Having made our way to Tensha's capital at Zahamo, we spent two days attending the Royal Court. On the morning of our third day, I withdrew the embassy and began our return journey to Ktere. I shall to the best of my ability put down my observations and recollections of these past few days, and all that occurred here. Though it is likely I will arrive along with or soon after this letter, I wish to preserve my impressions of Zahamo and its Court while they are still bright, though they may be disordered and shocking.
Zahamo lies in the mountainous land in the southwest of Nlamo. It was built by Tensha in the early years of his kingship as a new capital without affiliation to any single nation or people in the land, although it is situated close to his childhood and ancestral home in the town of Gande. Indeed Gande lies at the lower end of the road that is the only approach to Zahamo. This road switches up the mountain to the capital, guarded at several points by garrisoned forts.
Zahamo itself is situated in a high valley. Stout stone walls surround the town, enclosing an oval area some two hundred paces across its longest line, and one hundred and fifty paces at its thickest point. The area within is sparsely filled, as the town is yet young and considered chiefly as the personal holding of Tensha. Apart from his palace and banqueting hall, the compound contains the houses of his Court, a number of garrisons, quarters for visitors, and much of the remaining land is left over for grazing of their animals.
King Tensha is a man raised from modest backgrounds to supreme rule in this realm. His father was a renowned hunter and a scout in the garrison of Gande, and his mother was a merchant and respected fighter. He served from a young age in Gande's garrison, distinguishing himself as a great warrior and leader of men in a number of regional conflicts. He took leadership of the clan and the town in his middle thirties, and began the series of wars that would unify Nlamo under his rule.
The court at Zahamo comprises Tensha himself, his chief priest and companion Matwe, his heir Oadan (a sort of nephew of the King), several other priests and judges, and a number of representatives and local princes from across Nlamo. From what I could observe, Tensha's court is loyal to the King, and not beset by cabals or cliques, save perhaps a gathering of priests and judges around Matwe.
Though past the thirtieth year of his reign and already in his elder years, Tensha is still a powerful man, broad across the shoulders and with an erect noble carriage. We were received warmly by him and Matwe on our arrival, given a tour of the capital, and formally blessed by his priests. After that we were shown to our guest quarters, the troops were allowed the use of an empty barracks, and we were granted the freedom of the compound to rest from our travels.
We did not see Tensha again until we were formally presented to the court the following afternoon. After the members of the embassy had all been introduced to Tensha and his advisors, he entertained us with a drill of his personal troop – soldiers from across the land selected by Tensha for their prowess, skill, and bravery, and drilled personally by the King. We responded by drilling our own escort, and showing feats of strength and speed on the part of chosen men from the ranks. The occasion was received with great warmth on all parts. I spoke directly to the King only briefly, to compliment him on the skill of his personal guard and to admire the location of his capital.
A great banquet was held that evening. A number of cattle were freshly slaughtered in honour of our embassy, and served alongside spiced soups, loaves of boiled grains, stews of many vegetables, and the meat of an elephant. Tensha gave a speech on receiving us and the opportunity for friendship of our two realms, praising He Who is as Thunder most handsomely, delivering some kind words in a passable attempt at our tongue. Throughout the meal his chief priest watched all of our embassy closely. I half dared to believe
Forgive me, my hand can scarce write these words. How may a hand commit to paper what the mind will not admit?
It was as though Matwe could pierce my breast and see the true intentions of our embassy in visiting Nlamo. These magics are known, but none save the most exalted sages of our land can begin to practice upon them. How can a mere priest of a foreign court expose a man's inner thoughts with such ease?
At the end of the feast, long past the setting of the sun, I excused myself to return to my quarters and begin composing this letter. Most of the eNlami stayed to continue their revels, as did many of our men. Upon entering my chamber, I was seized by two strong hands and borne to the wall, where I could see the face of my assailant. It was Matwe. The same Matwe who I had seen not moments before in spirited debate at Tensha's side, had contrived somehow to steal to my chambers before me, across open land, though I took the straightest route.
He spoke in a thin voice, saying: “Your intentions in this land are known, Envoy. Your embassy will leave at first light, and you will not return to Nlamo. This land will never yield to your bestial emperor. Heed these words.” This was all spoken before I had opportunity to react – for it is a quickly uttered language and his speech is more rapid than many of his countrymen – and as I opened my mouth to protest, with a quick jerk of his body I was pushed along the wall and into the corner of the chamber. The priest opened his mouth, as wide as a mouth may open, and then further, and the shadow inside his gaping jaw seemed to grow and overpower all the senses I possessed.
I awoke in my bed, as the dawn was beginning to lighten the eastern sky. With the greatest haste I assembled our embassy and left Zahamo, without formally bidding farewell to Tensha or his court.
I have written before of the religious ceremonies of the cult of Gaapo, and their use of teas that induce strange visions and dreams in the rituals of their faith. I have discounted this as an explanation for my strange encounter with Matwe. All food and drink at the banquet were served from a common source, and no others of the embassy spoke to me of visions. Those who stayed at the revels through the night told me Matwe was present at the high table for the whole celebration, leaving only as the fires began to flicker and die.
My spirit was shaken by this meeting. I momentarily believed that I must advise against the invasion of this country, such was the shock of Matwe's actions and the gravity of his words. Our expedition must be prepared for spirited resistance and bitter conflict, as I have previously written. But furthermore, we must prepare for the use of magics and crafts unknown in our own lands. The eNlami will not be conquered easily.
The early rains have cleared and we are on our way to Zahamo to meet with the court of King Tensha. Tensha is a mighty figure, as is known even in lands as far from Nlamo as our own country. Yet in my time here and in discussion with the inhabitants of this land, I have learned much more about Tensha and his history than is commonly known outside his realms.
It is clear that his genius manifests in three spheres – the political, the strategic, and the tactical. The history of his conquest of Nlamo, so often called a unification by that large body of eNlami loyal to him, has never yet been collected together by a single chronicler. Nonetheless enough is known for me to describe the man. After our embassy is received at his capital I will recount them more of the personal details of his life, but for this report I will focus instead on those aspects of his rule most relevant to our own aims.
His first genius, the political, is seen in his ability to achieve peaceful resolutions to conflicts, build strong alliances, and maintain peaceful relations with tribes and nations under his dominion. War is only one of a number of political tools wielded by Tensha. His religious and cultural tolerance is notable, as conquered (or unified) people are granted a large degree of autonomy once they accept his rule, pay his taxes, and support his armies. For this reason, we should not be hopeful to find many allies to our invasion among his subjects. A fuller account of his political success is not important at this time.
His second genius, the strategic, lies in his mastery of the logistics and organisation of battle. Tensha is an expert at choosing when to engage and when to retreat, and always managed to take to battle on his own terms. Further, he introduced a regimented system of organising and training his forces, and created a body of soldiers who engaged in warfare as their primary pursuit, supplanted with volunteers and auxilary forces; many of his opponents fielded volunteer armies and part-time troops. Children taken into the army were given battlefield roles from their seventh year. The youngest carry messages and orders. As they age they are asked to carry supplies, help collect wounded soldiers from the field of battle, and given roles in the reserve or skirmisher units, until graduating to full soldiers at age fourteen.
His third genius, the tactical, requires the most explanation.
Traditionally, warfare in Nlamo consisted mainly of small-scale raiding and skirmishes. Large engagements were much rarer, and typically took the form of mass ranks of spear-and-shield men clashing on open plains. The tightly massed ranks would typically approach to within the throwing-distance of a javelin or spear, discharge their missiles, and then close to engage their enemies with longer spears and pikes. Some peoples employed archers and other types of missile weapons in addition to spearmen. The practice of settling smaller disputes by combat between individual champions of each side was commonly practiced, particularly in the southern regions of Nlamo.
As well as leveraging his political and strategic prowess to field large armies to easily overpower the typically smaller forces of his opponents, Tensha was responsible for a number of tactical innovations as well as embracing novel ideas developed by other leaders.
When faced with the lines of spears used by his enemies, Tensha instead organised his troops into a thick column to concentrate a large amount of killing power at a small section of the enemy line. Dedicated javelin-throwers and archers would harry a particular spot in the enemy formation (sometimes using poisoned or flaming missiles) before dispersing and allowing the column to smash through the weakened troops. Once the line was sundered in this manner, the enemy troops lost cohesion and morale, and were rendered unable to fight effectively, often fleeing and being slaughtered in the rout.
This tactic is one not yet faced by Imperial armies. I recommend this report be passed to all officers in the expeditionary force for immediate analysis.
As decreed by King Tęsha in the thirty-fifth year of his reign, for use across his realm.
The beginning of the New Year shall be celebrated on the day of the Spring Equinox, the beginning of the wet season. All forms of celebration of the rains may be permitted as celebrations of this New Year.
The years shall be named according to the number of years in his reign; the first new Year following this decree shall thus be Tęsha 36.
Months shall be reckoned from the beginning of one full moon to the beginning of the next. The first full moon following the spring equinox shall be considered the beginning of the first month of the year. Days between the equinox and the full moon shall belong to the 'Empty Month' before the full moon arrives. There shall be thirteen full months in a year, excluding the Long Years, when a fourteenth month will be added. These Long Years will fall every eighth or ninth Year, and will end with the equinox falling on or on the day following the full moon. Months shall be named in order of their place in the year: thus that following the spring equinox will be named 'First Month', the next 'Second Month', and so on.
Years on which the Equinox falls during or on the day immediately after the full moon shall be called 'Golden Years', as their auspiscious nature is an omen for prosperity in Nlamo.
As ordered by His Great Benevolence, King Tęsha of Zahamo.
The envoy now finds itself awaiting fair weather – an unexpected storm, heralding early the oncoming wet season, has confined us to the hospitality of a chief of a midlands clan, whence my last report was issued. This period of immobility has allowed me to consider and commit to paper some general topics concerning the inhabitants of these lands. I shall here report upon the faiths and mythologies of the people of Nlamo.
Many have said that the eNlami have no religion. As we have discovered, such broad statements are rarely held true in this land, though their worship takes a more primitive form than that in our realm. The gods of Nlamo are in disarray. They worship a multitude of deities and spirits, choosing which largely according to personal preference and family tradition. Not ordered after the natural form of the world as the gods of our land are, no single Nlami deity assumes the aspect of agriculture, or war, as ours do. No one god holds dominion over this land's sky, or its earth, or its people. Rather, their gods oversee many aspects. A Nlami god is thought to oversee weather, war, farming, and other such issues, in their own native region and in the lives of their followers.
Any eNlami I have spoken to have a near-total ignorance of our gods and our ways. They do not seek supremacy of their gods over ours, nor is such a concept even clearly understood by them. They indeed do not seek supremacy over each other's gods, barring exceptions I will describe below. Their mindset is tolerant of the faiths of others, so far as they consider it at all.
Intercourse with the gods is a largely personal affair. There exists no priestly caste or Great Temple for the learning of priests, though in some tribes and some provinces religious duties may become a family trade, as a smith teaches his children his craft, or a merchant instructs his children in matters of commerce. Nonetheless, priests, shamans, and wizards are widespread in this land. Cults instruct chosen followers in their secret ways, shamans entrust their magic to apprentices, and self-chosen holy men may gather followers about them – but for most eNlami, outside of seasonal ceremonies and life rituals, religion is a personal affair between a human and their gods, and witches or priests are only visited on rare important occasions. Curiously, the offering of holocausts and live sacrifice is not regularly practiced in Nlamo. Offerings are small, when they are given at all, and most worship is performed privately or in small groups, through memorised prayers and performance of ritualised actions.
My host here is a learned man in the ways of his land, with a curious aspect to his mind – in some ways more close to a man of our realm than a typical eNlami. He spoke to me of religious issues, describing an ancient custom of Nlami warfare, describing a great religious ceremony held by the King, and describing some of the gods and faiths particularly prevalent in the western and southwestern regions. These last I will recount in an addendum to this report.
This war custom, no longer seen, was practiced only between bitter enemies of different faiths, and occurred only once in the hundred years before Tensha's reign. At the end of a war between two peoples, as the ultimate degradation of a conquered foe, the victors would profane the shrines of their gods and kill their priests. Though it has not passed for many generations since, the knowledge of this act is still known by the eNlami and lies deep in their memory.
Further, my host was two years ago called to Zahamo, to partake in a feast and ceremony held by Tensha to celebrate the fortieth year of his reign. Tensha's primary faith is that of Gaapo, a leopard spirit and patron of many peoples in the west and southwest of Nlamo. At this ceremony, held late at night and on a date chosen to astronomical signs, a tamed leopard was caged and given pride of place by the king. The guests were fed a great feast, and the leopard was honoured with of garlands of blessed flowers. The cage was carried to the clearing before Zahamo, accompanied by the sounds of great drums, and there between two bonfires the leopard was released to the wild again. Following this, the guests were given a tea made from a local plant, a tea that induces strange visions and dreams. The following morning, the chief cultist of Gaapo and her acolytes recorded the details of what the guests saw in those dreams, to examine them for portents and omens.
As laid out in the doctrines of He Who is as Thunder, comprehending the lesser religions of our foes is a mighty tool of war. The findings of this report – particularly the degradation of a vanquished foe's patron gods – should be given to each leader of the expeditionary force to this land. My addendum follows.
Addendum
Gaapo, the Leopard Spirit
The patron of Tensha's native people. Among the most popular gods of the related family seen in the southwest. Held by his followers to represent wisdom and cunning alongside strength. Traditionally an enemy of Karro, and an ally of Saasto and Zamo-Dal.
Karro, the Crocodile Spirit
Another popular god in this related family. Seen as more cunning and sly than Gaapo, whose followers do not trust Karro. Cultists and followers of Karro are believed to have the most powerful magics.
Saasto, the Snake Spirit
A close ally of Gaapo. Not many clans or families have the Snake Spirit as their patron, but often Saasto will be worshipped as a secondary god alongside the Leopard Spirit. The two are present together in many stories and often depicted together in art. Held to represent that even smaller creatures can be powerful.
Zamo-Daal, the Eagle Spirit
The Eagle Spirit is an aloof god, preferring to reward those worshippers who fend for themselves and thrive. Popular among hunters and some villages in the western mountains.
Nimata, the Elephant Spirit
Nimata is a primary deity among the nomadic peoples in the midlands of Nlamo, and is popular among nomads and plains villages in the west also. She is slow to anger, but represents great force when aroused. Disinclined to take part in the squabbles and conflict of the other gods, but has both fought and defended all of them at one point or another.
