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 3 Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM Content-Return: Prohibited Precedence: junk --------------------- From: 100102.3001@CompuServe.COM (Peter J. Whitelaw) Subject: non-Gloranthan Notes. Batch Two. Message-ID: <940530153036_100102.3001_BHJ55-4@CompuServe.COM> Date: 30 May 94 15:30:36 GMT X-RQ-ID: 4262 Hi folks, The first Batch concerned two island cultures, Sharranket and Valos. Now we move onto the main body of the notes for this region of the campaign world - The Taskan Empire. THE TASKAN EMPIRE ================== The Taskan Empire was built by Zygas Taga, a warlord of Jekkarene birth who became involved in the internecine wars of the Tarsenian city states. In his march from the Jekkarid he had briefly invested the city of Sorandib, but was bought off by the king with promises of arcane secrets through which he would fulfil a destiny unimaginable for a mortal man. Zygas Taga achieved his apotheosis one year later, when after entering the city of Taskay at the head of his army the conquered inhabitants begged for his protection and offered sacrifice to his name. The year in standard reckoning was 903, and Zygas Taga was then approaching his 40th birthday. Over the next 17 years Zygas Taga campaigned around the Gulf of Taskay bringing the remaining Tarsenian peoples under his rule. Once this was achieved he retired from public life, leaving in his place a magical creature fashioned in his likeness by the artificiers of Sorandib to lead his armies and hear petitions from his subjects. The Marble Simulacrum ruled for 6 years, and led Taskan armies to the conquest of Yegusai. It was finally destroyed as the Taskans attempted to cross the Korazoon desert to attack Djesmirket, by the combined forces of Djesmir, Harran and the Soribisi. Of an army 18000 strong only 600 men escaped to Pryjarna with their lives. Within 3 years Zygas Taga presented the Empire with a second regent, this one made of iron. The Age of the Iron Simulacrum has now lasted for nearly 300 years, and during this time the Taskan Empire has conquered the Escar horse-people and the Thennalt kingdom of Camtri, and the deified emperor has been declared husband-protector to the Jekkarene moon-goddess. Many now think that conflict is inevitable with the city-states of Korantia, which have without exception rejected demands for tribute. With the sanction of their ineffectual emperor, the Korantines have formed a league which threatens war on any state which falters in its rejection of Taskan overlordship. Tarsenia: Heartland of the Taksan Empire The Imperial heartland is the land of Tarsenia, which is constituted by the coastal basin of the Gulf of Taskay. It is a heavily cultivated and densely populated region, long inhabited by a people speaking the language known as Tarsenian. This is the native tongue of Taskay, Tarsang, Pryjarna, Ramlyrra, Lagash, Felkar, Zarina and Losteng. Osrolian, spoken in Losteng, Ronanda and Sorandib, is closely related, differing by 5% in game terms. Tarsenian is often referred to as Taskan, especially in the provinces. The region has a pleasant, mediterranean climate, but the further south one travels from the shores of the Gulf, the hotter and drier it becomes until you reach the Korazoon desert. On the North side of the Gulf there is a narrow strip of cultivated land before you reach the forested foothills of the Tengissian Plateau, where the temperature often falls below zero in the winter months. Society and Government The rites of emperor worship unite the Empire, and all who participate are counted among its citizens, deserving of the Emperor's protection, whatever their race or nationality. Nevertheless all the religious and administrative affairs of the empire are conducted in the Tarsenian tongue and according to the customs of the heartland. The hierarchy of Zygas Taga's cult, at the head of which the Iron Simulacrum acts as chief intermediary between Emperor and people, fulfils the role of government. Each province of the Empire and each district of the homeland has its own college of priests to rule it. These priests are chosen for their expertise and skills useful for good government. Each college is chaired by a chief priest, usually a sorcerer, who guards the magical means of communicating directly with the Emperor. The College of the Iron Companions, which is chaired by the Iron Simulacrum himself, has as its province the Taskan army, and its members take precedence over those of all other colleges. High birth still has its advantages, but the aristocracy have no particular privileges in Tarsenian society. The Emperor himself once said, "Good birth is merely inherited wealth". Any good citizen who manages to win fame and fortune may elevate himself through his own efforts. It is also common for people from all levels of society to join the same associations peculiar to Tarsenian city life. These associations may be dining or drinking clubs, small cults, guilds, funerary associations, veterans groups or a combination of any of these elements, and a citizen may belong to several such societies meeting anything from once per week to once per year. They reflect the Tarsenian passion for co-operative action and mutual support, for building up networks of information and influence, and above all for rituals, however informal those rituals might be. The Tarsenians are an urbanised people, and at the heart of each district of Tarsenia is a city with its own Emperor-cult, institutions and traditions. Each of these cities has a character of its own, partly inherited from when they were all independent city-states, and partly derived from the special niche each has found within the conglomerate economy of the Empire. A typical Tarsenian city is divided into several quarters with their own administrators and public servants, responsible for regulating construction and demolition work, sanitation, water supply and local bye-laws. As officials who have experience of serving in this capacity may one day be co-opted to a priesthood within the Emperor-cult, wardenships are much sought-after. Candidates purchase the right to stand for election, and are chosen by ballot of the local residents. Each city will have temples to Zygas Taga and perhaps several other deities. In addition there are colonnaded courts or plazas where public rites are performed. At other times these public areas are used for civic activities such as trade fairs, courts and tribunals, electoral ballots or as places where schoolmasters and teachers gather their students for teaching and instruction. The most important is Emperor's Court, always adjacent to the Zygas Taga temple, the place where the Emperor-cult priests who are the government executive conduct their business in the open air, perhaps shielded from the elements by awnings and pavilions. Some cities also have a theatre, a rectangular arena with tiered seating where entertainments are provided for the populace by the Emperor-cult or by wealthy individuals on festal days. At other times it is available for hire by performing companies as a venue for their productions. Those cities lacking this facility generally put up temporary seating in a public space as and when required. Currency The official currency of the Empire is the Taskeen. The obverse shows the Simulacrum seated on a military stool, the reverse shows the emblem of whichever college of Emperor-cult priests minted it. The Taskeen is a nominally silver piece, although silver content varies with the date and place struck. A copper penny or 'bit' is used for smaller transactions, of which there are five to the Taskeen. Religion Although all citizens of the Empire belong to the cult of Emperor worship, most are also involved in other religious or magical activities. The Tarsenian race has its own array of gods and demigods, which are in character like men writ large - far less abstract than the civic gods of the Korantines, for example. These are often the object of worship of small groups of worshippers meeting in private, although the major divinities have public rites and festivals as well. There are no legal restrictions on private worship, although from time to time in the Empire's history a particular cult may be declared outlaw due to its subversive or anti-social activities. One such was the cult of Nosthagua, the patron god of beggars, which 20 years ago had become little short of a thieves' guild, as well as being behind some nasty rioting in Zarina and Pryjarna. The Simulacrum in that instance made an appearance in Zarina, ruthlessly suppressed the rioting and commanded the execution of the ringleaders. Many Tarsenians dabble in sorcery, and many join obscure foreign cults for obscure personal reasons. The social clubs mentioned above frequently have a magical or religious character to them. Examples of cults which have a particular social function are those of Thesh, whose devotees form the Imperial guard stationed at Taskay, and Jezri, a goddess whose virgin acolytes form dancing troupes who make an appearance at most public festivals and at other times act as handmaidens to the temples of Zygas Taga and the moon goddess Jekkara. Since the appearance of the Sanekite Monotheists in Djesmirket and the spread of that creed to neighbouring lands, it has been recognised that this religion is incompatible with Taskan emperor-worship. As a result Djesmiri holy-men are frequently viewed with suspicion in Taskan lands, although most cities of the heartland probably have one or two associations of Sanekites among its inhabitants. Tarsenians generally cremate their dead. The ashes are gathered up and placed in a pottery urn, which is itself then interred in a mortuary house belonging to a family, regiment, cult or funeral society. The mortuary houses are grouped together into Necropoleis. Only the god Bast has the Resurrection magic, and his initiates are interred intact without cremation, as a symbol that even those not revived are spared incarceration in the realm of the death god Gomorg. Military Every citizen of the Empire must be prepared to do militia service between the ages of 16 and 40. Communities outfit their militia along traditional lines, which in the heartland means with spear and shield except in Ramlyrra where bows are the norm, in Zarina where citizens of a certain property qualification must equip themselves with a horse, and in Tarsang where the poorest citizens need equip themselves with no more than a sling. Militiamen serve for two years, and after that time are only eligible for compulsory mobilisation in times of emergency and by special decree, although they must report each Army Day for review and for occasional training. The annual levy is held at a meeting of all able-bodied souls on Army Day, which takes place in the spring. All those who have served their time in the ranks stand to one side of the field, being ineligible for the levy. The recruiting officers then call out their pick of what remains, and those selected fall in behind the standards. Once this is done veterans are invited to volunteer their services for a new term as corporals on bonus pay with camp privileges. They will help to train and lead the raw recruits. Militia units serve right across the Empire, often on garrison duty, but also to bolster the field army when it is operating in the same region. The Taskan field army is made up of professional soldiers who have signed up for a 25 year term, and mercenary units contracted for shorter periods. It is led by the Iron Companions, the college of Emperor-cult priests in attendance upon the Iron Simulacrum, who is the commander-in-chief. A great tent is carried with the army which acts as a portable temple to Zygas Taga. The core of the army is some 30000 strong, to which there are usually attached a further 5000 or more mercenaries and any number of militia levies. As much as possible militia units are used for garrison duties, in order to reduce depletion of the field army for such tasks. The professional soldiery are mostly recruited at the city of Felkar, and recruiting sergeants stationed across the Empire forward volunteers on to Felkar for induction and training. The field army is made up of differing sorts of troops, but it is best known for its swordsmen and its halberdiers. There is also an elite unit of 1000 heavily armoured horsemen, and there are the Unconquerable Heroes of Taskay, 300 of whom form an honour guard to the Simulacrum armed with muskets, the latest innovation from the artificiers of Sorandib. Character Generation Characters from Tarsenia should be generated using the rules for civilised cultures. If the character is selected for military service (abstracted to STR+CON+SIZ on D100), 2 years of their background should be taken as per a soldier. If the player wishes to circumvent this, characters may use starting money to buy their way out, at a cost of 500 pennies, thus being left continue their original occupation uninterrupted. Cultural Weapons: Dagger (Dirk) 20% Spear (1 Handed) 25% or (2 Handed) 20% Medium Shield 25% or Buckler 20% Composite Bow 20% (Ramlyrra 30%) or Sling (Tarsang) 25% Halberd 20% Sword (Falchion) 25%