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Message: <blockquote data-quote="trilobite" data-source="post: 1486476" data-attributes="member: 15531"><img src="http://www.tekumel.com/world_images/TSOLmapCIT.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />About TekumelTekumel is a fantasy world with a history stretching back 60,000 years or more. It is inhabited by humans of South Asian, Mesoamerican and Middle Eastern descent, plus a large variety of nonhuman intelligent lifeforms. The published game EMPIRE OF THE PETAL THRONE assumes that Tekumel is a lost colony of starfaring mankind; this may or may not be true in this campaign. In any case, the inhabitants aren't aware of the "lost colony" theory. The game is set in Tsolyanu, the greatest of the world's empires; the year is 2367 of the Golden Seal. Most of Tekumel's nations are highly class-conscious and formal, but none more than the Tsolyani. When two Tsolyani meet, it is usually obvious which is of higher status, and therefore to be deferred to. Tsolyani prize "noble action" above all else, which means keeping your place, knowing your role, and performing as a hero of the ancient epics would have done. Most story interest in Tsolyanu, as in Japanese literature, focuses on situations where a man must fulfill several different obligations and the tension between them. In the early stages of the game, when everyone is still learning how to act like a Tsolyani, there won't be much of that, but once everyone has a clan AND a temple AND a military superior AND political allies to please, then it starts getting interesting. Tsolyanu is an autocracy, in which the Emperor never leaves the great city of Avanthar in which he is attended by his retainers, the Omnipotent Azure Legion. The Emperor owns everything and everyone in the Empire, and technically can tell anyone to throw themselves into the fire at any time. In practice, of course, as Tsolyanu is a vast land of fifty million souls, the Emperor exercises power through a vast bureaucracy of bureaus, temples and military districts, though all derive their power through him. When the Emperor dies or abdicates (although in practice, abdication is vanishingly rare), all his sons and daughters are brought to the capital to compete in the Kolumeljalim, a series of contests of wit, skill, strength, determination and cunning, in which all but one of the contestants perish. The survivor is crowned Emperor. An heir to the throne may "renounce the Gold" and declare himself not a candidate, retiring to a life of idle luxury and taking no further part in politics, at any time before the Kolumejalim begins. There are also "hidden heirs," taken at birth and raised by various temples or families to be revealed at the appropriate time. The most recent Kolumejalim, in 2366, pitted Prince Eselne  against Prince Dhi'chune, the spooky devotee of Sarku, God of the Undead. Eselne won and is now Emperor. The gods are very real, and their priests have many magic spells at their disposal. There are two major houses of gods, the Gods of Stability and the Gods of Change. The Stability Gods are: Hnalla Lord of LightKarakan Lord of Ever-Glorious WarBelkhanu Lord of Peaceful AfterlifeAvanthe Lady of Virtuous MotherhoodThumis Lord of Scholarship The Gods of Change are: Hru'u Lord of DarknessVimulha Lord of Firey DestructionSarku Lord of Life After DeathDlamelish Lady of Wanton SensualityKsarul Lord of Secret Knowledge Although they bear some resemblance to good and evil pantheons from traditional fantasy, the Lords of Change are not thought of as wicked or wrong, just different, nor are the Lords of Stability wholly good. Rather than the Silmarils vs. the Nazgul, the two houses of gods are more like the Vorlons and the Shadows, each with some valid points, each with some excesses. Tsolyanu borders two nations with which it is currently at war. Mu'ugalavya, to the west, is a land as rich and vast as Tsolyanu, whose natives profess obedience to Vimulha, the Lord of Fire, above all others, although all the gods are venerated to some degree. The Mu'ugalavyani invaded the forest state of Do Chaka in 2365, using an army of the Ssu, loathsome monsters who detest all mankind, as their icebreakers to shatter the army of Prince Eselne and sack the city of Tumissa in Tsolyanu. The plan, led by a general named Tewfik, failed when a group of Tsolyani agents (the player-characters) stole the Eye of Commanding Enemies, a magic item which kept the Ssu hypnotised. When the Ssu awoke from their trance, they turned on the Mu'ugalavyani, rending the army to the four winds. To the north lies Yan Kor, a federation of highland princes forged by the charismatic Baron Ald. Ald has old grudges against Tsolyanu, specifically the previous Emperor Hirikane and his greatest general, Kettukal hiMraktine. The Yan Koryani army is huge, as most Yan Koryani men are warriors, with women running the economy and skilled trades. Tékumel is a hot planet. Temperatures in the inhabited temperate zone are similar to Earth's equatorial zone. Daytime temperatures in the summer can reach 125° F; nighttime temperatures in the winter go as low as 70° F. The density of the planet is relatively low, making metals, especially iron, in short supply. Humans have adapted to this with the use of chlén hide, an animal hide chemically treated by the armorer's clan to form a lightweight substance with the hardness of bronze. No riding beasts are known on Tékumel and the only draft animal is the ponderously slow chlén. Most merchant caravans use slave bearers, trained to carry large loads on their backs. Armies have no cavalry, relying on foot soldiers. For the most part, the various races of friendly nonhumans remain in their enclaves scattered around the region, but many travel and hire themselves out around the continent. The Shén, a powerful reptilian race, live on the southernmost tip of the continent, south of Livyánu. They work as mercenaries or ply the oceans as merchants.The Tinalíya are a tiny four-legged race of scholars and mages, who live in the mountainous area in the north of Livyánu. They are totally literal-minded, not understanding human idioms and humor.Living in the low-lying swamps of Mu'ugalavyá, the Swamp Folk (their name for themselves is unpronounceable by humans) are natural sailors. They ply the sea lanes, selling their wares.The Páchi Léi, four-legged forest dwellers, live in the southern coastal area of the Cháka forests. They fit well into Tsolyáni society, being somewhat passive and calm.To the north of the Páchi Léi live the Pé Chói, beautiful insectoids with considerable magic talents. They also easily join human society, rising nearly as high as humans within the bureaucratic hierarchies.In mountain enclaves within Yán Kór live the Pygmy Folk in their subterranean tunnels. These short, furred creatures are never completely trusted for they have a reputation for being shy and devious. They can be very dangerous if cornered.In their mountaintop aeries east of Tsolyánu are the skittish Hláka, flying mammalians of roughly human size. They are cowardly, yet curious, and their usefulness as military scouts is unsurpassed.The swamp-dwelling Ahoggyá look almost like a furry barrel that has sprouted four arms and legs. They live in the wet, low-lying coastal plains across a narrow part of the southern ocean and in their extremely distant enclave, Ónmu Tlé Hléktis, beyond the most distant province of Salarvyá.As for the enemies of humankind, they are scattered around the continent as well. In the middle of the southern ocean is the island of Hlüssuyal, where the dreaded Hlüss live. These aquatic creatures are one of the original races of Tékumel, before it was discovered by the Terran star empire. They travel the ocean in their huge hive-ships, each carrying a queen of their race, much like a queen bee or ant.The Hlutrgú are a swamp-dwelling race so inimical that every race will fight them. Only their rapid reproduction and ferocity, and their boggy homeland on the southern coast of Tsolyáni, have kept them from being wiped out.The Ssú are also native to Tékumel, cousins to the Hlüss. These magically adept beings live in cities below the surface north of Salarvyá. They often travel in the subterranean tube cars, looking for ancient technology. Their bodies exude the odor of musty cinnamon, which has saved the lives of more than one group of humans delving in the Underworld.In the northern area of Yán Kór are the sealed cities of the Shunned Ones. This race breathes an atmosphere that is toxic to humans, and they can only come out of their cities for short excursions wrapped in their voluminous cloaks. They are also magically powerful.Where the homeland of the mysterious Mihálli is found is not known. In some regions of the continent, this shapeshifting race is believed to be mythical. Some say that Baron Áld's chief advisor, the enigmatic Fu Hsí, is a Mihálli, but no one knows for certain. What is known is that the motivations of these people are completely indiscernible to humans. One minute they might, aid you and the next attack you. Perhaps their view of reality is vastly different than ours, or perhaps they are just mad.Much of the known part of Tékumel is controlled by five large empires: Tsolyánu, Salarvyá, Mu'ugalavyá, Yán Kór and Livyánu. Society in these empires and in many of the smaller states is rigidly stratified. The clan into which he or she is born determines a large part of a person’s place in life. In Tsolyánu, women normally have no independent legal existence; they are completely controlled by the leaders of their clans, though they can declare themselves "Aridáni" (independent) and get the same rights and duties as a man.Magic is important in Tékumel. Each legion of the armies of the five empires has its own wizards to aid it in battle. The temples and noble clans also have wizards.The gods are real on Tékumel, and they have been known to intervene in human affairs when called on; however, the belief of their followers does not produce any standardized miracles. The supernatural powers possessed by some of the clergy are the same as those used by independent magicians (of whom there are very few, and most of whom were originally trained by the temples), the sorcerers of the nonhuman races, and some of the devices of the Ancients.</blockquote>

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