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 36 [16 August 1999 - 30 October 1999] 1051:Miscellaneous Answers 1052:More Blind Barter Responses 1053:UCon Call for Events 1054:Island of Dlante Reply 1055:Urunen, Hokun and Southern Hemisphere 1056:Fall of Ganga Response 1057:More Priests of Hru'u 1058:Administrative Note - Aug 21, 1999 1059:Chlen Hide and Other Comments 1060:More on Music 1061:Administrative Note - Sep 4, 1999 1062:Chlen Hide and Other Comments Reply 1063:More on Music 1064:Administrative Note - Sep 11, 1999 1065:Administrative Note - Sep 18, 1999 1066:Chaigari 1067:Tsolyani Citizen 1068:Stealth 1069:Administrative Note - Sep 25, 1999 1070:Tekumel at UCon 1999 1071:Administrative Note - Oct 10, 1999 1072:Chaigari Reply 1073:Stealth Reply 1074:Tsolyani Citizen Reply 1075:Missing Person 1076:Events in Livyanu 1077:Ancient Secrets in Unlikely Places 1078:Administrative Note - UCon Tekumel Track Pre-Reg Form 1079:Time Travel 1080:Missing Person Reply ******************************* //1051 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker answers Andreas' questions. ] >1) Music to accompany Tekumel games. What kind of music is used to add >atmosphere to Tekumel roleplaying ? Does anyone (including of course >professor Barker) have any ideas about this subject ? In the Gamescience >Sourcebook the professor mentions that music in the western regions >(Tsolyanu, Mu'ugalavya, Yan Kor, etc.) uses the diatonic scale, and that >the pentatonic scale is used in the eastern regions (Salarvya). >However, the pentatonic scale (I'm quoting the Encyclopedia Britannica >here) is found, in different forms, in most of the world's music. The same >goes for the diatonic scale, so that doesn't give me any idea how Tsolyani >music is supposed to sound. The illustration on page 17 of 'Coming of Age >in Tekumel' of a Tenturen player suggests that I have to look to Indian music. >Personally, I am tempted to use any music that I can't clearly identify as >'western', 'Chinese', 'Indian', or whatever. And there is a lot of that >around. For instance, I once used North Sumatran music to accompany an >1880s Chtulhu adventure set in Atjeh, in northern Sumatra. First thing my >players exclaimed was that it 'didn't sound Indonesian'. And anyone >interested in how a Nluss song might sound should try Tuvan music (it's >from Tuva in the ex-USSR, northwest of Mongolia), it MUST ruin the singer's >throat... >[Moderator's Note: Someone suggested Coil as good Tekumel music. Check ] >[ the old messages. I remember it being somewhere in the ] >[ 400s. Try 412. ] I honestly have no real idea, not being very musical. My wife (who is from India and used to play the sitar)suggested the diatonic scale sounded like my sad imitations of Tekumelani music. I think that's all I can say on the matter. Compose your own music, and I am sure we'll all enjoy singing along! >2) About the Urunen. According to the Gamescience Sourcebook and the >Bestiary, they live on a small continent near the South Pole, and until >recently they have not had any contact with Humankind since the Latter >Times. Now, I have the impression that the climate of the Urunen lands is >reasonably pleasant (cool temperate climate, like northern Europe ?). >If so, why was the Urunen continent not settled by humans ? After all, they >ran the place for tens of thousands of years, and I seem to remember having >read that the Urunen only migrated there after the cataclysm. Or did the >human population there go extinct ? (perhaps with a little help of our >Urunen friends ?) Or is the climate more like northern Siberia, and nobody >bothered to go there ? Or did humans and Urunen amicably agree to swap >places ? The Urunen region is roughly like northern Europe, with colder regions inland near the Pole. The region is remote from human settlements. The Ancients before the Time of Darkness and of the Latter Times probably felt the place was too uninviting to bother with. The Urunen thus happened to be the nearest race with boats and a will to explore. Other races were too distant or ecologically too different; e.g. the Chima are mostly marine and do not settle large bodies of land (they dwell on floating clumps of reed and raft-boasts and live on certain species of seaweed and algae). The Hokun would have been interested, but by the time they got across the seas down there, the Urunen had already occupied the place and fought bitterly to keep it. >3) The fall of Engsvan hla Ganga. According to all the sources, this >catastrophe had widespread effects - the rise and sinking of lands, >disrupted weather patterns, etc. Am I right to assume that not only the >Tsolyanu continent was affected ? That ALL of Tekumel suffered (indirectly) >from this catastrophe ". If this is the case, can one expect a 'break' in >the history of all Tekumel contemporary with the fall of Engsvan hla Ganga >? Even in the case of the Urunen lands mentioned above ? The Urunen are probably too far away, although some effects could indeed be seen by distant peoples. As with Krakatoa or the great Siberian meteor, there were undoubtedly upheavals and cataclysms. No one has ever managed to put all of these occurrences together, and most people imagine their own earthquakes, etc. to be local. >4) And now for something completely different. I am currently reading quite >a bit of cultural anthropology, and I have stumbled upon the subject of >infanticide (I hope nobody takes offense...I know our modern western >sensibilities can't abide the idea of infanticide. Sorry). At least in the >Empire of Tsolyanu women have access to lissutl root (and how effective a >contraceptive is it? How widely known among the various human societies on >Tekumel ?). Lissutl root is indeed a powerful contraceptive. It seems to have been developed deliberately from a plant that grows on one of the Pe Choi worlds. It is pleasant-tasting and without serious side effects. It is fairly well known all over Tekumel. There are various places -- remote and tribal societies -- where it is not known, of course. l.But what when a woman accidentally does get pregnant ? Are the >children cared for by the clan, sold as slaves, abandoned on the doorsteps >of a temple, or just, well, thrown in the river ? (In 17th century >Amsterdam, there was a special organisation to fish dead people - mostly >little children - out of the city's canals. And that was in one of the >richest and most sophisticated cities of 17th century Europe, with many >charitable institutions. At the other end of Eurasia, in 19th century >Peking the bodies of dead babies (some of them partly eaten by dogs and >rats) were collected from the streets, thrown in carts, and buried outside >the city. I used it once to shock my players in a Cthulhu adventure set in >1880s Peking). Sounds like fun. Most unwanted/unexpected children are raised by the father's clan (if he is known -- if not, then by the mother's clan). They are brought up in the clan schools and are trained in some craft or skill. The brighter of them go on to become clan chamberlains, servants, cooks, or one of dozens of less-prestigious skills. Remember, "player characters" and their friends are almost all from the highest strata of society -- or are from the lowest groups. Very few are tailors, seamstresses, pot-washers, butchers, etc. These people are still members of their clans, but they are clearly "lower-class" or even "peripheral." How else would the great clanhouses be stocked with servants and other personnel? Slaves often come from lower-class clansmen who have somehow offended against the social order -- or who are sold by their clans for debt, crime, etc. (There are some high-class slaves, too, mostly criminals or bad gamblers!) >Are there cases of 'indirect' infanticide ('accidentally' rolling over >babies, starving them, being very careless with them, etc. 19th and early >20th century German working-class women, for instance, sent unwanted, >'surplus' children to a wet-nurse known in the local neighbourhood as a >'Engelmacherin', or 'maker of angels'. With predictable results for little >Fritz or Gretl). I have never heard about an "Engelmacherin" on Tekumel. If someone absolutely cannot care for a child, the latter may be dropped off in front of some temple (Thumis,Avanthe, usually) or at the door of a clanhouse known to be hospitable. After all, a waif can be brought up as agricultural labourer, thus saving the price of a slave. >Not a very nice subject, but something that may illustrate something of the >life and squalor of the lower classes in Tsolyani society. >Anything known about the situation in the other Human societies of the >northern continent ? I don't have much written on the lower strata of other societies on Tekumel. I'll see what I can find out. Enjoy! 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. //1052 [Moderator's Note: More responses from the list membership at large about ] [ blind barter. Many of you confirm one another's report] [ of blind bartering (and a fictional account, too). ] Scott Maxwell writes... The Pygmy folk ( I do not recall their actual name) in Africa participate in blind barter with the tribes that surround them. It is a little more complicated than that the professor described, however. A blanket is laid out and the tribe (non pygmy) lays what they want to barter on it. The Pygmy come come out of their forest and put what they are willing to give for their stuff; they remove anything that they do not want from the blanket. The Pygmy leave and the other tribe returns. If they like the deal they take the pygmy stuff and the stuff that the pygmy rejected and leaves, otherwise they remove pygmy stuff and/or their own stuff until they find it equitable and leave. Though theoretically this "Ballancing of goods" may go on indefinitely, it rarely does. The tribes are fairly symbiotic in their trade needs and they know if they screw their trade partner that it is not likely that they'll trade again, so everyon is very honest and it rarely goes beyond the first "evening out" by the pygmy. In any case, when one side takes the trade goods, the bartering is over and the other side takes whatevr remains. See, Anthropology classes in college ARE worth something. ;) Regards, Scott -- Leonard Erickson writes... I don't have any primary sources. I've read some accounts referring to the practice (which apparently dates back to the Phoenicians trading on the coast of Africa. The *Atlantic* coast...) A good description occurs in (of all things) Heinlein's "Citzen of the Galaxy". But the essence is that you lay the goods out in seperated piles forming a long line. Then you retreat to a distance where you can keep an eye on things (and discourage the other party from simply grabbing what they want). The other party looks things over for a while and then lays out their "offers" opposite your piles and then they pull back. You consider the offers for a while. If you like an offer, you just leave things as is. But maybe you don't like the goods being offered, so you either take back that pile, or move it to another location along the line. Either gets the point across. More often, you'll want to "haggle". So you may split your pile into two piles. This basicly says "I like the goods you are offering, but you've *got* to be kidding about the price". Or you subtract a bit form the pile. This says "How about dropping the price a bit?" And you wait for their counter offer. They can do the same sort of thing with their bids. Eventually, none of the piles have changed in a while. So you gather up their offers and leave your stuff that it had been bid for. You leave, they gather the stuff they'd bid for. It's a rather leisurely method of doing business. But it has the advantage that you don't need to know the language, and neither side exposes itself to more than the absolute minimum of hazard. -- Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow) -- Andreas Baede writes... As you probably already guessed, silent trade, silent barter, or dumb trade is something known on Earth as well. The ancient Carthaginians and Vikings practised it on their trading voyages, and it is also known from other places. The Ituri pygmies (hunter-gatherers living in the Ituri rainforest in Zaire), for instance, used silent trade to exchange meat for bananas with their Bantu agricultural neighbours. On Sri Lanka, the Veddas, who were also hunter-gatherers, traded honey for iron tools with the Sinhalese farmers. I think others will be able to bring up more examples, I can remember that silent trade also occurred quite frequently in the course of the voyages of discovery. Silent trade seems to occur mostly where the two partners are not able to communicate because of language barriers. In time, one or both partners will learn the other's language, and more usual trade relations will be established. However, where the trade partners are members of radically different societies (for instance, Stone Age hunter-gatherers versus Iron Age farmers, like in the cases of the Ituri and the Veddas) silent trade will remain in use. Silent trade does not only suggest that both sides don't just understand each other, but that they mistrust each other, too. The exchange of goods between strangers is always a tricky thing; while the exchange of goods and services between relatives is usually based on trust and mutual obligation, between strangers there's always the suspicion of being cheated or robbed. Trade could easily lead to quarrels and violence, especially face to face trade. I give you this from "Yngvar's Saga": 'Next day, Svein's men went ashore yet again to trade with the natives and for a while they exchanged goods, until one of the Russians (Vikings) tried to break an agreement he had just made to buy some furs. When the heathen (this source is from the 13th century, the Viking in question was almost certainly a heathen himself) lost his temper and punched him on the nose so that the blood poured onto the ground , the Russian drew his sword and sliced the heathen in two." Well, given the risks of face to face trade, no wonder some people preferred silent trade ! -- Robert Goldman writes... I know of blind barter occurring on earth in archaic times in Greece. I remember reading about it in an Economic Anthropology course in college. If I can, I'll try to dig up a reference (if the book's still in one of my boxes at home...). R -- Jim Chapin writes... Vikings used Blind Barter in trading with Nomadic people like the Huns and others who they could not raid successfully. If memory serves me correctly, they used an example of it in the Runequest Vikings box produced by Avalon Hill a decade or more ago. Jim Chapin -- Captain Button writes... On Sat, 14 Aug 1999, The Blue Room Mailing List wrote: >[Moderator's Note: Peter Huston asks about the blind barter system in use ] >[ in a number of areas on Tekumel. ] >There are frequent or at least occasional references to "blind barter" on >Tekumel. >Is this something that has happened or happens here on Earth? Are there any >examples you could share? > (It sounds like a fascinating subject.) The mentions of "Blind Barter" on Tekumel have always reminded me of the "silent auction" described in _Citizen of the Galaxy_ by Robert A. Heinlein. It is described in Chapter 12 of that SF novel (pg. 128-130 in my 1978 Del Rey Ballantine paperback edition). "-the silent auction invented by trading Phoenicians when the shore of Africa ran beyond the known world." The description runs about 2 & 1/2 pages. On the planet Finster, the native sophonts have neither speech nor writing. The Sisu (a trading starship) puts out piles of trade goods around the ship. Unlike the description of the Tekumel practice (where no one stays to watch the goods, IIRC), the Sisu keeps a gun turret manned to keep the Finsterians honest. The Finsterians put out piles of their trade goods next to Sisu's piles. Thus offering a particular pile for another. There is a length period of maneuvering, basically haggling in slow motion, by splitting your pile, or waiting for the Finsterians to make their pile bigger, or moving your pile near something else you like better, etc. The whole process takes some weeks. The twist in CotG is that they discover almost accidentally that the Finsterians will pay well in jewels for colored pages from adventure comic books and pin-up magazines. button@io.com ] -- Roger McCarthy writes... More about blind barter Pretty sure that there are accounts of blind barter involving the following cultures Phoenicians and coastal Africans - look up the accounts of Hanno's trip down the West African coast in any decent book on Carthage - there may also be something in Herodotus. Vikings and Slavs/Finns - Am pretty sure that a 9th or 10th century Arab traveller (something like Ibn Fadhlan ? - the one who also describes the Varangian funeral with the human sacrifice)talks about blind barter between the Varangians and the Finnish and Slavic tribes who lived along the Russian river routes from the Baltic to Constantinople - any good book on Early Russia or on the Vikings should quote him. The sort of barter the professor describes between the Pechani and Ssu rather sounds to me like the sort of thing that might happen with a small out of the way village who've been leaving stuff out for the Ssu on a certain night of the year since time immemorial and thus may also have similarities to the behaviour of cargo cults - or maybe the Ssu regard it as a form of tribute and accordingly don't raid that particular village. Andrew - Red Ssu ??? ----- 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. //1053 [Moderator's Note: Joe Saul provides us with the call for events for UCon's] [ Tekumel track. I didn't want this to wait for the next ] [ administrative note. (When I wrote that it was Sunday ] [ night. Sorry Joe.) Please send Joe your responses ] [ directly ASAP! Don't use your mailer's reply feature, ] [ as it will come to me instead. Thanks, Chris ] [ Don't be worried that this is coming before 1052. I wanted to get it ] [ out right away. 1052 will follow this message shortly. ] UCon's Tekumel Track went so well last year, we're doing it again -- but we can't do it without GMs willing to run Tekumel events! This is the first call for Tekumel-related events for UCon 1999's Tekumel Track. Events can be run using any game system, offical, unofficial, home- brewed... we don't care, as long as it's Tekumel. Last year we had a number of table-top RPGs, a live-action RPG, miniatures events, a Kevuk event, and several seminars. So far this year, we only know for certain about a large live-action event (it'll be Saturday night this time, so those who need to fly out or drive long distances on Sunday won't miss out... and it may even be catered with Tsolyani dishes!), one or two tabletop RPGs, and some seminars (including a repeat of Professor Barker's open question and answer seminar "The Gods Will Tell It To You!", but two hours long this time). We need lots more... UCon is held from November 12th-14th, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA (which is 25-30 minutes from Detroit Metropolitan Airport -- DTW -- a major Northwest Airlines hub). Discounted hotel rates are available; crash space may also be available for impoverished Tekumel fans (especially if they're running events...;-) Information about UCon is available at http://www.deathstar.org/~ucon; you can also register your events there, but if you do make sure you also email me so I can coordinate the Track and make sure we have events in every single time slot again. Interested? Contact me, Joe Saul, at jmsaul@umich.edu, or by phone at (734) 429-0027 (Eastern Time Zone). Joe Saul UCon Chair Emeritus and Tekumel Track Coordinator jmsaul@umich.edu ----- 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. //1054 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker will be off line for a bit while he gets] [ his new computer set up. Here is the last question he'll] [ answer until he gets set back up. It is ok to still send] [ questions, he'll get round to them as he can. ] I'll probably be absent from this list for a while. I'll be trying to install things on a new computer, which I will no doubt foul up and have to holler for help! Your letter below looks like the last to be written on my good old Centris. >[Moderator's Note: Scott Maxwell asks for information on the Island of ] >[ Dlanta. ] >Could I have some information about the Island of Dlanta? Who has control >of it? Salarvya? Haida Pakala? Independant? Dlanta is a singularly unpleasant little place: a tumbled mass of stones and scrub jungle rising right up out of the sea. Straight, buff-coloured cliffs filled with little holes in which millions of gull-like Deshqa-birds (the name is Salarvyani) nest and drop unpleasant gifts down upon those who would want to climb. The place is more easily accessible at the lower eastern end, where the scruffy town of Be'esa lies. Be'esa exports figs and other sea creatures, some of the black whelks that provide the Salarvyani with their favoured black dye, a small number of pearls and coral, etc. The rulers of the place have a rather wretched "palace" atop the westernmost hill in Be'esa. For much of this century the Salarvyani have ruled the island, but older records also suggest some degree of independence. I don't recall that the Haida Pakalani ever controlled the island, although they do have sizeable businesses and ship-refitting yards outside Be'esa along the coast to the southwest. Most raw materials have to be imported, as there is little timber. The locals used to exist on a grey-green thorny plant called Nmidz, which they clean, boil, and turn into a sort of mush. Now, however, there are foodstuffs imported from Gunurum Isle across the straits. The majority of the population is Salarvyani. Haida Pakalani pirates/businessmen make up a good percentage, as do Ahoggya from the Sharuna Lowlands. These last have their own foods and section of the city, and their boxy, awful-smelling ships ply the seas over to Keruna. A few enterprising Ahoggya have undertaken the long journey farther east to the Isles of Ill Winds and Onmu Tle Hlektis. >Which culture has the most influence on the inhabitants? Salarvyani. These inhabitants are industrious and avaricious. They do the fishing, building, dyeing, and other crafts, and their leaders occupy most of the seats in the local governor's council. The Salarvyani are touchy and quick to impale and/or enslave offenders. Their social code is complex and almost unintelligible to outsiders. >Any preferences in God? They would prefer a God who exists and can help them in their squalid lives. They are thus happiest with Salarvya's Shiringgayi. Various other deities have small shrines in Be'esa as well: of Pavar's pantheon, Avanthe and Karakan have larger followings than the others; Hru'u, Thumis, and Sarku are not popular at all. Dlamelish is quite popular, however, since she is considered to be one "Aspect" of Shiringgayi, and her worshippers admittedly have more "fun." The Salarvyani apparently see no contradictions. One can see men and women bearing terrible scars inflicted at the orgies of Hrihayal, too. Those who bear up well under this punishment are considered heroes and are fed and well-treated by the community. >Any quirks that you could share? About the only recreation in Dlanta is drinking black Dronu and gambling, aside from the aforementioned orgies. . No one gambles with the Haida Pakalani, of course; their clever cheating is famous! Younger men and girls vie in swimming, catching dangerous shark-fish, diving for pearls (not very good near in to shore), and racing one another along the narrow, rocky beaches. The Salarvyani family system is maintained, with complex codes of behaviour and duties. Not a place I would recommend for a holiday. 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. //1055 [Moderator's Note: Some more questions from Andreas Baede. You may have to] [ wait for a bit for a reply from Professor Barker. Maybe] [ Bob or some of the other Thursday night group could give] [ you some info on these topics. They have travelled ] [ quite a bit. ] Thanks for answering my questions (anyone having tips for Tekumelani music: welcome ! I consider creating an unofficial list of 'recommended music for Tekumel', which I'll send to the Blue Room. You can contact me at croesawu@xs4all.nl). I have some additional questions regarding the Urunen, the Hokun and the southern hemisphere. 1) How large is the island continent of the Urunen ? Where does it lie exactly, in terms of degrees south latitude (if it is comparable, say, to Antarctica below 80 degrees south latitude, it would have a diameter of about 2,100 kilometres. Since Tekumel is larger than the Earth, you could pack quite a nice little continent south of the 80th parallel - and leave lots of room in the cooler regions of the southern hemisphere). What is the location of the South Pole relative to the Urunen continent, next to it, right smack in the middle of it, or what ? Does there exist a map of the Urunen home ? To what degree are the Urunen still 'isolated' ? There is now contact with the Five Empires through the tubeways, and they've been in conflict with the Hokun. Obviously, there is no maritime contact with human populations. But is there maritime contact with other races, like the Hokun ? And is it possible that there are human populations 'just' a couple of thousand kilometres away across the ocean ? Such a distance, comparable to the distance between Britain and Greenland, would make Human-Urunen contact difficult (throw in a few icebergs and things really get tricky) and unlikely provided there are no substantial intervening islands. Unless an Urunen Eric the Red comes along, of course. (Or a lost fisherman or so - I can remember reading about an Eskimo who got lost and ended up in the British isles, I believe in the 17th century). To put it bluntly, how much 'white space' is still left in real Tekumel below 50 degrees south latitude ? (my impression is almost all of it) I have plans to take my players 'down south' in the long run, and I'd like avoiding a clash with 'real Tekumel' as much as possible. 2) The Hokun were mentioned by Professor Barker as having fought with the Urunen over the Antarctic continent. I am getting somewhat paranoid about them. The original Gamescience book and the Bestiary gave me the impression that they were a dangerous species, but not particularly numerous. Certainly no threat to the Human domination of Tekumel (although they were mentioned as a 'serious' threat to it). But now I'm seeing Hokun everywehere; if I interpret Professor Barker's earlier comments correctly, they're crawling all over the other side of the northern hemisphere, and they've been (and still are ?) in the southern hemisphere as well. Are the Hokun still a threat to the Urunen and other Alien and Human societies in the southern Hemisphere ? Do they maintain a major presence there ? And do they LIKE cold climates (since the professor mentioned that they would've been interested in the Antarctic continent) 3) Concerning the great southern continent, earlier comments by Bob Alberti stated that it is shaped roughly like a long oval or rounded rectangle and covers half the southern hemisphere. Is there any more specific information, for instance, the continent's dimensions in kilometres or miles and its location in terms of degrees latitude and longitude ? I know that it's mostly 'terra incognita', but if I know what is already 'known' in real Tekumel, I can fill in some of the blanks in my own future campaign without contradicting the 'official' stuff. Sincerely, Andreas Baede (Tarash hiQoshkunal, Scarlet Sail Clan, Kusijakto of Thumis) ----- 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. //1056 [Moderator's Note: Gordon Neff comments on the aftereffects of the fall ] [ of Engsvan hla Ganga. ] >3) The fall of Engsvan hla Ganga. According to all the sources, this >catastrophe had widespread effects - the rise and sinking of lands, >disrupted weather patterns, etc. Am I right to assume that not only the >Tsolyanu continent was affected ? That ALL of Tekumel suffered (indirectly) >from this catastrophe ? It would hammer the planet flat. "The Time of No Kings" was subtitled "The Time of No Food." You're talking a level of vulcanism not seen since the stars fell from the sky -- and -that- Time of Darkness lasted, some scholars say, for fifty thousand years. Rolling up -every- river valley from -every- coastline you'd have exactly the kind of tsunami of mud that Sir Charles Wooley found in Mesopotamia in 1923, that caused him to telegraph "We have found the Flood". It might take a century for the gigatons of volcanic particulates to settle out of the upper atmosphere, for the weather to stabilize and the climate to return to normal... and in the meantime, just -forget- anything but the scrawniest of hard-scrabble subsistence agriculture. There would be vast areas where humans died out altogether. That kind of existence -requires- myth and magic, which is why all those wonderful stories and legends arose, sparkling with awe and great deeds. People need something to chew on, when sufficient food is not available; they need legends and glory to warm themselves and give hope to their children, huddling in the dark and the cold endless rain and mud. (But from an anthropological point of view, it's interesting to see what did -not- arise: A vengeful and judgmental God of blood sacrifices and fearful worship. That seems to come naturally to human psychology-- but of course, the position was already filled, by proven and puissant entities who would -not- have been amused.) ----- 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. //1057 [Moderator's Note: George Hammond asks for more details about Priests of ] [ Hru'u. ] >[Moderator's Note: Professor Barker answers George's question about Priests] >[ of Hru'u. ] >>I'm planning to play a priest of Hru'u, a sorceror of moderate power. >>Unlike some other temples (e.g. Thumis, Vimuhla), I've found particulars >>about who the important people are (and how they're spending their time) >>to be a bit sparse. Can anyone provide news of the purple-robes? >I think Chris' suggestion of a look at Mitlanyal is excellent. Thanks, I have done so. The vignette of the testing of an aspiring Hru'u priestess is genuinely chilling. Mitlanyal mentions an ancient Bednalljan deity known as Gyanu, who was identified by the great Pavar as the 5th aspect of Hru'u. Howevever, no information beyond the name and great age of this entity is given. I would be greatful if any theological or historical scholars could provide more information. The worship of Hru'u first occurs in the early centuries of the First Imperium, and I suspect he may first have been known as Gyanu, but this is pure speculation. Any further information would be welcome. >I have several priests entered in my character database, but I agree: >materials on Hru'u are rather scanty. Part of the reason is the >secrecy and deliberate mystical obscurantism of the sect. It is hard >to know what is being done, much less why. I feared as much. >A Hru'u priest to accompany Charash Tlakotani (he's not Emperor, so the hi- >prefix would be possible: hiTlakotani) is not hard to find. The temples are >full of 'em, most with no real craft or skill, often without money or >property -- after the recent takeover of the administration by Mirusiya's >boys. I'm not sure what you mean by this last point. I suspect you mean that Mirusiya's Imperial administration is squeezing the temples that supported or acquiesced to his despised predecessor's reign, depriving them of Imperial contracts, collecting taxes that had been let slide before, failing to renew leases, etc. Or did the new Emperor arrange for his own appointees within the temple hierarchy itself? >I can look in my files for a likely priest/sorcerer if you wish. You >might try: >Onorel Veschur Black Hood Human M age 44 Hru'u Paya Gupa > Priest, Ritual Spells: regular list of priestly spells up > to 9th level. >Pleasant, thoughtful, scholarly. Knows Salarvyani and some of various other >languages. Unmarried. Has a mistress, who is from Butrus. She rules him >with an iron first. He enjoys jokes, parties, and gambling. A risk-taker. >Acknowledges at least three children (2 girls & a boy) Rather handsome in >an unassuming way. No fighting skills. Many thanks. I have already located a suitable candidate myself, one Chamangesh hiTirrune of the Iron Helm clan, originally of Meku, late of Jakalla. A scholar priest, he specializes in the many influences on mind and thought, sorcerous, pharmaceutical, and acoustic. Interestingly, he has many similarities with Onorel: he speaks Salarvyani and Livyani (and reads several ancient languages); is unmarried, and though not ruled by them, has (or had) several female companions; he's an inveterate gambler (excessive losses were the lever Charash used to "induce" him onto the expedition), and is a pleasant social companion. Oh, and he also is no fighter. He was (having now left aboard the Mokaltokoi Tsomun), a relatively recent arrival to Jakalla, and found the city very much to his liking. If anyone can give me more information about the temples of Hru'u and/or Wuru there, I would be especially grateful. regards, 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. //1058 [Moderator's Note: This week's administrative message is a notification of] [ some changes at the Tekumel web site. Thanks for the ] [ terrific art Peter. I have it on my computers already!] Peter Gifford writes... Greetings Tekumel fans! The Eye of Retaining All Things has had a much-needed revamp, and is now divided into three sections - Downloads, Tekumel Links and Related Links. In the Downloads section you'll find three new images for use as computer wallpaper (in three resolutions) - now you can proudly display your love of Tekumel to the world ... hopefully they'll be more coming when I have the time. Go to or just check the update listing in the Chronology section. Remember I'm also still canvassing support for the creation of a new full colour printed map of Tekumel. You can get an idea of what this would look like by downloading the colour wallpaper map in the new Downloads section. Please email me if you think you would be a buyer of such a product. As ever, comments, suggestions and contributions are very welcome. Any feedback from the Tekumel 'community' is encouraged - www.tekumel.com needs your support to get through the 'small fansite' stage into a large 'official site' - and I have every intention of seeing the site continue to grow in beauty and functionality. So, have a look through the site and think about what you could contribute! Best regards, Peter Gifford ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ peter gifford ceo | designer universal head graphics pty ltd 36 carlow street, north sydney nsw 2060 australia call (+612) 9964 0228 fax (+612) 9964 0227 email website ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ----- 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. //1059 [ I am resending this. A system problem prevented delivery to about 2/3rds ] [ of the list. If you have Message 1059 already, you can trash this one. ] [Moderator's Note: While Professor Barker still struggles a bit with his ] [ new computer and I am extremely busy with school start-] [ ing, Ian's question and comments have sat around for a ] [ week or so. Sorry Ian. Ian comments on Tekumelani ] [ music, Lisutl root, and asks some questions about Chlen] [ hide. ] Concerning Andreas Baede's question about Tsolyani music, I recall reading (or did I just think it?) that to some extent Tsolyani music resembles Indonesian gamelan music. I can't remember much about gamelan music now. It is played on large metallic drums. Don't know what tonal or harmonic system they use. I also recall reading somewhere (sourcebook?) that lisutl root is a contraceptive and a larger dose causes abortion/miscarriage. If this is right then Andreas' question concerning unwanted pregnancies disappears, except in very odd circumstances. And now for some miscellaneous questions of my own concerning the physical properties of chlen hide... Will a chlen hide object float on water, like wood? Does it have any discernable "grain" or organic texture, or is it a thoroughly homogenous substance, like plastic? Are there different quality grades of chlen hide? Does it burn like wood? Does it rot? How do the Tsolyani dispose of broken old chlen hide objects - does the stuff sit around in landfill like Terran plastic? Can it be recycled by resoftening it (via the chemicals used by the tanner's guild) or is the tanning process a once-only thing? Have I just asked a bunch of FAQ's? Ian Atkinson ----- 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. //1060 [Moderator's Note: Malcolm Heath discusses gamelan music. ] Regarding gamelan music, for what it's worth: Having studied gamelan for some time, mostly Javanese, some Balinese, and no Sundanese (they are each very very different), it never struck me as being particularly Tekumeliyani. That's just my opinion, however, and the descriptions in the source book are evocative of gamelan, to be sure. If anyone is interested, though, a point of clarification. Gamelan is played in large ensembles of from between 3 and 30 musicians and singers, and most of the instruments are what we might call xylophones in the west. There are drums and flutes and some bowed instruments as well. Most of the instruments would be classified as metallophones, and are made of bronze, or iron. Numerous gongs are played, and the gong ageng (great gong, in the sense of large/important) reminds me of the tunkel gongs of the temples, although these are probably much larger. The tuning systems are (at least in Javanese and Balinese varieties) either an equally spaced pentatonic scale, or a heptatonic (seven note) scale. There are some interesting points of connection though. In Bali and Java, a very old form of the language called Kawi is used in music and theater, as well as in ceremony; this strikes me similar to the use of Engsvanyali for singing epics, for example. The famous Javanese shadow-puppet plays (called wayang) are originally from India, and there are mentions in the source book to something very very similar. On the general subject of Earthly musical amalgams of Tekumeliyani music, I have always thought that the Sra'ur could be thought of as the Indian sarod; the Tenturen reminds me of the Japanese koto, perhaps, and the "delicate syncopation of the Pei Choi log-xylophones" as either the amadinda music from Uganda, or perhaps something like the mbira and later mariba music from Zimbabwe. In general, when I need to describe music on Tekumel, I'll fall back to Indian sources, and maybe put on some G.S. Sachdev, or some Shankar in the background...it seems to fit better, and while it's still somewhat alien to Western ears, it's easier for most to grip than gamelan. Malcolm Heath ----- 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. //1061 [Moderator's Note: This week's admin not contains one message from Peter ] [ Gifford. If you guys haven't downloaded the beautiful ] [ maps from the web site, you should. Lots of folks at ] [ work and home ask me about them. Great work Peter! ] [ One other note. Thanks to the folks from the UK who ] [ wrote to me. My upcoming trip was cancelled for ] [ personal reasons. I am sorry I won't be able to meet up] [ with you. Since my brother does live in Scotland now, I] [ do hope to make the trip one day. ] ----------------------------------------------------- Greetings Tekumel fans! Just to inform you of a small update to www.tekumel.com ... a couple of changes have been made to make the site easier to view and read. I have changed the font from a serif to a sans serif typeface for increased readability, and set font sizes to give PC users a more attractive experience. In addition the Lands section has had its navigation system fixed - I did away with the popup window approach, so things are simpler and easier to use now. I'd be interested in what people would like to see next on the site - should I continue with the maps, or start a new section (languages/scripts? ... social structures?). Opinions welcomed! Best regards, Peter Gifford Tekumel: The World of the Petal Throne Complex Cultures on an Imaginary World http://www.tekumel.com Universal Head Graphics Pty Ltd Email: Website: ----- 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. //1062 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker replies to Ian's comments on music, ] [ Lisutl root, and answers his questions about Chlen hide.] [ He also makes light of his computer abilities, but at ] [ least he's doing email again! ] I still provide my computer mavens with many causes for gales of laughter. If I start listing all the glitches, I'd have little room for anything else. >[Moderator's Note: While Professor Barker still struggles a bit with his ] >[ new computer and I am extremely busy with school start-] >[ ing, Ian's question and comments have sat around for a ] >[ week or so. Sorry Ian. Ian comments on Tekumelani ] >[ music, Lisutl root, and asks some questions about Chlen] >[ hide. ] > >Concerning Andreas Baede's question about Tsolyani music, I recall reading >(or did I just think it?) that to some extent Tsolyani music resembles >Indonesian gamelan music. I can't remember much about gamelan music now. >It is played on large metallic drums. Don't know what tonal or harmonic >system they use. The Gamelan music I have heard uses variously tuned cylinders, rather like a xylophone. This, plus drums and other instruments, makes for very pretty music. In ancient India there was an instrument called a "Jaltarang": a set of delicate pottery bowls, into which different amounts of water were poured. When struck by the player with a little stick, elegant bell-like tones were produced. Various of these methods are used by the Tsolyani, as well as horns, drums, flutes, and others. >I also recall reading somewhere (sourcebook?) that lisutl root is a >contraceptive and a larger dose causes abortion/miscarriage. If this is >right then Andreas' question concerning unwanted pregnancies disappears, >except in very odd circumstances. You are right. There is a drawback, however: a large dose of Lisutl root is not very pleasant, however: it creates nausea and stomach cramping before it succeeds in aborting the fetus. Tekumelani women prefer to use Lisutl to *prevent* conception, not terminate it! >And now for some miscellaneous questions of my own concerning the physical >properties of chlen hide... > >Will a chlen hide object float on water, like wood? Does it have any >discernable "grain" or organic texture, or is it a thoroughly homogenous >substance, like plastic? Are there different quality grades of chlen >hide? Chlen-hide is rather like some plastics: it does sink, but slowly. It is rather like elephant/rhinoceros hide: it is thinner under the animal's arms and at its stomach, and thicker on the shoulders and back. It doesn't really have a "grain," although the tanners know how to peel it off in large flat sheets. There are indeed various "grades" of the stuff: a large, powerful Chlen-beast produces sheets an inch or two thick and 3-4 feet in diametre. A smaller, sickly, ill-fed beast produces rather soft and raggedy sheets about 2 x 2. These can be used for daggers but not for good quality swords. Smaller scraps are used for arrow and spear points, smaller parts of armour, and some tools and knives. >Does it burn like wood? Does it rot? How do the Tsolyani dispose of >broken old chlen hide objects - does the stuff sit around in landfill like >Terran plastic? Can it be recycled by resoftening it (via the chemicals >used by the tanner's guild) or is the tanning process a once-only thing? Chlen-hide does not burn. It smoulders. It slowly dries up, becoming fragile and easily broken with age. It is then discarded since it is apparently not possible to rejuvenate it. If buried under earth, or sunk into water, it eventually dissolves and becomes soft and limp. >Have I just asked a bunch of FAQ's? We might eventually like to set up a set of fAQ's. 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. //1063 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker comments on Malcolm's message about ] [ Gamelan music. ] Good. Now we have an expert's description! >Regarding gamelan music, for what it's worth: >Having studied gamelan for some time, mostly Javanese, some Balinese, and >no Sundanese (they are each very very different), it never struck me as >being particularly Tekumeliyani. That's just my opinion, however, and the >descriptions in the source book are evocative of gamelan, to be sure. >If anyone is interested, though, a point of clarification. Gamelan is >played in large ensembles of from between 3 and 30 musicians and singers, >and most of the instruments are what we might call xylophones in the west. >There are drums and flutes and some bowed instruments as well. Most of >the instruments would be classified as metallophones, and are made of >bronze, or iron. Numerous gongs are played, and the gong ageng (great >gong, in the sense of large/important) reminds me of the tunkel gongs of >the temples, although these are probably much larger. The tuning systems >are (at least in Javanese and Balinese varieties) either an equally spaced >pentatonic scale, or a heptatonic (seven note) scale. Excellent information. >There are some interesting points of connection though. In Bali and Java, >a very old form of the language called Kawi is used in music and theater, >as well as in ceremony; this strikes me similar to the use of Engsvanyali >for singing epics, for example. Or not-quite-similar to singing in Latin in the Middle Ages? >The famous Javanese shadow-puppet plays (called wayang) are originally >from India, and there are mentions in the source book to something very >very similar. Yes, indeed. The Battle of Dormoron Plain is dramatised, both with puppets and with "still" tableaux. In the latter, the actors dress in elaborate costumes and makeup and pose in traditional positions while the singers recite stanzas relating to this plot element. A few others of the Great Epics are dramatised in the same way. >On the general subject of Earthly musical amalgams of Tekumeliyani music, >I have always thought that the Sra'ur could be thought of as the Indian >sarod; the Tenturen reminds me of the Japanese koto, perhaps, and the >"delicate syncopation of the Pei Choi log-xylophones" as either the >amadinda music from Uganda, or perhaps something like the mbira and later >mariba music from Zimbabwe. Hmm. Nice ideas. >In general, when I need to describe music on Tekumel, I'll fall back to >Indian sources, and maybe put on some G.S. Sachdev, or some Shankar in the >background...it seems to fit better, and while it's still somewhat alien >to Western ears, it's easier for most to grip than gamelan. I have never used music at our games. I don't know why. I can hear music, but as a producer of it, I am clueless. Usually our players are too busy exchanging jokes and badinage to even hear what *I* am saying. I sometimes have to bellow -- or bring in new waves of gigantic monsters and foemen to get attention. (Joke!) [No it's not!!! ;) Chris] Nuff sed. 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. //1064 [Moderator's Note: Admin Note. 3 Messages this week. Peter Huston has ] [ found 2 copies of Man of Gold. Email him at the ] [ address below. Professor Barker comments on Peter's ] [ work on the Tekumel.com website. And Shawn Bond is ] [ going to put a Tekumel item up on Ebay. ] Peter writes... I noticed 2 copies of Man of God at the local SF book store in the used section. I've already got two for myself. I'd be more than willing to pick them up for resale at a slight mark up. (I don't know a buck or two above cost.) I didn't check the costs but assumed that they were reasonable, but not dirt-cheap. I find the owners prices fair on other materials. None of the second book right now. -are these things in demand? E-mail me at phuston@capital.net and we can discuss it if people are interested. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Peter Huston ----- Professor Barker writes... What*EVER* you do will be splendid, Peter, I am sure. You are welcome to whatever I have produced. I really do urge everyone to look in at Peter's website. Regards, Phil ----- Shawn writes... Sorry for this posting, but I would like list members to know that I am going to putting a mint (yes, mint) copy of "The Tsolyani Language" (parts 1 & 2) on ebay. What I would like to do is register it on ebay two days after you send this message out on the list (if that is acceptable). Thank you, Shawn Bond ----- 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. //1065 [Moderator's Note: Admin Note. Two messages this week. John Bailey has ] [ copies of Tekumel novels. Email him directly. Shawn ] [ provides the URL of his ebay auction (I hope it is ] [ still going on - this came in on Wednesday). I ] [ checked and it is open for 5 more days. ] John Bailey writes... I have 7 or eight copies of Man of Gold (most really good shape, one with a faded front cover) I was going to use for my players after they got interested in the game but a divorce and etc. took the game away so if anyone wants them, I'll let them go for $4.00 each plus postage... I have a copy of Flamesong but it's harder to find... Email John at jtbyobo@aol.com -- Shawn Bond writes... Thanks for the posting! As a benefit for those who wish to bid for the item, the URL is: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=164049470 If you could pass that along (the sooner the better). Thanks again! Shawn Bond ----- 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. //1066 [Moderator's Note: Michael Schwartz asks about Chaigari and a certain Legion.] Hey folks, I am working up an event for U-CON this November which follows the exploits of the Legion of the Many-Legged Serpent (20th Imperial Medium Infantry) on campaign in Chaigari Protectorate during its 2041 conquest by Emperor Gyesmu "the Iron Fist". Is there any information fellow list-members can impart about this ill-starred Legion, its officers at the time, local clans hostile toward Tsolyanu, and the terrain of the Kanayugara River Pass? The major river which runs east from the plains north of Ferinara to Hekellu is labeled the He'eka River on the TOME map. Hekellu sits on the shores of a small lake, however, and the river which runs east from Hekellu to Sirsum and then southeast along the border of Chaigari (along the old Sakbe Road) into Ssuyal and Pechano is unlabelled. Contrary to the piece on Chaigari I transcribed way back in Message 823, I don't believe this is the Kanayugara River and Pass. I surmise that the Pass itself, and the river after which it is named, is represented by the row of rough terrain running between Tlani Hidallu and Kakri Midallu Peaks (Gamescience Map 2, hexes 3527, 3427, 3328) which denote the border between Chaigari and Kerunan. Also, the Professor mentions in Message 979 that a secondary road runs along that border from Fenul to Hekellu... a reasonably direct route from Hekellu to Fenul, and thus an appropriate choice. Thoughts? Opinions? 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. //1067 [Moderator's Note: Heather Moore asks about a Tsolyani native and is looking] [ for more information on her. ] When I contemplate running anything involving Tekumel, I persistently dance about involving a particular young lady; the germ of almost any character I begin developing somehow diverts itself into relating to her in some obscure way. The strange thing is that when I try to force her development, I keep getting hung up on the specifics, so I shall send them here and inquire whether this is possibly a lady with whom the Professor or any other Tekumel "visitors" have had any acquaintance or knowledge, to help me fill in the details. The lady in question is a fairly young adult, in her mid to late twenties. She was born into a rather high clan, a family of Dlamelish devotees, and exasperated her relatives to no end when she declared herself Aridani and scooted off to marry a much older priest of Ketengku, 'defecting' to that faith. Her husband was of lower clan than she was -- not considerably so, but enough to irritate her very appearance-conscious mothers. She was her husband's disciple and aide for several years before she became pregnant, and during this time she was recognized by the Temple of Ketengku as fairly gifted in some of the traditional functions of that priesthood. Now she is a widow, her husband having died in service during the Civil War in some capacity which caused him to be posthumously recognized by the Seal. She has one very young daughter. I don't know just what her name is; it seems like 'Uma,' but that may not be it precisely. I'm not sure what her clan or lineage are, or to what clan or lineage she married. My understanding is that while she doesn't have anything like a close family connection with her mothers and fathers and siblings, since the death of her husband she was reclaimed her former clan identification. They are still annoyed with her religious and life choices, but the cachet she has gained through her temple's recognition of her and the Throne's recognition of her late husband has put her in a good odor with them lately. I do not know any details of the raising of her daughter, whether she arranges for the matter herself or whether her own family or her husband's family has taken over the responsibility. The lady is attractive and has several suitors, and while she doesn't live like a chaste maiden of Dilinala, she makes it very clear that her largest love in life is her work. Apparently she is rather well-liked, somewhat witty but serious in demeanor. She might be a physician; I cannot tell for certain whether she has magical ability or not. She either has already begun or has a strong desire to travel. Thank you! Heather Moore ----- 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. //1068 [Moderator's Note: D.M. Zwerg asks the following about stealth skills. ] [ While this is a purely rules quiestion, I will spin ] [ it into a Tekumel question for the Professor. Any ] [ of you guys want to answer his question from a rules ] [ basis, email D.M. directly. ] We have just recently started playing on Tekumel and some of my players have wondered why no stealth type skills appear in the lists. They believe such skills would be of great importance in a setting of intrigue as well as in hunting, etc. Please advise. [Professor. What about Tekumel? Is there a group of individuals reknowned ] [ for their ability to go unseen or for their great stealth, such] [ as the ninja here on earth have been attributed? Are the ] [ assassin organizations of Tekumel reknowned for such skills? ] D. M. Zwerg zwerg@acronet.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. //1069 [Moderator's Note: Admin Note: Only one message this week. Wes ] [ Postlethwaite (I hope I spelled that right) has a copy] [ of Flamesong for sale. Contact him directly. ] Wes writes... Hey I have a copy of Flamesong I will do the same with Wes WPost65@aol.com ----- 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. //1070 [ I know you haven't seen 1069 yet. It will come after this. ] [Moderator's Note: Joe Saul writes to say that if you want to run an event ] [ at UCon, you need to let him know ASAP... Please read ] [ below for details. ] In order to get UCon events into the UCon pre-reg book, I need to know about them as soon as possible -- preferably by this coming Wednesday, 29 September 1999. You don't have to have a complete description; even a brief one will do to hold the place at this point. But please DO let me know if you're planning on running a UCon Tekumel Track event, because I need to handle Tekumel Track scheduling carefully. You can reach the UCon website (and register games online) at http://www.deathstar.org/~ucon ...and please also email me that you've done so at jmsaul@umich.edu so I know how many events we have and can start playing with the schedule. **** This looks to be even better than last year's Tekumel Track -- we'll have Bob Alberti and Joe Zottola, from Prof. Barker's home campaign, as special guests (they've volunteered to run an event and do seminars), as well as a seminar with the Professor himself via speakerphone, a big Saturday-night live game, the military-oriented free-form that didn't run last year, plenty of table-top Tekumel RPGing, miniatures... and (hopefully) the release of Seal of the Imperium Issue 1... and some other things, at least one of which has to remain a surprise for now. If you're planning on attending the Tekumel Track and *not* running anything, this is probably a good time for you to contact me so I can get a better idea of head count (and therefore know how many spaces should be in the LARP, how many events we need in each slot, etc.). People who have attended last year's should feel free to post reviews, Chris willing -- it was a blast, and you don't want to miss it this year! [I am willing. I even plan to be there, really... (sorry about last year.) ] UCon's Tekumel Track -- 12-14 November, 1999, Ann Arbor, MI. Joe Saul jmsaul@umich.edu ----- 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. //1071 [This weeks admin note (sorry I skipped a week) has 4 submissions, and a word] [from me. I'll be in training in Chicago this week. I will try to process ] [messages daily, since I should have plenty of evening time. Some of you may] [have noticed that the ftp/web site was down this week. I got a new PC at ] [work and was moving it. Things should be fine now. Using a different web ] [server, but it shouldn't really be noticable. 6 messages follow this. ] Joe Saul writes. The UCon 1999 Gaming Convention will be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan (USA) from November 12-14 of this year. It's a high-quality regional convention with low rates, cheap hotels available, and great facilities. Last year, we started holding a "Tekumel Track" -- effectively a Tekumel mini-con piggy-backed onto UCon. It was a great success, with Tekumel games running in every time slot (often multiple ones), Tekumel seminars (including one where Professor Barker answered questions over a speakerphone for almost two hours), both Carl Brodt and Andy Lorince selling Tekumel material in the dealers' room, and attendees not only from the local area, but from both coasts and far Northern Canada. We even managed to get a "buzz" going in the general UCon population that led a number of gamers who previously hadn't experienced Tekumel to join in the fun. This year's promises to be even better. Five members of Professor Barker's campaign are planning to attend and run events: Bob Alberti, Joe Zottola, Giovanna Fregni, Keith Dalluhn, and Victor Raymond. In addition to that seasoned crew, the same skilled GMs who ran events last year are planning to come back and do it again -- so there will be even more choices, and we can accomodate even more people! I can't give a list of specific events yet (the pre-reg book will become available in mid-October), but there will be tons of RPG events (including a large live game developed by Bob Alberti, David Aitken, and myself at which -- logistics permitting -- Tsolyani refreshments will be served), more seminars (including the return of Professor Barker's disembodied voice and one where you can ask Bob about religious matters), and possibly readings from as-yet-unpublished works about Tekumel. (Oh yeah... and maybe a surprise announcement. ;-) As always, help is potentially available on crash space (especially for GMs and those traveling a long way), GMs get in free, and I'll buy all the beer anyone flying across from the other side of the Atlantic can drink (as well as doing anything else I can to help within my capabilities). Weekend admission to the con is $15 pre-reg ($20 at the door); hotels range from $45-$150 depending on proximity and whether you're from Wicker Image or Sea Blue. Meals can be had quite cheaply; this is a college town. General information about UCon can be found at www.deathstar.org/~ucon Ann Arbor is located in Southeast Michigan, about 45 minutes West of Detroit and 20 minutes West of Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) along I-94. Shuttle service is available from the airport, and pickups can be arranged if needed. DTW is a major hub for Northwest Airlines. Not sure whether you should go? Ask someone who went last year! Joe Saul UCon Chair Emeritus and Tekumel Track Coordinator jmsaul@umich.edu +1 734 429 8427 -- Wes Postlethwaite writes. Bob and Blue room subscribers, PHD Games, Inc. will again donate miniatures to use as prizes and door prizes for events. Wes -- Carl Brodt writes. Tita's House of Games, c/o Carl Brodt, 1608 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA, 94703-1606, ph. 510-848-3260, has recently bought a huge collection of new and used Tekumel-related figures at a large discount, and we have decided to pass the benefits of this purchase on to our customers. For those of you who have always wanted to build Tekumel armies, now is the time! The new figures were largely Bob Richardson's Salarvyani miniatures, and to pass on this discount, we have cut our price on those miniatures in half. (See our recent posting on the Tekumel newsgroup.) On the used figures, we are running a "special" on miniatures described below. Because of the large discounts and great shipping deal (see below), we require that the minimum purchase be no less than five of any figure listed below. In order words, you could order 10 Serqu Swords of the Empire and 5 Legions of Hnalla, but not 10 Serqu Swords of the Empire and 2 Legions of Hnalla because the minimum order amount of a given type of figure is 5. This sale will last until our supplies are depleted or until we are losing money on the deal, whichever is earlier. Miniatures ------------ Tsolyani by Ral Partha 75 cents - Serqu Sword of the Empire - bow 75 cents - Legion of the Mighty Prince 75 cents - Legion of Hnalla 75 cents - Legion of Red Devastation 50 cents - Tsolyani medium infantry / halberd broken 75 cents - Legion of Ever-Present Glory 75 cents - Legion of the Doomed Prince - halberd 75 cents - Legion of Lord Chegarra 75 cents - Legion of the Broken Bough Yan Koryani by Ral Partha 75 cents - Gurek of Hekkekka Nna 75 cents - Yan Kor infantry / older version only without the halberd 75 cents - Yan Kor infantry 75 cents - Gurek of Ngaku 75 cents - Gurek of Dharu or Vanu 75 cents - Gurek of Dharu or Vanu 75 cents - Gurek of Tleku Miriya 75 cents - Gurek of Makhis Mu'ugalavyani (5 figures/pack) by Ral Partha Mu'ugalavya command group General / unavailable right now 75 cents - Standard Bearer 75 cents - Drummer with Drum 75 cents - Legion of Victorious in Vimuhla 75 cents - Legion of Destroy in Glory 75 cents - Legion of the Exhalted Flame / spear might not be the right one 75 cents - Legion of Sanguine Victory Other States/Individuals by Ral Partha $1.00 - Nluss Non-Humans by Ral Partha 35 cents - Unarmored Shen / spears damaged or broken 95 cents - Unarmored Shen / spears undamaged 95 cents - Armored Shen 95 cents - unarmored Ahoggya 95 cents - armored Ahoggya 35 cents - black Ssu / no back legs, stand fine though 95 cents - unarmored Pe Choi 95 cents - armored Pe Choi 95 cents - Unarmored Tinaliya Other Odds and Ends by Who Knows? 75 cents - A little demon 75 cents - Gladiators 95 cents / one only, with one leg gone / exempt from the 5 figure order minimum $2.50 Giant Turtles with spikes on their shells / exempt from the 5 figure order minimum Notice These figures were largely made in the late seventies and early eighties. As such, the figures are not consistently "clean" of flash, i.e. excess lead, nor do they always have as clearly defined features as the miniatures of today. Additionally, the miniatures described above may already be primed or painted with varying degrees of skill. I have attempted to identify all uncorrectible defects above. Among the defects which I consider correctable are "flash"; and bends in the figure, particularly of a swords, spear, or some other enlongated feature. Shipping ------------- Shipping is a flat rate regardless of the size of the order: $3.20 domestically, and $5.00 internationally. All shipping will occur by the least expensive (and probably the slowest) means legally possible. Forms of Payment --------------------------- We accept cash, VISA, MasterCard, and checks drawn on a United States bank or money order (domestic or international). To prevent us from losing money on small purchases, a surcharge of up to $8.00 is necessary if payment occurs via international money order. California Sales Tax ------------------------ We must also charge 8.25% sales tax if we 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. Carl -- Ted Lyng writes. I urge all Tekumel miniatures fans to visit the site: http://members.xoom.com/minipage/ This site is a miniatures webzine. Aside from Tekumel, the site is interesting in itself and has some good sections on modeling and painting, hobby news, etc. It also keeps a directory of fantasy rules in and out of print. I have submitted as additions to the fantasy rules directory: LPT, Missum!, and Qadardalikoi, along with the six Tekumel army booklets, the Gazetteer, and the painting guide. The webmaster has done a good job arranging the material and even included cover scans of the rules. The website allows visitors to vote for what they consider the best rules set, to add reviews of rules, to give general feedback, and to post "hobby news." I suppose if someone sent some pics of some nice painted Tekumel figures, the webmaster might post them. I urge all of you to visit the site, vote for Qadardalikoi (or some other Tekumel rules set), add to my initial descriptions of the three rules sets, post general feedback about Tekumel miniatures, etc. Miniatures might be a good "Trojan horse" for getting more people interested in Tekumel. I posted something to the fantasy forum on the site and got an inquiry from someone who had never heard of Tekumel before. He's now planning to buy Gardsiyal. Anyway, I hope you'll all take a look and register, in one way or another, your interest in Tekumel miniatures. Ted Lyng ----- 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. //1072 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker and Andrew Lorince respond to Michael's ] [ message on Chaigari. ] [Moderator's Note: Michael Schwartz asks about Chaigari and a certain Legion.] >I am working up an event for U-CON this November which follows the >exploits of the Legion of the Many-Legged Serpent (20th Imperial Medium >Infantry) on campaign in Chaigari Protectorate during its 2041 conquest >by Emperor Gyesmu "the Iron Fist". Is there any information fellow >list-members can impart about this ill-starred Legion, its officers at >the time, local clans hostile toward Tsolyanu, and the terrain of the >Kanayugara River Pass? I don't have much more information than that given already elsewhere. As I recall, the river He'eka runs east-west from Hekellu to the edge of the desert, then south to Sokatis and thence to Jakalla. >The major river which runs east from the plains north of Ferinara to >Hekellu is labeled the He'eka River on the TOME map. Hekellu sits on the >shores of a small lake, however, and the river which runs east from >Hekellu to Sirsum and then southeast along the border of Chaigari (along >the old Sakbe Road) into Ssuyal and Pechano is unlabelled. Contrary to >the piece on Chaigari I transcribed way back in Message 823, I don't >believe this is the Kanayugara River and Pass. I'll have to check the piece on Chaigari again. I should have a copy of it, even though I lost most of my early mail in replacing my computer! The term "Chaigari" is now officially defunct, as the Imperium has formally annexed the region, and it no longer is a protectorate. People still call the region by this name, of course. The Kanayugara Pass lies south of the Hlaka ruins, through the precipitous pass just east of Kakri Midallu Peak. This comes out just north of Fenul. One of the Emperors (forgot who -- Gyesmu?) had plans to build a stepped Sakbe road through the pass in order to bring commerce from the northlands. It did not come off: too remote, and too many more pressing financial concerns. The lake at Sirsum is fed by several mountain streams, as well as subterranean water sources. Sirsum thus has two exits: one west, the other to the east out of its lake. >I surmise that the Pass itself, and the river after which it is named, is >represented by the row of rough terrain running between Tlani Hidallu and >Kakri Midallu Peaks (Gamescience Map 2, hexes 3527, 3427, 3328) which >denote the border between Chaigari and Kerunan. Also, the Professor >mentions in Message 979 that a secondary road runs along that border from >Fenul to Hekellu... a reasonably direct route from Hekellu to Fenul, and >thus an appropriate choice. The road from Fenul to Hekellu has always had the problem of Salarvyani interference: raiders from Khum and Koyluga mostly, plus incursions of Ssu. That is why the road from Sirsum to Fenul was built. The name "Kanayugara" is derived from a title of the Mountain Demon Qnesh (Salarvyani Qarqa), surreptitiously worshipped by the illiterate peasants in the area. He is said to delude and confuse travellers on the slopes of Kakri Midallu Peak, causing many to slip to their deaths. Enjoy! Phil -- Andrew Lorince writes. my maps show the river of many cowerdly men which runs through fenul as going as diliniating the boarder. the river ends in hex NE 3328( i think that's zocchi map) after a bend going into the cw corner of 3428. a number of smaller rivers meander through the area to the north one of them coming out of hex SE 3528 meandering generaly on a easterly course through 3427, making a u turn in 3426 an exiting in se 3327 and nw corner 3327. there is evidence that there may have been conections to a river that rises in central 3427 and moves generly south through through 3328, 3227, 3127, 3027 and 2928 river is uncharted in salarvyani. my maps also indicate the kanayugara river as runing along northern border of chaigari and ssuyal. yuninash hi'ancholbel governor of fenul andy lorince ----- 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. //1073 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker and Wes Postlethwaite respond to D.M. ] [ Zwerg's message about stealth. ] >[Moderator's Note: D.M. Zwerg asks the following about stealth skills. ] >[ While this is a purely rules quiestion, I will spin ] >[ it into a Tekumel question for the Professor. Any ] >[ of you guys want to answer his question from a rules ] >[ basis, email D.M. directly. ] > >We have just recently started playing on Tekumel and some of my players >have wondered why no stealth type skills appear in the lists. They >believe such skills would be of great importance in a setting of >intrigue as well as in hunting, etc. Please advise. > >[Professor. What about Tekumel? Is there a group of individuals reknowned ] >[ for their ability to go unseen or for their great stealth, such] >[ as the ninja here on earth have been attributed? Are the ] >[ assassin organizations of Tekumel reknowned for such skills? ] The reason for few "stealth" skills is that we have always had characters from the middle to upper levels of society. Compare an average middle-class American/British young man or woman: how often does such a person require skills like pickpocketing, thievery, assassination, etc.? (Maybe I am naive!) Another reason is the strong principle of "noble action" inculcated in every temple school. One who goes against this risks the opprobium of his/her temple, clan, friends, and nearly everybody else. There are "ignoble" people aplenty, but they live on the fringes of society and never achieve high posts, much less temple recognition (and hence sorcery skills). The punishments for even minor ignoble acts are so fierce and terrible that only really twisted individuals would dare to disovey the social strictures. This is not to say that "stealth" is totally unneeded. The Omnipotent Azure Legion, the secret societies, various temple agents, etc. all quietly train assassins and spies. I think that when I was working on the original Tekumel game, I decided not to focus on these strata of society. I had always found D-n-D's idea of a party made up of magic users, warriors -- plus assassins, thieves, foresters, dwarves, elves, etc. etc. -- to be too unrealistic. On Tekumel, such heterogeneous parties would be very rare and would attract instant attention. I thus steered the "game" toward the centre of society: parties made up of warriors and priests, who are sent out to perform some mission by the Imperium, a faction, a patron, etc. The idea of a common thief chatting amiably with a noble of high clan was just too bizarre. Exceptions exist, but they're rare. Mostly dress and demanour will identify social classes, and there is a prohibition against casual mixing. If you want to introduce "stealth" as a game characteristic, go right ahead. Your game will then focus around recogniseable organisations: the O.A.L., secret societies, and the like. Your players will have to obey and take on missions that further their organisation's goals. If, on the other hand, you do want to focus upon social outcasts (e.g. thieves in the slums of Jakalla), you will have a totally different game. Such persons can never achieve any status in society, and they may die rather quickly and bloodily. "Noble action" does not prevent ingenious methods of gaining one's ends by means that are not strictly "noble." Corruption, bribery, political finagling, etc. are prevalent everywhere. When you buy a beautiful "steel" sword in the market and later discover that it is made of base metal, remember that "buyer beware" is the rule throughout the Five Empires! Officials routinely demand bribes for things as small as preparing identification papers, opening gates, letting people in or out, and much more. Sincerely, Phil -- Wes Postlethwaite writes. The Black Lotus Clan could help your characters with stealthy skills, given the proper inducements and letters of introduction. Err, if things are not in order they may quality for the correspondence course. This is where they SEND the assassins to the characters to demostrate thier trade. The good news is there is only one final exam, which normally starts out as a "pop" quiz. Wes ----- 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. //1074 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker responds to Heather's question about the] [ Tsolyani person being looked for. ] >[Moderator's Note: Heather Moore asks about a Tsolyani native and is looking] >[ for more information on her. ] > >When I contemplate running anything involving Tekumel, I persistently dance >about involving a particular young lady; the germ of almost any character I >begin developing somehow diverts itself into relating to her in some obscure >way. The strange thing is that when I try to force her development, I keep >getting hung up on the specifics, so I shall send them here and inquire >whether this is possibly a lady with whom the Professor or any other Tekumel >"visitors" have had any acquaintance or knowledge, to help me fill in the >details. Tekumel is so large and diverse, almost anything is possible. I have met a dozen "Uma's" and related names (e.g. "Umari"). It's hard to remember them all. I do have one "Uma" in my cardfile: Uma hiChatura, of the Red Stone clan, from Paya Gupa, 29 years old, devotee (almost a fanatic) of Lord Vimuhla, knows a good number of spells and skills. Uma is pretty but not beautiful (66). She is loyal, reasonably kind, staunch in her beliefs, and very careful of "noble action." >The lady in question is a fairly young adult, in her mid to late twenties. >She was born into a rather high clan, a family of Dlamelish devotees, and >exasperated her relatives to no end when she declared herself Aridani and >scooted off to marry a much older priest of Ketengku, 'defecting' to that >faith. Her husband was of lower clan than she was -- not considerably so, >but enough to irritate her very appearance-conscious mothers. She was her >husband's disciple and aide for several years before she became pregnant, >and during this time she was recognized by the Temple of Ketengku as fairly >gifted in some of the traditional functions of that priesthood. Now she is a >widow, her husband having died in service during the Civil War in some >capacity which caused him to be posthumously recognized by the Seal. She has >one very young daughter. This sounds like a different Uma. It's a fairly common Tsolyani name. There are dozens of priestesses of Ketengku in Tsolyanu., and I suppose I could check the records and see which priest(s) of Ketengku have recently died in the civil war. >I don't know just what her name is; it seems like 'Uma,' but that may not be >it precisely. I'm not sure what her clan or lineage are, or to what clan or >lineage she married. My understanding is that while she doesn't have >anything like a close family connection with her mothers and fathers and >siblings, since the death of her husband she was reclaimed her former clan >identification. They are still annoyed with her religious and life choices, >but the cachet she has gained through her temple's recognition of her and >the Throne's recognition of her late husband has put her in a good odor with >them lately. I do not know any details of the raising of her daughter, >whether she arranges for the matter herself or whether her own family or her >husband's family has taken over the responsibility. I get a sense of loneliness and restlessness. She grieves for her husband, who was so different from her. Her clan has also not been very kind to her. She covers up by working too hard, and her desire to travel is simply a replacement for a normal social life. She feels her life is empty and barren. Her daughter has been taken by her husband's clan and close relatives, and is almost certainly being educated in a Ketengku school to become a physician or medical scholar. > >The lady is attractive and has several suitors, and while she doesn't live >like a chaste maiden of Dilinala, she makes it very clear that her largest >love in life is her work. Apparently she is rather well-liked, somewhat >witty but serious in demeanor. She might be a physician; I cannot tell for >certain whether she has magical ability or not. She either has already begun >or has a strong desire to travel. She does sound similar to Uma hiChatura (above), but she is the wrong religion, clan, etc. I shall make a few inquiries and see if I can find the Uma you want. Enjoy! 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. //1075 [Moderator's Note: Kenji Schwarz is looking for updates on a Tsolyani ] [ personality as well. ] Ngangmuru! I'm hoping that the collective omniscience of the Blue Room can help me locate some personages of note who went missing in the excitement of the last few years. I'm attempting to track down my fool of a little brother, Firu Tvosret, but he's a bit shy -- yes, I know, not like the rest of the family -- and might have gone unnoticed. Before the war with Yan Kor broke out he was some sort of strategic planner at the Palace of War, then got attached, so to speak, to the staff of General Kaikama hiMrachiyaku. (How is old "Kaika", by the way? I haven't heard from him in years, and wonder how the wars have treated him. If anyone is in touch, please let him know that I've finally got the money I owe him, and also still have Squad 4 of "F" Company of the Fifth Cohort here with me, and thanks for their loan as bodyguards -- they've come in pretty handy the last few years. Oh, and Tirrikamu Tsiyohlni and all the "girls" send their love.) Anyway, Lord Ssiyor managed to recruit Firu as an advisor (you all probably recall that bad business with the papier-mache "Ru'un" around that time), and the last I heard (this was back in '59) Firu and Lord Ssiyor were hatching up some cunning plan to fly the entire 25th Medium from Khirgar to Ke'er in baskets hanging from giant sacks filled with hot air. Or in sacks filled with baskets of hot air, or something like that; I forget the details. Can I assume that, as with all the little wimp's schemes, it didn't work out as he and his patron had expected? So, my question is, can anyone tell me what's happened to Lord Ssiyor or Firu, and where they are now? Fathers and mothers all came here to spend the civil war in Mletpauk, unfortunately, and they're concerned to know what's become of their youngest and brightest. Also, an irritating sharetl from some tedious little plane -- it can be summoned by the name "schwarz@fas.harvard.edu" -- wants me to ask the following two questions: 1) Long ago in dispatches from the Blue Room, there was mention of a huge list of personages contained in something called a "Filemaker Pro Database", which was at various times said to be coming soon to the Blueroom nexus point. I believe a small excerpt from it, listing the sorry dogs of the White Crystal Clan, did appear, but nothing further. Is this ever going to happen, my interplanar familiar wants to know? I must admit it would be useful for me, too. [Moderator's Note: I am not sure why we didn't put the whole thing out ] [ there. It was quite large. I'll check with Phil about ] [ getting a fresh copy. ] 2) Is there any news on the scribal front, to wit, a published version of _Mitlanyal_, the Jakalla city guidebook, any new grammars or fonts, or the like? Brumazik, Tlus'hach Tvosret hiDlanmjarai Chanyunirin Mraduharetorakoi Pruparjaprazhurin hiSavalninidhali hiMletpauk Shumin; Tselinalrakoi Qurnungingalun Cheshnangalun hiShartotsanhaya hiKsaruldalidalisa (hlautishelmogun), vara Harkolel Milizhaurun, Mletpauk (bruGelzhar hiSine, sanPedhen hiVra) Tlussach Tvosret of the Sea Blue Clan The One Eternal & Final Mayor of the Town of Holy Mletpauk, Most Puissant & Occult Grand Wizard of the Priesthood of Lord Ksarul (hon.), etc. The Malachite Pyramid, Mletpauk (Sine Province, Island of Vra) ----- 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. //1076 [Moderator's Note: George Hammond asks about the events in Livyanu. I ] [ would like to know how things are going there, too. ] Could anyone give a summary of what is known about the plague in Livyanu, and of the Mu'ugalavyani invasion? Is the plague one of the known types of disease (e.g. influenza, or the Mottled Plague, or (shudder) the Plague of the White Hand), or is it something new? Is its origin known? I have heard rumors that Livyani soldiers brought it back from Tsolei, but this is mere hearsay. Has the epidemic spread throughout Livyanu? What about Mu'ugalavya or the other Empires? The Red Hats are said to have reached at least as far as Tsamra, and if so, they must surely have been much exposed to contagion. What has been the result? Regarding those of the Carmine Chapeaux, when did they first cross into Livyanu, and how has their invasion proceeded since? I've seen brief mention of their deployment of a network of stones that creates areas of low/no magical power. How is the effort proceeding? Are there any regions or cities that remain independent of Mu'ugalavyani control? I would think that large-scale use of anti-magic would be cause for wariness and observation by many powers in the other Empires. I know that these events have been going on for some time, but I haven't been able to find much information in the Blue Room archive--just a few oblique references. Have I missed a source? Any help would be welcome, George Hammond p.s. Yes, I do have more than a passing interest . A good friend, one Chamangesh hiTirrune, sorceror and lay-priest of Hru'u, is currently stuck on a Qel, cruising south towards Yro with an expedition headed by the noble Kasi Charash Tlakotani, the most bloodthirsty Thumis-worshipper it has been Chamangesh's misfortune to know. Chamangesh is still in awe of the astoundingly improbable mix of savants, sorceror, and savages aboard the ship. The steersman is a Haida Pakalani pirate, armed to the teeth, Kasi Charash has a mute warrior-priest of Gruganu as a body guard, along with priests of Ketengku, Karakan, Thumis, and a pungent mix of Ahoggya and Shen (yes, together) mercenaries. Not to mention a Jakallani fop, and a mix of Livyani, Tinaliya and Shen refugees we pickedu up along the way. We lost one set of rigging taking on a Red Hat galley four times our size, and with the winds against us, Yro seems very far. It would be helpful to have any news of Livyanu. We picked up a noble Livyani refugee, one Arkuo Minaz, and Chamangesh is hoping that he can give us news. We might try to make for Foshoa, but not if it's in Red Hat hands. You can read most of the sorry ( in Chamangesh's view) story at http://www.onelist.com/archive/Mokaltokoi_Tsomun or you can jump in to the most recent action at http://www.2d10.com/games_list.html (just choose "The Voyage of the Mokaltokoi Tsomun") cheers ----- 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. //1077 [Moderator's Note: Peter Timko asks about the ancient secrets revolving ] [ around the worship of Ksarul. ] I am not an historian of Tekumel, and neither is anyone I know in Tekumel (they're a pretty pragmatic lot). But looking through what histories are available has prompted the following line of queries: The early spread of the worship of Lord Ksarul reached as far as the backwater of Haida Pakalla, but there is no particular mention of the worship of those gods that revealed themselves to Pavar. So, first, would it be the case that the Lord of the Blue Room is more prominent in Haida Pakalla than elsewhere. (See Neitzsche's "The Advantages and Disadvantages of History for Life for a Terran argument supporting this tentative thesis). Secondly, and this is a longshot, does anyone know (I know, how would anyone know such a thing as this) whether the Refulgent Blue Curtain Society has adherents there. After all, of what kind of weird "material" is the Blue Room composed? Certainly not something that even the Lord of Secrets would know how to escape. Not the typical (even for a god) stuff of the planes beyond. If you found a key, wouldn't a good place to hide it be where no sorcerer could find it? Really, this is just a way of asking about Haida Pakalla. The Tsolyani I know best (I couldn't, in good conscience say "love") is originally from that area, and a servant of Ksarul. It makes me wonder. questing in query, Peter ----- 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. //1078 Hi. A quick note. I am driving to New Orleans today for an all day meeting tomorrow. Some stuff came in the other night, but I won't get around to sending it until day after tomorrow. However, the Tekumel Track for UCon did come in, and I have placed it on the ftp site in the main directory. It is named 99TekTrack.pdf. Hope to see folks there! To guarantee pre-registration, your registration must be postmarked by 11/3/99, so if you're going, you'll have to hurry. (Don't try to send anything to me, use the reg form on the 3rd page of the pdf. Thanks, Chris ----- 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. //1079 [Moderator's Note: Michael Cule asks about time travel on Tekumel. I have] [ some other messages, but I won't be sending them until ] [ Friday. I am on vacation right now. ] My apologies if this has ever been asked before but does anyone know if 'canonical' Tekumel has time travel that can alter history or a fixed timeline. [Moderator's Note: Hmm.... None of the Thursday night group have ever ] [ traveled in time, have they? :) ] In other words can I go back in time and kill off Nayari of the Golden Thighs before she starts her rise to power? [Moderator's Note: Usually if something goes horridly wrong, the time line ] [ branches away from the main trunk and will reconverge ] [ sometime before the end of time. There are numerous ] [ previous messages covering aspects of dimensions. Scan ] [ the message digests for tree or branch. ] -- Michael Cule //1080 [Moderator's Note: Professor Barker responds to Kenji's question about ] [ his missing person. ] >I'm hoping that the collective omniscience of the Blue Room can help me >locate some personages of note who went missing in the excitement of the >last few years. I'm attempting to track down my fool of a little brother, >Firu Tvosret, but he's a bit shy -- yes, I know, not like the rest of the >family -- and might have gone unnoticed. >Before the war with Yan Kor broke out he was some sort of strategic >planner at the Palace of War, then got attached, so to speak, to the staff >of General Kaikama hiMrachiyaku. (How is old "Kaika", by the way? He is in his forties. He has now retired from the military and tends his estates in southern Tsolyanu. >I haven't heard from him in years, and wonder how the wars have treated him. >If anyone is in touch, please let him know that I've finally got the money >I owe him, and also still have Squad 4 of "F" Company of the Fifth Cohort >here with me, and thanks for their loan as bodyguards -- they've come in >pretty handy the last few years. Oh, and Tirrikamu Tsiyohlni and all the >"girls" send their love.) My message to him went unanswered. I am told that he is rather bitter about certain fellow officers who did not support his legion when it went up against the Yan Koryani. As a matter of fact, his legion was mostly destroyed, and he himself was thought to be dead for awhile. >Anyway, Lord Ssiyor managed to recruit Firu as an advisor (you all >probably recall that bad business with the papier-mache "Ru'un" around >that time), and the last I heard (this was back in '59) Firu and Lord >Ssiyor were hatching up some cunning plan to fly the entire 25th Medium >from Khirgar to Ke'er in baskets hanging from giant sacks filled with hot >air. Or in sacks filled with baskets of hot air, or something like that; >I forget the details. Can I assume that, as with all the little wimp's >schemes, it didn't work out as he and his patron had expected? Sounds like him! >So, my question is, can anyone tell me what's happened to Lord Ssiyor or >Firu, and where they are now? Fathers and mothers all came here to spend >the civil war in Mletpauk, unfortunately, and they're concerned to know >what's become of their youngest and brightest. Lord Ssiyor has joined the Palace of Everglorious War in Tumissa, where he is writing a treatise on the role of strategems and duplicities in warfare -- a topic seen as somewhat "ignoble" by his comrades. No trace of Firu, however. You may have to and inquire -- or institute a search on your own. >Also, an irritating sharetl from some tedious little plane -- it can be >summoned by the name "schwarz@fas.harvard.edu" -- wants me to ask the >following two questions: >1) Long ago in dispatches from the Blue Room, there was mention of a huge >list of personages contained in something called a "Filemaker Pro >Database", which was at various times said to be coming soon to the >Blueroom nexus point. I believe a small excerpt from it, listing the >sorry dogs of the White Crystal Clan, did appear, but nothing further. Is >this ever going to happen, my interplanar familiar wants to know? I must >admit it would be useful for me, too. I still have the character file somewhere. We tried keeping it on a computer in the game room, but in the excitement of the action, we hardly ever consulted it. It is done on Filemaker Pro 4.0 -- and cannot be opened any other way. It is also over a megabyte in size, which precludes sending it out to unsuspecting people with smaller computers! I suppose it could be put up on the Blue Room with warnings about its size and length of time needed to download. Chris? [I'll send a zip to you, and maybe Bob could bring it to me at UCon?] >[Moderator's Note: I am not sure why we didn't put the whole thing out ] >[ there. It was quite large. I'll check with Phil about ] >[ getting a fresh copy. ] >2) Is there any news on the scribal front, to wit, a published version of >_Mitlanyal_, the Jakalla city guidebook, any new grammars or fonts, or the >like? "Mitlanyal" is in spiral-bound xerox form, as you may already know. Nobody seems eager to publish a book that big for the gaming market. Bob Alberti tells me that he is still seeking a fool -- er, publisher... The Jakalla city guidebook resides with Joe Saul, who always seems to have a newer and better project to do -- not to blame him; he's just like the rest of us. Nothing else much new. >Brumazik, >Tlus'hach Tvosret hiDlanmjarai Chanyunirin >Mraduharetorakoi Pruparjaprazhurin hiSavalninidhali hiMletpauk Shumin; >Tselinalrakoi Qurnungingalun Cheshnangalun hiShartotsanhaya >hiKsaruldalidalisa (hlautishelmogun), vara >Harkolel Milizhaurun, Mletpauk (bruGelzhar hiSine, sanPedhen hiVra) > >Tlussach Tvosret of the Sea Blue Clan >The One Eternal & Final Mayor of the Town of Holy Mletpauk, Most Puissant >& Occult Grand Wizard of the Priesthood of Lord Ksarul (hon.), etc. >The Malachite Pyramid, Mletpauk (Sine Province, Island of Vra) >----- Excellent letter. Only the names are rather un-Tsolyani sounding. Probably Yan Koryani... There are a lot of furriners settled in the Empire these days after Prince Mirusiya took over as Emperor. 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.