FungusColombicus

Using the skills is a very good way to get things done quickly in a bind... yet, IF I may suggest another possibility... Let the player write the poem and sing/read to the group... after all... this is a role play game isn't it ? you may end with a more satisfying experience for all (or a good laugh to horrible poetry like the Vingan and my Orlanti characters did on our table)

YES... I am aware of the material science series of Kiel university... By the way, the article I posted is from the same university, the series on Defects in Crystals is really good and is in part the bases of the research on those swords of the British Isles. If you want to dive on the deep end of bronze age metallurgy the list of books that follow are quite good (maybe not the absolute list...) Metallurgy in the early bronze age Aegean by Peter M. Day and Roger Doonan Metallurgical Production in Northern Eurasia in the Bronze Age by Stanislav A. Grigoriev The Bronze Age of Southeast Asia by Charles Higham Metallurgy in Ancient Ecuador Book by Roberto Lleras Perez Archaeometallurgy in Global Perspective Methods and Syntheses by Roberts and Thornton consider that the article was written in 1995... there is a LOT of new research on the matter... but as I said before and I will said it again... as primer for bronze age swords is a good and quick article with relevant information.

Being old does not means is inaccurate (for most)... be off... sure... after all archeology is a science and as time moves forward things are revised and change... for effects of the conversation and as an answer to the question I think it was sufficiently effective to portrait the differences between a Bronze Age Rapier Vs a Scottish Rapier. For an updated and deeper discussion on bronze age weaponry: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10816-020-09451-0 Geometrically speaking cutting with a bronze age rapier is possible but also harder than other swords with broader blade such as broadswords or blades that are straight such as those in the gladius. I don't really understand why the statement of the rapiers not to be good for defense... in any sword combat you are bound to impact the enemy sword sooner or later regardless if you have shield or not. Again the article in the previous section shows some of the consequences of using your bronze weapon for parrying or impacting other weaponry/shields/armor. By the end of the day... Glorantha is not a world of precise imitation of metallurgic techniques used in Earth. I am sure the swords used in Glorantha are radically better and will be able to resist abuse much more than the exact replicas here in Earth. Neither I am... yet... I seen a lot of one side edge weapons from German tribes that were either enemies of Rome or auxiliaries. Thanks for the conversation !

The best article describing Bronze age Rapiers (and other swords) is: https://www.tf.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/def_en/articles/rapier_to_longsax/from_rapier_to_langsax.html May not be the most comprehensive study but it goes directly to the points in a succinct way. Note that this is exclusively for Sword Structure in the British Isles.

they don't because they want to moon the rest of peoples of Glorantha.

It boils down to kill: Esra, Pelora, Suchara and Usara or any two of those four to be considered a Cereal Killer... Right ?

I am laughing... so the "jest" part worked well !!!

serial panelist is such that in his lifetime participated in earnest in more than 3 panels. Depending on the contain of the panel it may be consider antisocial. Quite different from what I meant.

Exactly what I meant...

if said by a serious panelist in a public environment... is like having the gods making a pronouncement... I AGREE... should be canon. (please gods and goddesses of Glorantha don't turn me into a toadstool)

Too bad it has to be recorded... My brothers in arms and I have some serious poetry about our common enemy in our campaing ready to go... but we have a voice that is only acceptable to read earthspeak or to sing Mongolian throat singing trash metal...

I understand your point and you are correct... as with most of writing methods you can write in almost any geometric arrangement. YET, in some cases particularly with non alphabetical writing (scripts) that is not the case. Take the futhark runes as example, depending if the rune is pointing right or upside down it could mean something different. To be perfectly honest my question was a mix of curiosity and the old rumor read somewhere. My questions was perfectly explained by @Nick Brooke about the "non canon rumor" perfectly.

Exactly my point of my question... wow... 90s... that non canon rumor surely carries some heavy weight. Thanks for the clarification.

mastery rune should not be inverse ?

Simple question: are the second rune (mastery) of Ompalam incorrect should it be inverse from what is in the book ?

Just noted on the map of the Southwest Sartar the symbols for waterfalls and bridges are exchanged.