Welcome to The Hall of Blue Illumination, the podcast dedicated to the world of M.A.R. Barker’s Tékumel.  Our hosts begin this episode with a discussion of “demons” as they appear in Empire of the Petal Throne.  How do EPT’s demons differ from Prof. Barker’s later conceptions of them? Then, James and Victor finish their review […]

Welcome to The Hall of Blue Illumination, the podcast dedicated to the world of M.A.R. Barker’s Tékumel.  In this episode, our hosts discuss the enigmatic group of deities known as the Pariah Gods.  But before we get to that, Victor and James review the first twelve books listed in the magical tomes section of Empire […]

Welcome to The Hall of Blue Illumination, the podcast dedicated to the world of M.A.R. Barker’s Tékumel. In this episode, our hosts review each entry in the “Miscellaneous Magical Items” section of Empire of the Petal Throne.

In this episode, our hosts discuss “you.”  That’s “you” the pronoun, and not “you” the listener, although I’m certain you’re very interesting in your own right.  Tsolyáni has around twenty different words for the second person pronoun, and their proper use is determined by the relative social and cultural context of the speaker and addressee.

Welcome to The Hall of Blue Illumination, the podcast dedicated to the world of M.A.R. Barker’s Tékumel.  In this episode, our hosts welcome special guest John Till to talk about his adaptation of the Fate system to Tékumel. But first, Victor gives us an update on the publication of Flamesong, and the hosts discuss their […]

Welcome to The Hall of Blue Illumination, the podcast dedicated to the world of M.A.R. Barker’s Tékumel.  In this episode, our hosts discuss the term “the Five Empires.”  Who coined this label?  Is it a concept used by the Tèkumeláni, or is it merely gaming terminology? Much of this analysis involves how Tsolyáni ideas of […]

Welcome to The Hall of Blue Illumination, the podcast dedicated to the world of M.A.R. Barker’s Tékumel.  Our hosts begin this episode with a discussion of ways a referee can make Tékumel their own, with examples from James and Victor’s campaigns. This is followed by a discussion of the myriad creatures found in Tékumel’s underworlds, […]

Welcome to The Hall of Blue Illumination, the podcast dedicated to the world of M.A.R. Barker’s Tékumel.  After a hiatus, we’re back!  But wait, does anyone else smell cinnamon? This episode is devoted to a discussion of the Ssú, one of the aboriginal races of Tékumel.  These strange beings are clever, dangerous foes, who are […]

In this episode, our hosts interview special guest Bill Hoyt. Bill has been involved with roleplaying games since the early 1970s, and was integral in getting TSR to publish Empire of the Petal Throne.

Welcome to The Hall of Blue Illumination, the podcast dedicated to the world of M.A.R. Barker’s Tékumel. In this most-apposite of episodes, our hosts discuss sickness and disease on Tékumel.  Can magic fix everything?  No, it can’t.  But first, Victor discusses his recent experience running games at GaryCon 2020, which had to be moved online […]