THE ATRILIAN CAMPAIGN E-JOURNAL by MC Gianni vacca@velizy.inst.slb.com Issue no 3, May 1996 Hello all I'm very sorry for being late. This issue was due to arrive in your mail boxes about a fortnight ago, but several players had examinations, hence the delay. Speaking of players, I have received several demands to publish an up-to-date list of all the players involved in the campaign. Well, I cannot do that because of the presence of secret players and of dormant players, but here follows the list of all active players having an e-mail address: Player's Name/e-mail address/Character (name)/Character's role/Location 1. Akilesh Deperalta/adep@loop.com/Malad/Pheacian Thieves' Guildmaster on Serendib/Qart Khadash 2. Andreas Hedfors/david.hedfors@mailbox.swipnet.se/Mirennian ash-Shorill/Meshuesh sultan/Pirate Islands 3. Andrew Morris/amorris@origin.ea.com/Benba al-Khaldun/Governor of Qart 'Attiq & Qart Khadash/Qart 'Attiq 4. Daniel Grana/grana@ie.iwi.unibe.ch/Mononédjara/High Priest of Obodah/Dogu 5. Doug Stone/doug.stone@sympatico.ca/---/Sheikh of the Hyena Sundjeni Xolas/Western Punt 6. Ender/ender@castor.matav.hu/Monomotapa/Githzerai commander/Githzerai Plateau 7. Eric Ramsdell/eramsdell@mssm.lcs.k12.me.us/Mosherai/Kleshite emir of Ngonem/Ngonem 8. Jay Kotliar/viomar@athens.net/Khalil al-Daresh/Meshuesh high priest of Hammon/Bur Hammon 9. John Rowe/jtr@adelaide.DIALix.oz.au/Maummar/Meshuesh mercenary leader/Shedet 10. Jonathan Senn/jlsenn@harding.edu/Huang Syn/Leader of "the Nation"/Githzerai Plateau 11. Jordan/esljbl@haven.ios.com/Teklis/Dragon-kins' king/Southern Dogobar 12. Justin/temiel@direct.ca/Mbaruk/Court mage of Dogobar/Dogu 13. Malcolm Carter/malcolmc@ramlink.net/Mutallu/Sheikh of the Ahirone Xolas/Githzerai Plateau 14. Olivier Dubreuil/quant10@calvacom.fr/Suppiluliuma/Sheikh of the Kwagga Xolas/Githzerai Plateau 15. Ruud Overbeek/huggie@euronet.nl/Abu Djafar/High Priest of Imam Suheil/Southern Punt 16. Sean Mackaay/MacPow@p085.aone.net.au/---/Meshuesh thieves Guildmaster/Dar al-Meshuesh 17. Steven Helt/pythnlvr@mama.indstate.edu/Yoram/Admiral of the Pheacian fleet in SE Atrilia/Mafia 18. Tom Slattery/bicycles@brutus.bright.net/Sebekemhat/Governor of Shedet on the Red Coast/Shedet 1/ BATTLE FOR THE CONTROL OF THE BABYO PASS Despite the truce between the Omukama and young prince Nari ibn Aman, several Ndogo troops have been moved from Dogu and Ngonem to the region of Babyo. However, since their arrival, the troops have been staying in their barracks. 2/ THE GITHZERAI PLATEAU After the siege of Mellin and the battle between some Githzerai and the besieging Xolas, which resulted in the death of the Githzerai leader, the tower was captured. The Ahirone Xolas, who had responded to Suppiluliuma's demand for help, helped pulling down the tower with their tools. An evil temple was found under the foundations of the tower and was destroyed by the Xolas. The Omukama sent two beautiful all-white bulls as presents for the victorious sheikhs. The sheikhs sent back precious weapons as gifts for the Omukama but made clear they needed more than presents: they need supply, the Githzerai Plateau being completely infertile. As the Xolas were readying for another siege, they met scouts from an unheard-of nomadic tribe simply called "the Nation" whose leader Huang Syn expressed his interest in joining the Xolas' holy war against the White-Skins. 3/ THE RIVER PANGANI Ever since the Githzerai conquered the plateau over Dogobar and drove off the Wanako Xolas, its previous inhabitants, the earth there has become infertile, and the level of the river Pangani that flows through Dogobar but whose source lies on the plateau has been getting lower and lower. In the last weeks, however, the level seems to have become more stable. Yet this was no consolation for the Ndogo farmers, since the water of the river is becoming salty. At the same time, huge salt-water crocodiles are entering the river from the sea, eating the smaller fresh-water crocodiles and the fish. The waters of the harbour of Panganyo are infested with crocodiles; fishermen are afraid to go out. 4/ SERENDIB (PHEACIANS) There has been much unrest in the Pheacian colonies of Qart 'Attiq and Qart Khadash on Serendib. --Most traders and merchants are believed to be paying a new mob boss known as 'the Reasonable Businessman' in exchange for so-called protection. The man, however, is popular among the poor as he's known to help those in dire straits. --Many children were found dead, raped and assassinated, in the back alleys of Qart 'Attiq. Rumours have been spread about the governor being the culprit, but all leads to believe it was a put-up, since his beautiful daughter An'Ceraphe was herself the target of an assassination attempt. The aggressor was killed by Benba's guards. --Unknown townsmen have aroused the populace against Admiral Yoram's prohibition of going and hunting in the forests of the island. After a group of about 15 townspeople got massacred by giant birds while cutting wood in the forest, however, the unrest came to a halt. --The heads of the two most respected and wealthy families of the island, the Tingisi and the ad-Dir, got assassinated in Qart Khadash. Admiral Yoram has threatened to impose martial law if governor Benba does not find the murderers. 5/ MAFIA The once-peaceful island of Mafia, off the coast of Dogobar, is stricken by ethnic strife. Ethnic Xolas armed by the Pheacian military government of Admiral Yoram are taking over Ndogo property and forcing the Bandogo to flee to the poorer part of the island, West Mafia. At the same time, the Pheacians are busy building new temples to their gods and converting the Xolas. The mamluk garrison in the capital, Dar al-Hamra, have stated they will remain neutral until an agreement is reached between Admiral Yoram and the Omukama. 6/ THE RED COAST The Gyptian government in Shedet is busy investigating, with the help of foreign mercenaries, the recent pirate attack onto its shipyard. An unknown ship has been spotted in the waters near Shedet but she does not seem to be involved in the attack. 7/ AN UNKNOWN SECT WREAKS HAVOC Two harbours have recently been attacked by a new sect called 'the Slayers' which claim to be furthering the cause of the Pheacian god Baal Hammer. Bur Hammon on the Dioscuride Islands first, Bur al-Saadat then on the Xola Islands were attacked at night. The attackers burnt property and caused heavy damage, yet did not take any loot, which leads to think wanton destruction was their sole aim. 8/ SERENDIB (MESHUESH) --A rich Northerner, who has stayed in Dar al-Meshuesh for two months, claims he has clues about the location of an ancient Atrilian artefact. He is looking for courageous adventurers to organise an expedition. --A new governor has been appointed in the city of Dar al-Meshuesh, Princess Minu at Matu Sha, the daughter of the sultan of Oea (a Meshuesh city in the north). She is a notorious fire elementalist, which undoubtedly shall lead to clashes with the local Hammon clergy. ENCYCLOPAEDIA ATRILIANA This is the first of a regular instalment of encyclopaedic information about the world of the Atrilian campaign. *The Gyptian calendar* Although its seasons do not really correspond to the weather in SE Atrilia, the Gyptian calendar is the most widely used calendar in SE Atrilia. The year is made up of 365 days: 360 normal days followed by 5 extra days. The 360 normal days are divided into twelve 30-day months. The months themselves are grouped in three 4-month seasons: AKHET (Inundation), PERET (Growth) and SHEMU (Harvest). Months are simply known as the Fourth Month of Akhet, the First Month of Peret, etc. The first day of the First Month of Akhet roughly corresponds to real-world 20 July. Unfortunately, there is no reckoning of years. Each country tends to count them in terms of years of rule of the current ruler. For instance, the current date in Dogobar is the 15th day of the 1st month of Peret of the 1st year of Lalibea's reign.