Thread: Questioning chirine ba kal

Uncle, first, allow me to express my hope that the daughter's luggage arriving is a good thing, not a bad thing! (I'm sure you'd be glad to see her either way!)

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

a. Can you be more specific? I can think of several places that match your description.

b. Yes, exactly. This is how Phil envisioned his societies working - he had stories like this of his own to tell about his travels.

I'm starting to think that those stories, or what you remember of them, might make a nice appendix to your book. After all, they're probably the inspiration of a lot of the "adventuring" side of Tekumel! And something like "The Hidden Roots of the Petal Throne" might be a fitting title.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

Yes, somebody not doing so would be instantly suspected of being Up To No Good, and watched very closely by everyone in the street. If there's anything that goes amiss, they'll be the first one pointed out to the authorities.

Of course, that's exactly how it was in Europe, though most fantasy ignores it. You display the signs that identify you as part of (or head of) a group.
Why would a decent man cover his family crest, or his coat of arms? These are things you're supposed to be proud of. Why aren't you? Are you not a decent man?
(Exception was made for stuff like people that have given an oath).

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

Yes, exactly. This is the way most of Phil's first players got started, getting jobs working for people like Lady Mnella in Jakalla.

Here's my question! Can you, or the Glorious General, describe what it would be like to simply walk down the street in the Foreigners' Quarter in Jakalla, looking for a place to stay?

1500 posts in, and other stuff as well. So now my questions are starting to flow!

Pariah Gods - Interesting to me that they just want to bring Tekumel BACK in reality. I always thought they just wanted to destroy everything. I mean, other than the fact the Lords of Humanspace would basically destroy Tekumel as it is anyways.

It definitely gives them a more positive vibe though, and something I want to know even more about now!


And here's another for gaming purposes proper rather than pure selfish desire to learn the setting.

What's a good reason for parties of different Faiths and Clans to adventure together? Specifically some good reasons to shove them together. The Tekumelani "met in an inn" for lack of a better term? The core Thursday group sounds like it was quite diverse, but plenty of reason to work together. the Legion angle seems like one, but what are some other reasons and methods?

For that matter, any advice if I don't go for the off the boat campaign idea? A couple of my players, the two cores at that, are already diving into tekumel.com or my books (one's my roommate, so he has ready access to all the print material I let him - which is admittedly considerable, I've been tracking stuff down for the better part of 15 years ), so they may well have some good ideas. So even things as simple as "Don't let someone be a Very High Clan member and another a Low Clan in the same group" sort of stuff is useful.

EDIT: What's the status of "To Serve the Petal Throne?" Is it out in the wild somewhere?

Originally Posted by AsenRG

Here's my question! Can you, or the Glorious General, describe what it would be like to simply walk down the street in the Foreigners' Quarter in Jakalla, looking for a place to stay?

Horrible.

There is no law, or very little law, there. As a clanless foreigner, the Imperium doesn't give two shits about you. You are in the filthiest of filthy slums, and anybody who isn't going to murder you for your 73 Khaitars is going to rob you or cheat you instead. It is filthy, squalid, crowded, and reeking. We stayed three to a room so that two of us could sleep while one stood guard.

Think "The Maze" in R.E. Howard's Shaidizar, or perhaps "The Shades" in Ankh-Morpork. Except nasty.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

Horrible.

There is no law, or very little law, there. As a clanless foreigner, the Imperium doesn't give two shits about you. You are in the filthiest of filthy slums, and anybody who isn't going to murder you for your 73 Khaitars is going to rob you or cheat you instead. It is filthy, squalid, crowded, and reeking. We stayed three to a room so that two of us could sleep while one stood guard.

Think "The Maze" in R.E. Howard's Shaidizar, or perhaps "The Shades" in Ankh-Morpork. Except nasty.

Why live there at all then? I am curious how the place came about.

Originally Posted by Dulahan

Like so many horrible places in real life: Because what other option is there? (Especially remembering how Nakome are otherwise treated!) Don't get it wrong, it straight up is a ghetto for the poor, the down and out, the clanless. And it's probably more dangerous outside it for them than in!

Exactly. Until you hit third level, there is some huge chance per turn you are outside the Foreigners' Quarter without a citizen as a guide that you will offend someone and be impaled.

Clanless foreigners are "waste persons" of no value to the Imperium.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

Horrible.

There is no law, or very little law, there. As a clanless foreigner, the Imperium doesn't give two shits about you. You are in the filthiest of filthy slums, and anybody who isn't going to murder you for your 73 Khaitars is going to rob you or cheat you instead. It is filthy, squalid, crowded, and reeking. We stayed three to a room so that two of us could sleep while one stood guard.

Think "The Maze" in R.E. Howard's Shaidizar, or perhaps "The Shades" in Ankh-Morpork. Except nasty.

Sounds like an interesting place, in the Chinese sense.

Originally Posted by estar

Why live there at all then? I am curious how the place came about.

IIRC*, foreigners are mandated to live there. They can be punished if the authorities find them living in another place. Even leaving is forbidden unless a citizen decides to be your patron and take you out for work.
If you're lucky, he's not going to be the agent of a forbidden cult practicing ritual sacrifices (forbidden because it reveres forbidden gods, the human sacrifices are a regular occurence in the main temples).
But odds are, the work is going to be dirty, demeaning, and you're a deniable asset to your "patron". At least the first few times - then he might start treating you as a "client". Eventually, you might be offered a membership in a clan, too...probably if it looks like some other clan might do the same in order to steal on of their HR assets.

If you want a real-world example, think "refugee camps in Central Asia, SE Asia or the Middle East, if it wasn't regulated by the UN". Because that's what "barbarians fresh off the boat" are, in essence.
Hint: Palestinian camps in Lebanon might be a good example. And I suspect MARB would have been familiar with such examples.

That's why I wanted Chirine and Gronan to describe it.

*I'm not running my game in Jakalla, or even Tsolyanu.

In my version of Tekumel, I'd bet on you being commended on your success against the inimical races, and sent for the high ride. Getting the opportunity to suicide in your cell might be considered as a mercy, given your service to the Empire.
Your clan would probably receive discreetly the tangible rewards for your success, but people would look at them askance for a while.