TheRPGSite

Since Jakalla is build layer upon layer over the previous cities, are there stepped plazas or just sloping streets?

Does the "level" above base ground matter to who builds where?

Is foot traffic routed based on this "level"?

Have you had any encounters with "one way" or "exclusive" type streets?
=

Quote from: Greentongue;1042217Since Jakalla is build layer upon layer over the previous cities, are there stepped plazas or just sloping streets?

Does the "level" above base ground matter to who builds where?

Is foot traffic routed based on this "level"?

Have you had any encounters with "one way" or "exclusive" type streets?
=

As an addition to Greentongue's question- How high above the river is the city at this point? Does it snake through the city like in a canyon?

And we're back, over here in the corner booth where the old guys seem to have gathered to chat. Pull up a chair; I'll continue to try to answer any and all questions as best and as honestly as I can. I enjoy this conversation, wide-ranging and diffuse as it is. Please remember that you, the readers, are what drives this thread - I do work best in a Q & A format. If you want stories of Ye Olden Daze, ask. Tekumel? Ask. Where do I get all that crap that I put on the table? Ask.

It's what I'm here for. Join the conversation, if you like.

Quote from: Greentongue;1042217Since Jakalla is build layer upon layer over the previous cities, are there stepped plazas or just sloping streets?

Does the "level" above base ground matter to who builds where?

Is foot traffic routed based on this "level"?

Have you had any encounters with "one way" or "exclusive" type streets?
=

Yes, to all of the above. The city has 'risen' over time, as the lower layers are pretty extensive. The EPT map does not show elevations all that well; the bulk of the city is more or less 'on the flat', and the map shows the mean elevation. Inside that average, the local variations are about +/- fifty feet, with the trend being that 'low-status' areas tend to be on the low side, and high-status ones on the high side. The temple area is about at the mean level, with the Governor's Palace being higher and the 'slums' to the north side of the river being lower. I think this has a lot to do with the issue of the river flooding; the high folk stay dry in their palaces and temples and the low folk get wet.

Most of the traffic in town is foot traffic; handcarts are very popular. Chlen carts tend to stay on the wider streets, and are not popular; they cause some pretty impressive traffic jams.

A high-status street will usually be the ones going past a clan-house or palace; the clan's own guards will screen the pedestrians, with tradespeople - who know better, anyway - going around the back and the better class of folks being directed to the appropriate entrance to the place. The temples tend to front onto the open plazas, but the same thing happens; the temple guards do the traffic control, so you see people getting directions from any and all of the guards, regardless of their temple. They all know and work with each other, and will come to each other's aide if there is trouble.

Dies this help? Am I getting you what you're looking for?

Quote from: Big Andy;1042227As an addition to Greentongue's question- How high above the river is the city at this point? Does it snake through the city like in a canyon?

The city has a gradual slope, from east to west as seen on the EPT map, so the eastern banks are about 20 feet high sloping down to about five feet out on the western end. Tidal variations don't happen - the moons are too small to notice the very small effects they generate - so there are lots and lots of terraces, wharves, piers, and docks with steps and ramps leading to the working surface along the river. So, when you look at it from the side elevation, there is a channel, but it's not all that deep; the river has, over time, 'risen' along with the city. There are some very wet tunnels, down there.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1042245Dies this help? Am I getting you what you're looking for?

Yes, trying to get a feel for the following. Where the "express lanes" that you don't want to stand in while talking and such.
Where the "out of towners" could make themselves obvious or get tripped up by protocol.
=

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1042188I dunno. He used to be a lot better, but like his fellow directors seems to have lost his way after Phil passed away.

It was just a joke, Uncle:).

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1042188The players were supposedly on vacation after their last adventure, but made the mistake of booking one of those cheap package tours that landed them in this pirate's lair of a town. After checking into their rooms, they started to do a little shopping - I had set up the table so that they could either take the long way around or use boats for short cuts - and got ambushed by pirates. The ambush went badly for the pirates, and the players continued on to do more shopping and will - in the next session - wind up at the local tiki bar where more encounters are likely to happen. They've been hired by another 'honest seafaring merchant' to go on a quest, but that will come later.

Excellent! Honest seafaring merchants are, of course, trustworthy individuals, so nothing can go wrong...right;)?

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1042188Yeah, I think they were all pretty surprised. This is an 'off-the-shelf' game for me, as nothing had to be built for it; everything is from stock, and all I had to do was pull it from the bins and get it into the car. Set up was very easy; the GMs had done all the merchants and encounters, so all I had to do was set the table up to give the players excuses to adventure. (My thought was if they couldn't get into trouble on this table, they weren't hardly trying.) The sequence of islands was the key to this, with inn-market-temple-market-housing-village to lure them in. Worked quite well, I thought, and people seemed to have fun.

I don't think I'd call this a 'miniatures game' not nearly enough figures on the table, and not part of a campaign; this is what I'd call a 'role-playing game', as this is what was happening on the table. The players really got into the local sights and NPCs, and seemed pretty 'immersed' in the game. I think we're back on again the second weekend in July, but don't quote me on that - I'm just the stagehand... :)

Your "off the shelf" game has a lot more miniatures than all my games in the last 10 years combined, Uncle:D! Yeah, I can see why they were surprised...

Let's just call it "a miniature-assisted RPG", if you want to, of course.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1042247There are some very wet tunnels, down there.

That's...potentially interesting.
Are the wet tunnels noticeable for containing something other tunnels don't? Other than mould, I mean?
What are the odds of Tekumel's maritime life installing itself there?

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1042245Yes, to all of the above. The city has 'risen' over time, as the lower layers are pretty extensive. The EPT map does not show elevations all that well; the bulk of the city is more or less 'on the flat', and the map shows the mean elevation. Inside that average, the local variations are about +/- fifty feet, with the trend being that 'low-status' areas tend to be on the low side, and high-status ones on the high side. The temple area is about at the mean level, with the Governor's Palace being higher and the 'slums' to the north side of the river being lower. I think this has a lot to do with the issue of the river flooding; the high folk stay dry in their palaces and temples and the low folk get wet.

Most of the traffic in town is foot traffic; handcarts are very popular. Chlen carts tend to stay on the wider streets, and are not popular; they cause some pretty impressive traffic jams.

A high-status street will usually be the ones going past a clan-house or palace; the clan's own guards will screen the pedestrians, with tradespeople - who know better, anyway - going around the back and the better class of folks being directed to the appropriate entrance to the place. The temples tend to front onto the open plazas, but the same thing happens; the temple guards do the traffic control, so you see people getting directions from any and all of the guards, regardless of their temple. They all know and work with each other, and will come to each other's aide if there is trouble.

Dies this help? Am I getting you what you're looking for?

This is very helpful. My Jakalla is prone to flooding by the docks and Foreigner's Quarter.

As to Part III, I'll bring the beer. Requests?

Blaise

Quote from: bconsidine;1042410This is very helpful. My Jakalla is prone to flooding by the docks and Foreigner's Quarter.

As to Part III, I'll bring the beer. Requests?

Blaise

Beer...Six Point Resin!!! Here's to Chirine baKal long may he answer our questions!!! Now I will have to do some Reading so the questions flow.

H;0)

Quote from: Greentongue;1042280Yes, trying to get a feel for the following. Where the "express lanes" that you don't want to stand in while talking and such.
Where the "out of towners" could make themselves obvious or get tripped up by protocol.
=

It'd be the 'meduim-sized' streets on the map. The narrower ones are in the neighborhoods where everybody knows everybody else, and the streets are a hotbed of activity and gossip. The really big 'avenues', like the processional way with all the statues, see a lot of 'tourist traffic' of out of towners who get accosted by all the touts, grifters, 'tour guides', and pickpockets. These also tend to have more 'official' presence as well, so you'd be able to get your players into trouble there as well - just as we did; one PC actually fell for the Missuma River Bridge wheeze, much to our amusement.

Quote from: AsenRG;1042392It was just a joke, Uncle:).

Excellent! Honest seafaring merchants are, of course, trustworthy individuals, so nothing can go wrong...right;)?

Your "off the shelf" game has a lot more miniatures than all my games in the last 10 years combined, Uncle:D! Yeah, I can see why they were surprised...

Let's just call it "a miniature-assisted RPG", if you want to, of course.

That's...potentially interesting.
Are the wet tunnels noticeable for containing something other tunnels don't? Other than mould, I mean?
What are the odds of Tekumel's maritime life installing itself there?

No problem; sorry for the misunderstanding.

Exactly. The players were astounded to see the ship with the Blazoned Sail Clan glyph, and finding out that they are sailing with Guess Who? and his mates...

And I didn't have my usual number of figures on the table, either. I had brought something like forty assorted townspeople and another twenty pirates, and I'd normally be moving them around to give a sense of life to the place. In this case, the GMs were a little overwhelmed and overloaded by the sheer scale of the table, so I kept it simpler.

Okay.

Why yes, they do. Nshe are a particular problem, he said from experience.

Quote from: bconsidine;1042410This is very helpful. My Jakalla is prone to flooding by the docks and Foreigner's Quarter.

As to Part III, I'll bring the beer. Requests?

Blaise

Sounds good; so was Phil's version.

This thread is yours; I'm just the maintenance guy. :)

Quote from: Hrugga;1042458Beer...Six Point Resin!!! Here's to Chirine baKal long may he answer our questions!!! Now I will have to do some Reading so the questions flow.

H;0)

Thank you! I'll be here as long as folks want me to be here.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1042480Exactly. The players were astounded to see the ship with the Blazoned Sail Clan glyph, and finding out that they are sailing with Guess Who? and his mates...

:D
I kinda suspected you might have done that...as soon as I heard "a honest seafaring merchant":)!

QuoteAnd I didn't have my usual number of figures on the table, either. I had brought something like forty assorted townspeople and another twenty pirates, and I'd normally be moving them around to give a sense of life to the place. In this case, the GMs were a little overwhelmed and overloaded by the sheer scale of the table, so I kept it simpler.

I understand the GMs...:D

QuoteWhy yes, they do. Nshe are a particular problem, he said from experience.

Why do I suddenly remember the tunnels from Aliens 2, Uncle;)?

Quote from: AsenRG;1042516:D
I kinda suspected you might have done that...as soon as I heard "a honest seafaring merchant":)!

I understand the GMs...:D

Why do I suddenly remember the tunnels from Aliens 2, Uncle;)?

I couldn't resist it. The GM knows who Harchar is, but nobody else, I have a suspicion that mayhem will ensue.

Yep; it was their first time out for a game like this. I'd sent them photos of this table from one of my previous games, but they flat out told me that actually seeing it in 3-D was very much more then what they had expected. And both they and all the players thanks me for the table, so i'm scoring this one as a win...

Why, yes, now that you happen to mention it... :)

Speaking of tunnels under Jakalla ...
Do you think that Dyson's My Private Jakalla
     https://rpgcharacters.wordpress.com/2018/03/30/my-private-jakalla-map-1u/
is a good introduction of the EPT underworld?
If not what changes/additions do you think should be made to, more closely, give the feel for the place?
=

I have always assumed that Tsolyani cities on major rivers resembled Varanasi to a large extent:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=varanasi&rlz=1C1CHWA_enCA581CA581&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRyoHJusLbAhXB44MKHWtCAJIQ_AUICygC

Quote from: altfritz;1042794I have always assumed that Tsolyani cities on major rivers resembled Varanasi to a large extent:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=varanasi&rlz=1C1CHWA_enCA581CA581&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRyoHJusLbAhXB44MKHWtCAJIQ_AUICygC

I would love to see a good collection of pictures to help get the feel of Tsolyanu. I think that would make it easier to run EPT.

Frank

Quote from: ffilz;1042800I would love to see a good collection of pictures to help get the feel of Tsolyanu. I think that would make it easier to run EPT.

Frank

See the earlier two threads, Chirine has attached a LOT of pictures and videos.

Or when in doubt, go Bollywood.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1042805See the earlier two threads, Chirine has attached a LOT of pictures and videos.

Or when in doubt, go Bollywood.

Trick is finding things in the threads... I've peeked at a few as they've come by.

Frank

Perhaps, but I think I'd rather not see duplication.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1042815Perhaps, but I think I'd rather not see duplication.

I'm thinking a web site, maybe a wiki, with good collections of pictures somehow organized so one can find "just the right image".

I've had collections of images in the past in various ways (for example, I have a milk-crate filled with binders of art cards that I acquired during the time I was into Everyway). The problem is how to make an art collection useful.

The end result is that I very rarely use art, at most showing the picture in the Monster Manual (or similar). Or showing folks a picture that came with a module (yea, I use modules...).

Frank

Quote from: altfritz;1042794I have always assumed that Tsolyani cities on major rivers resembled Varanasi to a large extent:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=varanasi&rlz=1C1CHWA_enCA581CA581&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRyoHJusLbAhXB44MKHWtCAJIQ_AUICygC

Varanasi is my Jakalla. Great minds, etc., etc.

Blaise

Quote from: ffilz;1042818I'm thinking a web site, maybe a wiki, with good collections of pictures somehow organized so one can find "just the right image".

I've had collections of images in the past in various ways (for example, I have a milk-crate filled with binders of art cards that I acquired during the time I was into Everyway). The problem is how to make an art collection useful.

The end result is that I very rarely use art, at most showing the picture in the Monster Manual (or similar). Or showing folks a picture that came with a module (yea, I use modules...).

Frank

There's some great stuff on Pinterest.

Blaise

Quote from: Greentongue;1042762Speaking of tunnels under Jakalla ...
Do you think that Dyson's My Private Jakalla
     https://rpgcharacters.wordpress.com/2018/03/30/my-private-jakalla-map-1u/
is a good introduction of the EPT underworld?
If not what changes/additions do you think should be made to, more closely, give the feel for the place?
=

Well, the guy's done his homework, so I'd just use them as is. They feel right to me, and I don't think I'd change anything. If I were using them in a campaign setting, I'd use them for 'level zero', the shallow network of tunnels and cellars close to the surface that Phil ran us through but didn't think was worth mapping. From this layer, I'd then go down into my copy of Phil's Jakallan underworld.

Quote from: altfritz;1042794I have always assumed that Tsolyani cities on major rivers resembled Varanasi to a large extent:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=varanasi&rlz=1C1CHWA_enCA581CA581&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRyoHJusLbAhXB44MKHWtCAJIQ_AUICygC

Agreed!!! Phil used examples like this all the time, and I do as well.

Quote from: ffilz;1042800I would love to see a good collection of pictures to help get the feel of Tsolyanu. I think that would make it easier to run EPT.

Frank

I'd say the same. Some folks have used collages of existing Tekumel artwork, but what I prefer to do when introducing new people to the place is suggest looking at South Asia via the Internet. More comments on this follow...

Quote from: ffilz;1042808Trick is finding things in the threads... I've peeked at a few as they've come by.

Frank

I'm sorry; I don't know of any way to index these threads, and doing an indexed website is beyond my abilities.

Quote from: ffilz;1042818I'm thinking a web site, maybe a wiki, with good collections of pictures somehow organized so one can find "just the right image".

I've had collections of images in the past in various ways (for example, I have a milk-crate filled with binders of art cards that I acquired during the time I was into Everyway). The problem is how to make an art collection useful.

The end result is that I very rarely use art, at most showing the picture in the Monster Manual (or similar). Or showing folks a picture that came with a module (yea, I use modules...).

Frank

Agreed; this is part of the 'virtual museum' idea that we've been looking at, and for the same reasons. I have something like 3,000 photos from my time in gaming that could be posted, as well as additional links and resources.

What I suggest to players, since they usually have smart phones, laptops, and tablets at the table is to look things up - I'll be doing this at the RPG Day event a week from Saturday. They seem to like it.

Inspiration for Tekumel: https://www.pinterest.ca/howardfielding7/

"Some of my selections are better than others. I do not alter the original comments, mine follow after."

Over 40,000 pictures - not all Tekumel I'm afraid because I branch out when I get bored. So the "Beholders" board doesn't mean I think there are Beholders on Tekumel, it's just that Pinterest doesn't let me have separate accounts. Ditto "Alice in Wonderland" and others you will immediately recognize. 91 Boards, if I am counting correctly. I have started adding Sections, and some of the boards are "Holding Areas" that I intend to break apart. It's slow though, as I like to get the Tsolyani spelling correct and use the accents - and it takes time and effort to do that.

I'm afraid there are many duplicates as it is easier to pin than set up boards of sections. As I quote above, "Some of my selections are better than others. I do not alter the original comments, mine follow after." I wanted to offer a longer explanation but Pinterest limits the number of characters you use. I used the maximum allowable. I actually have altered some comments if the original pinner was rude or offensive in some way - at least I have tried to. I had intended to state reasons for my choice but have fallen way behind on that point - again, far easier to pin!

Sometimes it is just some part of the pictures - ie the heroes helmet - or maybe it is the overall mood conveyed. The geographic boards show the way I picture the locale - your imaginings may vary! The Rananga river, for example, I have tried to show how it tends to dry up, perhaps not completely, in the Summer. This we know from the Setnatkh town description. In the Atkolel Heights board I have tried to figure out just what Jumre's Stair looks like - what sort of geological formation is it? My Kachor Tribes are based on the one line description in Man of Gold and strongly resemble the Maya. :-) I have been fascinated by the Ito ever since Jack Bramah (did I spell the name correctly?) referred to them as the "Lich Lords of the Chakas". I will be adding boards. I am planning one for Ngala which I am currently building terrain for - Chirine-style! The Zombie Quadrille statues will feature prominently. :-)

Howard

Oh, and there is a bit of nudity. Well, quite a bit actually, so if that is somehow bothersome or you are at work, best either don't look or wait until you get home! :-)

Quote from: altfritz;1042903Inspiration for Tekumel: https://www.pinterest.ca/howardfielding7/

Over 40,000 pictures...

Awesome!

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1042866I'd then go down into my copy of Phil's Jakallan underworld.

I was looking at the picture of you and Gronan holding up the big print of the Jakallan underworld from the con a couple years ago recently and have been meaning to ask but kept forgetting- Is that a Sphynx just North of the bridge? Can you tell a bit more about it? What is it of? Who built it? Etc...


A few military questions- How long is an enlistment? Does it vary from Legion to Legion? Are the pay scales the same for all Legions? or are they by type, heavy infantry makes this, medium this, etc? Or does it vary?

Howard-your Pinterest site is a boon. I've pinched photos plenty of times.

Blaise

Quote from: altfritz;1042903Inspiration for Tekumel: https://www.pinterest.ca/howardfielding7/

"Some of my selections are better than others. I do not alter the original comments, mine follow after."

Over 40,000 pictures - not all Tekumel I'm afraid because I branch out when I get bored. So the "Beholders" board doesn't mean I think there are Beholders on Tekumel, it's just that Pinterest doesn't let me have separate accounts. Ditto "Alice in Wonderland" and others you will immediately recognize. 91 Boards, if I am counting correctly. I have started adding Sections, and some of the boards are "Holding Areas" that I intend to break apart. It's slow though, as I like to get the Tsolyani spelling correct and use the accents - and it takes time and effort to do that.

I'm afraid there are many duplicates as it is easier to pin than set up boards of sections. As I quote above, "Some of my selections are better than others. I do not alter the original comments, mine follow after." I wanted to offer a longer explanation but Pinterest limits the number of characters you use. I used the maximum allowable. I actually have altered some comments if the original pinner was rude or offensive in some way - at least I have tried to. I had intended to state reasons for my choice but have fallen way behind on that point - again, far easier to pin!

Sometimes it is just some part of the pictures - ie the heroes helmet - or maybe it is the overall mood conveyed. The geographic boards show the way I picture the locale - your imaginings may vary! The Rananga river, for example, I have tried to show how it tends to dry up, perhaps not completely, in the Summer. This we know from the Setnatkh town description. In the Atkolel Heights board I have tried to figure out just what Jumre's Stair looks like - what sort of geological formation is it? My Kachor Tribes are based on the one line description in Man of Gold and strongly resemble the Maya. :-) I have been fascinated by the Ito ever since Jack Bramah (did I spell the name correctly?) referred to them as the "Lich Lords of the Chakas". I will be adding boards. I am planning one for Ngala which I am currently building terrain for - Chirine-style! The Zombie Quadrille statues will feature prominently. :-)

Howard

Well, there you go. Ask and you shall receive...

Thanks

Quote from: altfritz;1042903Inspiration for Tekumel: https://www.pinterest.ca/howardfielding7/
Howard

Great resource, thanks so much for sharing!

Quote from: altfritz;1042904Oh, and there is a bit of nudity. Well, quite a bit actually, so if that is somehow bothersome or you are at work, best either don't look or wait until you get home! :-)

I'm shocked!!! Simply shocked!!! Oh, the horror!!! What, oh what shall I do??? I may swoon. :)

Great resource; bookmarked. This was the culture that Phil came out of, too.

Quote from: Big Andy;1042916Awesome!

I was looking at the picture of you and Gronan holding up the big print of the Jakallan underworld from the con a couple years ago recently and have been meaning to ask but kept forgetting- Is that a Sphynx just North of the bridge? Can you tell a bit more about it? What is it of? Who built it? Etc...


A few military questions- How long is an enlistment? Does it vary from Legion to Legion? Are the pay scales the same for all Legions? or are they by type, heavy infantry makes this, medium this, etc? Or does it vary?

Yes, it's a big honking sphinx. You can get up inside the thing, too. Made of stone, dedicated to Hry'y, from the inscriptions. Bednjallan, we think; Phil refused to be pinned down on specifics, and I think he threw it in 'cause he liked Ancient Egyptian stuff. I still got me a honking big resin sphinx in his honor, just 'cause. :)

Anywhere from five to ten to twenty to life, depending on the legion. I offer five-year enlistments; food, armor, uniforms, weapons, and quarters all provided - no pay deductions. Pay is usually higher with the heavier armor, and how well the legion is supported by the patrons. There are some very high-status ones that are, frankly, dirt poor. I pay my troopers decently, maybe shading to the lower end of the scale, but then they don't have the kinds of off-reckonings that all too many soldiers have to give up from their meager pay. (I can afford it. I is filthy, stinking, soaking rich. And in cash, too; no writs.)

See also the Sourcebook, which has a section on this.

There are days when it pays to get out of bed in the morning:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-44413296

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1042694I couldn't resist it. The GM knows who Harchar is, but nobody else, I have a suspicion that mayhem will ensue.

Yep; it was their first time out for a game like this. I'd sent them photos of this table from one of my previous games, but they flat out told me that actually seeing it in 3-D was very much more then what they had expected. And both they and all the players thanks me for the table, so i'm scoring this one as a win...

Why, yes, now that you happen to mention it... :)

Why would you resist it:)?

Your collection caused excitement at home from the screen, Uncle. I can imagine that seeing it live would be even more impressive...;)

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1042866If I were using them in a campaign setting, I'd use them for 'level zero', the shallow network of tunnels and cellars close to the surface that Phil ran us through but didn't think was worth mapping. From this layer, I'd then go down into my copy of Phil's Jakallan underworld.

How did he run the place without a map?

Quote from: altfritz;1042903Inspiration for Tekumel: https://www.pinterest.ca/howardfielding7/

"Some of my selections are better than others. I do not alter the original comments, mine follow after."

Great collection, Sir!

Quote from: AsenRG;1043043Why would you resist it:)?

Your collection caused excitement at home from the screen, Uncle. I can imagine that seeing it live would be even more impressive...;)


How did he run the place without a map?


Great collection, Sir!

Because it's not Serious Gaming, by Serious Gamers, for which I have been reproved by A Serious Gamer.

Thank you! That's about a quarter of my holdings, at this point. I originally built up to a 'two-table standard', where I could have one table running a game and a second being set up for a second game. I'm now at a 'four-table standard', so I can have two games running and two being made ready, all to this level of detail or better. I have enough games 'in stock' to run a new game every day at a four-day convention; four Tekumel 'historical' battles (Chanis and Ry from the old "Dragon" articles by Phil, and Castle Tilketl and Anch'ke from our gaming with Phil.) as well as some Braunsteins like "Saving Serqu's Sisters". I use standardized tables - Chanis and Ry are 60" x 90", Tilketl and Anch'ke are 60" x 120", all using my stock 30 x 60 tables. I like to take the game maps that Phil did for us, project them up to the right scale for the table, and then airbrush the basic scenery as required. I had been building several more games, mostly with an eye to running them at Gary Con - Third Mar, a 60" x 120" campaign battle to give the Glorious General something to do, for example - for Luke, but these have been put on hold since Dr. Raymond raised his objections to my being allowed to run games at Gary Con. The idea was to have two miniatures games or Braunsteins a day throughout the convention, with additional RPGs being run by the other people who were involved in the effort.

Shrug. :rolleyes:

Memory. He was using places he'd been in, I think. And he'd been in some pretty weird and wonderful ones, too...

Phil DID get around.  And lived to tell the tale, too, which oft seemed more remarkable.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1043076Phil DID get around.  And lived to tell the tale, too, which oft seemed more remarkable.

Yes, indeed, which is why I'm still surprised we made it through his games alive - he'd been there and done that. I suspect is was because he knew the languages; he once told me that the Indian Army knew he was a spy and were going to shoot him because he spoke their native language better then they did. So, he had to be a spy!

Which is why our talking our way out of so many tight corners worked, just maybe... :)

We're all set up for the 5e group this afternoon. The Missus did a great job on the game map; photos on the blog, as usual.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1043158We're all set up for the 5e group this afternoon. The Missus did a great job on the game map; photos on the blog, as usual.

Uncle,

Everytime I see the Workbench, I am impressed. Enjoy the mayhem!!!

H:0)

Hi all,

In case you missed it, here's an interesting (at times rambling, but in a good way) (https://youtu.be/1lj7BQKInzQ) discussion about and around Tekumel between James Maliszewski (The Excellent Travelling Volume (https://tetvzine.com/)) and Ron Edwards (of Sorcerer (http://adept-press.com/games-fantasy-horror/sorcerer/) and other RPG related productions fame).

James Maliszewski has been running a Tekumel campaign for two or three years now (meeting every week for two hours). Ron Edwards was a participant until he left. This discussion took place at a time when Edwards wanted to re-join the campaign.

Anyway, it's interesting stuff and I recommend it. Among other things, they chat about level mechanics in settings that approach culture seriously (like Tekumel), creating new rules from the original Petal Throne rules, coming up with new social/religious customs, being surprised by one's own character's reactions to a situation, the game's publication history, Glorantha, Tunnels and Trolls, the lack of great illustrations of Prof Barker's world, etc.

Enjoy
(and thanks to James Maliszewski and Ron Edwards for making the video available to all!)

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1043033Yes, it's a big honking sphinx. You can get up inside the thing, too. Made of stone, dedicated to Hry'y, from the inscriptions. Bednjallan, we think; Phil refused to be pinned down on specifics, and I think he threw it in 'cause he liked Ancient Egyptian stuff. I still got me a honking big resin sphinx in his honor, just 'cause. :)

What was its "face?" And you could climb inside? Where was the entrance? Since you guys nicknamed so many other things, did it get one? Like go to Nickname and take the first left? Did you run into any others any place else?

Also, you type Hry'y and many of the older publications use that spelling while the newer stuff go with Hru'u, with umlauts. Any difference? Why the difference?

Umlauts used to be difficult, that's why.

Quote from: Hrugga;1043204Uncle,

Everytime I see the Workbench, I am impressed. Enjoy the mayhem!!!

H:0)

Thank you! The post-game report will have to wait; the players all just left - it's 2:00 on Monday morning! - after a twelve-hour game session. Lots of photos; I did three 'scene changes' as we went along, each of which took under four minutes to change the table scenery.

Very, very good time, although - once again - we all almost got killed.

Quote from: Big Andy;1043242What was its "face?" And you could climb inside? Where was the entrance? Since you guys nicknamed so many other things, did it get one? Like go to Nickname and take the first left? Did you run into any others any place else?

Also, you type Hry'y and many of the older publications use that spelling while the newer stuff go with Hru'u, with umlauts. Any difference? Why the difference?

More tomorrow - I have to get to bed.

What Gronan said; umlauts used to be very hard to do with older publishing technology, and it wasn't until Sarah Prince - the AGI typsetter - figured out how to do it the 'y' was used. She was later hired by the company that made the machine, as she could get it to do things that the engineers who built it could not.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1043213Hi all,

In case you missed it, here's an interesting (at times rambling, but in a good way) (https://youtu.be/1lj7BQKInzQ) discussion about and around Tekumel between James Maliszewski (The Excellent Travelling Volume (https://tetvzine.com/)) and Ron Edwards (of Sorcerer (http://adept-press.com/games-fantasy-horror/sorcerer/) and other RPG related productions fame).

James Maliszewski has been running a Tekumel campaign for two or three years now (meeting every week for two hours). Ron Edwards was a participant until he left. This discussion took place at a time when Edwards wanted to re-join the campaign.

Anyway, it's interesting stuff and I recommend it. Among other things, they chat about level mechanics in settings that approach culture seriously (like Tekumel), creating new rules from the original Petal Throne rules, coming up with new social/religious customs, being surprised by one's own character's reactions to a situation, the game's publication history, Glorantha, Tunnels and Trolls, the lack of great illustrations of Prof Barker's world, etc.

Enjoy
(and thanks to James Maliszewski and Ron Edwards for making the video available to all!)

I'll look at this tomorrow, and get back to you.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1043283Thank you! The post-game report will have to wait; the players all just left - it's 2:00 on Monday morning! - after a twelve-hour game session. Lots of photos; I did three 'scene changes' as we went along, each of which took under four minutes to change the table scenery.

Very, very good time, although - once again - we all almost got killed.

As Hrugga says: thanks for the reports and the photos.
I can't post comments on your blog directly, as I don't use gmail anymore (and have never used G+ actually), but, sometimes, I wish I could just to be able to express my excitement and admiration at what you're doing!

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1043213Hi all,

In case you missed it, here's an interesting (at times rambling, but in a good way) (https://youtu.be/1lj7BQKInzQ) discussion about and around Tekumel between James Maliszewski (The Excellent Travelling Volume (https://tetvzine.com/)) and Ron Edwards (of Sorcerer (http://adept-press.com/games-fantasy-horror/sorcerer/) and other RPG related productions fame).

James Maliszewski has been running a Tekumel campaign for two or three years now (meeting every week for two hours). Ron Edwards was a participant until he left. This discussion took place at a time when Edwards wanted to re-join the campaign.

Anyway, it's interesting stuff and I recommend it. Among other things, they chat about level mechanics in settings that approach culture seriously (like Tekumel), creating new rules from the original Petal Throne rules, coming up with new social/religious customs, being surprised by one's own character's reactions to a situation, the game's publication history, Glorantha, Tunnels and Trolls, the lack of great illustrations of Prof Barker's world, etc.

Enjoy
(and thanks to James Maliszewski and Ron Edwards for making the video available to all!)

And as a follow up to the links I give above, I recommend this bit of conversation, still found on Ron Edwards' personal site (http://adeptplay.com/seminar-hearts-minds/monday-lab-veil-power) about sexuality in role-playing games, and, in this particular instance, about how sexuality can be expressed in an Empire of the Petal Throne campaign (James Maliszewski's long running one).

There are two parts to Edwards' comments:

The first part (3 minutes): (https://youtu.be/ZJ_lH_RxG9A?t=51m32s) Edwards describes how his character (a dancer-devotee of Durritlámish) used sex on one particular occasion.

The second part (10 minutes): (https://youtu.be/ZJ_lH_RxG9A?t=1h6m2s) Edwards gives a fascinating account of how one of the campaign's PCs (probably a worshiper of Sárku) brought his dead fiancee back as a Jájgi (Edwards doesn't use the term, but it sure sounds like that's what she is) to marry her and live with her as a regular married couple, doing what regular married couples (or otherwise) do.

To anyone familiar with a particular (mind-blowing) scene found in "The Man of Gold" and a particular character portrayed in "The Prince of Skulls", or with the Worm Lord's doctrines and their implications, the story Edwards recounts is not going to be that surprising. But to anyone unfamiliar with certain aspects of Tekumel (the more mature oriented ones), the anecdote will be revelatory, as it will make clear what being a member of a death cult, where death is considered to be more perfect than life, can entail in certain circumstances.

All in all, a great example of what mature players can come up with when playing in a rich world, and when taking their characters' instincts and ways of thinking seriously.
I'm not going to say enjoy ... but, well, enjoy.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1043499And as a follow up to the links I give above, I recommend this bit of conversation, still found on the Ron Edwards personal site (http://adeptplay.com/seminar-hearts-minds/monday-lab-veil-power) (and youtube) about sexuality in a Tekumel game/campaign.

There are two parts to his comments:
First part which is only 3 minutes long. (https://youtu.be/ZJ_lH_RxG9A?t=51m32s)
Second part, which is a bit over 10 minutes long (https://youtu.be/ZJ_lH_RxG9A?t=1h6m2s): it gives a fascinating account of how one of the PC in the campaign brought his dead fiancee back (creating a jajgi really, although Edwards doesn't use the term) to marry her and in the end make her become a PC in her own right,.
To anyone familiar with The Man of Gold and the Worm Lord's doctrines and philosophy, the story Edwards is not going to be that out there, but for anyone interested in finding what being a member of a death cult entails (where death is considered a more perfect of "being alive"), this will be a bit of an education.

Ron Edwards is playing Tekumel, really?

Other than that amazing piece of news, I fully agree with his player's approach. It makes total sense for a Worm Lord devotee;).
Which also explains my personal distaste for said devotees, BTW:D!

In the Secret Tongue of the Priests of Karakan, "Sarku" means "Purge it with fire".

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1043567In the Secret Tongue of the Priests of Karakan, "Sarku" means "Purge it with fire".

How curious, Glorious General! I never suspected having a natural gift for that particular language:D!

Quote from: AsenRG;1043500Ron Edwards is playing Tekumel, really?

Other than that amazing piece of news, I fully agree with his player's approach. It makes total sense for a Worm Lord devotee;).
Which also explains my personal distaste for said devotees, BTW:D!

Being as knowledgeable about the history of the hobby as he is, I'm sure he knew of and about the Prof's creation before joining Maliszewski's campaign, but I note that he mentions he game and the world often now, in the videos he posts online where he discusses rpgs and related matters with friends and colleagues. Clearly he's really enjoying in stay on Tekumel ... and clearly James Maliszewski (with the help of the other players; it takes a group!) is doing a top notch job at bringing the world to life.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1043603Being as knowledgeable about the history of the hobby as he is, I'm sure he knew of and about the Prof's creation before joining Maliszewski's campaign, but I note that he mentions he game and the world often now, in the videos he posts online where he discusses rpgs and related matters with friends and colleagues. Clearly he's really enjoying in stay on Tekumel ... and clearly James Maliszewski (with the help of the other players; it takes a group!) is doing a top notch job at bringing the world to life.

I wonder how this would evolve his views on game design;).

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1043497As Hrugga says: thanks for the reports and the photos.
I can't post comments on your blog directly, as I don't use gmail anymore (and have never used G+ actually), but, sometimes, I wish I could just to be able to express my excitement and admiration at what you're doing!

You're welcome! And thank you for the kind words, too!

Well, the game session lasted for twelve hours; we had lots of snacks to hand, but wound up ordering take-away about eight in the evening. People seemed to have a great time; the GM had prepped all of the encounters and stats in advance, so it was a pretty intensive session with occasional bathroom breaks - I have built one next to the game room, for just such situations. We did some shopping in the village, and got geared up, but we had four players and one NPC, which I thought was a little too shallow for this kind of adventure. Being adventurers, though, we set off down the forest path:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2542[/ATTACH]

We got jumped by what amounted to undead badgers, and got pretty badly handled. However, being adventurers, we kept on going to the clearing in the woods:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2543[/ATTACH]

Whereupon we got jumped by undead wolves - Waffle The Wonder Dog was of no help, here - and then by some undead trees. After a long and nasty fight, we managed to defeat the lot, and are now poised to solve why the local Druid is having a bad time.

We went from the original table set of the village map I'd had printed, to the forest path, and then to the forest clearing. The 'scene changes' took under four minutes each - yes, I had them time me - so I am very pleased at how well the terrain and scenery system I have in the game room worked in actual game play.

I'll try to have more photos up on the blog later on; this is a very busy time here, as I had the Shieldmaidens game a week ago, the 5e group this past Sunday, and the Free RPG Day game event this Saturday. I do have this coming Sunday and Monday off, and the proper reports may have to wait until then.

As a side note to the game, I thought that it was fascinating that the players had no problems with the lack of a grid and the other usual 'D & D' accessories. They seemed to really enjoy this ancient style of gaming, and I found it that was heartening that they did.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1043213Hi all,

In case you missed it, here's an interesting (at times rambling, but in a good way) (https://youtu.be/1lj7BQKInzQ) discussion about and around Tekumel between James Maliszewski (The Excellent Travelling Volume (https://tetvzine.com/)) and Ron Edwards (of Sorcerer (http://adept-press.com/games-fantasy-horror/sorcerer/) and other RPG related productions fame).

James Maliszewski has been running a Tekumel campaign for two or three years now (meeting every week for two hours). Ron Edwards was a participant until he left. This discussion took place at a time when Edwards wanted to re-join the campaign.

Anyway, it's interesting stuff and I recommend it. Among other things, they chat about level mechanics in settings that approach culture seriously (like Tekumel), creating new rules from the original Petal Throne rules, coming up with new social/religious customs, being surprised by one's own character's reactions to a situation, the game's publication history, Glorantha, Tunnels and Trolls, the lack of great illustrations of Prof Barker's world, etc.

Enjoy
(and thanks to James Maliszewski and Ron Edwards for making the video available to all!)

I've now listened to this, and am pretty amused by the whole thing - they've rediscovered and restated what I've been saying for decades. Good material and worth listening to.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1043499And as a follow up to the links I give above, I recommend this bit of conversation, still found on Ron Edwards' personal site (http://adeptplay.com/seminar-hearts-minds/monday-lab-veil-power) about sexuality in role-playing games, and, in this particular instance, about how sexuality can be expressed in an Empire of the Petal Throne campaign (James Maliszewski's long running one).

There are two parts to Edwards' comments:

The first part (3 minutes): (https://youtu.be/ZJ_lH_RxG9A?t=51m32s) Edwards describes how his character (a dancer-devotee of Durritlámish) used sex on one particular occasion.

The second part (10 minutes): (https://youtu.be/ZJ_lH_RxG9A?t=1h6m2s) Edwards gives a fascinating account of how one of the campaign's PCs (probably a worshiper of Sárku) brought his dead fiancee back as a Jájgi (Edwards doesn't use the term, but it sure sounds like that's what she is) to marry her and live with her as a regular married couple, doing what regular married couples (or otherwise) do.

To anyone familiar with a particular (mind-blowing) scene found in "The Man of Gold" and a particular character portrayed in "The Prince of Skulls", or with the Worm Lord's doctrines and their implications, the story Edwards recounts is not going to be that surprising. But to anyone unfamiliar with certain aspects of Tekumel (the more mature oriented ones), the anecdote will be revelatory, as it will make clear what being a member of a death cult, where death is considered to be more perfect than life, can entail in certain circumstances.

All in all, a great example of what mature players can come up with when playing in a rich world, and when taking their characters' instincts and ways of thinking seriously.
I'm not going to say enjoy ... but, well, enjoy.

Listened to these to, and was equally amused. Great links! :)

Okay, a few more photos up on the blog. Thanks for your patience!

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1043672Well, the game session lasted for twelve hours; we had lots of snacks to hand, but wound up ordering take-away about eight in the evening. People seemed to have a great time; the GM had prepped all of the encounters and stats in advance, so it was a pretty intensive session with occasional bathroom breaks - I have built one next to the game room, for just such situations. We did some shopping in the village, and got geared up, but we had four players and one NPC, which I thought was a little too shallow for this kind of adventure. Being adventurers, though, we set off down the forest path:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2542[/ATTACH]

We got jumped by what amounted to undead badgers, and got pretty badly handled. However, being adventurers, we kept on going to the clearing in the woods:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2543[/ATTACH]

Whereupon we got jumped by undead wolves - Waffle The Wonder Dog was of no help, here - and then by some undead trees. After a long and nasty fight, we managed to defeat the lot, and are now poised to solve why the local Druid is having a bad time.

We went from the original table set of the village map I'd had printed, to the forest path, and then to the forest clearing. The 'scene changes' took under four minutes each - yes, I had them time me - so I am very pleased at how well the terrain and scenery system I have in the game room worked in actual game play.

I'll try to have more photos up on the blog later on; this is a very busy time here, as I had the Shieldmaidens game a week ago, the 5e group this past Sunday, and the Free RPG Day game event this Saturday. I do have this coming Sunday and Monday off, and the proper reports may have to wait until then.

As a side note to the game, I thought that it was fascinating that the players had no problems with the lack of a grid and the other usual 'D & D' accessories. They seemed to really enjoy this ancient style of gaming, and I found it that was heartening that they did.

UNDEAD BADGERS?!
These are the worst, man!

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1043672what amounted to undead badgers
undead wolves
and then by some undead trees

I'm sensing a trend in the GM's choice for enemies, Uncle:D! May I humbly recommend stocking up on holy water, and some wolfsbane just in case he's been inspired by the Underworld franchise?

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1043673I've now listened to this, and am pretty amused by the whole thing - they've rediscovered and restated what I've been saying for decades. Good material and worth listening to.

Better late than never, isn't it;)?

And with THIS post

https://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?39104-Video-There-is-no-quot-D-amp-D-Community-quot-Just-a-Marketing-Scheme-by-Hasbro-amp-SJW-Entryism&p=1043756&viewfull=1#post1043756

I bid farewell to RPGSite.

I don't expect everybody to believe the same as I do, but I do expect my wife will not be obviously insulted.

Chirine, you know how to find me if you need me.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1043807And with THIS post

https://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?39104-Video-There-is-no-quot-D-amp-D-Community-quot-Just-a-Marketing-Scheme-by-Hasbro-amp-SJW-Entryism&p=1043756&viewfull=1#post1043756

I bid farewell to RPGSite.

I don't expect everybody to believe the same as I do, but I do expect my wife will not be obviously insulted.

Chirine, you know how to find me if you need me.

I hope to see you on the Rpgpub, Glorious General:)!

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1043693UNDEAD BADGERS?!
These are the worst, man!

What got me was it took ages to drive them off, and we suffered a lot of damage in the process. Did have fun, though!

Quote from: AsenRG;1043776I'm sensing a trend in the GM's choice for enemies, Uncle:D! May I humbly recommend stocking up on holy water, and some wolfsbane just in case he's been inspired by the Underworld franchise?


Better late than never, isn't it;)?

I'll suggest that. In my usual neck of the woods, it'd be tsural buds and amulets.

Well I think so; it's just hugely fascinating to me to listen to some Big Names in the hobby discovering what we discovered back in the day, and in so much of the same fashion.

Fascinating; just simply fascinating.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1043807And with THIS post

https://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?39104-Video-There-is-no-quot-D-amp-D-Community-quot-Just-a-Marketing-Scheme-by-Hasbro-amp-SJW-Entryism&p=1043756&viewfull=1#post1043756

I bid farewell to RPGSite.

I don't expect everybody to believe the same as I do, but I do expect my wife will not be obviously insulted.

Chirine, you know how to find me if you need me.

Oh?

"Oh, my!" as Fourth Daughter would say. :eek:

Well, my General, it was - in the main - fun while it lasted. :(

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1043843I'll suggest that. In my usual neck of the woods, it'd be tsural buds and amulets.

Well I think so; it's just hugely fascinating to me to listen to some Big Names in the hobby discovering what we discovered back in the day, and in so much of the same fashion.

Fascinating; just simply fascinating.

Well, Uncle, you know the exact composition of the protective devices isn't as important as the fact they provide protection against the Not Quite Dead Yet, and the wolf-humans. We'll pay whoever we must to provide the protection, even if it was in the form of fake swallow nests one wears under the helmet, just so long as it worked...:)

It will probably make you laugh even more, Uncle, but I reverse-engineered something the idea of a sandbox for my games by contemplating what I knew about the games that some of the aforementioned Big Names (RE) have been running, and changing it a bit to suit my playstyle;).

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1043844Oh?

"Oh, my!" as Fourth Daughter would say. :eek:

Well, my General, it was - in the main - fun while it lasted. :(

Yeah, "free speech has downsides", like the lack of politeness, we're reminded again!

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1043807And with THIS post

https://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?39104-Video-There-is-no-quot-D-amp-D-Community-quot-Just-a-Marketing-Scheme-by-Hasbro-amp-SJW-Entryism&p=1043756&viewfull=1#post1043756

I bid farewell to RPGSite.

I don't expect everybody to believe the same as I do, but I do expect my wife will not be obviously insulted.

Chirine, you know how to find me if you need me.

Gronan, I think we never communicated, but know, o prince, you will be missed. :(

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1043807And with THIS post

https://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?39104-Video-There-is-no-quot-D-amp-D-Community-quot-Just-a-Marketing-Scheme-by-Hasbro-amp-SJW-Entryism&p=1043756&viewfull=1#post1043756

I bid farewell to RPGSite.

I don't expect everybody to believe the same as I do, but I do expect my wife will not be obviously insulted.

Chirine, you know how to find me if you need me.

Oh Gronan, don't go.
Now, why did you have to go and chat with silly people talking non-sense and being angry at clouds? The only thread I read on the RPGSite is this one, Chirine's, 'cause really, the other ones often devolve into silliness.

Stay with us. It's a nice little island we've got here.
Sure, sparks sometimes sparkle here too, as sparks are prone to do. But this little piece of Tekumel-related internet land is filled with friendly, well-behaved people.
So, do reconsider.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1043843I'll suggest that. In my usual neck of the woods, it'd be tsural buds and amulets.

Well I think so; it's just hugely fascinating to me to listen to some Big Names in the hobby discovering what we discovered back in the day, and in so much of the same fashion.

Fascinating; just simply fascinating.

It is good that. And it's good because it makes other gamers interested in what they're talking about.
- "Hey! What's this Tekumel thing I've never heard of before?! If [Big Name] likes it, well, I'm gonna give it a shot!"

Doing my bit by running Tekumel games at UK conventions I find that the closet Tekumel gamers come out of the woodwork at the idea of a FTF game. Many of them played years ago then moved on to other things but have a nostalgic fondness for the Professor's creation. Many aren't even aware that new rules have come out since the 90's and certainly most aren't aware of people still playing games set on Tekumel beyond the few still haunting the echoing corridors of either the FB page or the Yahoo group.

Uncle,

Please see post #46.

Thank you,

H:0)

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1043890Oh Gronan, don't go.
Now, why did you have to go and chat with silly people talking non-sense and being angry at clouds? The only thread I read on the RPGSite is this one, Chirine's, 'cause really, the other ones often devolve into silliness.

Stay with us. It's a nice little island we've got here.
Sure, sparks sometimes sparkle here too, as sparks are prone to do. But this little piece of Tekumel-related internet land is filled with friendly, well-behaved people.
So, do reconsider.

Let me echo this. Although, I don't think of this thread as a nice little island but a nice little Bethorm, lol.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1043890Oh Gronan, don't go.
Now, why did you have to go and chat with silly people talking non-sense and being angry at clouds? The only thread I read on the RPGSite is this one, Chirine's, 'cause really, the other ones often devolve into silliness.

Stay with us. It's a nice little island we've got here.
Sure, sparks sometimes sparkle here too, as sparks are prone to do. But this little piece of Tekumel-related internet land is filled with friendly, well-behaved people.
So, do reconsider.

Let him have this, man. He has the right to be angry. Someone decided to bring the real world and real big things like religion into discussion of f***ing little elfgames, and it didn't sit well. That's legit. I'm all in favor of free exchange of ideas and being subject to hearing things you don't agree with, the later part is an at-your-own-leisure subset of the time and part of that freedom also has to be voting with your feet.

We'll see if it sticks. I decided I was going to jump when Pundy decided to drag the real world into the non-pungency areas, yet somehow I am back (for now). Regardless, other than this one thread, this place is becoming rather sparse on actual game talk and I think Gronan's been eying the door for a while. If he decides that one guy spouting off isn't worth losing well, this thread at least, he'll be back.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1043807I bid farewell to RPGSite.

I don't expect everybody to believe the same as I do, but I do expect my wife will not be obviously insulted.

Chirine, you know how to find me if you need me.

Happy trails! If you're ever back in the TC, I'll buy the beers if you buy the Arnie Palmers.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1043807And with THIS post

https://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?39104-Video-There-is-no-quot-D-amp-D-Community-quot-Just-a-Marketing-Scheme-by-Hasbro-amp-SJW-Entryism&p=1043756&viewfull=1#post1043756

I bid farewell to RPGSite.

I don't expect everybody to believe the same as I do, but I do expect my wife will not be obviously insulted.

Chirine, you know how to find me if you need me.

Glorious General,

I don't know if you will see this, but I totally agree with your decision, and have nothing but respect for you in making it. As Willie said above, this site, with the exception of this thread, has had precious little interesting gaming talk over the last little while, hence my infrequent presence here lately. If you should ever want to drop me a line, and which for the world I can't think why you would:D, Chirine has my contact info. If you don't return here it's been a pleasure hearing your tales of Tekumel and reflections on Phil, Dave, and Gary.
"So long, and thanks for all the fish."

Shemek.

Quote from: Shemek hiTankolel;1043998Glorious General,

I don't know if you will see this, but I totally agree with your decision, and have nothing but respect for you in making it. As Willie said above, this site, with the exception of this thread, has had precious little interesting gaming talk over the last little while, hence my infrequent presence here lately. If you should ever want to drop me a line, and which for the world I can't think why you would:D, Chirine has my contact info. If you don't return here it's been a pleasure hearing your tales of Tekumel and reflections on Phil, Dave, and Gary.
"So long, and thanks for all the fish."

Shemek.

Admittedly, that sums up my reaction as well:)!

Also, Glorious General, thank you for talking about old-school games, starting back at the TBP. The lessons that were learned are appreciated;)!

Quote from: Hrugga;1043902Uncle,

Please see post #46.

Thank you,

H:0)

I'm aware of it. I've had game events going the past couple of weeks, I have two more yet to do over the next couple of weeks, and a longer reply will have to wait until probably Sunday or Monday when I have a day off work. Please be patient; thank you!

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1044026I'm aware of it. I've had game events going the past couple of weeks, I have two more yet to do over the next couple of weeks, and a longer reply will have to wait until probably Sunday or Monday when I have a day off work. Please be patient; thank you!

Ahhh, Uncle please forgive my imprudence...I was just eagerly awaiting your reply!!!

H;0)

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1043898Doing my bit by running Tekumel games at UK conventions I find that the closet Tekumel gamers come out of the woodwork at the idea of a FTF game. Many of them played years ago then moved on to other things but have a nostalgic fondness for the Professor's creation. Many aren't even aware that new rules have come out since the 90's and certainly most aren't aware of people still playing games set on Tekumel beyond the few still haunting the echoing corridors of either the FB page or the Yahoo group.

That's very nice.
I'll keep an eye posted on whatever Tekumel game pops up on my radar.
If it's close enough to London and I can therefore justify the travel expense, I'll make sure to join. I've only lead games and I'd love to be a player!

And yes, it seems that people are curious about the world, at least among convention crowds. An untapped audience of potential buyers! The world is still considered to be unplayable, even after all these years (bad reputation is hard to shake off), but I think that it wouldn't take much (other than a bit of vision and hard work on the part of the IP holders) to get those hardcore gamers and gamers in their circles to get excited about Tekumel and start something rolling. A fully illustrated second edition of the Sourcebook, with, right behind, a series of fun playable adventures, would help I think. All of this could be achieved, with serious work and careful planning, but it could.
(I will now close this thread on what the IP holders should be doing as it's been discussed here about, oh, a billion times before? ;) )

Anyway, hope to see you at a convention table, Hermes Serpent!

How hard would it be for a player to pretend they were higher status than they actually were?
Say they were from a remote location or foreign country.
What would be the likely outcome and benefit if they pulled it off?
How about if they were exposed?
=

Saw this link posted on the ODD74 boards: https://www.ebay.com/itm/292605279580

Chirine, do you know what we are seeing here? I'm particularly curious about the maps. Thanks!

Quote from: Baron;1044345Saw this link posted on the ODD74 boards: https://www.ebay.com/itm/292605279580

Chirine, do you know what we are seeing here? I'm particularly curious about the maps. Thanks!

Maybe those are the DS EPT maps that were reused for Ruins of Undermountain? Maybe?

H:0)

PS See this thread if you have not already...

http://odd74.proboards.com/thread/12571/apparently-undermountain-ept

Just back in and unloaded from today's event; back tomorrow with more news, after I get some sleep. The game session went from 10:15 am to 8:45 pm, with five to six players on average to peaking at eight. Lots of on-lookers; talked to well over twenty people all day as the game was running. Had some very ancient players, and some completely new players. There's talk of making this an annual event, and maybe sponsoring it at a large convention.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2549[/ATTACH]

Very happy with the game, and the FLGS was very happy with the display. Got to meet Willie, too!!! :)

Excellent news, Chirine. That's two extended sessions in a row. Perhaps the old style  holds appeal after all.

Sorry to read Gronan has left the building. He'll be missed on this thread.

Finally, happy Father's Day to all the dads here. My gift from my daughter is the Kurt Hills campaign map.  Now, if I can only get her gaming...

Blaise

Quote from: Big Andy;1043242What was its "face?" And you could climb inside? Where was the entrance? Since you guys nicknamed so many other things, did it get one? Like go to Nickname and take the first left? Did you run into any others any place else?

Also, you type Hry'y and many of the older publications use that spelling while the newer stuff go with Hru'u, with umlauts. Any difference? Why the difference?

To quote M. A. R. Barker's notes on the Jakallan Underworld:

"Bright Blue Numbers: #4. Sphinx with the head of a Kurgha; eyes gleam ruby red in the darkness."

In our explorations, the secret entrance is at the front, between the front legs at the chest where the Dream Stele  was, and has the same text but in Engsvanyali; it's one of Phil's inside jokes, and dates the Sphinx itself to Bednjallan times. Please see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_Stele
 for the text, which is by one of the Priest-kings. Once inside the head, you can look out through several hidden peepholes.

We just called it "The Sphinx", 'cause it's the only one we ever found.

Umlauts are a pain in the butt with US / UK typewriters, and we didn't have a German one. (Phil did, but it was a manual and a historical artifact and we couldn't get ribbons for it.) Word processors can do it easily, however.

Quote from: Hrugga;1044045Ahhh, Uncle please forgive my imprudence...I was just eagerly awaiting your reply!!!

H;0)

Answered.

Quote from: Greentongue;1044317How hard would it be for a player to pretend they were higher status than they actually were?
Say they were from a remote location or foreign country.
What would be the likely outcome and benefit if they pulled it off?
How about if they were exposed?
=

Very easy, assuming nobody knew them personally and they could lie convincingly. Out-of towners, like you say, would be easier.

Prestige, status, money, position, bribes, that kind of thing.

Mayhem. Lots and lots of mayhem, as the people that they'd been posing as would nail them but good if they could.

Quote from: Baron;1044345Saw this link posted on the ODD74 boards: https://www.ebay.com/itm/292605279580

Chirine, do you know what we are seeing here? I'm particularly curious about the maps. Thanks!

Somebody's EPT box with their maps in it, with a letter from DCSIII and a copy of his map from his EPT campaign. Pretty easy to authenticate; I happen to know his handwriting. Nice artifact, really. Be interesting to see what he'd had to say.

Quote from: Hrugga;1044355Maybe those are the DS EPT maps that were reused for Ruins of Undermountain? Maybe?

H:0)

PS See this thread if you have not already...

http://odd74.proboards.com/thread/12571/apparently-undermountain-ept

Yes, probably.

Quote from: bconsidine;1044404Excellent news, Chirine. That's two extended sessions in a row. Perhaps the old style  holds appeal after all.

Sorry to read Gronan has left the building. He'll be missed on this thread.

Finally, happy Father's Day to all the dads here. My gift from my daughter is the Kurt Hills campaign map.  Now, if I can only get her gaming...

Blaise

It was a lot of fun, and everything worked first time out all the way across the board. The Skyline display drew a lot of attention - as did the birthday cake! :) - and the players seemed fascinated by the Ye Olde Game Play. They got the hang of it very quickly, and were able to evaluate their own dice rolls - I used the Dave/Gary 3D6 instead of Phil's 1D% for laughs - and got the hang of Tekumel right smartly too, so that they were fitting right in with the rest of the crowd. Everybody had fun, and a good time was had by all.

Especially when The Cat got sick. She rolled spectacularly badly, and - bless her little ham acting heart - did what could only be described as the perfect 'kitty-being-sick' act any of us had ever seen. She caused the palace staff to roll a morale check, which they failed and were utterly routed as a result. The Ladies-in-Waiting, though, are made of sterner stuff, made their morale check with ease, and not only got the mess cleaned up and have been upgraded to 'Elite' from 'Regular'. (The Court Pages - those little scamps! - are 'Fanatics', by the way.) The players laughed until they cried, and The Artist at the table recorded it all for the archives.

Yeah, I hear you.

Had some of the family in for the game, too... :)

Another photo up on the blog today; still sorting and unpacking, and washing the frosting out of the tablecloths.

Ah, the thrilling excitement of gaming! :)

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1044448Another photo up on the blog today; still sorting and unpacking, and washing the frosting out of the tablecloths.

Ah, the thrilling excitement of gaming! :)

Wonderful post over at the Bench. Touching. Happy Fathers Day, Uncle.

Thanks,

H:0)

Quote from: Hrugga;1044452Wonderful post over at the Bench. Touching. Happy Fathers Day, Uncle.

Thanks,

H:0)

Thank you! I'm glad you liked my post; The Missus says I write from the heart, and I think she's right. :)

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1044138That's very nice.
I'll keep an eye posted on whatever Tekumel game pops up on my radar.
If it's close enough to London and I can therefore justify the travel expense, I'll make sure to join. I've only lead games and I'd love to be a player!

And yes, it seems that people are curious about the world, at least among convention crowds. An untapped audience of potential buyers! The world is still considered to be unplayable, even after all these years (bad reputation is hard to shake off), but I think that it wouldn't take much (other than a bit of vision and hard work on the part of the IP holders) to get those hardcore gamers and gamers in their circles to get excited about Tekumel and start something rolling. A fully illustrated second edition of the Sourcebook, with, right behind, a series of fun playable adventures, would help I think. All of this could be achieved, with serious work and careful planning, but it could.
(I will now close this thread on what the IP holders should be doing as it's been discussed here about, oh, a billion times before? ;) )

Anyway, hope to see you at a convention table, Hermes Serpent!

Agreed, if yesterday was any indication. I had a good time, the players had a good time, and I had quite a few passer-by asking about Tekumel. So, I think the interest is there, and potentially a bit of a market, but tapping it will be the issue...

And, like you, I'll leave it at that.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1044366Just back in and unloaded from today's event; back tomorrow with more news, after I get some sleep. The game session went from 10:15 am to 8:45 pm, with five to six players on average to peaking at eight. Lots of on-lookers; talked to well over twenty people all day as the game was running. Had some very ancient players, and some completely new players. There's talk of making this an annual event, and maybe sponsoring it at a large convention.
...
Very happy with the game, and the FLGS was very happy with the display. Got to meet Willie, too!!! :)

Indeed, it was fun. I'll relate my experience for the rest of the thread, since Chirine still seems stretched for time here --
side note: I will be butchering spelling of people real and imagined, so bear with me. Chirine if you correct, I will update.

I wasn't able to get there until 4:00-ish, and could only stay for a couple hours. It was still a grand time (not just Chirine's part, the whole store seemed to be a great mixing of old and young players enjoying themselves together, which is the best kind of thing). Chirine was set up on the Eastern wall near the restrooms and drinking fountains (not bad, as we got some decent ambient sunlight without getting scorched/blinded). Present at the table was Tekumel veteran Dave Westley, as well as artist Kathy _____ (of Kathy and Harley, missed last name), and 3 (later 4) women (girl in one case) who clearly knew each other. They played (respectively) an actual cat (Egyptian temple cat), a priestess of Bast, and an anthropomorphic cat-person. An interesting theme I greatly appreciated. Bob Meyer (who inherited the Blackmoor campaign also made an appearance, but did not play).

The adventure focused on palace intrigue during a celebration in the court of Chininae. When I sat down I was told by others that the likely task (as I will put it) was to sniff out who was most likely to be the target of assassination at this shindig and potentially stop it/catch the assassin. However, Chirine played it true to the sandbox mentality and if we wanted to get lost on bunny trails (or just let him expound upon the 'old days'), he wasn't going to nudge us onto the right path or anything.

I think multiple of us determined that the most likely targets of assassination would be the Sulirviani delegation. They had previously tried to kill the entire royal family and as such were not really liked by anyone (but still had to be there to be represented, much to the chagrin of the junior diplomatic staff, who clearly knew the position they'd been put in). Beyond that, their nation was suffering a civil war, one that the senior Sulirviani diplomat would very much like Chirinae's army not to get involved in. Thus parts of Sulirviani itself might enjoy said diplomat's efforts failing, as would any foreign agent who might not even care about the civil war so much as simply try to push Chirinae's attention in that direction.

Knowing I couldn't stick around for very long, I didn't want to try to dictate what we should do... but honestly I wasn't sure what we should do. I guess IRL if I were tasked with preventing an assassination at a social endeavor, I might be in over my head. But other than search the quarters of the suspected targets (something someone else suggested), I didn't really know how to proceed except myself trying to be a bit provocative and rattle NPCs (and Westley's character, who was clearly up to something, but we didn't know what), and have the other players look around to see who reacted to me the most worriedly, I was somewhat flummoxed as what to do next.

All in all a good time. I wish I could have stayed for the whole time. I did get some good book recommendations, a great quote from Chirine on handel killing an assassin with a cello spike to protect Welsh Royalty or somesuch (notes not in front of me right now), and stories of his and Gronan's wargaming campaigns. Two thumbs up.

Quote from: Willie the Duck;1044541Indeed, it was fun. I'll relate my experience for the rest of the thread, since Chirine still seems stretched for time here --
side note: I will be butchering spelling of people real and imagined, so bear with me. Chirine if you correct, I will update.

All in all a good time. I wish I could have stayed for the whole time. I did get some good book recommendations, a great quote from Chirine on handel killing an assassin with a cello spike to protect Welsh Royalty or somesuch (notes not in front of me right now), and stories of his and Gronan's wargaming campaigns. Two thumbs up.

Very good summary of the action as it went on during the day! Thank you! I'm still pretty tired out, and the fracas over on another forum all day yesterday really bottomed out my morale.

To answer your questions:

The Cast Of Characters:

The Old Gang: Kathy (Marshall) Grantham, better known as the brilliant artist for Tekumel and The Highborn Princess Lady Vrisa Vishetru, the kolumelra (Governor of the Nyemesel Isles); David Thornley, who first played Tekumel with Phil in the summer of 1974; Doreen Thornely, who'd never played Tekumel but took on the role of Lady Vrisa's handmaiden.

The Shieldmaidens: Miss Gillian, The Sacred Cat of Bast (who never, ever breaks character!!!), Chandra, her frazzled Priestess of Bast handler, Elspeth (Our Lady Of The Podcasts) the Bard / Sorceress, Meredith the Fremen Assassin (not a Harkonnen, anyway), and Alice the Kzniti warrior a feline with an attitude.

Sage Counsel and Advice: Bob Meyer, better known as Robert the Bald of Blackmoor

Ace Investigator: Willie the Duck - I thought you did very well, and you did stop the assassination attempt.

"It's your usual party crowd."

My Kids ( I think I'll keep them): Heather, Thiolleb the Librarian of Avanthar (Appointed so by one M. A, R. Barker), Jake, the Nlyss warrior - a fine strapping hunk of a man, with rippling sinews, curly hair, bulging biceps, abs like titanium washboards, oiled skin, and a self-confidence that is all over the place: "Stand aside, people; I take large steps!"

It was the Salarvyani who were being the unhappy guests.

And it's Neal Stephenson's epic trilogy, The_Baroque Cycle, where George Fredrick Handel kills a Jesuit Assassin sent by Louis XiV to kill the Princess of Wales. With a cello. Through the heart. What's not to like?

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1044552Very good summary of the action as it went on during the day! Thank you! I'm still pretty tired out, and the fracas over on another forum all day yesterday really bottomed out my morale.

To answer your questions:

The Cast Of Characters:

The Old Gang: Kathy (Marshall) Grantham, better known as the brilliant artist for Tekumel and The Highborn Princess Lady Vrisa Vishetru, the kolumelra (Governor of the Nyemesel Isles); David Thornley, who first played Tekumel with Phil in the summer of 1974; Doreen Thornely, who'd never played Tekumel but took on the role of Lady Vrisa's handmaiden.

The Shieldmaidens: Miss Gillian, The Sacred Cat of Bast (who never, ever breaks character!!!), Chandra, her frazzled Priestess of Bast handler, Elspeth (Our Lady Of The Podcasts) the Bard / Sorceress, Meredith the Fremen Assassin (not a Harkonnen, anyway), and Alice the Kzniti warrior a feline with an attitude.

Sage Counsel and Advice: Bob Meyer, better known as Robert the Bald of Blackmoor

Ace Investigator: Willie the Duck - I thought you did very well, and you did stop the assassination attempt.

"It's your usual party crowd."

My Kids ( I think I'll keep them): Heather, Thiolleb the Librarian of Avanthar (Appointed so by one M. A, R. Barker), Jake, the Nlyss warrior - a fine strapping hunk of a man, with rippling sinews, curly hair, bulging biceps, abs like titanium washboards, oiled skin, and a self-confidence that is all over the place: "Stand aside, people; I take large steps!"

It was the Salarvyani who were being the unhappy guests.

And it's Neal Stephenson's epic trilogy, The_Baroque Cycle, where George Fredrick Handel kills a Jesuit Assassin sent by Louis XiV to kill the Princess of Wales. With a cello. Through the heart. What's not to like?

How did they uncover the assassin/stop the assassination, Uncle?

Quote from: AsenRG;1044590How did they uncover the assassin/stop the assassination, Uncle?

The players noticed, as they mingled with the crowd, that there was a lot of tension in the air. So, in the process of making polite small talk over the cheese and crackers, they found out what was up on the political side of the thing. In what I thought was a brilliant move, and completely unexpected by myself, was that they started covertly watching the Legion's security troops, to see who they were watching. They had the situation figured out pretty quickly, and then - after some very good 'perception' / 'wisdom' checks, realized that they could not remember the faces of some of the catering staff that were circulating around the hall with the drinks and snacks. They'd get served by these people, and then could not remember what they looked like. The players then, in literally a matter of moments, realized that the 'servers' in question were part of the Department of Assassinations and Obfuscations, and after a little consulting work behind the pillars - which is why the hall has pillars, somebody pointed out - they knew who were the suspects.

They then put on a little show, as a diversion, with the idea of taking out the would-be assassins. This being Tekumel, and this being open sandbox play, this triggered a pretty darn spectacular scene - the crowd loved it, as they'd never seen what is one of The Very Big Secrets of the Temple of Vimuhla. (His Lordship nearly fainted, but that's the way the game is played, folks.) combined with fast footwork by the players, the plot was foiled - the Salarvyani have this morbid fear of demons, and the players did their level best to encourage that. The junior diplomats failed their saving throws / morale checks, especially after the six-foot tall Kzin flexed her muscles and showed them her fangs, and they had to be carried off in handcarts what with being limp with terror. (The twins, who are some of the likely targets for assassination by the way, really like her; they like their cuddles on the lethal side, like their mothers and aunties. I'm gong to have to find a felinoid figure, now...)

The Birthday Girl thought it was a wonderful way to spend the evening; she carried on like this was the normal floor show of an evening here at the palace, and all was well.

It was one of those 'Phil does Phil' evenings like I so fondly remember. All role-playing, all the time, and a good time was had by all.

[I just finished the left-over cake today; I have a day off, so we went to get Der Bug's title done and stopped off at IKEA for gaming supplies. I feel much better, tonight.]

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1044593The players noticed, as they mingled with the crowd, that there was a lot of tension in the air. So, in the process of making polite small talk over the cheese and crackers, they found out what was up on the political side of the thing. In what I thought was a brilliant move, and completely unexpected by myself, was that they started covertly watching the Legion's security troops, to see who they were watching. They had the situation figured out pretty quickly, and then - after some very good 'perception' / 'wisdom' checks, realized that they could not remember the faces of some of the catering staff that were circulating around the hall with the drinks and snacks. They'd get served by these people, and then could not remember what they looked like. The players then, in literally a matter of moments, realized that the 'servers' in question were part of the Department of Assassinations and Obfuscations, and after a little consulting work behind the pillars - which is why the hall has pillars, somebody pointed out - they knew who were the suspects.

They then put on a little show, as a diversion, with the idea of taking out the would-be assassins. This being Tekumel, and this being open sandbox play, this triggered a pretty darn spectacular scene - the crowd loved it, as they'd never seen what is one of The Very Big Secrets of the Temple of Vimuhla. (His Lordship nearly fainted, but that's the way the game is played, folks.) combined with fast footwork by the players, the plot was foiled - the Salarvyani have this morbid fear of demons, and the players did their level best to encourage that. The junior diplomats failed their saving throws / morale checks, especially after the six-foot tall Kzin flexed her muscles and showed them her fangs, and they had to be carried off in handcarts what with being limp with terror. (The twins, who are some of the likely targets for assassination by the way, really like her; they like their cuddles on the lethal side, like their mothers and aunties. I'm gong to have to find a felinoid figure, now...)

The Birthday Girl thought it was a wonderful way to spend the evening; she carried on like this was the normal floor show of an evening here at the palace, and all was well.

It was one of those 'Phil does Phil' evenings like I so fondly remember. All role-playing, all the time, and a good time was had by all.

[I just finished the left-over cake today; I have a day off, so we went to get Der Bug's title done and stopped off at IKEA for gaming supplies. I feel much better, tonight.]

Awesome scene!!! Wish we all could have been there.

H:0)

Quote from: Hrugga;1044606Awesome scene!!! Wish we all could have been there.

H:0)

Well, in the future you should be able to; we're working on getting all the hardware to talk to themselves. I should also note that while I have the gear to record sessions like this, as this is a public event I don't record this one; there are all sorts of issues involved, as well as the sheer effort required to do good video.

And I'd like to point out that soirees like this were one of Phil's 'stock sets' in his theater of the mind. All I did was take his gambit, which he liked to use to introduce new players into the group's adventures, and run with it. People from the multiverse would drop in and out, like the two hobbits of that Flemish man-at-arms, and I used that as well to make this open-table event work for everyone.

Having the 25mm palace plans out on the table also helped, as the players had an instant grasp of the tactical situation and knew just where they were all the time - when they could see each other, that is. It also added to the fun when The Sacred Cat started exploring the family wing, popping in and out of people's rooms with her minder in hot pursuit. The bit where she - the minder, that is, not the cat - got her wet bath towels exchanged for dry ones on the fly, like a relay runner, was (if you asked me) pretty priceless and well worth the costs of serving the birthday cake.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1044593The players noticed, as they mingled with the crowd, that there was a lot of tension in the air. So, in the process of making polite small talk over the cheese and crackers, they found out what was up on the political side of the thing. In what I thought was a brilliant move, and completely unexpected by myself, was that they started covertly watching the Legion's security troops, to see who they were watching. They had the situation figured out pretty quickly, and then - after some very good 'perception' / 'wisdom' checks, realized that they could not remember the faces of some of the catering staff that were circulating around the hall with the drinks and snacks. They'd get served by these people, and then could not remember what they looked like. The players then, in literally a matter of moments, realized that the 'servers' in question were part of the Department of Assassinations and Obfuscations, and after a little consulting work behind the pillars - which is why the hall has pillars, somebody pointed out - they knew who were the suspects.

They then put on a little show, as a diversion, with the idea of taking out the would-be assassins. This being Tekumel, and this being open sandbox play, this triggered a pretty darn spectacular scene - the crowd loved it, as they'd never seen what is one of The Very Big Secrets of the Temple of Vimuhla. (His Lordship nearly fainted, but that's the way the game is played, folks.) combined with fast footwork by the players, the plot was foiled - the Salarvyani have this morbid fear of demons, and the players did their level best to encourage that. The junior diplomats failed their saving throws / morale checks, especially after the six-foot tall Kzin flexed her muscles and showed them her fangs, and they had to be carried off in handcarts what with being limp with terror. (The twins, who are some of the likely targets for assassination by the way, really like her; they like their cuddles on the lethal side, like their mothers and aunties. I'm gong to have to find a felinoid figure, now...)

The Birthday Girl thought it was a wonderful way to spend the evening; she carried on like this was the normal floor show of an evening here at the palace, and all was well.

It was one of those 'Phil does Phil' evenings like I so fondly remember. All role-playing, all the time, and a good time was had by all.

[I just finished the left-over cake today; I have a day off, so we went to get Der Bug's title done and stopped off at IKEA for gaming supplies. I feel much better, tonight.]

Wonderful! And a good call on the players' side, too!

How would Chirine have approached the same task, had he received it in the early days of his career;)?

Apologies in advance, but I'm writing up an adventure for this weekend's romp under Jakalla. The party's been away for two real years of play, and now I have a question as I try getting back into the right mindset. Do we assume that many of Tekumel's creatures that can be found down there can see in the dark, in one way or another? I'm basically describing everything as pitch dark, forcing the party to carry light sources and manage resources, but shouldn't the various beasties who live here manage just fine? What about the humanoids/aliens that might be encountered roaming the vast underground halls, such as a ravening band of ahoggya, a few qol, some renyu slaves, a group of shen mercs, or an opportunistic sro? Would a fair rule of thumb be that if they can carry a light source of some kind, then they must, in order to operate optimally?

If I had my druthers I'd probably just make humans be the only ones to need light, and no one else, but if it's established somewhere in EPT or S&G, I'll refer to that. I just need some guidance as to how it ran under the Professor. Thanks!

Oh, and I recall the ssu at least use little blue globes of light, but I don't know about anyone other than The Enemies of Man...

By Sarku's dusty eye-sockets, I'm going through my "monster" notes, and it looks like this is really just all over the board, if stated at all. I guess I'll probably have to go through the entire list of Underworld Encounters and just make some calls..?

Quote from: Baron;1044873By Sarku's dusty eye-sockets, I'm going through my "monster" notes, and it looks like this is really just all over the board, if stated at all. I guess I'll probably have to go through the entire list of Underworld Encounters and just make some calls..?

In my opinion, that is the best course of action. Please do let us know how the Jakallan Romp turns out?

Shemek.

Oh, sure, no problem! This is the long-delayed trip to destroy the little statuette with a sliver of the Pale Bone hidden inside. Down, down, down they'll go to seek out the Secret Vimuhla Society whose responsibility it is to destroy these things. But it's not going to go as expected, oh no!

What was really cool was when they returned from Kashi to find that Jakalla was being attacked by lunar forces! You see, the Goddess has a cult on the moon as well, and they followed the party home...

Squads of Space Marines, supported by War of the Worlds-ish tripods, fighting street to street. The head of their clan was quite upset that they hadn't brought back a lightning-thrower to defend the clan house!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2556[/ATTACH]

Oh, and I have these guys on order too...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]2557[/ATTACH]

And I'm just painting up one of these guys!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]2558[/ATTACH]

Actually you fine gentlemen might get a kick out of this shot from a recent game, showing how I use various items, including aquarium plants, to set the scene for my players.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2560[/ATTACH]

Quote from: AsenRG;1044665Wonderful! And a good call on the players' side, too!

How would Chirine have approached the same task, had he received it in the early days of his career;)?

I thought so; they tired to use a D & D style roll, and then role-played the results. I was pleased.

The exact same way. Ask the catering staff, slip them a little silver, ask the major-domo, slip them a little gold, and ask questions over the snacks and drinks. No tables, no 'social interaction rules', just role-play the situation and use the the brains that God gave a turnip. Some things, at least the way I play, have not changed in forty years.

Sorry to sound snarky; I have to be back into work at eight tomorrow morning to cover for a co-worker, which I found out about at three this afternoon, and I've gotten home jus in time to hopefully go get some sleep.

Quote from: Baron;1044868Oh, and I recall the ssu at least use little blue globes of light, but I don't know about anyone other than The Enemies of Man...

Yes, and Gary Rudolph tired to do this while carrying little silver bells, and the other Ssu came to help what they thought were their friends. Mayhem ensued.

Phil laughed until he cried, he told me.

Quote from: Baron;1044873By Sarku's dusty eye-sockets, I'm going through my "monster" notes, and it looks like this is really just all over the board, if stated at all. I guess I'll probably have to go through the entire list of Underworld Encounters and just make some calls..?

You got it. Run with it.

Quote from: Baron;1044885Actually you fine gentlemen might get a kick out of this shot from a recent game, showing how I use various items, including aquarium plants, to set the scene for my players.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2560[/ATTACH]

Does my heart good to see this, it does.

Quote from: Baron;1044885Actually you fine gentlemen might get a kick out of this shot from a recent game, showing how I use various items, including aquarium plants, to set the scene for my players.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2560[/ATTACH]

So cool! Love it.
Thanks for sharing these.

Quote from: Baron;1044882And I'm just painting up one of these guys!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]2558[/ATTACH]

Nice.
Can totally see one of these appear in a deep Tekumel dungeon.

Quote from: Hrugga;1044606Awesome scene!!! Wish we all could have been there.

H:0)

Seconded.
Thanks for sharing this with us, Chirine.

Quote from: Baron;1044882And I'm just painting up one of these guys!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]2558[/ATTACH]

Krang? Is that you:D?

Quote from: Baron;1044885Actually you fine gentlemen might get a kick out of this shot from a recent game, showing how I use various items, including aquarium plants, to set the scene for my players.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2560[/ATTACH]

Very cool-looking scene you've managed to make there:)!

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1044917I thought so; they tired to use a D & D style roll, and then role-played the results. I was pleased.

Always good to see people doing that!

QuoteThe exact same way. Ask the catering staff, slip them a little silver, ask the major-domo, slip them a little gold, and ask questions over the snacks and drinks. No tables, no 'social interaction rules', just role-play the situation and use the the brains that God gave a turnip. Some things, at least the way I play, have not changed in forty years.

And here I thought I'd learn a new approach! Ah well...

QuoteSorry to sound snarky; I have to be back into work at eight tomorrow morning to cover for a co-worker, which I found out about at three this afternoon, and I've gotten home jus in time to hopefully go get some sleep.

That sucks, Uncle! Hope at least you'd get a nice overtime bonus!

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1044918Yes, and Gary Rudolph tired to do this while carrying little silver bells, and the other Ssu came to help what they thought were their friends. Mayhem ensued.

Phil laughed until he cried, he told me.

I can imagine...
Care to elaborate more on this incident;)?

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1044973Seconded.
Thanks for sharing this with us, Chirine.

You're welcome!

Quote from: AsenRG;1044999And here I thought I'd learn a new approach! Ah well...

That sucks, Uncle! Hope at least you'd get a nice overtime bonus!

I can imagine...
Care to elaborate more on this incident;)?

Sorry.

Nope. It's straight time, with a shift change.

Gary thought that it would be clever to carry blue lanterns and bells in the underworld, on the assumption that it would scare most of the Dire Perils away. What he didn't think of was that the real Ssu would come and see what their friends might be up to...

Mayhem, as I am fond of saying, ensued.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1045096Sorry.

Nope. It's straight time, with a shift change.

Gary thought that it would be clever to carry blue lanterns and bells in the underworld, on the assumption that it would scare most of the Dire Perils away. What he didn't think of was that the real Ssu would come and see what their friends might be up to...

Mayhem, as I am fond of saying, ensued.

No reason to be sorry, Uncle. I can live with this one.

That, however, is even worse!

And that was a smart idea...both on his part, and on Phil's part:D!

Quote from: Baron;1044882And I'm just painting up one of these guys!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]2558[/ATTACH]

Has a Shunned Ones vibe. Who's the manufacturer?

Blaise

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1044917Sorry to sound snarky; I have to be back into work at eight tomorrow morning to cover for a co-worker, which I found out about at three this afternoon, and I've gotten home jus in time to hopefully go get some sleep.

I'm experiencing something similar myself these days. Have been since February. But chin up and all that. Karma has a way of balancing things out. (I'm sure there's a Trickster aspect to one of the gods. Don't know which one.)

Blaise

Quote from: bconsidine;1045260Has a Shunned Ones vibe. Who's the manufacturer?

Blaise

It's a Reaper "Brain in a Jar." :-)

Quote from: Baron;1045267It's a Reaper "Brain in a Jar." :-)

Somehow, that just seemed too obvious...

Blaise

In honor of the solstice:

4.1801   The Shores of the Goddess, And The Treasures Found There;

Winter Solstice, 2360 A. S.; Ru'su, in the Nyémesel Islands

The crowd in the central plaza was getting thicker and denser as the light began to fade; Chirine stopped where he was, and looked for a reasonably clear path across the plaza through the throngs of local people that were filling the broad space. He'd forgotten that this was the evening of the winter solstice, and despite never having been here in Ru'su before, he suspected that the theocrats who ruled these islands had some sort of ceremony in mind. Being a foreigner, and one who stood out amongst the crowds of the commoners due to his dress, he wanted to be out of sight and out of mind when the festivities got started; many of the places that he'd been in his career had interesting and unusual ideas regarding how strangers could take prominent parts in their colorful traditional ceremonies, and many of the less civilized ones usually resulted in the stranger being sacrificed to the local gods in interesting and unusual ways.

His linen kilt and gold collar of plaques, which in Tsolyánu would have been considered dreadfully informal for a high-ranking military priest-priest, looked like formal or ritual garb here among the commoners of these islands. They all wore minimal loincloths at best, even on this evening of ceremony, with the only finery on display being necklaces and hair ornaments made of the seashells that all of the islanders prized. Considering what they had to contend with to get those shells, he mused, he'd value them as well; fishing in the seas around the Nyémesel Islands was fraught with danger.

The sound of a conch-shell horn echoed over the plaza, and he felt the crowd draw back a bit; there were too many of them to be able to see anything. The horn sounded again, and a path opened in the crowd in front of him as if on command; the people on either side of the narrow corridor they'd just opened looked at him and gestured for him to pass ahead of them into the central part of the plaza. He could see the heads of several of the priests of Mrettén ahead of him, at the end of the corridor, and their bobbing sea-shell helmets gave the impression that they were looking for something. Or someone, and he had the feeling that he was what they were looking for.

The helmets were joined by a tall headdress of plumes as he moved towards them, and he wondered what that might indicate; Khéshchal plumes were an exceedingly valuable commodity here, and he'd never seen anyone wearing them in the short time they'd been docked in the harbor buying provisions. Hárchar, always eager to make a kaitar, had gone around buying up all the plumes he could from his passengers to sell to the ruling priesthood; he'd been truly annoyed by the heaps of reddish seashells he'd been offered in exchange until Chirine had reminded him that the shells were the local currency – and were quite valuable back in distant Tsolyánu, where they were used in the making of the deep purple dyes sacred to Lord Hrü'ü, and worth their weight in gold to the dyers' clans. Hárchar was greatly relieved and reveled in his profits, much to all of their amusement.

The helmets resolved themselves into two priests, as he thought; the plumes, on the other hand, topped a masked helmet worn by a rather slender and rather muscular woman. Unlike the priests' blanket-like wraps of dyed sea-grass, she wore a filmy garment of the finest Thésun gauze which was draped from her shoulders to her hips. Like the plumes, the silken gauze was both rare and valuable here, and he assumed that the woman was a priestess of Mrettén in some sort of ritual vestments. She saw him, as he broke through the last of the crowd, and gestured to the two priests. They turned and saw him, and both broke out into what looked like smiles of happiness or relief; Chirine had the feeling that somebody was late to the ceremony, and that he'd been tapped as the replacement. The woman turned away and walked into the plaza's center, and the two priests fussed over him like two old women over a grandchild. They handed him a tall helmet similar to theirs, but with a masked face and various emblems worked on the surface of the shell that it had been made from. Once he had donned it, they led him through a line of yet more priests who had formed a large open circle around the middle of the plaza, and pointed to a spot in the exact center.

When Chirine had crossed the plaza earlier, he'd noticed that it was decorated by what looked like arcs of shells inset into the stone pavement; they had been in different colors, from what little he could see of them under the stalls and people's feet, and now he could see that they formed large circles, five of them, paved with shells in different colors. The center spot that he was headed for was just large enough for one to stand in, and done in golden-colored shells that glittered in the fading light. Ahead of him, facing the setting sun, was what looked like the cleric who was going to preside over the coming ceremonies.

As Chirine stepped into the central circle, the cleric raised his arms and gestured to the ring of priests; half and half, alternately, they either blew conch-shell horns or uncovered lanterns that illuminated the plaza in a soft golden light. From behind this circle came five dancers, each in gauzy fabric costumes that had been dyed to match the color of the shells that made up the five concentric rings in the pavement. They spiraled inwards towards him until each stood on the circle that matched the color of their costume, and stood still for a moment while the presiding priest made an incantation; the conch-shells sounded once again when he was done, and the five dancers began a stately procession around their circles, dancing between formal poses as they went. Each moved at a specific pace, the outermost moving the slowest and the inner ones faster and faster, twirling in the light from the lanterns.

The dance might have looked like some ordinary folk ritual to one untutored in sorcery, but to anyone with even a smattering of temple knowledge it was more then that. To someone of his training, and his experiences, it was much more then that; he was at the center of what amounted to a human replica of an orrery. He'd seen the mechanical version from the height of the First Imperium of the Engsvanyáli that had survived in the Tsoléi Islands. There, the five planets that orbited Tuléng were represented by sorcerous globes; here, bejewelled dancers played the parts of the various worlds.

The next ranks of dancers who spiraled into the circles simply confirmed his surmise; a dancer for each of the little worldlets that orbited the primary planets in Tékumel's sky joined in the dance, again accompanied by fanfare from the shell trumpets. The middle dancer of the five was joined by two dancers, one in dusty red and one in bright green, and he started as he recognized the dancer portraying Tékumel as the woman he'd seen with the two priests. The two acolyte children, for such they were, revolved around the older woman in the same counter-rotating way that the two moons Gayél and Káshi did about Tékumel, and as they joined her the crowds beyond the ring of priests took up the chant of the high priest; drums, rattles, and other musical instruments came into play, and the air of festivity seemed general.

There also seemed to be an expectation that something else, perhaps of a more dramatic or miraculous nature, should be happening and Chirine had the feeling that the high priest who was presiding over this ceremony was giving him a certain look. Chirine had the feeling that he'd better do something interesting and appropriate, preferably of a dramatic or miraculous nature, in the very near future or it might go badly for himself and his companions.

The fading twilight gave him an idea, and when the music and chanting reached a high point Chirine raised his own arms and outlined a sigil in the air over his head. He cupped his hands together, and drew them apart; a sphere of golden light grew and shone over his head, and lit the dancers, the priests, and the near ranks of the crowd. The music and chanting stopped for a heartbeat, and the dancers all froze in their places; time itself seemed to stop, and there was a complete and utter silence in the plaza.

He spared an instant from his concentration on the spell for a glance at the high priest. That worthy had gone from astonished shock to euphoric happiness in that briefest of moments, and Chirine went back to concentrating on maintaining the sphere of energy. The high priest called out to the silent throngs, saying something that sounded very important and not a little triumphant; the crowds thundered back, and the music and the dance resumed with a new energy and a very real sense of satisfaction from everyone.

After what seemed like an eternity, the music slowed and the dancers began to spiral back out to the ring of lanterns. The acolyte children from the outer rings left first, followed by the older dancers until only the woman and her two small companions were left. She began a slow spiral inwards to Chirine, and as they came closer to him he modulated the spell so that the sphere became both smaller and dimmer. The two acolytes continued their dance for a moment more, then they too spiraled off and were lost against the surrounding circle of dark shapes. The woman danced closer to him, and he could see the fine sheen of sweat on her skin.

As she came within arm's reach, he lowered his arms, bringing the now man-high sphere of energy down to surround himself. She finally stopped, facing him, and she extended her own arms out to match his; they were both surrounded by the golden sphere of light, alone in the center of the empty and now silent plaza. He felt a delicate touch on his fingers, and let the spell fade slowly. As he did so, the priests in the surrounding ring extinguished their lanterns, leaving only the two of them lit in the glow of the now dim sphere. The woman gracefully swung away from him, still touching one hand so that they stood side by side in the glow of energy. She led him slowly to the high priest, who waited until they stood before him; the priest gestured to Chirine, and he let the sphere die away completely until they stood in the dark.

This seemed to be the signal that the crowd had been waiting for, and what sounded like general revelry broke out. The high priest stepped forward, took both their hands in his own, and led them out of the plaza to the gate of the Temple of Mrettén. The gates opened at their approach, and they went inside to a shrine that was just inside the temple grounds. It was small, not very grand, but endowed with an aura of sanctity that one could sense from outside the gates. The shrine's doors were opened by kneeling priests of what looked to be high rank, and then he and the woman were alone inside; the high priest had ushered them in, and then closed the doors with his own hands while bowing deeply to them.

(It was one of our very best nights with Phil, ever.)

Quote from: bconsidine;1045261I'm experiencing something similar myself these days. Have been since February. But chin up and all that. Karma has a way of balancing things out. (I'm sure there's a Trickster aspect to one of the gods. Don't know which one.)

Blaise

Understood! It's the schedule timings; I'm not as young as I used to be. On the other hand, it was to help out my co-workers, so it was a worthy cause; they've had a run of family emergencies that have to be dealt with, so I am happy to help out. I'm flying solo tonight, as an example, but we'll deal with it. So, probably no posts tonight, depending on how I'm doing.

I think that my mood stems from this past weekend. I had a grand time on the Saturday, with a truly wonderful time running the game with some great players. I came out of it really stoked, and eager to get back into the groove. I was even able to buy the thee boxes of Zulu regiments that I'd been looking at for a while, as I'd gotten a pretty big award at work and The Missus thought that I should celebrate. The day ended on a euphoric note.

Which was totally crushed on the Sunday. I found out that somebody was posting excerpts from this thread and my blog over on another forum, which was a surprise as usually people e-mail me to do an interview, which they then publish with my blessings; one of the forum regulars, a Very Big Name ex-TSR person, took exception to something I mentioned about my experiences with Gary and Dave, and things went quite downhill after that. I - to be frank - failed my morale check and seriously thought about taking the boxes of figures back to the FLGS and getting a refund. The Missus stepped in, as she did after the debacle with the Shieldwolf figures, and we're keeping the impi. I will not be back to that forum, or any others; this thread, and my blog, will be the limit of my connections for the time being. It was a very bad day, and I am still not back to my usual upbeat mood; probably after Sunday's game, though.

That's life, I guess.

Hey Chirine, I'm generally pretty new around here and I just wanted to say that I had utterly no idea who you were or why anyone could possibly have multiple ongoing hundreds-o'-page-count threads with their name on the tin.

Or at least, I didn't until recently when I began reading through your blog and your associated forum posts (some of them at least). All excellent stuff, but in particular your reminiscing about your early experiences and how those have affected your ongoing tastes and preferences in roleplaying games has been fascinating to ingest and reflect upon (as I continue to dissect my own series of experiences and preferences in gaming). It's fantastic to be able to read about your enjoyment and perspectives of the hobby itself and to see those embers of passion, exploration, collaboration and creativity still burning hot to this day. You've brought me back a taste of my own personal early years of wonderment, and now more than ever I'm inspired to go back to my roots and rekindle the fires that made me love this hobby so much to begin with.

So thank you. For all the countless words you've enthusiastically shared with the rest of us along with the wisdom and history they carry, and for your ongoing willingness to engage openly with people about your ideas, your introspections and experiences, rather than sitting on them out of shyness, fear, intolerance or even simple indifference.

I'm afraid that the Internet, jealousy and rose-tinted spectacles make for a very toxic environment in a lot of places. There's always some sort of feud going on stoked by the anonymity of posting under 'handles' and you may have inadvertently upset someone by your memories of the people you mention and been improperly familiar rather than kow-towing to their brilliance.

If we do not learn from the past we are doomed to repeat it.
Please teach us the history of EPT.
=

Astonishing day today; just getting in now; saw all your messages, replies tomorrow after the game session. Kraken to be released. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_WoKrRycvQ

And we're back, after an afternoon of dance-offs at the tiki bar, chugging back drinks with little paper parasols in them, stealing pirate ships from the pirates, setting the town on fire, evading the city guards, and going underwater for a visit to the palace of the mermaid Queen. All the usual mayhem, actually...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2565[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2566[/ATTACH]

Next Sunday, they are off to the sunken city of Atlantis, to see what the Kraken is up to...

Quote from: Antiquation!;1045397Hey Chirine, I'm generally pretty new around here and I just wanted to say that I had utterly no idea who you were or why anyone could possibly have multiple ongoing hundreds-o'-page-count threads with their name on the tin.

Or at least, I didn't until recently when I began reading through your blog and your associated forum posts (some of them at least). All excellent stuff, but in particular your reminiscing about your early experiences and how those have affected your ongoing tastes and preferences in roleplaying games has been fascinating to ingest and reflect upon (as I continue to dissect my own series of experiences and preferences in gaming). It's fantastic to be able to read about your enjoyment and perspectives of the hobby itself and to see those embers of passion, exploration, collaboration and creativity still burning hot to this day. You've brought me back a taste of my own personal early years of wonderment, and now more than ever I'm inspired to go back to my roots and rekindle the fires that made me love this hobby so much to begin with.

So thank you. For all the countless words you've enthusiastically shared with the rest of us along with the wisdom and history they carry, and for your ongoing willingness to engage openly with people about your ideas, your introspections and experiences, rather than sitting on them out of shyness, fear, intolerance or even simple indifference.

You're very welcome, and thank you for the kind words. All I'm trying to do is share that sense of wonder we felt, and I think we still do. I'm still quite surprised that these pages still seem to interest people, to be honest. But then I still hold that The Thread belongs to all of you, not to me, as it's your questions and interest that keeps it going. (And Pundit's patience, of course.) I enjoy what I do, and I try to keep that 'laughter factor' in mind as much as I can, especially when the going gets tough.

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1045465I'm afraid that the Internet, jealousy and rose-tinted spectacles make for a very toxic environment in a lot of places. There's always some sort of feud going on stoked by the anonymity of posting under 'handles' and you may have inadvertently upset someone by your memories of the people you mention and been improperly familiar rather than kow-towing to their brilliance.

Agreed, and understood. I've left a lot of places on the Internet because of this, and I think I'll be staying away from them in the future. I have other calls on on time; I've had major game events an home games all month, and I've been booked for another this coming Sunday. So, I'll keep on gaming, and reporting as best I can.

Quote from: Greentongue;1045497If we do not learn from the past we are doomed to repeat it.
Please teach us the history of EPT.
=

Agreed. I'll do my best. :)

Chirine, those photos are so cool! Thanks for sharing them with us.

On a completely unrelated note,

spoiler

for

The

Man

of

Gold

novel:

I'm working on my campaign, and I don't have time to re-read the book! Can anyone remind me whether the servants of the Goddess replaced existing people? Or did she just get her spies into sensitive positions? Trying to decide who's a spy, and who's gonna melt... ;-) Thanks!

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1045312In honor of the solstice:

4.1801   The Shores of the Goddess, And The Treasures Found There;

Winter Solstice, 2360 A. S.; Ru'su, in the Nyémesel Islands

The crowd in the central plaza was getting thicker and denser as the light began to fade; Chirine stopped where he was, and looked for a reasonably clear path across the plaza through the throngs of local people that were filling the broad space. He'd forgotten that this was the evening of the winter solstice, and despite never having been here in Ru'su before, he suspected that the theocrats who ruled these islands had some sort of ceremony in mind. Being a foreigner, and one who stood out amongst the crowds of the commoners due to his dress, he wanted to be out of sight and out of mind when the festivities got started; many of the places that he'd been in his career had interesting and unusual ideas regarding how strangers could take prominent parts in their colorful traditional ceremonies, and many of the less civilized ones usually resulted in the stranger being sacrificed to the local gods in interesting and unusual ways.

(...)

This seemed to be the signal that the crowd had been waiting for, and what sounded like general revelry broke out. The high priest stepped forward, took both their hands in his own, and led them out of the plaza to the gate of the Temple of Mrettén. The gates opened at their approach, and they went inside to a shrine that was just inside the temple grounds. It was small, not very grand, but endowed with an aura of sanctity that one could sense from outside the gates. The shrine's doors were opened by kneeling priests of what looked to be high rank, and then he and the woman were alone inside; the high priest had ushered them in, and then closed the doors with his own hands while bowing deeply to them.

(It was one of our very best nights with Phil, ever.)

I hope you've had time to work on the rest recently.
It's going to be goooood!

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1045662And we're back, after an afternoon of dance-offs at the tiki bar, chugging back drinks with little paper parasols in them, stealing pirate ships from the pirates, setting the town on fire, evading the city guards, and going underwater for a visit to the palace of the mermaid Queen. All the usual mayhem, actually...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2565[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2566[/ATTACH]

Next Sunday, they are off to the sunken city of Atlantis, to see what the Kraken is up to...

So great. Always excited to see these photos. Everything is so colorful and fun looking!

Quote from: Baron;1045782Or did she just get her spies into sensitive positions?

If I recall correctly, they were placed not replaced.
=

Quote from: Baron;1045782Chirine, those photos are so cool! Thanks for sharing them with us.

On a completely unrelated note,

spoiler

for

The

Man

of

Gold

novel:

I'm working on my campaign, and I don't have time to re-read the book! Can anyone remind me whether the servants of the Goddess replaced existing people? Or did she just get her spies into sensitive positions? Trying to decide who's a spy, and who's gonna melt... ;-) Thanks!

You're welcome! It was a great game to to watch as it unfolded.

Placed in positions, from what we saw. We didn't find out about anyone getting replaced, either at the time or later.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1045784I hope you've had time to work on the rest recently.
It's going to be goooood!

Steadily plugging away, which is why I'm staying away from any forums but this one. I can post on them, or I can write the book.

Thanks Chirine, Greentongue, for the replies!

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1045898Steadily plugging away, which is why I'm staying away from any forums but this one. I can post on them, or I can write the book.

I know, right? Time can pass so easily if you're not disciplined! (He said, as he was busy posting replies on forums...)

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1045785So great. Always excited to see these photos. Everything is so colorful and fun looking!

Thank you!

Some other folks were in the FLGS at the same time as the Shieldmaidens were running this game; a sort of Marvel / DC 'Batman' tournament, from what I could gather. They had set up six-eight tables for the tournament rounds, with a "top table" for the winning round; they were going to be streaming the final round on the web, I gathered. The tables and scenery kind of put me off; no terrain, just flat tables with the commercially-available for this particular game items. These looked like interesting stuff, but you couldn't see any thing like details due to the heavy grey over-painting on everything. I think it's the current 'grimdark' angst-laden thing, and while it's probably quite in line with the current 'authorized' 'approved' look, it made for some kinda dull-looking tables.

I felt kind of bad for them; they'd obviously put a lot of work into the thing, but the casual passerby through the store tended to give them one pass and then stop by the Shieldmaidens' game and goggle at the table for quite a while. I would up talking to them, in my role of 'stagehand' and 'greeter', and several of the passer-by joined in the game and are planning on coming back for more sessions with the Shieldmaidens.

This is, for me, what gaming is all about; a bunch of friends sitting around a table laughing their heads off. And it was, too.

You may also want to have a look at the Dwarven Forge thead - lot's of good pics there, too! :)

Quote from: Greentongue;1045820If I recall correctly, they were placed not replaced.
=

Yep; that's what we saw, too.

Just got my Kurt Hills map and promptly downloaded the atlas. All kinds of goodness. A minor nit about the pdf not having active bookmarks, but I might just spring for a print version.

Wish there were something similar for Jakalla and environs...

Thanks, Nora, for a great Father's Day gift!

Blaise

Quote from: Baron;1045899Thanks Chirine, Greentongue, for the replies!

I know, right? Time can pass so easily if you're not disciplined! (He said, as he was busy posting replies on forums...)

You're welcome!

Agreed; I seem to be in demand, for some reason, and I'll never get anything done if I go to all the events and post on all the forums I'm being asked to appear at/on.

Quote from: bconsidine;1046028Just got my Kurt Hills map and promptly downloaded the atlas. All kinds of goodness. A minor nit about the pdf not having active bookmarks, but I might just spring for a print version.

Wish there were something similar for Jakalla and environs...

Thanks, Nora, for a great Father's Day gift!

Blaise

It is nice, isn't it? :) I think it's a good solid bit of work, and I'm glad to see it out there.

I have the Atlas, very nice production, and the notes about the fiefs which supplements it nicely. Pity that the map is so costly to ship across the pond though. Might see if I can get a quote for having it done locally and just get the map file from DeviantArt?.

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1046071I have the Atlas, very nice production, and the notes about the fiefs which supplements it nicely. Pity that the map is so costly to ship across the pond though. Might see if I can get a quote for having it done locally and just get the map file from DeviantArt?.

Yep; I did something similar for the 5e group, having the PDF map of Sicari Down done as a scaled up 48" x 62" poster to be the table top for the miniatures.

Hey All,

In case anyone is interested there is a new podcast up on the Hall of Blue Illumination. I haven't listened to it yet, but I it's about the Thursday Night Group. Funny thing is that neither Chirine or Gronan appear to be part of the discussion. That's odd :rolleyes:

Quote from: Shemek hiTankolel;1046394Hey All,

In case anyone is interested there is a new podcast up on the Hall of Blue Illumination. I haven't listened to it yet, but I it's about the Thursday Night Group. Funny thing is that neither Chirine or Gronan appear to be part of the discussion. That's odd :rolleyes:

Why would it be? These are "Barker's Own", and the Thursday Night Group is their property. One of my gamer friends who has his own blog once had a game session with some of our old group, and got a 'cease and desist' from Dr. Raymond telling him not to use the phrase "Thursday Night Group" to describe anyone or anything other then himself and his fellow gamers. In order to respect this, that's why I always refer to "the original Thursday Night Group" when referring to the group that I was in, 1976 - 1988.

And I'd like to note that since their version of the TMG kept very few records of any sort, podcasts like this one are a very useful source of information on what went on in Phil's games from about 1990 to 2004 or so. As a historian and archivist, I do find them useful and I do get a lot of laughs out of them.

I think the biggest laugh I got, from this episode anyway, was that one of the people appearing in this podcast was playing in my Free RPG Day game at the FLGS prior to being in this episode. I hope he doesn't get in trouble for doing so.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1046412I hope he doesn't get in trouble for doing so.

Sad this this is even a possible concern.
=

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1046412...not to use the phrase "Thursday Night Group" to describe anyone or anything other then himself and his fellow gamers. In order to respect this, that's why I always refer to "the original Thursday Night Group" when referring to the group that I was in, 1976 - 1988

Somehow, this reminds me of This is Spinal Tap, where the band was going to call themselves The Originals but had to change their name to the New Originals.

Blaise

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1046412Why would it be? These are "Barker's Own", and the Thursday Night Group is their property.-snip-.

Just a bit of sarcasm Chirine. :D

Quote from: Greentongue;1046429Sad this this is even a possible concern.
=

Agreed. I've had direct experience of two people being threatened with the loss of their publishing licenses if they talk to me, so it is a concern.

Quote from: bconsidine;1046475Somehow, this reminds me of This is Spinal Tap, where the band was going to call themselves The Originals but had to change their name to the New Originals.

Blaise

Agreed. I thought that it was more then a little bizarre, especially as none of them had actually spent much time in the original TNG; these are all very late 1980s to early 1990s players. I thought that it was also pretty funny that the one Director who was one of the original 1975 players was not included in the podcast, but there it is.

Quote from: Shemek hiTankolel;1046513Just a bit of sarcasm Chirine. :D

I know. I'm playing the straight man in this comedy. :)

Anyone for a quick chorus of "Hooray For Captain Spaulding"? :)

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1046540I know. I'm playing the straight man in this comedy. :)

Anyone for a quick chorus of "Hooray For Captain Spaulding"? :)

Understood.

Of course Lord Chirine! ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BMtqqHRvB8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BMtqqHRvB8)

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1046539Agreed. I thought that it was more then a little bizarre, especially as none of them had actually spent much time in the original TNG; these are all very late 1980s to early 1990s players. I thought that it was also pretty funny that the one Director who was one of the original 1975 players was not included in the podcast, but there it is.

How very Stalinesque. I can picture the airbrushes coming out as we speak...
I plan on listening to it tonight, after supper, when I retire to the paint bench, which also happens to be in the ice cool basement, and work on my troops for my SYW army. Hopefully, I can get a good start on my Musketeers and Jagers and knock  off of a battalion of each by Monday. It's a long weekend up here, hotter than hell, and there's not much to do but keep cool, drink beer, and barbeque. Oh, and of course paint some miniatures.:D

Quote from: Shemek hiTankolel;1046657How very Stalinesque. I can picture the airbrushes coming out as we speak...
I plan on listening to it tonight, after supper, when I retire to the paint bench, which also happens to be in the ice cool basement, and work on my troops for my SYW army. Hopefully, I can get a good start on my Musketeers and Jagers and knock  off of a battalion of each by Monday. It's a long weekend up here, hotter than hell, and there's not much to do but keep cool, drink beer, and barbeque. Oh, and of course paint some miniatures.:D

The airbrushes have been at work for some years, now. :) Dr. Raymond really needs coaching in how to keep his mouth closed or in how to think before speaking, especially in front of people who know better.

Same hot weather here; I have to load Der Bug for tomorrow's game, but I'll do it after the current storm passes.

And yes, the 'casts are worth listening to as they're likely to be about the only glimpses into Phil's 1990's games we're likely to ever get.

Quote from: Shemek hiTankolel;1046394Hey All,

In case anyone is interested there is a new podcast up on the Hall of Blue Illumination. I haven't listened to it yet, but I it's about the Thursday Night Group. Funny thing is that neither Chirine or Gronan appear to be part of the discussion. That's odd :rolleyes:

(The following note is about how Lord Chirine ba Kal is actually a Temple of Thumis mole working deep inside the Temple of Vimuhla).

At the end of the podcast, some far-out bits that would require a lot of explaining are mentioned, including the appearance of ... the Silver Suits. Nothing else is mentioned about these "Silver Suits" however. Nothing about what they are or what do they look like, etc. Same with the other bits. We just get a quick detail ("the Silver Suits showed up!") aaaaand ... nothing.
If this Tekumel podcast (a good one too) is supposed to be about sharing information and making it easier for people to get into Prof. Barker's genius creation, then why not take this opportunity to describe what the Silver Suites are?

Well, of course, we know why these beings and some of the other details mentioned at that moment in the podcast are not expanded upon. It's because of self-aggrandizement: the people mentioning those obscure details do it to sound important and knowledgeable in their own little obscure bubble of existence; 'cause, in the end, no one gives a hoot. They're gate-keepers who, really, don't want to let anyone in; anyone but a few chosen ones.
... kinda like priests of Ksarul, don't you think?

"Lord Ksarul seeks knowledge for the sake of power, power that is the individual's greatest instinctive goal. Indeed, if a society is to exist at all, it must be for reasons of individual aggrandizement, (...)" - From The Mitlanyal (pge 143).

Yes, while listening to this podcast, it suddenly dawned on me that I was getting a perfect illustration of what clerics of Ksarul probably sound like and are about: sharing scraps of information with the plebs, while keeping the super interesting bits to themselves (that there was another Thursday Night Group, what the Silver Suits are, etc.), to remain in control and, in their petty minds, to remain relevant and powerful; this is also illustrated by how the Foundation has actually managed to make the world of Tekumel even less relevant than it was a few years ago.

This led me to consider what Chirine has been doing in this thread all this time: sharing information to help the world of Tekumel become less daunting to get into (we actually know, thanks to this thread, what the Silver Suits are) and making this hobby (a tiny part of it) better ... which is pretty much how clerics of Thumis would go about doing things.

"Secrets and ignorance are shadows, flaws in the Light which threaten the Stability of all things. To serve society and order, these shadows the must be eradicated through the illumination of teaching, learning, contemplation, and wisdom. Invigorated by the Light, society can better serve the Gods." - From The Mitlanyal (pge 67).

So, Chrinie ba Kal, are you a Thumis mole?

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1046749
(The following note is about how Lord Chirine ba Kal is actually a Temple of Thumis mole working deep inside the Temple of Vimuhla).

At the end of the podcast, some far-out bits that would require a lot of explaining are mentioned, including the appearance of ... the Silver Suits. Nothing else is mentioned about these "Silver Suits" however. Nothing about what they are or what do they look like, etc. Same with the other bits. We just get a quick detail ("the Silver Suits showed up!") aaaaand ... nothing.
If this Tekumel podcast (a good one too) is supposed to be about sharing information and making it easier for people to get into Prof. Barker's genius creation, then why not take this opportunity to describe what the Silver Suites are?

Well, of course, we know why these beings and some of the other details mentioned at that moment in the podcast are not expanded upon. It's because of self-aggrandizement: the people mentioning those obscure details do it to sound important and knowledgeable in their own little obscure bubble of existence; 'cause, in the end, no one gives a hoot. They're gate-keepers who, really, don't want to let anyone in; anyone but a few chosen ones.
... kinda like priests of Ksarul, don't you think?

"Lord Ksarul seeks knowledge for the sake of power, power that is the individual's greatest instinctive goal. Indeed, if a society is to exist at all, it must be for reasons of individual aggrandizement, (...)" - From The Mitlanyal (pge 143).

Yes, while listening to this podcast, it suddenly dawned on me that I was getting a perfect illustration of what clerics of Ksarul probably sound like and are about: sharing scraps of information with the plebs, while keeping the super interesting bits to themselves (that there was another Thursday Night Group, what the Silver Suits are, etc.), to remain in control and, in their petty minds, to remain relevant and powerful; this is also illustrated by how the Foundation has actually managed to make the world of Tekumel even less relevant than it was a few years ago.

This led me to consider what Chirine has been doing in this thread all this time: sharing information to help the world of Tekumel become less daunting to get into (we actually know, thanks to this thread, what the Silver Suits are) and making this hobby (a tiny part of it) better ... which is pretty much how clerics of Thumis would go about doing things.

"Secrets and ignorance are shadows, flaws in the Light which threaten the Stability of all things. To serve society and order, these shadows the must be eradicated through the illumination of teaching, learning, contemplation, and wisdom. Invigorated by the Light, society can better serve the Gods." - From The Mitlanyal (pge 67).

So, Chrinie ba Kal, are you a Thumis mole?

Well, Chirinie is certainly a mole, but I don't think Chirine is one..

Excellent analysis and comparison BTW.
I had never  seen the parallel before, but now that you point it out it seems obvious.:D

Shemek.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1046749
(The following note is about how Lord Chirine ba Kal is actually a Temple of Thumis mole working deep inside the Temple of Vimuhla).

[snipped for length, sorry]

This led me to consider what Chirine has been doing in this thread all this time: sharing information to help the world of Tekumel become less daunting to get into (we actually know, thanks to this thread, what the Silver Suits are) and making this hobby (a tiny part of it) better ... which is pretty much how clerics of Thumis would go about doing things.

"Secrets and ignorance are shadows, flaws in the Light which threaten the Stability of all things. To serve society and order, these shadows the must be eradicated through the illumination of teaching, learning, contemplation, and wisdom. Invigorated by the Light, society can better serve the Gods." - From The Mitlanyal (pge 67).

So, Chrinie ba Kal, are you a Thumis mole?

No, I am not, and never have been. I am, and always will be, of The Flame. The Flame illuminates and cleanses, and drives out the dark. I've been doing this since 1976, and I'll keep doing it until I'm dead - and even then, "To Serve The Petal Throne" wll live on, telling people about the Phil I knew and his creation.

Your post is possibly the saddest - and most accurate! - thing I've ever read. I'm sorry that it's true.

A long time ago, a mighty and powerful wizard called a guy a "paladin" because he fought for what he believed in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXgjM0gGLXQ

I still do, Gary, and thank you for the compliment.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1046749
(The following note is about how Lord Chirine ba Kal is actually a Temple of Thumis mole working deep inside the Temple of Vimuhla).

[snipped for length, sorry]

This led me to consider what Chirine has been doing in this thread all this time: sharing information to help the world of Tekumel become less daunting to get into (we actually know, thanks to this thread, what the Silver Suits are) and making this hobby (a tiny part of it) better ... which is pretty much how clerics of Thumis would go about doing things.

"Secrets and ignorance are shadows, flaws in the Light which threaten the Stability of all things. To serve society and order, these shadows the must be eradicated through the illumination of teaching, learning, contemplation, and wisdom. Invigorated by the Light, society can better serve the Gods." - From The Mitlanyal (pge 67).

So, Chrinie ba Kal, are you a Thumis mole?

No, I am not, and never have been. I am, and always will be, of The Flame. The Flame illuminates and cleanses, and drives out the dark. I've been doing this since 1976, and I'll keep doing it until I'm dead - and even then, "To Serve The Petal Throne" wll live on, telling people about the Phil I knew and his creation.

Your post is possibly the saddest - and most accurate! - thing I've ever read. I'm sorry that it's true.

A long time ago, a mighty and powerful wizard called a guy a "paladin" because he fought for what he believed in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXgjM0gGLXQ

I still do, Gary, and thank you for the compliment.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1046749
(The following note is about how Lord Chirine ba Kal is actually a Temple of Thumis mole working deep inside the Temple of Vimuhla).

At the end of the podcast, some far-out bits that would require a lot of explaining are mentioned, including the appearance of ... the Silver Suits. Nothing else is mentioned about these "Silver Suits" however. Nothing about what they are or what do they look like, etc. Same with the other bits. We just get a quick detail ("the Silver Suits showed up!") aaaaand ... nothing.
If this Tekumel podcast (a good one too) is supposed to be about sharing information and making it easier for people to get into Prof. Barker's genius creation, then why not take this opportunity to describe what the Silver Suites are?

Well, of course, we know why these beings and some of the other details mentioned at that moment in the podcast are not expanded upon. It's because of self-aggrandizement: the people mentioning those obscure details do it to sound important and knowledgeable in their own little obscure bubble of existence; 'cause, in the end, no one gives a hoot. They're gate-keepers who, really, don't want to let anyone in; anyone but a few chosen ones.
... kinda like priests of Ksarul, don't you think?

"Lord Ksarul seeks knowledge for the sake of power, power that is the individual's greatest instinctive goal. Indeed, if a society is to exist at all, it must be for reasons of individual aggrandizement, (...)" - From The Mitlanyal (pge 143).

Yes, while listening to this podcast, it suddenly dawned on me that I was getting a perfect illustration of what clerics of Ksarul probably sound like and are about: sharing scraps of information with the plebs, while keeping the super interesting bits to themselves (that there was another Thursday Night Group, what the Silver Suits are, etc.), to remain in control and, in their petty minds, to remain relevant and powerful; this is also illustrated by how the Foundation has actually managed to make the world of Tekumel even less relevant than it was a few years ago.

This led me to consider what Chirine has been doing in this thread all this time: sharing information to help the world of Tekumel become less daunting to get into (we actually know, thanks to this thread, what the Silver Suits are) and making this hobby (a tiny part of it) better ... which is pretty much how clerics of Thumis would go about doing things.

"Secrets and ignorance are shadows, flaws in the Light which threaten the Stability of all things. To serve society and order, these shadows the must be eradicated through the illumination of teaching, learning, contemplation, and wisdom. Invigorated by the Light, society can better serve the Gods." - From The Mitlanyal (pge 67).

So, Chrinie ba Kal, are you a Thumis mole?

No, I am not, and never have been. I am, and always will be, of The Flame. The Flame illuminates and cleanses, and drives out the dark. I've been doing this since 1976, and I'll keep doing it until I'm dead - and even then, "To Serve The Petal Throne" wll live on, telling people about the Phil I knew and his creation.

Your post is possibly the saddest - and most accurate! - thing I've ever read. I'm sorry that it's true.

A long time ago, a mighty and powerful wizard called a guy a "paladin" because he fought for what he believed in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXgjM0gGLXQ

I still do, Gary, and thank you for the compliment.

Quote from: Shemek hiTankolel;1046755Well, Chirinie is certainly a mole, but I don't think Chirine is one..

Excellent analysis and comparison BTW.
I had never  seen the parallel before, but now that you point it out it seems obvious.:D

Shemek.

Agreed. We go on. Off to today's game!

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1046759No, I am not, and never have been. I am, and always will be, of The Flame. The Flame illuminates and cleanses, and drives out the dark. I've been doing this since 1976, and I'll keep doing it until I'm dead - and even then, "To Serve The Petal Throne" wll live on, telling people about the Phil I knew and his creation.

Your post is possibly the saddest - and most accurate! - thing I've ever read. I'm sorry that it's true.

A long time ago, a mighty and powerful wizard called a guy a "paladin" because he fought for what he believed in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXgjM0gGLXQ

I still do, Gary, and thank you for the compliment.

...keep up the good fight, Uncle! There's enough people that try to cloak the truth until they manage to hide it even from themselves, but we need more like you:)!

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1046761Agreed. We go on. Off to today's game!

Yay for regular games:D!

Quote from: AsenRG;1046786...keep up the good fight, Uncle! There's enough people that try to cloak the truth until they manage to hide it even from themselves, but we need more like you:)!

Yay for regular games:D!

Yep; I'll keep at it. Somebody's got to do it. :)

It was a great game; the players used the three-dimensionality of the playing field really well, 'stacking' their attacks on a sea monster by coming in to the attack at different depths. It all worked very well, and we'll be on this same table in a couple of weeks.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2593[/ATTACH]

Quote from: Shemek hiTankolel;1046755Well, Chirinie is certainly a mole, but I don't think Chirine is one..

Excellent analysis and comparison BTW.
I had never  seen the parallel before, but now that you point it out it seems obvious.:D

Shemek.

Chirinie strikes again!

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1046823Yep; I'll keep at it. Somebody's got to do it. :)

It was a great game; the players used the three-dimensionality of the playing field really well, 'stacking' their attacks on a sea monster by coming in to the attack at different depths. It all worked very well, and we'll be on this same table in a couple of weeks.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2593[/ATTACH]

Took a look at your Workbench post today: holy hell, that looks like some serious fun! Your players are damn lucky.

By the way, I forget if I mentioned it here or not, but Jeff Dee and Talzhemir's Kurt Hills Atlas (https://www.rpgnow.com/product/235212/Kurt-Hills-Atlas) is absolutely fabulous. It's currently on sale, so, if you don't have the PDF and can afford the expense, give it a shot.
(You may also get printed copies of the Atlas (https://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?contributorId=419171) through Lulu).

I'm almost done reading the text (it's super dense) and, boy, did they do a fantastic job with it. No wonder it took so much time to finish: much care and attention to details was poured into the project. It's clearly a labor of love.

There's lots of humor, lots of semi-hidden pop-culture references, and a dizzying amount of daily-life details on local cults, food habits, ways to grow things, etc.. More beasties (some quite nasty, like this large wasp/fly thing dating back to pre-Humanspace Tekumel), a plethora of NPCs, plenty of abandoned ruins, local ghost tales, etc. etc. The observations are so specific at times that I'm pretty sure the authors actually spent time in the Kurt Hills. In that regard, M.A.R. Barker would have loved it.

Anyway. I very much recommend it.
There's a couple of positive reviews on the game's page already. It's well deserved.

I have the Kurt Hills Atlas both as a pdf and in print and I'd wholeheartedly agree that the atlas is a labour of love,. There's a metric s*** tonne of information  contained therein and all of it useful in playing in the corresponding area of Tekumel.

The material is well up to modern standards in terms of layout and the writing is very good. The interior art in b/w which is only right for a utility work like this - it's not a catalogue/bestiary and doesn't need loads of colour pictures that would drive the price to atmospheric levels (see Guide to Glorantha for ex).

You could adventure in the area of the Kurt Hills for years using just this book and some floor plans of ruins, clanhouses and the like.

There's also Jeff's Katalal Area Map & Gazetteer which covers a smaller area right at the southern edge of the Atlas but is just as useful.

I'd say buy the Katalal Gazetteer if you are getting into Tekumel gaming, and the Atlas if you are seeking an area ripe with gaming possibilities, and don't have time to do the work yourself. You'll still have to source some small scale maps of places but Dyson's Patreon and various other artists provide access to loads of these for what is very little money.

Interesting confirmation here that
"for the first Undermountain boxed set, the maps are actually Dave Sutherland's maps from his EPT game"

http://odd74.proboards.com/thread/12571/apparently-undermountain-ept
=

Quote from: Greentongue;1046901Interesting confirmation here that
"for the first Undermountain boxed set, the maps are actually Dave Sutherland's maps from his EPT game"

http://odd74.proboards.com/thread/12571/apparently-undermountain-ept
=

Oh! That's very good information.
I guess I'm gonna have to put my hands on this then!

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1046882I have the Kurt Hills Atlas both as a pdf and in print and I'd wholeheartedly agree that the atlas is a labour of love,. There's a metric s*** tonne of information  contained therein and all of it useful in playing in the corresponding area of Tekumel.

The material is well up to modern standards in terms of layout and the writing is very good. The interior art in b/w which is only right for a utility work like this - it's not a catalogue/bestiary and doesn't need loads of colour pictures that would drive the price to atmospheric levels (see Guide to Glorantha for ex).

You could adventure in the area of the Kurt Hills for years using just this book and some floor plans of ruins, clanhouses and the like.

There's also Jeff's Katalal Area Map & Gazetteer which covers a smaller area right at the southern edge of the Atlas but is just as useful.

I'd say buy the Katalal Gazetteer if you are getting into Tekumel gaming, and the Atlas if you are seeking an area ripe with gaming possibilities, and don't have time to do the work yourself. You'll still have to source some small scale maps of places but Dyson's Patreon and various other artists provide access to loads of these for what is very little money.

I agree wholeheartedly with all your observations, Hermes.
The Atlas is indeed so good that, really, with relatively little work, you could jump in and start meeting the locals, improv style.

And don't forget that you can also get a printed copy of the large scale color map of the Kurt Hills (https://www.deviantart.com/jeffdee/art/Kurt-Hills-Map-628103433). I'm lucky to own it. It's gorgeous.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2596[/ATTACH]

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1046843Took a look at your Workbench post today: holy hell, that looks like some serious fun! Your players are damn lucky.

Thank you! It was some very serious fun, with the players and GM laughing the whole time. The miniature sea life got a lot of laughs, with one player - a druid - choosing one of the jellies as her PC figure at the start of the game.

I should make a small clarification; these are not 'my players', but 'my friends'. This is a game session from one of the campaigns being run by the "Shieldmaidens' Sundays" gaming group at the FLGS. The group is aimed at providing a comfortable environment for women to game in, playing any and all games of all sorts. I do not play in or GM any of these sessions; I am a resource for them. I describe myself as their stagehand, providing access to props and scenery if they want to use them in their games; they, on the other hand, describe me as "their enabler". I'll take that one, thank'ee. :)

Agreed; Jeff's work is a shining example of what's possible to do with what Phil gave us. Which is why I added it to my archives - Phil would have been using it the moment he'd gotten it.

Great pics!

Quote from: RPGPundit;1047252Great pics!

Thank you! We try to be entertaining, over here in our corner of the place... :)

Where are there some good EPT "Actual Play" postings?
Are there even any?
=

You mean, apart from the blog:)?

Yes, a variety of Actual Plays.
So that "One Correct Way" isn't reinforced.
=

Quote from: Greentongue;1047509Where are there some good EPT "Actual Play" postings?
Are there even any?
=

Aside from the afore-mentioned blog, I'm not aware of any. The recent podcast that the '90s players did might help, but that's more in the line of stories about gaming rather then actual play recording or transcripts. I've got video from a miniatured game I did, but I don;t know if that's be of any help as it's a straight dungeon crawl.

(On a related note, I've been repeatedly asked to post recordings of my game sessions, but I don't know how well that would fly. I have the technology, especially with the new digital camcorder, but I don't know if the results would be of interest to people.)

TBH YouTube is full of videos of people playing D&D and some folks even pay good money to watch others playing. Now this is a pastime that I can't understand but having just turned 65 today it's probably age related.

TL;DR You should monetise your games by putting the video up on YouTube

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1047547Aside from the afore-mentioned blog, I'm not aware of any. The recent podcast that the '90s players did might help, but that's more in the line of stories about gaming rather then actual play recording or transcripts. I've got video from a miniatured game I did, but I don;t know if that's be of any help as it's a straight dungeon crawl.

(On a related note, I've been repeatedly asked to post recordings of my game sessions, but I don't know how well that would fly. I have the technology, especially with the new digital camcorder, but I don't know if the results would be of interest to people.)

Well, if the people most likely to  know don't know of any, then that seems like hole that should be filled.

Certainly would be a way to address the argument that EPT is too complicated, for anyone but those steeped in the lore, to play.
=

Quote from: AsenRG;1047511You mean, apart from the blog:)?

There was at least one guy posting excerpts from his games on the Tekumel Facebook page. They were kind of cool. But I think he was using a hack of D&D 4th/5th that he did himself. He posted the character classes IIRC and changed the map to suit himself. The adventures were quite interesting.

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1047548TBH YouTube is full of videos of people playing D&D and some folks even pay good money to watch others playing. Now this is a pastime that I can't understand but having just turned 65 today it's probably age related.

TL;DR You should monetise your games by putting the video up on YouTube

Understood.

Can't. Violation of the Tekumel Foundation's legal monopoly. I don't want to waste money on pointless litigation.

Quote from: Greentongue;1047557Well, if the people most likely to  know don't know of any, then that seems like hole that should be filled.

Certainly would be a way to address the argument that EPT is too complicated, for anyone but those steeped in the lore, to play.
=

Agreed. I'm kind of at a loss how to respond to this. I've been trying to use my book to help, but I've gotten push-back from gamers who tell me that it's useless "wankery" because I am not doing it as an RPG or RPG supplement / module. Videos of my games get about the same reaction of "not enough mechanics" and "too many miniatures". I've come away from it feeling that I'm screwed either way. It's really lowered the morale state around here, and does affect how interested I am in writing or doing anything.

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1047548TBH YouTube is full of videos of people playing D&D and some folks even pay good money to watch others playing. Now this is a pastime that I can't understand but having just turned 65 today it's probably age related.

TL;DR You should monetise your games by putting the video up on YouTube

Real people playing ordinary games gets very little views.

What people want is D&D-themed Reality Shows.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1047899Real people playing ordinary games gets very little views.

What people want is D&D-themed Reality Shows.

Chirine has such elaborate set-ups, miniature enthusiasts would watch them just for the miniatures:D!
The problem is with the Tekumel Foundation.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1047781Agreed. I'm kind of at a loss how to respond to this. I've been trying to use my book to help, but I've gotten push-back from gamers who tell me that it's useless "wankery" because I am not doing it as an RPG or RPG supplement / module.

Well, your book will be an amazing start.

QuoteVideos of my games get about the same reaction of "not enough mechanics" and "too many miniatures". I've come away from it feeling that I'm screwed either way. It's really lowered the morale state around here, and does affect how interested I am in writing or doing anything.

Doing video re-enactments of events in the book would be great as well.

I was think more of other people's Actual Plays, as your could be seen as "The One True Way" since you played in the original games.
Having games that "the average person" ran or played in would show others can do it too. That it actually isn't an exclusive club.
=

Quote from: Greentongue;1047909Well, your book will be an amazing start.

Doing video re-enactments of events in the book would be great as well.

I was think more of other people's Actual Plays, as your could be seen as "The One True Way" since you played in the original games.
Having games that "the average person" ran or played in would show others can do it too. That it actually isn't an exclusive club.
=

I hope so.

Oh! cool! Hadn't thought of that, but it's very doable.

Understood; I don't know what to suggest, sorry.

Quote from: AsenRG;1047903Chirine has such elaborate set-ups, miniature enthusiasts would watch them just for the miniatures:D!
The problem is with the Tekumel Foundation.

I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have any actual legal right to stop an actual play video.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1048407I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have any actual legal right to stop an actual play video.

Of course they don't:).

I'm pretty sure he just doesn't want to spend money to prove them this simple fact. Why should he;)?

Well, if they did try to sue him, he could always do a fundraiser to pay his legal fees, bankrupt them, and then take control of their assets.

.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1048749Well, if they did try to sue him, he could always do a fundraiser to pay his legal fees, bankrupt them, and then take control of their assets.

You're free to try persuading Chirine, of course:). It's not up to me either way.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1048407I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have any actual legal right to stop an actual play video.

You may want to have a look at their website and their policies. They are claiming some very interesting things in relation to IP.

Quote from: AsenRG;1048422Of course they don't:).

I'm pretty sure he just doesn't want to spend money to prove them this simple fact. Why should he;)?

Agreed. I've already had one round of legal expenses, with an outfit called "Five Empires Publishing", and I have other uses for my time, energy, and money.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1048749Well, if they did try to sue him, he could always do a fundraiser to pay his legal fees, bankrupt them, and then take control of their assets.

I'd litigate in defense of my copyrights, such as for my miniatures rules, but that's pretty much it; I have no dog in the fight, as it were. The Tekumel Foundation has no real assets, and any litigation such as is being discussed would be to protect rights as there is nothing to pay any legal fees with. Additional litigation and funding would be required to enforce any judgements re legal fees, as these would have to come from the individual directors of the corporation.

As might be guessed, I am not a lawyer, but I have had some small experience with this sort of thing in the past.

Quote from: AsenRG;1048853.

You're free to try persuading Chirine, of course:). It's not up to me either way.

And I don't particularly care, at this point. The Foundation doesn't even police their own contractual rights; there's an e-bay seller who routinely sells stuff that uses copyrighted Tekumel materials, and they've been in business now for a couple of years with no action by the TF. Not my problem, and I have no dog in the fight.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1048917And I don't particularly care, at this point. The Foundation doesn't even police their own contractual rights; there's an e-bay seller who routinely sells stuff that uses copyrighted Tekumel materials, and they've been in business now for a couple of years with no action by the TF. Not my problem, and I have no dog in the fight.

That's a smart move, Uncle, at least IMO:).

And something that I suspect would warm your heart...;)
My daughter recently played her first session, which her mother Refereed. She's playing a Princess, of course, and we're her friends accompanying her on a quest to find a lost treasure! (She's literally the Nobleman's Wild Daughter, I'm her best friend Village Hero she grew up with, and her aunt is the local witch's apprentice:p!)
But that's not the part I think you'd like the most.
The daughter totally refused to start playing until and unless we provided her with a miniature to represent her character:D!
So she got a paper miniature, because all of us were able to help preparing that (and we've got a printer at home).
Then she demanded we should also have miniatures for our characters.
We took some of her dolls. I'm some kind of bug-man, and her aunt is some Disney princess I can't identify;).
Miniatures are alive with the new generation:D! And even Theater of the Mind people like me and her mother bow to the demands of the New Generation!

That's about it;).

Quote from: AsenRG;1048967That's a smart move, Uncle, at least IMO:).

And something that I suspect would warm your heart...;)
My daughter recently played her first session, which her mother Refereed. She's playing a Princess, of course, and we're her friends accompanying her on a quest to find a lost treasure! (She's literally the Nobleman's Wild Daughter, I'm her best friend Village Hero she grew up with, and her aunt is the local witch's apprentice:p!)
But that's not the part I think you'd like the most.
The daughter totally refused to start playing until and unless we provided her with a miniature to represent her character:D!
So she got a paper miniature, because all of us were able to help preparing that (and we've got a printer at home).
Then she demanded we should also have miniatures for our characters.
We took some of her dolls. I'm some kind of bug-man, and her aunt is some Disney princess I can't identify;).
Miniatures are alive with the new generation:D! And even Theater of the Mind people like me and her mother bow to the demands of the New Generation!

That's about it;).

Thanks. It's just not my issue, I think.

Wonderful!!! Simply wonderful!!! Your daughter is a person of exquisite taste and refinement, truly able to appreciate the finer things in life!!! :)

What does a zrne nest look like? A wolves den? Giant hornets nest? Are they constructed above ground? Dug into the ground? How easy are they to spot?

Quote from: Big Andy;1049047What does a zrne nest look like? A wolves den? Giant hornets nest? Are they constructed above ground? Dug into the ground? How easy are they to spot?

Like a wolves den, or at least that's what we saw anyway, and dug into the ground. This was mostly out in the open countryside, if that's any help. Usually not all that easy to spot, unless you're Origo and keep falling into the holes.

Photos up on the blog of today's game session. I thought that it was particularly interesting that the players and GM seemed to have no problems with the 3D aspect of the medium, and used the depth changes pretty cleverly in combat.

Not that it helped, really; ended on a real cliff-hanger, so we're back in Atlantis in three weeks.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1049097Photos up on the blog of today's game session. I thought that it was particularly interesting that the players and GM seemed to have no problems with the 3D aspect of the medium, and used the depth changes pretty cleverly in combat.

Not that it helped, really; ended on a real cliff-hanger, so we're back in Atlantis in three weeks.

Awesome creature and battle.

I look forward to the next posts.

Question about Avanthar and Bey Su and how best to call them.

Bey Su is where the rulers of the empire of the Petal Throne reside. So, one couldn't say that Avanthar is the "administrative capital" of the empire. Bey Su would be.
So what's Avanthar then? The political capital? The economic capital? Something else?

I understood that Bey Su is the economic capital but Avanthar is where the current Emperor resides with the Court of the Purple Robes forming the political/ceremonial capital.
Bey Su is where the Choosing of an Emperor occurs but once that happens they are immured in  the tower at Avanthar.

This is what I get from reading the S&G Sourcebook and several of the available netbooks

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1048977Thanks. It's just not my issue, I think.

Wonderful!!! Simply wonderful!!! Your daughter is a person of exquisite taste and refinement, truly able to appreciate the finer things in life!!! :)

I let her know, Uncle:).

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1049097Photos up on the blog of today's game session. I thought that it was particularly interesting that the players and GM seemed to have no problems with the 3D aspect of the medium, and used the depth changes pretty cleverly in combat.

Not that it helped, really; ended on a real cliff-hanger, so we're back in Atlantis in three weeks.

When you get them to stop thinking in terms of squares, thinking in 3D is actually natural, IME;).

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1049170Awesome creature and battle.

I look forward to the next posts.

Thank you! I liked the Reaper Kraken a lot more once we got it out of the box, and I may just have to get one for myself. A Kraken seems to feature in a lot of their games, so I was delighted to be able to point this one out to them.

So do I; seven of the party are trapped with little or no hope of escape in the Maelstrom, and the three Rogues who are not in the whirlpool are going to have to Think Of Something pretty durn quickly. And I did find the Healer some of the nacho cheese crackers that she wanted, so there's hope yet. (My briefcase is being referred to as "Mary Poppins' bag - of holding". :)

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1049171Question about Avanthar and Bey Su and how best to call them.

Bey Su is where the rulers of the empire of the Petal Throne reside. So, one couldn't say that Avanthar is the "administrative capital" of the empire. Bey Su would be.
So what's Avanthar then? The political capital? The economic capital? Something else?

Bey Sy runs the Imperium; Avanthar controls it. The routine stuff is all dealt with by the Palaces in Bey Sy, with matters being referred to Avanthar as needed for Imperial decisions. The Kolumel and the Petal Throne are in Avanthar, so the current incumbent is there. The rest of the clan is all over the place, and a lot of them hold down offices in Bey Sy.

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1049172I understood that Bey Su is the economic capital but Avanthar is where the current Emperor resides with the Court of the Purple Robes forming the political/ceremonial capital.
Bey Su is where the Choosing of an Emperor occurs but once that happens they are immured in  the tower at Avanthar.

This is what I get from reading the S&G Sourcebook and several of the available netbooks

Correct. See my previous answer; the day to day stuff is all run from Bey Sy, but policy is made in Avanthar.

Quote from: AsenRG;1049188I let her know, Uncle:).

When you get them to stop thinking in terms of squares, thinking in 3D is actually natural, IME;).

Thank you! :)

Agreed; they seems to be having no problems with it, so I'm happy.

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1049172I understood that Bey Su is the economic capital but Avanthar is where the current Emperor resides with the Court of the Purple Robes forming the political/ceremonial capital.
Bey Su is where the Choosing of an Emperor occurs but once that happens they are immured in  the tower at Avanthar.

This is what I get from reading the S&G Sourcebook and several of the available netbooks

Yes, this is what I thought too ... but then I got confused.
I guess there's no easy way to describe either of these two cities then. Neither is solely "administrative", or "political", or "economic".

By the way, how are your preparations for Continuum going?
Would you be able to give us a quick run down of your convention game once it has happened?

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1049260Bey Sy runs the Imperium; Avanthar controls it. The routine stuff is all dealt with by the Palaces in Bey Sy, with matters being referred to Avanthar as needed for Imperial decisions. The Kolumel and the Petal Throne are in Avanthar, so the current incumbent is there. The rest of the clan is all over the place, and a lot of them hold down offices in Bey Sy.

Thanks for the clarification, Chirine.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1049346Yes, this is what I thought too ... but then I got confused.
I guess there's no easy way to describe either of these two cities then. Neither is solely "administrative", or "political", or "economic".

By the way, how are your preparations for Continuum going?
Would you be able to give us a quick run down of your convention game once it has happened?

Agreed; it's a little confusing. :)

Ah, what are we talking about with 'contiuum'? I don't know what this is all about, and I'd be interested to see if somebody is claiming I'm going to be at a convention that I know nothing about.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1049346By the way, how are your preparations for Continuum going?
Would you be able to give us a quick run down of your convention game once it has happened?

Whoops! That'll teach me to post when on my in a hurry on my lunch!

I've gotten my threads tangled up. I confused the US convention with the UK one; no, I haven't forgotten, just really busy, and I'll check my e-mail settings.

Which game, please? I normally run an 'open table' game, so I have a couple of scenarios that I offer. Thanks!

My Continuum prep has been completed. The scenario has been written and will no doubt have to be adjusted on the fly as the players will always do something other than what I expect. It's fairly railroad-y as it has to be for a con scenario but the pregens have some interesting traits and we'll see how the game goes come Sunday morning.

I've also started a third scenario that I'll use at another con to make a trilogy of getting started scenarios that will take players from the Kraa Hills to Bey Su or Jakalla as an intro to Tekumel. I know that there are several other options for this out there but I'd like to think that my take will be worth the effort of writing it.

I'll post a quick resume of the game next week.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1049405Whoops! That'll teach me to post when on my in a hurry on my lunch!

I've gotten my threads tangled up. I confused the US convention with the UK one; no, I haven't forgotten, just really busy, and I'll check my e-mail settings.

Which game, please? I normally run an 'open table' game, so I have a couple of scenarios that I offer. Thanks!

I was asking Hermes Serpent for the latest on the convention he's going to participate in. I had no idea that a convention called "continuum" also exists in the US ... or that you had plans to go, Chirine.

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1049414My Continuum prep has been completed. The scenario has been written and will no doubt have to be adjusted on the fly as the players will always do something other than what I expect. It's fairly railroad-y as it has to be for a con scenario but the pregens have some interesting traits and we'll see how the game goes come Sunday morning.

I've also started a third scenario that I'll use at another con to make a trilogy of getting started scenarios that will take players from the Kraa Hills to Bey Su or Jakalla as an intro to Tekumel. I know that there are several other options for this out there but I'd like to think that my take will be worth the effort of writing it.

I'll post a quick resume of the game next week.

I thought of attending Continuum but it's a bit of an expense.
However, I'll keep an eye on your next convention ventures as your next scenario sounds like a lot of fun. Same with the Continuum one.

Anyway, yes, please, give us a run down once the game has taken place: who played (old hats or Tek newbies), how they handled themselves, etc.
Thanks Hermes.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1049349Thanks for the clarification, Chirine.

If you read the Deeds of the Ever-Glorious, some of the legion histories reveal interesting things about how government functions, or has functioned over the course of Tsolyanu's 2000+ year history. And there is also that Court of the Purple Robes netbook. Free IIRC.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1049434I was asking Hermes Serpent for the latest on the convention he's going to participate in. I had no idea that a convention called "continuum" also exists in the US ... or that you had plans to go, Chirine.

My fault - sorry about that! Looking forward to seeing what he comes up with as well.

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1049414My Continuum prep has been completed. The scenario has been written and will no doubt have to be adjusted on the fly as the players will always do something other than what I expect. It's fairly railroad-y as it has to be for a con scenario but the pregens have some interesting traits and we'll see how the game goes come Sunday morning.

I've also started a third scenario that I'll use at another con to make a trilogy of getting started scenarios that will take players from the Kraa Hills to Bey Su or Jakalla as an intro to Tekumel. I know that there are several other options for this out there but I'd like to think that my take will be worth the effort of writing it.

I'll post a quick resume of the game next week.

Oooo! I'll be at Continuum  - I saw there was a Bethorm game on Sunday which I was hoping to sign up for. I've run a bit of Bethorm myself and have another half written scenario underway - was hoping to get it prepped to run at this Continuum but just ran out of time.

Quote from: d(sqrt(-1));1049532Oooo! I'll be at Continuum  - I saw there was a Bethorm game on Sunday which I was hoping to sign up for. I've run a bit of Bethorm myself and have another half written scenario underway - was hoping to get it prepped to run at this Continuum but just ran out of time.

Benefit of being retired mate, plenty of time to write material and tart it up for running at cons.

Think I've got at least four sign ups then, you, Pookie and a couple of others who've mentioned they'll be wanting to play.

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1049574Benefit of being retired mate, plenty of time to write material and tart it up for running at cons.

Think I've got at least four sign ups then, you, Pookie and a couple of others who've mentioned they'll be wanting to play.

Otulengba! Great stuff, I shall keep an eye open for the sign-up. If there are lots of newbies who want to play I'll let them do so...

The "Jade Arch":

Chirine, did you ever use it or get close enough to it to almost (have to) use it?
Records mention that the machine has become "skewed" with age. Its mind control capacities are thus less reliable. Is there some anecdote or story behind this statement, one that's not recounted anywhere?

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1049854The "Jade Arch":

Chirine, did you ever use it or get close enough to it to almost (have to) use it?
Records mention that the machine has become "skewed" with age. Its mind control capacities are thus less reliable. Is there some anecdote or story behind this statement, one that's not recounted anywhere?

Been to see it, never had to use it. The OAL pretty much keeps it under very tight guard.

Not sure. The thing is an artifact of the Ancients, which meant in Phil's campaign that you simply didn't mess with it unless there was a dire emergency. I'm sure that the setting have 'drifted' with time; supposedly, the Temple of Gruganu knows how to run the thing, but I would'nt trust them as far as I could throw Avanthar. See it used; it's like a 'walk-through' MRI unit. No obvious effects from being through it, but you supposedly become absolutely loyal to the idea of a central government' in short, one becomes loyal to the Imperium and not to who is sitting on the Petal Throne. So, people who go through it are those whom the OAL deems useful for the preservation of the state, and they don;t worry a lot about any side effects - supposedly, about one in every 100 people who go through it have their minds wiped or go insane.

I didn't go through it - I'm genuinely loyal to the Imperium as a concept, which was a pretty radical notion for the players in the original group. Which was one of the reasons  why we split, actually; my group had 'gone native' pretty early in the campaign.

Does this help?

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1049931Been to see it, never had to use it. The OAL pretty much keeps it under very tight guard.

Not sure. The thing is an artifact of the Ancients, which meant in Phil's campaign that you simply didn't mess with it unless there was a dire emergency. I'm sure that the setting have 'drifted' with time; supposedly, the Temple of Gruganu knows how to run the thing, but I would'nt trust them as far as I could throw Avanthar. See it used; it's like a 'walk-through' MRI unit. No obvious effects from being through it, but you supposedly become absolutely loyal to the idea of a central government' in short, one becomes loyal to the Imperium and not to who is sitting on the Petal Throne. So, people who go through it are those whom the OAL deems useful for the preservation of the state, and they don;t worry a lot about any side effects - supposedly, about one in every 100 people who go through it have their minds wiped or go insane.

I didn't go through it - I'm genuinely loyal to the Imperium as a concept, which was a pretty radical notion for the players in the original group. Which was one of the reasons  why we split, actually; my group had 'gone native' pretty early in the campaign.

Does this help?

Yes. It does help. Thanks for all the great details and clarifications on what one become loyal to once the machine has been used.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1049931Been to see it, never had to use it. The OAL pretty much keeps it under very tight guard.

Not sure. The thing is an artifact of the Ancients, which meant in Phil's campaign that you simply didn't mess with it unless there was a dire emergency. I'm sure that the setting have 'drifted' with time; supposedly, the Temple of Gruganu knows how to run the thing, but I would'nt trust them as far as I could throw Avanthar. See it used; it's like a 'walk-through' MRI unit. No obvious effects from being through it, but you supposedly become absolutely loyal to the idea of a central government' in short, one becomes loyal to the Imperium and not to who is sitting on the Petal Throne. So, people who go through it are those whom the OAL deems useful for the preservation of the state, and they don;t worry a lot about any side effects - supposedly, about one in every 100 people who go through it have their minds wiped or go insane.

I didn't go through it - I'm genuinely loyal to the Imperium as a concept, which was a pretty radical notion for the players in the original group. Which was one of the reasons  why we split, actually; my group had 'gone native' pretty early in the campaign.

Does this help?

Yes. It does help. Thanks for all the great details and clarifications on what one becomes loyal to once the machine has been used.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1050032Yes. It does help. Thanks for all the great details and clarifications on what one becomes loyal to once the machine has been used.

You're welcome!

There's a page on my blog about the campaign prospectus I'm handing out to people about a proposed Tekumel campaign that people would like me to run. Discussion has been very lively, like at today's painting workshop, and I've also posted some of the questions on the blog as well.

Thoughts and comments always welcome! :)

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1050032Yes. It does help. Thanks for all the great details and clarifications on what one becomes loyal to once the machine has been used.

I think my reply got eaten; you're very welcome! :)

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1050101There's a page on my blog about the campaign prospectus I'm handing out to people about a proposed Tekumel campaign that people would like me to run. Discussion has been very lively, like at today's painting workshop, and I've also posted some of the questions on the blog as well.

Thoughts and comments always welcome! :)

Only comment: gonna find a way to move in your neighborhood very quickly to hopefully join your game! It sounds great.

Question: how are you going to "crunch" the numbers if people come with PCs created with different rule systems? (if I understand how you're running things).

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1049574Benefit of being retired mate, plenty of time to write material and tart it up for running at cons.

Think I've got at least four sign ups then, you, Pookie and a couple of others who've mentioned they'll be wanting to play.

The game was played on Sunday AM UK time, 6 of us + Hermes Serpent himself. It was nice to get into a room with 6 other people and talk about Tekumel in general, as well as run through the scenario with (many!) side excursions into important questions such as who got to organise the shamtla collections, who loaded the pots onto the Chlen carts, and who got to fight the Shanu'u...

It did make me wonder if there is a possibility of a one day UK Tekumel get-together being viable. Even if it was six or seven people in a pub somewhere...

Thanks to all those who were there.

A not too brief run down of the three scenarios I ran at the UK Continuum convention last weekend. Thanks to all who played in any of them.

This past weekend was Continuum, a UK convention that's held at the University of Leiceester every second (even) year. It's been running for a number of years and it has in the past been very focussed on Chaosium products. There's always been a large number of Call of Cthulhu games, Gloranthan games and Pendragen games as well as the usual selection of other settings and systems. With teh new Glornathan Runequest release and the 5.2 version of Pendragon these game systems/settings have seen a fresh resurgence.

The convention runs from around midday Friday through Sunday evening although many participants stay over and leave on Monday morning after a final session on Sunday evening. My buddy and I travelled up from the South coast on Friday morning leaving at 9:30 to avoid the rush hour traffic we struggled north via clogged roads as many schools had finished making Friday the first day of the Summer holidays. We arrived just in time for me to throw myself out of the car (not bothering to unload or sign in to the con) and rushing to my first game. It was an Openquest scenario written by Simon Bray and run by Tom Zunder. We had great fun uncovering the significance of the toad god and the strange attraction between the very beautiful women and the very ugly men of the village.

After getting my bag from the car, checking in a  and having something to eat I sat down for game two. After 10 minutes I found out that it had pulled from the schedule so I headed for the bar.

Saturday morning I had an OSR game picked out. Now Saturday morning was only a three hour slot and the  GM had way more material than we could deal with in the time so it got short-circuited to get us to the finale. Several dead characters and two raving PC sorcerers who wanted to rule the world later we broke for lunch.

Saturday afternoon I ran the Wolrd War Cthulhu scenario I'd previously run at Chimeraides where the PCs are French Resistance fighters tasked with finding out if a local Vicomte has a certain book. Much mayhem later they left the Vicomte's home partly burned down and escaping in the priest's coal gas powered car they got stopped at the Milice checkpoint. Four persons in the car and a risng pall of smoke behind them tipped off the troops. The Chanteuse failed to hide hide her pistol and then shot one of the two Milice dead and wounded the other. As the rest of the Milice squad piled out of the hut the priest pulled his Sten from under his robe and cut down the rest of the troops. The two other partisans came across the bodies strewn across the road later as they had to walk home.

Pacing myself I spent Saturday evening in the bar and readied myself for Sunday morning. Sunday featured my Bethorm Tekumel game and the sign up sheet gathered a group of hardened fans. You know that game where the players know more than the gm and make his life hell. Well it wasn't like that at all.

The members of the Glory of the Worm clan set out to discover why the Glass Spear clan had not delivered the necessary amphorae to contain the year's crop of Dlel fruit brandy. As this is a starter type scenario I introduced a Slaver on the trail to add aspects of Tekumel culture slowly to players without any prior experience. This is designed to  work as an alternative to the fresh of the boat option for new players.

The characters arrived at the village/administrative centre and saw three Shanu'u flying  above them and hunting for something edible. They prepared with a priest who cast Invisibility on them while they shot at the single Shanu'u who stayed behind when the other two departed, It landed and as the Invisibility wore off the clan guards took on the beast ( A ploy to introduce combat gently). They soon had it in dire straits before one priest rushed forward to attack it with his chlen dagger. The player then found out why you don't rush into combat as a priest. The result of Shánu'u 1 Party 0 soon turned into a 1 all draw. The locals came out of hiding and got the chlen carts loaded up and the party was pressured into killing the other two beasts.

With the amphorae on the way the party climbed up to the cave where the Shanu'u laired. Finding the cave empty but showing signs of ancient occupation they prepared to fight the Shanu'u. By now they had found out the best combat options were to get the clan guards fighting the beast in a bottlenecked area to reduce the number who could engage the party and then proceed to use the Bypass Armour option to improve the damage from one or two points a round each to lots more. One Shanu'u fell to a blow to the head that stunned it and it's mate took a death blow.

The party explored the cave and found it was an old, very old temple to Sarku and ominmous slithering sounds from the depths caused them to choose to report it for a potential reward.

The players had fun, the rules got tested and approved (only one player had used them before) and the scenario was deemed to be suitable mainly unchanged but with some tweaks for a introductory style game.

Final game of the con was a rerun of a Mythras scenario where I have some Greek heroes end up on Monster island in a very Harryhausen movie style game. As usual one cannot put a golden chalice and some gems on a temple altar without someone in the party choosing to try and take them. The Ice Worm Guardian of the Temple of Raylimshaitan and Actinius the human guardian proceed to damage the party and send them fleeing before the drums brought native lizardmen who demanded a return of the stolen goods. The party limped back to Port Grimsand with a single wild boar skin as their 'winnings'. One of the players was the translator of the German version of Mythras material and we had an interesting discussion about the difficulty of translating the Greek material in Mythic Constantinople as German and English use different transliterations of Greek letters.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1050135Only comment: gonna find a way to move in your neighborhood very quickly to hopefully join your game! It sounds great.

Question: how are you going to "crunch" the numbers if people come with PCs created with different rule systems? (if I understand how you're running things).

Thank you! I'm hoping to get the game room on-line in the near future; we have all the technology, I just need time to hook it all up. I'm starting out slowly, this time around, and avoiding all the mistakes I made with my previous game group. Although it did last over a decade of game sessions, I made some bad mistakes at the very beginning and they helped kill the group off at the end.

You are correct. The short answer is that I am very, very good at running probability curves in my head and on the fly. If I know how relatively good or bad the situation is, I can do the math very quickly and generate the probabilities for anything. I did this for over a decade in my old game group, which had PCs done in EPT, S&G, and BESM. We had the same situation in Phil's campaign where we had EPT and S&G PCs in the same game sessions, so I guess I'd have to say that it's something I'm used to in my gaming.

The long answer is that I don't much obsess over game mechanics in general. I've been around for a while doing this, and I have enough practical experience and research under my belt to get the job done in a game (it's 'Free Kreigspiel', if it needs to have a name) and it seems to work just fine for people who play in my games. I've been told on more then a few occasions on-line from people who have never played in my games that this is all wrong - "too loosey-goosey, too much hand-waving" - which is why I've stopped participating in the various 'ODD' and 'OSR' forums that I've tried over the past decade. I have no clue what most of the gaming discussions on the Internet are about, so I don't participate in them any more.

I don't particularly mind being way off in the nether regions of gaming; our original TNG was much the same. We gamed with Phil and published shelves full of stuff, but we also constantly got lots of letters, phone calls, and  face-to-face complaints about how we were not in the 'mainstream' of gaming and that Phil and the rest of us should change our ways - we were doing 'BadWrongFun' long before the Internet came along, and it didn't seem to matter a lot to us at the time. Or in the present, for that matter, as some of my colleagues from that group and time and place are going to be part of this campaign.

That's my explanation for what I'm going to be doing; I'm sorry that it's put in such a simplistic form, but I don't know a lot of big academically correct words for what I learned how to do all those years ago and still do.

Sorry about being long-winded; we had a long discussion about this this past weekend at the workshop session.

it sounds like you people had a great time, and I wish I could have been there! I'm also sorry to have missed the dates, too, and I'll be dealing with that.

Quote from: d(sqrt(-1));1050155The game was played on Sunday AM UK time, 6 of us + Hermes Serpent himself. It was nice to get into a room with 6 other people and talk about Tekumel in general, as well as run through the scenario with (many!) side excursions into important questions such as who got to organise the shamtla collections, who loaded the pots onto the Chlen carts, and who got to fight the Shanu'u...

It did make me wonder if there is a possibility of a one day UK Tekumel get-together being viable. Even if it was six or seven people in a pub somewhere...

Thanks to all those who were there.

The UK can scene is quite crowded with something on many months of the year  - my own current schedule for 2019 is Revelation at Sheffield in February, Seven Hills ditto in March or April, Hydriades in Switzerland at the beginning of June (not attending Expo next year), FreeRPG day mid June, The Kraken in Germany in the autumn and maybe Dragonmeet in December.

However a Tekumel meet looks like a great idea. I'm near Southampton/Bournemouth on the South Coast, other folks were from London, Newcastle and the Birmingham area but a possibility is a meeting at Spaghetti Conjunction 20 October at Geek Retreat not far from the main train stations in the middle of Birmingham and with a car park close behind the site. As it's a one day con it might be possible to run a game there quite easily, more so than a random pub and then have a Tekumel chat before or after the game.

People might be keen on a London meet - what's the pub not that far from Borough Market that has RPG groups that meet there? I've been in on a day up in London but forget the name.

I'll post on FB and the Yahoo list to see  if there are people there who might want to have a meet.

I'm in Oxford so not too far from most of those places. Looks like Spaghetti Conjunction might clash with Kraken this year though.

Yes, I'm at the Kraken but I'm just one person and if there's interest I'd say go for it. Pookie suggested the SC 's format of 'pitch your game on the day for open signup' might not work well for a Tekumel game. I've previously looked at the possibility of running a small (40-50 people max) con in Winchester as it has good train frequency (takes about 1 hour) from London so that might work for a one day event. I'll talk with Pookie about how Geek Retreat Birmingham is set up and if it could host a small 10-20 person Saturday meet for a Tekumel group game and/or chat in addition to their usual programming.

Oxford is obviously fairly central but has, I believe, parking cost issues probably necessitating Park and Ride options. Any other possible location ideas?

Talk has been ongoing and Pookie has set up an event on FB for a TekUKon at Games Retreat in Birmingham probably for 6th October (confirming with them tomorrow).

I've offered to run a three part introductory scenario using Bethorm that I've written (and run) two parts of so far. We're very open to others running games or people just coming along to learn more about Tekumel. We hope to have about a dozen of so people attending to talk about Tekumel and gaming therein.

Might have to hit Chirine up for a presentation on the Professor's Opus Magnus that we could use as a looping intro to Tekumel for newbies. Anyone know of a YouTube presentation that talks about EPT/Tekumel that would be good for an intro as an alternative if he's too busy?

It's amazing what a little effort can do to enthuse a core base of fans. I've run three Tekumel games in two years and played one, been lucky enough to get other enthusiasts involved, had the Foundation give a little boost and now we're trying something more mainstream that has really taken off, resonating with those UK people who have run Tekumel games in the past and who have very fond memories. Someone contacted me who had run a recent campaign with his group (used Pathfinder but I wont hold that against him) so increasing our profile has been a good thing.

Ok. I don't use FB so I've not seen that. Sounds good though. 6th Oct might work for me. I'll see if I can dig anything out myself. If nothing else I can run "Welcome to Jakalla" or the like.

One reason I'm posting stuff here and G+ is to cover folks who don't FB. I wouldn't my self but the local club uses it (poorly) for game organisation and notifications.

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1050366Might have to hit Chirine up for a presentation on the Professor's Opus Magnus that we could use as a looping intro to Tekumel for newbies. Anyone know of a YouTube presentation that talks about EPT/Tekumel that would be good for an intro as an alternative if he's too busy?

I have a speaking engagement this weekend and a game session next weekend, but after that I'm clear. Are you looking for a PowerPoint presentation or more like an interview kind of thing? I'd suggest a PowerPoint show so you could keep it cycling on a screen off to one side, as well as keeping the noise factor down. Let me know what you want, and I can put it together using stuff from my files.

If it's at all useful, I do have some stuff on my Youtube channel that might be useful - Prof. Barker's bio show is on there, but I don;t know if that would be what you're looking for.

Quote from: d(sqrt(-1));1050155The game was played on Sunday AM UK time, 6 of us + Hermes Serpent himself. It was nice to get into a room with 6 other people and talk about Tekumel in general, as well as run through the scenario with (many!) side excursions into important questions such as who got to organise the shamtla collections, who loaded the pots onto the Chlen carts, and who got to fight the Shanu'u...

It did make me wonder if there is a possibility of a one day UK Tekumel get-together being viable. Even if it was six or seven people in a pub somewhere...

Thanks to all those who were there.

Pub + Tekumel + perhaps, a game or two? I'd show up, for sure.

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1050160A not too brief run down of the three scenarios I ran at the UK Continuum convention last weekend. Thanks to all who played in any of them.

This past weekend was Continuum, a UK convention that's held at the University of Leiceester every second (even) year. It's been running for a number of years and it has in the past been very focussed on Chaosium products. There's always been a large number of Call of Cthulhu games, Gloranthan games and Pendragen games as well as the usual selection of other settings and systems. With teh new Glornathan Runequest release and the 5.2 version of Pendragon these game systems/settings have seen a fresh resurgence.

(...)

The party explored the cave and found it was an old, very old temple to Sarku and ominmous slithering sounds from the depths caused them to choose to report it for a potential reward.

The players had fun, the rules got tested and approved (only one player had used them before) and the scenario was deemed to be suitable mainly unchanged but with some tweaks for a introductory style game.

Final game of the con was a rerun of a Mythras scenario where I have some Greek heroes end up on Monster island in a very Harryhausen movie style game. As usual one cannot put a golden chalice and some gems on a temple altar without someone in the party choosing to try and take them. The Ice Worm Guardian of the Temple of Raylimshaitan and Actinius the human guardian proceed to damage the party and send them fleeing before the drums brought native lizardmen who demanded a return of the stolen goods. The party limped back to Port Grimsand with a single wild boar skin as their 'winnings'. One of the players was the translator of the German version of Mythras material and we had an interesting discussion about the difficulty of translating the Greek material in Mythic Constantinople as German and English use different transliterations of Greek letters.

A great weekend was had by all then!
Thank you for the detailed report, Hermes. You are a busy GM!

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1050228Thank you! I'm hoping to get the game room on-line in the near future; we have all the technology, I just need time to hook it all up. I'm starting out slowly, this time around, and avoiding all the mistakes I made with my previous game group. Although it did last over a decade of game sessions, I made some bad mistakes at the very beginning and they helped kill the group off at the end.

You are correct. The short answer is that I am very, very good at running probability curves in my head and on the fly. If I know how relatively good or bad the situation is, I can do the math very quickly and generate the probabilities for anything. I did this for over a decade in my old game group, which had PCs done in EPT, S&G, and BESM. We had the same situation in Phil's campaign where we had EPT and S&G PCs in the same game sessions, so I guess I'd have to say that it's something I'm used to in my gaming.

The long answer is that I don't much obsess over game mechanics in general. I've been around for a while doing this, and I have enough practical experience and research under my belt to get the job done in a game (it's 'Free Kreigspiel', if it needs to have a name) and it seems to work just fine for people who play in my games. I've been told on more then a few occasions on-line from people who have never played in my games that this is all wrong - "too loosey-goosey, too much hand-waving" - which is why I've stopped participating in the various 'ODD' and 'OSR' forums that I've tried over the past decade. I have no clue what most of the gaming discussions on the Internet are about, so I don't participate in them any more.

I don't particularly mind being way off in the nether regions of gaming; our original TNG was much the same. We gamed with Phil and published shelves full of stuff, but we also constantly got lots of letters, phone calls, and  face-to-face complaints about how we were not in the 'mainstream' of gaming and that Phil and the rest of us should change our ways - we were doing 'BadWrongFun' long before the Internet came along, and it didn't seem to matter a lot to us at the time. Or in the present, for that matter, as some of my colleagues from that group and time and place are going to be part of this campaign.

That's my explanation for what I'm going to be doing; I'm sorry that it's put in such a simplistic form, but I don't know a lot of big academically correct words for what I learned how to do all those years ago and still do.

Sorry about being long-winded; we had a long discussion about this this past weekend at the workshop session.

So, basically, you prioritize fun over precision.
Can't argue with that. Most gamers would agree with your approach too.

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1050366Talk has been ongoing and Pookie has set up an event on FB for a TekUKon at Games Retreat in Birmingham probably for 6th October (confirming with them tomorrow).

I've offered to run a three part introductory scenario using Bethorm that I've written (and run) two parts of so far. We're very open to others running games or people just coming along to learn more about Tekumel. We hope to have about a dozen of so people attending to talk about Tekumel and gaming therein.

Might have to hit Chirine up for a presentation on the Professor's Opus Magnus that we could use as a looping intro to Tekumel for newbies. Anyone know of a YouTube presentation that talks about EPT/Tekumel that would be good for an intro as an alternative if he's too busy?

It's amazing what a little effort can do to enthuse a core base of fans. I've run three Tekumel games in two years and played one, been lucky enough to get other enthusiasts involved, had the Foundation give a little boost and now we're trying something more mainstream that has really taken off, resonating with those UK people who have run Tekumel games in the past and who have very fond memories. Someone contacted me who had run a recent campaign with his group (used Pathfinder but I wont hold that against him) so increasing our profile has been a good thing.

- Date: I'll be away from Britain in October, but if a Tekumel meeting happens after that, I will surely pay you guys a visit.
- Location: the locations you've discussed sound good to me.
- Utube: I think I've watched all of them over the years. Something clear and to the point (read "short") would be worth putting together, however. Sounds like Chirine has the goods.
- Communication: I'm neither on FB nor on G+, so this forum works well for me.

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;1050287Oxford is obviously fairly central but has, I believe, parking cost issues probably necessitating Park and Ride options. Any other possible location ideas?

We have a farm building near us that we use to run boardgame days approx. every 3 months, just outside Abingdon - I could also check if that is free on any specific date.

 Saw the office manager today and asked her about it and she said fine no problem.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1050380I have a speaking engagement this weekend and a game session next weekend, but after that I'm clear. Are you looking for a PowerPoint presentation or more like an interview kind of thing? I'd suggest a PowerPoint show so you could keep it cycling on a screen off to one side, as well as keeping the noise factor down. Let me know what you want, and I can put it together using stuff from my files.

If it's at all useful, I do have some stuff on my Youtube channel that might be useful - Prof. Barker's bio show is on there, but I don;t know if that would be what you're looking for.

 A PP presentation would be good but let me look at what's on YouTube and get back to you. If the stuff on YT is useful then that's good and you can have a restful weekend.

Currently the plan is to have space at Geek Retreat in Birmingham for Saturday 6th October (now booked). The place opens at 9 am and we'd hope to get going by 10. The plan is to have two games running until 2 pm a break for lunch, Tekumel discussion and then a second game slot for them that want's to play. The store closes at 7 pm so the possibility of a pub visit afterwards is on the cards.

We'll be using Eventbrite to gather people as a neutral place for arranging the event. I'll post details here later.

The  Abingdon location sounds as if it would work as well, cost (if any), ease of access for those not driving would be good information to have as well.

Eventbrite link for TekUKon 2018

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tekukon-a-joyful-sitting-among-friends-tickets-48422711634?aff=utm_source%3Deb_email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dnew_event_email&utm_term=eventurl_text

This is so we can gauge numbers and have a central point to disseminate updated information through. Please register if you plan on attending.

I love seeing Chirine's big mini environments, especially the ones with ships. But someone just posted about this site, and my eyes practically fell out! On reflection, I guess it's not hard to do this yourself, but nonetheless these look great! https://www.tabletopthings.com/shop

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2680[/ATTACH]

Back in from my trip; very successful, talking about Tekumel and gaming in the world, and I had a very good time. Will have  more tomorrow; just back to the house now.

Quote from: Baron;1050598I love seeing Chirine's big mini environments, especially the ones with ships. But someone just posted about this site, and my eyes practically fell out! On reflection, I guess it's not hard to do this yourself, but nonetheless these look great! https://www.tabletopthings.com/shop

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2680[/ATTACH]

That is just dang cool!

And thank you for the kind words, too! :)

After a lull, because life, I've resumed my game. And added a new player! In true Tekumel style, the two players and their entourage of bearers, body servants, and assorted minders have set out from the Sky Blue Water clanhouse in Usenanu to search for a nexus point somewhere in the Kurt Hills.

It's nice to be back, though central Tsolyanu is quite hot this time of year.

Blaise

Quote from: bconsidine;1051063After a lull, because life, I've resumed my game. And added a new player! In true Tekumel style, the two players and their entourage of bearers, body servants, and assorted minders have set out from the Sky Blue Water clanhouse in Usenanu to search for a nexus point somewhere in the Kurt Hills.

It's nice to be back, though central Tsolyanu is quite hot this time of year.

Blaise

Great news! Please keep us all posted, if you could... :)

Back from Alabama, as I mentioned; some fans of Tekumel invited me down to talk about Phil's world and be on some more general gaming panels. I ran two game sessions (one with 12 players, one with six) and everyone seemed to have a good time. Lots of interest in Tekumel, from what I saw, and I was able to make a few suggestions about where to get more information. Got over 1,100 hits on my blog - I handed out all the business cards I'd brought - and some e-mails as well. Signed autographs in Tsolyani, posed for pictures, and generally had a really fun time.

It was very interesting getting out and getting 'boots on the ground' with gamers in their natural habitat. I learned a lot, actually.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1051167Back from Alabama, as I mentioned; some fans of Tekumel invited me down to talk about Phil's world and be on some more general gaming panels. I ran two game sessions (one with 12 players, one with six) and everyone seemed to have a good time. Lots of interest in Tekumel, from what I saw, and I was able to make a few suggestions about where to get more information. Got over 1,100 hits on my blog - I handed out all the business cards I'd brought - and some e-mails as well. Signed autographs in Tsolyani, posed for pictures, and generally had a really fun time.

It was very interesting getting out and getting 'boots on the ground' with gamers in their natural habitat. I learned a lot, actually.

Sounds great, Uncle:)! What does your autograph look like in Tsolyani?

Quote from: AsenRG;1051187Sounds great, Uncle:)! What does your autograph look like in Tsolyani?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2683[/ATTACH]

It's on a neat fold-up dice tray. I made sure it was unique. :)

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1051192[ATTACH=CONFIG]2683[/ATTACH]

It's on a neat fold-up dice tray. I made sure it was unique. :)

Uncle,

Very cool. Glad all of you had fun!!!

H:0)

Quote from: Hrugga;1051261Uncle,

Very cool. Glad all of you had fun!!!

H:0)

Thank you! We did have a very good time, and it was a great weekend all the way around - even going through TSR was fun, as they'd never seen a dice box like mine.

Back to the Sunken City of Atlantis tomorrow; it's the first anniversary of both the Shieldmaidens group and this campaign, so a little extra effort has been called for. Between the working Maelstrom and the flamingo barware, I think we'll manage to come up with something.

Uncle,

I know it is written in The Book of Deeds in Avanthar(which I fear I will never be able to read), (looking both ways)but have you heard any wisperings about the origins of the Tlakotani? It is said that the north may hold answers. Such as the old resting place of the Petal Throne itself...Might Chirene the Dragon-headed, Warrior of Nlyss(your namesake have told you anything), or might the Vriddi(the ancient rivals of the Tlakotani) know? Any insight would be helpful.

Many Thanks,

H:0)

Quote from: Hrugga;1051529Uncle,

I know it is written in The Book of Deeds in Avanthar(which I fear I will never be able to read), (looking both ways)but have you heard any wisperings about the origins of the Tlakotani? It is said that the north may hold answers. Such as the old resting place of the Petal Throne itself...Might Chirene the Dragon-headed, Warrior of Nlyss(your namesake have told you anything), or might the Vriddi(the ancient rivals of the Tlakotani) know? Any insight would be helpful.

Many Thanks,

H:0)

Just back in from the battle with the Kraken and Leviathan. Near-run thing, half the party got dead before they disengaged.

Yes. Which is why Malchairan is so important to Phil's version of Tekumel. The 1950's 'Petal Throne' story takes place much earlier, but there's some very good hints in it. And yes, the Vriddi do know a lot, which is why they consider the Tlakotani clan to be a bunch of jumped-up low-status people who should have stayed on their farms. (My namesake is also from much earlier, too.) The Vriddi - the Ebbridda, back in the day - thought that Fasiltum was the center of the world, and the First Tlakotani thought differently and set himself up in Avanthar. With a few little goodies that he'd picked up on his adventures back in the day, like: the Petal Throne, the Jade Screen now in the Hall of the Petal Throne, and the Kolumel itself. I also have a feeling that they had a little hand in the demise of the Priestkings, as the work for the Seal is the same as for Sovereign in Engsvanyali.

Basically, without dropping too many spoilers, the First Tlakotani was the one who got there 'firstest with the mostest', and filled the power vacuum with raw force. See also "Deeds", which has a lot of scattered details in the text that you have to pry out.

It's kind of an open-ended question; is there something specific needed?

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1051723Just back in from the battle with the Kraken and Leviathan. Near-run thing, half the party got dead before they disengaged.

Yes. Which is why Malchairan is so important to Phil's version of Tekumel. The 1950's 'Petal Throne' story takes place much earlier, but there's some very good hints in it. And yes, the Vriddi do know a lot, which is why they consider the Tlakotani clan to be a bunch of jumped-up low-status people who should have stayed on their farms. (My namesake is also from much earlier, too.) The Vriddi - the Ebbridda, back in the day - thought that Fasiltum was the center of the world, and the First Tlakotani thought differently and set himself up in Avanthar. With a few little goodies that he'd picked up on his adventures back in the day, like: the Petal Throne, the Jade Screen now in the Hall of the Petal Throne, and the Kolumel itself. I also have a feeling that they had a little hand in the demise of the Priestkings, as the work for the Seal is the same as for Sovereign in Engsvanyali.

Basically, without dropping too many spoilers, the First Tlakotani was the one who got there 'firstest with the mostest', and filled the power vacuum with raw force. See also "Deeds", which has a lot of scattered details in the text that you have to pry out.

It's kind of an open-ended question; is there something specific needed?

Uncle,

Many thanks. Any more insight into the first Tlakotani's aquisition of the Imperial Regalia would be helpful. Such as who he was? Who gave him a helping hand? Where in the Empire did he hail from(Bey Su)?

I have some reading to do. If any of my questions have answers in any of the published materials please let me know. It is easy to plague you with questions and not seek them out ones self. One the other hand, what are Uncle's for...?

H;0)

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1051723Yes. Which is why Malchairan is so important to Phil's version of Tekumel. The 1950's 'Petal Throne' story takes place much earlier, but there's some very good hints in it. And yes, the Vriddi do know a lot, which is why they consider the Tlakotani clan to be a bunch of jumped-up low-status people who should have stayed on their farms. (My namesake is also from much earlier, too.) The Vriddi - the Ebbridda, back in the day - thought that Fasiltum was the center of the world, and the First Tlakotani thought differently and set himself up in Avanthar. With a few little goodies that he'd picked up on his adventures back in the day, like: the Petal Throne, the Jade Screen now in the Hall of the Petal Throne, and the Kolumel itself. I also have a feeling that they had a little hand in the demise of the Priestkings, as the work for the Seal is the same as for Sovereign in Engsvanyali.

Basically, without dropping too many spoilers, the First Tlakotani was the one who got there 'firstest with the mostest', and filled the power vacuum with raw force. See also "Deeds", which has a lot of scattered details in the text that you have to pry out.

It's kind of an open-ended question; is there something specific needed?

This is kind of what I suspected, and what I believe Phil alluded to in a post on the Blue Room. It also explains the Vriddi animosity (contempt?) towards the Tlakotani. Excellent, and thank you for the clarification!

Shemek.

Can anyone help an old gamer with a failing memory? Where on Tekumel.com can I find the adventure where you wake up in an installation under the loving care of an AI who's just transferred your awareness into some unwilling host bodies? Thanks in advance!

Quote from: Hrugga;1051795Uncle,

Many thanks. Any more insight into the first Tlakotani's aquisition of the Imperial Regalia would be helpful. Such as who he was? Who gave him a helping hand? Where in the Empire did he hail from(Bey Su)?

I have some reading to do. If any of my questions have answers in any of the published materials please let me know. It is easy to plague you with questions and not seek them out ones self. One the other hand, what are Uncle's for...?

H;0)

All we know for sure comes from "Deeds", S&G I, and Phil's Blue room comments. He was, as usual, pretty reluctant to get pinned down; basically, what I got from him was that the First Tlakotani was a successful warlord from the Bey Su area, where his clan was a local power - rural, yes, but strong enough to get and keep power locally. And once Bey Su was in hand, things started to fall into place given the habit of central control being pretty popular amongst most folks. Bey Su was never a power base from the Dragon Lords, who were mostly in the western area with the Ebbridda / Vriddi relatively isolated in their desert stronghold - as we found out all too many times, getting an army across a desert was a pain in the butt and pretty difficult.

We don;t have any really good information on what happened to the Petal Throne during the lost years between that distant conquest of Malchairan and the thing showing up in Avanthar with the Tlakotani dynasty. Heck, for that matter we don't know how they got their mitts onto the mountain in the first place; when records start up again after the fall, the Tlakotani are in place and on their way to ruling an empire.

So, I'd look at "Deeds", S&G I, and what you can find on the Blue Room. It's about all he left us on the subject, as near as I can tell.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1052029All we know for sure comes from "Deeds", S&G I, and Phil's Blue room comments. He was, as usual, pretty reluctant to get pinned down; basically, what I got from him was that the First Tlakotani was a successful warlord from the Bey Su area, where his clan was a local power - rural, yes, but strong enough to get and keep power locally. And once Bey Su was in hand, things started to fall into place given the habit of central control being pretty popular amongst most folks. Bey Su was never a power base from the Dragon Lords, who were mostly in the western area with the Ebbridda / Vriddi relatively isolated in their desert stronghold - as we found out all too many times, getting an army across a desert was a pain in the butt and pretty difficult.

We don;t have any really good information on what happened to the Petal Throne during the lost years between that distant conquest of Malchairan and the thing showing up in Avanthar with the Tlakotani dynasty. Heck, for that matter we don't know how they got their mitts onto the mountain in the first place; when records start up again after the fall, the Tlakotani are in place and on their way to ruling an empire.

So, I'd look at "Deeds", S&G I, and what you can find on the Blue Room. It's about all he left us on the subject, as near as I can tell.

Uncle,

Thanks. I read the OAL entry and the List of Emperors from Deeds. Not much in detail, but a lot for inspiration. Interesting how the OAL went from military powerhouse to its present form. Thanks again.

H:0)

Quote from: Hrugga;1052039Uncle,

Thanks. I read the OAL entry and the List of Emperors from Deeds. Not much in detail, but a lot for inspiration. Interesting how the OAL went from military powerhouse to its present form. Thanks again.

H:0)

Great! You're welcome! :)

After much thought and consideration - as well as the recent fracas over on another RPG forum that I was caught up in - I have established my own forum  to discuss the kind of gaming that I do and that I enjoy. I also feel that the departure of the Glorious General from this corner of the Internet has also taken some of the wind out of our collective sails, and I'm hoping to lure him back with a more focused and concise venue. I also need a venue for the players in my forthcoming Tekumel campaign, where they can ask questions outside of the game sessions about Phil's astounding creation and the adventures we'll be having.

Now, I do want to say that I have enjoyed this series of 'Questioning Chirine ba Kal" threads, and all of your questions and comments. I do not feel, however, that I am really part of the community that foregathers here; I come from a different time and place, with some very different gaming styles and customs, and I think it's time to withdraw from here as I have from other places on the web. I will continue to monitor this thread, through the e-mail notifications that I get about it. Otherwise, please feel free to join me over at: http://chirinebakal.proboards.com/

And Pundit, you've been a very patient host to all of us; thank you again.

- chirine

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1052044After much thought and consideration - as well as the recent fracas over on another RPG forum that I was caught up in - I have established my own forum  to discuss the kind of gaming that I do and that I enjoy. I also feel that the departure of the Glorious General from this corner of the Internet has also taken some of the wind out of our collective sails, and I'm hoping to lure him back with a more focused and concise venue. I also need a venue for the players in my forthcoming Tekumel campaign, where they can ask questions outside of the game sessions about Phil's astounding creation and the adventures we'll be having.

Now, I do want to say that I have enjoyed this series of 'Questioning Chirine ba Kal" threads, and all of your questions and comments. I do not feel, however, that I am really part of the community that foregathers here; I come from a different time and place, with some very different gaming styles and customs, and I think it's time to withdraw from here as I have from other places on the web. I will continue to monitor this thread, through the e-mail notifications that I get about it. Otherwise, please feel free to join me over at: http://chirinebakal.proboards.com/

And Pundit, you've been a very patient host to all of us; thank you again.

- chirine

Off to the nexus point...!!!

H;0)

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1051723Yes. Which is why Malchairan is so important to Phil's version of Tekumel. The 1950's 'Petal Throne' story takes place much earlier, but there's some very good hints in it. And yes, the Vriddi do know a lot, which is why they consider the Tlakotani clan to be a bunch of jumped-up low-status people who should have stayed on their farms. (My namesake is also from much earlier, too.) The Vriddi - the Ebbridda, back in the day - thought that Fasiltum was the center of the world, and the First Tlakotani thought differently and set himself up in Avanthar. With a few little goodies that he'd picked up on his adventures back in the day, like: the Petal Throne, the Jade Screen now in the Hall of the Petal Throne, and the Kolumel itself. I also have a feeling that they had a little hand in the demise of the Priestkings, as the work for the Seal is the same as for Sovereign in Engsvanyali.

Basically, without dropping too many spoilers, the First Tlakotani was the one who got there 'firstest with the mostest', and filled the power vacuum with raw force. See also "Deeds", which has a lot of scattered details in the text that you have to pry out.

This is the kind of juicy (and very cool, in it's own way) stuff I come here for.

:)

Quote from: Horu hiFa'asu;1052089This is the kind of juicy (and very cool, in it's own way) stuff I come here for.

:)

You're welcome; I've tried to be as helpful as I can, over these threads. Please feel free to continue the discussion over on the new dedicated site, if you want to.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1052044After much thought and consideration - as well as the recent fracas over on another RPG forum that I was caught up in - I have established my own forum  to discuss the kind of gaming that I do and that I enjoy. I also feel that the departure of the Glorious General from this corner of the Internet has also taken some of the wind out of our collective sails, and I'm hoping to lure him back with a more focused and concise venue. I also need a venue for the players in my forthcoming Tekumel campaign, where they can ask questions outside of the game sessions about Phil's astounding creation and the adventures we'll be having.

Now, I do want to say that I have enjoyed this series of 'Questioning Chirine ba Kal" threads, and all of your questions and comments. I do not feel, however, that I am really part of the community that foregathers here; I come from a different time and place, with some very different gaming styles and customs, and I think it's time to withdraw from here as I have from other places on the web. I will continue to monitor this thread, through the e-mail notifications that I get about it. Otherwise, please feel free to join me over at: http://chirinebakal.proboards.com/

And Pundit, you've been a very patient host to all of us; thank you again.

- chirine

So I guess this thread is transforming and moving to another bethorm.
Onward ...

Chirine,

Doesn't look like this thread is getting much action anymore. Is it worth keeping it open?

Shemek.

Quote from: Neshm hiKumala;1052279So I guess this thread is transforming and moving to another bethorm.
Onward ...

Maybe The Goddess has broken through into this Bethorm and devouring everything?

Shemek.

Quote from: Horu hiFa'asu;1052089This is the kind of juicy (and very cool, in it's own way) stuff I come here for.

:)

My good Horu,

Perhaps you should look at going over to the new site?

Shemek

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1052044After much thought and consideration - as well as the recent fracas over on another RPG forum that I was caught up in - I have established my own forum  to discuss the kind of gaming that I do and that I enjoy. I also feel that the departure of the Glorious General from this corner of the Internet has also taken some of the wind out of our collective sails, and I'm hoping to lure him back with a more focused and concise venue. I also need a venue for the players in my forthcoming Tekumel campaign, where they can ask questions outside of the game sessions about Phil's astounding creation and the adventures we'll be having.

Now, I do want to say that I have enjoyed this series of 'Questioning Chirine ba Kal" threads, and all of your questions and comments. I do not feel, however, that I am really part of the community that foregathers here; I come from a different time and place, with some very different gaming styles and customs, and I think it's time to withdraw from here as I have from other places on the web. I will continue to monitor this thread, through the e-mail notifications that I get about it. Otherwise, please feel free to join me over at: http://chirinebakal.proboards.com/

And Pundit, you've been a very patient host to all of us; thank you again.

- chirine

I'll second that!

Shemek

Well, this it for me over here. What little free time for posting I have these days will be spent on Chirine's site. Its been a blast while it lasted, and I hope the other Tekumel fans make their way over there too. :D

Later.

Shemek

Quote from: Shemek hiTankolel;1052906Chirine,

Doesn't look like this thread is getting much action anymore. Is it worth keeping it open?

Shemek.

I honestly don't know. I don't feel that I have all that much in common with the folks who frequent this forum; just too old and set in my ways, I guess.

I'd ask Pundit; it's his forum, after all.

Quote from: Shemek hiTankolel;1052910Well, this it for me over here. What little free time for posting I have these days will be spent on Chirine's site. Its been a blast while it lasted, and I hope the other Tekumel fans make their way over there too. :D

Later.

Shemek

And thank you again for all your questions and comments. I do apologize about the suddenness of things, but I was more then a little startled by the comments about cosplayers over in the GenCon assault thread; while I respect the right of the various posters to express their opinions, I have limited free time, stamina, and energy. I have to pick and choose where and when I interact with gamers, and I have come to feel that continuing to participate in this forum is both not where I want to put my resources and efforts.

This has been building for some years; both the fracas over on 'Ruins of Murkhill' and the controversy about that forum have had a very negative effect, and actually getting out there with boots on the ground and seeing what is happening out in the wider world of gaming has meant that I am rethinking my priorities and emphasis.

So, again, thank you Pundit for hosting us for these threads; I'm just not really fitting in with this particular community of gamers.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1053469I'm sorry to hear that.

I am, too, in a lot of ways. I think my problem is that I'm just not really attuned to the on-line forum culture; I'm probably just too old and set in my gaming ways. I've gotten to feel, more and more, that I am from both a very different era and place in gaming that really doesn't exist any more. And, I think, I also come from a culture in gaming that doesn't exist any more; Bob Meyer, aka 'Robert the Bald' of Blackmore, and I have discussed this a few times, and he's had pretty much the same experiences I've had in forums. He's really pulled back from the Internet as well, because of that.

So, there it is. Thank you again for your patience in hosting our discussions over in that corner booth, and I hope you continue to go from strength to strength.

-chirine

Well, Chrine, I'm sad to see you go.  I enjoyed your insights into miniatures and the industry back in the day.  It makes me sad to see the divisions and fractures in the hobby, especially the political ones.

It makes the game even more elite.

This thread (and it's parents) gave some "Walk-up Traffic" exposure. People could wander in, become curious about the game setting being discussed and maybe become interested.

With the departure of chirine ba kal, you have to know that the new "little shop in the back ally" exists to peruse the information there.

Basically you have to already be interested, know it exists and be good at searching.

Too bad. I think it is more of a loss than it first appears.
=

Quote from: David Johansen;1053597Well, Chrine, I'm sad to see you go.  I enjoyed your insights into miniatures and the industry back in the day.  It makes me sad to see the divisions and fractures in the hobby, especially the political ones.

I'm sad, as well. It was fun while it lasted. I didn't mind the time and effort I put into the threads; what I minded was how the discussions elsewhere on the forum - and not just this one! - have been veering off more and more into vitriol-throwings. I don't need that - I'm a "timid soul", as one of the regulars over on 'Ruins of Murkhill" put it. Gaming for me is a bunch of friends sitting around a table having fun - I'm getting that now, for the first time in a very long time, and I'm really enjoying it.

So it goes.

Quote from: Greentongue;1053601It makes the game even more elite.

This thread (and it's parents) gave some "Walk-up Traffic" exposure. People could wander in, become curious about the game setting being discussed and maybe become interested.

With the departure of chirine ba kal, you have to know that the new "little shop in the back ally" exists to peruse the information there.

Basically you have to already be interested, know it exists and be good at searching.

Too bad. I think it is more of a loss than it first appears.
=

Probably, and I do agree with your assessments. Talking to Bob about his very similar experiences was a big factor in my decision. On the other hand, I have been doing a lot more 'boots on the ground' stuff, and the stats I collect have reflected this. So, there may be hope yet.

And I will say that people are welcome over on my little forum, as long as they play nice and don't run with scissors.