POSIBLES EFECTOS ADVERSOS

Ruler: King Peter II (regency); Premier

Nikola Uzunovic Capital: Belgrade Population: 14,000,000

Language(s): Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian, other Slavic languages,

German, Romanian, Hungarian Currency: Dinar

Resources: Ariculture, livestock, mining, timber

Religion(s): Christianity, Islam, Orthodox Christianity

Military: 136,990

Yugoslavia (also spelled Yugo-slavia and Jugosla- via) arose in the aft ermath of the Great War when Croatia and Slovenia proclaimed their independence from Hungary. Th ey soon admitted other Slav states, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, and formed a union with Serbia. In 1918 the new nation named itself the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.

Despite this, the various peoples of the kingdom, separated by religion, language, culture, and tradi- tion, oft en quarrelled and fought, creating great unrest. Following the October 1928 assassination of Croatian leader Stefan Raditch, on January 6, 1929 King Alexander dissolved the legislature, abolished political parties, and proclaimed himself the sole source of power and authority. On October 3, 1929 he changed the kingdom’s name to Yugoslavia. On September 3, 1931 he promulgated a new constitu- tion, but in eff ect continued to rule autocratically.

While visiting Marseilles on October 9, 1934, King Alexander was assassinated by Macedonian nationalistic terrorists belonging to an organization called the IMRO. His 11 year-old son Peter became king, with a regency council of three dominated by Alexander’s cousin, Prince Paul.

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believed her; others did not, labeling her a skilled actress. Th e claim remained controversial throughout the Pulp era and for decades there- aft er. In the 1990s, DNA evidence fi nally proved that Anderson was not Anastasia, and that the Grand Duchess had in fact been murdered at Yekaterinburg.

But don’t let that inter- fere with your Pulp Hero campaign! Th e idea that Anastasia might have survived is a compel- ling one that you could construct all sorts of plots and character backgrounds around. Even if Anderson isn’t Anastasia, that doesn’t mean the last daughter of the Romanovs might not still be alive some- where....

The usual [African] story tells how a member of our culture faced Africa, that dark and deadly place, and opened such secrets as he was able, and acquitted him- self finely or not in the face of the ancient, the primitive, and the terrible. This form of the African story, then, is an adventure moving along two levels.

On the first level, an individual travels across physical Africa, marveling at its contours and evading its frequent dan- gers. On the second level, the individual confronting Africa also confronts himself. He finds his soul floating among the thorn trees; it is his face that glowers beneath the savage’s paint.

—Robert Sampson, Yesterday’s Faces, Vol. 5

A

frica of the Twenties and Th irties is a land still very much a mystery to West- ern civilization. Despite the ongoing tide of commerce, railroad building, and improved communications, a lot of the Dark Conti- nent remains just that — dark, unknown to the civ- ilized world. Vast stretches of jungle and savannah are largely unexplored by Europeans. Who knows what wonders they may hold?

In the pulps Africa is home to countless lost civi- lizations, Wild Men, hostile tribes, witch doctors, and fi erce animals. It’s tailor-made for adventuring, with danger around every corner and countless wondrous mysteries just waiting for explorers, archaeologists, and mystics to uncover. If your Pulp Hero campaign involves any amount of world travel, it’s a sure bet the heroes will visit Africa at least once, if not frequently. THE COLONIAL SYSTEM

Except for Ethiopia and a semi-independent South Africa and Egypt, Africa is a continent of colonies. Th e French and British control the lion’s share, but Spain, Belgium, Portugal, and Italy have a few colonies as well.

Th e colonizers take diff erent approaches to their possessions. Th e British policy is one of “self-devel- opment,” meaning allowing each colony to develop in its own way rather than according to some over- all British plan (though British infl uence inevitably aff ects such development). Th e other four nations all follow, to one extent or another, a policy of “assimilation.” Th is means they want to make the natives conduct themselves like Frenchmen, Ital- ians, and so forth, and to think of themselves as citizens of a greater France or greater Italy.

By the early Th irties, the white population of Africa south of the Sahara and north of the Lim- popo River is a mere 60,000 — and most whites who migrate to Africa go to Algeria or South Africa. Th roughout the rest of the Dark Continent, Europe- ans are few and far between (in part because the heat and disease make the region “unsuitable” for them), and tend to cluster around cities or trading posts. Enormous swaths of country remain eff ectively under the control of the native population. Trade

In theory, colonies (in Africa or elsewhere) were self-supporting through what they produced and the fact that they off ered their possessor a cap- tive market. In practice, most of them cost money to maintain. Th e result was that they were oft en poorly developed — they were already expen- sive, so the nations that controlled them tried not to pour more money into them. Africa has vast natural resources, but during the Pulp era they remained largely untapped.

By the mid-Th irties, South Africa alone was responsible for half of Africa’s trade. Th e rest of the Western-settled continent was mainly given over to plantation agriculture, but few plantation crops succeeded. Examples of some that did include tobacco in Southern Rhodesia, sisal in Tanganyika, and tea in Nyasaland. In general, there was little African natives could produce on their own that Europeans wanted; the main exception was mining for diamonds and gold.

Travel

Despite a relative lack of investment by the European powers, by the early Pulp era Africa had a fairly well-developed network of railroads. However, few rail systems penetrated deep into the interior. Overland travel usually involved cars (where there were roads) or riding and walking. Large areas of the continent, including the Sahara Desert, are mostly impassable on foot; the only way to cross them is by plane. Even then, the limited range of Pulp-era planes required frequent stops for refueling, which in turn usually meant staying close to the coasts and cities.

NATIVES

Millions of native peoples inhabit Africa, outnumbering their colonial masters by tremen- dous amounts. Th e fi ercest and most warlike of them have long since been pacifi ed by the defeats infl icted upon them by colonial armies and the civilizing infl uence of European missionaries and settlers. Despite this, Pulp stories oft en depicted African tribesmen more as they were in the nine- teenth century than the twentieth, arming them

with spears and shields and sending them forth to attack white settlements, threaten explorers, and provide just the right touch of danger and excite- ment for an African adventure.

Some of the major African tribes that Pulp Hero adventurers might encounter include:

Bushmen

Th e Bushmen, or San people, have lived in the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa for approxi- mately 20,000 years. A hunter-gatherer people, they make temporary homes from wood they gather, but keep moving as necessary to follow game and fi nd new sources of food. Th ey’re experts at scrub/desert survival, and are known for their cave paintings. Fang

A West African people who live in the Gabon region of French Equatorial Africa, the Fang are an aggressive tribe feared by other peoples for their warriors’ skill. At one time they practiced cannibal- ism, but that supposedly stopped centuries ago. Today they live through slash-and-burn agricul- ture and ivory hunting. Th ey’re known for placing the bones of their ancestors in specially-made wooden boxes that have guardian fi gures attached; the bones supposedly have the same power the deceased had when alive.

Fulani

Th is nomadic West African tribe, also known as the Fulah, lives primarily by herding cattle; it’s said to be the largest wandering tribe on the continent. Th ey oft en spread news from market to market along their ancient trade routes. Originally of North African origin, they’re Moslems with lighter skin, straighter hair, and thinner lips than most sub-Saharan tribes. Fulani of both genders oft en have extensive tattooing.

Kikuyu

Th e Kikuyu are an agricultural tribe found in Kenya and other parts of East Africa. With the coming of white men to Africa, many have gone into business or other non-traditional pursuits. Th ey’re considered hard workers and skilled man- agers of money.

Masai

Th e Masai (or Maasai) are a nomadic East African tribe of herders and warriors. According to their folklore, their god gave them all the cattle in the world, and therefore other people who have cattle must have stolen them from the Masai — a belief that oft en leads to bad blood between the aggressive Masai and other tribes.

Yoruba

Residents of the British colony of Nigeria and the Dahomey region of French West Africa, the Yoruba are an advanced agricultural tribe known for the quality of their art and craft works. Unlike most tribes, they have a tendency to form large towns or cities, rather than just villages. Th eir religion includes a rich body of mythology, with tales about gods such as Shango and Ogun; much Yoruba lore found its way into Voodoo in one form or another. Th ey’ve long been enemies of the Fulani.

Zulu

Th e largest tribe of southern Africa, the Zulu have long had a reputation as fi erce warriors, thanks in part to the conquests and military culture instituted by the great chief Shaka in the early nine- teenth century, and to their political organization (which gave chiefs absolute power). In 1879 they revolted against the British, and at fi rst defeated them at battles such as Isandhlwana, but within six months the British crushed the rebellion. So fi ercely and bravely did the Zulu fi ght that the British erected a monument to them at Ulundi alongside the monument to the British dead. Th e Zulu rose again in 1906, and were again defeated.

About half of the Zulus are engaged in agricul- ture, while the other half live in cities. Th eir religion and beliefs emphasize spirits and divination. Acci- dents, bad luck, and other misfortunes are caused by evil (or unplacated) spirits or sorcery; nothing happens by chance.

THE SAHARA

While most people (and pulp authors) tend to thinks of jungles and savannahs when they think of Africa, the vast Sahara Desert in the north domi- nates more of the continent than any single other geographic feature. Its 3.5 million square miles fea- ture trackless fi elds of immense sand dunes, craggy areas, rocky peaks, and barren plateaus. Besides starvation and dehydration, its threats include temperature (which can range from 71o _Celsius

[160o _{F] in the day to freezing at night) and sand-}

storms. Particularly during the spring, when the hot winds (called khamsin in Arabic, and sirocco in Italian) can reach nearly 100 miles per hour, sand- storms pose a special danger. In short, characters who travel in the Sahara can expect their Survival (Desert) Skill to be tested to the utmost!

Merchants and tribesmen can cross the desert using camel caravans and well-honed survival skills. Th ere are fi ve primary trans-Sahara routes. Caravans typically run from the north coast down to the southern edge of the desert, where they exchange Mediterranean trade-goods for the ivory, gold, and other resources of the Congo region. Caravans start early in the day, stop (pref- erably at an oasis) between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM to avoid the worst of the heat, then continue on until early evening.

Native Saharans

A few tribes have found ways to survive in the desert. To the east are Bedouins (page 195) and Tibbu; to the west Berbers; and in the central desert the Tuareg.

Perhaps the most feared of these peoples are the Tuareg. Although many of them have settled down in towns since the French conquest of 1905, even in the Pulp era some of them prey on caravans and travelers. Woe to the caraveneer who encounters the Tuareg — if he does not pay a toll (carefully negotiated at the time) to pass through their lands, they may kill him and all his laborers and take everything he owns. Even worse, it’s not unknown for the Tuareg to mutilate or cripple a captive, and

BRITISH

COLONIES

Th e main British colo- nies in Africa are:

Th e Anglo-Egyptian Sudan Basutoland Bechuanaland British Somaliland Gambia Gold Coast Kenya Nigeria Northern Rhodesia Nyasaland Sierra Leone South West Africa (mandate) Southern Rhodesia Swaziland Th e Tanganyika Terri- tory (mandate) Uganda Zanzibar

FRENCH

COLONIES

Th e main French colo- nies in Africa are:

Algeria

Cameroons (mandate shared with Great Brit- ain)

French Equatorial Africa French Somaliland French West Africa Madagascar Morocco Togo (mandate) Tunisia

possibly cut off his eyelids as well, and leave him to die in the desert sun. And despite the fact that the French have outlawed the slave trade, some Tuareg still traffi c in human fl esh.

Tall, fi ne-featured, comparatively light-skinned, and arrogantly proud, the Tuareg (Arabic for “aban- doned of God”) are said by some to be the descen- dants of a lost Roman legion (though they’re more likely of Berber stock). Th ey wear loose-fi tting shirt- and pant-like garments, or robes. Th e men, who control trade and war, wear blue veils (even when among family); the women, who control the home and social life, go unveiled. Th ey dominate many of the desert villages and towns, such as Tim- buktu. Th eir society tends to be closed and hostile; they speak their own language, rarely deal with or help outsiders, and may respond to violations of their customs violently. Th ey are ruled by a high chief, or Amenokal, who’s elected by the chiefs of the various tribes to oversee all Tuaregs.

Th e Tuareg are nominally Moslems of the Maliki sect. However, they ignore or scant most religious observances, and believe in djinn and other spirits (against whom they wear amulets con- taining verses from the Koran).

Th e Balbia

Italy controls the part of the Sahara known as Libya, consisting of the regions of Tripolitania, Cyre- naica, and the Fezzan. In the mid-Th irties it built the Balbia, a 1,132 mile-long road all the way from its western border to its eastern, to improve commerce and the ability to move military units across Libya quickly. It was dedicated in March 1937 in an elabo- rate ceremony attended by Mussolini himself.

BELGIAN CONGO

In document ANEXO I FICHA TÉCNICA Ó RESUMEN DE LAS CARACTERÍSTICAS DEL PRODUCTO (página 90-95)