A Pointless Introduction

Hello there.

My name is Jeremy Harper, and I've been involved in the hobby of roleplaying for over twenty-five years – a scary sum of years, now that I consider it. I am not a published writer nor an industry insider nor a prominent member of any current theoretical cliques or movements active in this hobby. I'm just a humble practitioner who prefers the pleasures of running a campaign over those of being a player. The group of friends I game with enjoy the games I run, and I take some satisfaction in that. I'm post semi-regularly over at the RPG.Net forums, though my comments attract little attention – probably good proof that I'm not an intellectual or creative heavyweight.

Anyway, the purpose of this blog, The Glory of High Adventure, is to chronicle my perhaps futile attempt to start and run a Tekumel campaign. This will be the first time I've run a game set in Professor M.A.R. Barker's magnificent science fantasy setting, and I hope it will at the very least be an interesting and enlightening experience for me. I will be using the classic TSR Empire of the Petal Throne rules (I have a copy of the Different Worlds reprint) with additional background material derived from Swords and Glory Volume One, Tekumel: The Empire of the Petal Throne from Guardians of Order, and various resources from around the Internet. Players in my game will be using the 'barbarians arriving in Jakalla to make their fortune' set-up recommended by the EotPT rules, and initial adventures will most likely consist of explorations into the Underworlds beneath that ancient and depraved port city. However, I've always liked to give my players as much freedom of action as possible, and will try my best to create scenarios that match their interests and ambitions – an 'Old School' sensibility that I've tried to practice a long time before I was ever aware of the current Old School Renaissance. As for posts here, I will be writing alternately about my efforts to devise environments and plots, my thoughts (such as they are) about Tekumel and aspects of the setting that my adventures and campaign will touch upon, along with session recaps and player responses.

The campaign will begin play during the year 2354 AS, as detailed in the EotPT background section. Emperor Hirkane Tlakotani sits on the Petal Throne in Avanthar, hale yet aged. His heirs are preparing their strategies for the inevitable succession while the four major political parties in Tsoylanu plot against each other. General Kettukal remains in 'voluntary' exile in Chene Ho while the Baron Ald prepares the armies of Yan Kor and his mysterious Weapon Without Answer for his war of revenge against the Empire. I suspect this will remain the status quo for my campaign for at least the first few game years. Will my players eventually become involved in these matters? Hopefully we'll find out over the coming weeks.