Maps: Tekumel. From Empire of the Petal Throne, TSR, 1975. #Tekumel #empire #PetalThrone

Copies of the four original Dungeons and Dragons books (not AD&D, D&D) with Dave Arneson's signature scrawled over Arneson's name.

MAR Barker's ms. of Empire of the Petal Throne given to Dave Arneson dated Feb 8, 1974. A copy of the first volume of D&D "Men & Magic" from Dave Arneson to MAR Barker, dated Feb 19, 1974

Original D&D manuals signed by Dave Arneson to MAR Barker. On top of Arneson's mimeo-for-review of Barker's EPT ms. dated Feb 1974
(full disclosure, I was the treasurer of the Tekumel Foundation and curated Barker's IP related to his game)
#D&D #Tekumel #EmpireOfThePetalThrone #MARBarker

I picked a nice modest haul of 📚 at ArneCon yesterday. Left to right: required reading for Classic Traveller, some OD&D in the form of Seven Voyages of Zylarthen, and an issue of the Empire of the Petal Throne zine The Excellent Travelling Volume. #ArneCon #DnD #Traveller #Tekumel

Coda (Part I) Yesterday marked the end of the House of Worms Empire of the Petal Throne campaign, bringing to a close ten and a half years of regular, ...

Blimey. That's a rather remarkable ending for James Maliszewski's House of Worms Empire of the Petal Throne campaign. (Read all three parts of the coda.) #Tekumel

grognardia.blogspot.com/2025/10/coda...

Prince Dichuné has Fallen! WE DID IT. Halfway into year 11 of our Empire of the Petal Throne campaign, we have slain the traitor … Continue reading →

Prince Dichuné has Fallen! WE DID IT. Halfway into year 11 of our Empire of the Petal Throne campaign, we have slain the traitor … Continue reading →

Prince Dichuné has Fallen! WE DID IT. Halfway into year 11 of our Empire of the Petal Throne campaign, we have slain the traitor … Continue reading →

Prince Dichuné has Fallen! WE DID IT. Halfway into year 11 of our Empire of the Petal Throne campaign, we have slain the traitor … Continue reading →

Prince Dichuné has Fallen! WE DID IT. Halfway into year 11 of our Empire of the Petal Throne campaign, we have slain the traitor … Continue reading →

Prince Dichuné has Fallen! WE DID IT. Halfway into year 11 of our Empire of the Petal Throne campaign, we have slain the traitor … Continue reading →

Prince Dichuné has Fallen! WE DID IT. Halfway into year 11 of our Empire of the Petal Throne campaign, we have slain the traitor … Continue reading →

Prince Dichuné has Fallen! WE DID IT. Halfway into year 11 of our Empire of the Petal Throne campaign, we have slain the traitor … Continue reading →

Béthorm | Tabletop Role-Playing on the Plane of Tékumel®

After a 3 year break, I’m returning my attention to #tekumel. First up will be a re-release of #bethorm, my own #ttisg set in the world of Tékumel. With a few typo corrections, a refined initiative system, and a disclaimer about the despicable MAR Barker. bethorm.com

Empire of the Petal Throne anyone?? Find these right here

theunrealitystore.co.uk/collections/...

#ttrpgs #empireofthepetalthrone #tekumel #fantasyrpgs #unrealitystore

Tékumel Thursday: How Do You Get Into the Underworld? After looking at the above ground parts of the city, we now get to examine the Underworld of Jakálla: “Within the city precincts of Jakálla itself there are entrances to the ‘Underworld,’ for this is ‘the City Half as Old as the World,’ Princess of the River, Mistress of Cities. Outside of Jakálla lies the City of the Dead, where the Kings of the Bednállja[n] Dynasty sleep the long black sleep secure in their mighty pyramids, guarded with care by the creations of the secret Priesthood of Ksárul. Treasures are to be found beneath these crumbling monuments, men say, and also a variety of hideous deaths at the hands of these undying guardians. ‘Sweet is the harbour, but Death is the ferryman,’ as the old Tsolyáni proverb has it …” (Sec. 1200) “…there are catacombs and subterranean labyrinths dating from more recent empires, cities, temples, pyramids, and fortresses dedicated to the lost and unremembered gods of half a hundred kingdoms. Another factor is the custom of Ditlána, the ceremonial ‘renewing’ of many cities every 500 years: cellars and foundations of an old city are filled in and roofed over, upper floors are razed, and then new and more splendid edifices are built upon this foundation. Such earlier buried habitations are now full of burrows and tunnels built by humans, half-humans, nonhumans, and the many parasites and predators of Tékumel who subsist upon man’s leavings. Many earlier temples to the Gods of Tékumel — particularly those allied with ‘evil’ — are still maintained in the Underworlds beneath the sprawling modern cities, and it is in these that many of the rich treasures of the ancients are preserved.” (Sec. 1200) So the question that immediately comes to mind is “how do you get into the Underworld?” (I suppose a more immediate question might be, “why would anybody go there?” but the reasons for seeking adventure, glory, and riches may be obscure.) Before we get into the myriad forms of hidden entrances, I think it is important to consider the _institutional_ forms of access to the Underworld. I would suggest that there are at least _four_ different institutional forms of Underworld access: 1. **The Temples of the Gods:** each of the twenty temples shown on the city map will have their own entrances to the Underworld, to access their underground temples, shrines, storage facilities, and the like. This would include not only the entrances under the temples themselves but also alternative or “secret” entrances elsewhere in the city, for use by secret societies and the like. [_Yellow circles on the map below._] 2. **The Imperial government:** The palace of the city governor, as well as the four branches of the Imperial government, specifically the Palaces of the Realm, of the Priesthoods, of Ever-Glorious War, and Foreign Lands. All five of these locations will likely have _at least_ one entrance to the Underworld. Again, there will be other entrances elsewhere, known and used by agents of the Emperor and others. [_Blue circles on the map below._] It is probably worth noting that the Imperial government through the Omnipotent Azure Legion does make use of the tubeway car network left over from the time of the Ancients: “Certain passages branch off to tie in with still other Underworld complexes; some of these connector tunnels run for miles, being survivals from the ancient pre-cataclysm underground transport system.” (Sec. 2800) 3. **The City of the Dead:** the necropolis of Jakálla has two different locations for entrances to the Underworld, specifically: “Heap of Ruins Said to Be the Temple of Hyáshra, an Ancient Form of the Cohort Hriháyal, the Dancing Maiden of Temptation. [This mound contains at least two entrances to the Underworld which lies below the City of the Dead.]” (and) “Temple of Sárku, the Master of the Undead, and Headquarters of the Tomb-Police of the City of the Dead.” [note that _this_ temple is in _addition_ to the one in the city proper.] (Sec. 3100) [_Purple filled-in circles on the map below._] It is probably worth noting that the specific entrances to the Underworld from the Temple of Hyáshra are mentioned in Sec. 2810: Developing an Underworld: “Having selected a hexagon on the surface map of Jakálla as one’s starting point (e.g. no. 74, the heap of ruins said to be the Temple of Hyáshra), one takes the sheet of graph paper destined to become the first level and draws in a stairway leading down from the surface.” There is still room for further description of where in the aboveground ruins the exact entrance actually is, and any other relevant details. We will come back to this. 4. **Known Places of Mystery.** These are places around and outside the city, which would be known to the city guards and others, and which _may_ have entrances to the Underworld (no guarantees!). Beside the specific necropolis entrances, there are more than a dozen more scattered across the necropolis and the city proper, including: – The rest of the tombs in the City of the Dead, patrolled by the Tomb Police – “The Tower of Mnéttukeng the Sorcerer. [Now in ruins]” – “The Tower of Ruvádis, the Wearer of Eyes. [A local wizard of some note.]” (sounds vaguely Mu’ugalavyáni to _me_ …) – “The Old Citadel of Ssirándar I, King of the Bednálljan Dynasty.” – “Priestly College of Rerektánu.” This might even be an instructional teaching space. – “Pyramid Temple of the Ancient Unnamed One (not in use).” (by _whom?_) – “The House of the Pleasant Hour, a Branch of the Temple of Dlamélish.” [_Purple circles on the map below._] What this says is that there are easily seventy different points of access to the Underworld, not counting any others used by other inhabitants of Jakálla, which would likely make the number of Underworld access points over one hundred. Moreover, these access points would change over time, as the need for secrecy would be a driving force in maintaining security. _All_ of these locations would benefit from a small amount of further detailing of the specific Underworld entrance. This might include a brief description of what it looks like, whether or not there are any gates, doors, or other potential barriers, what guardians might be in place, traps, etc. It may even be worthwhile to develop a key to the entrances to the Underworld, thus connecting the above ground world to the shadowed and hidden depths below. Here is an example to spark your own creativity. “#23: Temple of Chegárra – temple entrance. The temple entrance to the Underworld is in the 2nd sub-basement, furthest away from the _Tunkul-_ gong tower. It is at the end of what was once a side entrance to the temple, down a 10’ wide sloping ramp 50 feet long. At the top and at the bottom of the ramp there are always two guards (AC4, level 2, HP 11, 8, 9, 10, short halberds and swords), ready to sound the alarm if something unexpected emerges from the depths.” Besides the institutional entrances, there will be ways to go underground which are more random, less well known, and less controlled by others. By necessity, these entrances are more ephemeral, and more likely to disappear over time. What do those look like, and who would know about them? 5. **Additional entrances.** Scattered across the city, in the Foreigners Quarter and elsewhere, there will be different entrances to the Underworld: in sub-basements of clan houses, entrances through the sewer system, old buildings re-purposed but with left-over passages leading into the depths. With the custom of Ditlána, there will always be passages leading underground, some of which will be random and others will be very carefully planned – but camouflaged to look as dead-ends and collapsed corridors. Moreover, these will change over time. So what does this mean for running a campaign? It is important to keep in mind what Underworlds _are_ in the larger scheme of things in Tékumel, which are **places of mystery**. Underworlds are places of plotting, skullduggery, and secret assignations – and the law does not apply underground: “Hence an open breach of [the] Concordat is treated as high treason and punishable by the most disgraceful death possible in all of the five great empires. This does not preclude secret machinations — and certainly not secret violence in the shadowy reaches of the Underworlds beneath the old cities.” (“Seal of the Imperium” _The Dragon #9_) Moreover, unlike D&D dungeons, underworlds in Tékumel are _dynamic_ spaces. Not all of the Underworld will be accessible from all points of access; trying to map the entire Underworld would be impossible, as things _will_ change. Indeed, some entrances may not even stay open over time, and new ones will appear. Again, adventurers will have to seek out friends and allies who may know secret routes and passages. But in the end, there will be Underworld entrances _all over._ The exact knowledge of how to get into the depths will be considered a _valuable secret_ , however. Besides the Tomb Police, various priesthoods and imperial officials, there will be secret societies, smugglers, tomb robbers, low and very low status clans involved in construction, sewer maintenance, and public works, _and_ others, who would all have some idea of how to access everything underground – and will sell that knowledge for a decent sum of _Káitars_. So for adventurers starting off in the Foreigners Quarter, or possibly in a middle-status clan house, accessing the Underworld is an exciting and dangerous opportunity. It is certainly possible for a low-level party of adventurers to go into the Underworld on their own, especially if they have some assistance (e.g. their clan or temple loans them an Eye, or provides a scroll or amulet). But it is probably better to wait for a patron to appear (c.f. Section 1110), who can act as back-up for the adventurers; “Nature of mission: Join in an expedition to the nearest Underworld.”

Sandbox of Doom: "Tékumel Thursday: How Do You Get Into the Underworld?"

www.sandboxofdoom.com/2025/06/26/tekumel-thurs...

#RPG #Tékumel #EmpireOfThePetalThrone #Games #Gaming

Tékumel Thursday: NTRPG Con 2025 I have just returned from North Texas RPG Con 2025, where I was a Special Guest again this year. I had a fantastic time, running two Tékumel adventures using _Empire of the Petal Throne_ rules. I also had a chance to see the two Legions of Tekumel miniatures battles, run by Rob Smith and Scott McKinlay (see above!). I talked with a LOT of people about Tékumel, and saw many friends, including Jeff Dee and Manda. I thought I had gotten a picture of Jeff, but I’m terrible at this, so I only have the picture of Manda (see below). My own _Empire of the Petal Throne_ events went quite well. The first one, which involved investigating a recently-discovered ruined temple in the Underworld, went **really** well. The players took advantage of it being convention events, and really leaned into exploration and discovery. One highlight: one of the characters made an offering at a shrine dedicated to Lord Sárku, and received a clay coin as a divine benediction. Alas, he had no idea of what to do with it, save a general hint to “give it to his enemies.” The second _EPT_ event went quite well, with the party of adventurers attempting to sneak into an underground shrine of Lord Durritlámish. They were doing pretty well, even though one of the characters got turned into a Shédra after having been killed by a Shédra. But in the end, they ran out of time. Even so, they had a lot of fun. Jon Hershberger and Allan Grohe, Jr. from Black Blade Publishing were very helpful, carrying a wide range of Tékumel products, including copies of all thirteen issues of _The Excellent Traveling Volume_ produced by James Maliszewski. I had talked with James about this, and he graciously agreed to having them at NTRPG Con. So if you weren’t at the convention, there were four Tékumel events – we arranged them so there was no scheduling conflict or overlap – and Tékumel products available in the Dealers Room and out in the convention exhibit area near the registration table. Rob and Scott and I had a chance to talk about how things went on Saturday night: * The schedule arrangement worked; if people wanted to play in all four Tékumel events, they could do that. That covered sixteen hours of the convention, which ran Thursday through Sunday, so there’s room for more activity. * Having a wide array of Tékumel products available worked very well. With Black Blade acting as our vendor, it was possible to focus on running events. * Jeff Dee and Manda had _their_ Tékumel products available for sale, including Béthorm, which was very good to see. * We decided we wanted to recruit 2-3 more Tékumel GMs to run more games and create a Tékumel track for North Texas RPG Con 2026. One thing worth noting is that conventions are a _LOT_ of work, if you are running events as a small publisher. It is one of the reasons why I currently go to just three conventions: North Texas RPG Con, Gary Con, and Gamehole Con. The latter are quite close to me here in Wisconsin, and North Texas RPG Con is easy to get to (well, when I fly). If you are interested in having more Tékumel at _your_ convention, leave me a note in the comments. I’ll be happy to see what can be done to help make that happen.

Sandbox of Doom: "Tékumel Thursday: NTRPG Con 2025"

www.sandboxofdoom.com/2025/06/12/tekumel-thurs...

#RPG #Tékumel #EmpireOfThePetalThrone #Conventions #Games

Tékumel Thursday: In the Foreigners Quarter In my previous Tékumel Thursday, I talked about understanding the map of the city of Jakálla, and one of the questions I did not answer was “where are the marketplaces of the city?” That is a very good question, and one that needs direct attention. But I want to start with two observations to act as a frame for my answer. The first observation is that _Empire of the Petal Throne_ was largely written in 1974, immediately after OD&D came out. In OD&D there is only passing mention of how and where to buy anything: “…a map of the town or village closest to the dungeons (where adventurers will be most likely to base themselves)…. “‘Blackmoor’ is a village of small size (a one-horse town), while ‘Greyhawk’” is a large city. Both have maps with streets and buildings indicated, and players can have town adventures roaming around the bazaars, inns, taverns, shops, temples,and so on. Venture into the Thieves’ Quarter only at your own risk!” _(OD &D Book III)_ So there was a clear suggestion of places of commerce and interest, which in turn affected the presentation of the map of the city of Jakálla. The second observation is that modern 21st Century gamers are far too likely to look at that map and view it as a “photographic” view of the city – which is probably too literal an interpretation. Prof. Barker was not a geographer, urban or otherwise. He described his approach to worldbuilding as closing his eyes and “seeing” Tékumel, an intensely personal creative process. What this means is that the map of the city of Jakálla contains all sorts of things not directly labeled on the original map, but which we can infer from what is mentioned and what we know. Put another way, we need to avoid the mistake of interpreting the absence of evidence as evidence of absence. So, what is marked on the map which might indicate places of commerce? Not too surprisingly, for a game involving combat and defeating monsters, the placement and location of armories was of paramount importance. In the Foreigners Quarter, there are _five_ distinct armories (all reference numbers are taken from the key to the Jakálla city map): 52. Armoury of Bushétra the Smith. 53. Armoury of the Silver Gauntlet. 54. Armoury of Vrí of Púrdimal. 55. Armoury of the Omniscient Eye of the Emperor. 56. Armoury of the Shield of Imperial Valour. The armories of Bushétra the Smith (#52) and the Silver Gauntlet (#53) are close to the most expensive hostels, which _might_ indicate that they were intended for a better-off clientele. The armories of Vrí of Púrdimal (#54) and the Omniscient Eye of the Emperor (#55) are both relatively close to the Palace of Ever-Glorious War and the Temple of Karakán. The Armoury of Vrí of Púrdimal _might_ have a connection to the Legion of Héketh of Púrdimal, but since their barracks are across the city, this is unclear. The last armory, the Armory of the Shield of Imperial Valour (#56), is located pretty much equidistant from three hostels, all for lower classes than the ones further north. These are the House of the Green Kirtle, Resthouse for Foreigners and Visitors of Middle Status (#32), the Hostel of Birrukú the Allaqiyáni, Resthouse for Foreigners and Visitors of Lower-Middle Status (#33), and the Tower of the Red Dome, Resthouse for Poor and Indigent Foreigners and Visitors of No Status (#34). This could indicate that the Armory of the Shield of Imperial Valour would be the first place recently-arrived foreign persons might go to obtain weapons and armor. _(see below)_ Before concluding, one might ask “so why armories? Why not something else?” Again, I think it is important to remember that _Empire of the Petal Throne_ came along immediately after OD&D, and the focus of the game was all about fighting and combat. Adventurers recently arrived in Tsolyánu would need weapons and armor to go questing in Underworlds. But there would _also_ be other businesses and merchants of interest, once the players gathered their loot and decided to go shopping. So what does this mean? Since the Foreigners Quarter contains a wide variety of people of different classes and nationalities, I would suggest there are marketplaces with many other merchants and businesses where these armories are established. Given the size of Jakálla – a city of nearly a million people – these marketplaces will serve the immediate surrounding areas. In the Foreigners Quarter, one should be able to find basic necessities as well as exotic items from faraway places. Next time, I will look at the armories and markets in the rest of Jakálla, with some thought about where the majority of commerce might take place.

Sandbox of Doom: "Tékumel Thursday: In the Foreigners Quarter"

www.sandboxofdoom.com/2025/05/29/tekumel-thurs...

#RPG #Games #Tékumel #EmpireOfThePetalThrone

Tékumel Thursday: The City Half As Old As The World One of the interesting aspects of _Empire of the Petal Throne_ is that it includes the first city map for a roleplaying game, the map of the city of Jakálla. (The first fully-detailed city setting, _The City-State of the Invincible Overlord_ , was published by Judges Guild in 1976, a year after _Empire of the Petal Throne._) The map of the city of Jakálla was impressive, both then and now. Full color, it included nearly 80 different locations, some of which were straightforward, like “Armoury of Bushétra the Smith”, and some of which were intentionally mysterious, such as the “Pyramid Temple of the Ancient Unnamed One (not in use)”. There was more than enough there for referees to use in developing their Tékumel campaigns, and presented something of a challenge – lots of nonplayer characters to detail, plots to develop, and underworld levels to draw and populate. Fortunately, there was also a fair bit of detail in the rulebook about the setting to help with those tasks. But some things were not _fully_ detailed or evident, even with all that, and so Prof. Barker got a lot of questions in fan mail about the city and how it worked. Here are a few of them: * What is the scale of the map? There is no legend for the map itself, so the distance across each hex was left undefined. Further, Prof. Barker admitted that he was no urban geographer; his early estimates of 50 yards/meters to a hex were guesstimates, at best. As time went on, we discovered that Jakálla is an _ancient_ city, with a population of over a million (we find this out later from _The Tékumel Sourcebook_). Later discussions concluded that the scale was _probably_ 2-3x that, so 100-150 yards/meters is not unlikely – but might be more. * Where do the newly-generated player characters arrive, in the “Fresh Off the Boat” beginning scenario? The answer is implied by the map: Pála Jakálla harbor is the military harbor – fortified, with a water channel surrounding it, and barracks and other military installations nearby. By contrast, Músa Jakálla harbor is the trade harbor – easy access to the _Sákbe-_ road, at the mouth of the Eqúnoyel River, showing piers, wharves, and docks further upstream. * In the rulebook it says, “Players who do attempt to enter Jakálla alone at this stage run the risk of making errors in speaking Tsolyáni or in the intricate rules of Imperial etiquette” – what does that mean for gameplay? (I don’t want to get impaled!) There are two different answers for this: unlike D&D, where adventurers were assumed to be on the frontier, pushing back against the forces of Chaos, adventurers in Tékumel were assumed to be _from_ Barbarian Lands and have arrived in the heart of Civilization. So there is a real issue of in-setting social control, which gets reinforced elsewhere in the 1975 rules. For gameplay, it is important to note the phrase “enter Jakálla _alone_ ” – I want to stress that word “alone.” Sec. 1110 in the rulebook provides for patrons and potential missions, but it is also possible to provide adventurers with nonplayer character guides – spend a few _Káitars_ and gain a friend – who will guide you from the docks to the Tower of the Red Dome, or another hostel. _That’s_ how to avoid committing any _faux pas._ * Where do people socialize and meet others? Well, there are _no_ taverns or bars in Tékumel, so aside from casual encounters at food stalls, merchants in the marketplaces, meeting like minded worshippers in the courtyards of temples, visits to the four Palaces of the Empire for various kinds of employment, the one place where Tsolyáni of different social statuses come together to rub elbows is at the _Hirilákte_ Arena. Supporting different gladiators, placing bets, comparing notes – these are all opportunities to meet friends, possible patrons or helpers of one sort or another. There is more to say about Jakálla, including answering questions like: where are the marketplaces of the city? How does one get into the Underworld? How do you get onto the _Sákbe-_ road? What happens if you run out of money? What about the City of the Dead? Who lives in the nearby villages? I will attempt to answer some of those questions, but for today, I will leave you with a rough sketch of how the city is divided up and what goes where.

Sandbox of Doom: "Tékumel Thursday: The City Half As Old As The World"

www.sandboxofdoom.com/2025/05/23/tekumel-thurs...

#RPG #Tékumel #EmpireOfThePetalThrone #Games

"Now Make It YOUR Tékumel." (Part II) I promised in my previous post on this topic to talk more explicitly about the various changes I've made to the published Tékumel setting in my ongoing-but-soon-to-end House of Worms _Empire of the Petal Throne_ campaign. I want to do this both for the benefit of Tékumel fans, who might appreciate knowing the ways that I've made the setting my own, and for others who simply struggle with how to handle the weight of established facts and details in a pre-made RPG setting. After a decade of continuous play, many changes I've made are now so ingrained that they no longer stand out to me. However, some remain obvious, even after all this time, and it's these that I will focus on here. #### Science Fantasy While Tékumel _is_ what I have called a "secret science fiction" setting, the extent to which published materials lean into this varies. For my part, I lean into it _heavily._ Indeed, that's a huge part of the appeal of Tékumel: I like "fantasy" settings where all their fantastical elements are examples of Clarke's Third Law ("Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."). This isn't really a _change_ to "standard" Tékumel, but it colors my presentation of everything from magic (and "magic" items) to demons and the gods. This has allowed me to get a better handle on how all the setting's various parts work together and given me lots of ideas for developments in the campaign. Doing so also inadvertently gave birth to the sha-Arthan setting I've been working on for almost four years now. #### Magic For the most part, I stick to the presentation of magic and spells in _Empire of the Petal Throne_ , which is much closer to what's found in OD&D than in later, more "authentic" Tékumel materials, like _Swords& Glory. _However, as I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I look on magic as "sufficiently advanced technology," even spellcasting. This means that I see a strong connection between spells and magic items, since they both harness the same forces, all of which are explicable by far future science. In this way, I've made it possible for spells to be used as energy sources to reactivate uncharged or even damaged magic items, something that's proved important on several occasions in the campaign. #### Demons and the Gods In a similar way, I views the various demon races of the Planes Beyond and even the gods themselves as highly advanced beings akin to those seen in older science fiction like _Star Trek._ They're "divine" or "demonic" only in an analogical sense, as humans and other more limited beings attempt to understand their nature and truly alien thought processes. I've also muddied the waters somewhat with the introduction of advanced artificial minds that are themselves effectively gods – and indeed have been mistaken as such by humans. My Tékumel is a place that's littered with science fictional elements dressed up in fantasy garb. #### The Pariah Gods Speaking of the gods, we have the Pariah Gods, a trio of deities introduced into post-_EPT_ Tékumel as antagonistic beings more akin to Lovecraftian entities than those of the pantheon of Pavár. In published Tékumel, the Pariah Gods exist on the fringes of the setting. I've made them much more central, particularly the god known only as The One Other, who not only played a role in the imprisonment of the god Ksárul but was also a catalyst behind the founding of Tsolyánu itself. There are additional changes I've made, but I can't say much more about them here, since the House of Worms campaign is not yet over and I don't want to spoil anything for my players ... #### Parallel Worlds, Time Travel, and the College Furthering my science fictional emphasis, I've made much use of parallel versions of Tékumel, time travel (or at least asynchronous temporality), and the Undying Wizards of the College of the End of Time. None of these things is _central_ to my version of Tékumel but they have roles to play. For example, Toneshkéthu, a student at the College, has been a longstanding ally of the characters. Because she exists in the far future of Tékumel, she often appears "out of sequence" from their perspective, remembering things that haven't yet happened and being unaware of events in which she (or a version of her) actually participated. #### History Speaking of the passage of time, the societies of Tékumel as presented in published materials are _old_ – unbelievably so in my opinion. There is recorded history stretching back more than 10,000 years and I simply can't believe that. Consequently, my version of Tékumel is old but not _that_ old, with suggestions to the contrary simply being rhetorical/poetic exaggerations for effect. #### Tsolyánu The titular Empire of the Petal Throne is presented as if it's much more stable and monolithic than I can accept. Consequently, I've presented Tsolyánu and much more varied and prone to periods of rebellion and even anarchy. Customs and traditions vary from city to city and region to region, even to the point where Tsolyáni from one part of the Empire feel almost like foreigners in another. #### Salarvyá and Yán Kór I've made some changes to two of Tsolyánu's neighboring empires. In the case of Salarvyá, I made it an elective monarchy that periodically convulses with chaos as the time to elect a new king draws near rather than a kingdom ruled by the same dynasty for untold thousands of years. Likewise, Yán Kór is presented in published materials as a major rival of Tsolyánu, thanks to the determination of its leader, Baron Ald. I've opted instead to make it a weak confederation of city-states that's more a threat to itself than to anyone else. Consequently, the war with Yán Kór that occurred in "prime" Tékumel never did in mine. #### Heirs to the Petal Throne I included all the heirs mentioned in the original _Empire of the Petal Throne_ , but almost none of those introduced in later materials. In particular, I dispensed with Mirusíya, whose revelation and subsequent elevation to the Petal Throne in official Tékumel never sat well with me for a number of reasons. Instead, I introduced my own additional heirs, as well as my own spin on the existing heirs. As you can see, my personal Tékumel doesn't deviate _too much_ from what's found in published materials. It's more a matter of _emphasis_ , which allows me to put my own spin on certain aspects of it. This, in turn, allows me to shape it a setting conducive to the kind of adventures and situations that play to my own interests and strengths as a referee. I think it's worked very well over the course of the ten years we've been playing House of Worms. That said, I will be glad when the campaign is done at last. I've inhabited Tékumel for a long time now and am looking forward to he opportunity to explore a new setting with my players.

Grognardia: "Now Make It YOUR Tékumel." (Part II)

grognardia.blogspot.com/2025/03/now-make-it-your...

#RPG #Games #EPT #Tékumel

"Now Make It YOUR Tékumel." (Part I) Last week, in the comments to last week's post, "Rules, Rules, and More Rules," reader Bonnacon asked me to elaborate on something I wrote there. Specifically, he wanted to know more about this: > However, I still kept the magic-user and priest classes as separate things with unique skills for each, along with lots of other stuff that doesn't quite "fit" into the setting as it evolved. My vision of Tékumel is my own and undoubtedly at odds with the "official" version in several places. This is all in reference to my ongoing – and soon to end – decade-long House of Worms _Empire of the Petal Throne_ campaign. When I began the campaign in March 2015, my intention was to stick with the original 1975 _EPT_ rules as closely as possible. That was, in fact, part of the reason I started the campaign in the first place: _to play in Tékumel using its original ruleset._ Those rules are quite "primitive" by contemporary standards, being an offshoot of 1974 OD&D. For the most part, I'm quite fine with this, since I prefer minimal (even minimalist) rules over more complex ones. Of course, in extended periods of play, especially over the course of ten years, it's all but inevitable that even minimalist rules will start to change in response to unexpected circumstances. That's certainly the case with the House of Worms campaign, where we've made little adjustments here and there. For example, I've allowed the optional adventurer character class from issue #31 of _Dragon_ (and further developed by Victor Raymond). Similarly, I clarified the way that weapon skills work in the game, since the rules don't really explain what purpose they serve or what penalties a character might suffer if he doesn't possess the skill associated with a weapon he's currently wielding. The matter is further complicated by the fact that _Empire of the Petal Throne_ presents an early version of Tékumel, the earliest published. Although most of its setting is present in the 1975 rulebook, much of it is still vague. For example, _clans_ are barely mentioned at all, despite later being a foundational aspect of Tsolyáni society. Now, since I was a long-time Tékumel fan playing in the 21st century, I was already familiar with many elements later added to the setting. Even though my goal with the House of Worms campaign was to go back to the beginning, so to speak, it was nigh impossible for me not include things like clans, even though _EPT_ doesn't really include them. Furthermore, even in later Tékumel materials, such as the encyclopedic _Tékumel Source Book_ released in 1983, there are _still_ matters that are not fully explained or even discussed. Any attempt to referee a campaign for more than a short period of time will certainly run into "blank spots" that needed filling. That's especially true of the deeper mysteries of Tékumel – prehistory, the gods, parallel worlds, the College at the End of Time, and so forth – but it's just as true of even more mundane topics, like the lands at the edges of the continental map. It has sadly been my experience that a lot of Tékumel fans have been reluctant to come up with their own answers, instead rushing to the _Source Book_ or archived Usenet posts from the 1990s for the Truth™. I think that's a mistake for many reasons, not least because the introduction to the _Source Book_ itself ends with the following: > Even if we were to issue a monthly newsletter or exchange data by telephone, there is no real way to prevent your history from diverging from mine. I can indeed provide further materials – and some are already available from the publisher of this book – but we cannot keep your Tékumel from drifting away from mine. This is as it should be. You have just bought MY Tékumel. Now make it YOUR Tékumel. I think this is good advice for a referee making use of _any_ published setting, but it's especially so for Tékumel, whose idiosyncrasies are many. Trying to get every detail right and never deviating from every jot and tittle of its diffuse canon would be a Herculean task and, ultimately, a Quixotic one. That's why I decided early in the House of Worms campaign not to get too hung up on such matters. My goal was a fun roleplaying experience for everyone involved and achieving that often meant adding, subtracting, and otherwise altering previously established material about Tékumel. I'll get into more specifics in Part II of this post next week. With luck, it won't be too "inside baseball" in its content and readers without much knowledge of Tékumel will also find it useful.

Grognardia: "Now Make It YOUR Tékumel." (Part I)

grognardia.blogspot.com/2025/03/now-make-it-your...

#RPG #EPT #Tékumel #Games

A complicated burnt-umber glyph circles a shadowed skull on a black background, emblematic of the worship of Sarku, Lord of the Undead, from the world of Tekumel by Prof. MAR Barker. For more information about Tekumel, visit tekumel.com

My story "The Lord of Worms" set in the world of Tekumel has been accepted for inclusion in "Who Let the Gods Out?!: Divine Wrath" to be published by Wicked Shadow Press #booksky #wickedshadowpress #tekumel #marbarker #EmpireOfThePetalThrone #Mitlanyal

M. A. R. Barker & Victor Raymond, The Tekumel Bestiary, Theatre of the Mind, 1992. Cover uncredited. Head and arms of creature are raised.
#Tekumel #EmpireofthePetalThrone #bestairy #roleplaying

M. A. R. Barker & Neil R. Cauley, Adventures on Tekumel: Gardasiyal – Deeds of Glory. Player's Guide / Sorcery & Spells / Referee's Guide, Theatre of the Mind, 1994. Covers: Trevor Utz.
#Tekumel #Gardasiyal #EmpirepfthePetalThrone #roleplaying #TrevorUtz

M. A. R. Barker & Neil R. Cauley, Adventures on Tekumel: Gardasiyal – Deeds of Glory, Theatre of the Mind, 1994. Box art front & rear uncreited.
#Tekumel #Gardasiyal #EmpirepfthePetalThrone #roleplaying

(FICTION) The Gems of Rescue | Manda Get more from Manda on Patreon

Short Story: "The Gems of Rescue" After TSR released #DnD, their 2nd game was Empire of the Petal Throne: exotic "swords and sandals". I explore an SF corner-- and set up an alternate setting for the later RPG Bethorm.
#Tekumel #Gaming #EPT
#Manda
(Hello, #Booksky!)
www.patreon.com/posts/37534381

Tekumel, the second rpg in history #dnd #rpg #ttrpg #tekumel #fantasy youtube.com/shorts/sA0WE...

More non-D&D campaign settings:
🎲 #KingdomsOfKalamar
🎲 #Lankhmar
🎲 #MagicTheGathering
🎲 #MiddleEarth
🎲 #PathfinderCampaignSetting
🎲 #Pelinore
🎲 #Rokugan
🎲 #ScarredLands
🎲 #StarFrontiers
🎲 #StarWars
🎲 #Talislanta
🎲 #Tekumel
🎲 #TORG
🎲 #Traveller

What is @thepiazza.bsky.social about?

More non-D&D campaign settings:
🎲 #KingdomsOfKalamar
🎲 #Lankhmar
🎲 #MagicTheGathering
🎲 #MiddleEarth
🎲 #PathfinderCampaignSetting
🎲 #Pelinore
🎲 #Rokugan
🎲 #ScarredLands
🎲 #StarFrontiers
🎲 #StarWars
🎲 #Talislanta
🎲 #Tekumel
🎲 #TORG
🎲 #Traveller

#promosky

4/6

I have a long standing fascination with complex and different worlds for #ttrpg especially #Glorantha, #Jorune and #Tekumel but I GM and prep in a very laissez-faire way and never really master the details of them. Does anyone have any good advice or resources about learning a world?