What was Tuluk like before the occupation?

[spicemustflow]

From what I understand, many customs and traditions in Tuluk originated from people's desire to show that they're better and more advanced than the southern barbarian oppressors. No bowing is the first thing that comes to mind. Sublety was, I assume, developed in the rebelion days where it was a tool to carry on plots under the noses of the occupators.

What about the other aspects of the culture that are different? Were they always there? How did the people feel towards their Sun King? Was he a 'benevolent' bringer of light as he is now, or a brutal and feared tyrant? Since nobles weren't so chummy with the rabble before they were forced to hide among it, I assume the two cities had much in common.

[Eloran]

Tuluk changed mostly during the Rebellion.

Before that time you had "sun clerics" and "shamans" waltzing down the streets. It was very very similar to Allanak.

So yes, the Rebellion, I'd say, really helped bring about a lot of the changes that you see today in Tuluk. A lot of things were player created too.

If I'm not mistaken, "Faithful" and "Chosen" were terms the playerbase created in game. I remember calling nobles "m'lord" and "m'lady" for years in Tuluk. Then, one day around 2002/2003, I was reamed by a noble and told to -never- call them that again, that I should refer to them as "Chosen Lady."

Certain things just sorta took on, over time.

Lastly, I think that Tulukis have always worshiped Muk Utep with a sort of fanaticism. Whether that fanaticism is a front or is real is up to that particular person.

Oh, and for those who think Tuluk is a bitch to navigate now, you should have seen the old version. I like the new version many times over compared to the first incarnation.

[Bushranger]

True. I still miss Flint's though

[Jenred]

I liked Tuluk during the rebellion, when it was a merchant town mostly with Freil's being the point of excitement. Now its big and clunky. I really liked the "country" atmosphere, like it was a quiet getaway... equipped with dangers of a frontier-style lifestyle. Metro-Tuluk is unwieldly. I don't know how Tuluk was pre-2000-ish. Ever since I've been playing it was ruined Tuluk and then what we have now, which was almost like building from scratch.

[Kronibas]

I liked Tuluk during the rebellion, when it was a merchant town mostly with Freil's being the point of excitement.

I agree with you here.  I remember playing an informant/saboteur for the Rebellion during that time, and it was awesome.

House Kadius got shafted when they made 2.Tuluk... before, Freil's was like Kadius' version of Luir's, complete with a crim code.  It was an enterable village item.  Good stuff.

[LoD]

I really enjoyed Old Tuluk, even though mapping it was a complete nightmare.  In no specific order:

> I enjoyed that the Red Sun Commons was the "central" part of Tuluk traffic, with Flint's in the NW corner.

> I enjoyed the atmosphere and feel of the elven quarter.

> I was always curious about the Arena that was never used or open.

> Tankin's Gamehouse down in the crater was one of the more interesting locations shrouded in mystery.

> I enjoyed that magickers were tolerated, but still segregated from the rest of the populace -- off in the Temple of the Twin Moons on the far eastern side of the city.

That said, I also enjoyed the Rebellion and the ruins of Old Tuluk very much.  It was a completely different and welcome atmosphere that provided some unique RP opportunities throughout its chapter.

-LoD

[Vizhon]

Old Tuluk as I remember it was not that much of a nightmare to navigate. It had a few streets that crossed each other without ever meeting in a few locations that made no sense, but it wasn't that bad. I liked and I miss old Tuluk. As I remember it, it was about one half to the third the size of what allanak is now and a tiny piece of what Tuluk is now, the new city built in what used to be the fields outside the city.

There was, just inside the south outer walls where the Guar Pandu roads went through was a ruined observatory where magickers often hunk out. Haven't seen it since New Tuluk was started. Inside that, it was basically fields surrounding the inner city that is now old Tuluk with gates on all 4 sides, but the southern gates were never opened anytime I saw.

The layout of the city had the streets laid out by crafter type. There was a ropemaker's district, a stonecarver's district, and so on. Just inside their caravan gate, or the west gate was a player started and player run Merchant compound that was one of the smaller houses still exists across the game as a small NPC house that deals in hunting gear and odds and ends. They had a compound in Allanak too, before the earthquakes that reshaped there.

Northwest corner of the city was a couple shops. Southwest corner was the poor district. Just past the PC run merchant compound was the red sun commons with the bazaar just beyond it to the east. The bazaar was small, but had shops from all the major houses. Old Flint's where players could actually wrestle other players existed in the northwest corner of the Red Sun Commons. You couldn't go east out of the area, but had to go around the Bazaar to go deeper into Tuluk.

The north edge of Tuluk was mostly lesser noble and wealthy homes. The Arena was in the middle of the city but rarely used with a raise causeway connecting it to the Ivory Pyramid just to it's south. South of that was 'chosen' and templar district that you had to go around the north side of the arena to get around going to the west end of the city.

Just east of the Arena was the temple quarter where there were open public temples to all the major four elements and there were almost always magickers sitting around there comparing notes and ripping off spells. Though a subtle sorcerer couldn't get away with casting magick themselves, there, in some of the temples, they could get away with discussing their arts with elementalists. East and south of there was the crater with the poorest of poor neighborhoods down there. Just south of the crater was the library, which was not open to the public but did exist in a pretty public location.

In this city in between these various major locations were various streets with assorted houses on them, but there was nothing like apartments back then.

And personally, I think Tuluk hasn't gotten better but worse with each change made to it. I would have liked to have seen old Tuluk fixed like 'Nak was and not completely demolished like it was, to be remolded into something that doesn't even match the documentation on the north anymore in how it actually works.

[Ourla]

That is so cool, Vizhon!  I've always wondered about Old Tuluk myself, since I only started playing around three years ago.  I especially liked the part about that player-started-and-now-NPC merchant House.  I did once wander into Old Tuluk through a strange place in the Red Desert due to a code bug, but there was nobody around to talk to.

What I'd like to know is more about how magick came to be completely outlawed in Tuluk.  I know that it was a result of player-driven influence.  Oldbies... what's up with that?

[FantasyWriter]

I would assume this is why:

*1450
    A terrifying and presumably magickal cataclysm strikes the city-state of Tuluk, leaving it to be nothing more than a pile of rubble and ruins. Over seventy thousand people are killed that day in what has since come to be known as the Fall of Tuluk.

I would think a magicker walking into Tuluk would be the equvilent of a skin-head in a WWII Nazi uniform walking into a synagogue.

[Salt Merchant]

I don't see how posting this can do harm now. Old Tuluk (part 1):



  Tuluk: Merchant's and Tradesman's Districts   (82nd/Asc, Year 19/19th Age)
  ===========================================

    si-si-si                                                           N
    :                                                                  |
    pd-pd----pd    DK                     +hc----hc----hc----hc     W-- --E
    :        :     :     +                 :                 :         |
pd-pd-HN RR-pd----tp-ct-kc                hc                hc        S
:           :     :                       :                 :
:           :     tp-lc-------------------tc-lc----lc----lc-lc-sr-sr-
:           :     :                       :              :     :
:     NF    :  FT tp-od+sg                hc-hc-JW       :     :   (stadium)
:     :     :  :  :     +                    :           :     :
pd----pd----pd-rs-rs-rs kh-KS       KJ-kt hc-hc+         :     :
:     :     :  :  :  :  :  :        :  :  :  +           :     :
:     bd ok-MK :  :  :  KD-mc-------mc-KC :              :     :
:        :     :  :  :     :        :     :              :     :
:     DM wk    :  :  :     :        :     :              :     :
:     :  :     :  :  :     :        :     :              :     :
+ic----rc-rc    :  :  :     :  kw TS :     :              :     :
:     :  :     :  :  :     :  :  :  :     :              :     :
:     GB rc----rs-rs-rs-tp-mc-pc-pc-mc    :              rb    sr
:              :  :  :     :  :  :  :     :              :     :
:           wy-rs-rs-rs-UW :  FB CC :     :              :     :
:                 :        :        :     :              :     :
:                 wc    SW-mc-------mc-CS :              :     :
:  +              :     :  :        :     :              :     :
pr-pr             :     ss-SA       CS    :           wc-wc----sr
:  :              :                       :           :        :
    pr----pr----pr-wc----------wc----------wc-wc-------wc       sr
                :              :              :        :        :
                :              rw          em-em-em-JP :        :
                :                          :  :  :     :        :
                :                       sl-em-ce-em    :        :
                :                          :  :  :     :        :
               -pr-------pr----------------em-em-em-BE :        :
                :        :                    :        :  +     :
   (warrens)             pr-------------pr----sc-------sc-sc----sc-oj
                                        :                 :        +
                                       -pr                tw
                                        :                 +

  Key to Map
  ==========
  :   route north/south                 tc  Trademan's Court
  -   route east/west                   tp  The Trader's Path
  +   door/gate                         tw  Thidan's Workshop
                                        wc  Woodcarver's Road
  bd  Behind the Desert Moon            wk  The Wagonyard of House Kohmar
  ce  Center of the Elven Market        wy  The Wagon Yard
  ct  Spacious Courtyard
  em  Elven Market                      BE  The Baazrag's Eye Tavern
  hc  Hemp Court                        CC  Chaitya's Cured Foods
  ic  Inside Caravan Gate               CS  Caravan Stables
  kh  Kuraci Storehouse                 DK  Deuring-Kuraci Storehouse
  kt  Kadian Storehouse                 DM  The Desert Moon Tavern
  kw  The King's Weaponer               FB  Fijaken's Botanical Enchantments
  lc  Loom Court                        FT  Flint's Tavern
  mc  Merchants' Circle                 GB  The Grey Bowyer
  od  Offices of House Deuring          HN  House Nenyuk Bank
  oj  Outside Jihae's Gate              JP  Januk's Pawn and Trade
  ok  Offices of House Kohmar           JW  Jahan's Workshop
  pc  Peddler's Court                   KC  Kadian Clothing Market
  pd  Peddler's Road                    KD  Kuraci Desert Market
  pr  Potter's Road                     KJ  Kadian Jewelry Market
  rb  Road of Bones                     KS  Kuraci Spice Market
  rc  Road of Caravans                  MK  House Kohmar Market
  rs  The Red Sun Commons               NF  The Northland Fletcher
  rw  Rameswaram's Workshop             RR  Raial's Compleate Rigging
  sc  Stonecutter's Road                SA  Salarr's Armor Market
  sg  Stone Gardens                     SW  Salarr's Weapon Market
  si  Silver Road                       TS  Traveller's Stock and Supply
  sl  Slaver's Circle                   UW  Uramgarh's Water Cask
  sr  Stadium Road

[Salt Merchant]

Old Tuluk (part 2):



  Tuluk:  The Warrens   (174th Day/Low Sun, Year 19/19th Age)
  ===================

                        PR-------PR                           N
                        :        :                            |
                  ba----da----da PR-PR----PR               W-- --E
                  :           :           :                   |
                  :        fa-da----da----PR-PR               S
                  :        :        :     :  :
               ba-ba       fa-fa    :     :  :
               :           :  :     :     :  :
               ba-ba-wa-dw-w4 :     :     :  :             <underwarrens>
                  :           :     :     :  :
                  ba----------sa----sa    :  PR----PR      4w
                  :                 :     :        :        :
                  wa                :     :        :       dw-3w
                  :                 :     :        :
dw-wa-wa-wa    w2-dw-w3             :     :        :
:  :  :  :     :                    :     :        :
:  :  sa-+-----rc-rc-sa-------------sa    da       :             2w
:  :     :     :  :                 :     :        :             :
:  :     wa-wa-rc-rc                :     da-cr----PR      sc dw-dw
:  :           :                    :        :     :         \:
dw dw da-------da----------------da-da-------da    :          dw
:  :  :        :                 :           :     :          :
:   --w1-      :                 :           wa    wa      1w-dw
:        :     :                 :           :     :
dw-------dw-dw wa                de----wa-dw-dw-dw-dw
            :  :
            dw-dw


  Key to Map
  ==========
  :    route north/south                     wa   Warrens
  -    route east/west
  \    route up/down                         w1   Warrens (down to 1w)
  +    routes cross but don't intersect      w2   Warrens (down to 2w)
                                             w3   Warrens (down to 3w)
  ba   Barren Alley                          w4   Warrens (down to 4w)
  cr   Cross Roads
  da   Dusty Alley                           1w   Deep Warrens (up to w1)
  de   Dead End Alley                        2w   Deep Warrens (up to w2)
  dw   Deep Warrens                          3w   Deep Warrens (up to w3)
  fa   Filthy Alley                          4w   Deep Warrens (up to w4)
  rc   Rogue's Circle
  sa   Stone Alley                           PR   Potter's Road
  sc   Small Courtyard

[Salt Merchant]

Old Tuluk (part 3):



  Tuluk: The High Quarter   (230th Day/Low Sun, Year 19/19th Age)
  =======================

    +        +
    is-rp-rp-rp    da    br               N
    :        :     :     :                |
    :        pc-pc-rp-rp-br+           W-- --E
    :        :  :        :                |
1 -sr-sr-sr-pc-pc       :                S
    :     :     :        :
          sr    ur----br-br-ws
    2     :     :     :  :  :                             +
          :     :     :  AP :                             nr-nr
          :     :     :     :                                :
          sr----ur rm-rm-rm-ws-ws----------------ws----------nr
          :     :  :  :  :     :                 :           :
          :     :  rm-rm-rm  --             -----no          :
          :     :     :     :              :     :           :
          sr----ur vp-vp----wp-            :      --ne----   :
          :     :  :  :        :           :        :     :  :
          :     :  :  wm-wm-wm-wp----      nw----tw :     :  :
          :     :  :  :  :  :  :     :     :     :  :     :  :
          sr----ur-sp-wm-wm-wm ru- 3 :  we-   tv-tt-tr  --ea-nr
          :        :  :  :  :  :     :  :     :  :     :
          ol       :  wm-wm-wm :     :  :     :  ts----se
                   :     :     :     :  :     :        :
                   sp----sp----ru    :   -----sw-      :
                   :     :     :     :           :     :
                   da da-da           -----------so----
                               4

  Key to Map
  ==========
  :   route north/south          sr  Stadium Road
  -   route east/west            sw  Southwest of the Konorak
  +   door/gate                  tr  Temple of the Earth
                                 ts  Temple of the Sun
  br  Belur's Road               tv  Temple of the Waters
  da  Dusty Alley                tw  Temple of the Wind
  ea  East of the Konorak        ur  Uaptal's Road
  is  Inside Stadium Gate        vp  Vivadu's Path
  ne  Northeast of the Konorak   we  West of the Konorak
  no  North of the Konorak       wm  White Moon Circle
  nr  Nandangarh's Road          wp  Whira's Path
  nw  Northwest of the Konorak   ws  Whitestone Street
  ol  Outside Lirathu's Gate
  pc  Poet's Circle              AP  Apartments
  rm  Red Moon Circle
  rp  Road of Poets              1   Stadium Road (Merchant/Tradesman)
  ru  Ruk's Path                 2   Curachek Arena
  se  Southeast of the Konorak   3   Agafari Street (Low Quarter)
  so  South of the Konorak       4   Rope Street (Low Quarter)
  sp  Suk-krath's Path

[Salt Merchant]

 Old Tuluk (part 4):


  Tuluk: The Low Quarter   (230th Day/Low Sun, Year 19/19th Age)
  ======================

         N                             gh+sr-    <The Crater>
         |                                :  :
      W-- --E                             ns-ns-bs----ns
         |                                :           :
         S                                ns          :  tc-tc-tc
                                          :           :  :     :
                <The Pillar>              un       EI-cm-tc-TG-tc
                                          :           :  :     :
                  ep-ep-ts                ss          ns tc-tc-tc
                  :  :                    :           :     :
                  :  :  sg               +ss-ss+sh    :     br
                  :  :  :                 :  :        :     :
      1 -as-nc-ep-ep uc-uc             KO-bu-ss-ss-us-ns----br
         :     :     :  :
         :     :  RW-uc-uc-HN
   1     :     :     :  :                  Key to Map
         :     ep----uc-uc    as           ==========
   :     :           :  :     :            :   route north/south
   rs----as          ep-sc    as----wr     -   route east/west
   :     :           :  :     :     :      +   door/gate
   rs-rs-as             :     :  mc-wr
   :     :           2  :     :     :      1   Ruk's Path (High Quarter)
   :     as-as-as-as----as-as-as-dm-wr     2   Off the Edge of the Pillar
   :        :     :        :     :
   :        :     :  pl    :     :         EI  Ellora's Imports
   :        :     :  +     :     :         HN  House Nenyuk Bank
dm-dm-dm    :     dm-dm----dm-dm dm        KO  Kaull's Outfit and Rigging
      :     :     :           :  :         RW  Rojstan's Water Cask
      dm-dm-dm----dm          dm-dm        TG  Tankin's Gamehouse
            :
            da

  as  Agafari Street                       rs  Rope Street
  br  Blackwood Road                       sc  South Commons Bridge
  bs  Base of the Carved Stone Stairs      sg  The Silver Grain
  bu  Bur Street                           sh  Abandoned Shop
  cm  Common Market                        sr  Stemwood Road
  da  Dusty Alley                          ss  South Salt Road
  dm  Dark Moon Road                       tc  Tavern Circle
  ep  Edge of the Pillar                   ts  Top of the Carved Stone Stairs
  gh  Gajurat's House                      uc  Upper Commons
  mc  Madhyn's Counting House              un  Under the North Commons Bridge
  nc  North Commons Bridge                 us  Under the South Commons Bridge
  ns  North Salt Road                      wr  Wall Road
  pl  Penphel's Library


As you can see, things didn't really fit a grid back then.

[Salt Merchant]

Old Tuluk (environs):



  Gol Krathu   (32nd day/Descending Sun, Year 17/19th Age)
  ==========

-- -- -- -- -- -- --    -- -- -- -- -- --     Key to Map
|ng ng ns rg rs rg rs GP rs mp ms mp mp mb|    ==========
                   ^^                          ^^  passage to the north only
|ng ng ng rg rs rs rs GP rs ms mp mp mb mb|    --  no passage north/south
                                               |   no passage east/west
|ns ng ns ng OR OR OR OS OR OM OM mp mp mb|
                -- -- -- -- --                 ES  East of the Scaien Gates
|ug ug us ns ON|              |ar ar mp mb|    GP  Gaur-Pandu Road
                                               NH  North of the Harzen Gates
|us ug us us ON|              |ar ar tb tb|    NR  North Road
                                               OB  The Great Sun Observatory
ES NR NR NR OC     Tuluk     |ar ar tp tb|    OG  Outer Circle :: Garlen
                                               OK  Outer Circle :: Kassigarh
|ug ug us ks OK|              |ar ar tp tb|    OM  Outer Circle :: Mrenteki
                                               ON  Outer Circle :: Negean
|ug ug ug ks OK|              |OT ts tp tb|    OR  Outer Circle :: Reiali
                -- -- -- -- --                 OS  Outside Stadium Gate
|ug ug us ks OK OK OG O- OG OG OG gs gb tb|    OT  Outer Circle :: Tenneshi
                                               O-  Outside Suk-krath's Gate
|us ug ug ks ks ks gs GP gg gs gp gp gb tb|
                                               ar  Malbken Gardens
|ug ug us ks kp ks kp GP kp gp gp gb gb gb|    gb  Garlen Barrens
                   --                          gg  Garlen Grove
us ug us ks ks ks|OB GP kp gp gb gb gb gb|    gp  Garlen Plains
                   --                          gs  Garlen Scrub
us us us ks kp kp kp NH kp gb gb gb gb gb|    kp  Kassigarh Plains
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --     ks  Kassigarh Scrub
                                               mb  Mrenteki Barrens
                                               mp  Mrenteki Plains
                                               ms  Mrenteki Scrub
   N        Note: Gaur-Pandu Road continues    ng  Negean Grove
   |              due north for nine leagues,  ns  Negean Scrub
W-- --E           stopping atop a natural      rg  Reiali Grove
   |              stone span across a great    rs  Reiali Scrub
   S              chasm. At no point is        ug  Uaptali Grove
                  travel off the road          us  Uaptali Scrub
                  possible.                    tb  Tenneshi Barrens
                                               tp  Tenneshi Plains
                                               ts  Tenneshi Scrub

[The Lonely Hunter]

I agree 100%, Jenred. I haven't played in Tuluk more then twice since 'new Tuluk' was in. I loved the rebellion days and layout. It just felt like Tuluk to me. Now its just...blah.

Just my 2 'sids.