Eagle Talon

On 9/6/2023 at 8:36 PM, svensson said:

A model by B. Werner of the North Palace of the citadel of Masada.

 

That place looks perfect for a Dara Happan religious center. The top would be reserved for rituals to Yelm and other sky gods taking place at the mid-day's sun. 

On 8/27/2023 at 2:21 PM, Zac said:

I am just trying to wrap my head around some descriptions of the Arkat Cult from the Cult Compemdium.

And

If they are Illuminated they should have lost their fear of Chaos. So why are they trying to destroy Chaos? Is it some form of false Illumination?

This is in part one of the events of the Hero Wars. The Safelster region and the prophecy of the return of Arkat. What is very significant about Safelster is that it is made of a lot of different kingdoms who disagree on the main question. Every kingdom and sect of Arkat in that region believe they have the truth about Arkat and that others are all wrong. 

Arkat is the embodiment of "the ends justify the needs". Meaning so some sects may use chaos. Remember that Arkat is worshipped in all forms of his quest. From a Brithini warrior to a ZZ troll berserker. 

Now the good stuff in the Hero Wars is when Arkat returns. In 5 (or more) different persons. That's when the proverbial poop hits the fan. 

4 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Or because it required a true Solar Emperor to eclipse the Red Emperor.

Is Sheng Seleris considered a solar emperor? Can some like him be able to pass the 10 tests to become emperor of Dara Happa? After all the pent nomads are enemies of DH since before the dawn. 

Personally I don't like the fact that we know the timeline and outcome of the Hero Wars. It's a little bit like starting a new novel that you already know the ending. 

Of course YGWV but I wish that I did not know what happened after 1627. Argrath becomes king of Dragon Pass and finally can rival the Red Emperor. Choose your side and let the games begin.

The Monster Empire is a great example. I really like Solar and Lunar mythology and happenings (for better or worse). But to know that Peloria is going to get thrashed in the end is disappointing for me.

However they're some positive points. One example is the Great Sister, daughter of Sedenya, and she likes to protect the little people so to speak. And the White Moon Movement offers great roleplaying hooks.

I just wish certain locations in the present day 1625, like Pamaltela or Maniria, would get more attention than to concentrate on the Hero Wars from start to finish. 

3 minutes ago, Nick Brooke said:

The Ones Who Walk Away From Glamour.

I have always been curious about the futur of the Lunar Way vs the Lunar empire. 

If I can quote some sources:

Illumination is practiced within the Lunar Empire but the authorities prefer the more orthodox approach (while often called Illumination) of Sevening. And Illumination is monitored in the Empire by Examiners to prevent Occlusion. 

Sevening involves recognition of the All and how, as the Red Goddess teaches "We are all Us". Lunars are vulnerable to Occlusion; the false awareness that the Lunar is All.

Looks awesome. I’m always glad to see Elmal content. 

1 hour ago, jajagappa said:

Glorious ReAscent of Yelm - part of the Stafford Library collection at Chaosium.

The 10 tests are to prove their ability as:

• The Protector
• The Provider of Surplus
• The Seer
• The Problem Solver
• The Recorder (i.e. remembering Truth)
• The Judge
• The Bridge (i.e. overcoming feuds)
• The Patriarch (i.e. inheritance)
• The Truth (i.e. the True light/Sun)
• The Final Proof (i.e. naming the secret, sacred Regalia without harm)

I thought the Red Emperor as an entity took up the mantel of emperor of Dara Happa following the reign of Yelmgatha. 
 

There are different masks of the red emperor but in a way it is the same being. Does every masks of the red emperor need to take once more the 10 tests? 

On 7/19/2021 at 5:53 AM, Prince of Cinders said:

I'm considering putting together a Jonstown book on Ralios and I'm putting together a history of Ralios combined with some bits of homebrew to fill in gaps and spice up the play dynamic.

I am taking all comments and criticism!

Recent Ralian History

Anything in Italics is not strictly canon, but is placed to infill gaps.

This history goes from when grandparents are at adulthood until the adulthood of the player characters. 

1561 - Grandparent is born.
1582 - Grandparent comes of age, parent is born. Marost is seized by Naskorion.
1595 - The Partanites attack a gathering of the Ancient Beasts Society in a raid called the Beast Butchery. The Count of Jorglaban’s brother is one of those killed in the raid.
1597 - Fleet of Jorglaban is sunken and the ruler of Tinaros is lost at the bottom of Lake Felster along with his regalia. His widow sacrifices her three children to get revenge and they say she lay with the Devil. Soon, Argin Terror is born.
1599 - Fleet of Partan is sunken by the Estali league. Rumours spread that this was done at the exact moment that Argin Terror uttered his first word.
1600 - Partan is razed by the Estali League. Rumours spread that this was done at the exact moment that Argin Terror took his first step.
1604 - Parent comes of age, character is born.
1605 - Surantyr the Non-Heretic overcomes magical ordeals atop Top of the World Mountains and experiences the Chariot of Lightning revelations.
1608 - Surantyr becomes master of Valantia.
1610 - Jarabolos is conquered by the Duke of Naskorion.
1611 - Surantyr conquers Fiesive and unifies Otkorion.
1613 - Kadesos (a city known for the quality of its kafl leaf) is conquered by the Duke of Naskorion.
1615 - Seshnela controls Dangim after the count is killed and replaced with a rival member of his family by the King of Seshnela.
1616 - Utorost is conquered by Naskorion
1617 - The Guild of Chaos Monks began their uprising in Dainmol.
1619 - The city of Dainmol is retaken by the Prince.
1619 - The army of Sentanos is destroyed by Surantyr's forces after the Hero Garundyer of the Seven Storms liberates Siglolf Cloudcrusher. This battle is thereafter known as the Battle of Falling Stones.
1621 - Meime the Tournament King marries Ingye the Queen of Galin. Scandalously, they are actually in love.
1621 - Great Winter, Year One. The Seventh Malkioni Council occurs. Surantyr the Non-Heretic is amongst those summoned and is severely injured before making his escape. At the same time, the Dangans perform a ritual to bind / harm Orlanth at Hreler Amali. One or both of these events causes Orlanth's magic to become greatly weakened in Ralios.
1622 - The trolls of Guhan complete a magical ceremony generations in the making. They move across Ralios with the help of the Argan Argar Chain although they are helped and hindered by humans all along the way.
1622 - Great Winter, Year Two. It is broken by a small group performing the Lightbringer ritual at Hreler Amali.
1623 - King Guilmarn invades Safelster to eliminate all Arkati.
1624 - Broo invasion from Dorastor into Karia. Hezel Darong is a new Chaos deity worshipped by their powerful shaman.
1624 - The Duke of Naskorion is wed in a ritual that takes place in utter darkness. Those few men who are invited must crawl on their hands and knees to find their place. It is said that he has married a powerful troll-wife.
1625 - Argin Terror performs a great ritual that Taps all Chaotic beings within Tinaros. For a brief moment, Tinaros is completely free of Chaos, before the energy flows forth transforming Tinaros into the City of Terror.
1625 - The Safelstran states finally unify and fight back against King Guilmarn, revealing new secrets of Arkat as they do so. During a battle at Dangk, Archon Foyalfine of Azilos betrays the alliance at a critical moment, leaving Guilmarn weakened but undefeated and the forces of Safelster scattered.
1625 - The Duke of Naskorion declares that he is allied with Guhan and Halikiv and titles himself the Stygian Emperor in a ritual that transforms him into a troll.

I hope you continue with your project of writing this book for the Jonstown compendium. Ralios has always been my favorite region of Glorantha. It is well documented and the hero wars provide tons of opportunities. Of course the return of Arkat is the main subject. As far as the many Arkats I believe Argin Terror has a role to play in this, perhaps as the chaotic version of Arkat.  

I gets really interesting when the Arkats flee to Ardinyar in Lankst for protection against Seshnela. Ardinyar is a great hero of Orlanthi Lankst and is allied with Otkorion who houses the Chariot of Lightning Sect. IMO the Orlanthi of Ralios are so much more interesting than those of Dragon Pass. The huge tribe of Lankst and the henotheists of Otkorion are awesome. 

The struggle between this alliance of Arkats and Orlanthi against the King of the West in Seshnela will probably be the main event! Ardinyar is latter hailed as the king of Ralios but the fate of the new Archons is not as clear. To finally unite Safelster and revive the Stygian Empire would be a great event. 

On 7/15/2021 at 7:30 AM, David Scott said:

We've learned a lot about the Many Suns in the last 10 years. Although the previous cult write ups can be used in your games. I'd suggest using the info above as the basis for play, it will be much simpler for players.

On a similar note, Praxian Yelmalions are in a similar situation, to the Orlanthi Elmal worshippers. They worship Yelmalio, but from the back of their herd beasts without pike and shield too. Their god is called Yelmalio.

If you want to read about how this out of game schism began, start here The Birth of Elmal (1993) or, “Why I screwed up your Glorantha”

 

The topic of the Many Suns is often mentioned. I’m not sure exactly what it means. Could you explain? 

Those two seem to be the same god but but I'm really interested about Elmal in Orlanthi society. Yelmalio has been well documented in many sources but Elmal not as much.

Do Elmal cultists behave differently than Yelmalions? As strict as Yelmalions or more Orlanthi-style? Perhaps there are no gifts and geases. 

What happened at the Hill of Gold? Orlanth battled and stole Yelmalio as an enemy. How is the myth different so that Elmal becomes the faithful thane? 

Does Elmal offer fire-based magic to his followers? 

I saw an old Elmal cult write-up and he seems a lot different than Yelmalio and his cult is more appealing. 

On 3/29/2021 at 10:07 PM, jajagappa said:

There are definite gaps in Jar-eel's history. 

In 1602 she helps conquer Boldhome (at age 14).

In 1610 she enlightens or liberates Moirades (age 22).

In 1611 she gives birth to the son of Moirades, Phargentes. 

Then she next appears in 1614 to fight the slave revolt and gain Beat-pot as her best friend/chief priest, in 1616 to dismember Belintar, and in 1617 to found the Moonsword temple.

What happens to her between 1602-1610?  She was born with all seven souls fully awakened, so doesn't need to do that.

I did find a note in GS p.17 under the FHQ Virkala: "Virkala’s beauty and grace was renowned throughout Dragon Pass and the Lunar Provinces, but was challenged by Jar-eel and defeated. She died under mysterious circumstances in 1610."  Suggests a Heroquest challenge against the Earth Goddess - a challenge of beauty and arts?  Virkala was also Queen of Dragon Pass, spouse of Moirades, so clearly Jar-eel had to defeat her in order to win over Moirades.  This probably took at least a year of planning & effort.

How long does she spend with her son between 1611-1614?  Does she raise him in Glamour (I think likely) or Tarsh (with a half-brother who might just as likely kill off the rival)?

How and when does she train the Bloodspillers Regiment that forms the heart of the Moonsword cult?  (Must be between 1614 and 1617.  Do they help her train and prepare to defeat Belintar?)

GS p.21 also notes: "Jar-eel, for example, illustrates the fine value and artistic accomplishments in the divine act of separation from the source, using her edged blades and wit to cast moonlight upon the dividing philosophies of the Outer World."  How and where did she demonstrate this?  There's no references to her coming to Dragon Pass (or even Tarsh) until the Battle of Heroes, so that suggests she is in and around the Lunar Heartland, or possibly Carmania.

I'm looking ahead in the hero wars but as for battles of Jar-Eel there is a mystery (or misunderstanding) about the battle of heroes. The iconic battle between Jar-Eel and Harrek finally happens. The result is Harrek killing Jar-Eel and left somewhat of a cripple from his wounds. However Jar-Eel is later comes back in the hero wars. What happened to her? Resurrected in a hero quest or perhaps Harrek fought another lunar hero instead? My sources are from King of Sartar so may be a little biased towards orlanthi. 

On 3/22/2021 at 8:25 AM, Grievous said:

They like it hot. 

I don't think heating the soil is the only purpose. There is one (or many) active volcano in Caladraland. This would be an ideal place for worship and to protect the land against enemies of the fire or earth pantheons. It also allows them to weaponize the environnement against invasion, or perhaps a flood in the later hero wars 🙂 . I'm not entirely certain about this but in think there are Mostali using the heat from the Vent as a tremendous power source. 

On 3/12/2021 at 7:43 AM, Snugz said:

I'm curious how the other major Western seafaring people, the Vadeli, fit into the Hero Wars. Nary a mention of them in most official sources (although in Pamaltela they're surely actively involved). It's hardly a secret that the Red Vadeli are back but the (blue) Boat Planet would make an ideal time for the Blue Vadeli to return and perhaps Vadeli are doing their own sinister ceremonies w/the Boat Planet heroquest; or corrupting others'. Once the Closing is gone and the Navigationalists/Quinpolics are decimated they probably have a great opportunity in Genertela. Ditto with the "rise" of Mostali block-thing by Jrustela; old allies reconnected w/Orange Guild of Jrustela. Thoughts?

That’s a good question. Any information on the Vadeli implications during the hero wars? Especially for the long run. 

16 hours ago, jajagappa said:

More interesting comments from Jeff, this time re: Belintar

A few notes on Belintar that folk might find interesting:

Belintar was a wise and beneficent being, with no grudge against the innocent, and a keen mind in marshalling his resources. In the councils of Belintar, one of the seats was filled by a troll, sometimes a Mistress Race troll, sometimes a dark troll. Other seats were filled by the Orlanthi, the Ernaldans, Caladra & Aurelion, the Triolini, and the Godless.

GOVERNMENT

Belintar made little material demands on the peoples around the Choralinthor Bay, only that:

1. They send their tribute like everyone else. This tribute is both material and magical.

2. They obey his trade laws. Local rulers must guarantee the safety of passing caravans against robbers and brigandage, they must maintain roads and bridges in exchange for tolls and taxes on transit trade.

3. Send the requisite troops to his army. The God-King maintained a small but flexible professional army and a large navy.

Belintar largely let the locals rule themselves - and gave them a little boost in resources and organization. In the end, that's all the Sixths are (and I am rapidly reconsidering use of terminology like "governor"). In each Sixth, Belintar recognized the local ruler and gave them protection and additional resources.

If this looks a lot like what Sartar established in Dragon Pass, that's because Sartar based a lot of his policies on that of Belintar. In fact, the traditional Holy Country take on Sartar is that he was the agent of Belintar who was sent to civilize Dragon Pass, but then declared independence with his own apotheosis.

THE MASTERS OF LUCK AND DEATH

Belintar is a living god in the material world. He has a divine self that has existed since 1318, and is recognized by all the gods of the Holy Country. He also has a mortal self, that lives, ages, and dies.

The Tournament of the Masters of Luck and Death is held to select the new incarnation of Belintar. This is a magical contest, that sometimes has military dimensions, sometimes has gods and monsters participate and more. The winner of this contest IS Belintar but also themself. He or she gains access to Belintar's soul, and adds their experiences, personality, and knowledge. This is not possession - more like an incredibly powerful Allied Spirit or Fetch. Upon death they become Belintar in the God World, each incarnation adding to the god.

Now if this looks familiar - it is. You should immediately think of two other rulers that more or less operated this way: the Only Old One and the Red Emperor.

This system worked fantastically for over a century, but I think the first creaks showed up with Sartar's mission to Dragon Pass. Belintar violated his own trade laws in the 1520s when he allowed (or even ordered) the Kitori to seize the trade route between Dragon Pass and Karse. Nonetheless, Belintar was still able to support Dormal in the Opening - which might really be the last hurrah of the God-King. Sure he was still powerful enough to easily route the Red Emperor at the Building Wall Battle - and I think the Red Emperor was completely outclassed there - but Belintar had become stagnant, even senile, and did. not recognize how much the world had changed.

Jar-eel ambushed Belintar as he performed rites in the Otherworld. Lunar spies had mapped out parts of his route and Jar-eel, a heroquester on par with the original incarnation of Belintar, dissected the God-King and hid his parts in the Lunar Otherworld. When the Tournament of the Masters of Luck and Death was held in 1616, there was no Belintar to join with.

 

Plus additional comments:

The folk that left in the greatest number were the traditionalist Hendreiki (including the Elmal cult) who did not want to accept Belintar's magical changes to the land or their traditions and cult practices.

The irony is that those who left ended up changing far more radically than those who stayed behind - but that of course is familiar with many such emigrations.

 

Belintar could have the gods of the Holy Country manifest in the mundane world - and so the Holy Country was a place that outsiders thought was entirely on the Hero Plane. But Belintar was the intercessor between the worlds - which was frightening and dangerous (and the Orlanthi had a very bad experience doing just that same thing a few centuries before).

As for the Only Old One, when Belintar slew him, he was no longer able to manifest in this world. However, he did not bother, or attempt, to destroy the children of Argan Argar, the dark trolls of the Shadowlands. And dark trolls made little political activity at all except to send their tribute to Belintar like everyone else, obey his trade laws, and to send the requisite troops to his army.

Belintar is gone with the commencement of the Hero Wars. Jar-eel has changed things and they will not return. Period.  And by 1621, the unity of the Holy Country is shattered. Completely.

He's not coming back, any more than the Council of Friends can be restored. Maybe there might be something new that resembles the Holy Country (in fact I am pretty sure of that), but Belintar and his magic is gone.

 

It is important to keep in mind that from 1318 to 1616, the Holy Country maintained an astonishing amount of internal peace. The largest internal conflict involved the Volsaxi about a generation after Belintar became a god - which was basically the Orlanthi being Orlanthi. The Volsaxi kings quarrelled with the Durengard kings about who ruled Heortland. By 1460, that conflict had largely petered out.

But after 1616, war, disorder, and invasion came to the Holy Country. The unity is gone, and things won't go back to how they were. The Golden Age is over and the Lesser Darkness is upon us.

 

So if you imagine how this system would have worked in its prime - let's say around 1550, when Tarkalor was here.

Belintar resides in the City of Wonders. This is a marvellous magical place, where the gods themselves wander freely. Beings no longer present or even possible in the mundane world can be found here. Even with the Closing, there are guests from far off lands, Teshnite and Seshnegi nobles, Lunars and others. Belintar speaks with the gods and spirits, and works to keep the divine world and the material world in harmony.

It is important to think of Belintar as a priest or a living god, rather than as an administrator or politician. Belintar doesn't have politics. He does what is necessary to keep the mundane world in harmony with the divine - while also keeping the divine world from tearing apart the mundane world. He says something - well, you just follow it. Belintar just *knows* things - secrets, mysteries, impossible stuff. And he is friendly with all the gods of the Holy Country - Orlanth, Ernalda, Caladra&Aurelion, Choralinthor, the Lightbringers, you name it (yes he has a few enemies too, but they are important to be enemies of).

So if the Queen of Esrolia has a problem, she just takes the Rainbow Bridge over to the City of Wonders, and asks Belintar what to do. He's the Great and Terrible Oz! He's got councils, with a mistress race troll, with Wind Lords, Earth Priestesses, Twin Priests, and zzaburi. And more. Sometimes Belintar shows up in your city, with demigods and spirits in his entourage. He plants a garden or stamps his foot and a spring appears or satisfies a dozen priestesses in the fertility rites or whatever miracle is needed and then returns to the City of Wonders. He admits guests, speaks with them, and then disappears again, leaving you puzzled about what he exactly meant by that and how did he know it? There is nothing "ordinary" about him at all.

 

But at some point, even Belintar is no longer balanced. The Tournament is supposed to produce an incarnation strong enough to not be overwhelmed by Belintar - but that started to break down after the Opening.

That's a general theme in Greg's stories - nothing made in Time lasts forever.

 

Q: No brigandage and willing payment of tolls are both significant additions to Orlanthi ways. Did Sartar actually impose either?

A: yep - at least on Sartar's roads. Part of the deal with the Prince. And tribes that broke their oath got slapped hard.

 

Q: Are the cities the toll stations? If not, where?

A: The royal roads belong to the Prince and travelers and their property are under the protection of the Prince while they are on the road. Tolls on goods moving along the road are collected at various points, this is largest source of revenue for the Prince. For much of Sartar’s history, such revenues made the Prince richer than most Lunar satraps. At the entrance to each city and a few other toll stations (such as at Roadend and Dangerford), scribes and their guards assess a toll on the caravan. These tolls are sizeable (typically 2% to 5% of the value of the goods at each station) but ensures that the caravan can travel along the road without interference from the local tribes. A caravan traveling from Furthest to Karse might add another 50% to its costs through tolls, but can expect to still make huge profits; the tolls are the price of safety, security, and speed. Few experienced merchants complain much as long as the tolls are kept to these “reasonable” rates.

If the caravan tries to avoid the toll and bypasses the road, then the local tribes can impose whatever “toll” they desire (often tribal raiders simply take the caravan goods and ransom the merchant). In addition, there are tolls on ferry crossings, bridge crossings, and market taxes. This system was maintained with varying success during the Lunar Occupation.

 

Q: What was the Lunars issue with Belintar? Just territorial aggression that he resisted?

A: He was a problem on every level. For most Lunar leaders, the Holy Country was a matter of growing concern since 1500 or so. The Heartlands were shipping tons of silver every year to the merchants of the Holy Country, and getting spices, herbs, wine, textiles, etc. in return. The Sartarites were getting a big cut of that silver, making them a growing threat to the Lunar Provinces. But the Holy Country was getting the rest of it.

Magically, the Holy Country was a threat - it was a Proximate Realm, like the Silver Shadow or Glamour. Its presence blocked the expansion of the Glowline and stopped the rise of the Red Moon.

Ideologically, it was a problem. The Lunar Empire already has a God-King who sits atop the Axis Mundi and communicates between the divine and mundane worlds. Belintar did the same - and very successfully. Given the Red Emperor's universal claims, the presence of Belintar was intolerable.

 

Q: on the state of the City of Wonders

A: And it should be observed that after Harrek the Berserk sacked and pillaged the City of Wonders with King Broyan's aid, the city sank and disappeared from the world. It is no more. Like at Atlantis, it has disappeared from view.

So not only is there no Belintar, but there is no City of Wonders either.

 

Q: Why the hostility between the Volsaxi and the 'Governors' (or whatever the title is - Prince sounds likely to me)?

A: Whitewall is the traditional cult and assembly center of the Hendriki. Durengard is the cult and assembly center of Heortland. The Volsaxi refuse to be tributaries of Heortland (although I am pretty sure they paid their tribute to Belintar after their restoration).

 

So if you wanted to find some way to restart the Masters of Luck and Death - I'd suggest the following steps:

1. Get back all the parts of Belintar that Jar-eel dissected and scattered with guardians. They are in Lunar Hells, on the Red Moon, with Yara Aranis, and in a necklace around her neck.

2. Lift the City of Wonders from the bottom of the bay and rebuild its wonders.

3. Redo the original deeds of Belintar, more or less, and gain the submission of ALL the rulers of the Sixths. And do it fast, because Harrek has a good claim to be the Ruler of the Seas, and by 1628 Argrath is one of the rulers. Not to mention Queen Samastina, who is no nostalgist.

 

Similarly, want to resurrect the Only Old One? Find all his parts wherever Belintar hid them. Rebuild his Palace of Black Glass.

And get all the tar out of his stairway to the Underworld. All of it.

 

Q: Wouldn't this also incorporate the dismemberment of Belintar into the Belintar myth, forcing future Masters of Luck and Death to dismember and remember themselves in order to complete the ceremony?

A: or worse, it might mean you are the restarted Belintar. And starting from scratch

 

Q: Funny thing is that Greg once theorized it was possible Belintar was from the future or far past.

A: future, no. But there are hints that he might have been originally from the Second Age. Or just elsewhere. But nobody knows where he came from. And that's important. - some mysteries shouldn't be answered!

 

 

Since Belintar is a living god in the material world would that be considered a breach of the great compromise? 

On 1/23/2021 at 7:19 AM, Nick Brooke said:

“Welcome to your new apartment, Citizens! New to Glamour? Well, I’m sure you’ll fit right in. Rent is payable in advance...”

Citizens of the Lunar Empire by Chris Gidlow is a sourcebook for urban adventures for RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha. It focuses on the day-to-day lives of the working-class heroes of the Lunar capital.

Inside, you will find a detailed home base for your adventurers: The Insula, a typical multi-storey residential city-block. A self-contained microcosm of Lunar urban society, it is home to many families and businesses, ranging from scribes and traders on the lower floors to the unemployed, squatters, temple dancers and students at the higher levels.

This 172-page book contains:

• Maps, floorplans and elevations.
• Descriptions of 12 businesses and 25 families.
• Portraits and statistics for 70 NPCs.
• 60 adventure hooks for your urban campaign.
• Details of daily life in an ancient city, from bread-making to waste disposal.
• Rules for making a living and keeping a roof over your head in the sophisticated Lunar Empire.

Full details of the two main cults featured in Citizens, along with a detailed gazetteer and map of the city of Glamour, can be found in A Rough Guide to Glamour, also available from the Jonstown Compendium.

Written by Chris Gidlow. Cover painting by Mark Smylie. Lavish interior artwork by Dario Corallo. Maps, plans and elevations by Julie Hudson Gidlow, Mike Hagen & Colin Driver; architectural views, sections & perspectives by Sarah Brooke; layout & design by Nick Brooke.

174 page book, plus 16 page high-resolution Map Pack. PDF digital download. $19.95.

DRIVETHRURPG LINK: https://bit.ly/2Y5cvyC

YOUTUBE VIDEO PREVIEW: 

 

Wow it looks great. I especially like the Italian feel in the short clip. I gotta get me one of those Glamour dry gin bottles. Any plans on making a paper version? 

On 1/6/2021 at 7:02 AM, Nick Brooke said:

She is the Mirror, and She is the Mask.

By definition.

NB

I wonder if the different portions (similar to Dara Happan souls) of the Goddess represent different masks? As Rashorana she is the source of illumination (one incarnation being Nysalor) but as her future self she is Zatenera associated with the White Moon. Are all portions masks of Wakboth or should be considered different deities and/or masks? 

On 5/30/2020 at 11:55 AM, Richard S. said:

A campaign set in the wake of the Hero Wars, where the players have to deal with the problems of a new age and help the other survivors recover, a la the Theyalan missionaries.

Perhaps as part of the Illiteracy Age set to follow the Hero Wars. Imagine the chaos that would cause in an urban campaign set in a city like Nochet with lots of scholars and historians. 

5 hours ago, David Scott said:

Each cult has its own reference page to publications (not quite finished but good enough at the moment)

https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/gloranthan-documents/prosopaedia/deities/r/rigsdal/

Pole Star is a spirit cult with the runes of Sky and Stasis, he gives one rune spell: Captain souls, one way telepathy (including magic) to a stackable number of volunteers (from the upcoming Gods of Glorantha).

Polaris is a full cult and a war god of Dara Happa & the Lunar empire. His runes are Harmony, Light and Stasis. It's a six page write up in the upcoming Gods of Glorantha.

He's not worshipped independently by the Orlanthi as he's a Fire/Sky god.

Thanks. I am particularly interested the Dara Happan version so I’m looking forward to see the write up in GoG. 

I’m curious about the cult’s relation to the one of Yanafal. Perhaps a friendly rivalry or a heated competition in the lunar ranks? 

Does anyone knows if there is an existing cult write up for Pole Star? There are a couple of myths about him but not a ton of info. 

Being the general of heaven and commanding the Star Captains should make him an important deity. 

And not to mention it must be a popular warrior cult in solar and lunar armies. 

On 9/14/2020 at 7:21 AM, MOB said:

And for your RuneQuest campaign, Nick Brooke also answers the important question: "Isn’t Glamour a long way from RuneQuest’s traditional stamping-grounds of Dragon Pass and Prax?"

 

I think it's a good thing that it is not about Dragon Pass once again. Gives the opportunity to roleplay in different locations and to start a different kind of campaign in an urban setting. With all the intrigue and decadence beneath the Red Moon. 

I have read in some previous columns that Greg Stafford was planning on writing a Lunar book for the progress and an ending of the Hero Wars. A book that would be similar to King of Sartar but where the Lunars win the war either by conquest or alliances. 

Has there been a release or draft of this book? Or perhaps a high level view of the plot. 

Secondly, I would like to hear opinions or ideas on how this ending to the Hero Wars would unfold. 

On 8/3/2020 at 1:49 PM, Nick Brooke said:

I did! The best bits are in A Rough Guide to Glamour. There's even more on her Life of Moonson freeform character sheet. Her "Just Say No!" campaigns are the stuff of legend. And every public housing project in the Lunar Heartlands has a mosaic of Great Sister just inside the entrance, with the reassuring slogan "Great Sister Watches Over You."

Thanks I'll be sure to grab the guide to Glamour it looks lovingly decadent. Life of Moonson is also a good source of info. I bet the Great Sister gets involved in aiding Arrolia during the hero wars. Or manipulates her brother to do so as mentioned in the Takenegi Steele of Boldhome.  

I'm trying to figure out the role of the Great Sister in the Hero Wars. Not much is documented in the sources I read (mainly GtG and the Glorantha Sourcebook) except for the fact that she sacrifices the current mask of the Red Emperor Argentus in a ritual ceremony. 

Since her dedication is to the people before empire what role or actions will she takes when the empire starts to differ from the Lunar Way itself. Her relations with her brother the emperor is quite different since his goal is first to the empire and then the people. Pelorians will suffer greatly in the later hero wars (Sheng Seleris, great flood, Monster Empire) and the Great Sister must take actions during these trials to help her people.

Any insights and theories would be greatly appreciated. (canon or personal opinions)  

22 hours ago, Eff said:

Some immediate thoughts:

I'm not sure that draconic mysticism is canonically a form of Illumination or brings Illumination, but if it is (and it certainly makes sense that it would be), then Vithelan mysticism should also be on that list, as its own bullet point. 

Yelmic White Sun Illumination is another Pelorian example. 

I don't believe there's any specific examples of MSE schools that practiced Illumination currently and/or canonically. 

My speculation/invention/interpretation (pick any two):

The basic insight that makes up Illumination is simple: "There is nothing to be afraid of." This is of course a Lunar view, but it's also one that has some monomythic support (eg in the story of the Unholy Trio in King of Sartar). This realization confers no fantastical powers in and of itself, but what it does do is allow you to recognize frightening truths about the universe. So you could (to provide the orthodox Yelmic understanding of Yelm's Illumination) understand that the One is Many and the Many are One and therefore that there is no firm line between yourself and other people, or between clean and unclean things. This is ordinarily too frightening to recognize- to accept it would be to accept that everything you believe, as a good Dara Happan, is false. But with the Illuminated intellect, it's possible to understand how both of these things can be true and accept the insight that the One is Many and the Many are One into yourself, and that your Other is really just You. 

Note that this is an insight that is fundamentally nonsensical to a Sartarite because they don't have the culture that produces beliefs in One, Many, cleanness and uncleanness, et cetera necessary to understand why this insight is such a big leap. So Illumination to them means something very different! It might come as, say, a realization that everyone is kin, or that all kinship is fictive. The broad point is that Illumination allows you to peek outside of your cultural perspective for a bit and understand truths that are normally veiled. 

Thus, the reason why Illuminates can become so powerful is because they can peer into truths that they would normally not be able to understand without abandoning some of the truths they knew previously, and they are able to (hypothetically) reconcile these truths together. These are capacities rather than demands, of course, and the notion of Occlusion demonstrates that it's hardly impossible for an Illuminate to conceal the truth from themselves. 

(Or to put it in slightly more game-mechanical terms, Spirits of Reprisal affect you because you're in tension over holding mutually incompatible truths in your head, and by making the truths compatible, Illumination makes it difficult for them to affect you because you're invisible to their radar, as it were.) 

 

For me the most interesting exemple if illumination is Arkat. He is the perfect candidate for it since he transcended many cultures and cults and able to escape spirits of reprisal. However with fall of the stygian empire in the second age Arkat is worshipped buy a load of different sects and cults that include illuminates. 

Since every sect believes to be the ONLY true successor to Arkat I wonder how they feel about one another since they worship and follow different doctrines. Should they believe illuminates from other sects are wrong (perhaps even Nysalorian!) even if illumination gives them the ability to see the "big picture" so to speak?

13 minutes ago, soltakss said:

By the way, if anyone spots any errors, typos etc, then please let me know here and I will review and update the supplement where necessary.

I checked the table of contents and it looks great. Cool monsters and illumination. Fun for the whole family. 😅