Thread: Questioning chirine ba kal

And I return from Vacation and other shenanigans work related! Yay more cool Tekumel stuff to read in this thread, and help keep me excited and inspired for my game... which happened!

We had an adventure! The PCs bungled things as only PCs can manage. It was hilarious. They are addicted to casting Fear Spells. They are way less sneaky than they think, but do at least have some ability to plan and be sneaky, as they did hoodwink some guards and had a... creative plan to make the guards not believable (after knocking them out via a sneak attack, they poured booze all over them and peed on them... eew). They're cowards at heart, what group of PCs gets creeped out by mysterious chanting and does their best Brave Sir Robin impression and runs (bravely, naturally)? And they managed to bowl over a young priestess of Sarku from a high lineage and High Clan* in their terrified flight. Whoops. After killing one of her guards in the process via a terror spell. Poor sap went into cardiac arrest! I can't wait for them to run into Tsurune at some point in the future in a more social setting, can we say awkward?

I'm being vague because I need to get my notes at home about the names and other stuff.


*need to look it up, think it was High Hills clan though, which I hope is high! I was extrapolating from some other info, so welcome more info on that!

EDIT: And High Hills clan it is! So definitely want more info on them as they're likely to be a bit of an antagonist for the time being!

Originally Posted by Dulahan

And I return from Vacation and other shenanigans work related! Yay more cool Tekumel stuff to read in this thread, and help keep me excited and inspired for my game... which happened!

We had an adventure! The PCs bungled things as only PCs can manage. It was hilarious. They are addicted to casting Fear Spells. They are way less sneaky than they think, but do at least have some ability to plan and be sneaky, as they did hoodwink some guards and had a... creative plan to make the guards not believable (after knocking them out via a sneak attack, they poured booze all over them and peed on them... eew). They're cowards at heart, what group of PCs gets creeped out by mysterious chanting and does their best Brave Sir Robin impression and runs (bravely, naturally)? And they managed to bowl over a young priestess of Sarku from a high lineage and High Clan* in their terrified flight. Whoops. After killing one of her guards in the process via a terror spell. Poor sap went into cardiac arrest! I can't wait for them to run into Tsurune at some point in the future in a more social setting, can we say awkward?

I'm being vague because I need to get my notes at home about the names and other stuff.


*need to look it up, think it was High Hills clan though, which I hope is high! I was extrapolating from some other info, so welcome more info on that!

EDIT: And High Hills clan it is! So definitely want more info on them as they're likely to be a bit of an antagonist for the time being!

This sounded like it was fun!!! And I expect that more mayhem will ensue, too!!!

Originally Posted by Greentongue

Many of the books I read that talk about times that resemble those of Tekumel attach a lot of importance to clothing and style.
This is seldom reflected in the games I read or hear about.
Why do you think this is and what do you think we lose by not factoring this into our games?

How could the chasing of fashion be used in the setting?
Would this be interesting or totally outside most people's thoughts of fun?
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Well, if I may take a run at this, most people are pre-conditioned by what the most popular genre is set in - everybody knows what the 'medieval' world of D&D looks like and how people dress, so there's no need to cover the subject in any detail either in the rules set or in the game.

Personally, I think that a lot of this kind of thing constitutes what I'd call 'flavor' and 'charm' of a setting, and it is usually lost in the rush to get down to the killing for XP. But then, I happen to like these kinds of setting details - in any of my chosen settings of Barsoom, Tekumel, XVIII Dynasty Aegypt, or Ye Buccaneers - as I'm actively out to recreate that world setting on my table for my players to marvel at. I think that it helps with that 'immersion' aspect of games, and again that's a personal preference.

In a larger sense, the vast majority of gamers only know about this from the artwork in their preferred set of rules; most of the gamers that I have spoken with over the decades have no real idea what anything in the past - which starts about 1990, or so - really looked like. The past is, for them, one of those alien placers that are not part of their lives, so "A difference that makes no difference is no difference."

I normally describe what somebody looks like or is wearing in all of my games, and it seems to help players a lot to have these visual cues. They seem to like it, too.

Originally Posted by Dulahan

I think everyone had fun. I did, though was a bit sulky they kept finding ways around the RP with characters I wanted to play out like said priestess.

I was also amused they kept finding ways to not do anything I expected them, then again, that's just a time honored PC tradition. Expect only the unexpected from PCs, because if you expect them to take Path A, B, C, D.... or any number you can think of through z? They'll somehow manage to find Path 553!

That said, anything more you can enlighten about the High Hills clan? I wasn't even sure what 'level' (high, very high, medium, etc) they are, and just guessed high based on one of the NPCs in the bits about the city you sent me being highly ranked in a temple. I didn't see them listed in S&G, Bethorm, or GOO Tekumel.

Great time, it sounds like!

Lots of stuff in my archives that Phil did that didn't make it into published games - there's only so much you can include, and still stay inside pagecount.

High Hills is a locally-based clan, with lots of properties in the area around the city, and would be considered a 'medium-high' clan in the local area. Not so high 'nationally'; they'd be considered a 'medium' status clan in Jakalla, and a 'lower-medium' one in Bey Su. They are largely agricultural, but do have some strong mercantile interests and are well-connected with the shipping and transport clans. Good relations with the Imperium, and are considered to be "A good, solid, loyal clan" in Avanthar. Equally good relations with the temples, too, with lots of clan members in the priesthood - mostly on the Change side, but you do get some Stability people.

Nice clanhouse; nothing fancy or ornate, just comfortable and prosperous.

Anything else?

Originally Posted by Hermes Serpent

... then using social engagements and beating them over the head with the social constructs you are trying to impart might work but isn't very fun.

Yes, treating that level 1 character like the "dirt" the setting thinks they are, doesn't go over well.

Many say that characters should start as "people of some importance" which reminds me of the saying, "The higher you are the harder you fall."
Social expectations of a character / person of some status are pretty intense for someone that hasn't played in the setting for years.
One slight of the wrong person and the entire clan could turn against you for their own good.

I hear there is a minor administrative position open on the Hlutrgu frontier.

chirine ba kal did this happen to new players in games you know of?
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