Thread: Questioning chirine ba kal - part II

Originally Posted by bconsidine

We can compare notes someday...

Blaise

Sure, but since I'm mostly playing now, I plan to use it in Exalted. My Exalted campaign is the only one I occasionally keep running, the rest of them are on hiatus at least until the fall.
That said, a lot of elements are easy to transfer between the Tekumel and Creation, to the point that I wonder how much of it is by design!

Originally Posted by Neshm hiKumala

"Three glass plaques are set in the floor before it, though they are likely buried under rubbish and baskets of offerings. Step upon the red one if no car is present; the yellow plaque lights when a vehicle is on its way; and the blue glows when a car is at hand and ready to depart".
- Barker, M.A.R.. Flamesong. DAW, 1985. Page 72.

That's it. Thank you very much.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

It's amazing how being stranded in the middle of the desert surrounded by hostile tribesmen unifies a legion.

Indeed; it did wonders for morale, too.

Originally Posted by Neshm hiKumala

I like that.

Here's an idea: the Tinalyas are tinkering with a machine they don't understand at all (after all, it's a human machine from Humanspace times). They finally manage to make it work, thinking it's probably an experimental teleporter of sorts. But for some reason, when they step on its giant "teleporting" platform, nothing seems to happen. A lot of energy goes through the machine, lots of lights blink, etc ... but then, nothing. Whoever is on the platform just stays there, looking a bit silly.

Turns out the machine is an experimental replicator: it replicates whatever is put on its central platform ... which doesn't feel like anything to whoever is on the platform. It's just that their perfect double appears somewhere else (in the underground base itself, or in some other far away base).

What if the player-characters stepped on that replicating platform? Either they would quickly realize they've been replicated, or they would meet their doubles after a while, out of the blue. The doubles would not know they are doubles of course: for them, the transport/travel machine worked perfectly and transported them to another area of Tekumel, or Tsolyanu, or wherever they initially appeared.

So who are the doubles then? The ones who stayed on the platform, or the ones who appeared somewhere else?

Fun times to be had.

Quite possible; Phil did have object and food replicators in his ancient bases and the little intra-system ships. They converted energy to matter, and the installation was always happy to do the reverse, when the collection robots / machines / Ru'un bought their loads into the unloading dock.

I can see the Tinaliya loving this effect, too.

Originally Posted by Shemek hiTankolel

I know. Amazing for a boring and pointless thread, as some would suggest.

The problem with this thread, as I think might be the issue, is that it's not a one-topic thread; it's a bunch of people sitting around a table asking somebody questions on anything that they happen to think about. As a result, it will be all over the map, with no clear beginning and ending, and with a lot of digressions along the way. If that's an issue for folks, then ask more directed questions and guide the conversation; I simply respond to external stimuli, like any good lab animal, and twitch when you push the button and apply the shock. Ring the bell by showing me cool miniatures, and I'll be happy to drool all over you. I probably don't help by making the occasional observation about my gaming and such, which I try to corral in my blog so I don't bore the tears out of everyone.

Originally Posted by bconsidine

Mind if I use that? I'll have to be on my spontaneous ad libbing best when the replicants and originals both show up at the clanhouse.

Blaise

I want to be the street vendor hawking refreshments outside the front gate when this happens. It'll be a license to mint kaitars, it will.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

Quite possible; Phil did have object and food replicators in his ancient bases and the little intra-system ships. They converted energy to matter, and the installation was always happy to do the reverse, when the collection robots / machines / Ru'un bought their loads into the unloading dock.

I can see the Tinaliya loving this effect, too.

I had a feeling I was sort of pushing it with that idea, as in, "Is this Tekumel or am I going too far?" So I'm glad you mention that the good Prof. had played with a similar concept himself. But it's the sort of stuff you see in classic pulp science-fiction, so no surprises there. It's fringe, but it can exist.

And yes, the Gnomes would love it once they found out about it. Not to mention the Omnipotent Azure Legion, foreign powers, other temples, etc.

Somewhat related: I put together a one-shot a little while back, strongly inspired by an on-line report I read about one of Patrick "Tekumel: Empire of the Petal Throne" Brady's "shedra one-shots". I'm gonna clean my write-up a little and upload it. I think some of you will find it fun. The two groups of players I ran it with/for sure did.