From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RQ Digest Maintainer) To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Daily automated RQ-Digest) Reply-To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RuneQuest Daily) Subject: RuneQuest Daily, Tue, 31 May 1994, part 1 Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM Content-Return: Prohibited Precedence: junk X-RQ-ID: Intro This is the RuneQuest Daily Bulletin, a mailing list on the subjects of Avalon Hill's RPG and Greg Stafford's world of Glorantha. It is sent out once per day in digest format. More details on the RuneQuest Daily and Digest can be found after the last message in this digest. --------------------- From: 100102.3001@CompuServe.COM (Peter J. Whitelaw) Subject: non-Gloranthan notes. Batch Four Message-ID: <940530153058_100102.3001_BHJ55-6@CompuServe.COM> Date: 30 May 94 15:30:59 GMT X-RQ-ID: 4260 THE TASKAN EMPIRE ================== Cities of the Taskan Heartland - Part I ---------------------------------------------- Taskay, Zygas Taga'a Imperial Capital For over 300 years Taskay has been the home of Zygas Taga, the man become God. The Emperor lives in a great palace surrounded by high walls of red stone, on a rock at the end of a promontory that stretches out into the gulf of Taskay. When the Emperor shut himself within he did so in the company of 1000 soldiers, officials, servants and slaves, who were forbidden to leave the premises. Their descendants serve the Emperor still, and noone on the outside knows for sure how many there are and how they are organised. Supplies are brought to the palace gates in great quantities every day, but no human being from the outside is allowed entry, and the supplies are handed over to palace staff for carrying into the inner precincts. Taskay's other famous features include the Great Market, a huge circular plaza where traders buy sell and exchange goods from every corner of the empire, and the Temple of Thesh, which sits on a hill facing the palace across the harbour. Outside this temple is a great bronze dish supported by a tripod m high in which flames of a dozen elementals leap and dance. Also well known are the Wall of Tears, which stretches 8km across the width of the peninsula on which the city stands and which is its only major defence-work; and the royal cranes, birds sacred to Thesh which inhabit a small island some 200 yards off the shore. Taga's Court is the paved and cloistered area at the foot of Temple Hill where Zygas Taga first held court upon capturing the city, and where the first formal rites of Emperor-worship were performed. Here now stands an unprepossessing altar to the Emperor, and it is here that the notables of enemy nations captured in war are brought to offer sacrifice to his name. It is also here that they die if they refuse the offer of mercy and pardon. Beyond the suburbs but still within the Wall of Tears there is pasture and parkland, and several cemeteries where the city's dead are housed in family or communal mortuary structures built to house large numbers of funerary urns. Also here is the expanse of open ground, known as the Choosing Ground, where the levy is held on Army Day and the militia are trained. Abutting the Wall of Tears is the Fortress of the Unconquerable Heroes (popularly known as the Fire-eaters), the barracks for a regiment of 1100 men, devotees of Thesh, who form the Imperial Guard. At any one time about one third of the regiment's manpower is in barracks, while another third is on active duty with the Iron Simulacrum and the remainder are on courier duties or special missions. From the Wall of Tears you can see the much of the rest of the peninsular. At the foot of the wall are a ramshackle but extensive collection of fire-hazardous dwellings, where those who have not been granted a right to live within the walls are forced to stay. Here too are animal pens, unlicensed trading stalls, and even the occasional collection of nomad tents. The Great Imperial Highway brings all kinds of people to the Emperor's capital, and many find themselves stranded at its gates because the guards see fit to refuse them entry out of suspicion, prejudice or sheer bedevilment. People of Importance The most influential inhabitants of Taskay are: Naraspan Gubast Arch Priest of Thesh, High Priest of Taskay's Emperor-cult and adept sorcerer, Gubast is the most important person in Taskay after the Emperor himself. He is a crotchety and bilious old man, for which he might be forgiven given that he is 132 years of age. Kepil Narmost Kepil commands the garrison of Taskay. He is one of three senior officers in the Imperial Guard, and is always posted to command of the troops stationed in the city. Kepil is a priest of the Emperor cult belonging to the Taskay College as well as being a priest of Thesh. His ambition is to succeed to command of his regiment and thereby to gain a permanent place at the side of the Iron Simulacrum as one of the Iron Companions. Sutermin Tethistan The official in charge of victualling the palace. Sutermin squandered much of the fortune he inherited in bad business deals, but nevertheless won appointment to the Taskay College and then to his current position, in which he earns great fortunes from the bribes offered by would-be suppliers to the Emperor's household. A haughty and arrogant man. Maglut Taramank A very wealthy merchant who is an unofficial leader of the businessmen of the city. Maglut is well known for the frequent entertainments he lays on for the populace out of his own pocket. Maglut has business interests in many cities and lands, not to mention huge agricultural estates near the city which supply much of the palace's demand for foodstuffs. Darkot the Magus Darkot is reputedly the most powerful sorcerer in Taskay. He keeps a fine house in a rich area of town, and is well known for his novel parties featuring all manner of magical display and his enormous popularity with Taskay's smart set. Darkot uses magical illusions to change his appearance with unnerving regularity. In all his varied but distinctive guises he may be recognised by the missing finger of his left hand. Jarmostin Filkar This character is the captain of the naval detachment stationed at Taskay. He has 15 small galleys under his command. Filkar is an Iron Companion belonging to the college of priests which attend upon the Iron Simulacrum and form the army's general staff. He has been stationed here 6 years and is very bored of the posting. He claims to be the finest swordsman in Taskay, a boast which results in no end of would-be contenders attempting to engineer his participation in a duel (which he usually takes care to avoid). Samistina Taramank Samistina is the most respected matron of Taskay, who is the high priestess of Samanse's temple and thus leader of the women of Taskay. She is sister to Maglut, and was married to Sutermin Themistan's predecessor until his death 8 years ago. Now 42 years of age, she is a proud, independent and very clever woman. Every titbit of gossip shared by the women of the city will at some point be picked up by one of her network of informers, and the most interesting passed on to her. Information gathered in this way has led her to suspect Sutermin of having a hand in her husband's death. Pryjarna, Holy City of Bast Pryjarna is a barrack town on the southern limit of the heartland. The city is built on a plain and surrounded by tall circuit walls. Beyond this point the landscape is barren and almost treeless, and the soil harsh and dry. The surface water in the area is mostly seasonal, but there is adequate water to be found beneath the ground for it to be used in irrigation and to supply the needs of the settled population. Stationed at Pryjana are 4000 levies drawn from the cities of Pryjana, Ramlyrra and Tarsang, a mercenary detachment of 500 Escars and some 70 Soribisi scouts, and regular troops consisting of 100 lancers and 150 Machank devouts. Most of these men are rotated between the barracks here and a string of forts along the border with the badlands. The military forces of Pryjarna clearly have quite an effect on the town's economy. Leatherworkers, blacksmiths, armourers, victuallers, prostitutes, taverners and assorted other hangers-on make their living off the soldiery. Similarly the cult of Bast, which has its great temple here, gains many worshippers from among their ranks, even though the majority of them are short-service conscripts who will probably lapse as soon as they are demobilised.. Pryjarna has a caravanserai outside the walls, abutting the earthworks of the army camp. Caravans set out from here to Djesmirket, Yegusai, Sharranket and Morkesh, although in recent years the route to Morkesh from Losteng along the Onislik valley has become more important. There is a small Sharranketan presence in the Caravanserai, agents for the merchant houses of Mirdaza and Ramsadis whose caravans pass through here en route to Tarsang. Soribisi pitch their nomad tents there, who have come to trade or who have thrown in their lot with the Taskans and come to settle. The city's circuit walls stand 20m high crowned by machicolated battlements. There are five gates, of which two have not been opened in years. The largest gives on to the Caravanserai, and is flanked by immense statues of Najoor and Bunais, the twin sons of Bast representing truth and life. Its doors are of wood studded with bronze and reinforced with bands of copper which are said to bear many enchantments of defensive magic. The city has five suburbs within the walls. These are the Priests' Quarter, the Farmers' Quarter, the Artisans' Quarter, the Soldiers' Quarter and the Holy City of Bast. The Priests' Quarter is the administrative centre of Pryjana and its environs, where the Pryjana college of the Emperor cult is located. Its focus is the Zygas Taga temple, and the open court attached to it where the priests sit in plenary session. The Holy city of Bast features the dazzling marble-faced Temple of Bast and a network of plazas, as well as the sacred Fount of Athronash, the city's necropolis and a small temple to the death god Gomorg, Basts' arch enemy. The Farmers' Quarter is the largest suburb, being a residential area, many of whose inhabitants set out from the city each morning to tend to flocks and work the field. Others are employed in workshops in the Artisans' Quarter. Pryjana is known for its metalwork, and has more workshops per head of population than any other city in the Empire. The Soldiers' Quarter is so called because this is where soldiers pass their off-duty hours if they have any money to spend. It is a place of taverns, brothels, and gambling dens. The most distinctive feature is the theatre, used for the competitions in athleticism, wrestling and marksmanship of which soldiers are very fond, and also for entertainments by local or travelling players. On the high holy day of the death god Gomorg, the theatre is used for public executions of captured enemies and condemned criminals. Those of the condemned who are strong of limb may draw for the opportunity to take part in ritual combats. The priests of Bast have the right to intervene and reprieve those who put on a courageous display. People of Importance Pryjana's notable inhabitants are: Jerenk Hasandarin Hasandarin is patriarch of Bast's cult, and chief priest of Zygas Taga. He is the only non-sorcerer to hold this title in the empire. Originally from Ramlyrra, he served his time as a soldier stationed in Pryjarna, and became a worshipper of Bast. His family were killed when the Gumathenings sacked Ramlyrra, so he decided to settle here and upon mustering out of the army he gave himself over to serving the god. Hasandarin is now 52 years old, but still strong and quite handsome. He is a highly respected statesman and a popular leader. Torporil Gutethis Torporil is commander in chief of the forces stationed at Pryjana and the associated forts and outposts. He is an Iron Companion on secondment from the military staff in attendance on the Simulacrum. At 35 years old, Torporil is an active commander, and often accompanies his men on patrol. He has as his ambition to recover some or all of the Marble Simulacrum, which was destroyed some 300 years ago in a battle at Fakash, across the southern border. He has recently heard that a hand of the Simulacrum is in the possession of s Soribisi nomad chieftain. Samisdan Jamarjin This man is the leader of Pryjarna's own militia forces, and thereby responsible for the security and defence of the city. He is a priest of Pryjarna's Emperor cult, and an initiate of Bast. At 40 years of age, Samisdan is a staid character who plays everything by the book. He is constantly irked by the antics of hell-raising soldiers in their off-duty hours, which it is his men's job to police. His only passions are for Nasindra, a Pryjarnan courtesan of celebrated beauty, and he spends as much time as possible in her company, even in public (which some regard as scandalous).