This is basically the preamble to the game I am running. It effectively begins at an intersection with Adventures on Tékumel Part 2, Volume 2: Beyond the Borders of Tsolyánu, where Tsolyani troops are entering the town of Sirsum in Kilalammu.

If people are interested I can write up the adventure and put it into PDF format for download.

Antony

The Sunstaff of Kilalammu

"And from the Churitáshmu shall arise he who shall unite"

Part One:
The Sunstaff of Kilalammu An ancient symbol, a rallying point, something that may help in bringing unity to the splintered clans of the Kilalammuyani. Something that Chalamuren Churitáshmu will need if he is to realise his destiny and become ruler of a united Kilalammuyani. But this something others also seek, some to thwart Chalamuren, others with different goals in mind.

What is the Sunstaff? Here's the rub, no one seems to know. Some believe it is a device of the ancients from before the time of darkness, but if so they disagree on its properties. Others believe that it may be the staff upon which one of Engsvanyali's legions carried their great standards or it could be a symbol of the great god Vimuhla. But whatever it is tales tell that people will flock to serve whomsoever controls the Sunstaff. For Chalamuren Churitáshmu that is enough, for now. His late fathers goals have become his. Perhaps what people say, that it is his destiny to forge a nation is true. Time will tell.

Where is the Sunstaff? Another interesting question, if you don't know what it is how can you know where it is? Chalamuren Churitáshmu does not know where it is, but he believes he knows where it was, or at least there is a clue in Sirsum. Sometime ago he received word from Chalák Churitáshmu a member of Sirsum's Hall of Righteous Elders, and his father, that beneath the ancient High Citadel of Sirsum something pertaining to the staff had been found.

The news has taken some months to reach Chalamuren Churitáshmu, who had been travelling thoughout western Kilalammu, finally catching him at the town of Alasum. Almost simultaneously he learns of a devestating attack on Sirsum by the Ssu, the enemies of man. Gathering his closest companions from his warband together Chalamuren Churitáshmu departs from Alasum and taking the old sakbe road west heads for the old town of Sirsum.

Nearing the old town of Sirsum, Chalamuren Churitáshmu and his companions observe Tsolyanu troops scaling the walls of the town. One of his companions, able to see into the town from a higher vantage reports that inside the town all is quiet. There are no people moving in the streets, no cooking fires, here and there a pile of skeletal remains, though not enough to account for the populace.

"And he looked down into abandoned Sirsúm and watched as the Tsolyanu troops entered and began scouting through the empty town. He looked back at his warband, "it is time to begin."

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And when one dreams dark dreams dark days shall follow.

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La! Chlen beasts, Pocket Universes, Tinaliya not traffic cones, and Undead Legions sound fun? PM me or go to my Tekumel campaign, For the Love of Golden Sapphire.
http://www.guildportal.com/Guild.aspx?GuildID=43297

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And when one dreams dark dreams dark days shall follow.

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And when one dreams dark dreams dark days shall follow.

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And when one dreams dark dreams dark days shall follow.

A pdf would be handy, indeed!

I like pre-written adventures, as I am busier than a one-armed paper hanger, and all that rot... you know, seven kids, and older four always clamoring for another new adventure to sink their teeth into...

On Characters... I always like having some NPCs fleshed out a bit within adventures, especially if their is one main character, then I can place his/her minions in a fuller light, make some of the main NPC sort of ripple into them as well...

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Now Playing as Bri'fletl in a Temple Intrigue game...

Geez, now you've got me all intrigued, had to go look stuff up in the sourcebook. The section on the priests in Kilalammu is intriguing! Lost texts from Engsvanyali days! Powerful unknown sorceries. Lots of xenophobic monastery/temple complexes!

Is the strong Dark Trinity influence something you've decided for your campaign? It makes a lot of sense, especially given the way the political power in K. is fractured among clans. Plenty of opportunities for intrigue-minded dark priests to keep things confused and divided. Of course that could be the "old guard", maybe some younger, more radical change types might back a unification, with an eye towards the changes that would bring, and its eventual (and inevitable, in their minds) collapse...

The "Young Master" was said to be more or less friendly to the Tsolyani in Adventures on Tekumel 2/2, where is his demised recorded? Maybe he changed sides and led an ill-fated raid against a Tsolyani garrison? Or maybe he took his tribesmen down into southern Chaigari and ran afoul of the Salarvyani, looking to expand out of Fenul? Agents of the Petal Throne might even have encouraged that. Oh, I just found a Blue Room post that says his "holy war" broke and resulted in much inter-tribal conflict. Still no details though.

More sunstaff ideas:
--Maybe it's really big. A massive construction of gilded chlen-hide, with disks and rays and all kinds of arcane symbols on it. It takes a team of strong porters to move it anywhere.
--Maybe it's in pieces. The last time it was brought forth, its champion was defeated, and his senior generals/advisors distributed the parts of it among themselves to protect it from whoever they lost to. There might be piece in a hilltop temple here, a warren of a clanhouse there, a decaying guard tower somewhere else. Some groups might know they have a piece, and be willing to bring it forth if a prophecy is fulfilled, adequate inducments presented, etc. Others might no longer know they have it, or it could be forgotten in a lost storehouse somewhere.
--Maybe it's entirely lost, but the design of it still exists, and a replacement could be built, if the right craftsmen, materials, and enchanters could be brought together. To do so would require cooperation among clans and temples that have been feuding for centuries...

I got the details of the Young Master from the Blue Room Archives -

"Another reformer, also called "The Young Master," raised
the tribes of Kilalammu to rebellion for awhile. He was much loved,
much copied -- and heavily pursued. I can't say what happened to him
since the civil war in Tsolyanu."

So he may still be out there somewhere.

Making the staff part of the standard of a lost Engsvanyali legion makes sense especially as, according to the Blue Room Archives professor Barker mentioned

"I don't have my histories here before me now and cannot tell you much about
the lost Engsvanyali legion that is said to have wandered through this
region long ago. Anybody else remember?"

This was in response to a question regarding a lost Engsvanyali legion said to have settled in Kilalammu.

Per the preference for the Dark Trinity this may be an extrapolation but I have a vague memory of reading this somewhere.

It is known that Kilalammu provided some troops to the Saa Alaquiyani forming "The Red Horde of Kilalammu" led by Hasa Burai,
Chief of the lands of Suruim. "A legion formed from the men of the
tribes of the high mountains. This unit's leather armour is a curious
red and black chequered pattern showing their allegiance to the god of
fire and darkness." They're mostly archers, with some light infantry.
The archers have leather armor, chlen-hide helmets, light shields and
composite bows. The light infantry have no armor, light javelins and
daggers.

As for priests, using GoO rules I was thinking of treating them as two distinct types. The town dwelling ones as if they were normal priests like the Tsolyanu model in the book with those myterious hill-top ones similar but perhaps with access to the Shaman spells from Gardasiyal as well.

Then of course how was that large Ssu raiding party struck down with that nasty plague? A spell perhaps? It would have to be powerful to defeat Ssu skills. Is the Young Master back? What are his powers? etc. etc.

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And when one dreams dark dreams dark days shall follow.

It is possible that it is a powerful spotlight that can be seen shining into the sky even during the day. (Like is used today for advertisement.)

It's concave surface may have been filled in or it may look like the base for a statue when turned upside down.

That last post gave me this mental image of this great ancient artifact flashing signs onto clouds "Get your Akenaton burgers at Joes" being taken as a further sign that the gods are on your side

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And when one dreams dark dreams dark days shall follow.

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And when one dreams dark dreams dark days shall follow.

I forgot to mention that I have set up my Tekumel stuff on a sub-domain. You can find it at http://tekumel.skaran.net/index.html

Progress is still being made on the Sunstaff Adventure. I am currently doing floor plans for the Citadel of Tears in Alasum in Kilalammu. I am mostly done with the above ground portions of the palace and its attached keep.

A query though. The palace had a large pool, given the climate in Kilalammu do people think it would have been heated, which would mean a set of heating tunnels beneath it possibly connected to the Column of the Everflame (If you don;t know the reference have a look at my site!)

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And when one dreams dark dreams dark days shall follow.

Oh the 'young master' is still around alright. If you read the Thumis entry of the new books Mitlanyal, it reveals that Sanjesh hiKirisaya the sometimes scholar priest of Usenanu was playing the 'young master' in order to foil Dhich'une.

Seeing as Sanjesh collects stuff from the ancients, you might find that the Sunstaff is in his villa. The warnings about going there and being blown up by accident are many and varied, just see his references in the Blue Room. Something about his wife the lady Ai's Chrai ... the College at the End of Time and an ancient curse that put the lady there since the time of the Three States of the Triangle comes to mind. She is very very dangerous and happily married to Sanjesh on his fief near Usenanu.

As if that were not enough, Arumel hiChankolel and his group are all friends that Sanjesh can call on. Nothing like having the 'hero of the age' at your beck and call...

-Hlucha

Ah, but there are two characters called Young Master. I pulled this out of the archives here

"But, let's say that a "reformer" does arise. No problem, really.
It has happened lots of times on tekumel before. An heroic young
priest of Thumis, one Sanjesh hiKirisaya, called "The Young Master"
by his devotees, wandered around southern Tsolyanu for a couple of
years preaching love, mercy, gentility, and peace. He never
questioned the reality of Thumis but did question Tsolyani attitudes
and culture. Eventually, he settled down in Usenanu with a rich
and loving wife, an estate, and lots of fun artefacts of the Great
Ancients. Another reformer, also called "The Young Master," raised
the tribes of Kilalammu to rebellion for awhile. He was much loved,
much copied -- and heavily pursued. I can't say what happened to him
since the civil war in Tsolyanu."

It is this second "Kilalammuyani" Young Master who my "nationalists" would be interested in getting out and about again. Of course the two may have some relationship to each other.

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And when one dreams dark dreams dark days shall follow.