[CHARGEN] Culture

[edsan]

Race
In this EPT game all characters will be normal humans. Sorry folks, no nonhumans, mutants, N'luss, half-human fungus-eaters, Heheganu or other evolutionary offshoots. At least for the time being

Culture
For those familiar with Tekumel, a character can come from any known culture of the northern continent area (so Tane and Mihallu are out, terra incognita and all that) except the Five Empires proper. So no Tsolyani, Salarvyani, Mu'ugalavyani, Yan Koryani or Livyani.

For newbies we can try a different approach: just tell me the type of culture you would like your character to hail from using Earth examples and I will try to set you up.

A character's culture will determine his native language, religion, ethical norms, etc. It might also affect familiarity with equipment and limit access to skills.

A third option is having the character come from somewhere "in the southern ocean". There are a lot of unexplored isles out there and some have been isolated since before the time of the Engsvanyali Empire. If you want a character with a more "western" mindset, who will take like a fish into dry sand in the Empire of the Petal Throne you should select this approach


So post your preference here, either select a culture, ask me for details or create your own.

[Deleted]

I'm thinking Tsolei. I can't find anything on what they look like, though.

[edsan]

Suushih: yep we're limited to humans, I don't want to have to deal with alien nonhumans in the party just yet. The way it will work is the customary "barbarians off the boat in Jakalla" method. You are all immigrants, and nobodies now regardless of what you where back home, and have decided to throw your lot together.

Renele: The Tsolei are a culture of happy-go-lucky pirates with a very, very loose family structure and coming of age rites which include having sex in front of the rest of the community.

In terms of appearance I see them a bit like Polynesians. Two things of note are their primitive religion (they worship local spirits not the Pavar pantheon) and the magic-barren nature of the Tsolei archipelago. Quite simply magic does not work in Tsolei. That's why the Livyani (the most magic-oriented culture) haven't done away with these pesky pirates yet.

Your character would be limited to being a fighter, unless you really want to run a shaman with no powers.

Makofan: The only thing I can remember that comes really close to an "Arabian Nights" feel is Salarvya, to the east of Tsolyanu. This is one of the 5 Empires however and I'd prefer folks to come from more out-of-the-way areas.

If you want we can have you come from a forgotten isle somewhere to the south that was once a part of Salarvya and then left to its own devices; a place where bearded men have a predilection for turbans and scimitars.

[Deleted]

Mar 1, 2009 15:15:10 GMT -6 edsan said:

Renele: The Tsolei are a culture of happy-go-lucky pirates with a very, very loose family structure and coming of age rites which include having sex in front of the rest of the community.

Gives me lots of excuses to be socially inept.

In terms of appearance I see them a bit like Polynesians.

Ok, I can make that work.

Two things of note are their primitive religion (they worship local spirits not the Pavar pantheon) and the magic-barren nature of the Tsolei archipelago. Quite simply magic does not work in Tsolei. That's why the Livyani (the most magic-oriented culture) haven't done away with these pesky pirates yet.

Your character would be limited to being a fighter, unless you really want to run a shaman with no powers.

I didn't know how you were going to roll stats oops, I mean Basic Talents. I was kinda thinking about a magic user who discovered she had a decent Psychic Ability score on her first cruise when the ship was damaged and she was stuck in a foreign port for a while. Maybe she was approached by adepts of Ksarul who started her training? But she left or was kidnapped by her kin after the boat was repaired and their bills were paid.

If that won't work, I could pick Háida Pakála or maybe Mihalla.

(She'll probably get eaten by a slime in the first trip to the Underworld anyway. No sense in me getting fussy about it. )

[Deleted]

Oops! Reading your Classes & Occupations thread, she'd really be more adventurer than sorcerer, right?

[edsan]

Yep that's right.

I would advise you to change one thing. Have her being kidnapped by an individual (maybe an adept of Ksarul if you really want to) who force-trained her, hoping to create his own personal magical servant.
She managed to escape one day, long before the training was complete, hopped aboard the first ship available and found herself in Jakalla.

Jakalla is a *long* way from Tsolei.

Ok I'm starting a new thread where I will post people's Basic Talents.

The next is slow as hell today and I have so much to do.

[Deleted]

Mar 1, 2009 16:10:00 GMT -6 edsan said:

I would advise you to change one thing. Have her being kidnapped by an individual (maybe an adept of Ksarul if you really want to) who force-trained her, hoping to create his own personal magical servant.
She managed to escape one day, long before the training was complete, hopped aboard the first ship available and found herself in Jakalla.

Let's do that. It will have been a generic sorcerer of some place relatively convenient to Jakalla. She's not certain her family/shipmates were not complicit in her kidnapping, since selling her would have helped cover the debts from lost cargo, repairs, and resupplying. Even if it isn't true, her captor would have said it to discourage running away.

[edsan]

Works fine, I'll post your stats on the appropriate forum.

Just don't back-stab the other party members please

(Haida Pakala related joke there)

[suushih]

There are some great threads out on the various Tekumel sites that focus on magic, construction, masonry, and Ditlana.

As I understand it, there are a whole host of spells and glyphs used by the involved clans that reduce the wear and increase the stability of stonework and cement. These spells require periodic maintenance or they eventually diminish and fail. There are a vast number of spells, rituals, and other mumbo-jumbo (i.e., snake oil) that are held as proprietary secrets by the different clans. Even the clan masters aren't always sure what works or why. And, even with these spells, the stonework still requires frequent maintenance.

This knowledge was better understood long ago. There are places down deep that are completely intact and well over 10,000 years old. Perhaps we'll see some of these if we live long enough or are extremely unluckly. There are things best forgotten in the deep places of the world.

Ditlana is worth understanding. For a host of reasons (mostly religious), every 500 years, Tsolyani cities are supposed to be largely knocked down, filled in, and new cities built atop or next to the ruins. Some places (e.g., shrines, passages) are intentionally or accidentally allowed to survive. Ditlana has been happening for tens of thousands of years and is expensive. It's centuries overdue, but nobody in a position of power wants to acknowledge that with the one official war with Yan Kor's Barron Ald and the perpetual conflict with Salarvya.

[suushih]

Bribery and blood-money (called "shamtla") are fundamental parts of Tsolyani society. It is entirely licit and expected that officers and administrators must be provided with "inducements" in order to get them to do anything. Bribes are the lubrication that allows Tsolyani organizations to run smoothly. (See games.groups.yahoo.com/group/tekumel/message/16495)

Similarly, crimes that are not against the Empire, or within the domain of the temples, are often resolved by payment of shamtla. A person who has been assaulted, or even just sufficiently offended, can demand shamtla from the offender, and usually, their respective clans will negotiate a settlement. If a mutually agreeable settlement cannot be reached, the matter may go to a civil court, but this is a time-consuming and expensive affair (see inducements, above). Theft, even petty theft in the marketplace, is brutally punished, often by impalement.

Crimes against the Empire (assaulting a soldier or official, theft of Imperial property, interference with Imperial agents) are also harshly penalized. Convicts are frequently impaled, only occasionally imprisoned and set to hard labor for years. If a convict escapes and flees, his family is punished in his place.

In principle, all land, goods, and chattel in the Empire are the property of the God Emporor, and the clans and temples hold land only as leases. Consequently, an Imperial official of sufficient authority can confiscate anything, at any time, and have resisters impaled. In practice, the temples and clans have sufficient influence as to prevent overly greedy or arbitrary use of this authority, most of the time anyway.

There is a separate Ecclesiastical Court system for dealing with offenses by priests against their religious rules, and resolving conflicts between temples.

There is also a dueling code, sometimes preferred by warriors and those who value prestige and honor highly. Duels are fought in the city's gladiatorial arena (every town and city has one). The participants choose the extent of the conflict (to first blood, first one down, to death), and I think the challengee gets choice of weapons and armor (not sure about that). The winner claims only the items on the person of his defeated foe, and if he wishes, may take his opponent as a slave (with the understanding that the loser's clan can ransom him back for a reasonable fee). Additional arrangements between the combatants ("if I defeat you, you must give me your gilded houseboat") are not allowed, and considered ignoble.

A couple of additional observations to keep things in perspective. The nation of Tsolyanu on the planet Tekumel is much like India from many perspectives. Having visited that part of the world, a small gift will place you at the head of most lines and result in any number of benefits. The average family might make 200 Kaitar (gold) a year with the poor well below that. There is almost an inconceivably vast economic difference between Very High clans and Very Low. Being Nakome (clanless) and, arguably Very Low, is much like being an Untouchable. At first level, and given your beginning salaries of around 15 Kaitar a month, a gift of 50-100 Kaitar to your boss might be a good investment in your future.

As is generally the case, money is a much more powerful demotivator. By this I mean, if you don't get a salary raise, you're more likely to be demoralized radically degrading your performance than that you'll work much harder for more money. Most people won't. In game terms, it would be much worse not to give expected compensation than to give a huge gift. The up-side is limited. Much though is based on expectations. As an example, a much more substantial gift would be appropriate to influence someone of higher rank or status.

[suushih]

The concept of "Noble Action" has special meaning in Tsolyani culture. At its essence, it means being true to one's beliefs and is very tied to the concepts of worship of the different gods that are part of Pavar's panthion (5 gods of stability and their cohorts + 5 gods of change and their cohorts = 20).

Without getting into an exhaustive discussion and as an example, a worshipper of Chiteng is "Noble" when he or she tortures a sacrifice to death while a worshipper of Avanthe would be "Noble" by respecting and preserving nature and rejecting human sacrifice as an abominable practice. These diametrically opposed core values exist in harmony within Tsolyani culture by virtue of the concept of "Noble Action". These are captured in The Scrolls of Pavar and, more specifically, within the Concordat, an agreement between the temples that governs behavior. This agreement only officially applies above ground.

There's vastly more to this, but that's it in a nutshell.

[suushih]

Pe'Choi, Ahoggya, and Shen

All three have places in Tsolyani society and, given where you call home, might know more or less about. Shen and Ahoggya are used as shock troops extraordinaire. Pound for pound, they will rip most men to shreds. It's fortunate that they don't breed fast and like different climes.

There are two other generally non-hostile races, the Pachi Lei and Tinaliya.

I won't say more as it's very unlikely that we would know more.