Government in Tuluk

[Mr Eggo]

I only have a bit of experience in the game...I've mostly played in Allanak where experience has taught me that the regime is unforgiving, cruel and often misguided(corrupt?)

Is it the same in tuluk? It seems lighter as I play, but I'm wondering? Is the north more enlightened then the south?

Joe

Here is an example.
While the south might be Nazi Germany...
The north isnt.

Hope that helped.










Just kidding um... from the documentation the North is an artsy culture, but they are still all under the watcful eye of the sorcerror sun-king Muk-Utep, and his templars. The north might be "enlightened" in comparison to the subdued south, I dont think the North is any less "unforgiving, cruel, or misguided(corrupt)".

In the south knowledge, and free-thought is pretty constrained. In the north bards, storytellers, artists, etc are more common, making it appear a nicer place... that is my take anyways.

[Fedaykin]

"Enlightened" is a debatable term.  Given the oppression by Allanak and the War, since it was commoners who helped hide nobles, and long with tribals and mutants, aided in ousting the Allanakis, the majority of Tuluki Templars/Nobles tend to treat the commoners a llittle better and give them a little more leeway than would their Allanaki counterparts.

Tulukis tend to pride themselves on being better in all ways than the disdainful Southern Barbarians.  Don't fool yourself though, whether these people treat commoners better because they genuinely believe they should, or whether they're simply better at hiding their real feelings, these people, templars particularly, do have the power to end your life if you rub them the wrong way, and can and will use that power if necessary.

[Marc]

Since we've heard the PRO-Tuluk side of things, lets get down to the Truth(tm).

Tuluk is the armpit of Zalanthas.  Uncontrollable barbarians run rampant through the streets, worshipping a false king and fighting the legitmite rulers of the land:  Allanak.  Rumor has it they mate with gortoks and longnecks regularly (explains all those mutants!), consume massive amounts of spice, cover themselves in tribal garmets, and in general try to be as backwards as possible.

They are doomed.

True, through devious planning, many sold souls, and a vast amount of pure luck, these barbarians unhinged the safety shackles that Allanak had so graciously put on them.  They turned their back to civilization in an attempt to be "free".  And now all they have to show for it is a bunch of gortok bred/in-hiding nobles and templars who follow the teachings of the village idiot (Muk Utep)

But it wont last.

No one can oppose Tektolnes forever.  If you northern wankers don't realize that soon, you may just end up taking a sand nap.  Just look at Stenial.

[Angela Christine]

In the south a templar might throw you in the arena and then put your head on a spike at the gates or in the Gaj as a warning to others.  In the north a Templar might make you disappear without a word, also as a warning to others.

In the South they will fine you, torture you, let you rot in a cell, cut off body parts, throw you in the arena or send you to the mines for breaking the law.  In the north I've seen people "sentanced" to go work in the stables for the day, rather than the cells.  I guess it is more useful ICly and having people stop by and laugh at you for having to shovel kank shit make more impression on the criminal than being idle in a dark room would.  OOCly spending half an hour in a stable pretending to work is more fun than spending that time alone in a dark cell.  You don't see many people who claim to have been tortured by Templars in the North, I don't know if this indicates that northern templars are less sadistic, or just that once they start torturing you they finish the job rather than putting you back on the streets.  People are more likely to be disappeared than publicly executed, but that isn't necessarily an improvement.

It is definately a different culture, and I'm impressed by how the staff and players have managed to make the two cities feel quite different.  The northern templars seem nicer on the surface, but I wouldn't push it.  Things are often not as they seem.

AC

[Meep]

Also, you're likely to find different aspects to the personalities of citizens. Northern citizens tend to be a LOT more vocal and active about their patriotism. Whereas in the south you'd find templars more apt to torture, arenacize and more apt to remind citizens of Tektalones's watchful eye, in the north, the commoners will usually make it quite clear who is the ruler and dissenters to that fact tend to shun others and make it more obvious.

Also, just because people aren't publically executed, they ARE disappeared without a trace, never to be seen and bother templars again.

[creeper386]

Northern citizens tend to be a LOT more vocal and active about their patriotism. Whereas in the south you'd find templars more apt to torture, arenacize and more apt to remind citizens of Tektalones's watchful eye, in the north, the commoners will usually make it quite clear who is the ruler and dissenters to that fact tend to shun others and make it more obvious.

Personally, I feel this is more just the players then how things are. Southern commoners may not have the patriatism that comes from over throwing an oppressive force, but they have been raised that Teknoltes is in control, they are raised to worship him. It's also kind of like seeing alot more people in the south pushing the limits when it comes to nobles and such. This is just the players not how it is. Southerners are raised to beleive nobles ARE better. They know no different. Just because the players don't tend to take any worship or go for morning devotion much, doesn't mean the southerners all think Teknoltes is an oppressive bastard and they wish he wasn't there.

For the idea that the north is alittle "freer" or more open or what not... Maybe. I think the commoners would have more leeway do to the space between nobles and commoners being closer. Which I beleive is true since the nobles spent alot of time in hiding with the commoners and such.

Creeper

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

One thing that has to be said... Sure, life might be better in Northlands for your average person... But not if you're a magicker. If you're a magicker, you'd want be in Allanak. Heck, if you're a magicker you'd probably rather be in the Salt Flats chatting with a mekkillot, or cleaning the notorious Byn latrines, or just about anywhere else. Tulukis hate and fear all magickers. The same's pretty much true in Allanak, but at least there is some attempt to tolerate them (Yes, I'm talking about magicker gems).

But other then that, I'd have to agree with Creeper for the most part, and 'freer' or 'enlightened' are tricky words, and sort of rare in Armageddon. But there you go.

[naatok]

"The government of Tuluk is not, in any sense, founded upon the Draconian religion."

Well, I think some people are a bit confused about the idea of the North being
under an 'enlightened' form of feudal government.

I'm just going to list some facts about the north which make it dissimilar from Allanak.  All of what is said below can be found in the various documents on Zalanthas on the Documentation site (www.armageddon.org)

In the ancient (hundreds of years) past, Tuluk was attacked by a force that people still refer to as 'The Dragon'.  Many do not believe in the ancient legend of 'The Dragon of Zalanthas', but legend has it that this was an unbelievably powerful magickal being of sorcerous nature and malignant intent who once ruled the entire stretch of the Known World, slaying all who would oppose its dark, mysterious will before it mysteriously departed, allowing its empire to crumble and the city-states to rise.  Anyway, so legend also has it that this being returned and attacked Tuluk, reducing a large portion of the old Tuluki commons to a deep crater before His Gloriousness, the Sun King Muk Utep somehow managed to drive the menace off.

In the eyes of his people, Muk Utep was not only a powerful king after this, but a most benevolent savior of his people.  Then, later, came the 'Horror' and the fall of Tuluk.  The once magnificient city of the Sun King was laid waste by some horrible force that most agree was most certainly the result of vile magick.

It was in the aftermath of this devastation that the whole of the northlands decided that ALL magick not directly attributable to the Sun King and his Faithful was evil, and all practitioners of magick were intolerable potential sources of trouble and to be driven out or destroyed.

Then came the rebuilding of Tuluk under the watchful and tight control of His Faithful, Isar and Kul, followed by the sorrow of the Southern Invasion and Occupation of the Gol Krathu, the beloved plain of the city-state of Tuluk, now nothing more than spotted villages and fortified manor homes to the west of the ruins of Old Tuluk.

During the Occupation, many nobles were slain by the Allanaki forces, others escaped into the wilds or were hidden by the common populace of Tuluk.  These were dark times for those living in the Gol Krathu.  Under Allanaki law, those caught harboring the former nobility of Tuluk were tortured and publicly executed.  Whole families of nobility and commoner alike perished in this manner.

The rebellion against the Cruel Southerners was led by nobles, and a handful of His Faithful still alive and not hidden within the Gleaming White Pyramid of the Sun King along with the Precentors and Muk Utep himself.  The common people of Tuluk fought and died along-side their noble and Templar leaders in an effort to weaken the occupation force for a successful revolt...and it worked.

After the successful overthrow of the Allanaki forces, Tuluki society and government was reshaped by the very forces which helped to give it new bloom.  Entire families of nobility owed their very existence to the common families and people who hid them during the long years of the occupation.
The nobility formed a new relationship with the common masses based upon this, and a new-found, mutual respect.

Once again, the Tuluki Government was reestablished with the Triumvrate of Muk Utep, his Faithful Templars, and the Senatorial body of His Chosen, the nobility.

What people have referred to as 'enlightenment' in the north is simply the fact that the common populace of Tuluk is faithful to those who rule more out of love and respect than abject fear, as is more the case in Allanak.  Tulukis, noble, Templar and common alike ALL went through the grist-mill of the Occupation and Revolution together, and as such the ties of respect are stronger and closer in the north than in Allanak.

When it comes down to the bottom line, the fact remains that Templars are Templars, the voice and enforcement of the Will of the Sun King.  Nobles are Nobles.  They are the Chosen of the Sun King...Chosen to lead the people.  They are better than common because they ARE noble.  The commoners are the subjects of Muk Utep and servant vassals to the Chosen and Faithful.  Everyone knows his or her place, or if not, they are quickly reminded of it by Templar, Noble AND Common.

Crimes are punished in Tuluk.  Just because there are not public sessions of torture, mutilation and execution in Tuluk does not mean people in the North are free to run rampant.  The Tuluki system of justice is shaped now by the horrors of justice during the Occupation.  People are not publicly executed except for the most heinous of crimes such as treason.  Public executions in Tuluk are not the bloody spectacles they are in Allanak.  The Templarate prefers bloodless and quick executions.  For the most part, those who cross the Will of Muk Utep and his Chosen and Faithful simply disappear without a trace, which is preferable considering the stain of the horrors of the Occupation that are still on the memories of all Tulukis.

Punishments for minor infractions are more 'practical'  shaped to serve the city-state and remind the people of their place rather than to simply punish.  Servants are to be reminded of their station by serving, not by pain and torture.

Just because you see Tuluki citizens, Templar, Noble and Common all sitting together in public places and chatting doesn't mean these people do not all know their stations and understand the hierarchy that is the new Tuluki Order.  It may look strange to those from the South, but to Tulukis, the boundaries between the different stations are quite clear!