8 Slinger E-9 Sreddeq E-10 Standard Bearer E-11 Warrior with 2-Handed Axe E-12 Trumplet Player E-13 Light Foot Soldier with 2-Handed Axe E-14 Unavailable E-15 Light Foot Solder with Axe & Spear E-16 Sapper Other States/Individuals by PHD Games TK6501 $4.99 - Nluss (4 figures) / temporarily unavailable TK7501 $4.99 - bearer slave (5 figures) / temporarily unavailable TK7502 $6.99 - Priests and priestesses (five figures) **(1)** TK8501 $34.99 - winged Sro (1 figure) / temporarily unavailable TK8502 $29.99 - wingless Sro (1 figure) / temporarily unavailable TK8503 $7.99 - Churstalli (1 figure) **(1)** TK8504 $4.99 - Mrur (3 figures) **(1)** Non-Humans by PHD Games TK9501 $3.99 - Unarmored Shen (2 figures) TK9502 $3.99 - Armored Shen (2 figures) / temporarily unavailable TK9503 $7.49 - unarmored Ahoggya (2 figures) **(1)** TK9504 $7.49 - armored Ahoggya (2 figures) **(1)** TK9505 $5.99 - Hlaka (2 figures) / temporarily unavailable TK9506 $5.99 - grey Ssu (3 figures) TK9507 $6.49 - black Ssu (2 figures) TK9508 $7.49 - Pachi Lei (2 figures) / temporarily unavailable TK9509 $4.99 - Mihalli warrior (3 figures) **(1)** TK9510 $4.99 - Mihalli sorceror (3 figures) **(1)** TK9511 $5.49 - unarmored Pe Choi (2 figures) TK9512 $5.49 - armored Pe Choi (2 figures) TK9513 $6.99 - Hluss neuter warrior (2 figures) **(1)** TK9514 $4.99 - Unarmored Tinaliya (4 figures) / temporarily unavailable TK9515 $5.99 - Urunen command group (4 figures) / temporarily unavailable TK9516 $4.99 - Urunen halbardier (5 figures) / temporarily unavailable TK9517 $4.99 - Urunen crossbowman (5 figures) / temporarily unavailable TK9518 $4.99 - armored Tinaliya (4 figures) / temporarily unavailable TK9519 $4.99 - armored Pygmy Folk (4 figures) / **(1)** Wargames and Miniatures Combat ---------------------------------------- Missum: Miniature Rules for Tekumel - $2.95 Missumdalikoi - large unit combat using Armies books below (coming 2000?) Legions of the Petal Throne: Fantasy Miniatures Wargames Rules (reproduction) - $6.50 **(1)** Qadardalikoi: Miniature Campaigns on the World of Tekumel (reproduction) - $9.95 Qadardalikoi cards (supplement) - $8.95 Military History and Statistics ----------------------------------- The Deeds of the Ever-Glorious (reproduction) - $9.95 Armies of Tekumel I $4.95 Armies of Tekumel II $4.95 Armies of Tekumel III (1997 edition)- $6.95 Armies of Tekumel IV (1997 edition) - $6.95 Armies of Tekumel V (1997 edition) - $7.95 Armies of Tekumel VI plus "The Splendor of Shenyu" (1998 release) - $7.95 Print ------ Declaration of War print (a smaller high gloss print of the old TSR poster below - slightly more colorful because of an orangish tint of what are flat browns on the original poster) - $5.95 **(5)** Declaration of War poster - $5.95 **(3)** Magazines and Fanzines ---------------------------- Seal of Imperium #1 (coming August or so in retail stores - to be fair, I shall not make internet sales to customers for at least 45 days after shipping to distributors unless the internet customer makes a convincing case that he or she does not live near retail game store) Seal of Imperium #2 (coming QI00?) Different Worlds #47 (with a 2 page article by MAR Barker on the Temple of Vimuhla in the city of Katala - other articles include: Monty Haul Gamemasters, The Powers of the Pentacle, Lovecraft and The Necronomicon, Dennis Wheatley's Tales of Black Magic, Egyptian Magic in the Call of Cthulhu) $3.00 **(1)** Eye of All Seeing Wonder 1, $5.00 (US reproduction) Eye of All Seeing Wonder 2, $5.00 (US reproduction) Eye of All Seeing Wonder 3, unavailable Eye of All Seeing Wonder 4, $7.00 (US reproduction) Eye of All Seeing Wonder 5, $7.00 (US reproduction) Eye of All Seeing Wonder 6, $8.00 (US reproduction) **(1)** low quantities **(2)** not original maps **(3)** extra shipping cost of $1.00 **(4)** extra shipping cost of $3.00 **(5)** $1.00 less shipping cost if shipped with some other order **(6)** free shipping if shipped with some other order; otherwise, only shipped if you send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to me Shipping Costs on Items other than Miniatures -------------------------------- Unless otherwise noted above, shipping and handling inside the United States is $3.20 per item for orders under $50, and the shipping and handling drops to $2.00 per item if your order is over $50. Unless otherwise noted, shipping and handling outside the United States is $4.00 per item for orders under $50, and the shipping and handling drops to $3.00 per item if your order is over $50. Shipping Costs for Miniatures ----------------------------------- Unless otherwise noted, shipping and handling inside the United States for orders under $50 is $3.20 or $1.60 per miniature pack, whichever is greater. If the order exceeds $50, the shipping and handling cost is $1.00 per miniature packet. Unless otherwise noted, shipping and handling outside the US for orders under $50 is $4.00 or $2.00 per miniature pack, whichever is greater. If any order exceeds $50, the shipping and handling cost is $1.50 per pack, and if an order exceeds $100, the shipping and handling charge is $1.25 per miniature pack. Discount ---------- If an order (before shipping and handling charges, and any sales tax) exceeds $100, the buyer receives a 10% discount on the overage. California Sales Tax ------------------------ We must also charge 8.25% sales tax if I ship to an address in California. N.B. The aforementioned telephone number is to my home, not to my business, so please be conscious of the time when you call. If you do not reach me or Tita, tell the person answering the telephone that you will immediately call back and leave a message on the answering machine. Thanks. ----------------------------------------- Peter Gifford Subject: Small tekumel.com update Dear Tekumel fans, A small update to http://www.tekumel.com The World of the Petal Throne. tekumel.com has its first printed advertisement! You can see a copy at http://www.tekumel.com/siteinfoframeset.html (the Site Info section) and The latest price list (Jul 99) for Tita's House of Games is up at the Eye of Retaining All Things. http://www.tekumel.com/archiveframeset.html Regards Peter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peter Gifford ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------------------------- sjohn@io.com Hi! Sorry for the uninvited ad, but I felt that, given your interest in Barker's world, it might be of interest to you or other Tekumel fans you know of. Please pass this notice along if you know of any mailing lists, etc, devoted to Tekumel that would not be offended by an auction advertisement. With many thanks - Sjohn ===================================== http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=133233240 Legions of the Petal Throne, published by TSR in 1977, is an early set of tabletop miniatures rules set in Tekumel, M.A.R. Barker's "Empire of the Petal Throne." The book is illustrated throughout by designer David C. Sutherland, and includes essays on Tekumel warfare by professor Barker ("Military Formations of Tekumel" and "Warfare on the World of Tekumel," both collected from early issues of The Dragon), and Barker's lists of Tekumel armies. Rules are included for both conventional and magical aspects of the Tekumel battlefield, and the full range of nonhuman races as well as the human nations, with appropriate world-related information. This very rare item is in good condition, with all pages present and still tightly saddle-stitched; the cover is worn but of very strong stock; this book has seen some play but could see a lot more and still be sound. There is some surface-rust on the staples, but the book has not been written in, stained, or otherwise harmed. The scanned image provided (see URL) is a composite showing both the condition of the cover and a representative sample of interior diagrams. Buyer pays $4.00 for shipping & handling for domestic purchase; more (the exact shipping costs) if overseas shipping or special arrangements are required. Payment is by Money Order or Cashier's Check for immediate delivery upon reciept, or by personal check if the buyer doesn't mind waiting for the check to be cleared by the bank. Please feel free to email me with questions at sjohn@io.com, and to visit my gaming website, the Blue Room. This is a no-reserve auction. http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=133233240 ----- 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. //1007 [Moderator's Note: David Bailey writes about Identification on Tekumel. ] [ Wow! One benefit of my new mail server is that messages] [ mail out now in seconds (close to a minute) instead of ] [ the better part of an hour or more. This will radically] [ reduce the increased occurance of "quiet" moments in the] [ list. I just can't believe how fast this is! WooHoo! ] Q: is there a profession of "Verifier of Seals", perhaps resident in the Palace of the Realm? I ask having spent many hours wondering over the collections of seals and chops from Egypt, China, Sumeria and the like in the British Museum, Ashmolean Museum, Pitt Rivers Collection and the Pushkin in Moscow. When a single business may have had some dozens of seals (for contracts, valuables, personal letters, business correspondence and negotiable instruments), identification and verification could be very complex. Add to this the lengthy "chains of trust" that must have existed (whereby "you can trust me because the Governor of Jakalla has sealed my seal on a document, and you can trust him because his seal was originally sealed by the Emperor, and we both trust the Emperor, don't we"), and you have a recipe for bureaucrats heaped into piles. Imagine a foreigner trying to ascertain whether a contract was enforceable from the seal alone! -=Midori Ito=- (known on other less interesting planes as David Bailey) David@Bailey.net ----- 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. //1008 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker replies to Mike's question about ] [ how to address a deity. ] >>What is the correct present tense rendering for the full name of >>Chiteng? Pronouns do not have "present tense" or "past tense" forms. The proper address for a god is /tsam/, the simplest form of "you." Cf."The Tsolyani Language," vol. 1, pp. 17-18. The special pronouns there are more or less reserved for beings who somehow fit into human society. Occasionally a speaker may forget and use one of the special pronouns for a god, but this is clearly against custom and usage. >>Would it be 'Chiteng Hlimekluyal' I wonder because nothing about >>Tekumel is ever that simple. No, probably just Chiteng, or Chitengdalidalisa ("Great and Powerful Chiteng"). >>Assuming you encountered Chiteng and lived and wanted to address him by >>name: What would you call him? >>This is in formal modern Tsolanyi. Chitengdalidalisa. >>I know it sounds wierd but I suspect my players are testing my knowledge >>of Tekumel =(. >> >>This one has me wary. Wise of you. >For my part, I would never use the gods name. I would use many oh great >ones, a few mighty lord, and even your omnipotence. To use the actual >name when face to face with him seems to me to be a bit presumptuous. Tsolyani agrees, but one can use the god's name (with honorific suffixes attached), if the situation seems to call for it. 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. //1009 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker replies to Martin's request for info ] [ about a starting Livyani character. And provides some ] [ news about Livyanu in general. ] >We're about to start a campaign and are working out the details of characters >(I as the first person joining am supposed to direct the direction we are >going - YIKES!) >I was thinking about meddling in the life of a Livyani adept of Yanaz >Mitlamu. He would/could bear the scars of the plague and might be part of the >resistance. This is possible. A number of people escaped the Plague by travelling far out to sea, avoiding the coasts and the polluted shallows, and waiting (starving?) aboard ship until the plague had passed. As far as the "resistance" is converned, ask somebody to take him to "Fire Face," the nom-de-guerre of the Wizard Eyloa's wife's younger sister. Her face is now scarred by bright red weals, due to a side effect of the plague. She's leading the fight against the Mu'ugalavyani from a labyrinth below old Tsamra. >The idea would be for him to be traveling by sea for reasons unknown to >all but him. Fine, but it is likely that he is just escaping the plague this way. >Could I get help in finding one such as he? I can suggest Arkuo Minaz, a friend of Tarshaz Arrio of the city of Sraon. >Where would I be from? Sraon. >What clan? Arkuo belongs to the Foam-topped Wave, an old maritime clan. >What temple? He'd never tell, but I think he might be Kikumarsha. >Who do I worship? Kikumarsha. >What are the ritual tattoos on the face? They represent his clan, lineage, temple affiliAtion. Later tattooes may represent his social standing.: like most Livyani adults, Arkuo is a member of the Vru'uneb. He is 7th of 12. >Does this even make sense? Yes, Arkuo is a pleasant, rather naive young man, about 23 years old, handsome and somewhat of a lady's man, jolly and social, even with nonhumans (much to their puzzlement...!), and rather good with magic -- which does not work in Livyanu much any more, due to the Mu'ugalavyani plot of erect "patterns" of special anti-magical stones throughout that sorrowful land. Heis about average with such physical weapons as swords and daggers, but has never fought a duel, much less a military battle. If you ask him his occupation, he'll probably reply, "Sea-trader." 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. //1010 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker responds to Mercutio's questions. ] >After some years, I'm finally in possession of my own copies of Tekumel >materials. I've just obtained both "Growing up in Tekumel" and "Coming >of Age". I've come to the conclusion that I like the first character >I've rolled up and would appreciate some help in fleshing him out. > The basic problem I encountered with my first character is that he >was born into a family of fairly devout worshippers of Lord Thumis and >he is of 'slightly less than average' intelligence. After rolling up >Lord Thumis as the God favored by my lineage, I rolled a low >intelligence score. So I rolled a D10 to see how devout my clan fathers >and mothers would be, I got a roll of 7. This pretty much convinced me >that my character would be pushed fairly hard in academic subjects, >despite the fact that he is not greatly gifted with intellect. The >problem of native intelligence was compounded by the roll on the >psychic ability table of 01, an anti-psychic! I would tend to let a really unintelligent fellow "wander away into the sunset" and roll again. If you like him, however, you should compensate with a few really good traits he can use -- otherwise he is "spilled Chumetl," as the Tsolyani idiom has it. > I figured a guy with this sort of background would try hard and >plod, step by step, through the academic subjects and become somewhat >athletic in compensation. I also figured that with a dexterity a bit >above average, he would go into pursuits like calligraphy as well. I am >still trying to get a handle on some specific traits so I can finish >basic character development and go on the solo adventures in "Coming of >Age". He has reading and writing, some history, some language or other (as much as his mind can use), perhaps some extra strength and some skills with weapons. He can also have other skills, if you wish: e,g, accounting, sailing, management, but he is never going to be a genius at these. > What I'd like to know is where in his religion an athletic and >somewhat intellectually slow devotee of Lord Thumis might find himself. >I haven't read Blue Room very closely, being busy with school. But I do >remember some commentary about temples to Lord Thumis probably not >supporting Legions, but very likely supporting 'temple police' or >something of the sort. Is this the sort of career my character might >find available with training in the administrative priesthood? This is true, although there are a couple of good Thumis legions; cf. the Tsolyani Army List.. He can be a temple guard officer (not all officers -- in any culture or any army) are brilliant! He must depend for his wealth, social status, etc. on his clan and lineage. If he comes from around Paya Gupa, he may have met the Head of the Thumis temple in Tsolyanu: Gamulu hiBeshyene. Gamulu can perhaps ind some use for him. > Is there an Aspect of Lord Thumis such as "Protector of >Knowledge"? I picture the this lad being very attracted to police or >paramilitary work, protecting scholars on digs perhaps. Or acting as a >guardian of Lord Thumis' libraries. Maybe even being a methodical and >plodding investigator of temple related crimes someday. All are reasonably possible. Get a copy of "Mitlanyal" from Bob Alberti and look through Thumis' aspects. If you can't find a copy, you might ask Bob (whose e-mail address is on this list, I think) to glance over the Thumis section and pick an Aspect for you. > The only other thing on which I'd appreciate some comment would be >lineage and personal names of the Clan in which my character finds >himself, Joyous of Vra'. The Vrayani have slightly different names than the mainlanders. They also use /vu-/ for "of." rather than /hi-/. I rather like the old Vrayani name Dalku. The man I know is Dalku vuCharesh, a rather likeable fellow with a penchant for jokes (a Vrayani speciality). The Joyous of Vra is a fine clan with many internal lineages: e.g. Telemo, Markhaz (some Livyani influence?), Dekkomai, Mikkar, etc. There are large and famous ones, as well as small ones. You'll have to see what sort of person your lad is and then pick. If you want to tie in with Dalku vuCharesh, you'll find yourself in a good, middle-class lineage, with lots of clan-brothers and sisters. Dalku is unmarried but has his eye on a certain Le'en vuKhrio, who is from a somewhat higher lineage. She's studying to be a priestess in the Temple of Ksarul at Vra, a pretty, pleasant, outgoing girl with some competence in sorcery. She's about halfway through basic training and should be initiated into Level One soon. > That's where I find myself. I look forward to anything the Blue >Room might contribute. And I apologize for the length of my post. No problem. I hope you enjoy Dalku. If you want somebody different, let me know. 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. //1011 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker replies to Peter Huston's message on ] [ the Hirilakte Arenas. ] >I just finished reading "Cruelty and Civilization" a book on the Roman >"games" including the gladiatorial combats. >What were the origins and motivations of the original founders of the >Hirilakte arenas? Is there a "higher meaning" to them than spectacle? Has >their ever been? The arenas were probably founded during Bednalljan times as a means of pleasing the mob ("bread and circuses," to quote the Romans). They became somewhat less during the Engsvanyali age but grew up again under the Vimuhla-worshipping emperors of Tsolyanu (e.g. the fierce Emperor, Trakonel II). Less militant rulers have tried to cut these arenas down somewhat, but the crowds love them, and so they persist. >I'm not sure how they tie into Tsolyani/ five empires culture in a >meaningful way. Or do they? What do they teach about the people who created >the institution? (Other than that they really don't place too high a value >on their fellow citizens?) These arenas date back a *long* ways and are bound about with semi-military sanctions and customs. Modern citzens of the Five Empires usually show honour to them and their ancient creators, although not everybody attends them or enjoys watching the games, duels, and contests there. Lord Karakan's soldiers have a sort of sub-cult to the Hirilakte arenas and their gladiators; Lord Vimuhla and Lord Chiteng have other societies. These are rarely allowed to fight serious duels for fear of the violence spreading. 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. //1012 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker replies to David's message about seals] [ and the proper identification of documents on Tekumel. ] >Q: is there a profession of "Verifier of Seals", perhaps resident in >the Palace of the Realm? >I ask having spent many hours wondering over the collections of seals >and chops from Egypt, China, Sumeria and the like in the British >Museum, Ashmolean Museum, Pitt Rivers Collection and the Pushkin in >Moscow. When a single business may have had some dozens of seals (for >contracts, valuables, personal letters, business correspondence and >negotiable instruments), identification and verification could be very > complex. Add to this the lengthy "chains of trust" that must have >existed (whereby "you can trust me because the Governor of Jakalla has >sealed my seal on a document, and you can trust him because his seal >was originally sealed by the Emperor, and we both trust the Emperor, >don't we"), and you have a recipe for bureaucrats heaped into piles. There is no fixed Imperial post of "Verifier of Seals," but within every clan, every office, every business, every temple, etc. there are individuals who learn this competence and fill this function. In Prinve Rereshqala's Chancery at Avanther there is a separate high dais where some 20-30 officials take care of incoming and outgoing documents that have seals. A similar group occupies another dais and oversees the dealing of outgoing items. There are specialists in waxes, inks, and paper, as well as sorcerers with training in verifying seals that seem dubious. One of the most difficult things for players on Tekumel is the lack of paper money, larger denominations of coins, and easily portable identification papers. Your clan will honour your word and supply a loan of cash if you need it -- but, then, how does one *prove* one is a member of that clan in good standing? Especially if one's home clanhouse is halfway across the Empire? Most such identification is done with sorcery" looking into the person's mind. If there is no muddle there, no lies, no attempt to hide another identity, the clans usually allow the loan to go through. Failure gets one arrested and questioned. This is hard for adventurers who enter through a nexus point or tubeway car; it would take months for one's I.D. to be sent out to one's home city for verification, and then return via clan messengers or Imperial officials. Talk about "snail-mail!" The magical method is much better and quicker, though it, too, has its problems. These problems do not often arise on "real" Tekumel, since most people do not move far from their place of origin. Players, of course, are sort of "peripheral people," anyway, and they merit special treatment. There are varieties of special seals, made of many substances, many shapes, with many types of inscriptions. I think there is an illustrated scroll on this topic in the Chanvery at Avanthar. >Imagine a foreigner trying to ascertain whether a contract was >enforceable from the seal alone! Difficult! He'd have to employ a knowledgeable local -- plus a lawyer! 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. //1013 [Moderator's Note: George Hammond offers up some ideas on Mercutio's ] [ character dilemma. ] On Sun, 18 Jul 1999, The Blue Room Mailing List wrote: > What I'd like to know is where in his religion an athletic and > somewhat intellectually slow devotee of Lord Thumis might find himself. > I haven't read Blue Room very closely, being busy with school. But I do > remember some commentary about temples to Lord Thumis probably not > supporting Legions, but very likely supporting 'temple police' or > something of the sort. Is this the sort of career my character might > find available with training in the administrative priesthood? > Is there an Aspect of Lord Thumis such as "Protector of > Knowledge"? I picture the this lad being very attracted to police or > paramilitary work, protecting scholars on digs perhaps. Or acting as a > guardian of Lord Thumis' libraries. Maybe even being a methodical and > plodding investigator of temple related crimes someday. Every temple has some form of "temple guard". Most of them don't have very glamorous jobs (lots of standing around directing traffic, serving in honor guards), but a few protect temple assets in dangerous places (the Underworld, for one) and/or accompany traveling priests on long, perhaps hazardous journeys. Temple guards don't have to endure much priestly training, they are separated from the common pool of novices at the 1st Circle, or thereabouts, they don't follow the scholar/ritual/admin tracks. Every temple has large mundane components: farms and plantations, estates, workshops, mills, etc. that have to be managed. Perhaps once his lack of intellectual capacity was determined, he was equipped with hard-won basics of accounting and sent to oversee some facility or another. Out in the countryside he might be an enthusiast of hunting or falconry, relying on a clever major domo to make sure the Mash groves and Dna fields are properly maintained. If he's Vrayani, he might be involved with ships, or a port of some kind. Another possibility might be that your character's intelligence might just not be suitable to literate pursuits. Maybe he's plenty quick, but dyslexic. So not very literate, but possessed of an abundance of common sense and wit. Just some thoughts off the top of my head, George H. ----- 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. //1014 [Moderator's Note: Giovanna Fregni and Ken Fletcher are providing some ] [ running summaries of the Thursday night group's adven- ] [ tures. This is the first of 2 that happened recently. ] Back in Avanthar, the group thought it was being sent on a mission outlined by Prince Rereshqala. But Arjai was taken aside by The Prince Taksuru and told of a more urgent matter that had to be attended to. He explained that the emperor would not notice that the mission was delayed and that it should be a simple matter of retrieving a person out of Hmakuyal and returning. It appeared that during his youth in that city, Taksuru was spurned by a certain young woman and that now that he was established in Avanthar, he wanted to reacquaint himself with her. Perhaps with his change in station she would see things differently now. Arjai had the group take a tubeway car to Hmakuyal and explained that it was a likely place to begin the mission for Rereshqala, plus he would have an opportunity to visit his mother there. Mirek objected, but Arjai further explained that this was was politically expedient (in other words, being a worshipper of Ksarul, he couldn't say no...). Once in Hmakuyal, the party was greeted by guards dressed in dark blue and black. They left the tubeway station and were given a view of the city from the outside. Hmakuyal is situated in a crater filled with a honeycomb of caverns. On one end of the crater there is a notch where there is a secondary sakbe road that leads out of city. On the way the party saw lots of shrines and pilgrims, sellers of amulets and tomb police. One notable seller had a display of 'eyes' nailed to a cross of wood. The group stared in disbelief at such a waste (although on closer inspection they saw that the 'eyes' were all fakes). For the more astute, he produced a pocketful of 'eyes' that he promised would work, plus even more at his shop in the marketplace. Of course firing of such dangerous weapons was forbidden in the area, so testing the 'eyes' was out of the question. Only those who worship Ksarul are allowed within the inner city. Non worshippers are put up at hostels outside the walls. Arumel recalled a good place to stay and the group went there while Arjai and Chitlasha went on into the city to his mother's house. Once at home, Arjai's mom was rather cool toward Chitlasha and not so warm toward her son. After news about the family, Arjai turned the conversation around to the subject of Taksuru. Arjai had met him a couple of times when they were young, being of the same clan, but didn't recall any details. His mother filled him in saying that "Taksuru was never the object of unrequited love" in fact he was quite handsome and had no end of young women coming after him. She told Arjai that if he needed more information about Taksuru's childhood he should talk to the 'old biddy' up the road. Arjai's mom then offered to make dinner for them plus extra to take to his friends off at the hostel. While she did that, Arjai and Chitlasha decide to talk to the old woman. The 'old woman' turned out to be fairly young (mid 30's) and pretty good looking. Arjai tried to be circumspect about his questions. She told him that it was dangerous to ask or answer questions about the royal family. Arjai got no more information from the woman, so he and Chitlasha returned to pick up the food to take out to the hostel. The food was good, spicy and full of hling seed. Entertainment was provided in the form of a recitation of "Nar Evirge" accompanied by music. Na Everge is a varient of the Ksarul hymn that is popular in most temples of this diety) A young woman came by with a tray of various drinks. Arumel chose a dark red wine. Nisaya asked for a recommendation, since most of these seemed unfamiliar to her. The servant pointed out a light wine that Iena also chose. After a moment, Nisaya noticed that her wine had turned a light blue ( something that Avanthe priestesses can do, but Nisaya hadn't performed that spell). Echine, being a worshipper of Hru'u, chose a dark purple wine. The serving girl quietly warned him away from it saying that it could cause him to do some things due to a loss of inhibitions. (later he learned that if he had chosen that wine he would have voluntarily gone with inquisitors into the city where he would gladly have told them anything they wanted to know. The whole choosing of wines was a test that the group apparently passed). The evening drew on and eventually Arjai and Chitlasha returned to his mother's house and the rest of the party retired to their rooms. Chitlasha suggested that they sleep in separate rooms for reasons of safety. Arjai reluctantly agreed. Before Arjai retired, his mom told him that a man had come asking for him, and that she would find out what she could about Taksuru's youth while at the midnight rituals. Late in the night Arjai was awakened by noises made by an intruder. Arjai fired Missiles of Metallja toward the ceiling, not to cause damage, but to provide some sudden light to see what was happening. In the nearly blinding flash, he made out a man with two swords. Arjai successfully dodged the blows. The door opened and mom entered with some guards and the assassin was captured. He was a very arrogant young man with wild hair and a tattoo of a blue and red star(the symbol of the Ndalu clan). He offered to kill Arjai quickly and cleanly, and told them that if Arjai had him killed Arjai would die anyway. Arjai's mom said that killing the assassin wouldn't be a good idea, and suggested that he be put down in the cellar caverns where it could take months for him to find his way out. "He could be with your Dad, Arjai" Arjai dared not ask why his dad was in the cellars (in fact it had been some years since Arjai had seen his dad....) Arjai then noticed that Chitlasha was missing. His mom told him that she went to the inner temple in town for dawn services. Back at the hostel, A'is and Iena woke about 3 am. They went out on the balcony to talk. M'tk also woke up. Ais looked at him and told him to go back to sleep. Mre warned him that he should stay down, that A'is and Iena are taking pot shots at creatures of the night outside. Mre even noticed some of the faintly visible creatures in the room. The next morning Arjai was awakened by a strange man who told him to wash and dress in the clothes provided. Arjai was paranoid (with good reason) and without dressing, told the man to precede him down the hall. Arjai found his mother arranging preparations for breakfast. She explained that the man is her servant sent to get Arjai ready for company. Arjai, satisfied, bathed, dressed and returned to the dining hall. There were several guests, one of whom was a young woman named Anga. Anga told Arjai that she is Aridani, and an administrative priestess who had been widowed three times over, losing all her husbands in the recent war, in fact all in the same battle. Arjai's mother suggested that Anga give Arjai a tour of the city. As they left, Anga quietly offered Arjai a contact source for the information he needed. Together, they walked up to the neighbor's house that Arjai visited yesterday. Nobody appeared to be home. When they entered, they found a pile of meat and bones. Someone was shredded to death. Anga explained that it was the work of assassins using 'the crushing death with skin and brain removal' technique. It was meant as a warning. Anga turned to Arjai and confronted him, "You don't understand, I'm the girl Taksuru wants. I don't want to go to Avanthar. I don't like Taksuru, he's political and is not religious. Go away, or do you want to fight?" Arjai backed off, and when she was calmer, Anga suggested that the bloody remains be shipped to Avanthar in her stead and in return she'd guarantee the safety of his mom and sister. Arjai agreed. Suddenly, a hulking lout appeared with a valise, scooped up the remains and exited. Arjai's mind wasn't doing too well at this point and he returned home. His mom told him that it's for the best, after all, Anga is a dear friend of hers. Later, Chitlasha met Arjai at the hostel and told him that she met the woman that Taksuru wanted at the temple. She was young, vapid and weeping. Apparently, she had been a fellow student in his senior demonology class. Her physical description did not fit that of Anga at all. Chitlasha explained that "Anga is a front for the powers in the Ndalu clan". The group went out for breakfast and shopping and found the seller of 'eyes' again. He demonstrated the use of one of the eyes by blowing up a rock. Chitlasha became suspicious and quietly performed a psychic spell. Suddenly the eye seller became extremely embarrassed. Chitlasha had used the spell of efficacious defecation on him. She explained that he was using spells to make it look as if the eyes were working. When the party returned to the hostel, a man arrived explaining that he was to be a guide for their journey. They went down the street, around a corner and came to a wall. At a wave of his hand, a portion of the wall became transparent. The party entered to find a room with black, polished door. The guide indicated the door and told them 'to go through to your foe and when you are successful you may return the same way'. Arumel, wearing armor and with blade drawn, walked through first. He was immediately confronted by two large creatures (Hra) armed with swords. The light was poor and it took awhile for his sight to adjust. Arumel killed the first creature but was injured by the second. Mirek shot the surviving Hra with a poisoned arrow. It went down immediately. Arumel was healed after his armor was removed. The party found itself in a massive cavern with no sign of the door they came through. ----- 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. //1015 [Moderator's Note: Giovanna Fregni provides another summary of the Thursday] [ Night Group's travellings through Tekumel. The summary ] [ was written by Gio and Ken Fletcher. ] 14 Shapru 2369 After entering the nexus doorway and battling the two huge Hra guardians, the party found itself in a massive, dimly lit cavern. The floor sloped down, and at the bottom was an area with four entrances. The one on the left had an incoming breeze and was little more than a tall, thin crack. A spell of elicitation revealed the recent presence of some sort of creature. The left and right central entries were arched, and elicitation revealed nothing. The far right was a pit with gurgling noises. It soon became apparent that the gurgling water was rising. As it crested, Arjai performed a conjulation spell, turning the surface to a thick layer of ice. The party realized that the rising pressure from the water would cause some destruction, so they had better get moving. Th e group decided to go through the right center cave. The passage was so dark, light spells hardly worked. Close examination revealed that the walls are made of black sooty rock. Party members who were armed moved ahead. Farther back in the line, Ai'is noticed a trigger for a trap and used a fly spell to get the rest of the group over it. She believed that it was a device designed to be triggered going one way and then sprung as they returned. As she caught up with the others, the party saw two globes of soft light bobbing in mid air. Not one to mess around, Sanjesh fired the spell named Missiles of Metalja. He hit one creature, that looked vaguely human (it was a Qol, wrapped in tatters of something cloth-like. A grub- like critter scuttled out of its pouch. The pouch also contained a warm rock. Arjai quickly grabbed it and threw it back down the passageway as hard as he could. There was an explosion, blocking the passage we came from. Ahead, the passage continued with a shallow staircase. It seemed to go down another 40 feet. At the bottom it branched off into two tunnels. The landing before the fork contained a finely detailed bas relief including the squared off script of the ancients. Arjai did an elicitation, fried his brain and fell down in a heap. Chitlasha magically searched for him, and found Arjai's spirit on another plane. Arumel offered to go and bring him back. [Pretty typical... ;) Chris] When Arumel was magically inserted into the other world, he found a completely black void. (Arjai described it as the Never-ending Gray, only black) Arumel searched for Arjai, moving through the blackness as if it were thick Jell-O. He finally reached Arjai, who was ahead and below him. Seeing Arjai, he quickly moved through the murk and realized that it was willpower that propelled him, rather than the swimming motion he was mak- ing. He grabbed Arjai and willed himself to return to the party. Arjai was healed. As he recovered, a Qaqtla, a huge crab-like creature appeared from the left passageway. Arumel drew his sword and moved in with piercing thrusts. When the creature was injured, Arjai did a spell of desiccation and turned it to dust. The party decided that if this tunnel needs such a guardian, it must be the right way. (This is adventure gam- ing after all...) A little way in the tunnel was found to be collapsed, but there was a hole through the top with a dim light showing through. The party scrambled up and over. At the top was a long slope into a huge, dimly lit cavern. At the bottom, it looked as if there were a line of creatures. Takan and Mirek cautiously started down the slope, and in spite of being experi- enced hunters, caused a major landslide. Boulders started to roll behind the two of them. Mirek scrambled off to the left side,only slightly scuf- fed and not too badly injured. Takan bravely ran ahead of the landslide and found that the line of creatures was a troop of Mrur. Takan used his defusillator (a tool of the ancients) and managed to break through their line, followed by a mass of boulders. By the time the dust settled, the Mrur had retreated. The rest of the party came down the slope much more cautiously and arrived at the bottom without incident. The cavern was huge, with a large archway at the other end. Without much discussion the group headed through and become aware that they had entered a nexus point. Mirek, the last one through, did a spell of the Periplus of the Planes. (They almost wished he hadn't) The landscape on the other side was covered in [with] black vegetation. Mirek announced that they were now in the Land of Qelem, a plane ruled by the demon, Ru'utlanish. The party was not happy. This is a land that is described well in the Book of Ebon Bindings. Most notable is the advice that that the traveller is told Not To Go There, but if he does, he is not likely to return. Turning around, they saw no sign of a nexus point. Ahead, the path sloped down to a black swamp with white waxy flowers. The party turned around and headed up the hill where the nexus point had been. The sky was a cloudy black and grey. In the distance were huge, grey, jagged walls, that Arumel identified it as battlements. Ahead lay stretches of swamp with small globes of light floating above it. Ill-defined creatures gamboled in the muck. The party combined fly spells and used them to go more directly to the battlements. Once there, it looked as if there were humanoid crea- tures on guard. On moving closer, they looked more like finely detailed statues. Arumel inspected the statues and realized that they were moving very slowly and changing. One of the party said that Ru'utlanish gets hundreds of sacrifices, these are probably the souls of the sacrificed coming to life in their new world. The battlements were about fifty feet thick. There was a gap and then an inner wall that was fairly wide and higher. Beyond that were more buil- dings. The party flew up only to find they were greeted by scores of Vorodla that emerged out of slits high in the rock wall. The Vorodla dive- bombed the party and one succeeded in capturing Mre, the human companion of Mt'tk, the Pei Choi. She was carried away into the darkness below the walls. The party knew that they were helpless to rescue her. (The more learned of the party realized that Vorodla were not creatures of Ru'utlanish, but much more likely to belong to Dhich'une.) The group continued on into a door in the inner wall. There were windows 15-20 feet tall. They went through a window and entered into a short passageway, which opened into a large hall, complete with buttresses and perches for the Vorodla. The chamber echoed with clattering noises. A few Vorodla flew around the ceiling. Across the hall, a creature approached the party. It was vague and formless, a sketch of a human by someone trying to mimic a human form. Mt'tk congelates it before it even got near. They passed the creature's body and entered a cathedral-sized space. The floor was covered by an immense pattern. None of the party dareed look down. Nisaya cast a fly spell to avoid even stepping on it. Out of the shadowy edges of the chamber came hundreds of short, dark creatures. The party tried to fly over the pattern and the massing creatures. The flight became wobbly. The pattern influenced magic ability. The party flew higher, but the Vorodla swooped down, trying to attack. When they got too low, they quickly lost control of their ability to fly. The party headed for a pillar across the room, while trying to maintain a level between the Vorodla and the pattern. Suddenly they saw the room merge into a grey orchard, but with the pattern continuing on the ground below. The party ascended and the pattern looked more and more like a random pattern of leaves. Sanjesh heard a voice, "You're in my garden"! It was his old pal, the demon lord, Horodai. Sanjesh asked if they could spend some time in the gazebo. Horodai agreed and mentioned that they should wait until it had been cleaned out, and one of Horodai's offspring chased out many scuttling creatures. The gazebo was octagonal on a four sided platform topped with a pointed cupola. The garden was extensive, filled with fur covered, black vegetation. There were some grayish blue plants with dark yellow flowers. Sanjesh warned the party not to walk in the garden. Once the party settled down, Horodai appeared. Sanjesh explained the mission, (searching for Dhich'une). Horodai explained that the Land of Qelem is 'next door' to his plane. Sanjesh was sure that Dhich'une was currently in Qelem. Horodai sent one of his offspring over to see if this was so and also to find out what happened to Mre. Word came back that 'the Prince of Qelem's guest would not come and would not do our bidding'. Horodai insisted that Arjai not do any spells while on his plane. [A reasonable request. Sorry Bob, couldn't resist. Chris] While this occured Takan became aware that his brain was being scanned. Takan heard a voice in his head tell him to 'go away and to leave my master alone'. Horodai asked Sanjesh what he planned to do, and what about the invisible guests in our midst. We were unaware of them, so Horodai made them visible. There were several men in copper armor, an elderly man, that we recognised as Dhich'une's sorcerer Vridekka, and a tall man with thick eyebrows: This was the Sarku priest, Jayargo, who was on reasonable terms with Arjai. He invited the party to lunch. Vridekka turned to Mt'tk and told him to 'return to his forests, enjoy life and have many young Pe Choi. "I have come from [our plane] next door to tell you this." Vridekka and his party faded away. There was a thump in the gazebo, a dazed and confused Mre was deposited on the floor. ----- 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. //1016 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker adds to George's comments, and Gordon ] [ Neff also comments on the subject of less than perfect ] [ characters. ] I'll also interject a few words, if I may.. Phil >On Sun, 18 Jul 1999, The Blue Room Mailing List wrote: >Every temple has some form of "temple guard". Most of them don't have >very glamorous jobs (lots of standing around directing traffic, serving in >honor guards), but a few protect temple assets in dangerous places (the >Underworld, for one) and/or accompany traveling priests on long, perhaps >hazardous journeys. Temple guards don't have to endure much priestly >training, they are separated from the common pool of novices at the 1st >Circle, or thereabouts, they don't follow the scholar/ritual/admin tracks. All accurate. There are also some minor roles in the ritual priesthood: the equivalent of "extras" or "spearchuckers." The temples employ large staffs of chamberlains, administrators, and everything from estate managers to bottle washers, as accurately noted below. >Every temple has large mundane components: farms and plantations, >estates, workshops, mills, etc. that have to be managed. Perhaps once his >lack of intellectual capacity was determined, he was equipped with >hard-won basics of accounting and sent to oversee some facility or >another. Out in the countryside he might be an enthusiast of hunting or >falconry, relying on a clever major domo to make sure the Mash groves and >Dna fields are properly maintained. If he's Vrayani, he might be involved >with ships, or a port of some kind. All true. >Another possibility might be that your character's intelligence might >just not be suitable to literate pursuits. Maybe he's plenty quick, but >dyslexic. So not very literate, but possessed of an abundance of common >sense and wit. > >Just some thoughts off the top of my head, Excellent ideas. Phil --- Gordon Neff writes... > What I'd like to know is where in his religion an athletic and > somewhat intellectually slow devotee of Lord Thumis might find himself. As a Temple bodyguard, almost certainly. The High Priest needs -someone- to bludgeon the unwashed rabble out of his path, and to cheerfully 'take a bullet' for him at need, yes? ----- 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. //1017 [Moderator's Note: Joe Saul adds some info about a Legion devoted to Thumis.] The Temple of Thumis does, in fact, have one Legion associated with it -- The Legion of the Lord of Wisdom, 22nd Imperial Heavy Infantry. That might also be an option for the character, though it's a relatively new legion, and may still be mostly composed of "forest peoples" from the area of Paya Gupa. I don't know what it's up to at present, but it's listed in Armies of Tekumel: Volume I, Tsolyanu. Joe ----- 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. //1018 [Moderator's Note: Since nothing new has come in recently, I have gone back] [ to a list of stuff that required heavier moderation. ] [ The following adventure notes are from Jack Bramah, and ] [ describe the exploits of the Company of the Crystal ] [ Sword. Parts 1 and 2 had accented characters which I ] [ changed to plain text. 3-6 dropped the accented char- ] [ acters, so I had to insert them back. Anything enclosed] [ by (? ?) is something I counldn't identify. Sorry it ] [ has taken so long, Jack. ] Dramatis Personae [Players] Hetepek hiAztlan [Dave Morris] Leader of the Company of the Crystal Sword, and Eventually Clan Elder of the Clan of the Silver Links Chamikiang hiAztlan [Roz Morris] Wife of Hetepek, Citizen of Chung An Satar, an island to the south-west of the lands of Tane (for more information see Steve Foster's article in Eye of All-Seeing Wonder No.2 "Land of the Manifest Spirit") Barakesh hiVu'urmal [myself] Writer of the Diaries, and Military Commander of the Company of the Crystal Sword. Danuo hi??? [Ollie Johnson] Deputy to Barakesh, Commander of the Steel Arrow Squad Tulumgaz Commander of Squad 1 Cheshtal Commander of the Guardians of Badru Epengar hiVu'urtesh [Ian Marsh] Commander of Squad 4 Uchang Commander of Squad 6 Dore Leader of the Silver Shields - Hetepek's Personal Guard Ssudusanu (aka Ghost Dancer) Special Assignment Squad Targdaz hiAztlan [Jamie Thomson] Sorcerer to Hetepek Tegelbe hi Nrantu [Steve Foster] Advisor to Hetepek The Company of the Crystal Sword helped revive the fortunes of the almost defunct Clan of the Silver Links of Fasiltum by providing badly needed finances to the young clan-chiefs after their elders absconded with much of the clan's wealth. In gratitude, the whole of the Company of the Crystal Sword was inducted into the clan. Our erstwhile employer, and now clan-father, Hetepek hiAztlan formed the hierarchy of the new lineages according to status within the Company. Hetepek himself took a very high lineage, whilst the senior commanders - myself, Danuo and Ghost Dancer were allowed high lineages. The commanders of the separate squads were made heads of the medium lineages: Cheshtal, Epengar, Serlak, Nashmiyel, Tulumgaz, and the members of the various squads had the option of joining the lineage of their commander, or forming their own low lineage. Additionally, in recognition of their extended service, all veterans of the First Mount Badru Expedition were invited to join the Vu'urmal lineage. Thus was the Clan of the Silver Links reborn. I, Barakesh hiVu'urmal, Clan Elder and Lineage Head of the Clan of the Silver Links wish to express my gratitude and undying loyalty to Lord Hetepek hiAztlan, our esteemed clan-patriarch and Benefactor Supreme of the Company of the Crystal Sword. In the beginning we were a band of hardy adventurers of moderate clan, seeking fame and fortune as the protectors of Hetepek. In the course of time the wealth of Hetepek grew and he became aware of a legend of great antiquity concerning a King of the Dragon-Warrior and his six sons. To each of these sons he gave a powerful sword, each partaking of the essence of one of the elements. Into Hetepek's possession came Atranku, the Sword of Stone, and he decided to form the Company of the Crystal Sword to retrieve the remaining five swords. We drew people from all walks of life to form the Military Arm, and we set off for the Armoury of the Dragon-Lords at Mount Badru, to the west of Mu'ugalavya, which we crossed in the guise of merchants. After months of travelling across vast wastes we came to Mount Badru, where we found the spirit of the King still alive guarded by fierce warriors. in the course of outwitting this spirit, Danuo was bound in service to the King for 1000 years. At Mount Badru we discovered that we had a rival in our quest for the swords in Kuliang, a fellow countryman of our own clan's senior wife Chamikiang. Over the aeons the swords had become dispersed, being spread over all the continent, some lost, some buried with their owners. As the Armoury displays which showed the names of the last person to attune each of the swords we had clues as to their last known whereabouts. Our first efforts were in Fasiltum, where a former commander of the Legion of the Searing Flame had possessed the sword. He had died, it was believed, in a battle at a fort near Fasiltum. We searched for the sword there, except that the vile Kuliang and his Black Ssu minions beat us to it. By a variety of bribery and discovery we secured two more swords - Shrang, the Sword of Shadow, and Baijan, the Sword of Magic. In order to better combat Kuliang and deliver a surprise, Danuo and myself were attuned to one of these swords each. We set off for Livyanu End of Part 1 -- Viscount Veshtaru hiChaishyani (Jack Bramah) Legion of the Mighty Heroes of Avanthar Molmitlan Otulengba! veshtaru@catland.demon.co.uk Actions of the Company of the Crystal Sword Part II 5th Trantor 2375 One of the strangest episodes in the history of the Company if the Crystal Sword occurred today. Our ships, the Meteor and the Illustrious became fogbound close by an island, so we anchored for safety, and sent a party ashore. We found ourselves on a jungle-clad island whose Tsolyani-speaking inhabitants were being attacked by the Castellan of the Casting Iris. His pretext was that he was trying to close the Gate of the Ngoro. It was said that he had brought all four of his knights to accomplish this. We were standing in the middle of the Citadel of Salth-Tashuir, outside the Legation of the Ngoro, when the four knights, Nitralu, Nimeru, Ugashtu and Kanoru arrived. We quickly determined that siding with these four worthies would be prudent, as we recognised them as none other than the four Demon Brothers - Niritlal, Nimune, Nurgashte and Akhone. We assisted them, leading the assault on the Legation and storming the chambers, slaying several Ngoro. Those in the van were awarded the Iron Ring of Valour. The Castellan himself arrived, and turned out to be named Huggaru - none other than the mighty Hrugga himself! He closed off the Portal, which seemed to be a dangerous Nexus with the Sky of Lights, and there was a rushing and we appeared alone in the middle of a flat plain with a device of the Ancients, with which Targdaz conversed in Llyani. We must have been transported somehow to the Time of Heroes. We must check the legends thoroughly when we return, as I made sure the Demons and Mighty Hrugga knew the name of the Company of the Crystal Sword. End of Part II -- Viscount Veshtaru hiChaishyani (Jack Bramah) Legion of the Mighty Heroes of Avanthar Molmitlan Otulengba! veshtaru@catland.demon.co.uk Annals of the Company of the Crystal Sword Part III In Livyanu. We were quartered in sumptuous apartments in Tsamra, while we organised the transfer of cargo from Bey Su. Utmost secrecy was being held as usual over the specialist devices we own, particularly so in Livyanu, given the all-pervading presence of the Vru'uneb. On boarding the ship to inspect progress we discovered that the captain had uncovered a stowaway with a strange story: He claimed to be a Tsolyani merchant who, with other merchants of various nations had been invited to visit the Forbidden City of Dlash with a view to opening trade links. On arriving there he claims that the Priests of the One of Fears drove them out of the city and hunted them for sport. This man claimed to be the last survivor, and he begged us to take him back home. Danuo and I had a discussion about whether to use the gong to transfer him straight back to Bey Su. During this discussion I overheard the man questioning the others closely about the fact that we appeared to be unladen. This convinced me that the man was probably an agent of the Vru'uneb. I warned Danuo to be extremely careful about mentioning any of our "devices". He went back to talk to the man and immediately started talking about the Gong. This induced Ghost Dancer to kill the man immediately. [I forget exactly what the Gong did, but I vaguely remember that we had a pair, or even three of them, and you could transport between the locations of each other; in this way our esteemed leader got to spend most of the time we spent hacking our way across the continent at home, and just stepping through the gong when we arrived somewhere interesting] We decided then that we must dispose of the body as soon as possible. We had two options: i) Gong the body back to Bey Su ii) Transfer it to a ditch in the Foreigner's Quarter The disadvantage of option i) was that if he were an agent of the Vru'uneb his disappearance would be likely to bring more unwanted and direct attention. Option ii) had the disadvantage of either requiring the taking of the gong off the ship (something we would wish to avoid) or the use of both our Claustration scrolls. At this point Danuo panicked and gonged himself back to Bey Su to consult Hetepek. Conscious that this would do no good, Uchang and I gonged through to get him back - we did, but when Hetepek came back to the clanhouse he followed us through. End of Part III Annals of the Company of the Crystal Sword Part IV Marine Action Danuo now seems reluctant to give the order to charge. He has the squad cowering behind their shields, rather than charging our attackers. WHAT is he doing??????? He charges like an enraged chlen when it's not required, and stands about in the face of a hail of crossbow bolts. Finally he attacks whilst I, virtually alone, assault the enemy ship. The action was intended to rescue part of our fleet's magic contingent. The whole business was a trap. We escaped with very light casualties, and managed to capture an enemy warship, which we are now sailing as part of the Loyalist Fleet. We have put ourselves in the Loyalist Army, along with our troops - both the Company of the Crystal Sword, and the two cohorts of the Legion of Mighty Jakalla. These troops are now spread out between the ships of the fleet. Each cohort has been placed under the command of one of the Crystal Sword Officers. As a unit we are independent of (?Satri?) command. Black Ssu Marines Whilst our vessel was on scouting duty we were attacked by an Akho, which attempted to sink us. Whilst we were engaged in defeating the monster a shipload of Black Ssu snuck up on us and attempted to destroy the ship. They attacked us from both ends of the ship, with one party being defended against by the Ship's crew, and the other by ourselves. Danuo was in command, but it seems he took several bad decisions, resulting in the deaths of several of the squad. As a result Danuo has resigned his command of any troops other than the Steel Arrow Squad. End of Part IV -- Viscount Veshtaru hiChaishyani (Jack Bramah) Legion of the Mighty Heroes of Avanthar Molmitlan Otulengba! veshtaru@catland.demon.co.uk Crystal Sword Archives Part V Commando Raid During Hetepek's absence we found ourselves "volunteering" for a raid on a small coastal village which was supposedly a store depot for the Black Ssu. We attacked using 36 men, including the officers and three squads (1st, 3rd , and 5th ). We landed some tsn from the village on the other side of a large hill. We sent (?Karm Kavr?), a local freedom fighter, into the village to scout out the opposition. Just after midnight he reappeared, confirming that there were, as reported by our intelligence, only 15 guards. However there was a slight problem which we had not foreseen. A very fast, small warship had recently arrived in the harbour, meaning that we had to make changes to our carefully laid plans. We decided to split into two uneven groups. the smaller one would attack and burn the warehouse shortly after the larger group attempted to take the ship in order to draw the guards away from the warehouse. The attack on the warehouse seemed to go as planned, except for the fact that the warehouse did not contain any Food of the Ssu. There were several vile undead labourers re-digging a tunnel towards the hill behind the village. Meanwhile, back at the ship:- We managed to get close to the ship and dealt with the few guards. Unfortunately this awoke the rest of the ship. Fortunately we were able to seize the forecastle, and with that the entire crew, without incident. We were unable to get to the cabins before the occupants were able to prepare themselves. These were three - a sorcerer and two bodyguards. They attacked us whilst under the influence of the effects of several Eyes, using more against our men. At this point Uchang was placed under the Eye of Command and he attacked us. Epengar now decided that it was safe to see what was happening at the warehouse. Immediately our forces were attacked by the sorcerer and the surviving bodyguard. Several of our men fell under the influence of the Eye of Command, and unfortunately Uchang was released from the Excellent Ruby Eye and started to attack us again. We were lucky that Epengar's squad were all equipped with bags of fine dust, with which we were able to get a vague idea of the location of our invisible assailants. Using the Terrible Eye of Raging Power I succeeded in killing the bodyguard as they were floating down to the deck. This was a stroke of luck, as it was the bodyguard who was operating the Eye of Aerial Excellence, leaving the sorcerer floating helpless in the air. He had exhausted his eye of Command and was killed by Epengar against my orders. We took the (lightly) damaged, and very a-fast ship for our navy and sailed out to join the fleet, having suffered four dead and several wounded. We lost two of the haunted suits of armour, corroded by the Creeping Fog of Doom. In addition to the ship we captured several magical weapons - a sword, a crossbow, a shield, two suits of enchanted steel armour, five Eyes and a ring of some sort. End of Part V The Final Battle at (?jong Kum?) We gonged up Mount Chung An, where it was decided that the Tsolyani contingent would march down in full regalia, with Lord Hetepek assuming the mantle of the Chosen of Chung An. This ploy was very effective, as it sowed dissent among the forces of the Usurper Kuliang, and gathered a large crowd of enthusiastic, if untrained volunteers to swell our ranks. Supply also became easy. The plan for the battle was to expend our militia in an assault which we knew would fail, in order to throw the enemy into disorder before a proper attack by our regular troops. It was decided that we should place the First Cohort of the Legion of Mighty Jakalla opposite our foe's Black Ssu cohorts. They were to advance and lightly engage the vile creatures, and then withdraw, attempting to lure the Hated Ones into an outnumbering trap. While this took place, the Company of the Crystal Sword would enter the city and kill Kuliang if possible, and seize the Chamber of Deputies. Should the battle fail we would be in a position to retreat. Captain (?Chshtal?) was placed in command of the First Cohort, and they were armoured in the haunted armour. This had a detrimental effect on the execution of the Plan, since the cohort charged madly straight at the Black Ssu. They were affected and even possessed by the spirits inhabiting the armour. They fought like no one has ever fought against the Black Ones. The reputation of the legion has been restored by that. How fitting that Lord (?Chirngga?) was there to witness the glory. They swept the Black Ssu before them, and when they broke the army's structure collapsed, and we pursued the fleeing enemy into the city itself. [There is a gap here in the records, but it is clear that the Usurper Kuliang was killed, and Hetepek was proclaimed King] All six of the Swords were recovered and distributed as follows to the Paladins of the Elements. Barakesh - (?gni?), Sword of Fire Tulumgaz - ???, Sword of Death Epengar - Bijan, Sword of Magic Uchang - ???, Sword of Weather Ssudusanu - Shrang, Sword of Shadow Danuo - Atranku, Sword of Stone The following appointments were also made, by Hetepek hiAztlan, King of Chung An Satar, & Chosen One of Chung An as advised by Chamikiang, Jewel of Heaven, and his Queen. Targdaz hiAztlan adopted as the Brother of the King Barakesh hiVu'urmal appointed Supreme General and Marshal of Chung An Satar Danuo made Chief of the Intelligence Service Uchang is created Admiral of the Fleet, and Commander of Exploration Epengar hiVu'urtesh is made Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Bodyguard Tulumgaz is created Commandant of the Military Priesthood. Wise Sayings of King Hetepek, Number 1: "There shouldn't be any problems, it's just the one demon". -- Viscount Veshtaru hiChaishyani (Jack Bramah) Legion of the Mighty Heroes of Avanthar Molmitlan Otulengba! veshtaru@catland.demon.co.uk ----- 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. //1019 [Moderator's Note: Michael Schwartz asks about the Nighted Tower Clan. ] Hey folks, The Tekumel Sourcebook tells us that Nighted Tower is a very low clan mainly of tomb guards and manufacturers of various chemicals, often accused of being tomb robbers also. The main clanhouse resides at Purdimal in the Swamps of Ksarul, but clansfolk can be found throughout northwestern Tsolyanu. Nighted Tower clansfolk are primarily devoted to the Lords of Change, save for Vimuhla and Chiteng. What else is known about Nighted Tower, and how much of a presence do they have in provinces other than those of the northwest? ==================================================================== Michael Schwartz mschwartz@mindspring.com Ann Arbor, MI USA ----- 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. //1020 [Moderator's Note: Michael Schwartz also asks about the Legion of Serqu, ] [ Sword of the Empire. ] Hey folks, The entry detailing the Legion or Serqu, Sword of the Empire (14th Imperial Heavy Infantry) from DEEDS OF THE EVER-GLORIOUS mentions the epic deeds of the seventeenth commander of the legion, called Serqu "the Swathe of Red". According to the epics, in late Bednalljan times this Serqu defeated the assembled Salarvyani forces at Tsatsayagga and later went on to wed one Alitle Nradesu, a princess of Pechano whom he loved. DEEDS additionally states that the wedding was attended by Chnur, King of the Ssu, (as a guest no less) and that the epic poem recounting the events of the wedding feast could be found in the libraries of the temple of Karakan. I'd love to know more about the deeds of this particular Serqu, especially details concerning the events of his wedding. Has anyone has come across any of the temple, legion or Golden Sunburst epics regarding this man? ==================================================================== Michael Schwartz mschwartz@mindspring.com Ann Arbor, MI USA ----- 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.