TEXT: Notes from
  The  
  Thursday  
  Night 
  Group
  Compiled by 
  Giovanna 
  Fregni
  
  This is a new product, not a reproduction of a previously released item. As part of its 
  mission to preserve and promote the creative legacy of Professor M.A.R. Barker, the 
  Tekumel Foundation is releasing new material for the benefit of Tekumel enthusiasts. 
  This product is authorized as “Approved for Tekumel” and is part of a new “Founda-
  tion Line” of material for the World of Tekumel. The material in this volume was 
  originally written in 2003 and approved by Professor Barker at that time.
  Original Material and Illustration
  Giovanna Fregni
  Product Development
  Victor Raymond
  Document Preparation
  Thomas Juntunen
  All rights reserved 
  Copyright 2003 by M.A.R. Barker and Giovanna Fregni
  ART-F-0001-O
  The Tekumel Foundation exists to encourage, support and protect the literary 
  works and all related products and activities surrounding Professor M.A.R. 
  Barker’s World of Tékumel and the Empire of the Petal Throne. 
  We hope that you have enjoyed this reproduction; for further information about 
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  Page  3
  Notes From The Thursday Night Group
  These vignettes are taken from my notes during the regular Thursday Night 
  Games. 2003 was an eventful year with Phil providing us with quantities of 
  detailed source material during 
  the course of the year’s games.
  When I illustrated the Bestiary 
  over ten years ago, one of the 
  entries that fascinated me was the 
  Nyágga. There was a lot implied 
  in the scant paragraphs in the 
  Bestiary and I came away with a 
  continued curiosity about them. 
  This year we had the opportunity 
  to travel toward Lake Párunal and 
  get a closer look at the hybrid 
  people of the area. Of course not 
  all the questions are answered, 
  but then there will always be 
  more questions...
  Later in the year we started a new 
  adventure with new characters, all young, and without much experience or 
  abilities. We took the opportunity to notice the commonplace events around 
  us because it is often too easy to gloss over the details in the course of getting 
  on with an adventure. Everyone has their own vision of what everyday life is 
  like on Tékumel, but the game takes on such a greater intensity when day to 
  day life is more closely observed. Of course, transcribing notes from several 
  months of gaming could ﬁ ll a novel, and so I chose a few vignettes from 
  individual nights to provide source material from an eyewitness point of view, 
  hoping that it would give the reader a greater appreciation of the depth and 
  complexity of the world of Tékumel, and also to enhance the experience for 
  gamers who regularly visit the nations of the Five Empires.
  I hope you enjoy this small eﬀ ort and if you have further questions, I can be 
  contacted through the Tekumel Yahoo e-group: tekumel@yahoogroups.com.
  All the material here has been read and painstakingly corrected by Professor 
  Barker to make sure that everything is as accurate as possible. I’d like to 
  thank him and the rest of the Thursday Night Group for twelve years of 
  gaming and friendship.
  Brumázik,
  Giovanna Fregni
  
  Page  4
  Notes from Saá Állaqi 
  The Káitlani
  The Thursday Night Group had a more ‘traditional’ mission. The 
  Emperor had been given a jar of what appeared to be candied cherries. 
  They weren’t even poisoned. It had been determined that the candies came 
  from somewhere in Saá Állaqi and the party was 
  dispatched to fi nd out who sent the candies and why.
  The trip was fairly uneventful (well, as unevent-
  ful as a trip through Milumanayá can be) until 
  reaching Saá Állaqi. Here the party learned a fair 
  amount about the mysterious Nyaggá and their 
  human hybrids, the Káitlani.
  The narrator is Layéth hiVríddi, who is on her fi rst mission and learn-
  ing quite a bit about the world.
  We left Saá Állaqiyar and headed north toward Trú. It was actually a 
  pleasant trip, quite a contrast from the trek through Mílumanayá. We 
  were considering going back to Avanthár by way of Yán Kór, rather 
  than deal with the desert folk again.
  I had the opportunity to see the hybrid people of the Nyaggá. They are 
  very tall, pasty- skinned human-looking beings with large black eyes. They 
  come from the city of Káitlan, just north of Trú. The Káitlani wear robes 
  with high collars and keep their hands concealed within their sleeves. They 
  also wear high boots. No one has ever heard them speak, and we have yet 
  to hear any of them talk, but apparently they can. They just don’t talk to 
  humans. However they are not considered hostile or harmful.
  We did see some of the Káitlani up close in the local government of-
  fi ces. They have gills on their necks, and sometimes you can see their 
  collars billow slightly as they breathe. Apparently the gill apparatus 
  is not very effi cient and it is said that they do not survive underwater 
  very long. One person told us that the Káitlani are bred onshore by the 
  Nyaggá and that there are several ‘degrees’ of Káitlani. Some are more 
  ‘aquatic’ than others. They are the servants of the Nyaggá, procur-
  ing unprotected female servants and slaves for the Nyaggá along with 
  other items that the Nyaggá might need from land. Rumor has it that 
  They weren’t even poisoned. It had been determined that the candies came 
  
  Page  5
  the procured slaves are taken into the lake and presumably drown. 
  Others said that they might show up again, slightly altered with gills. 
  Some of the locals made jokes about the Lake Párunal girls (Hotórgu 
  was out on his first solo trading mission. Everywhere we stopped he 
  asked after any available cute girls).
  Apparently Nyaggá do successfully mate with human women, but 
  probably not in the usually accepted fashion. 
  Later we did see a troop of the more human looking ones who walk 
  with their feet about 6” above the ground. We found out that they have 
  a ‘different’ way of talking (these facts were gathered from records 
  kept from Metlána hiSunkólum , who had encountered them as far 
  away as Kashkomái, near Sokátis. The ‘different’ way of talking incor-
  porated a form of telepathic communication). They also use discrete 
  finger and hand signals, similar to the ones used by merchant clans for 
  negotiating. They do trade with humans. They do this in the same way 
  as most non-humans on Tékumel, by laying down objects for trade and 
  then leaving. By leaving various objects and moving them toward the 
  other party, arrangements are made. All of this is done with only one of 
  the parties visible at a time.
  While traveling we saw a circle of torches off the side of the road. 
  When we approached we saw two swords lying in the grass. Hotórgu 
  moved one sword to the side and in its place laid a small pile of gem-
  stones. The next morning the gems and the second sword were gone 
  and a few Engsvanyali coins were left beside the remaining sword.
  It’s most likely a short sword for them, but awkwardly long for a hu-
  man. It’s clear and glassy, like a Hokún sword, but heavily weighted and 
  with a gold hilt. It has an unreadable inscription that looks like glyphs of 
  spider webs. The written language that is used by the Káitlani and others 
  in the region is called Kázhra Vé Ngakóme. The language is ideographic: 
  written symbols with no phonetic associations, so it works with the vari-
  ous human and nonhuman residents of the area. The script is written 
  with symbols strung together with ‘diacritical’ modifiers hanging down 
  beneath the line of writing.
  I managed to trade for some more of the blue gems that are found 
  locally, along with some large garnets and other assorted minerals. 
  Of course if I wanted to see the source, I would have to travel north, 
  closer to the Nyaggá area. The party will have none of it.
  
  Page  6
  Iridescent white opal type stones are also found in fields around the 
  area, and the Káitlani have pearls for trade. It is unknown whether or 
  not they culture them or just harvest them.
  Here’s some local information on Saá Állaqi:
  Food: They eat mostly fish. Not good for a Vríddi such as myself. 
  Most of the other food is derived from the lake. They have crunchy 
  brownish-green ball shaped fruit about 1 - 2 inches in diameter that 
  taste fairly bland. Those are slightly lighter colored inside. If left out of 
  water, they turn completely brown and are thrown away.
  There are also grass-like plants that are kept in water. To serve them, 
  they are taken out of the water, sliced and stir-fried. Lake Párunal is 
  freshwater, so everything has a watery, mossy, but not salty flavor. The 
  grassy stuff tasted like, well, watery grass. Not very thrilling.
  Undú: Whiskey.
  Áhdz: tastes like Cherry brandy cut with kerosene.
  Wine is unavailable.
  We were able to obtain a ‘Tsolyáni-style’ meal. It bore little resem-
  blance to what we would normally consider ‘our style’ of cooking. I 
  doubt that the person preparing it had ever set foot in the empire and 
  had constructed the meal based on the descriptions of other travelers. 
  At least it had meat.
  Adventure in Tumíssa
  In this shorter adventure we rolled up a set of young and inexperienced 
  characters, essentially kids without a clue. All were members of the Dark 
  Fear Clan (but of different temples). We eventually were sent out to man-
  age a fief at the edge of the Chákas. The game began during the interca-
  lary days and we spent the week hanging out and enjoying the sights of 
  Tumíssa. Abusán (Bob) is an insufferable Dlamélish Priest (really good 
  looks, so-so charisma). Gúnga Dléi is his Shén bodyguard (Joe). Tashán 
  (Victor) is a young Ksárul priest as is Gayán (Stephen), who is also a 
  promising young lawyer. Omél (Keith) and Kálusü (Gio) are fighters 
  (temple of Hrü’ü for her--not that temple affiliation is as important to her 
  as say, Abusán’s is to him and Ksárul is to Omél). 
  
  Page  7
  Impalement
  The day started with Abusán being invited to an imperial execution 
  to be held in conjunction with the temple of Dlamélish (the accused 
  was a member of the temple who was caught consorting with the 
  Mu’ugalavyáni). Abusán was told that the temple needed some more 
  people to round out the 30 needed as witnesses, so he came back to the 
  clanhouse and gathered us up, promising a fabulous buffet afterward. 
  Having nothing better to do, we went along. 
  Once at the temple of Dlamélish, we were led to a hall where we were 
  lined up with many other people. Most people looked to be average to 
  high clan and we noticed that there were no non-humans among us. 
  From there the group was led to the palace of the priesthoods. While 
  walking I asked one of the others what crime had been committed. The 
  culprit was accused of treason by consorting with the Mú’ugalavyani, 
  but no one seemed to know any details.
  The Palace of the priesthoods was filled with people, officers, scribes 
  running with scrolls and soldiers standing around guarding various 
  parts of the building. 
  We were led up a flight of broad stairs to the second floor and down 
  a hall to a room with a bright blood red symbol above the door. The 
  Vimúhla temple guards that were stationed there moved aside and 
  were replaced by guards from the temples of Dlamélish and Hrü’ü. 
  From there we were directed to a chamber at the end of another hall 
  decorated in green. We were all given places to sit at benches.
  After everyone was settled a naked man bound in chains was brought 
  in. He was followed by a man in robes designating him as an imperial 
  judge who declared that the accused would be executed immediately.
  We all rose and were led to a side courtyard where a sharpened impaling 
  stake was leaning on a set of crossbucks. Some stakes have a crosspiece 
  to keep the impaled from sliding down. This one was plain.
  The man was laid face up on a table and the stake was inserted and 
  pushed up through his internal organs. The stake was then pulled 
  upright and the lower end slid into a hole in the ground prepared for it. 
  The prisoner eventually quit kicking.
  Omél fainted dead away during the height of the action, while the 
  
  Page  8
  rest of us blanched. A woman appeared with a jug of water; her job 
  was to revive witnesses who weren’t doing their job of witnessing due 
  to fainting. She tossed a hefty amount of water over Omél to bring 
  him around. After he was revived, Abusán told him that the kicking, 
  screaming and bleeding part was over, whereupon Omél fainted again. 
  This didn’t bode well for his career as a warrior. Gúnga carried him to 
  the reception at the temple where a buffet was indeed served and we 
  joked about the hors d’ouevres on toothpicks. A military contingent 
  came through the reception room, stopping to talk to people and find 
  some recruits who’d like to join the army and march to the Chákas. 
  None of us was interested. We all signed the papers as witnesses and 
  Abusán invited us to join him for further festivities in the basement of 
  the temple. We all declined and returned to the clanhouse.
  The Hirilákte Arena
  It was the first of the intercalary days. I decided to go down to the hirilákte 
  arena and see what was happening. Abusán, the young and enthusiastic 
  Dlamélish-worshipper decided to come along. He’d just arrived home 
  from the previous night’s rituals and was unable to sleep because of certain 
  inducements. 
  The arena was filled for the holiday, and human and Shén contestants 
  were on the bill. There were 5-7 contests scheduled for the morning bouts 
  with breaks for refreshments, poetry readings and music. The beginning of 
  the program started with hymns to the Emperor and some poetry recita-
  tions. The matches began in the late morning with fanfares of trumpets 
  and drums. As the Túnkul gongs around the city struck, the Chárukel 
  (The Master of Ceremonies) came out dressed in an elaborate costume 
  and carrying a tall standard topped with Khéshchal plumes to announce 
  the matches. The first few were amateur matches to clear up personal 
  vendettas between individuals or clans. The first match was to the first 
  blood. A young man addressed the crowd, stating his grievances against 
  his opponent, a member of a neighboring clan. When he was done his op-
  ponent came out and countered the challenge. They then began in earnest 
  and fought clumsily. The first man eventually backed down after his sword 
  was knocked from his hand. His suit was lost, but no blood was shed. 
  Naturally the crowd was annoyed.
  The second and third matches were much the same, except the third 
  match contestants used maces.
  
  Page  9
  The fourth match was the big one for the morning with professional 
  gladiators. A man from Háida Pakála vs. a Yán Koryáni. At this point 
  the bet-takers began to work the crowd. These are independent men 
  who arrange the taking and paying off of bets made by the audience. 
  They carry a large bowl filled with money and chits. A person places 
  his or her bet by putting a stated amount into the bowl and receiving 
  a stick color-coded for the match and the contestant bet upon. The 
  amount is recorded on the chit and held by the bettor. Abusán was new 
  to this and decided to place a personal bet with me (no chit required, 
  this was just between us) placing five Káítars on the Háida Pakálani.
  The gladiators began with staffs and went at it for quite awhile with 
  no decision either way. Eventually the Chárukel came out and rapped 
  on a large stone at the front of the arena with the butt of his standard. 
  This was to announce a half hour intermission. Poor liqueurs but fairly 
  good beer were served along with snack-type foods.
  After the break the gladiators returned. The Háida Pakálani immedi-
  ately feinted with the staff and then whacked the Yán Kóryani in the 
  head with his first blow. The match was over within seconds. Abusán 
  had been confident that his bet would win because he knew that Háida 
  Pakálani always cheat. I’m not sure he cheated, but I paid off the five 
  kaítars. It was all in fun anyway. 
  Since this was scheduled to be the last bout of the morning matches, peo-
  ple left early to go back to their clanhouses for lunch. It’s customary to 
  mark your seat, so that you can return there for the afternoon games. It’s 
  not a matter of admission price, but more a matter of politeness. People 
  will not take a seat that is already marked for someone else. Abusán and 
  I returned to the clanhouse for lunch and saw Omél and Gayán there. 
  We offered to take them back to the arena, but Omél wasn’t into that 
  sort of thing. Blood makes him squeamish (as I said, this doesn’t bode 
  well for his career at all).  
  It was hot at the arena now and time for the main matches. The gladia-
  tors were well oiled and looked professional. The first match featured a 
  huge man who was a veteran of several campaigns in the north. After he 
  retired from the military, he made his living as a gladiator and was a local 
  favorite. His opponent was a small, weak looking Lívyáni. Abusán bet 
  that the Lívyáni would not only lose, but would die in the process. This 
  time he placed a five Káitar bet with the men with the bowls.
  
  Page  10
  Meanwhile the gladiator approached the crowd and held out his hands 
  for spectators to touch. He worked the crowd, getting the people in 
  the lower seats pretty excited and offered them more opportunities 
  to touch him (more than just his hands, too) after the match. Abusán 
  wanted seats closer to the front next time.
  Sweepers smoothed the sand with rakes while this went on, and then 
  the match began. The gladiators faced each other, saluted, turned to 
  the Imperial Seal, saluted the Seal, turned to each other and then had 
  at it. The first few minutes were spent in fencing and light sparring, 
  taking each other’s measure. Then the Tsolyáni moved in and got a cut 
  across the Livyáni’s upper arm. The Livyáni pulled back a few paces 
  and then turned his back on the Tsolyáni. As the Tsolyáni gladiator 
  came at him, the Livyáni turned and struck like a serpent. The Tsolyá-
  ni managed to veer at the last moment and avoided being stabbed. 
  They exchanged heated insults until the enraged Tsolyáni lunged at 
  the Livyáni, who skewered him through the chest. The Tsolyáni was 
  badly injured, but not dead. Healers came out, bandaged the Tsolyáni, 
  and the match continued. The contestants bowed to each other, and 
  the Livyáni immediately lunged and cut the Tsolyáni deeply across his 
  midsection. The crowd went wild and people were leaping from their 
  seats. The Livyáni strutted and jeered, taunting the audience. The 
  Tsolyáni was carried to the infirmary.
  The next bout was announced, drums beat and nose flutes played. 
  A Shén came out with scales decorated in red, roaring and grunting. 
  Gúnga was with us and understood the Shén’s introduction, but was 
  too excited to translate for us. Another Shén came out, decorated in 
  blue. The red one was the odds-on favorite and the blue one was the 
  newcomer. They pulled out huge copper swords, and then the red 
  one quickly dropped his sword and pulled out a multibladed ax. The 
  blue one screamed and a smaller Shén ran out with a similar ax. They 
  squared off and then ran at each other full tilt while throwing the axes 
  at each other in mid stride. The blue Shén’s ax was thrown wild, while 
  the red one’s weapon hit the other Shén in mid torso. At that point 
  they threw away all their weapons, slammed into each other, screaming 
  while grappling and brawling on the ground. Suddenly the red Shén 
  slumped. The blue one had a long stiletto concealed in his claws. It 
  was ignoble, but not illegal. The Shén were separated and when they 
  returned, the blue one backed off (I think he had one trick, and now he 
  was out of luck). The crowd went wild, screaming and throwing things 
  
  Page  11
  onto the field. The red Shén followed relentlessly. The blue Shén sud-
  denly broke away and ran off the field. 
  It was against the rules, all honor and dignity. The Chárukel announced 
  the red Shén the victor, but the red Shén demanded the blood of the 
  blue. Officials tried to reason with the Shén explaining that it is against 
  the law to fight outside the arena and that the other Shén would be dealt 
  with. There continued to be a lot of shouting and posturing and eventu-
  ally the winning Shén was led away.
  The next event featured women warriors. The first contestant was 
  a huge, tough-looking woman who beat her shield and shouted that 
  she’d take on any woman here. Abusán gave me a shove and told me 
  that this was my chance. No way. An ordinary girl came out. She 
  was in her late 20’s and obviously not a warrior. The crowd went 
  crazy. Abusán offered to put ten Káítars on the girl, but the bet taker 
  wouldn’t accept, explaining that the girl was a suicide case.
  It was obvious that the girl did not know how to hold a sword. The 
  woman went to the Chárukel and conferred with him, obviously not 
  wanting to just dispatch a girl who can’t fight. The Chárukel said that 
  it was an official match and there was nothing he could do to cancel 
  it. The woman approached the girl and lifted her sword over her head 
  with both hands. The girl whipped out a dagger in her left hand and 
  struck. The woman, enraged, feinted twice and took the girl’s head off 
  with the third blow. The girl actually wanted to die and made sure that 
  she’d anger the woman enough that she was killed outright and not just 
  injured.
  After this bout there was an intermission. Abusán was disappointed 
  that he hadn’t gained a coterie yet and wondered what was wrong with 
  this crowd.
  There were more matches including another one with the large woman. 
  By the end of the day Abusán had lost about 40 Káítars, but he did’nt 
  mind. We were having a pleasant day.
  At dusk the Túnkul gongs began to ring around the city, starting with 
  the high notes of Hríháyal and Dlamélish and then the fuller notes of 
  Lady Avánthe. Soon the brassier notes of Karakán joined in and then 
  more temples. The crowd dispersed to their clanhouses to get ready for 
  the evening’s festivities.
  
  Page  12
  Pé Chói Ritual Night
  The clan decided that we needed to do something productive with our 
  lives and decreed that it would be a good idea for us to go keep an eye on 
  the fi ef of Mokátla, located 2 days walk (with a Chlén cart) outside of 
  town in the Chákan forest. When we arrived we found the manor house 
  in ruins and the popula-
  tion reduced by 
  Mu’ugalavyáni raids. 
  Omél was placed in 
  charge by the clanmas-
  ter, and he set about 
  getting things in order. 
  Before this, none of the 
  party had been on 
  anything more rigorous 
  than a picnic (although 
  Dlamélish picnics can be 
  somewhat of a work-
  out...) and were not prepared for the rural life without an array of 
  servants, slaves and amenities. The party settled in, although only a few 
  of the rooms in the manor were repaired enough for residence. The 
  locals accepted us as representatives of the clan, but we were obviously 
  outsiders and most of their loyalties and customs seemed linked to 
  cultures that were far different than those of the young members of the 
  Dark Fear Clan.
  That night the headman came and asked if the villagers could perform 
  their ritual in the courtyard as they were accustomed to do. They gath-
  ered in the outer courtyard, and we could see Gayél faintly through the 
  tops of the trees. They gathered into a circle, knelt down and began a 
  moaning chant in a language unknown to us. Then the peasants rose 
  and shuffl ed closer together while continuing the chant. After some 
  time, one held up his hand and said it was done; the ritual was over. 
  Abusán asked who it was they worshipped and the leader told him it 
  was “The Great Old One”. Abusán asked if that wasn’t actually a Pé 
  Chói deity and the villager replied that the Pé Chói think so, but no 
  one really knows whose god is whose. He then pointed to a group of 
  Pé Chói sitting under the trees, faintly shining in the greenish moon-
  light and made some clicking noises.
  
  Page  13
  One Pé Chói came forward and explained to us that he was Tsolyáni 
  and that this was really their land. There would be no problem as long 
  as the humans did not interfere, they had coexisted with the people 
  here for a long time and didn’t expect trouble. Omél talked with them 
  and made an agreement to meet on a regular basis and to check with 
  them before making any changes beyond the borders of the village.
  The Pé Chói then joined the villagers in a ritual dance that lasted most of 
  the night. There was slow drumming, and the Pé Chói and the villagers 
  began moving slowly, facing each other, first lifting one foot, stepping, and 
  then slowly raising the other foot. They made gestures with their palms 
  turned outward, facing each other and mirroring each other’s movements. 
  Near dawn, the old man clapped his hands and announced that it was 
  done. The Pé Chói melted away into the forest and the villagers filed out.
  The Isles of Teretané
  The floors of the manor house were all repaired, and most of the roof 
  had been fixed as well. A functional kitchen had finally been put to-
  gether. Everyone was looking forward to a comfortable night’s sleep. 
  During the night Kálusü awoke to find a large, heavy man on the mat 
  beside her. She immediately jumped up and the man disappeared into 
  thin air. Shaken, she went out to the kitchen to get a light. Her rum-
  maging around awakened Tashán and she told him what happened. 
  They both returned to her room where he performed an elicitation 
  spell on the mat. No luck: he couldn’t see a thing. He told her to be 
  careful and not to touch the mat, and he would try the spell again later. 
  She was still disturbed by the event, so he stayed in the room, and they 
  talked late into the night. 
  They were having a pleasant time, when she turned to see that Tashán 
  had suddenly disappeared and the heavyset man sat in his place. Worse 
  yet, the man had no eyes, just empty sockets, but he still ‘looked’ 
  straight at her. He smoothly started to rise and Kálusü ran for the door. 
  It was somehow locked. The man came toward her and she grabbed 
  her sword. The thing flopped uselessly. She tried to yell, scream or 
  call out, but she had no voice. If there had been a window in her 
  room there wasn’t one now. She waved her sword at him, and his face 
  opened like the doors of a triptych, revealing a blank, glowing sphere 
  inside. She backed away but the creature started to expand, his arms 
  lengthening and reaching in a large arc around her and circling behind 
  
  Page  14
  her, even though he was still several feet away. The thing made a sort 
  of mewling sound, but Kálusü still couldn’t get her voice to work. She 
  pushed at the arms, they were rubbery, cold and soft. She tried to duck 
  under the arms, but couldn’t push through. The orb of the face ex-
  truded long, tentacle ‘eyes’ toward her and she tried to turn her sword 
  and ram the pommel into its face. An arm came from behind her back, 
  grabbed the sword and threw it away. No one heard anything.
  The next morning seemed normal, except that Gúnga counted heads and 
  realized that Tashán and Kálusü were missing. He became annoyed when 
  people were late for meals and so went to Kálusü’s room to find out what 
  was happening. The door was locked and there was no answer when he 
  knocked.
  He beat the door, using his tail and found Kálusü curled up in the corner. 
  He poked her with his claw a couple times. She was alive but not con-
  scious. Gúnga went back to the kitchen and told Omél that Kálusü was 
  there, but not there. He then went to Tashán’s room. Tashán was fine 
  and sleeping on his mat. He said he had the weirdest dream and didn’t 
  remember returning to his room. Gúnga took him back to Kálusü’s room 
  and told what he had discovered along the way. Meanwhile Abusán tried 
  a healing spell. No luck. He even tried tapping her on the shoulder with 
  the Diadem Dildo of Dlamélish. In spite of it being his most prized and 
  valuable magical possession it had no effect.
  Omél decided that the best thing to do would be to load her into a 
  Chlén cart and take her back to Tumíssa. He didn’t want to let Tashán 
  go, feeling that he was somehow responsible. Tashán suggested go-
  ing to the Íto for help, but Omél didn’t want to bother them. Gúnga 
  slipped out and went to the edge of the clearing and quietly called the 
  Íto. The Íto arrived, but wouldn’t allow the Shén to see him. He told 
  Gúnga to clear the courtyard and have Kálusü placed there. The Shén 
  could feel the Íto’s presence behind him and didn’t dare look back. 
  Two long fingers reached out and touched Kálusü’s temples. He said 
  that she’d been taken by the ancient ones. There are beings in the 
  house that were enemies of people from before the times of the Íto. He 
  ordered the Shén to place Kálusü in the sun in the courtyard, saying 
  that they needed to be patient, that she’d recover when the presence 
  departed. Gúnga did this, all the time avoiding looking at the Íto. The 
  Íto also explained that there was more than one of the ancient beings in 
  the house. 
  
  Page  15
  Kálusü still didn’t recover, and the Íto said that she should be taken 
  back to her temple in Tumíssa, placed on the altar and receive protec-
  tions from the ancient ones. Gúnga insisted on taking her, but the Íto 
  insisted that she also be accompanied by humans. They got the Chlén 
  cart driver to get things ready and Abusán agreed to go along. He 
  needed to go into town anyway to buy himself a couple pleasure slaves. 
  Tashán also insisted on going. He felt somehow responsible, but also he 
  felt it would be good to keep an eye on Abusán.
  Omél heard a voice that told him that he should bury wards in the cen-
  ter of each room. The objects then appeared before him on the floor. 
  He would have to get the workmen back to break up the new concrete 
  floors and seal these in.
  Omél conferred with the engineer, Chúrisan. They decided to stay 
  behind and break open the newly cemented floors and install the wards. 
  Dárku, the village headman came by to tell them that the wards would 
  be more effective if blood was mixed into the cement. It had to be human 
  blood, not animal or demon (demon blood?) and only a small quantity 
  was needed. If it colored the cement, it would be too concentrated and 
  might actually attract the demons instead of repelling them. Spitting 
  wine on the floor could help too, but wasn’t nearly as effective. Brave 
  Omél volunteered to give the blood, pulled out his sword and slashed his 
  arm apparently forgetting that the sight of the blood would cause him 
  to pass out. He wasn’t very handy with a sword either. Chúrisan caught 
  him as he passed out and made sure he didn’t bleed to death.
  Meanwhile that evening, the rest of the party arrived at the military 
  encampment that was stationed halfway to Tumíssa. The gate was 
  shut and Gayán hailed them. Since he was signed up for service, they 
  would allow him in, but not the others. He tried first to bluff them and 
  then to bribe them. But the gate guard wouldn’t budge. Apparently the 
  commanding officer was drunk and no one could give orders to let any-
  one in. Gúnga wanted to continue on through the night, but the cart 
  driver was afraid of wild feshénga loose in the forest. The party pulled 
  the cart out of bowshot of the gate and camped for the night. No one 
  thought to set watches, so Gúnga stayed up all night. 
  During the night he saw a large contingent of people moving silently 
  through the woods. He made no noise and watched. None of them 
  seemed to notice the cart. As the column got farther away, they melted 
  into the mist.
  
  Page  16
  In the morning the Shén noticed blood in the road about 30-40 feet 
  away, where the column disappeared. He kicked everyone out of the 
  cart and explained that he’d been up all night and now wanted to sleep 
  (note: Shén sleep coiled up on their side). By the time the others got out, the 
  blood was gone. Abusán was disappointed that Gúnga would not be 
  making breakfast for all of them.
  The Sákbe road was in complete disrepair here. The stones were pulled 
  up and piled along the edges, so the road was now only packed dirt. The 
  piled stones do provide a barrier to keep the jungle from encroaching 
  too quickly. The party plodded along. 
  The party finally reached Tumíssa and headed quickly to the Dark 
  Fear Clanhouse. Abusán was ecstatic and couldn’t wait to hit the baths. 
  But first the Shén briefly explained what happened to Kálusü. The clan 
  elder sent out a message and soon there was a priest of Belkhánu ready 
  to take charge. Abusán was a little surprised and thought that the priest 
  was there to bury Kálusü. He finally understood that the priest was 
  there to restore her chúsetl. Apparently Kálusü had imbibed the essence 
  of a ‘dead one’. A ritual would be held at midnight. Of course Abusán 
  asked if refreshments would be served and if entertainment would be 
  provided. Abusán did ask the Shén how he knew so much about the 
  situation, but didn’t seem to notice when the Shén replied that “the de-
  mon told him”. The Shén then asked the majordomo about what would 
  be an appropriate gift to give to an Íto demon. Startled, the majordomo 
  suggested that he go ask at the Íto clanhouse.
  The Íto clanhouse was dark, cold and ancient. As Gúnga approached the 
  door an old man sitting on a stool told him to enter and explain the situ-
  ation to the clanmaster. The Shén was led to a dark, unpleasant smelling 
  room. He explained that he was a servant of the Dark Fear Clan and 
  wanted to give a gift to the Íto demon who lives in the woods because 
  he’d tried to help Kálusü. The clanmaster said that the ‘demon’ was 
  a servant of the Íto and needed no gift and that it was time for him to 
  return home, anyway. Gúnga tried to insist and explained the situation 
  again. The Íto recognized the demons Gúnga described as being the ‘Old 
  ones who were before time’ who lived in small, dark homes. The Íto also 
  said that Kálusü should be brought to the Íto clanhouse. Gúnga men-
  tioned that the Temple of Belkhánu might object, since she was already 
  on her way there. The Íto began to get angry and said that Kálusü be-
  longed to them. When they were done, she might be a little grey around 
  the edges, but he insisted that the Shén bring her body back.
  
  Page  17
  Meanwhile Abusán was relaxing in the baths with a couple of pleasure 
  slaves, entertaining them by singing his unique rendition of “Feelings”. 
  Gúnga reached the Temple of Belkhánu and was greeted by a priestess 
  in golden yellow robes. The Shén asked for Kálusü hiFershéna of the 
  Dark Fear Clan and explained the missing soul problem. He was taken 
  to the Chamber of Articulation, where her body would be allowed to 
  deteriorate and eventually follow her soul. On the way they passed 
  long beautifully decorated hallways with dozens of bodies laid out on 
  slabs. This was the embalming chamber. The next room was where 
  special cases were assessed. There they found Kálusü. A priest ex-
  plained that her soul was removed by a demon and that the soul could 
  possibly be retrieved if someone went after it.
  He said that he could possibly send Gúnga after her. The Shén would 
  stand next to her body while priests chanted, burned incense and can-
  dles. They hoped that the Shén’s soul would be able to follow Kálusü’s. 
  It was very unusual for a Shén to do this sort of thing, usually it would 
  be the job of a human. The priest then conferred with a priestess and 
  then led Gúnga down a hallway filled with golden statues. A man in 
  bright golden robes ushered them into a chamber filled with priests 
  dressed in elaborate veils and headdresses. 
  A priest turned to Gúnga and asked him how he was related to Kálusü. 
  After conferring, they decided that a Shén would be unable to retrieve 
  a human soul. Gúnga asked if he could take Kálusü’s body and then 
  said that he was supposed to take it to the Temple of Sárku. A cold 
  silence filled the room. One of the priests regained his composure and 
  suggested that the matter be taken up at the Palace of the Priesthoods. 
  He said that the case could be presented in 2-3 days when the planets 
  would be more auspicious. Gúnga asked if waiting that long might be 
  too late. The priests agreed that at the Palace, there would be function-
  aries, who for the right price, could rearrange the planets and make an 
  earlier date more auspicious, although the process might take a couple 
  days anyway. Gúnga dictated a quick letter to be taken to Abusán at 
  the clanhouse and proceeded to the Palace of the Priesthoods.
  At the Palace they were greeted by a man dressed in Belkhánu’s colors. 
  He led them through various offices until they arrived at an inner cham-
  ber, filled with men in various colored robes (although no brown ones 
  were present). They asked Gúnga to state his case. Gúnga began to tell 
  how Kálusü’s soul was taken by a demon, but the priests interrupted.
  
  Page  18
  He tried to continue about how she was taken to the Temple of Belkhánu, 
  but again they interrupted because they thought she ought to be dead 
  before going there. They debated about whether her hlákme is there even 
  if the bhákte is missing (i.e. the light is on , but nobody’s home).
  Eventually they decided that someone must travel to the Isles of Tere-
  tané to retrieve her soul. The problem arose in that Shén are not al-
  lowed on the human Isles. It would mess up the concessions for all the 
  different species. A young priestess spoke up and said that sending a 
  Shén to the Isles of Teretané would be like making a fish to fly. Gúnga 
  replied that it was not a problem, if you threw the fish hard enough. 
  The Shén was becoming pretty good at getting roomfuls of priests to 
  suddenly shut up and stare at him, but he didn’t understand why.
  The priests debated and decided that a special dispensation from the 
  gods was needed and that they needed to contact the highest priests to 
  petition the gods. The Shén then explained that he could still go to the 
  Temple of Sárku, since they offered to help and he could still ask about 
  what would be an appropriate gift to give to a nice Íto demon. Another 
  cold silence.
  The priests began to debate again, since the Temple of Sárku was now 
  involved, the whole situation could be held up for decades.
  After awhile a Sárku priest arrived, saying he was summoned. The 
  priest of Hnálla tried to usher him out, saying that it had been in error. 
  The Hnálla priest tried to explain the situation, but the Shén noticed 
  he’d left out part, and joined the fray in trying to explain everything. 
  The Sárku priest insisted that Kálusü should have been taken to the 
  Temple of Hrü’ü.
  The Belkhánu priest laid prior claims on her body, and louder debate 
  ensued. The Vimúhla priest stormed out saying that they might as 
  well burn the body, it was the only sensible thing to do. Gúnga inter-
  rupted and asked why Kálusü couldn’t be killed and revivified. They 
  all turned and explained that revivification wouldn’t work without the 
  soul being present in the body at the time of death. They then turned 
  back and continued the arguments. 
  The one thing agreed on was that a human would have to go to retrieve 
  her soul. Gúnga volunteered to go get someone from the clanhouse, but 
  they didn’t trust him to return.
  
  Page  19
  Abusán, finally finished with his bath received the note from Gúnga 
  and felt that the Shén could use some help if he was in the Palace 
  of the Priesthoods. He gathered up Gayán and Tashán. Once at the 
  Palace, the guards didn’t want to let them in, there was too much going 
  on already.  Abusán demanded that his Shén be returned to him and 
  offered a bribe to have the man take a note to the Shén. The guard of-
  fered to look into the situation.
  The Vimúhla priest returned with priests of Grugánu and Hrü’ü in tow 
  (at this point only Drá was unrepresented). The Hrü’ü and Grugánu 
  priests wanted to explain how traveling to Teretané worked and that 
  it wasn’t as bad as everyone made it out to be, but the Belkhánu priest 
  objected to their attitudes. Then they all argued about who was capable 
  of traveling to Teretané, but they all agreed that a Shén could not go.
  Gúnga asked if it was a demon who took her soul, then wouldn’t it 
  still be with the demon? Maybe she wasn’t in Teretané at all and they 
  should go talk to the demon. They argued some more while explaining 
  that one cannot just talk to demons, and that once the soul was sepa-
  rated from the body it wouldn’t remain on the demon plane anyway. 
  They debated the fact that anyone who did travel to the Isles would 
  most likely not come back.
  The Belkhánu priest still believed the best course would be to just let 
  her die slowly of natural causes. Gúnga became annoyed and asked ‘If 
  Kálusü was gone, who would go shopping with him?’ The Grugánu 
  priest said that they could send the Shén if the proper price was paid. 
  They then debated the relative worth of Kálusü, since she wasn’t rich 
  or very well connected.
  The other priests objected to a Shén being sent and said that the gods 
  would be highly insulted and would kill anyone associated with the 
  whole affair, including everyone in the room. The consensus was that 
  Kálusü should be allowed to decay.
  The Belkhánu priestess became upset at that and said that at the very 
  least someone ought to go to the Isles and ask if Kálusü wanted to 
  return. Gúnga said that he would go find Abusán; he slipped out dur-
  ing the ongoing debate, and found him, along with Gayán and Tashán 
  faster than he expected since they were cooling their heels in the wait-
  ing room. He then hauled the three of them back into the chamber.
  Gúnga announced he had three humans to go on the trip and intro-
  
  Page  20
  duced them to the group. The Belkhánu priestess asked them if they 
  were willing to risk their lives. Abusán and his companions were a little 
  surprised by that because Abusán thought that they’d just have a quick 
  ritual at the Temple and then move onto the refreshments afterward.
  Everything was explained yet again.
  Abusán asked if people who go on adventures and return from the 
  Isles of Teretané get written up in epic adventures? Do they at least 
  score better with the ladies? He decided that if he did rescue Kálusü 
  she’d at least be grateful enough to sleep with him... Tashán and Gayán 
  then volunteered to go along too... Sensing an opportunity, Abusán of-
  fered to rescue Tashán as well.
  The ritual was set for the rising of Gayél in about four hours. Tashán 
  asked if there was some way of locating Kálusü. The Belkhánu priest 
  said that concentrating on her face and calling her name would do. They 
  also explained that there would be a strong feeling of death and despair. 
  The unalterable dead would drift by. The demon wouldn’t be there, but 
  he might demand some sort of ransom. They shouldn’t be concerned be-
  cause he’d have no control over anything in the Isles. Tashán said that he 
  needed to prepare for the journey. Abusán agreed and asked for pleasure 
  slaves and liquor to be brought, but first a good meal!
  The assembled priests looked at him and he decided it might be better if he 
  returned to his temple for a meal and a romp (a.k.a. purification). They all 
  agreed to meet in three hours and headed to their respective temples. 
  Tashán went to the Temple of Ksárul and the senior priest asked him if 
  he knew what he was doing. Rumors from the Palace of the Priesthoods 
  had already reached them (well, it is the Temple of Ksárul...). Tashán 
  explained the entire situation in excruciating detail beginning with when 
  they left Tumíssa for the fief and offered to bring back valuable informa-
  tion from beyond the other side. The priest was unimpressed by that, 
  but was impressed by Tashán’s heroism and offered him an amulet. If he 
  should lose his way, or be unable to return, the amulet would guide him to 
  the Isle of the Blue Prince, where he would wait until the next cycle and 
  his eventual reincarnation. The priest made an effort to advise him not to 
  go, saying that most who went to the Isles never returned. Many want to 
  stay with departed relatives and lovers, wandering together and hoping to 
  be reincarnated together. Tashán felt responsible for Kálusü’s situation and 
  said he’d go, but agreed to think about what the priest told him.
  
  Page  21
  Gayán, the lawyer, carefully made out his will and then researched the 
  library to see whether visiting the lands of the dead would technically 
  constitute a legal death and release him from any debts or obligations: 
  a sort of discorporating offshore laundering scheme.
  Gúnga headed for the Temple of Dlamélish to retrieve Abusán. The Shén 
  wandered among couches, huge urns of incense and perfumed oils. He fi-
  nally found Abusán and extracted him from a young woman. “Sorry honey,” 
  Abusán said, “I go to rescue someone from the lands beyond death—I go 
  strong and erect like the heroes of old! I will think of you often on my jour-
  ney... ahh, what was your name?”
  They went to the Temple of Belkhánu. The Chamber of Sorceries was 
  elaborately decorated with yellows and golds. The priest asked if they 
  were ready, and Abusán requested that roast Hmá with a touch of 
  hlíng seed be ready for when he returned. They turned him down, and 
  he settled for having a cup of wine available for him when he woke up.
  Tashán asked what needed to be done in order to return. All he need 
  do is to call out and ask to return. The only problem was that Kálusü 
  could be manifested in her regular form, as a spirit, a different person, 
  or even something other than human.
  Kálusü’s body was brought in and laid on the altar. Abusán and the 
  others lay down and got comfortable. There was a smell of powerful 
  drugs in the air, a combination of incense and toxic gas. Their heart-
  beats slowed and their minds wandered. They had the sensation of 
  moving away and the lights dimming. They heard the faint sound of 
  oars splashing in water. In complete darkness they heard the creaking 
  and splashing of oars rowing slowly, the sound slowly getting louder. 
  Slowly they could see a faint light with no color and could make out 
  vague shapes of people at the oarbanks. There was the smell of salt on 
  the air and the feeling of being on the open sea. Far away they could 
  sense a pile of lights, a mountain of lights up ahead. The wind rose and 
  the lights fluttered. There was a strange feeling of being disconnected 
  from their bodies and a sensation of trying to shake off their bodies, 
  like wet leaves from one’s shoe. They resisted the urge.
  The boat slipped into a stone wharf where they were met by cowled 
  figures. It was dark, cold, windy, and unpleasant. The ‘people’ on the 
  boat rose as one and departed from the ship moving almost in unison. 
  Abusán couldn’t see his other companions, but knew that they were 
  
  Page  22
  there. He could see other spirits. There was no sign of how they died, 
  that was left behind with their physical bodies. These people displayed 
  the images they had of themselves in life, younger and healthier, but 
  with grim, determined faces. Some looked terrified. 
  There were no nonhumans, no Shén or Pé Chói. They stepped off the 
  boat without any sensation of their feet touching the ground. Abusán 
  tried calling out to Gayán and Tashán, but could hear nothing. Tashán 
  tried to think and concentrate on communicating with Abusán, but with-
  out luck. Yet he could sense that both of their companions were nearby.
  They moved along the dark wharf. There were blocklike buildings with no 
  doors or windows. The other spirits moved through the buildings turn-
  ing and going in different directions, but all at the same slow pace. They 
  reached another wharf with dozens of boats and thousands of people.
  Abusán called out to Kálusü and felt a faint glimmer ahead. Without 
  communicating directly they tried to find a boat. The darkness deep-
  ened and warped sounds echoed. Tashán concentrated on Kálusü. A 
  boat appeared before them and a man with white, ugly features ges-
  tured them aboard.
  There were people already on the boat, sitting on platforms and daises, 
  peering over the embankment. These were the Excellent Dead.
  The water was cold and dark and the boat pulled along the estuary, 
  moving out into a totally black area. They were aware of others around 
  them, but could not see anyone. The boat drifted on forever. There 
  were low lights on pinnacles and huge, ancient stone lantern poles 40-
  50 feet high. The estuary ended, and the boat slipped out onto open sea 
  and the swell of waves. Everyone on the boat sat still. No one was rec-
  ognizable, but there was the faint draw of Kálusü ahead. They traveled 
  from one island to another. These were all the same with thousands of 
  slowly moving people, some to remain on the island, others to continue 
  on. There was no pain, no life, no emotion. The lights had no color. 
  There was no way to understand the passage of time.
  Finally they felt the presence of Kálusü nearby. Abusán called out and 
  she faintly felt his presence. She had no feeling of life, everything was 
  peaceful and morbid. Abusán concentrated on the pleasures of life, warm 
  breezes, and excellent food. Kálusü felt that the voices were familiar and 
  moved toward them. She had no sense of personal identity and no means 
  of physical movement, but she approached them. She could sense that 
  
  Page  23
  the river of life was far away. She vaguely recalled having a body once, 
  but had no present attachment or any emotions. Tashán understood 
  what the Ksárul priests meant, now. Kálusü received a faint inkling of 
  remembering life, warmth and emotions. Abusán continued to concen-
  trate on pleasurable things. Gayán sensed that the task could be accom-
  plished if the group asked in unison to be returned. It was a long, slow 
  process. They tried again and again and began drifting back. There was 
  a light above with a ruddy, pinkish glow.
  They finally realized that they were looking at the candlelight in the 
  temple ceiling.
  Abusán reached for his promised cup of wine, took a long drink and 
  suddenly spat it out. It was the worst tasting stuff. He’d grabbed a cup of 
  embalming fluid by accident. The priestess saw the group stirring and was 
  happy. Abusán, Tashán and the Shén then all argued about who actually 
  saved Kálusü.
  (Note: Victor rightly guessed that the stone lantern poles were a manifestation of 
  the pylons. He does that sort of thing frequently) 
  
  Page  24
  As of January 2014, the following Tekumel-related items  
  are available through DrivethruRPG.com:
  Bednalljan - The Script of the First Imperium
  Create a Religion in Your Spare Time
  Deeds of the Ever-Glorious
  Demonic Powers
  Empire of the Petal Throne
  Empire of the Petal Throne (Original Manuscript Draft)
  Empire of the Petal Throne (Original Manuscript)
  Jakálla, The City Half as Old as the World! (map)
  Maps for Empire of the Petal Throne
  Tékumel Journal #1
  Tékumel Journal #2
  The Almighty Gods of Yan Kor
  The Court of Purple Robes
  The Ever-Glorious Empire: Engsvan hlá Gánga
  The Game of Kevuk
  The Grammar of Engsvanyali
  The Grammar of Livyani
  The Grammar of Yan Koryáni
  The Pé Chói
  The Script of Thu’úsa
  The Splendour of Shényu
  The Temple of Lady Avánthe
  The Temple of Lord Hnálla
  The Temple of Lord Karakán
  The Temple of Lord Ksárul
  The Temple of Lord Sárku
  The Temple of Lord Thúmis
  The Temple of Lord Vimúhla
  The Tongue of Those Who Journey Beyond: Sunuz
  The Tsolyáni Language
  The Tsolyáni Primer
  Tsolyáni Numerology
  More releases are planned for 2014!
  Visit M.A.R. Barker’s World of Tékumel on DrivethruRPG.com 
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  Find more Tékumel at:
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Empire of the Petal Throne/Tékumel Supplemental/Tékumel Notes From the Thursday Night Group.pdf