Date: Mon, 23 Dec 1996 16:44:20 +0100 X-Sender: vacca@velizy.inst.slb.com To: mlp26745@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu From: Gianni Vacca Subject: the Atrilian campaign e-journal, issue #6 X-Status: THE ATRILIAN CAMPAIGN E-JOURNAL by MC Gianni giannieanna@infonie.fr Issue no 6, December 1996 Hello all As usual, this issue is late because of unexpected working overload. I really hope I'll be able to maintain a monthly newsletter next year (take this as my new year's resolution). Three players quit playing: Doug (Sheikh of the Hyena Sundjeni Xolas) and Justin (Court mage of Dogobar) just stopped answering to my mails, whereas Andrew (Governor Benba al-Khardun of Qart 'Attíq and Qart Khadash) hasn't any access to the internet any longer. CAMPAIGN JOURNAL Being a summary of the events which took place in SE Atrilia during the 1st month of Shemu in the 1st year of Lalibêa's reign (Ndogo reckoning). 1/ THE GITHZERAI PLATEAU The nomadic warriors of the allied Xola tribes and 'the Nation' have moved their camp toward another Githzerai tower after having colmpletely destroyed Mellin, the tower they took over two months ago. Their goal is to capture and destroy all Githzerai towers in SE Atrilia. 2/ THE RED COAST The 'Hump' commando which allegedly attacked a Gyptian caravan coming from Gyptos and kidnapped a prominent Gyptian merchant has been located by a Meshuesh mercenary unit commanded by the Meshuesh mercenary leader Maummar. The two units met in the dry valleys between the Gyptian settlements and the lands of the Coastal Xolas. After initial volleys of long-distance weapons, the Meshuesh and the rebels closed in. Under the cover of the returning missile fire, the rebels closed in by a two-pronged attack, outflanking the Meshuesh both on the right and the left flank. When the outnumbered Meshuesh seemed to be on the verge of routing, however, reinforcements appeared at both sides -- they had been waiting hidden behind the dry hills of the site. 3/ SOUTHERN PUNT The Meshuesh troops stationed in the harbour released the Xola alchemist they had arrested. The man had been heavily beaten up and tortured but was still alive. The Meshuesh agreed to transform their military headquarters into a peaceful trading outpost. 4/ YET ANOTHER 'SLAYER' ATTACK The island of Mâfia was attacked once again by the self-styled 'Slayers'. Two small galleys landed 100 ferocious warriors onto Mâfia's shores. The fighters attacked the Pheacian settlement of Dar al-Hamra, but were met by wary Pheacian soldiers and native militias. After a brief clash which left about 20 locals and 10 invaders dead, the attackers fled. The 'Slayers' (who always left notes claiming they were Pheacian cultists of Baal Himmer) are actually Meshuesh cultists of Hammon from an isolated island in the north, prisoners said. 5/ REVOLT IN QART 'ATTIQ Governor Benba al-Khardun, besieged in his palace with 100 loyal guards, ordered his elite troops should attack. The men bravely faced the 150 armed-ruffians of the populace, while 50 soldiers from the temple made a surprise attack on the demonstratots which were setting up the catapults. Later, troops which had disembarked from the Pheacian galleys dispatched to Serendíb entered the city by secret tunnels and came to the rescue of the elite soldiers from the governor's palace. The populace soon disbanded. However, a small group of die-hard rebels put on fires at various places before leaving the city. At the moment, the city (mostly wooden buildings) is burning in a huge inferno. ENCYCLOPAEDIA ATRILIANA This is the fourth in a series of regular instalments of encyclopaedic information about the continent of Atrilia. *Meshuesh religion* INTRODUCTION Before events of which more shall be said here, the Meshuesh used to have a very distinct pantheon, as they worshipped the Ant Goddess, the desert idols, and the Elemental Gods. About 3 or 4 centuries ago, a Meshuesh merchant living in Sau (Northern Gyptos) had a revelation as he walked past a temple of Amun-Ra -- this revelation is called "the Illumination" by the Meshuesh. The merchant took on the name 'Abdammon ('slave of Ammon': Ammon or Hammon is the Meshuesh name of Amun) and started spreading the worship of Amun and the Lawful Gods amongst the Meshuesh. As a consequence, the Meshuesh are today split between 'those who received the Illumination' (called the Insan) and 'those who did not'. Their co-existence is generally peaceful because only some bedouin tribes and some sultans follow the tenets of Holy War preached by 'Abdammon, the First Caliph, in order to spread the Illumination. These zealots are called the Mujahedin ('holy warriors' in Meshuesh) -- see below. THE MESHUESH PANTHEON A. Traditional Gods --the Ant Goddess --the Gurzil (stone idols) --the Elemental Gods B. Lawful Gods --Ammon or Hammon (chief god of the Lawful pantheon) --Zazél (father of the gods) --Ash (defender of the gods) --Amqran (crocodile god) --Shams (goddess of the Sun) --Sâd (warrior god) C. Foreign Gods --War Ism (cat goddess) --Abúfihâmat (Baphomet) --'Arush (merchants' god) MESHUESH PRIESTS A. Priests of the Traditional Gods These priests are close to nature and to the Meshuesh ancestors. They are similar to the classic AD&D druid or the Al-Qadim kahina, and to the Al-Qadim mystic. B. Priests of the Lawful Gods The Meshuesh priests of the Lawful gods always speak in the name of Hammon first, the other Lawful gods being considered as his stewarts. The Meshuesh lawful priests are hence not divided according to whom they worship, but according to their behaviour vis-a-vis the Holy War. 1) The most fanatical are called the Mujahedin. They wage a tireless war against not only the ancient cults (eg the Ant Goddess) but also the foreign gods (eg 'Arush). They are similar to the Al-Qadim moralist priests. 2) The Henotheists are more tolerant with regard to non-Insan, but acknowledge the importance of the Holy War in some cases. Yet they prefer a peaceful but insistent proselytism. They are similar to the Al-Qadim ethoist priests. 3) The Polytheists are against violence and preach the peaceful co-existence of all Meshuesh cults... they believe the Lawful Gods are but an aspect of the Meshuesh pantheon. They are similar to the Al-Qadim pragmatist priests. C. Priests of the Foreign Gods These priests are very specialised in their own particular fields. Priestesses of War Ism, for instance, are concerned with all things feline, but are not interested in the epic struggle between Law and Chaos... These priests are specialty priests as per the standard AD&D rules.