THE ATRILIAN CAMPAIGN E-JOURNAL by MC Gianni giannieanna@infonie.fr Issue no 5, October 1996 Hello all After several months of slumber due to various reasons (summer vacations, players quitting and being replaced by others), play has resumed and my mailbox is choking again ;-) Several players complained about the awful ascii map I've drawn. It is true that, since play has become quite detailed now, a more accurate map is needed. I know this, of course, and I am trying to have a more detailed map available on the internet. I hope it'll be there by Christmas (what a nice present for everybody!) I'll try and give a list of all the players depending on their location in the campaign. I hope this'll help some of you guys. ***** SEA OF ZWAZI Area ***** 1. Andreas Hedfors/m-30614@mailbox.swipnet.se/Mirennian ash-Shorill/Meshuesh sultan/Secret location (Pirate Islands) 2 Jay Kotliar/viomar@athens.net/Khalil al-Daresh/Meshuesh high priest of Hammon/Búr Hammon (Dioscuride Islands) ***** PUNT Area ***** 3. Tom Slattery/bicycles@brutus.bright.net/Sebekemhat/Governor of Shedet on the Red Coast/Shedet 4. John Rowe/jtr@adelaide.DIALix.oz.au/Maummar/Meshuesh mercenary leader/Shedet 5. Rick Brooks/rbrooks@uvsg.com/Drahcir Skoorb/Leader of 'the Hump'/Secret location (Southern Punt) 6. Ruud Overbeek/huggie@euronet.nl/Abu Djafar/High Priest of Imam Suheil/Southern Punt 7. Doug Stone/doug.stone@sympatico.ca/---/Sheikh of the Hyena Sundjeni Xolas/Western Punt ***** DOGOBAR & KLESH Area ***** 8. Malcolm Carter/malcolmc@ramlink.net/Mutallu/Sheikh of the Ahironé Xolas/Githzerai Plateau 9. Olivier Dubreuil/quant10@calvacom.fr/Suppiluliuma/Sheikh of the Kwagga Xolas/Githzerai Plateau 10. Jonathan Senn/jlsenn@harding.edu/Huang Syn/Leader of "the Nation"/Githzerai Plateau 11. Ender/ender@castor.matav.hu/Monomotapa/Githzerai commander/Githzerai Plateau 12. Scott Sherrill-Mix/sherrilm@ns.amaesd.k12.mi.us/Prince Nari ibn Aman/Ndaruga (West of the Babyo Pass) 13. Andréas Pilartz/Andreas@download.tm.fr/Lalibêa (the Omukama)/Dôgu 14. Justin/temiel@direct.ca/Mbaruk/Court mage of Dogobar/Dôgu 15. Daniel Grana/grana@ie.iwi.unibe.ch/Mononédjara/High Priest of Obodah/Dôgu 16. Eric Ramsdell/eramsdell@mssm.lcs.k12.me.us/Mosherai/Kleshite emir of Ngonem/Ngonem 17. Jordan/esljbl@haven.ios.com/Teklis/Dragon Men's king/Land of the Dragon Men (South of Ngonem) 18. James J. Zirkle/Phoenix@metrolink.net/---/Chieftain of a Kleshite clan/Kleshite Jungle ***** MAFIA & SERENDIB Area ***** 19. Craig/advguild@bbs.marshallnet.com/Yoram/Admiral of the Pheacian fleet in SE Atrilia/Mafia 20. Andrew Morris/amorris@origin.ea.com/Benba al-Khaldun/Governor of Qart 'Attíq & Qart Khadash/Qart 'Attíq 21. Anna Vacca/giannieanna@infonie.fr/Princess Minu at Matu Sha/Governess of Dár al-Meshuesh/Dár al-Meshuesh 22. Sean Mackaay/MacPow@p085.aone.net.au/---/Meshuesh thieves Guildmaster/Dár al-Meshuesh CAMPAIGN JOURNAL Being a summary of the events which took place in SE Atrilia during the 3rd and the 4th months of Peret in the 1st year of Lalibêa's reign (Ndogo reckoning). 1/ THE RIVER PANGANI The water of the river Pangani is fresh again. The evil salt-water crocodiles that had been infesting it have disappeared, and the blessed fresh-water crocodiles are back. The consequence on the crops, however, was terrible, and Northern Dogobar may face severe famine soon. 2/ PEACE IN THE SEA OF THE SIRENS Admiral Yoram and the Omukama have signed an agreement between Pheacia and Dogobar which should bring peace to the Sea of the Sirens. Most of the agreement is being kept secret at the moment, but some parts of it have leaked to our investigators. Here follows what we can print for sure: a) Pheacia must recognise that the islands of the Sea of the Sirens (Pemba, Mâfia, Mombaza, Serendíb, the Nzuzei Isles) are Ndogo land, under the suzerainty of the kingdom of Dogobar. b) The Pheacians will be allowed to keep one colony on each island, a walled city under Pheacian rule. The existence of Pheacian military units is to be accepted. No action against these units shall occur, and it will be understood that he movement of these forces is not an implied threat to the Bandogo. The Pheacian military is entitled to pursuit of other military goals. c) The Pheacians will be allowed to build a walled city on the coast of Dogobar. This city will be the exclusive centre of trade between Dogobar and other lands. The Pheacian fleet shall have a monopoly on that trade. Trade laws and customs will be enforced by the Pheacians. Pheacian traders will be allowed in Ndogo cities to conduct business. d) Peaceful Pheacian citizens will be allowed access to business or pleasure in Ndogo cities, and are subject to the local laws of the lands they visit. The Bandogo shall notify Admiral Yoram before execution of punishment against Pheacian criminals. This does not mean that Pheacian criminals are not to be punished for their crimes against the Bandogo, only that Pheacia should be made aware. Pheacian legal representatives shall be admitted to defend Pheacians accused of serious crimes. e) The Laws and Rules of the Pheacian Colonies will only extend to the towns (one by island, one only for the Nzuzei) and one mile outside the walls of any town. The Xolas and Bandogo who live in these towns are entirely under Pheacian laws, but the inhabitants of the rest of the island will be under the Omukama's direct authority. f) An important ceremony of passing of power, in which submission of the islands (and, symbolically, the Pheacians) to the Omukama will be displayed, is to take place in Dôgu. The Omukama will then grant the lands for the colonies, and the rights of the Pheacians will be formulated aloud in front of the people. This on Pemba, Mâfia, Mombaza and Serendíb; a naval tour of the Nzuzei will be done. Security shall be enforced by Pheacian ships. 3/ THE RED COAST A new trouble has arisen in Punt. A splinter clan of the Camel Xolas called 'the Hump' denounced the Camel Sheikh's alliance with Gyptos, and proclaimed, in the name of Hammon, that Punt be freed from Gyptian oppression. A 'Hump' commando has attacked a Gyptian caravan coming from Gyptos. Since the caravan wasn't carrying any goods, they had little protection. However, the merchant leading the caravan, one Djyi, is a well-known member of the Gyptian aristocracy, and the kidnapping annoys Sebekemhat, the Gyptian governor in Shedet. Rumour has it the commando has joined the 'Hump''s charismatic leader, Drahcir Skoorb, who is hiding somewhere in the dry valleys between the Gyptian settlements and the lands of the Coastal Xolas. 4/ SOUTHERN PUNT The harbour Imam Abú Djâfar (leader of the Coastal Xolas) said was being built with a peaceful intent has seen many Meshuesh ships brought to anchor. Spies from neighbouring Xola sultanates reported that the usually peaceful Coastal Xolas were under heavy military training, some of them having become efficient fighters. On the 11th day of the 4th month of Peret, Meshuesh troops stationed in the harbour arrested a Xola alchemist (allegedly a Pheacian spy) and dragged him to their fortified headquarters. Infuriated Xola troops tried to prevent the arrest, but they were no match to the elite Meshuesh. The Xola fighters are now deployed around the Meshuesh headquarters... the air is thick with mistrust... 5/ SLAYERS STRIKE AGAIN The new sect called 'the Slayers' which has recently attacked Pheacian property in Dár al-Hamra on Mâfia (during the 2nd month of Peret) struck again. On the night between the 8th and the 9th days of the 4th month of Peret, 'Slayer' raiders attacked the poorly-defended island of Pemba and killed the soldiers of the Pheacian garrison to the last man. 'Slayer' militants on Mâfia left a parchment claiming the attack in the name of Baal Hammon. 6/ SERIOUS TROUBLE ON SERENDIB After a tranquil 3rd month of Peret, violence resumed in the north of the island of Serendíb during the 4th month. Two large galleys carrying troops and weapons from Mâfia arrived in the harbour of Qart 'Attíq. They were met by a friendly crowd offering them food and wine. The wine was actually drugged and the crowd captured the soldiers and took their weapons. The captains of the galleys had distrusted the crowd and ordered their vessels out of the harbour; the galleys are now patrolling half a kilometre off the coast of Serendíb. The armed populace controls now the city of Qart 'Attíq. Governor Benba al-Khardun is besieged in his palace with 100 loyal guards. News of the revolt have reached Qart Khadash, about 30 km south of Qart 'Attíq. The Pheacian colonists there have proclaimed their loyalty to Governor Benba, and a column of soldiers from Qart Khadash is heading north to crush the revolt. ENCYCLOPAEDIA ATRILIANA This is the third in a series of regular instalments of encyclopaedic information about the continent of Atrilia. *The Gods of the Xolas* Readers of the Atrilian e-journal may be confused by the Xolas. There seem to be Xolas almost everywhere in SE Atrilia, and it seems they worship all kinds of deities. This instalment of the Encyclopaedia Atriliana shall make the issue clearer for everybody (hopefully...) The Xolas used to live all over E Atrilia (including SE Atrilia of course) in the past. Several wars against various foes (both human and non-human) as well as climatic changes restricted their territory. NOMADIC XOLAS These Xolas are the ones most similar to their ancestors. They live in the dry plains and savannahs of Western and Northern Punt. They sometimes foray into the Land of the Githzerai or into Southern Punt. The religion of the Nomadic Xolas is _shamanism_, a combination of the worship of Earth-Mother, of the ancestors, and of the spirits of ancient heroes. COASTAL XOLAS These Xolas are the most peaceful of all Xolas. They live in Southern Punt, raising cattle and tending their crops. The Coastal Xolas used to be quite unaffected by religion; however, since the late Meshuesh missionary Imam Suheil visited them, they've become fervent worshippers of Suheil and of Israfil, the angel believed to carry his will. ISLAND XOLAS The Island Xolas are scattered on the small islands between the Sea of Zwazi and the Sea of the Sirens. They received the teachings of Meshuesh missionaries and, as a result, worship the Lawful Gods (i.e. the same gods as the Northern peoples), among whom they hold Hammon in highest esteem. HARATIN The Haratin are the Xolas of Dogobar. They are slaves or ex-slaves working in the state-owned plantations of Dogobar ('Harat' means 'labourer' in Xola). They worship the Lawful Gods, Kwoth in particular. NDARUGAN XOLAS Xola society is very tight and does not leave much to individual freedom, whether nomadic, coastal or land-based. Hence many Xolas leave their families and their land in the search for personal achievement and freedom. Most are renegades from the nomadic tribes, or fleeing slaves from Dogobar. These runaways usually flee to the inhospitable mountains between Klesh and the lands north to it. There, they organise themselves as loose bands, attacking Dogobar or the nomadic Xolas. In the last years, a powerful warrior has emerged as the ruler of these bandits: Emir Aman has gathered all the runaways under his firm rule, and has conquered the (formerly) Ndogo emirate of Ndaruga so that these Xolas now have a home. He has declared himself Emir of Ndaruga, and has allied with the Kleshites for support (see issue #2 of the e-zine). The Ndarugan Xolas, being of such different backgrounds, do not share a common religion; however, under the influence of their Kleshite allies, it seems most of them now worship the Chaotic Gods, especially the serpent god Jáh and the crocodile goddess Ragarra.