Post by foxroe on Sept 13, 2017 19:37:11 GMT -6
I wrote up what I intend to be a one-page player handout summarizing the bare essentials of what a neophyte EotPT player should know at the beginning of play. It's rules-agnostic and aimed at the traditional start of "just off the boat in Jakalla". It's in a first-draft state, so I'm soliciting for any advice or constructive feedback. I know that there things like this out there, I'm just trying to "roll my own."
Oh and sorry; no diacriticals yet. 
Edit: Revision 5, 9/21/17 - improvements to the text; fixed typos
Here it is in printable PDF form:
Welcome to the Empire of the Petal Throne.pdf (138.37 KB)
Edit: Revision 5, 9/21/17 - improvements to the text; fixed typos
Here it is in printable PDF form:
Welcome to the Empire of the Petal Throne.pdf (138.37 KB)
Welcome to the Empire of the Petal Throne
You and your companions have just arrived in the port of Jakálla, located in Tsolyánu, the Empire of the Petal Throne. You have sailed from your simple village on an island far to the south of Jakálla, and have arrived with nothing more than what you could carry with you. The ship's captain informs you that you should stay within Jakálla's Foreign Quarter for now, as you are not yet versed in the byzantine ways of Tsolyáni culture, and minor offenses are often dealt with quite harshly...
What You Know About the World
The world of Tékumel is a strange one. It is Earth-like in composition, but its climate is much hotter than ours due to its proximity to its large orange sun. There are five planets visible in Tékumel's night sky, as well as two moons; however, there are oddly no stars visible in the inky heavens.
Equally as strange are the multitudes of deadly, alien flora and fauna which inhabit the lands and oceans of Tékumel. There are very few species present which would be familiar to the Earth-born human. One such beast, essential to the peoples of Tékumel, is the domesticated Chlén – a large, six-legged, slow-moving beast-of-burden. Its hide is processed and fashioned into weapons, armor, and other items, as iron (and hence steel) is very rare on Tékumel.
The humans of Tékumel are very much like their Earth counterparts. However, after ages of evolution, most humans are primarily of dark hair, eye, and complexion. Light colored hair and eyes are extremely rare and are considered to be of ill portent.
In addition to Humanity, Tékumel is home to a variety of sapient species, both friendly and inimical – there are the Pé Chói, mantis-like beings strongly allied with humanity; the Ahoggyá, four-armed, barrel-bodied creatures who keep to their swamps; the Ssú, six-limbed, gray-skinned monsters who are among the mortal enemies of mankind; and many other equally peculiar races.
What You Know About the Empire
Tékumel is exceptionally ancient, having witnessed the rise and fall of many civilizations spread over countless millennia. Recorded history begins roughly 25,000 years in the past, but of the ages before then – known simply as the Time of Darkness – very little is known. The Empire of the Petal throne, built upon the ruins and ashes of forgotten nations, has thrived, relatively unchanged, for the past 2,354 years.
Tsolyánu is one of Five Empires located on the northern continent of Tékumel. The current Emperor rules from his palace in the capitol of Avanthár, protected by the Omnipotent Azure Legion, one of many legions serving throughout the Empire. The Emperor's power is absolute, and punishment for crimes against the realm is almost always death.
Imperial society is divided into many clans, which are fundamental to the Tsolyáni way of life; to be clanless is to be spurned by society. Clans are large extended "families", often with clan-houses in every major civilized area throughout the Empire. Each clan is responsible for its members as well as for providing a service to the Empire, whether it be a skilled trade or simple plebeian labor. The most respected clans form society's nobility. Social status is of grave importance to the inhabitants of Tsolyánu. It is evident in the way people dress, their etiquette and speech, and in Tsolyáni architecture – even the primary roads between cities are tiered to separate the noble from the peasant traveler!
Reverence of the Gods of Stability and the Gods of Change is also central to Tsolyáni tradition. There are no atheists among the Tsolyáni. Every individual is pious to one degree or another, as the Gods themselves are real, and constantly meddling in the affairs of humanity. As such, the temples hold significant political, economic, and military sway within the Empire. Fortunately, the inevitable open conflict between the Temples of Change and Stability is outlawed by the Concordat of the Temples – this treaty however, often does not extend to a Temple’s more “underground” activities…
You and your companions have just arrived in the port of Jakálla, located in Tsolyánu, the Empire of the Petal Throne. You have sailed from your simple village on an island far to the south of Jakálla, and have arrived with nothing more than what you could carry with you. The ship's captain informs you that you should stay within Jakálla's Foreign Quarter for now, as you are not yet versed in the byzantine ways of Tsolyáni culture, and minor offenses are often dealt with quite harshly...
What You Know About the World
The world of Tékumel is a strange one. It is Earth-like in composition, but its climate is much hotter than ours due to its proximity to its large orange sun. There are five planets visible in Tékumel's night sky, as well as two moons; however, there are oddly no stars visible in the inky heavens.
Equally as strange are the multitudes of deadly, alien flora and fauna which inhabit the lands and oceans of Tékumel. There are very few species present which would be familiar to the Earth-born human. One such beast, essential to the peoples of Tékumel, is the domesticated Chlén – a large, six-legged, slow-moving beast-of-burden. Its hide is processed and fashioned into weapons, armor, and other items, as iron (and hence steel) is very rare on Tékumel.
The humans of Tékumel are very much like their Earth counterparts. However, after ages of evolution, most humans are primarily of dark hair, eye, and complexion. Light colored hair and eyes are extremely rare and are considered to be of ill portent.
In addition to Humanity, Tékumel is home to a variety of sapient species, both friendly and inimical – there are the Pé Chói, mantis-like beings strongly allied with humanity; the Ahoggyá, four-armed, barrel-bodied creatures who keep to their swamps; the Ssú, six-limbed, gray-skinned monsters who are among the mortal enemies of mankind; and many other equally peculiar races.
What You Know About the Empire
Tékumel is exceptionally ancient, having witnessed the rise and fall of many civilizations spread over countless millennia. Recorded history begins roughly 25,000 years in the past, but of the ages before then – known simply as the Time of Darkness – very little is known. The Empire of the Petal throne, built upon the ruins and ashes of forgotten nations, has thrived, relatively unchanged, for the past 2,354 years.
Tsolyánu is one of Five Empires located on the northern continent of Tékumel. The current Emperor rules from his palace in the capitol of Avanthár, protected by the Omnipotent Azure Legion, one of many legions serving throughout the Empire. The Emperor's power is absolute, and punishment for crimes against the realm is almost always death.
Imperial society is divided into many clans, which are fundamental to the Tsolyáni way of life; to be clanless is to be spurned by society. Clans are large extended "families", often with clan-houses in every major civilized area throughout the Empire. Each clan is responsible for its members as well as for providing a service to the Empire, whether it be a skilled trade or simple plebeian labor. The most respected clans form society's nobility. Social status is of grave importance to the inhabitants of Tsolyánu. It is evident in the way people dress, their etiquette and speech, and in Tsolyáni architecture – even the primary roads between cities are tiered to separate the noble from the peasant traveler!
Reverence of the Gods of Stability and the Gods of Change is also central to Tsolyáni tradition. There are no atheists among the Tsolyáni. Every individual is pious to one degree or another, as the Gods themselves are real, and constantly meddling in the affairs of humanity. As such, the temples hold significant political, economic, and military sway within the Empire. Fortunately, the inevitable open conflict between the Temples of Change and Stability is outlawed by the Concordat of the Temples – this treaty however, often does not extend to a Temple’s more “underground” activities…
