Scorus

In the current Apple Lane, the cohesion of the village is pretty low, with a number of key individuals struggling to hold it together. So I wouldn't think it would have a wyter. If a party essentially takes over Apple Lane by becoming Thane and does things to make it grow, then it could become more of an entity that would have a wyter. If the growth squarely goes in the direction of fertility, then the Ulerian Temple spirit is an obvious choice. If more trade-oriented, then Gringle. If defensive in nature, then former sheriff Dronlan Swordsharp would work well (see previous RQ versions of Apple Lane).

I think Apple Lane's relative neutrality in Glorantha's tribalist culture offers a lot of options for directions and sources of conflict and cooperation. The wyter would likely represent and reinforce the direction that it goes in that particular campaign.

Who leads the Beast Valley centaurs post-1625 when Ironhoof is not around? I see the name of his daughter in Smoking Ruins but can't find his name.

Looks like it is wide open. 1625 was an eventful year and it doesn't take much to kill someone in RQ, so it could be whatever you want.

And the reason why Asborn gets resurrected when others do not is in the books. I won't put a spoiler in, just in case...

...What comes out?

I remember reading somewhere that Telmori don't begin transforming until they reach maturity, but I doubt that was a canonical source.

38 minutes ago, AndrewTBP said:

You should start with The Smoking Ruin, which covers the Wild Temple and surrounding area.

Thanks, I've read that. I was thinking about older and more obscure sources.

I find that with 7 players they are always keeping me having to learn more about aspects of Glorantha that I only have surface knowledge of!

I am interested in sources on Beast Men culture, Beast Valley, and Ironhoof.

Also, information on Dwarven culture and apostate Dwarves.

Children are raised as much or more by institutions or extended families than individuals. I assume the temple would take this as a sign that this is Uleria's desire. I would be inclined to make them wards of the Ulerian Temple and part of the clan of their mother. If the Storm Bull really wants to try and raise children, just let him miss some adventures because a kid is sick and he'll understand that adventuring and solo parenting are not a good match.

2 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

Same here - how do they make a living? Especially in a clan setting, you can only do that much scamming and minor theft. Maybe stickpicking, but do they really have the attention span?

I have a (counter-canonical) idea that there might be "lay-member clowns" - you work your farm all day long until you don the clown costume for a holy day as a welcome way to vent steam/enjoy yourself/perform an important religious function. Then back to the farm afterwards it is.

Jeff has said several times that most Eurmal are stickpickers. I assume that is a general category that includes urban beggars, rag-and-bone men, charcoal carriers, ditchdigger, etc. Poorest of the able-bodied.

Though do keep in mind that modern stickpickers make over $50K according to Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/stickpicker-salary-SRCH_KO0,11.htm

🙂

From the general responses, it seems that the concept of Eurmali has been or is being changed such that "They are regularly lynched" and "most tribes lynch anyone proven to be a trickster" is no longer canon, correct? Instead they are tolerated until scapegoated? Can someone at Chaosium confirm that?

What is the canon of how Eurmali are treated in society? In my games, I have assumed that all Eurmals are either bonded, covert (i.e. not publically known as Eurmal), or pretty much lynched (strung up, on the run, tarred and feathered, etc.). That was my interpretation of the KoS description:

"No one likes or trusts Tricksters. They are regularly lynched, partly because no one trusts them, and partly because murderous idiots, who are normally restrained by law, have no law to restrain them from murdering Tricksters. Thus, Tricksters live utterly outside the law, and can do anything they want. However, they are not protected by law at all either, and most tribes lynch anyone proven to be a trickster.

Thanks to Orlanth for the loyalty pledge. If the Trickster will swear absolute obedience to an Orlanth initiate, then that initiate must protect the Eurmali from unjust harm. In this way some Orlanthi tame a trickster enough to allow them into sacred ritual."

This seems to be backed up by the RQG initiate requirement: "The initiate must be willing to become an outlaw."

That said, things I have read more recently seem to have the cult as more mainstream than I realized and I'm wondering if I have been misinterpreting it. From Jeff's facebook posts, we know there are ca. 150 Eurmal in Boldhome, who are "not only tolerated by the Orlanthi, but actively encouraged by the leadership of the Orlanth cult." And in the starter set the pre-generated Eurmal character's instructions for players mentions not saying anything but also seems to feel he will be able to carry on if discovered. Nor does it appear as if the Eurmal Priest on the Jonstown Ring is bonded, though he is definitely known.

So how far off was my 'bonded, covert, or lynched' interpretation? Are there overt, unbonded Eurmali (mostly stickpickers, of course) in every clan who are allowed to go about their business? What percentage of the ca. 1,150 Eurmali in Sartar are bonded? Thanks.

I seem to remember reading that there were multiple Tournaments of the Masters of Luck and Death after Jar-eel killed Belintar in 1621, but that survivors of them tell of intervention by outsiders believed to be lunars. Assuming that this is Jar-eel or her influence, did her death at the Battle of Heroes open any doors to a potential new Belintar?

Thank you for these responses. Clearly there is a lot of precedent for a mobile shrine.

The comments about sites, shrines, etc. are understood and in the rules. But partly because they are consistent with the rules, I wonder if they apply to Eurmal?

According to RQG, in order to be a priest you must maintain a shrine. If shrines were as rare as I think is being argued here, there would be very few priests indeed. Is this how people see the cult working in their Glorantha?

An Ernaldan summons an earth elemental and successfully uses Control Cult Spirit to control it. Could an enemy Ernaldan use Control Cult Spirit to wrest control away?

My Eurmal player (Issaries as far as all but a few know) wants to establish a shrine and become a Priest. What would be involved in establishing an Eurmal shrine? To a certain extent anything goes, I guess, but what parameters/process/rituals would be involved?

Also, are there any precedents for a mobile shrine? I seem to remember that certain military banners or Humakt swords are mobile shrines? Could a Mostakos make their chariot into a shrine, for instance?

On 7/24/2021 at 2:39 PM, Rodney Dangerduck said:

In our non-canonical campaign, just entering 1627, Gringle died in Nochet.  Over Sacred Time the PCs quested and brought him back to serve as Wyter for Apple Lane.

Bloody brilliant!

10% (counting God-Talkers) sounds about right. I ended up with 9 for my 800 strong Hiording clan. Every Sartar clan will have at least one Orlanth and Ernalda, and most every clan has a shaman, so that is 3 right there. It is probably the rare clan that doesn't have an Issaries. After that it will depend on the terrain, surroundings, and sheer luck. If there is a holy place for a cult in the clan territory, then probably 2 there. If a holy place in an adjacent clan then there is likely one from there, unless the other clan is a rival. If the river is a big factor for the clan, perhaps an Engizi. If they have good lands then perhaps a Barntar/Uralda/Eiritha. Etc.

"Any defensive spirit or Rune magic spell that the caster casts on the target has its effects extended to last one full day or until the effects of Bless Champion end" under this spell. Assuming it is cast by an Ernaldan, the only spells that I see that definitely would be able to be extended by this are Absorption and Protection/Shimmer/Countermagic (unless they had a second cult with access to other spells). Vigor seems a bit of a stretch, but I could see it. Earth Shield targets the shield and not the character, so wouldn't work. Earthpower is self only.

What other spells would qualify under this that an Ernaldan is likely to have (neither BG or MG have the spell)? Given that Absorption is incompatible with Shield, it seems like this would only result in an extended Protection spell (which ain't nothin', of course!).

10 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

Triaties. They're an ancient structure that's described in "King of Sartar" (and possibly elsewhere): a cluster of three exogamous clans, ideally/originally in the same tribe. Clan A's men traditionally marry women from Clan B; Clan B's men marry women from Clan C; Clan C's men marry women from Clan A; that way nobody will accidentally end up in an incestuous / inbred relationship. You get gnarly stuff happening if the clans of a triaty end up in different tribes, or when the Chieftain of Clan A falls in love with a woman from Clan C, and so on and so forth. But it's a structure that links clans below tribal level.

There's also obvious stuff like: the ruling clan of the Malani are a bunch of assholes who lord it over all the other clans in that tribe, as sovereign overlords backed up by the power of DEATH and a pillager's attitude to tribute exaction. Not that I'm prejudiced or anything. 

Could a Triaty have its own wyter? In addition to the wyter of the individual clans and the tribe they are a part of?

Is there any precedent for a group of clans to be organized into some kind of sub-tribe (or super-clan) with a leader inside a larger tribe? I don't just mean a marriage triarchy, but an actual organized group of clans, each of which has their own chief, with a leader and a wyter of their own who are also part of a tribe like Colymar, Malani, Cinsina, etc.?

On 6/20/2021 at 11:31 PM, Shiningbrow said:

So I presume you don't allow Detect Enemies, Detect Life, Detect Trap... Nor the Humakti skill of Sense Assassin.

Of course I allow those spells/skills! They specifically detect the intent to trap, harm, or assassinate (Life is spiritual and neither intent nor substance). I would not allow someone to have use enemy or trap as a Find (substance) target because they are not, in fact, substances. Find (Quicksand) would work fine. Find (Poison Ivy) or Find (Hemloch) would work fine, they are both substances. But, as I've said, if you do define Find (Poison) as anything that will poison the user, casting it will successfully detect water, all metals, most all plants, and most substances since they can all poison you if they enter your body in the correct way and the correct volume.

On 6/21/2021 at 7:08 AM, Shiningbrow said:

Wouldn't Detect Poison be simply detecting something that is specifically poisonous to the caster? In the same way that Detect Enemies would be?

Everything is poisonous to the caster (unless you are a troll). Water is poisonous, if you drink enough (google it). Every metal is poisonous in sufficient quantities. If you drink ink, it will poison you. Eat tree bark, it will poison you. Get most substances into your blood stream through a nasty cut (common in RQ), you are poisoned. Detecting poison will register almost everything as poisonous.

Yeah, Detect/Find Poison doesn't work for me. For me a "substance" has to be objective. Things that are poisonous to you might not be poisonous to another person (e.g. poison ivy) or to another type of creature (dog, elf, etc.). Almost nothing is poisonous to a troll. Any oil would be poisonous to either swallow or get into your bloodstream, so every lamp is gonna show. Heck, every metal is poisonous if you eat/drink enough it or get it into your bloodstream. In fact, water is poisonous if you drink enough of it, every few years you hear of someone dying from it (usually as a result of hazing).

On 2/10/2021 at 11:55 AM, Mike M said:

Hi

We occasionally get asked about removing the backgrounds from PDFs for home printing and readability. The link below is a quick how to guide on this subject.

https://www.chaosium.com/removing-the-background-from-pdfs/

 

Is there a version of the calendar that this works on? There are no layers on the one that came with the box set/GM screen.

I'm curious what substances GMs and players have used for the Detect and Find (Substance) spells. Iron, gold, and water are the most obvious to me. But copper, silver, aluminum, and lead might be popular. Hazia, perhaps. Something like truffles, ginger, or other hard to find commodity. Specific rare and valuable gemstones. Truestone, perhaps? Crystals?

I assume that this could not find specific creatures, such as a wolf or a broo. Find blood or fur might work, but would get many creatures great and small in the area (just as I assume wood would detect an elf but not differentiate them from all the trees almost always around them). Nor could poison work since that assumes a function and particular target(s).

A question from one of my players as we prepare for their first heroquest: How does time work in the Before Time plane that they will be adventuring in? He is specifically interested in spell durations and how Extension would work, or if the spell is even possible.