I recently struck upon this "intriguing", over-the-top free RPG - "Shakhnan":

http://www.globalserve.net/~marcusnkare ... mepage.htm

I suspect few have the time to wade through too much of this, but it's an almost hallucinatory example of RPG world- and game-building. And I don't mean that in a necessarily negative way.

I'm not a little awed, though mostly bemused. Call me an old-fashioned curmudgeon, but randomizing character sexual deviancy is a bit much...

In contrast, how fortunate that NRC and the many Harn contributors over the years have been able to craft such a coherent, playable setting that, while very occasionally lapsing into possibly needless - but not show-stopping - detail (IMHO (*raises tower shield*)), doesn't strain credulity and the larynx.

Kudos to Mr. Shields for this tour de force of imagination, however. I just wish it were a *touch* more playable...

This has been around for many, many years, and I notice that the pages haven't been updated since 2001. It really is a nifty Tekumel-ish effort with a lot of detail. Truth be told, I wish this kind of thing would get more attention.