SUMERKIND (Sumernot)

Ah,beautiful Sumerkind (Sumernot), city of myth and mystery (like why is there are parenthetical phrase in its name?).   Here the modern and ancient worlds rub shoulders, and other body parts, as the bazaar throngs with eager shoppers from many milieus, hopeful of picking up bargains and bizarre rarities.

Our first picture is an overhead view, showing the magnificent five-story Tower of the Magi in all its incredible majesty!   The tower is the tallest building in all of Geobra Island.

Next we see a closer view of the bazaar and the royal palace.   Prince Hassan ben Nahti and his lovely bride, storyteller Sahara Zadd, look down over the marketplace, where fakir Rama Lama Dingdong has attracted a crowd with the ancient Indian (not Injun) rope trick.   Over at the left Prince Fu On-Yu, from the now-deserted city of Peeping, enters the bazaar with his entourage.   And at the right Queen Clea Patra also enters, accompanied by her boyfriend Marcus Registrada, and one of her few remaining servants.   Above, the great wizard known as Flying Butros comes in for a landing, brushing the top of the palace as he heads for the Tower of the Magi.   In the tower itself you can see the two of the three Wise Men, as well as their guard and servant Omar Papa, and their librarian Hypatia.   The lady in the colonnade is the mysterious Virginia Reel, about whom you will read more below!

Photography is not allowed within the palace, so we are unable to share any pictures of the interior of that magnificent edifice. Translation: the palace is actually a facade, without interior rooms.   Maybe someday.

Here are some pictures of the Tower of the Magi.  The first picture shows the underground cavern which is the stable for the camel.   In addition, the Magi seem to store anything down there that they don't have immediate use for.

This picture shows the three Wise Men gathered around their amazing Scrying Sphere.   Although not magicians themselves, the trio have a number of incredible devices at their command.   The sphere allows them to see anyplace or anybody on Geobra Island.

The following pictures show Melchior at his telescope.   Astronomy is his especial love.   In the other picture he is viewing the heavens, giving Gaspar a guided tour of the stars and planets.

On the left, Balthazar is looking out of the highest tower across the city.   Balthazar is a people person, always concerned about the problems of the common man. On the right, Gaspar is talking about books with the Librarian, Hypatia.   In the foreground, their servant and guard Omar Papa is keeping a close watch over the stairs to make sure there are no unwelcome intruders.   (Welcome intruders are another matter.)

Now let's meet the happy folk of Sumerkind (Sumernot).   The first picture shows the Royal Household.

• The Sultan, Prince Hassan ben Nahti.   A kind and benevolent ruler, but one who is accustomed to getting his own way.

• Princess Sahara Zadd.   Beloved of Prince Hassan, she is a gifted story-teller.   The depth of Hassan's affection for Sahara is seen in this love poem he wrote to her:

  

  (Note: I like this poem a lot, but it's hard to read in "Arabic" script, so I'm including a "translation": Beloved-- When I'm distressed your charm and grace Can comfort me and make me calm. Like aloe to a sunburnt face, Sahara, baby, you da balm.

• Hakim Slashem: chief of the Prince's security force.
• Butros, the royal wizard.   He is often called Flying Butros because of his love for his magic carpet.   Some say he is a genie (or Djinn) but this is obviously not the case - genies are much larger, and have blue skin.   They may be related to Smurfs, but I hope not.

Here we have the residents of the Tower of the Magi.   First, the three Wise Men.

• Gaspar: the literate one.   Books are his main love.   (Note: they're all literate, he's just called "the literate one".)

• Balthazar: the Man of the people.

• Melchior: the astronomer.

• Hypatia: the Librarian.   Note: Hypatia is named for one of my favorite historical personages.   Hypatia was a Librarian of the Great Library of Alexandria.   She was murdered by an angry mob of Christians, making her a Pagan Martyr.

• Omar Papa: guard and servant of the Magi.

Another note: the Three Wise Men or the Magi have the same names as those given to the Biblical scholars who visited the Birth of Jesus.   The Bible does not list their names, nor are they called 'kings'.

This picture shows the sinister Oriental Fu On-Yu and his minions.

• Fu On-Yu: Oriental Prince and mastermind of Evil.   Although driven out of his home city by the Mongrol Hordes, he hopes to return someday - as ruler of Geobra Island.   See more under Super-Heroes.

• Fu's servant, a lowly coolie, nameless here for now.

• Voivode Doodat: leader of the Mongrol Hordes.   After destroying the city of Peeping, he was left without a job, and so was enlisted in Fu On-Yu's plans for destruction and domination.   Note: his name is pronounced "Y-Woody".

• Jude Oh: A refugee from Nip-Up, an island just off-shore of Peeping.   He now nominally works for Fu On-Yu, but is actually working to thwart his plans.

• Mulan Rouge: half-caste Eurasian beauty, a pawn of the mastermind, trying to escape his sinister clutches, but forced to assist him in his nefarious schemes.

This picture shows Queen Clea Patra and her entourage, as well as two performers from the marketplace.

• Queen Clea Patra: queen in exile from her homeland of Egg-Wiped.   Nobody knows exactly where Egg-Wiped is supposed to be; supposedly it is on the Uppalazi River somewhere.   But she says she's the exiled queen, so fine.

• Marcus Registrada: Clea Patra's chief supporter and champion, and possibly much more.  

• The queen's bodyguard: his name is not known to me at this time.

• Rama Lama Dingdong: fakir (holy man) for a strange unnamed religion.   He performs in the marketplace, doing the Indian (not Injun) rope trick, charming snakes, and lying on a bed of nails.   At night he goes home and sleeps on it.

• Gumball (Gum): Rama Lama's faithful chela or apprentice.   There is a mystery about his origins.

This picture shows three other women of Sumerkind (Sumernot).

• Anna Conda:   snake charmer, and good friend of Rama Lama Dingdong, with her pet cobra Hoppy.   Giving a cobra a name like Hoppy does not engender confidence in others, unfortunately.

• Charity Case:   elderly beggar woman, who knows more than she lets on.

• Virginia Reel:   in Sumerkind she is a sweet, innocent maiden, related to Marcus Registrada.   But periodically she bops over to Modern City, where she becomes the villainess known as Virgo, mistress of the Unbreakable Shield.   More about that later.

True confessions time: very little of the city of Sumerkind (Sumernot) is authentic Playmobil®.   The Tower of the Magi is actually the Imaginext® Wizard's Tower. The palace facade is built of Castillo® bricks, and it took almost all I had!   The market stall is from a Mickey Mouse® farm set.  I'll go quietly, officer.

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