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 [Moderator's Note: I created this one, let me know if there are any errors.] BLUE ROOM ARCHIVE -- VOLUME 15 421: Legion Colors 422: Status 423: Metals on Tekumel 424: Tekumel Con Update 425: Diplomacy in the 5 Empires 426: Livyani Diplomatic Corps Status 427: Questions from Portugal 428: Misc: Chumetl, Society, Adornment, Languages 429: Tsolyani Civil War News? 430: Assassins and Magic 431: Tsolyani Language 432: Starting Campaign Idea 433: MacKevuk Announcement 434: Hotels 435: Demographics 436: Sacking Cities 437: Aridani 438: Miscellaneous Questions 439: More Miscellaneous Questions 440: Ma'in's Birthday 441: Cannibalism in Tsolyanu 442: Tekumel Con Update - Date Change 443: Handling Players 444: Aridani - Revisited 445: More Cannibalism 446: Gift Giving in Tsolyanu 447: Ssu and Hluss 448: Campaign Idea 449: Tekumel Con Events 450: Aridani Status Revisited ********************************************** //421 [Moderator's Note: Tom Robertson asks about painting miniatures and legion ] [ colors. ] The Tsolyani Army List contains some information on legion colours. So do the other army lists: Yan Kor, Mu'ugalavya, and Livyanu (etc.). This information is presented in tabular form at he end of each of these booklets. There was also a more general Tekumel Painting Guide that Tekumel Games issued a long time ago. It may be available in xerox form from some kindly gamer. This is what was partially (?) published in the Dragon. [Moderator's Note: I believe that Carl Brodt is hoping to reprint that ] [ guide at some point. ] 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. //422 [Moderator's Note: Tom Robertson also asks about the status of some of the ] [ old guard, so to speak. ] >Could you please enquire as to the current status of the following to >gentleman under the new "Emperor"... >Lord Chaimira hiSsanmirin, Provest of the High Chancery >Lord Qoruma hiRi'inyussa, High Princeps of the Omnipotent Azure Legion When Dhich'une became Emperor, Lord Chaimira stayed on for several months to arrange for a smooth transition. He could not get on comfortably with the new boss, however, and retired to his clan's hereditary estates near Tsuru. He's still there, as far as I know. Lord Qoruma hiRi'inyussa had a more difficult time. He fled Avanthar one step ahead of vengeful Sarku troops. He managed to get down into the Underworld below Avanthar and comandeered a tubeway car, which took him and his small party of relatives and personal staff all the way to the Urunen lands on the Southern Continent. He lives there now in exile, but he keeps up contacts with Tsolyanu via the tubeway network and possily through extra-dimensional portals. He is very much on the "wanted" list. [Moderator's Note: Any word on their successors? ] 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. //423 [Moderator's Note: A message from Nuno Duarte, our first listmember from ] [ Portugal. He asks about metals on Tekumel. I have in- ] [ cluded a notice from another member, too. ] > Metal currency on Tekumel. > I've read that tekumel is a metal-poor, for instance weapons made of metal > are very rare and cost hundred times they chlen-hide counterparts. > But the currency used by Tekumelians is made of metal (gold,silver and > copper) how is that? if the world is so metal-poor the populace should > use other currency like bones, wooden coins, stones, etc. Unless of > course if gold and silver are more abundant than iron, that way Tekumelian > society could use gold and silver coins (that are useless make weapons or > armour) but would still be short on iron (with all of its implications). Tekumel is iron-poor. Mines are small and not very productive, and it is not easy to extract metal from the ore. There are reserves of silver, copper, zinc, gold, tin, and some platinum. A little nickel is found in Livyanu. Lead is fairly frequent in eastern Tsolyanu and Salarvya. Aluminum is found, but the technology to smelt it is not known in the regions where it is. Other minor metals may also be available here and there. I've never done a resource survey on what's available on Tekumel, but I know generally what is possible and what isn't. Gold, silver, and copper are common enough to be used for coinage and ornaments. Good steel exists only in the form of artefacts from before the Latter Times. >Chlen hide >Just a curiousity, in Tekumel most weapons are made of chlen hide, what >happens when a hide sword parryes a steel sword? How sharp is the edge of >chlen hide weapons? how much do they weight? Chlen-hide is quite light. Somebody once estimated it to be about the hardness and consistency of good, flexible aircraft plastic. A Chlen- hide sword can be sharpened to a good edge -- as can a plastic knife here on Terra -- but it doesn't hold its edge long, and when it is used to strike a Chlen-hide or metal shield or piece of armour, it dulls rapidly. Hitting a steel sword may break or badly nick a Chlen-hide blade. A good steel sword can carve a deep nick about an inch deep in a thin Chlen-hide blade, if both strike one another straight-on and with all the force their wielders can put into them. Chlen-hide armour is better against a steel sword since the sword has to hit in a way to penetrate, rather than to bounce off or be deflected at an angle. Hope this helps. Phil ----- [Moderator's Note: Jose Ramos from France sends the following note: ] Cheers! I have just joined the list, and I thought some people might profit of the bargains that brought me at last to Tekumel. The French gaming store chain "Le Temple du Jeu" seems to be freeing storage space offering bargains on many items difficult to sell. Among many 80s games and some cult games I found Gardasiyal at 4$, all the solitary adventures at 2$ each, Eye of All Seeing Wonder 2 and 3 at 1$, Tekumel Bestiary at 2$, and the first sourcebook (Different Worlds) for SoG at 2$. All that at Bordeaux. I do not know if there are other things at other cities. [Moderator's Note: You can reach Jose at jose.ramos@univ-angers.fr -- Don't ] [ send your replies to the list, please! ] I do not have the address here, but they sell by mail and if anybody is interested you can mail me by private e-mail (his address is jose.ramos@univ-angers.fr). This was the 8 November, so I do not know what remains. Jose Ramos ----- 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. //424 [Moderator's Note: David Cheng updates us on the Tekumel Con. ] Here is the latest news on Tekumel-Con: PLACE AND TIME Victor Raymond, author of the _Tekumel Bestiary_, has stepped forward and volunteered to apply his expert knowledge of Minneapolis hotels for the good of Tekumel-Con. He is currently in what I'll call "stage 2" of negotiations with our "short list" of classy joints. We hope to announce our choice of venue not long after the holidays. However, one of the finalists is not available for the previously-mentioned June 6-9 1997 weekend. If we choose this hotel, we may have to bump down to the following weekend (June 13-16). I will certainly keep you all posted as this critical element of con planning develops. PUBLICITY AND ATTENDANCE SURVEY I hope that all of you were covered by our 730+ piece international publicity mailing. As announced in a previous update, that mailing included: * introductory cover letter * one-page promotional flier * list of sources of Tekumel info, lore and products * event description form * pre-paid attendance survey postcard. I'd like to confess that I'm a bit disappointed with the response to the survey. In Marketing school they teach you that response to mail surveys is low, but I expected a better response rate given the nature of the subject matter, the brevity of the survey, and the fact that it was pre-paid. If any of you still have your postcard, PLEASE COMPLETE THE SURVEY AND MAIL IT BACK TO ME. Don't be bashful admitting you probably won't be able to attend if that is the case - just knowing this is very valuable to us. Also, at the very least, it gives me confirmation of your address. Hey, it takes about 90 seconds, and it's already paid for. If you never received a mailer, it is never to late to request one. Please email me your postal address and I will get one out to you ASAP. TEKUMEL-CON NEEDS EVENTS Many of you checked-off on the postcard that you are interested in running an event at the con. However, only two of you (thanks Mssrs Kellogg & Vossler!) have followed-up with an event description form. If you're pretty sure you're going to be there, please send me your event descriptions ASAP. The sooner I get a good number of them, the sooner I can produce a real registration booklet. I will happily accept event descriptions by either email or US post. TOME MAILING Hopefully many of you have received the nice 8-page catalog that TOME recently mailed out. (Note: they used the cleaned-up Tekumel-Con mailing list). If you would like one, please contact TOME directly. Also included in that mailing was a little reminder to send in your Tekumel-Con survey postcard. Well, I covered that already . . . MORE TO FOLLOW That's all I can think of right now. More news to follow as it happens. Please direct any questions to me directly < cheng@io.com >, and not to Chris here at the Blue Room. * David Cheng Tekumel-Con Chair 313 East 85th Street #2C New York, NY 10028 (212) 472-7752 ----- 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. //425 [Moderator's Note: Bob Dushay asks about Diplomats in the 5 empires. ] >1. Basic relations: How do the Five Empires conduct diplomacy? Are >there official ambassadors stationed at the capitals of the Empires, >with or without minor embassies at other major cities, or is there a >system of roughly equivalent embassies at each major city, with the >capital office "first among equals"? What is the title and status of an >ambassador? Do they have anything related to diplomatic immunity? The Palace of Foreign Lands is the Tsolyani agency charged with relations with other countries, including trade, tariffs, shipping, international caravans, and diplomacy. The main headquarters for this agency is in Bey Su, with a secondary branch in Jakalla. Tumissa, Chene Ho, and Sokatis have smaller but quite capable smaller branches, while other border cities (Khirgar, Paya Gupa, Fasiltum, etc.) have lesser offices. Internal towns and cities either have just a representative or two, who sits in the Palace of the Realm's offices, or none at all. Thus, if you want to arrange shipment of something from Hauma or Tsuru, you can do it through the local representative -- but it's better to get your clansmen in Jakalla or Bey Su to arrange for the caravan or ship, write to receivers in the country you're shipping to, and make all the official arrangements. There is a large corps of scribes and record-keeprs in the offices of the larger cities, who can provide official permits, seals, and advice (at a cost, of course!). The ambassador is usually termed a "Legate" in the Five Empires. One speaks of the "Salarvyani Legate at Bey Su," for example. The other nations have differing terms for their ambassadors, and not all have exact equivalents in terms of duties, authority, etc. The Mu'ugalavyani Legate at Tumissa, for example, has to write home to Ssa'atis before he can grant travel documents to caravans shipping through the Chakas. Their Legate in Butrus writes instead to Kheiris. It is rather complex. >2. Embassy details: About how large is an embassy at the imperial >capital (number of staff, assistants, etc)? Is the embassy legally the >territory of the ambassador's country (as it is in our modern world), or >is the ambassador's safety dependent on keeping the ruler of the host >country happy? Do ambassadors usually have armed guards? Do >ambassadors commonly live in the embassy, or do they have a separate >residence? Is the embassy donated by the host country, or just a big >house bought by the guest? Or, is the embassy simply an office of the >Palace of the Realm in whatever country it is located in? Every embassy is different: in Bey Su, the Mu'ugalavyani keep about 20 of their officers, perhaps 70 or 80 scribes, secretaries, and record- keepers. The Yan Koryani (after he recent war) have an embassy of perhaps 12-15 officials, 30 scribes, and a handful of sub-legates who live in border cities like Aukesha, Thri'il, and Khirgar; these are subject to the Chief Legate in Bey Su. The Salarvyani are confused, as usual: they have a chaotic system of independent Legates who owe their allegiance sometimes to their own cities first and only then to Tsatsayagga. The Legate at Bey Su, for instance, is loyal to the Salarvyani ruler in Tsatsayagga, but the fellow at Jaikalor is a member of the leading family of Heru; their team in Sokatis was sent by Koyluga, etc. Whether these people ever coordinate anything is unknown. They have staffs of about 50 people each. Other nations have smaller staffs and more limited coverage. There is no legal extraterritoriality: the God-Emperor of Tsolyanu states that he owns all property in the known world anyhow. There is a polite fiction, however, that says that the Imperium grants foreign embassies the freedom to come and go and to "remain secret" out of the kindness of his heart towards those unlucky enough to dwell in benighted foreign lands. Hence, there is a tacit and limited sort of extraterratoriality. There are indeed armed guards at the gates of every foreign legation. Some of these troops are actual natives of those countries, while others are local mercenaries. The Mu'uglaavyani have quite a smart set of red-armoured soldiers at their embassy. There are slaves, litter-bearers, cooks, janitors, and all the rest of the usual Tekumelani aristocratic entourage-- including wives, children, concubines, and even a few nonhumans to aid nonhumans who are fellow nationsls (e.g. a Tinaliya family living in Bey Su at the old Livyani embassy there, a Swamp Folk party resident at Tumissa, etc.). Most nations prefer to buy or rent large mansions for their embassies abroad. The Mu'ugalavyani legation at Bey Su, for instance, was an old, rambling clanhouse built during the reign of Shaira Su; it is rather dilapidated. Just across from it the Tsolyani have set up a local headquarters for what are politely called "City Guards." These are there to "prevent rioting and ill-feeling." Most nations also send small teams of representatives to the Tsolyani Palace of Foreign Lands in Jakalla and Bey Su. These people can immediately facilitate common traffic and travel without making people travel across the city to visit the actual embassies themselves. If somebody wants a more complex problem solved, he has to go to the main embassy, but minor things can be done from the Palace of Foreign Lands itself. >3. Diplomacy details: Do Ambassadors have means to communicate with >their host countries beyond the relatively slow system of overland or >oversea travel? Probably some have telepaths who can plug into a chain of their own people across to their own lands. This is only for the most important messages, however, and is heavily coded and guarded so that others cannot read what is being sent. Most messages are written and sent by runner, ship, etc. >4. Any specific details of the Tsolyani embassy in Tsatsayagga would >also be appreciated, as my players will be visiting Salarvya for some >time. Thanks! It's an ugly old grey building on Marching Legion Street, about two Tsan from the Imperial palace. The current Legate there is named Dlekku hiTankolel, of the White Stone clan, a worshipper of Qon. He is a friendly old fellow who speaks fluent Salarvyani, has a passel of Salarvyani mistresses and hangers-on, three or four half-Salarvyani children who are thoroughly despised by both the Tsolyani and the Salarvyani as "half-breeds," and owns an interest in a caravan/ shipping business that sends and receives goods, slaves, etc. across Salarvya to cities as far away as Naggas and Nimollu. He tends to try to help people from the upper-level mercantile clans, while members of the "Dark Trinity" clans may get the runaround unless they bribe him heavily. He is a relatively honourable man, however, and has only been known to sell a few of his Tsolyani visitors into slavery across in Haida Pakala or into something worse in Tsa'avtulgu -- and only then because they annoyed him or were arrogant or perhaps worshipped Durritlamish, whom he particularly loathes. I always rather liked Dlekku. Don't stand too close to him, however, because his breath stinks bad enough to slay a Chlen-beast in rut! They say his womenfolk have to eat a Salarvyani herb that completely kills the sense of smell. His bodily cleanliness is just about as neglected, I am told, too. Stand upwind. 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. //426 [Moderator's Notes: Lisa Leutheuser asks about the Livyani Legates that were ] [ in Tsolyanu when the plague and Red Hats hit. Sorry for ] [ the quiet holidays. Enjoyed them, and we had a few req- ] [ isite emergencies. Also had some boarders for about a ] [ month. Things have quieted down now and I should have ] [ some time. Another note, I had edited about 30 pages of ] [ typed manuscript on the Sourcebook vol 3 when I had a ] [ catastrophic disc crash. Guess what, no backup. Gahh! ] [ And me, Mr. Security! I now back up my Documents dir ] [ to zip every time I write a letter, do a budget, or mod- ] [ ify a Tekumel doc. I did have backups of all the Tekumel] [ stuff, so I lost nothing but the edits I had made. ] >The information about foreign embassies is quite interesting. >What is the state of any Livyanu embassies in Tsolyanu since >the plague and the Mu'ugalavyani (I hope I remembered the >right empire) take over? [You did-M] >(I do hope those Livyani posted abroad were smart enough to >stay there during the plague.) The Livyani legates and their employees in Tsolyanu have had rather a hard time of it. Some tried to return home -- and perished of the Plague. Others made it. Some stuck it out in Tsolyanu but ran short of funds and took to peddling their fancy furnishings, armour, etc. Some who had been smart enough to buy into local businesses, land, etc. are doing quite nicely and are now thinking how to remove the Mu'ugalavyani from Livyanu. The High Legate, Sikuoz Suriz, is one of the smart ones: he is a member of the White Cliff clan, and he managed to persuade the White Stone clan of Bey Su to sell him several Tsan of good farming land east of the city. He is thus alive and well, and he has started a sort of refugee camp for other Livyani in Tsolyanu. Some of his erstwhile subordinates are now investing in businesses and planning eventually to go home. Kormuz Kandesa, the Sub-Legate at Avanthar, went to Bey Su, then home by ship. Nothing is known of his fate. The ship was found empty floating near Laigas. There seems to have been a battle between its crew and unnamed invaders, possibly the Hluss. At any rate, poor Korumuz, his wife, his 8 children, and his staff are all missing. Biyobanaz Achao Mse, the elder statesman of Livyani Legates, had already stepped down from his post to be replaced by Sikuoz. Emperor Dhich'une did not like this bluff, barrel-chested, bombastic old man and quietly urged the Livyani to retire him. He is still alive and well in Bey Su, actively aiding Prince Taksuru, and making money by selling off his countrymen's jewellery, furnishings, etc. to greedy Tsolyani buyers. Toraz Arrio, the Consul in Tumissa, stayed on in Tsolyanu, but his two aristocratic Livyani wives returned home and perished of the Plague. He is a small, active, compact man who had a good future ahead of him in the Livyani diplomatic service. He belonged to the Claw of Kirrineb clan but was adopted into the better clan of the High Shining Sphere. Now he is planning to marry a Tsolyani aristocrat; she has money and prestige in Tumissa -- but would have been considered far below him if he had stayed in Livyanu. Taluvaz Arrio, a lineage-mate of the preceding, was spoken of in "Man of Gold." He had taken his N'luss wife, Mirure, home to N'luss for a visit when the Plague struck. He simply stayed on with her relatives -- and has now learned to speak a little N'luss and eat greasy roast Hmelu with the best of them! His cousin, Tarshaz Arrio, survived the Plague in the Tlashte Heights north of Livyanu. He had gone there on a mission and did not perish, though he did become ill for a time. I haven't kept track of all of the officials, scribes, etc. who used to belong to one or another Legation but are now on their own in Tsolyanu. In fact, the Tsolyani have been rather friendly to these displaced people and have not made objections to their entering into business, buying property, etc. Hope this helps. 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. //427 [Moderator's Note: Here is some stuff culled from a discussion with our first] [ member from Portugal. I have been quite busy the past ] [ week. One of the things that has kept me so, is that I ] [ have been working on Part 3 of the Sourcebook. I have ] [ edited down pages 92 to 110. Only 111-135 to go. Many of] [ those pages may have to be scanned in as they are the ] [ language pages. I might release an interim version with ] [ just the text. Would that be useful? Let me know. Now ] [ that I have the fonts in a good format, I might be able to] [ recreate those pages rather than scan them in, but they ] [ will probably take lots of time to do. ] The following is culled from a quick discussion I had with Nuno Flavio, a new list member from Portugal. He had numerous questions that I answered, but I felt some of you might be interested in seeing those answers. [Legend ] [>> My original responses ] [> Nuno's questions ] [ My narrative ] [* Phil's answers ] >I read that there are over 1500 clans in the Tsolyani Empire, from very >poor to filthy rich with various levels of political power. >What i wanted to know is: >1 - How many people living in the Tsolyani empire are members of a clan? >How many clanless people are there? I told him that I wasn't quite sure, and that I thought it was a rather low percentage of the population. >2 - What does it mean to be clanless? does everybody treat you like a >dog? How do they know your a clanless anyway? I gave him a taste of what it means to be clanless. >3 - Is belonging to a clan equal to citizenship in Tekumel? A clanless >individual has any rights wathsoever before the law? I explained that clan membership doesn't imply citizenship, or vice versa. >4 - Women, i think thjey can declare themselves independent or something >right? Could you elaborate on that? I explained exactly what Aridani status meant. He asked a new batch of questions to my response, and Phil chimed in on them. >>Someone pays/bribes an official to charge you, to shift blame from them. >>If >>you had a clan, they could intercede on your behalf, but since it is just >>you, >>you'll probably end up on the wrong side of the Impaler's Stake. :( >Hmm...Do they Execute people like that on Tekumel? Impalement? *Your clan will only intercede on your behalf if you are important or *if you have something they want you to do for them. Otherwise, the clans *may supply lawyers or pay fines and penalties -- provided that they think *you can repay them or will do something really useful for them in the *future. A very wealthy clan, like Golden Sunburst or Sea Blue, will usually *be willing to help members financially and politically -- but not to the *extent of going against the law or risking trouble with the Imperium. >>Yep. There are effectively, 2 punishments in Tsolyanu (and maybe the Prof >>can elaborate on other countries). Shamtla and Impalement. Shamtla is >>the payment of money for injuries done to you by another. Often the clans >>involved work out acceptable levels of Shamtla. Another important reason >>to have your clan with you. Everything else is pretty much punishable by >>Death, and the current method of Death is public Impalement. Very Gruesome! *Yes, impalement, unpleasant as it is, is the usual means of capital *punishment in the Tsolyani Empire. Shamtla, as Chris points out, is *"blood-money": payment to an individual or a clan or even the State *itself, for many offenses. If both parties are willing, even a personal *murder can be "paid off" with Shamtla. Offenses against the State and *against the temples are not usually resolved by Shamtla but rather by *imprisonment or death. >What are the most current ways of execution on Tekumel? Is there any >dishonorable death given to very bad criminals? *Executions in Tsolyanu are usually by impalement. The same is true in *Yan Kor, while in Mu'ugalavya one finds beheading, impalement, and *various other methods for certain offenses. In Livyanu the common method *is to hang the culprit up in a net of fibres that shrink when wet: the *victim's body is thus compressed until he/she is asphyxiated. Salarvya *is much more grim. [Moderator's Note: Yagh. More grim than the compression/asphyxiation stuff? ] >>Don't know. Impalement is pretty bad. I am sure that a clan could probably >>"convince" the Prison officials to silently, quickly kill a fellow clan- >>member. >Is torture common on Tekumel? Is it legal? >>Common, yes. Legal, I have no idea. *It is legal, as it was during the European Middle Ages. It is usually *employed to obtain confessions, rather than as punishment in itself. *With magical spells being so prevalent, one may wonder why confessions *are not simply wrung out of an accused's brain by some state-hired *wizard. The answer is that magic is much less common on "real" Tekumel *than it is in the game. It is also more uncertain: anyone with enough *money can employ counter-wizards to put blocks or false answers into his *brain and thus fool the interrogators. Only important cases are solved *with the aid of magical interrogation; the average criminal case is *usually resolved with verbal interrogation, plus some detective work. *Physical torture is employed if the interrogators decide they cannot *arrive at the correct answer otherwise. >I want to know a bit more about the azure legion. I read that they are >"dumb" agents that inform the emperor on everything that goes on the empire. >>I'll defer to the Professor. I don't consider them dumb. They do report >>much of what goes on in the empire, but I wouldn't say that they could pos- >>sibly report all of what goes on. It will be interesting to see what the >>professor says to this question. *There is an "intelligence arm" of the Omnipotent Azure Legion and a *"military arm." The former consist of a body of agents who operate in *every city of the Empire, rather like the secret police of many modern *countries. The latter is a regular military legion that is perhaps one *of the best in the Tsolyani forces. Aside form these, a third branch, *the "Servitors of Silence," works within the Emperor's Golden Tower at *Avanthar as a sort of palace guard, private intelligence force, and *administrative corps. These people are rendered speechless when they are *accepted into the group, usually at a very young age. They speak with *sign language. They cannot thus gossip or whisper secrets -- although *I don't see what prevents them from communicating secrets by sign *language! The Tsolyani put great stock in this group, however, and trust *the person of the Emperor and the intimate business of the Empire to them. Regards, M, A. R. Barker ----- 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. //428 [Moderator's Note: Ray Gillham asks some questions and the Professor replies.] [ Sorry for the long delays. I have been very busy and have] [ had a rash of new members at the same time. I have three ] [ or 4 more messages to send out, after this one. I'll try ] [ to get them all out today. ] I'll toss in a thought or two about some of the questions in this letter. >1. I recently ran a game based around the two introductory scenarios >in the Eye of All-Seeing Wonder, and since the players hadn't seen >Tekumel before I used as many visual aids as possible; I got hold of >two lovely books about the Aztecs and Mayans that had full colour >artists' impressions of temples, cities, et al and used these to help >them visualise the country, eg. "this is what Jakalla harbour may >look like", or "the temple of Karakan could be something like this". >I also took the suggestions to use real food for a banquet scene, >which impressed the players a lot (even if my chumetl was green!). >What I would like to know is if any Blue Room members have tried >similar things or other methods of spicing up Tekumelani game >sessions. Suggestions anyone? I drink "Chumetl" frequently. Yoghurt and buttermailk make up the base, to which you add salt, ground red pepper, a little ground cumin and ground coriander. My wife, who is from India, calls this "Lassi" -- pronunced LUH-see). It can also be made more like a yoghurt milkshake: sweet, spiced, and even perfumed with special flavourings. Many people turn a little green when yoghurt drinks are mentioned, but they're really quite tasty. [Moderator's Note: Count me in the green crowd.. :) I guess next time I ] [ come for a visit I'll have to try some. ] >2. A plea: My partner - and fellow gamer - Julia is a bit dismayed >at the amount of female nudity in artwork depicting Tekumel. Although >males are sometimes semi-naked too the balance is way to one side, >and often the male is dressed while the female is completely naked. A >fellow listmember pointed out to me that Tekumel is one of the few >game environments where sexuality is addressed in a mature way, and >while I agree about that I can also see how female gamers might get >the wrong impression from some of the art. If the diaphanous robes of >young clan-girls get so much attention I'd like to see more balance - >what about those ornate cod-pieces I've heard about, hmmm? Wish I could help, but that's the way Tekumel is. Both sexes often go naked or almost naked -- a combination of custom and response to the heat. The reason the art does not portray male nudity is largely the prudery of American and European males, who can tolerate female nudity but not *male* nudity! The prejudice against nudity in western cultures is a cultural bias -- it does *not* represent much that is universal or anthropologically "always so." Tekumel has no prejudices against nudity. If you choose not to play it that way, there is nothing that *forces* referees or players to go nude. You are welcome to cling to your prejudices on Tekumel, just as you can here on Terra. There are always variations and personal preferences. Some Tekumelani choose to wear more, some less. Some prefer less emphasis on sex, while others spend long hours in the templs of Ladies Dlamelish and Hrihayal. Whatever life style you wish... [Moderator's Note: I'll chime in on this here, too. You can just imagine ] [ what would be said if there had been male nudity in ] [ Tekumel publications. TOME couldn't even display/sell ] [ The Book of Ebon Bindings as it was at GenCon. The US ] [ (I don't pretend to know about other countries) is so ] [ uptight about nudity, even more so male nudity, that ] [ you would doom yourself if you published it in Tekumel ] [ work. Of course, nude females are fine. Go figure? ] [ Feminists would say it is another way male dominated ] [ society exploits women, and treats them as 2nd rate ] [ citizens. They might be right, but this is not an ] [ arena for that debate. Suffice it to say, there are no] [ stoopid double standards or taboos about nudity on Tek-] [ umel. It is routinely 100+ degrees farenheit (50+ Cen-] [ tigrade I think). The less you wear on Tekumel the ] [ more comfortable you are apt to be. Julia can be angry] [ at our incredibly idiotic idiosynchrasies, not at Tek- ] [ mel in general. If anything, the Tekumelyani have a ] [ much more balanced and equal social view concerning ] [ this type of thing. ] >3. On clan symbols: the Tsolyani love ardornment and symbols of rank, >which leads me to ask just how much about an individual can one tell >without him/her opening their mouth? And how skilled in Tekumelani >"heraldry" would most people be? Does the ignorance of literacy >extend to the signs and sigils associated with clan membership, >lineage, etc? Or does this sort of thing - and meshqu - actually >serve to make literacy less useful? Many people wear clan symbols and clan colours. Most people recognise the icons of the 20 deities of Pavar's pantheon. Many recognise the symbols of the major clans -- and those clans in their own environs. Fewer people would know clan symbols from farther away -- geographically and socially. Thus, a fairly educated Tsolyani might not know the specific livery of a clan from a distant city or a foreign country. >4. If Tekumel is in a pocket dimension in the physical sense, can the >Planes Beyond be used to get back to humanspace? Has this been tried? >It seems odd to be so cut off in one sense and so free to hop around >the Planes Beyond in another. Sorry if I'm being dim about this >aspect of things. Theoretically, it is possible to "walk the Planes" And get back to humanspace. But it is *very* far and a *very* complicated road. Only the book, "Waba's Almanac" even hints at such a journey, and it is mostly lost, corrupted, or confused. The Planes you can "hop around in" are those within a limited region of interplanar "reality." Humanspace is not in this region at all. >5. A point about non-human languages and why humans may find it impossible to >learn them; in Harry Harrison's "West of Eden" a young human tries to >learn the language of his reptilian slave-masters but cannot do so >with any great success. This is because the non-humans use physical >postures in body language that he cannot make (they have a tail for a >start, and it gets wagged around a lot)) and also because skin colour changes >according to mood and >meaning. Perhaps similar blocks exist on Tekumel, and whose to say >that some races don't communicate with gestures, sounds, or smells >that a human just can't pick up? Non-humans could find the relative >simplicity of verbal language quite easy, though I'd think they'd >have trouble with nuances; also physical perhaps, like facial >expressions. Speaking with a non-human in human language could be >slightly unnerving, like speaking to a complete stranger on the >'phone for an extended time. Pregnant pauses and the like. It is difficult for humans to master the mind-sets that characterise nonhuman thinking, plus the speech organs are different. Many nonhuman species possess the requisite speech organs, but they always have an accent, and some are near-unintelligible even after years of living in the human empires. Humans employ relatively fewer speech mechanisms (e.g. differences in the pharynx and larynx needed to speak Shen, clacking and clicking of chitinous mandibles used by the Pe Choi, the gut-rumbling and vibrating air-intake required for the Ahoggya -- etc. To simplify all of this, I simply wrote in the first EPT that humans *could not* acquire nonhuman languages. This partially represents reality and partially is a game-device to keep players from gaining skills they logically cannot ever have. Ability in a nonhuman language is really very limited, while nonhumans have comparatively less trouble learning one or more human languages. You are, of course, able to play the rare human who has grown up in a nonhuman environment -- like Harsan in the novel "Man of Gold." But in order to keep the focus on the humans on Tekumel, I myself prefer just to claim -- for *game* purposes -- that competency is not feasible. 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. //429 [Moderator's Note: Bill Cumberland asks the following about what's going on] [ in the Civil War in Tsolyanu. (Sorry about that extra ] [ 428 in the subject on the last message.) ] >Could we get an update on what is happening in the Tsolyani Civil War? This is a big one. I'll let Bob, Keith, etc. answer whatever they can. Actually a lot of things are happening where there are no player characters to observe, and it is difficult for me to keep up on all of it myself! [Moderator's Note: I'll see if I can convince Bob or Keith to cough up de- ] [ tails. In the mean time I'll see if I can get on the ] [ phone and get some details from Phil. ] 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. //430 [Moderator's Note: Brendan Knox asks about assassins and magic. ] >Just a thought I've had regards assassins on Tekumel, for what reason >are assassins restricted from learning magic as well? Is this a >purely Tsolyani "custom" or is there an actual reason... I was thinking that >perhaps certain factions in the Five Empires and even beyond would not >be trustworthy enough to follow these guidelines if they could get away >with it... There are always traitors, defectors, and people who would go the extra Tsan to acquire undue influence. The *game* makes magic out-of-bounds for assassins, but on *real* Tekumel, a small number of individuals have always been able -- and allowed -- to acquire magical power as well as status as assassins. They are very rare and exist only with the permission of their clans. I prefer to limit such possibilities in order to avoid the inevitable player with a "Superman" complex. >On another note, I've had a few good game sessions lately with forays >into M'morcha and some cave complexes in milumanaya with the illustrious >fief holder of Parakana Province that I may be able to summarize here >if anyone has an interest. It's pre-dhich'une, so one has to make their >own excitement. ;) [Moderator's Note: I invite anyone who wants to summarize their campaigns ] [ to send diaries of their travels. It it gets to be too ] [ much, we'll put them in a directory on the ftp site. ] Parakhana Province? I'm not familiar enough with Milumanaya to recognise it. Is it over on the Sunraya side, or on the western flank of the great desert? Both are pretty dry and dessicated regions. 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. //431 [Moderator's Note: Someone not on the list funneled this question through me,] [ and I thought it was of general enough importance to be ] [ included. ] >Brett Slocum advised me to contact you to answer a question which wasn't >addressed in his Tekumel FAQ: is there any sort of "update" to _The >Tsolyani Language_ available, that is, a compilation of Professor >Barker-approved Tsolyani words which weren't included in those books? I'm >curious if the known vocabulary has increased over the past 15 years or >so, and if so, whether and how the list is available online (via FTP, >HTTP, or some other method). I'm not a subscriber to the Tekumel mailing >list, and I don't have access to newsgroups, so an e-mail reply to the >address below would be most helpful. I have scribbled down a few more words and phrases -- but very little, comparatively. Just about 50 in all. There is no published list of these. I may get around to this later, if life and time and energy permit. If you need a specific word, I may be able to supply it -- I can't do a major additional vocabulary, of course. Ngangmuru bruhaya lel bru mazak! 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. //432 [Moderator's Note: I have a bit of stuff backed up, so be expecting 7 or so ] [ messages in the next day or so, including numerous ques- ] [ tions answered by Phil. This message from Ray Gillham ] [ shares how he is going to start his players on Tekumel. ] Having just read through the Blue Room digests I was very interested in the discussions around the ways to start campaigns. The text below is the skeletal outline of the way I'm planning to do it for my old playing group who are coming dwon for the SuperBowl weekend. I've already tried the "just off the boat" method, which was very successful, but wanted to try my hand at designing something myself. Comments, tips, suggestions, would be very welcome, as would any possible problems with this approach. BACKGROUND 2350: A member of the Bright Sword clan in Jakalla flees his gambling debts rather than be sold into slavery to pay his creditors. His wife and offspring are sold instead and the clan does not redeem them. The truth behind these events is more sinister than it appears, even if the clansman really is an inveterate gambler; the wife is a truly beautiful clangirl, an entertainer of some skill and repute, and a wealthy member of the Glory of the Worm clan coverts her mightily. This Sarku worshipper hatches a plan through contacts (and blackmail/bribery) in the Collar of Bronze clan (slavers), the Hands of Compassion clan (prison guards) and the Golden Lintel clan (moneylenders); the debtor will be disposed of quitely, with the public explanation that the man has absconded. His debts will be called in in full by the Golden Lintel and when the man doesn't appear his wife and children will be handed over to the Collar of Bronze. A guardsman in the Hand of Compassion makes sure that no messages to or from the family's clan are received and a quick sale of the wife is made to the lustful Glory of the Worm member. The children are sold off independently, as the Sarku worshipper has no need of them. The records show that they are purchased by an agent of a Salarvyani, a noble of the powerful Koyluga family. 2350-2364: The eccentric and paranoid Salarvyani has trained the chilldren - now entering adulthood - as his personal retinue. To outside appearances they are no more than dancers, singers, servants. and companions. But to their master they are also spies, thieves, and confidants. The Salarvyani - a ranking member of the Den of Profitable Joy - trust no-one, not even close family, and bought young, impressionable slaves to be his eyes and ears. No-one will notice them and most will think this purchase an indication of sexual perversion of another example of their mad uncle's foibles. His plan does indeed go (mostly) unnoticed, though in the strife that beset's Salarvya's great families it bears little real fruit. Still, the noble grows attached to his slaves as his years advance, and he treats them well. 2365: The noble breathes his last, and his will leaves instructions that his slaves are to be freed and may return to their homeland. The will starts the campaign proper, spelling out some (but not all) of the details above, which the Salarvyani knows. The young men and women must return to Tsolyanu before the Den of Profitable Joy or the noble's family get suspicious and have them disappear permanently. THE CAMPAIGN This can go in various directions, though thematically should centre around family, clan, and revenge, all subjects close to the Tsolyani heart. For maximum drama the Bright Sword clan could have been wiped out in the 15 years the siblings have been away, probably by the machinations of the Golden Lintel clan (once they saw an open jugular they really went for it). That would leave the PC group essentially clanless, opening up options for (a) reforming the Bright Sword and restoring it (b) trying to gain protection or membership of another clan while exacting revenge. Perhaps they could use the Emerald Circlet's lifestyle to hide their mission, or maybe the Scarlet Mantle (who always claimed to be warriors), or for rough and ready training how about the Scarlet Planet of Knives clan (my personal favourite clan name!). With some sort of base to operate from the PCs can go about plotting revenge. They may have a case for the assassin's clans but that may be too expensive, not feasible because the only real crime is the murder of a low-life gambler, or simply not as satisfying as the personal touch. Whatever, the PCs should discover the links between the protagonists in the sordid story slowly, peeling away each facade as it comes and engineering their downfall. The lone prison guard is easiest, the slavers rather harder, the Golden Lintel a real challenge, and the Glory of the Worm clansman a really tough job. Other complications can be added if desired: a pursuing party of Salarvyani assassins; the Sarku guy's rising status on the coat-tails of Dhichune; the discovery of their father alive but blinded, begging on the streets of Jakalla (how'd that happen?). Has the mother actually become attached to her master? What about the purchasing agent, could he blow their cover? And so on. Due to their unorthodox background the PCs will have skills not possessed by your everyday Tsolyani but will still need a judicious dose of wits and luck to succeed. The players don't have to know a lot about Tekumel to play (after all, their characters were in a foreign country for most of their formative years, and Tsolyanu will be mostly unfamiliar). Beyond the importance of clan and the basic injustice of the campaign premise, details can be added as needed. On the other hand it could work for experienced groups, and the GM could run some sessions in Salarvya before the old guy croacks. That's it. CHEERS...Ray ----- 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. //433 Special Announcement. One of our listmembers has been working very closely with Phil to bring Kevuk to the Macintosh computer platform. So, without further ado (whatever that means!) here is his announcement. ------------ Avanthar Software is proud to present MacKevuk. What is MacKevuk you ask? Well it is the result of a few months of hard work on the part of Professor M. A. R. Barker, and Zane Healy, with contributions by several other people. It is also the first of what we hope will be several Tekumel oriented games from Avanthar Software. It is a shareware game that should run on most Macintosh computers that are running System 7 or higher, and have a 68020 or better processor. In it you take the part of a player in a game of Kevuk at a party. Kevuk being a very popular Tsolyani gambling game that uses dice. Fortunes will be won and lost! What remains to be seen is, will it be you that wins a fortune, or the other party goers? The unregistered version will allow you to play the game for a couple of dozen throws before it quits. The registration fee is an inexpensive $10.00US, and will result in you being given a Registration Number that will allow you to play until you go broke, or quit with your fortune made! It should soon be available from the Blueroom FTP list, but in the mean time you can get it from the following Web Page: http://www.dragonfire.net/~healyzh/MacKevuk.html please be forwarned this isn't the speediest of servers. kevuli mssuran, tlakevukayal! Zane --------- The game is available from the Blue Room ftp site. It is in the approved directory. Have fun! 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. //434 [Moderator's Note: Joe Saul offers some opinions on Hotels/Inns in Tsolyanu.] [ The Professor offers commentary. ] Legend > Joe's comments The Professor's >I think you're only likely to use an inn in Tsolyanu under one of the >following circumstances: >1. You're a foreigner >2. Your clan does not have a branch in the city you're visiting >3. (Maybe) Your clan's house isn't up to hosting your retinue for some > reason Another reason is that many clans do not have the facilities or space to host truly massive parties with lots of guests, food, entertainment, and prestige. Holding a party at one of the hostelries is thus a good idea. Entertainment in lavish surroundings with hot and cold running dancers, mimes, gambling, athletic contests, and all the pizzaz that goes with this is a very posh way of gaining a name for oneself and one's clansmen. Naturally, lower clans need not apply if the social distance is too great: e.g. if a low clan wants to invite the Governor of Jakalla or a delegation from Sea Blue, they might just as well forget it -- a polite but short refusal is all they'll get. >While many clans have branches in all major cities, some are more >regional, and smaller clans won't have perfect coverage either. Exactly. >It is beyond me who would stay at the Abode of Imperial Blue, as you would >normally think that (a) such a place would bar foreigners on principle and >(b) any Tsolyani rich enough to afford it would likely be of a clan which >has houses in every major city. Maybe a lot of clans, even the powerful >ones, *don't* have houses in Avanthar. After all, it only has a population >of 20,000 despite its importance. >Joe Saul All true, but, as said above, just having really smooth catering and high-class entertainment is one of the major objectives of this sort of thing. If you are visiting another city, and your clanhouse there is "full up," you may also want to stay at a fancy hostel that matches your dignity. You do *not* stay at "Joe's Flophouse" if you are of high clan, even if it puts you out of pocket a bit. People come to know of your perceived "chintziness" and lack of "class," and your reputation goes down accordingly witgh your friends, your clan, and the rest of society. Avanthar is another issue. There is so little room inside the citadel that only small delegations can be accommodated there. Servants and entourages stay in the village of Avanthar across the river. Sometimes even a good clan cannot find space because their small allotted "clanhouse" inside the citadel is full, and you can't just eject people unless they are of much lower status. Some choose to stay across the river, pretending that they have chosen to stay out in the fresh air of their own free will, while others quietly return home or send in just one or two people as representatives. 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. //435 [Moderator's Note: Two questions have come up on demographics and the Prof-] [ essor can't give accurate answers, but he provides what ] [ he can. The first question comes from Richard Martin. ] I am *not* up on demographics and cannot answer questions on this topic any more than the man in the street could tell you the population of London. There are no texts or treatises in Tsolyani on the matter, except for Imperial tax rolls and records which would require a legion of scribes and some years to cull and systematise. As may be imagined, these records are partial at best. They are written in a variety of bad scribal hands, and each city has a different system for maintaining the information! >There was a discussion in the eye of all seeing wonder a while back as >to the population of the Empire, with an 'official' figure of 275 >million being compared with a calculated figure of 80-100 million >(based on a population density from ancient china) Either or neither may be correct. Agriculture in the empire is quite intensive, and population all along the Missuma River is fairly dense. I am frankly at a loss to provide an accurate figure. Not my cuppa, as they say... >I am more interested in the sizes of individual clans than the Empire >as a whole. Swords and Glory indicates that there are 500 major clans >and 1000 minor clans within the Empire. If we assume that an average >minor clan is half the size of a major then the average major clan >will be 80-100 thousand or275 thousand (depending on your overall >population) I do not believe the clans of lesser or minor status are necessarily smaller than the major and prestigious clans. The lesser clans are those containing a high percentage of the farmers, craftsmen, peasantry, etc. while the socially important clans have smaller populations: bureaucrats, nobles, priests, soldiers, city function- aries, "quality" tradespersons, and the like. >More intriguing is the break down of a city, If we assume Jakalla's >population is about 500 thousand then an average major clan will have >500 members within a city. However a lot of the clans will be very >localised . So we could assume that 50% of the major clans and 25% of >the minor clans have a significant presence in the Jakalla area. This >raises the estimated population of a significant major clan near the >city to 1000 individuals Then of course although the majority of most >clans are rural based , some are based around urban pursuits, >moneylending, mercantile activities, scribes and book makers , tomb >guards etc. and one would expect a greater proportion of these clans >within a city (maybe twice as many) Also so far we have been working >with averages. Variation in clan size , probably based on clan status >and wealth distribution, could raise the average size of certain clans >within a city to 2000-4000. I cannot give a better estimate than this writer has done. >This then readjusts our thinking of the nature of the clan, from as >swords and glory suggests a clanhouse of 20-50 rooms , to a community >of 4000 people. This size of community could easily be a small >district of the city , or with several related clans living side by >side to a large district of the city. This is so. The clanhouses are the central headquarters of the clan within a city; individual family groups may live in their own housing nearby; some members live on clan lands in the suburbs; others live farther away on clan-owned estates. Houses belonging to clan A may be intermingled with those of clans B,C, D, etc. within an area of a city, so that it is hard to designate any single city area as "the Golden Bough" quarter, etc. >One could argue that there might be several clanhouse's in the city , >and possibly for the richer clans that might be so , though one would >have to consider whether the palace of a particular lineage of family >is to be considered as a clanhouse. As noted above: usually a central "ancient, traditional, headquarters- like" clanhouse, a number of satellite family houses, palaces and mansions of those members who have "made it" or whose ancestors made it, etc. These satellites and individual homes are not usually designated "clanhouses." >However even in western cities >craftsman of a particular type tend to congregate together , then in >the close knit community of a clan it is difficult to see why they >would separate themselves into separate clanhouse's. The clan takes priority over craft-allegiances, usually. There are "districts" where various crafts congregate: tanners, smiths, glassblowers, cloth manufacturers, etc. all have their own "streets" or "districts" in various Tsolyani cities. This varies from city to city, of course: some cities are more "clan-based" than others where craft-based districts are more frequent. The clans are ancient and have long historical, religious, and mythological connections. It appears that over the centuries many clans slowly gravitated into craft-based specialities. Some of these became a clan's *only* business; other clans are more eclectic. Some have no "trade" at all; others cater to persons of specific social roles: e.g. priests of a given temple or related temples, scribes, bureaucrats, soldiers, etc. >To summarise , I see a clanhouse as a rambling district of the city >the size of a small western medieval town, with walls and many many >buildings within them. The buildings may be linked by walkways and >small roads with courtyards and gardens. As a significant community in >its own right a lot of mundane activities like carpentry and weaving >will be carried out within the clan. And the city will be made up of >500 such communities whose relationships with each other make the city >tick. The "clanhouse" is a centralised entity, physically and societally. You are correct in seeing it as surrounded by satellite houses of individual families and members. There are workshops and warehouses for a clan's specific trades and businesses, always within easy walking distance of the central headquarters, where communal eating in the clan's refectory, clan meetings, religious celebrations (of those clans that are fairly limited in sectarian membership), etc. are performed. Outside the city there are both large and small satellite lands and businesses operated by clan members. A few families and individuals may live in housing that is quite distant and distinct from the rest of the clan: e.g. a noble's palace on the opposite side of a city from the clan's major holdings. These "outsiders" are not necessarily cast-outs or disaffected or even separate religiously or socially -- they just happened to inherit or build or buy lodging that is fairly far from the rest of their clan. Many would actually prefer to live closer, but through accidents of business and history, they are stuck off in another district somewhere. I wish I could be of more definite help, but demography is *not* what I know best! Regards, Phil [Moderator's Note: The second question focuses on clan sizes and is from ] [ Jim Chapin. ] I am *not* up on demography. I see things visually and not in terms of statistics and analyses. If you ask me what the Golden Bough clanhouse in Jakalla looks like, how it is furnished, who lives there, and the like, I can probably reply with some accuracy. But if you ask for numbers and structures, I cannot give any definite reply. >The questions about clans reminded me of one that I have been meaning >to ask for a while: what is the SIZE of an average clan in Tsolyanu? >How many people? "Average?" Do you mean urban or rural, high or low prestige, craft- based or eclectic? How old in historical/mythological terms? Limnited to one city, one region, or spread all across the Empire? Some very prestigious clans are fairly limited and small in numbers (e.g. Cloak of Azure Gems, Tlakotani), while some less-prestiged agricultural clans have houses, estates, lands, businesses, etc. all across the Empire and probably thus number in the thousands or even more (e.g. White Stone). >In fact, I realize that I don't know what the population of each of >the Five Empires is. Given the huge size of the military forces, they >must be pretty large. They are very large. Again, not being a demographer, I cannot do more than offer very rough estimates. If one considers the usual inflations and deflations of figures in these societies (due to nationalism and a desire to please one's readers) these estimates are even more shaky. Just as figures for ancient armies were seriously inflated here on Terra, it is likely that figures submitted to the Petal Throne are also exaggerated. I don't think there has ever been a census of Yan Kor, nor of Livyanu, where statistics are kept secret as a matter of course. Mu'ugalavya is said to have about two thirds of the population of Tsolyanu, and Salarvya is a vast ungovernable and mostly unknown questionmark! As said in a previous posting, the largest clans are those that provide the agriculture, the crafts, and the lower echelons of the bureaucracies. Military clans and those devoted to individual trades and crafts come next, and others fall in behind. Beyond this generalisation, it is impossible to be definite. With apologies, 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. //436 [Moderator's Note: James Snead asks about how cities are plundered after a ] [ victorious army wins a battle. Also, word comes to me ] [ that Zane's location for MacKevuk is having a problem. ] [ You can get it from our ftp site, nexus, for now. ] >With all the recent military activity I've become curious about the >"protocol" of sacking cities on Tekumel. History is full of enemy towns >being leveled, captives sacrificed en masse, etc. But surely this is a >complicated business. Temples, for instance - are they inviolate, or are >rapid negotiations conducted over payment for their preservation? Do clans >defend their clan houses to the death? Labor and scale would also be an >issue, since it would take a lot of work to do a really good job on massive >public architecture. Cities are rarely thoroughly sacked. The great Maya cities were "sacked," according to the records, yet one reads of them active and regrouped in a following generation (e.g. Palenque, sacked by Calakmul *twice* within a few years, but up and about again soon after). This is more like the Five Empires than the sack of Troy or the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 C. E. (Christian Era). The contents of the great palaces, the shops, the homes of the wealthy, and other repositories of wealth and goodies are usually looted, but the buildings themselves are not destroyed except by sieges: e.g. set afire by invading troops, broken down by artillery, torn down to make way for an invader's triumphal entry, and the like. Temples are usually walled and guarded by contingents of temple guards, who may fight furiously to preserve the sanctuaries of the gods. A wise general calls a halt to looting in the temples and often allows himself and his men to be bought off by worried clergy. If his troops worship one or more of the gods of Pavar's pantheon, it is also not wise to arouse hostility among those who worship the same or related deities in a city one has conquered. These people have friends, relatives, and clansmen at home in the victor's own city, and there is no point in giving them good reason to rebel. >I suspect that it would be the merchant quarters which >would take the brunt of any looting parties, for obvious reasons. Quite so. >But how >would famous landmarks, works of art, or monuments of hated enemies - >particularly in a society where status is everything - fare in an assault? >Would a Yan Koryani force running amok in Bey Su make straight for the Hall >of Domes to snatch back trophies of ancient wars? Is "Woman of Tsamra" now >in some Mu'ugalavyan mudhole being used as a rack for red hats? Famous landmarks are usually pretty stout architecture. They may be taken over by an invading force, but destroying them is another problem entirely! Works of art and treasures are indeed fair game, although the conquering general may well demand to know just who has taken what and where the best items are now! A Mu'ugalavyani soldier who seized valuable statues or gold icons from the House of the Gilded Wing Clan in Tsamra will certainly find it difficult to carry them home -- or even hide them, with his comrades watching and aware of the penalties. Instead, the soldier will probably hand them over to his officers to be entered into the plunder roll. He will attach his name and ask only for fair compensation, which is usually given -- no officer wants disgruntled soldiers who feel they were cheated! It is true that many treasures are sent off to the victor's homeland, of course. The conquerors may keep certain items, dedicate them as offerings to their own temples (where they will be preserved and valued), or hand them over to their own superiors as "grease for the mill." Marya's "Woman of Tsamra" is a bit too large to be carried off easily. More likely the Red hats will leave it where it is -- or later arrange a major convoy to carry it back to Ssa'atis. ... If they last that long in Livyanu... [Moderaotor's Note: Now that's an ominous statement... Care to take that ] [ comment a bit further and tell us what the situation ] [ currently is in Livyanu? Or what the remaining Liv- ] [ yani in Livyanu and abroad have prepared for the Red ] [ Hats? ] 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. //437 [Moderator's Note: Recent messages about the role of women on Tekumel lead ] [ me to want to know more about Aridani status. How is it] [ viewed socially, how easy is it to declare yourself ] [ Aridani, who tends to do so? Etc. Phil replies. ] > Hi Phil. This question comes from me. >As we all know, Aridani status is there for women to claim themselves as >equals wrt. status. Now, knowing that the popular view of women in Tsol- >yanu is the "good clan girl," is there any stigma in a young woman declar- >ing herself Aridani? Do the parents or her clan bring any pressure to >bear? How does a woman declare herself Aridani? Does she just say it one >day, or is there some kind of elaborate ceremony? Is it ever possible to >un-do Aridani status? Aridani status is ancient and traditional. The "good clan girl" is *not* the only standard for women. A girl who announces that she wishes to become Aridani may meet some opposition from her family, particularly from clan aunts and others who had hoped to see her happily married to "Cousin Chignats," with grandchildren, a household, and all other other perquisites of married bliss that go with him. If she insists, there are others in almost every clanhouse who will defend her choice: "Remember Aunt Fiyela, who made it to the rank of Captain in the Legion of Lady Mrissa? Remember Grandma Gagula, who earned so much money and prestige for the clan when she was promoted to the rank of 3rd chamberlain in Prince Rereshqala's palace? Remember your brother's sister-in law, Dilomel, who was posthumously given the Imperial Gold of Glory for martyring herself on the walls of Tumissa during the War of 2020?" >I would imagine that it would have to be done at a fairly young age, so that >the proper skills would be tought to the young woman in question. Exactly. If she decides later on, in adulthood, she does not have to have Aridani skills in advance. She may have an eye on a job as a bureaucrat, a priestess, or even a soldier, and be willing to spend some time learning her new role. Her clan will probably help her. After all, a clever and talented young person will bring in more prestige -- and money -- for her clan than a somewhat discon- tented clan-wife to Cousin Chignats. >I see also that there might be pressure brought to bear, such as when >children tell their parents things here in the US, and they are pressured >to not make those choices, or to suppress themselves in some way because >of course, the parent knows best. This is human nature. It may even apply to the Pe choi and others. Your parnts are "the luck of the draw," however, in every culture in every age. A smart parent may say, "Please don't decide now, dear. Wait until you grow up a little." I know this is rather like the American girl who at age 10 wants to run off to become a striptease artist in Las Vegas -- but there are those for whom "just say no" is never loud and firm enough! In any case, the role of Aridani is considered a good and noble one -- not like a go-go girl in a bar in some Terran city. Even a girl who states that she wants to become a priestess of Dlamelish or Hrihayal may receive no more than some quizzical words and looks from her Hnalla-worshipping parents and kinfolk. Remember that these roles are societally approved -- unlike our own straitlaced society. Tekumel is decidedly less puritanical and hypocritical than modern North America (some portions and strata thereof). >So, do most Aridani women come from families where the clan-parents have >some Aridani women? Or do most Aridani come from families with no Aridani >women? I know it will probably be hard to generalize. It is hard to generalise, as you suggest. Most clanhouses, at least in urban ones, have several examples of both "good clan girls" and Aridani whom everybody mentions as role-models -- both good and bad. There are Aridani and non-Aridani in almost every stratum of society. There are also those who have given up Aridani status later in life -- and those who have finally made the declaration. This is not limited to age or social station. From earliest times in Tsolyanu, it has been considered a woman's right to make this decision at any time in her life, even after she has had her family and reached an advanced age. >I am sure that a >child with no Aridani relatives could see a woman stride into the clan- >house, and be impressed by her boldness, power, etc and decide that she >wants to be like her. Yes. It is also possible for a child to see a happy, confidant "good clan girl," who fulfills her role very well and is accepted as a "power" in the bosom of her clan and family. [My note: I didn't mean to say she couldn't see the happy confident good ] [ clan girl. I guess I was trying to say that there were probably] [ a higher proportion of those role models in the clanhouse, and ] [ that Aridani role models might be less prevalent. Let ol' ] [ Cousin Chignats find someone else! ] Regards, Phil [My note: Thanks for the answer. It makes me think a bit differently ] [ about Aridani and non-Aridani status. ] ----- 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. //438 [Moderator's Note: Paul Roser asks about Volcanic regions of Tekumel, the ] [ Dry Bay of Ssu'um, Non-humans and their territories, and] [ astronomical information about some of the races home ] [ star systems. ] >Are there other volcanic regions on Tekumel besides the Spouting Mts in >Shenyu and Drichte Volcano on the edge of the Plains of Glass? And are these >regions actively volcanic? The sites you mention are indeed active -- at least rumbling and spewing smoke occasionally. No major eruptions for centuries, luckily. There are other volcanic locations on the other side of Tekumel and in the southern hemisphere, but none near the Five empires that I know of. -- A few hot springs in Yan Kor are exceptions. >-Was the Dry Bay of Ssu'um originally part of the inland sea that covered >southern Yan Kor and part of Milumanaya? Yes. This is what Sa'a Allaqiyani scholars think. The very fine quality of the sand has been explained -- or at least theorised -- by a Yan Koryani savant whose name I cannot now recall: he said the Dry Bay was caused by the Demon known as "The Beast Without a Tail," who was penned there by its foes. It drank all the water and walked around and around until it had reduced the rocky floor of the valley to fine mud, which then dried to become sand. >-There are ruins in the territory of the Pygmy Folk and near the Hlaka >territory. Are these both ruins of non-human habitations and could you >possibly give a brief description of what they look like? Never been there myself. The Yan Koryani say that they are monolithic walls and circles of rough-cut stones erected by some ancient people. They are said to stand upon a foundation that is very different, moreover: a perfectly flat, stone "floor" that is decorated with peculiar, labyrinthine designs made of sheets of many-hued glassy stuff. There are occasional places where blocks have broken and fallen through into halls and chambers below. Nobody knows what this means, and those who have investigated have not seen fit to come back again... >What is the status of the non-human territories with regard to the human >empires in which they are located? Are they autonomous regions in which the >non-humans practice self-government, or do the human nations consider them >to be roughly the equivalent of protectorates? While they are within their >own borders are they considered to be citizens of one or another of the >human nations, or is citizenship something for which they must apply? For >instance, since the Ahoggya regions are "within" Salarvya and Haida Pakalla, >do the Salarvyani & Haida Pakallani automatically consider them >citizens? Obviously an Ahoggya in Tsolyanu would have to apply to become a >citizen. These legal niceties differ from place to place. The Tsolyani consider the Pe Choi of Do Chaka to be Tsolyani citizens. They are ruled and taxed and treated much like anybody else in the Empire. The Pe Choi are smart enough to keep quiet and not make waves; the Tsolyani, in turn, are smart enough not to press too hard. The "wild" Pe Choi of the inner Chakan forests are fearsome fighters: able to strike, raid, loot, and return to their jungle fastnesses quickly. There has been a sort of understanding between the humans and this species that goes back millennia. The Pachi Lei, on the other hand, are considered regular citizens, who are treated identically with human citizens. The Mu'ugalavyani consider their Pe Choi to be regular citizens of a slightly lower quality than humans, and they thus do not appoint them to higher posts of government, etc. The Swamp Folk, on the other hand, are used by the Mu'ugalavyani in their navy and hence obtain higher positions and pay. The Pygmy Folk of Yan Kor consider themselves an autonomous enclave; they treat their human neighbours with aloof politeness and vice-versa. The Tinaliya in Livyanu are similar: their underground cities are almost completely free of Livyani control, which appeals to the Livyani too. The new conquerors after the Plague (i.e. the Mu'ugalavyani) have not had time or inclination yet to oppress the little Tinaliya, but this will almost certainly occur -- the Muu'ugalavyani are officious and blind when it comes to intercultural, interracial, inter-whatever, sensitivity. The Ahoggya are intractable. They obey human laws when in human cities, and they remain aloof from human affairs in their own lands (right up to completely ignoring humans among them -- not even offering a bowl of water to a thirsty human visitor, but just letting the poor fellow find it for himself!). Their stilt-villages are independent even from each other, and the Salarvyani let them be. The Shen are much more interested in political structures: they have their own governments in Shenyu, Mmatugual, and the little northern Shen states. They treat humans as foreigners who must go through considerable bureaucracy to achieve anything, and they are clever at trading and commerce. Their laws are so confusing to humans that even the Tsolyani legate in Ssorva has to ask for help in interpreting their edicts. The inimicals (Ssu, Hluss, Hlutrgu, Shunned Ones, etc.) are treated as foes wherever they are found. Their special enclaves are theirs only because they fight ferociously to defend them, and their lands are not important enough for any of their neighbours to be willing to mount the sort of massive military force it would take to expunge them permanently from Tekumel. The Ssu, for one thing, dwell in undergorund cities where there are ancient tubeway car tunnels connecting these once-human sites to other places on Tekumel. Millennia ago the humans of Pechano and Salarvya managed to destroy the Ssu capital of Ssuganar, but the Ssu simply retreated grimly into their tunnels and nobody dared follow them. They are a very patient species. >-This last question is purely a matter of astronomical curiosity. I have >been able to identify the home star-systems of all the non-humans save three >(four if you count the Chima, but since no home system is listed...). The >three that I can't identify are the following: _Markeb_ (the Hokun), which >could be one of four different stars- Alpha Pegasi, Tau Pegasi, k/Kappa1 >Puppis or x Velorum; _Ensis_ (the Hlaka); and _Dorsum_ (the Mihalli). If you >happen to remember what these equate to I'd be interested to know. Can't help you much with star systems because my memory is no longer what it used to be; I *think* the Hokun originally came from Alpha Pegasi, but their dominions extended into other systems nearby as well. My original formulation of these races' home systems was based upon a 1940's vintage star-book that I no longer possess. I don't even recall the title. Now I have a software astronomical application; if it shows these star systems, I'll let you know. Regards, Phil ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: http://nexus.prin.edu or ftp://nexus.prin.edu Available 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down, or unavailable. //439 [Moderator's Note: Shawn Bond asks about Baron Ald and the Yan Koryani, ] [ tomb robbing, and also about Non-humans and their magic.] >I would like to enquire of Prof. Barker about the Yan Koryani presence >in Jakalla during the (very brief) time that Ald was "First General of the >Empire." Did Ald send Yan Koryani troops to garrison Jakalla during his >appointment as First General? If so, about how many? Who was their >commanding officer (was he or she a Yan Kor native or one of Dhichune's >lackeys)? And finally (on this subject) what happend to the garrison >following Dhichune's attempt to kill Ald? Did the garrison do as well as >its fellows in Bey Su? Ald did not send any Yan Koryani units to Jakalla during his tenure as First General. He had with him about 100 of his own personal guard, and Dhich'une supplied the rest of Ald's "bodyguard" (who were guarding Ald as much as they were guarding Ald's opponents). One of Ald's old friends, mentioned in one of the pieces in "Adventures on Tekumel," vol. 3, I think, commanded the entourage. It was all done smoothly and without public fanfare. I can't quite recall all the details now and don't have instant access to my notes on the events. >I just recently started up a Tekumel campaign, in which I elected to start >the players (who have never experienced Tekumel before, but were quite >intriqued about it after hearing my countless "rantings and ravings") as >members of the temple of Sarku of Jakalla during 2364. All are about >mid-level rank in the temple hierarchy, relatively capable in their fields >(priests, wizards, and temple guards), showing the adequate amount of >promise to bring themselves to the attention of the temple leaders. In >this instance, I decided to have three temple figures (a high ritual >priestess, a senior commandant, and the lord adept) formulate a plan to >better themselves and their temple in the eyes of the newly "crowned" >Emperor. They elected to "retrieve" tomb loot and grave goods from none >other than the tomb of Nereshanbo. Now comes my question. Would the >priesthood of Sarku (at least this little aspect of the temple) contrive >to plunder a tomb complex of another Change temple adherent? The Temple of Sarku would be horrified to learn of tomb looting. The looters would be impaled or worse, and the loot would be ceremoniously restored to the tomb. All except any amounts quietly confiscated by the Temple. Looting of tombs is a no-no, even for the Temples of Sarku and Durritlamish -- *especially* for those temples! No motive or goal is really so compelling that this law could be broken with impunity. The thieves must be be brought to justice -- and it would not be beyond the Temple of "arrange" for a little pillaging and then bring the culprits before the temple courts! This might seem hypocritical and dishonest to us, but the Tsolyani are usually able to see the "nobility" or "ignobility" of the long-term goals. >I considered >that the temple heads would very much like to retrieve the (obviously) >fabulous wealth contained in the tomb in order to make a sizeable >contribution to the new Emperor's treasurey (let's face it, with civil war >then brewing, the new Emperor should be grafeful for any wealth to be had). This is true, but there are those in the Temple who would do everything in their power to see to it that the emperor never learned whence this wealth came from! >Also, I though that the temple heads would have a "me first" attitude >about plundering such a tomb. They wouldn't dare -- openly. >I leaked a rumor to the players that the >temple of Ksarul, perhaps even some members of the Ndalu clan, were also >considering reinvesting the tomb wealth to more immediate concerns. Better >to get it first, so the Sarku priests think! All true, but none of this could ever be brought into the open. The Temple of Ksarul would retaliate against any such besmirching of their noble dignity and reputation. >I also used the argument >given in "Man of Gold", where the priest of Belkhanu states that the >deceased one's soul has completed its transition through the Isles of >Teretane and has passed beyond after 1,340 (give or take) years. >Nereshando had passed away about 640 AS, which is more than enough time. A good argument -- and about as effective as it was in "Man of Gold." Most folk see right through such rationalisations. >The worm lords further added that the presence of a shrine to their Lord of >Carrion within the tomb further strengthen their ties to any treasures >contained therein. Is something like this possible (in Tsolyani eyes)? It's another rationalisation. Nobody would be fooled -- which doesn't stop people from saying it and pretending they believe it. >And as a last (but not least) question; could Phil give some descriptions >of the kind of magics that the Enemies of Man use? The Ssu are said to be >very sorcerously inclined, and are very adept at using the Energies from >the Planes Beyond. What kinds of spells do the Ssu utilize? Rather similar to human spells in effect, though the mechanics are different somewhat. I cannot go into details, nor would that be either useful or reasonable here. I have always just used the same human spells for the nonhumans to avoid proliferation and confusion -- after all, the very names of these spells are all in Ssu chiming or Hluss growling and hissing. The mechanics of Other Planar power and the bringing through of energy to mould it here into matter or power are the same; details differ. There are some interesting nonhuman spells, though: e.g. last night one of the players was afflicted with a powerful nonhuman spell that did nothing more than cause his left hand to turn bright golden yellow. This yellow colour then began to spread slowly up his arm. Since he is a priest of Dlamelish, he felt that this hue was fdecidedly wrong for him, and he strove to get rid of it in every way he could. His human disenchantment spells all failed, and the colour kept spreading slowly. Finally his comrades got him up the time line to the College at the End of Time, where a Tinaliya (one K'kes, whom some may recall with pleasure, others with loathing) managed to disenchant him with a specifically Tinaliya spell. I suggest that people "wing it" with their nonhuman spellcasters. Keep a record of the spells you invent and use, so you can repeat them in your games. Please don't expect them to become "authentic Tekumel" -- just enjoy! Maybe some time we can get around to codifying them. Most useful spell effects, I have found, are already in the Tekumel spell corpus, although all the nonhuman details are still to be worked out. >manifestations do their spells take (fireballs, bolts of crackling blue >energy, sickly roiling walls of greenish-yellow gasses that dissolve >flesh)? Lovely. You have some of the basic ideas precisely. >Perhaps if Phil could give a few examples of the kinds of spells >that the Ssu have used against players in his own campaign world (I'm >thinking along the lines of an excellent article concerning Tinaliya magic >in an Imperial Courier). There are lots of such spells. Most are similar to human spells, or else are harmless spells that do odd things. We still have a player character whose left leg below the knee looks and feels like metal, like a robot's leg. It feels normal to him, but he wonders why he clanks heavily on his left foot when he walks... (Again a dirty trick played by a nonhuman character who was wearing the guise of a human at the time) About all I can do for now... Regards, Phil //440 {Moderator's Note: Lisa Leutheuser asks about Princess Ma'in. ] >What is Princess Ma'in's birthday? According to the Golden Book, Princess Ma'in Kruthai was born on the 24th of Drenggar, 2334 A. S. She herself disputes this. It would be impolite to press her -- or the priesthoods or her court scribes -- for more information. She perhaps wishes to be thought younger than she actually is -- a common feature of many societies, both here and on Tekumel. Youth = marriageability. 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. //441 [Moderator's Note: Whoo! I have never rated a message before, and I am not ] [ starting, but this message covers some topics that might ] [ offend some. Some of the info contained is a bit tough ] [ to swallow, if you'll forgive the pun... :-/ Read on ] [ with care. Richard Martin asks about Cannibalism on ] [ Tekumel and in Tsolyanu specifically. Phil answers and ] [ then provides us even more "interesting" information. ] Most Tsolyani and others in the Five Empires do not practice cannibalism, even of the ritual, symbolic kind, such as Christians do on Sunday mornings when they consume wafers and wine as the "flesh and blood of Christ"). There are some sacrifices where priests and laity eat fruits and parts of sacrificial flowers as parts of rituals, but these are not considered to be stand-ins for human (or other) bodies or organs. Most temples that sacrifice human beings (e.g. Vimuhla, Karakan) do not consume the bodies, although one ritual of Vimuhla includes dancing in the flayed skin of heroic warriors who have been sacrificed. The body itself is consumed in the Sacred Flame.Of the temples, only two have real cannibalism: (1) Chiteng: in the ritual of the Gushing Forth of the Flame, performed annually at Chene Ho, Fasiltum, and a few other places, certain classes of priests consume certain portions of their victims (as many as 10 or 20 at a time) to increase their power. Hearts, male sexual organs, biceps, and thigh muscles are roasted with spices and served just like other dishes. These dishes are not shared with the laity, and the feast is held within the walls of the temple and is accompanied by rhythmic, wailing music, cymbals, drums, and clashing metal finger-rings. Special hymns are sung, and youths ands maidens, nude except for orange-red body paint, masked helmets, and other jewellery, dance wildly until they fall down foaming at the mouth. ------ [Moderator's Note: Bob Alberti apparently asked a further question on this ] [ ritual, probably for inclusion in Mitlanyal. ] Bob asked me when this ceremony occurs. I add this information below: >What date/time of year does this usually take place? Late summer: 18th of Halir, unless the green moon, Gayel, is full. Then it is postponed until the next new moon (Kashi). Phil ------ (2) Hrihayal: the 33rd Aspect, named Nukher (accent on the "e,") who is called Atalen (accent on the second "e") in the Inner Mysteries, is the patroness of both necrophilia and cannibalism. She is described in the "Scroll of Kurritlen the Endurer" as a slim, pale, sensuous girl with very long hair. She is portrayed as nude except for bracelets and a collar of emeralds and silver. She has pointed, razor-sharp teeth that are inlaid with emeralds or jade. She is regularly worshipped in special shrines deep within the temples, particularly those in Jakalla, Penom, and Katalal (yes, staid old Katalal!) where only special devotees are allowed to attend her ceremonies. During her orgies, it is said that she appears as a fearsome, alien creature, from whom her victims cannot flee. These sacrifices are eaten alive, limb by limb, but it is said that they perish in the throes of unendurable ecstasy. Her sacrifices are not frequent, nor are they widely publicised. Others in the Five empires may well have cannibalistic rites -- e.g. the Mad Ones of Hlikku in Yan Kor. The jungle tribes of Rannalu are rumoured to eat visitors, and the peoples of the deep jungles of M'morcha are known to consume the bodies of those slain by puff- spiders, whose poison adds a delicate flavour that cannot be matched -- and is not then poisonous! Of the nonhumans, the Shen are widely famed for eating slaves, criminals, and even their own children, if they are naughty. You might read the article, "The Splendour of Shenyu," published in "The Tekumel Journal," no. 1, and republished in "The Best of the Journals I." I am reminded of a Shen official who visited a Tsolyani merchant's house in Shenyu. The host introduced his son, a boy of 10 or so and instructed him to "entertain our visitor and offer him some snacks" while he himself went off to see to the lunch. When he returned, the Tsolyani found the Shen munching on the last of the poor lad's bones and extracting the marrow! The Shen then remarked, "Your hospitality is far better than that offered by any other human. You may ask whatever commercial favours you wish. I shall see that they are granted!" [Moderator's Note: This is Rich's initial question. ] >I am interested in the Tsolyani attitude to cannibalism. In S&G >there is reference to the Hlaka burial custom of eating the dead >which seems to be accepted by Tsolyani visitors as distastefull but >no more so than any other foreign custom, is this a reasonable >interpretation. Additionally with the huge diversity of cults, secret >soceities and miscellaneous organised wierdo's (by contemporary >standards) within Tsolyanu it seems a good bet that one of them is >involved in ritual cannibalism. Is cannibalism a crime within the >five empires, how is it viewed. Most Tsolyani consider cannibalism highly distateful. It is not done in polite society, and only those who perform the rituals of the temples noted above engage in it. The Concordat protects those priests of Chiteng and Hrihayal whose doctrines require it. A person who ate another human for non-religious reasons would be shunned, and the clan of his victim would demand either his death or else much Shamtla (blood-money). If he continued this practice, his own clan would have him imprisoned or quietly slain. (This is a frequent method of dealing with those who commit "sex crimes," "perversions," etc. that are not religiously sanctioned. To take another example, the practice of coprophagy (consumption of excrement) is forbidden, except in the rituals of another of Hrihayal's Aspects, Okokh the Consumer," described in "The Book of Slow Substances." Ritual priests of this Aspect are considered socially quite acceptable, except when performing their rituals in the shrine of their Aspect. A few noble devotees of Lady Hrihayal occasionally invite such priests to appear at their parties, but this is more to add a smidgin of sensationalism to their entertainments than out of religious zeal. Last year at the ceremony of Rejoicing Before the Seal, a troop of coprophages asked to perform their rituals, just as the servitors of other deities were to show theirs. Thus, the hierophants of Thumis sang their hymns; Hnalla's group created brilliant displays of light and dazzle; Karakan's warriors did a sword-dance with flashing blades; etc. -- and Hrihayal's little band displayed their predilections to all with predictable results... >The reason behind this questioning is that just last month I started >up a new tekumel campaign with some very experienced role players >who were unfamiliar with the setting. As is traditional I started >them up as barbarians recently brought to Jakalla (as slaves). Now to >give them something to focus on, and to convince them to adopt >different cultural mores to their own I fleshed out an outline of >the polynesian style culture they came from, island paradise, war >canoes, big chiefs, high incidence of psycic talents, powerfull >shamans, raiding parties to other islands and ritual cooking and >eating of captives........................ Sounds a little like the islanders of the Naqsai coasts, far down to the southwest of Livyanu. >Of course now they insist on ritually butchering and eating any foes >they meet, and although they are still outside the bounds of Tsolyani >soceity they will eventually run into it in an inevitable culture >shock and I was looking for some input as to how the Tsolyani might >react. Most Tsolyani will react with distaste and avoidance, if not worse. The newcomers are not citizens and their rites and actions are not protected either by the Concordat or by Imperial law. Immediate hostility may be evinced by anyone, thus, but only those whose friends and relations have been just been consumed may instantly call for the ultimate penalty. Cultural diversity is so ingrained and widespread in Tsolyani society that one can get away with almost anything by saying "it's my religion." This is restricted largely to Tsolyani citizens and to those whose religious doctrines are ancient and familiar: i.e. the 20 Deities of Pavar's pantheon. Thus, human sacrifices by devotees of Vimuhla and Karakan are politely not mentioned by worshippers of Thumis or Avanthe; but a strange deity whose followers are not Tsolyani is not likely to find such acceptance. I would thus suggest that your party might wish to travel to Shenyu and prepare both to eat and to be eaten. Otherwise, they must enter the priesthoods of Chiteng or Hrihayal, study and serve for some years, and then seek admittance to those sub-sects that enjoy rarer pastimes. Otherwise a speedy trip to the impaling stake probably awaits them. Visitors to Tekumel are advised to avoid those practices that horrify or disgust them. The society accepts a wide spectrum of diverse behaviour, and it is no more necessary for players to be exposed to perceived ugliness, cruelty, unfamiliar sexual practices, and violence than it is for every American to have to witness an execution, visit a brothel, join in a gang-rape in prison, use the services of a crack-house, etc. A game-master or referee can thus easily design a game in which almost all events and characters are well within the limits of American/European morality and permissibility. "No need to wallow in the muck," as the Tsolyani say about travelling to Haida Pakala. 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. //442 [Moderator's Note: Tekumel Con Date Change and Other News from David Cheng. ] [ Make sure you note the DATE CHANGE for the Tekumel Con! ] [ Phil noted a mistake in his last message... He corrects ] [ it below. ] >(2) Hrihayal: the 33rd Aspect, named Nukher (accent on the "e,") who > is called Atalen (accent on the second "e") in the Inner Mysteries, There is no "second e" in "Atalen." Old age befogs the brain. Put the stress on the first (and *only*) "e." Phil ------------------ Now, The Con News! THE VERY GOOD NEWS We made good progress with Tekumel-Con plans this past weekend. After weeks of trying to coordinate with the sales reps on our short list of preferred hotels, we are now 98% certain that Tekumel-Con will be held at the Minneapolis Radisson Hotel South & Plaza Tower (but please don't call them yet). I am 97% certain that we can have a contract signed by the end of the week. As promised in the promotional materials, this is the kind of hotel that will add to, not detract from, your enjoyment of the convention. THE SOMEWHAT GOOD NEWS Contrary to previous indications, we are now rescheduling Tekumel-Con for Labor Day Weekend, August 29-31, 1997. Some of you have contacted me about making travel plans early. I am sincerely sorry if this unexpected date change causes problems for any of you planning to attend. We tried to keep the June 6-9 or 13-16 weekends, but there were too many scheduling conflicts. It seems so obvious now, but it turns out that June is a big wedding month. I confess that I should have put more thought into the viability of a June date from the start. Again, mea culpa, and my apologies. THE POSITIVE SPIN ON THE DATE CHANGE There are several benefits to the date change: * I'm told the weather in Minneapolis is better in August than in June. * I'm told that Labor Day Weekend is also Minnesota State Fair and Minnesota Renaissance Fair time, so there will be extra good things to do for those of you bringing family. * Cost Savings! By going with Labor Day weekend, we can offer you a significantly cheaper room rate (expected to be $79/night). We will also get a significant discount on the cost of the meeting rooms, allowing us to charge less for registration. OTHER STUFF: SURVEY POSTCARDS Have you all sent in your survey postcards? Please do so if you haven't yet. Each response, even if you're telling me you can't attend, is worthwhile. TEKUMEL-CON NEEDS EVENTS Once the hotel contract is signed, the first order of business will be to do a mailing to all the survey respondents who indicated they would like to run an event at the con. A saintly few among you have already contacted me and submitted event descriptions - thanks! For the rest of you, please start thinking about events you might like to run. I will be contacting you soon. And of course, I'd always like to hear from new prospective GMs. THE MODIFIED TEKUMEL-LARP There was originally talk of a large Live-Action Tekumel game for the convention. While interest in this event was good, your survey results indicated that you didn't think this was something that you would want us to delay the con to prepare. Given this, we are now planning a large 40+ player, 8+ hour long, Tekumel board game, with LARP/role-play elements, as the centerpiece event of the convention. Here is the basic premise: Players are one of five types: * Clans (the majority of the players) * Religious Leaders * Political Leaders * Military Leaders (the warring Princes) * A few miscellaneous specials. The game will consist of everyone embroiled in diplomacy, intrigue, conspiracy, magical influence, economic co-dependence, and military conflict. All players will have set goals for victory, and nobody will be able to win without lots of interaction with other players. While not intended to portray Prof Barker's "real" Tekumel, the game will definitely have a good Tekumelyani feel to it. Well, that's just a teaser. Watch for the pre-registration booklet for more details. FOR MORE INFORMATION please contact: David Cheng 313 East 85th Street, Apt 2C New York, NY 10028 (212) 472-7752 [before 12 midnight EST] cheng@io.com //443 [Moderator's Note: Thomas Worthington asks about handling players who know ] [ or don't know too much about Tekumel. ] >Just how much of the knowledge which players & player characters >have about Tekumel is known to the general public of Tsolyanu? >For instance what level of society/education would be required to >know of the existence of Aircars, the tubeway system, Humanspace, >Ksarul's keys and wards, the Hokun, Urunen, Nom, The Black Ships, >the Jade Arch, The two Seals of the Imperium, the demon planes, >The Egg of the World, the artificial satellites, or to know that >Magic is not a "Godly" art but a technique which is a function of >Tekumel's plane? This depends on the educational level and degree of sophistication an individual has. Urban merchants, for example, are likely to know how to read. If they have attended a temple school, they will have heard of aircars and tubeway cars, though mostly as "locker-room tall tales." Interdimensional theory and practice are reserved for students of the higher levels of the temple academies, and even this is mostly patchwork. Opening nexus points is restricted mostly to senior students of the scholarly branches of the temples, but a lot of city people know that this can be done, much as I know that open heart surgery is being performed, but I don't have a clue how one does it. Matters such as Humanspace, the Nom, the Hokun, the Black Ships, artificial satellites, etc. are much less known. The general populace may have heard vague rumours of some of these, but have no real knowledge. There are, however, lots of superstitions, tall tales, travellers' fables, chicanery, and sheer nonsense which everybody knows. People tell me the world is round, but I do not have the astronomical knowledge or skills to demonstrate this to anybody. I recall once in the deserts of Baluchistan some people pooh-poohed this idea and said that I ought not to tell silly tales like this unless I could prove them. Acording to Islamic tradition, they said, the earth is flat, with paradises layered above it. I later discovered that the Qur'an does *not* say this but has a much wider point of view than the Bible does. At the time, I was quite helpless to give demonstrable reasons for the idea that the world is round. Maybe it isn't, really ... :-) The Jade Arch and the Seals of the Imperium are more widely known. They are taught as doctrine in every academy and school in the Empire. Kasrul's Keys and Wards are known as legends, and the Temple of Ksarul teaches a sort of catechism about them that most young worshippers know. This has spread to students of other deities as well, although the details are fuzzy and full of inaccuracies. The Egg of the World is just a legend to most folk. Few believe in its reality. Few people believe in the physical existence of the Undying Wizards (Thomar, Subadim, etc.) Very few have heard of the College at the End of Time. After all, who could take such old fables seriously? Magic and the Gods exist; no one really knows their true nature. The reasons why magic works are known to a small number of scholars. The academies teach various levels of "theoretical" courses, which contain some truth and some conjecture -- rather like this world... Rural people, peasants, lower class city folk, inhabitants of remote nations, etc. are all less aware of these things to greater or lesser degrees. One cannot walk into a village in Tsolyanu and start chatting about tubeway cards and other-planar travel, for example. In remote Rannalu, you would be lucky if anybody would even listen to you! The sun is the Eye of a wrathful god in some locales, while the moon is the same eye but asleep. >These are all things which have interested the Blue Room members >and GM's in general over the years but now, with the advent of >Gardasiyal, the question of just what is widespread knowledge is >prompted since in these rules the players are assumed to have some >knowledge of may of these topics. Personally, when running Tekumel >I have always assumed that almost all of these things are hidden from >99% of the population, but this appears to be wrong or is it just that >the new rules, dealing with the upper levels of society and education >gives a skewed picture of these things. You are almost correct, as said above. The new rules deal with things most Tekumelani do not know. "Gardasiyal" is for the referee; players must pretend ignorance -- just as a player in an ancient Roman game must pretend that he is not aware of the circulation of the blood. >Just what would the merchant-in-the-street's reaction be to being >told that his clanhouse is built over an old tubeway station that >connects to the Unstraighted City? "Oh, one of those things." "A >what to where?" "You are mad!"? It is distantly possible that he might be familiar with tubeway stations. He might have heard vague fables about the Unstraightened City -- "There be Dragonnes there" -- but he would not have any real knowledge of any of this. >Of course, I've never run a game with players who had even heard of >Tekumel before I brought the subject up so perhaps I've been in a >position to GM "ignorant" player characters that other haven't. What >about others on the list, do you reveal the secrets slowly or give >new players a rundown on the "real" background before they start? Most players *still* do not know much about the *real* secrets of Tekumel. I let everybody find things out slowly -- with lots of red herrings along the way. >Are your experienced players good enough role players to play characters >who have no idea what's going on or do you find such playing gets in >the way of high-level intrigue? They try hard. Some keep saying, "I could tell you, but I am nothing but an illiterate warrior" (or what-have-you). They frequently step outside of the game in order to discuss a new item of theoretical interest. I also stop and listen, add hints, etc. but I don't run all the screts past people like a general giving a briefing. [Moderator's Note: I can vouch for the above.... I have tried to glean bits] [ of information from him numerous times, and it is darn ] [ near impossible -- until he is ready to divulge it. ] Regards, Phil ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room's FTP site: http://nexus.prin.edu or ftp://nexus.prin.edu Available 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down, or unavailable. //444 [Moderator's Note: Kenji Schwarz wrote an interesting message about Aridani ] [ and how he sees the institution. I forwarded it to the ] [ Professor and he commented on it. ] [ Special Note: I have finished editing the 1st part of ] [ the Sourcebook and will start on the middle soon. Then ] [ I'll need some time to do layout work, and we'll release.] [ Sorry it has taken so long, but hopefully it will be ] [ worth it. (As you know, I have already done part 3.) ] Legend > = Kenji = Professor Barker >It seems to me that the day-to-day realities of Aridani status would vary >very considerably depending which part of Tsolyanu is being considered. >The north, we're told, is not only matrilineal, but matriarchal, >uxorilocal, and bride price-paying, like Yan Kor and points more distant. >The south is patrilineal and patriarchal, with virilocal residence after >marriage, dowries, etc.. The actual geographical meaning of these terms >"north" and "south" isn't spelled out anywhere that I find, though, so >there's a lot of room for interpretation. FWIW, I sort of imagine the >"isobar" running from Tu'unmra - Meku - Mrelu - Tsuru - Thri'il; everthing >north of this is "northern" with regard to gender norms. Thus, most of >Tsolyanu is "southern" in my head. I honestly can't tell from published >material whether "the north" (in this context) refers to Yan Kor, Saa >Allaqi, non-tribal Milumanaya (etc.) only, or whether it also includes >northern *Tsolyanu*. Professor Barker? Anyway, all of what I say below is >meant to refer only to "the south." It is hard to spell out something that has no clear fixed boundaries or demarcation lines. Yes, matrilineal (etc.) power lies largely in the north, including parts of northern Tsolyanu: Chene Ho, Si'is, Thri'il, Aukesha, and over near to Fasiltum (where male dominance is more pervasive). Matrilineal supremacy is powerful in the farther north: Yan Kor, Milumanaya, and over into Sa'a Allaqi. In Ghaton, on the other hand, a woman is lucky to be kept in a stable and fed slop! The Yan Koryani consider this practice as barbarous as do the Tsolyani. There is thus a delicate shading from South to North -- not a clear-cut frontier. Some clanhouses in Khirgar are traditionally run by older women, as in Yan Kor; others are male-dominated; still others have "in-between" structures. It is very hard to be more precise without some serious anthropological fieldwork of the sort one might expect of American/European researchers. I have tended to make broad generalisations in the context of a game, where players' interest and the number of pages one can publish are both limited. >In the "southern" cultural sphere, non-Aridani women have practically no >role in public life: she is not considered a legal person ("e.g., a >clanswoman cannot be sued, and any legal action involving her must be >directed against her clan instead" [Swords & Glory Sourcebook, vol. 1, p68 >(Different Worlds ed.)]), has no formal status in clan governance, >apparently cannot own property, join a priesthood, military unit, or the >imperial bureaucracy, or inherit land or capital. Apparently women cannot >hold the old noble titles ("Baron," "Count," etc.) even in the north -- >while they are inherited through the female *line*, they're held by men [v2 >p25]. Children she might have that are fathered by a slave are legally not >hers, but property of the father's owner [v2 p28]. There also exists for >her -- alone -- the expectation of marital fidelity [v1 p70], and she is >cause for lesser celebration at birth [v1 p77]. The difference between all >this and the famous Ghatoni attitude towards women is mostly one of >civility. And, of course, that Aridani status does not exist in Ghaton. All of this is true, although there are significant mitigating factors as well. A non-Aridani woman may still have influence through her relatives, just as women do in some strata of both Hindu and Muslim India. Having lived much of my adult life in a marriage with a lovely lady from eastern India, I can tell you categorically that female subservience just ain't what it's knocked up to be! >It's also explicitly stated that prejudice exists against Aridani as >marriage partners: "[M]any of the more traditional men will not mary an >Aridani woman, preferring the presumedly greater domesticity of the 'good >clan-girl.'" [v1 p68] -- and isn't *everyone* on Tekumel >"traditional-minded"? Not everyone, by any means! Some males prefer a less active role; others see benefits in having a wife who holds a good job, who is active in civic/political affairs, and who is often better educated than a non-Aridani partner. >Given that "[b]etrothals are often finalized >before the nuptial pair is five years old -- and in some cases even before >they are born," combined with the pervasive and powerful clan >power-structure, it seems that a girl who declares herself Aridani is very >likely to disrupt a pre-arranged marriage -- if not enough to break the >betrothal, at least enough to cause unhappiness on the groom's side and, >one imagines, a need for her own family/lineage/branch to "sweeten the pot" >with additional dowry or other considerations. This sometimes *does* happen, certainly. It also happens that a childhood-arranged betrothal breaks down for other reasons. But in a society in which people are less individualistic and more group-minded, it also happens that neither the future bride or the groom has any real feelings about the marriage, and similar education and upbringing produce mates who are mutually substituable. So, if Miss A goes off, becomes an Aridani, and joins the army, Miss B, her clan-sister may be just as suitable as a prospective wife. The concept of single-minded monogamous "love" is less common in Tsolyanu. Husbands and wives often live in larger joint-family (clan) arrangements, where both partners have access to friends of their own preference, to older and younger relatives, and to other mates (which is not much frowned upon). Where an American/European is expected (ideally, anyway!) to maintain a monogamous relationship and where the partners must fulfill many roles -- mother/father, brother/sister, business colleague, sports colleague, hobby-colleague, etc., the Tsolyani family group provides separate persons within the same household to fulfill certain of these roles. This takes some of the pressure off of the individual: e.g. if a person is great in bed and good at family care, he/she may not be good at all in keeping up with the sports interests of his/her mate. A lack of shared interests here may be a cause for alienation and eventual divorce, whereas on Tekumel the sports-minded spouse can get support and companionship from others in the clan, while enjoying the non-sports-minded spouse's other talents. >The description of Aridanification sounds as though an Aridani is accorded >explicitly male status: "A female has only to declare before witnesses >that she has become an Aridani in order to receive all of the perquisites >of a man. She is then 'a person in the eyes of the law.' Although an >Aridani woman still belongs to her clan, it has no more control over her >than it does over its masculine members [sic :) ], and she may participate >in its affairs just as her male relatives do." [v1 p68]. This is all true. No one can deny that males take precedence in Tsolyani society. As in many cultures, however, there are degrees of interpretation and other circumstances that make a simple characterisation rather less than useful. >It's also mentioned, though, that it is "uncommon to find even senior >Aridani women being elected Clan-Elders" [v2 p78], which suggesting that >there's a "glass ceiling" for Aridani women even in the only semi-public >institution of the clan -- which is arguably the most *important* >institution in Tsolyani society and culture. Again, true. So Gloria Steinem and Germaine Greer might not be happy campers on Tekumel. I have never argued that Tekumel is (or should be) "politically correct." It is considerably *more* politically correct than mediaeval European society (remember chastity belts?), or Japanese society, or various others -- but this is all irrelevant to Tekumel. Do I sense a constant desire in some quarters to cast Tekumel (and other games, books, movies, etc.) in one's own terms and apply one's own societal standards to things for which they were never intended? >On the other hand, a whopping 15-20% of the Tsolyanu's women are estimated >to be Aridani. One idea that occurs to me as to why clans or clan segments >might encourage Aridani-ism among its members is that it allows the >possibility for a woman's children to remain in the clan. If the clan is >short on manpower this may be an attractive way to keep people (and >dowries?) in the clan. A lack of male heirs might also lead to a >family/lineage/branch of a clan pushing a woman *into* Aridani status to >keep the line going... although since adopting outsiders into the clan as >new members is possible, adopting *children* is presumably an even simpler >solution. All of what you say is true. The usual reason given by the Tsolyani, however, is that an Aridani woman can attain a more prestigious job that pays better and offers more opportunities to influence matters for her clan. Since wealthier people tend to have servants and/or slaves, the fact that an Aridani woman goes off to work does not materially affect cooking, housekeeping, child-rearing, and other tasks. >Anyway, what I mean to be saying with all this is that I personally find it >difficult to believe that there is *not* prejudice in Tsolyanu against >Aridani women on a muted but perceptible level. Given the high degree of >male dominance in society, I can't quite picture people easily according >*some* women equal privilege and rights as men, simply because they've >declared themselves to have those rights and duties (but can renounce them >at their discretion and retreat to the security of 'good clan-girl' >status). You are probably correct here, at least to some extent. *Overt* prejudice is quite uncommon, but there is almost certainly a sense of "difference" between males and Aridani women, with some prejudice to the latter. >I sort of imagine Aridani status to be like "religious freedom" in the >United States -- sure, it's ancient and traditional and, actually, a >fundamental element in national historical mythology -- but in practice, >there is a definite mainstream (Protestant Christianity) *within* which >freedom is permitted, but outside of which there is very considerable >religious intolerance. I know what you mean, being myself a member of a different faith. Even so, I doubt whether prejudice against Aridani women on Tekumel is as strong, as overt, and as difficult to overcome as was the case, for example, between Protestant Christians and Jews in earlier times in the United States. It may be more like the prejudice once held by "nice people" against unmarried mothers earlier in this century in the United States. Male supremacy there certainly is -- your "glass ceiling," for example -- but I cannot recall a case of violence or even really nasty words spoken against an Aridani woman. >In the version of Tekumel I played in and GMed in, Aridani status was >considerably less common (no more than 5-10% of the female population of >Tsolyanu), tended to be found more in urban areas and among "middle-class" >or higher clans, and involved more of a "lifetime commitment" -- harder to >back out of. I'll agree to your statement that Aridani status is more common in urban areas and middle or higher class society. I am not sure of the exact percentage of Aridani versus non-Aridani women, nor am I very certain about a "lifetime commitment." It *is* a lifetime commitment for many Aridani, but there are some who seem to tire of it and drift back into traditional non-Aridani roles. Your perception is just as good as mine here. These matters are complex and wide open to interpretation. They change from person to person, clan to clan, place to place, and time to time. I thus tend to say, "It's your Kaitar... Spend it or save it, as you will!" 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. //445 [Moderator's Note: David Allan and Paul Roser remembered some other refer- ] [ ences to cannibalism and other practices on Tekumel. ] [ Sorry for the quiet period. I have made another quick pass on the ] [ Sourcebook, and will begin the layout process. It may take some time ] [ as work has become very heavy for the next 2 or 3 weeks, and I am at ] [ the point where I am in a panic about doing my taxes. So, until 4/15 ] [ things might be more spotty than ususal. Sorry about that! Stick ] [ with us, cause the Sourcebook is closer than it has ever been! I will] [ be sending messages today, and some questions out for Phil to answer ] [ along with back messages to new members. ] [David Writes... ] Expanding on this theme, I can recall other mentions of cannibalism in the Five Empires: 1) In "A Merchant's Tale" (in JTA #2 I think) the narrator is offered a tidbit of Yan Koryani heart by his new Nlyss friends. 2) The rituals Tsa'avtulgu's patron Black Qarqa are said to encompass homophagy. 3) In "Flamsong" Prince Ridek and his fellow POWs fear being fed to the Sarku worshipping troops beseiging Pu'er. (With Dhich'une now emporer is this likely to become standard field rations for the Tsolyani army?) On another subject, I got Hammerton's "Wonders of the Past" this evening through inter library loan. Though a bit out of date in spots (e.g. Piltdown Man mentioned other than as a hoax) overall its great! Thanks again for pointing it out. -- [Paul Writes... ] I read the posting about cannibalism on Tekumel with great interest. Although the topic is rather (OK, very) grisly, there is something fascinating about it. I have occasionally used cannibalism in some of my adventures, and I think it is often considered a mark of a "barbaric" culture. I seem to recall that cannibalism (as well as necrophilia!) is a part of the cult practices of Black Qarqa in Salarvya. Am I wrong in assuming that at least one of the Shadow Gods of Livyanu also incorporates this practice into their ritual (assuming that it may only pertain to a specific aspect as with Chiteng and Hrihayal)? Is any of this info likely to be covered in _Mitlanyal_, or is TOME likely to consider it too risque/over-the-top? (Considering the reputation FRPGs have in some quarters of society, I would understand their concern -- even though I feel it is unfounded.) [Moderator's Note: Bob will have to speak to this. What do you say, Bob? ] Regards, Paul ----- 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. //446 [Moderator's Note: Lisa expands on her question about Ma'in's birthday, and ] [ the Professor provides some background on gift giving ] [ traditions on Tekumel. ] >My character Shekkara has found herself in the unfortunate position >of having received a birthday gift from Princess Ma'in, and I've >been assuming that politeness would require Shekkara to give a gift >to the princess on her birthday. >Please let me know if Tsolyani custom and politeness with respect >to birthdays differs from what I've been assuming. About the appropriateness of gift giving: Gift-giving is rather different in Tsolyanu than it is here on Terra. The person who is higher in clan, wealth, and/or position may distribute gifts to "lower" persons as a way of displaying his/her power and prestige. The lower person may respond with thanks and humble obeisance -- but does not necessarily have to respond with a gift in kind. This is especially true of people whose social differences are very wide, such as an Imperial Princess versus a non-Imperial (no matter how high in clan,etc.) It is considered "noble" for a noble to hand out expensive gifts; the lower person replies with thanks, by composing a poem in the noble's honour, by giving the noble something unique that the noble may desire (i.e. not just a box of chocolates or a striped tie!). In many cases it would be considered downright presumptious for a lower person even to offer a gift: rather like me sending a box of candy to Rockefeller or Trump! Instead of showing "class," this would probably be interpreted as "cheek." Among social equals, gifts are indeed appropriate. A small and unique token of esteem is quite proper between people whose clans are fairly close together, or who share the a similar business or political level. Even here, a polite note, beautifully calligraphed by a professional artist-scribe, would be seen as very suitable. One does give gifts to family members on their birthdays and other occasions. These do not have to large or expensive, but they must show taste. You can't just hand somebody a printed card and a box of poor- quality candy -- unless you both belong the same rather low social level. One must use one's imagination and knowledge of the recipient's tastes and interests. A box of flannel shorts would not be much welcomed by a clan-brother or father, whereas a tiny clay statue of a dancing frog might be much admired by one whose interests ran to collecting antiques. Play by ear. Don't be ostentatious. Think of the other party's actual likes and dislikes. Since there are few holidays when everybody in the society feels it incumbent to offer gifts (like Terran Christmas), you can take your time and relax -- no last minute Christmas shopping for 60 people! 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. //447 [Moderator's Note: Ron Reed asks about the link between the Ssu and Hluss. ] Legend * = My comments when submitting the question to Phil. > = Ron's question = Phil's response *This question came in about the Ssu and Hluss. You have never really said *anything more than they they are "cousins" biologically and that Ssu were *masters of land, and Hluss were masters of the sea when man first came to *Tekumel. Any other info? >Hello. I have long been curious as to the degree of relation between >the Ssu and Hluss. Are they closely related genetically? Is there >any knowledge of social relations between them? Ron Reed There is not a lot of information. I have never really explored Ssu or Hluss culture because the critters are so bitterly hostile. They are not *close* relatives, that's for sure. They are not as close as humans and gorillas or chimapnzees, for instance. They *may* be as close as humans and dolphins -- I just don't know. I am not a zoologist and hence have only the common man's knowledge of this sort of topic. There are apparently relations between the Ssu and the Hluss, although no human knows just how much. It is said that the Ssu have representatives on the big Hluss island, and there may well be Hluss in Ssuyal. They have been seen to cooperate with one another when they meet outside of their separate enclaves, but instances of this are rather few. It is hard to say. It is indeed clear that these two species do not speak the same "language," nor do they mate or share various other relationships. Not much help. Sorry! 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. //448 [Moderator's Note: The following campaign idea comes from Delbert Jackson. ] [ He asks a couple of questions up front that you may want ] [ to answer Phil. I can only guess that He Who Has No Tail] [ is what is known as the Beast Without a Tail in Ebon ] [ Bindings, or are we talking of something else? ] It was suggested to me that I should submit this to the Blueroom. This is my first submission, so I hope this is the type of thing that you accept. Here are the two things that I would like you to consider. Do you know any information about The Ruins of N'gala, (near Jakalla)? Do you know anything about "He Who Has No Tail"? I was thinking to have an adventure based on "He Who Has No Tail". The original rule book said "the curious city of Hmakuyal (hex 3708) where dwells He Who Has No Tail, the subject of many ancient and terrible legends;" >Seems like he/she/it formed the Milumanayanan Desert and might've had >something to do with Hrugga and the Egg of the World. The way it would start is by one of the players eating a basketball looking jello like fruit/egg. Once it's cut anyone who smells it can't keep from tasting it or stop eating it once they start. (The smell of a damaged egg has to be rolled against or the victim will have to have a taste. Once it's cut/damaged anyone who smells it can't keep from eating it, unless they are 'final stage'.) This would cause the eater to be transformed into a tadpole looking creature. At this point if they 'Remove Curse' they can regain their form. Otherwise the person has an addiction that requires them to eat some of an egg at least once a month and even with remove curse they are unable to talk about anything having to do with "HWHNT". This is a very strong mind bar. Afterwards some robed priests come to 'transport' them to the Temple of He Who Has No Tail. At the temple the player is dumped into one of the many canals within the temple complex. The smell of more eggs will draw them into the main pool. After they eat another entire egg they will regrow arms. At this main pool is "He Who Has No Tail". At random times once a week the statue of "HWHNT" will fill with "HWHNT"s spirit and it will leap into the pool and eat a worshiper. After eating a worshiper "HWHNT" will lay more eggs and return to statue form. After an entire third egg is eaten the player will regrow legs. During this time they can't resist the smell of the eggs. After the fourth egg they lose their tail and can leave the temple. The player still has the addiction that requires them to eat an egg at least once a month and they are still unable to talk about anything having to do with "HWHNT". This is a very very strong mind bar. If they don't recruit new 'worshipers' then when they go back to eat an egg they will eventually be caught and eaten themselves. The more worshipers there are the less chance you will be the one eaten however, the less eggs will be available to be eaten. If an egg is not eaten the person will lose a hit point a week permanently until an egg is eaten, at which time they will heal normally. The final stage victim can transport back into the main pool at any time, from any distance, while bringing anything mansized or less that is not metal. [Moderator's Note: Once a month seems a bit excessive to me. ] "He Who Has No Tail" can't be harmed on this plane! This idea would lock players into a plot that would drive them throughout the game. I'm not sure the ability to always transport to the temple would make them feel better. But, always having a way to bailout of a bad situation could be very valuable. > As long as HWHNT ain't at home. So don't take fruit from a stranger! Delbert ----- 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. //449 [Moderator's Note: David Cheng needs people to run events. Here is his ] [ request. Be sure to reply to cheng@io.com ] Blue Room Subscribers: Below is the text of a letter that is going out to the people who responded to the postcard survey as potential gamemasters for Tekumel-Con. If you'd like to run an event, we'd love to have you! = = = = = DEAR POTENTIAL TEKUMEL-CON GAMEMASTER OR ARTIST, Because you were kind enough to volunteer to GM at Tekumel-Con on the postcard survey, you're getting this special mailing with updated convention information. NEW DATE The convention date has now been finalized; it will be on Labor Day weekend, AUGUST 29-31, 1997. Please note the difference from the target date of June 6-9 that we previously announced. We apologize if this causes you any inconvenience. COSTS We have contracted with the Radisson South, in Minneapolis, to provide rooms and meeting space for the con. As promised in the previous announcements, this is a hotel that will add to, not detract from, your enjoyment of the convention. We're also getting a better deal by holding the con on Labor Day weekend (a big part of the reason for the date change). Rooms are $79 (plus 12.5% taxes - ouch) per night. Full booking information will be released with the pre-registration booklet. Registration fees for the convention will be $50 for the weekend. There will be no separate event fees. We are prepared to offer a GM discount of $15 per event that you run, with a maximum discount of $30. However, we are asking that you consider waiving this discount. To be honest, our financial projections at this point show us taking over a $1,000 loss. If you are able to waive the discount, it would help. In return we'll make this promise: if we end up making more money than expected, Gamemasters will be refunded the GM discount after the con. We're taking steps to keep costs down, but none that will prevent Tekumel-Con from being one of the best convention experiences you'll ever have. We're offering a similar deal to people who submit Tekumel-related artwork: $15 per piece that we end up using, even if you don't attend the convention. As with GMs, you have the option of waiving this payment. To top it off, all GMs, artists and volunteers will get a free copy of the post-convention booklet. This will contain transcripts of the seminar discussions, and any other goodies we can dig up. We'll charge non- volunteers around $15 for this book. EVENT DESCRIPTIONS Please find below a slightly revised Event Description Form. Please copy it as many times as necessary and submit one for each event you'd like to run. If it's easier for you, you don't need to use this specific form. When submitting events, please be sure to include all the relevant information requested on the form. EVENT DESCRIPTION DEADLINE It may be asking a lot, but please try to get your event descriptions to David Cheng by FRIDAY, MARCH 28th. Here's the reason for such an early deadline: without events, we don't have a convention. If we need to cancel the convention because of lack of events (worst-case scenario), we need to notify the hotel by April 1st. After this date we get hit with a big cancellation fee. We'd also like to get the pre-registration booklet produced in early April, for mailing in late April. Having your event descriptions by the end of March makes this possible. Please contact David Cheng, by whatever means necessary, if you want to run an event, but can't submit the event description by March 28th. If you're not absolutely sure you can attend the con, but you're going to try, we'd suggest submitting your event descriptions now anyway. QUESTIONS? Please contact David Cheng with any questions you might have: (212) 472-7752 Home, until midnight EST (212) 769-5317 Work (it's better to call me at home, however) cheng@io.com Email Thank you for your willingness to help us organize Tekumel-Con. We look forward to your event descriptions and artwork! Sincerely, David Cheng Tekumel-Con Chair TEKUMEL-CON EVENT DESCRIPTION FORM GameMaster's Name: Address: Phone Number: Email: Game System: [ ] Role-Play [ ] Board Game [ ] Miniatures [ ] Live-Action [ ] Seminar Idea Number of Players: Name / Title of Event: Brief, catchy description for the Registration Booklet : Characters Provided? [ ] Yes [ ] No, bring your own If No, what kind of characters should be brought? Scheduling: Please rank your scheduling preferences "1", "2" & "3". Please put an "X" in any time slot that you cannot be scheduled. Slots "a" & "f" are expected to be lower-demand times. Also, please note the big 40+ player interactive board game will be scheduled to take both Saturday time slots. Write "Big Game" in the Saturday slots if you plan on playing. Friday a) 12PM-6PM _______ b) 8PM-12MID _______ Saturday c) 1PM-5:30PM _______ d) 7PM-11:30PM _______ Sunday e) 2PM-6PM _______ f) 8PM-12MID _______ Specific GM requirements (big rectangular tables for minis, etc.): [ ] I would like the $15 GM discount for running this event. [ ] I am waiving the $15 GM discount for running this event. Please return to: David Cheng 313 East 85th Street #2C New York, NY 10028 cheng@io.com //450 [Moderator's Note: Kenji Schwarz follows up on the reply to his message ] [ about Aridani status. ] Following up (belatedly) on Professor Barker's explanation of Aridani status and related issues: [I suggested that declaration of Aridani status may disrupt pre-arranged marriage agreements, and cause some (probably minor) troubles for the bride's family; the Professor responded:] >This sometimes *does* happen, certainly. It also happens that a >childhood-arranged betrothal breaks down for other reasons. But in a >society in which people are less individualistic and more group-minded, >it also happens that neither the future bride or the groom has any real >feelings about the marriage, and similar education and upbringing >produce mates who are mutually substituable. So, if Miss A goes off, >becomes an Aridani, and joins the army, Miss B, her clan-sister may be >just as suitable as a prospective wife. This raises another question, in my mind. I'm guessing that the kinship grouping that is the most important in day-to-day life and domestic affairs is an extended family of some sort -- a fragment or faction of the overall clan, in any case. Most marriages are, after all, within a single clan; there must be some sub-unit or sub-structure that one belongs to for purposes of marriage, inheritance, patronage, etc. So, are these "extended families" or "clan branches" normally large enough, in any given community, to provide adequate numbers of heirs? of marriage partners? I'm wondering what sort of pressure there might be on an individual to marry a certain person, for example, or to produce a son/daughter to perpetuate the (sub-)lineage, etc. Is it rare for there to be a lack of alternate brides/grooms/parents, or does this sort of thing happen fairly often? In game terms, at least, it seems to me that "parental" (in the loose sense of the term) pressure could be brought to bear on hapless players more often -- and _should_ be brought to bear on them -- on familial matters. Usually one only encounters clan pressure on a larger and wider scale, with regard to some public and political intrigue or concern that the PC gets tangled up in... Tekumel needs more familial oppression! Nagging parents make for good gaming! [snip] >>The description of Aridanification sounds as though an Aridani is accorded >>explicitly male status: "A female has only to declare before witnesses >>that she has become an Aridani in order to receive all of the perquisites >>of a man. She is then 'a person in the eyes of the law.' Although an >>Aridani woman still belongs to her clan, it has no more control over her >>than it does over its masculine members [sic :) ], and she may participate >>in its affairs just as her male relatives do." [v1 p68]. > >This is all true. No one can deny that males take precedence in >Tsolyani society. As in many cultures, however, there are degrees of >interpretation and other circumstances that make a simple >characterisation rather less than useful. Yes, I agree completely, and didn't intend to arrange those quotes so as to create a simplistic characterization. I am still wondering, though, how Aridani status is conceived of by the Tsolyani -- is it thought of as "being symbolically/socially male," or "being a special, third gender category distinct from both male and female gender roles," or yet something else...? [snip] >>It's also mentioned, though, that it is "uncommon to find even senior >>Aridani women being elected Clan-Elders" [v2 p78], which suggesting that >>there's a "glass ceiling" for Aridani women even in the only semi-public >>institution of the clan -- which is arguably the most *important* >>institution in Tsolyani society and culture. > >Again, true. So Gloria Steinem and Germaine Greer might not be happy >campers on Tekumel. I have never argued that Tekumel is (or should be) >"politically correct." It is considerably *more* politically correct >than mediaeval European society (remember chastity belts?), or Japanese >society, or various others -- but this is all irrelevant to Tekumel. Do >I sense a constant desire in some quarters to cast Tekumel (and other >games, books, movies, etc.) in one's own terms and apply one's own >societal standards to things for which they were never intended? Whoa, whoa! I think you might be reading more into my questions and ideas than I intended. In some respects, I think Tekumel is a little *too* PC for my own personal taste. The level of religious tolerance, (optional) gender equality, sexual freedom, relative lack of nationalism, individualistic ethic of "noble action," and so forth all add to Tekumel's unique character, and make it an even more interesting place. It's just that I can't help wondering whether in gaming practice, these characteristics I mention don't become simplistic vehicles for the id-gratification of late 20th-century Western(ized) hobbyists... myself included. Without understanding what religious freedom means in Tsolyani terms, for example, it's hard for players and GMs to avoid importing those inappropriate societal standards of their own which you mention. Hope I'm neither offending nor boring anyone with this thread... Kenji Schwarz kenji@accessone.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.