Wednesday 7 May 2008

The Deeds of the Ever-Glorious

This web-book is one of the best purchases that a wargamer thinking of delving into the campaigns of the Petal Throne can make. At 123 pages, it documents the histories of the Tsolyani legions.

Not completely, mind you, as there are some 86 legions described, some in more detail than others. Most get the better part of a page, some more-so. The descriptions typically include major campaigns or battles that the legion participated in, or some significant event in it's history. The entries end with the current disposition of the unit - the book is written with the start of the war with Yan Kor as a reference point. More recent events, the legion's conduct in the war or in the events following are not recorded. This is because the book is a reprint dating from 1981, before more "recent" events in Tekumel's timeline were documented.

In addition to the unit histories, the book includes a listing of the Tsolyani Emperors and Empresses along with brief notes about important events during their reigns. This list has been partially updated to include recent Emperors. At the start of the war with Yan Kor, the 61st Tlakotani Emperor, Hirkane hiTlakotani, the "Stone Upon Which the Universe Rests", is on the throne. The list includes a couple of his sons who succeeded him.

The best part of the book are all the references to various battles and campaigns. By reading the unit descriptions one can glean useful information about which units were where and little tidbits of information about historical [military] events.

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