THE ATRILIAN CAMPAIGN E-JOURNAL by MC Gianni giannieanna@infonie.fr Issue no 8, February 1997 Hello all We are welcoming one new player to the Atrilian campaign. Robbin (DenCow-boy@webtv.net) will be playing Mertiberia, the new sheikh of the Awili Xolas. Alas, several other players quit, which is slowing the campaign. I am especially looking for someone to play the Admiral of the Pheacian fleet, who has such an important role in the campaign. Also, the internet site of the Atrilian campaign is steadily growing. Some player description are already on line, and I am editing the other ones into HTLM files. Remember: www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/1482/pbem.html CAMPAIGN JOURNAL Being a summary of the events which took place in SE Atrilia during the third week of the 2nd month of Shemu in the 1st year of Lalibêa's reign (2nd Shemu, 1 L). 1/ THE GITHZERAI PLATEAU Sheikh Suppiluliuma of the Kwagga Xolas has now destroyed a second Githzerai tower thanks to the Ahironés' mining skills. Motapa, the second tower to fall after Mellin, was full of undecipherable Githzerai scrolls. The Xolas burnt them as 'evil artifacts'. 2/ THE RED COAST The Meshuesh mercenaries who recovered Djyi's corpse are now busy searching the hills and cwms for any Xola hideout. They have also regrouped and established a defensible position atop a hill. 3/ CENTRAL PUNT The Awili Xolas, whose previous sheikh was killed in action while fighting the Githzerai (see issue #2 of the e-zine), have finally managed to elect a new leader, called Mertiberia. At the moment, only about half the Awili clans recognise his leadership. Mertiberia has hence sent emissaries and a small group of warriors, an "honour guard", to the other clans. He's also trying to improve trade with neighbouring tribes (most of them being now at war with the Githzerai). 4/ SOUTHERN PUNT Peace between Khalil al-Daresh and Abú Djâfar: Khalil al-Daresh, leader of SE Atrilian Hammonites, and Xola Imám Abú Djâfar, the keeper of Imám Suheil's tomb (a sacred shrine for all worshippers of Hammon) signed a peace treaty after several weeks of a "stupid war" between two leaders sharing a similar religious background. 5/ DIOSCURIDE ISLANDS Khalil al-Daresh, Meshuesh priest of Hammon and leader of one of the smaller Dioscuride Islands, has established a _Confederacy of the Siren Sea_. At first, the other islands seemed reluctant to join, yet about half of them have now decided to take part. Three Meshuesh galleys from the Sultanates of Oea and Mers al-Kibar are in the harbour of Búr Hammon, Khalil's capital. These galleys have come to join forces with the Hammonite League's already existing two galleys in order to spread the faith in the Siren Sea. Rumour has it the countries bordering the Siren Sea are feeling uncomfortable, the League having already conquered the small island of Pemba, and the war between Khalil al-Daresh and Imám Abú Djâfar being over (see above). 6/ ZANDJ AND UMBOLE Shm'é, the Ntemi (king) of the Bambole, has sent a Mbole diviner called Nhyé (The wise) to Nero Bih Ad'Shitith, the Mwami (king) of the Ad'anti. Nhyé is a good, if pessimistic, diviner and a fervent worshipper of Mbotumbo, the diviners' god. Shm'é has also sent a Mbole diviner to assist to Pheacian refugees of Qart ’Attíq. He has chosen the best place to build a new city on the Ndogo coast. 7/ DOGOBAR The Omukama has created a corps of Guards of Honour. Most noble Ndogo families sent a son (aged less than thirty) to represent them. He had to be strong and healthy. Each new guard also had to wear rich clothes and beautiful jewels and decorations (at his family's expense) in order to mark his family's prestige -- the poorest candidates were sent back home. Each family was given an ox as a gift from the Omukama. Each warrior received a full bronze fighting gear, that is a bronze scale armour covering the torso up to the chin, but leaving the arms unprotected, a helm to be decorated according to every single guard's taste and a heavy two-handed slashing blade on a long haft, a kind of two-handed sword, halbard or axe. The guards are now training, to be able to parade and to understand basic manoeuvring orders. They are split into 50-man corps under the command of an officer chosen amongst the most able civil servants and equipped and decorated at the Omukama's expenses. These fighters are grouped independently from their geographical origin. An Honour Corps is being created, made up with the 50 richest men who will stay at Lalibêa's palace in special barracks. Another corps shall be made up with the best fighters as they are discovered. The aim is to attain a global roll of 750 guards. Lalibêa has finally decided where the Pheacian refugees from Serendíb shall settle (see issue #7 of the e-zine). Their new city will be called Qart Qaton and work has already begun at the location shown by the Mbole diviner sent by Shm'é. Wood is coming from Umbole, and work to create a harbour is to begin soon. According to the Ndogo-Pheacian treaty of last year, the harbour shall be governed by the colonists themselves but shall theoretically be under Ndogo suzerainty. The Pheacians are allowed to have merchant ships and galleys brought there to anchor without limit and having to notice the Ndogo authority but, as backbiters say, the location is so difficult to defend that the Pheacians had better not leave their galleys there at all... The Ndogo army, located SW of Dôgu for almost one year because of the war with the Xolas from Ndaruga, struck camp and all units were ordered to move east toward the coast. Does the Omukama fear a Hammonite attack onto his coasts? ENCYCLOPAEDIA ATRILIANA This is the sixth in a series of regular instalments of encyclopaedic information about the continent of Atrilia. * The Nomadic Xolas * Common cultural traits: nomadism, influence of shamanism. Chthonian (ie Chaotic) religion. Very close links with their totem animals, and with the Spirit World. Barter economy. Tribes are usually self-sufficient. No slavery. Prisoner exchange. Slaves are sometimes sold to city dwellers, like the Island Xolas or the Bandogo, but never to the Gyptians. 4 main tribes: - The kwagga riders: the most powerful tribe. They are usually found in Southern Punt (wet savannah). Preferred weapons: lance (or javelot), sword. "Kwagga" - The zebra riders. More to the north-west (dry savannah). Light cavalry. Bow or javelot. "Awili" - The antelope riders. Everywhere, very mobile. Pygmies (black-skinned halflings). Composite bow (made from antelope horns). Very numerous, having hence mighty shamans (many ancestors). "Seballa" - The camel riders. To the north (desert). Under the suzerainty of the Gyptian governor of the Red Coast. They are getting ever less nomadic, to the detriment of the other tribes. Auxiliaries in the Gyptian army ("traitors"). Mounted infantry. "Dadjimalu" Lesser tribes: - The rhino riders. Heavy cavalry. Lance, battle-axe. Little mobile, in the same area as the Awilis. They have the best smiths. "Ahironé" - The unicorn riders. Warrior females with mixed fay blood. "Mukhali" Organisation: Clan = base unit. Made up of people sharing a common ancestry. 10 to 300 people. The largest clans have one or more shamans. The clan leader is all-powerful, but he sometimes has a body of elder councillors (depending on the size of the clan). Tribe : made up of all the clans. Every tribe has a Sheikh who is elected for life amongst the clan leaders. A High Shaman takes care of the tribe's spiritual needs. Shamans: sometimes related with a clan, but often independent, going from one clan to the other. They make sure the links with the ancestors are being kept. Other priests : druigs (with a g), necromancers, much rarer. Culture : Conception of the world: earth-plants-animals-men chain. The earth nourishes the plants, which nourish the animals, which nourish men. But men must breed and protect the animals, and the latter keep the earth fertile = equilibrium under the responsibility of the tribes, and necessary for survival. Each tribe made a covenant with an animal race and with Yig (the highest Chthonian god). Oral culture. Importance of memory and genealogy, in order to know the ancestors and be able to call them. Spiritual link with the animals. Men = hunters and fighters. "Active" side of survival. They defend the clan and the tribe. They worship Yig. Women = "fertile" side. They take care of the herd, of gathering, of children. Very important rôle. Much better considered than in more 'civilised' cultures. They worship the Earth-Mother. Funerary rites. The dead are buried with their belongings. A prayer is chanted so that the spirit may join his ancestors, another one so that he won't come back to harrass the living. Those who were not properly buried are said to wander between the Spirit World (as wild spirits) and the Prime Material Plane (as ghosts). Shamans know how to save wild spirits/ghosts, but it is dangerous. The dead may or may not be buried together. Inter-clanic relationships. Each clan is autonomous. They get together in case of danger, or at the Sheikh's request. They keep in touch with each other through their spirits. Inter-tribal relationships. Sporadic wars. Herd theft. If the well-being of the land is threatened, they unite : life as Yig taught it must be preserved. The Dadjimalus are a particular case, since they oppose all the other tribes. The Grand Hunt: Every fourth year, a champion is chosen in each tribe. A monster hunt takes place, in which all the tribes compete (even the Dadjimalus). The winner is venerated by all for the following 4 years. Outer relations. The Nomadic Xolas do not trust sedentary people, being even hostile to them, although trade is conducted, especially with the Coastal Xolas (handcraft, rare food -spices, sweets- traded for hide, monsters, slaves, mineral). Anyway, geography prevents conflict. Relations are tense with the Sundjenis, who steal herds. Hostile to Gyptos. Hospital with visitors (even city dwellers) if the latter respect the nomadic way of life.