Hi everyone, I've known Tekumel for a couple of years, and it always felt like a really different and interesting world.

I bought the Tri-Stat Derived Version as soon as I saw it, and I've been reading the book calmly for about a week or so, and some culture questions have arisen in my head.

First one: If a Tsolyani citizen, member of a Clan, has a son with one of his slaves, the born child is a slave or a full clan member?
I'm thinking in this one that it depends if the son is a bastard or unrecogniced child or if he is aknowledged by the "father" as his son.

Second One: Since Clan-women are barred from outside works (outside the clan obiusly) am I to understand that all priestesses are Aridani?

Thanks beforehand ^^

The first: I think you're right. It can really depend on if the child is aknowledged or not. But on the other hand, give the existance of effective and widely available contraceptives, a child would likely be had on-purpose.

I also think I've read that such children will often be accepted, but relegated to relatively low positions within the clan. That might be wrong though.



The Second: I think you're right here. But I'm curious just in case this isn't the case. Because wouldn't it be possible to stay a "Good Clan Girl" when ones Clan had decided from the get-go they would dedicate a daughter to the priesthood? Or in a case like that, is she essentially forced into becoming an Aridani?

Good question.

I gess we'll need M.A.R. Barker to clear them out completely.

I just finished scanning through the part about Temple training in the new EPT book, and noted how it said training to become a priest begins between 6 and 13...

This only makes me wonder even more what the status of a woman-priestess is. Especially one who doesn't want to be an Aridani - does she get that training, but then get sent home with a pat on the back? Since that training is before majority, for the most part, how does that work?

I'm pretty sure that offspring of slave-free unions are slaves unless the free parent prefers otherwise, in which case the child is brought into the free parent's clan. The clans will usually prefer that members come from free parents, but if the parent of a child wants it in the clan, it will usually happen. Dulahan is probably right about their status though, children of slaves, even if clan-members, will probably have lower status in and out of the clan.

As noted, women can chew lisutl root to prevent unintended pregnancy. There's been no mention of contraceptives available to men.

All priestesses and female soldiers are Aridani, except perhaps in the most matriarchal regions of the north, where women are recognized as full people by default, and the claiming of Aridani isn't as big a deal. Even there it's probably usually a recognized part of growing up, sort of a coming-of-age ritual. In the patriarchal south it's certainly necessary.

I think the priestly training that occurs before age 14 is usually just the standard schooling for higher status children. Medium and higher level clans often (nearly always as you go up the status ladder) send their kids to an appropriate temple school, or arrange for teaching by priests or scholars in the clanhouse. Most of these kids aren't expected to go on to priestly service in that temple, it's just that the temples handle primary education. It's most often Thumis priests on the Stability side, and Ksarul for Change. However, especially in areas where one temple is particularly strong, or a clan is particularly devout, other temples may teach kids (e.g. the Flame in Fasiltum, Belkhanu in Thraya, the City of Sarku).

I imagine it's very rare for a woman to be forced into Aridani status against her will. If a clan has promised a daughter to a temple, that child will be reared with that role in everyone's mind, including her own, and she is unlikely to resist in favor of staying in the clanhouse. If she did, she'd get a lot of pressure from the clan to "do her duty," but if she was steadfast in her refusal, they'd probably back off and pick another daughter. If she was that reluctant, it would reflect badly on the clan when she got to the temple, so better to choose a more willing candidate. Of course the refuser's place in the clanhouse would probably be uncomfortable for the rest of her life, unless she found a way to marry very well indeed, or in some other way redeem herself.

Cool. Thanks for clearing that out!