Introducing Tékumel

Having thought about just how useful the first two Tékumel novels are in giving a sense of what characters might do in this famously complex and alien setting, I found myself (once again) reminded of the set-up provided in the original Empire of the Petal Throne.

For convenience's sake, it is assumed that all player characters arrive in a small boat at the great Tsolyáni port city of Jakálla. It is also assumed that everyone speaks understandable, though non-native, Tsolyáni and can read the modern form of this language.

The rulebook goes on to explain that, as foreign refugees, the PCs may not travel about the Empire freely until they have reached level 3. In the meantime, to travel and earn money for their upkeep, they need to acquire Tsolyáni patron, who can assist them in these matters. In this way, EPT provides a perfect rationale for adventuring, particularly since, given the nature of Tsolyáni society, there are activities that the natives might wish done but would not wish to do themselves. Enter the player characters.

I honestly think this set-up is the best way to introduce newcomers to Tékumel. This structure makes no demands on the players except that they understand that they're strangers in a strange land, looking for work. That they no little or nothing about the complexities of Tsolyáni culture is, frankly, a plus, since their characters wouldn't know much either. Furthermore, EPT even includes rules for determining whether the characters make some social faux pas that results in trouble -- perfect fodder for yet more adventures! Also, such occasions allow the referee to introduce unfamiliar elements of Tsolyáni society to the PCs (and, through them, to their players), thereby slowly initiating them in the complexities of the setting.

Now, this set-up isn't needed for campaigns after the first, if you have a steady group of players. Indeed, they might well bore of the "fish out of water" approach EPT advocates. But, for first time players, I think it's a brilliant way to begin a campaign, so brilliant in fact that I frequently find myself wanting to start up an EPT campaign with total newbies to see how well it works in play. Maybe that's something to consider in the weeks to come (assuming I can find both the time and the players) ...