Scorus

Gah! I just ran them through Rainbow Mounds. It would be great to know what is coming down the pike so we can put off certain things in anticipation.

One somewhat related thing that I've considered was organizing a group of players to each play one of the Colymar clans, with other players playing the Queen, the Earth Temple, and possibly others. Sounds more like a political LARP but it could be useful to our various games to be able to go to another player and say "This happened, what would the Orlmarth reaction be?"

I'm going with an illuminated, secretly Eurmal-worshipping Full Priest Dragonewt from High Wyrm as the culprit.

i believe that King of Sartar mentions Asborn leading his men to sack the Nymie Valley one just days after the Dragonrise. So it would be the guards from Asborn Stead probably with help from Hiording, Anmangarn, and/or Orlmarth clansmen. Whether there were still any lunars there by that time or they had all bugged out is another question. Either way, slaves are likely to ransack their enslavers' buildings. Though in my game a charismatic Eurmali that used to work for/undermine the lunars at one of these is organizing and slowly converting ca. 20 slaves that decided to remain into a stead of sorts.

And deprive the dragon of part of its meal? Does Kangharl know that your players killed her? If so, then he might be prepared. If not, then he would certainly know after they interfered!

I'm planning on using a variation of Six Seasons in Sartar to involve my players.

I decided to leave Cult Lores as is. I thought of organizing them into a tree based on pantheon, but finally decided that it was taught by the cult itself and therefore would be narrowly focused at lower levels. And less to learn at higher levels then something as broad as plants or spirits, for instance. In an earlier version I incorporated Customs with Homeland Lore, but I wanted to continue allowing experience checks in the former and I don't like having them in lores. I'm considering combining some other skills but haven't pushed into that yet.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the rune point recovery system. The idea is great but the system itself makes it so easy that having a system at all seems unnecessary. I only allow rune point recovery on the cult's holy and high holy days and sacred time. Moving the magic point sacrifice to +1% makes a lot of sense to me. And I love the idea of rewarding criticals and specials, I think I would make it a vision from the god that adds to Cult Lore. I have a Humakt that collects weapons and shields from conquered foes to sacrifice. That is the kind of thing that I want to encourage.

A couple of months ago I posted a draft skill tree system for lores and got some good questions and comments. Below is the result we've been using and enjoying, in case anyone is interested. My goals were: 1) To make lores more useful at the lowest levels to make them more interesting for players. 2) To require specialization in lores as skill level intervals, since being 100% in something as broad as plants or spirits didn't work for me (I realize that that number often comes with penalties due to the difficulty of knowing something in particular, but it is not fun to always be rolling at 50% when you have the skill at 100%). 3) To make lores into skills fit for the hero age. It is no longer enough to find one of the many Lhankor Mhy at the Jonstown Temple with 90% Draconic Lore, you need to find THE specialist in what you need to know. Or, better yet, BE the specialist in what others need to know. The system combines all lores except Cult Lore (which doesn't change) into four lore skills which branch into specializations at regular intervals. Multiple specializations are possible within an individual lore, and probably are common among older scholars. Glorantha Lores Elder Race Lore (Knowledge 5%) – Non-human intelligent races (replaces Draconic, Elder Race). Genert Lore (Knowledge 5%) – The natural world (replaces Animal, Mineral, Plant, River). Glorantha Lore (Knowledge 20%) – Middle World history and geography (replaces Homelands). Otherworld Lore (Magic 0%) – The other worlds (replaces Celestial, Spirit, Underworld). Characters specialize as they advance: From 1-25% there is a basic understanding of the Lore with knowledge of some specifics. With Genert Lore at 20% you have a chance to know about animals, minerals, plants, rivers, etc. From 26-50% a Category (usually one of the original lore skills) is selected. With 40% Genert Lore there is a 25% chance at anything under Genert and a 40% in the Category of your choice (e.g. Animals). From 51-75% character chooses an Area within their Category to have a deeper knowledge (e.g. Insects) and is capped in other areas of the category at 50%. From 76-89% the character has specific factual, theoretical, and mythic knowledge of a particular Subject (e.g. Beetles) within the Area, other subjects are capped at 75%. From 90+% the character has full expertise within a narrow Aspect of the Subject, acknowledged as an expert in that narrow field (e.g. Breeding). Tree Examples: Lore: Elder Race Lore Categories: Beast (Centaurs, Durulz, Baboons, Morokanth, Telmori), Chaos (Broo, Ogres, Scorpion Men), Darkness (Uz, Tusk Riders), Draconic (Dragonewts, Dragons, Wyrms), Giant (Giants, Agrimori), Plant (Aldryami), Stone (Mostali), Water (Ludoch, Newtlings). Areas: Individual race such as those listed above. Subjects: Particular knowledge of the race such as their myths, history, culture, etc. Aspects: Specific entities, events, myths, habits, anatomy, etc. ------------------- Lore: Genert Lore Categories: Animals, Minerals, Plants, Rivers, Mountains, Swamps. Areas: Felines, Freshwater Fish, Birds, Insects, Forest, Underground, Riding, or Farm Animals, Metals, Architectural Stone, Home Use, Medicinal Plants, Grains, Textiles, Poisonous, River plants. Subjects: A specific animal/mineral/plant such as Alynx, Python, Vrok, Beetle, Cow, Bronze, Iron, Clay, Salt, Barley, Ginseng, Flax. Aspects: Something specific about that animal/mineral/plant: Mythic Lore, Diet, Mating Habits, Health Care, Alloys, Density, Mining locations, Cross-breeding, Fertilizing, Soil needs. ------------------- Lore: Glorantha Lore Categories: Dragon Pass, Wastelands, Holy Country, Lunar Empire, Elder Wilds, Dawn Age, 2nd Age. Areas: Sartar, Esrolia, Prax, Dorastor, Empire of Wym’s Friends, 2nd Council, Grazelanders. Subjects: Bison Riders, Colymar Tribe, Nochet, Sartar River Navigation, Esrolian Culture, Grazelander Queens. Aspects: Colymar Wilds, Nochet Trade, EWF Cities, Dragonkill War, Specific Entities, Clans, Artifacts, Sites, or Events. ------------------- Lore: Otherworld Lore Categories: Celestial, Spirit, Underworld Areas: Types of Celestial bodies (Sun, stars, comets), The Sky in particular eras or from particular PoVs, Types of Spirits (Animal, Plant, Disease, Genius Loci, Wyters, Elementals), Spirit World Regions, Spirit Cults, Underworld Regions, Paths of the Dead, Demons, Burial Customs. Subjects: Specific Entity or Site, Orlanth and the Sky, Vingkotling sky beliefs, Nochet interpretations, Dehori, Tribal Wyters, Ghosts, Oakfed, Vortices, Specific Underworld Regions. Aspects: Rigsdal vs. Polaris worship, Elmal in the Vingkotling era, The Only Old One and the Sky, Secret Knowledge of or even a Relationship with a Specific Entity or Region. Play examples: Farmer Harmast has Genert Lore 20% and a basic knowledge of plants, animals, minerals, rivers, mountains, etc. By 35%, he specializes in plants with rolls limited to 25% on other natural areas. By 60%, he focuses on grains. He can augment his Farming roll for his grain harvest during Sacred Time. But if he is wondering what is affecting his cabbage he is capped at 50%. By 85%, he KNOWS barley. His corn crop is excellent, but the tribe turns to Harmast on barley. If barley is a major aspect of the clan’s harvest, his skill can help the clan’s annual harvest roll. By 95%, he is one of the leading minds on barley pests. A Lhankor Mhy writes down everything he says on it. Any heroquest involving Esra the Barley Mother starts with a consultation with him. ------------------- Asst. Shaman Inervan has 20% Otherworld Lore and is familiar with the Sky Dome, Spirit World, and Underworld. By 30%, she focuses on the Underworld. She knows more on its deities, demons, and geography. By 60%, she specializes in paths through the realm of the dead. She eases the fears of the dying and is consulted by heroquesters, those dealing with ghosts, or resurrecting travelers upon it. By 85%, she has expertise on the warrior’s path to the Underworld. She gives advice to warriors on trials they will face on it, has identified and communicated with its guardians, can strengthen an army’s courage with tales of afterlife glories, and can find those currently on the path. By 95%, she has trod a Babeester Gor’s path to the Underworld multiple times. She is the go-to heroquester when a BG warrior needs to be pulled from the Underworld. She knows prayers to BG servants in the Cavern of Silence and can advocate in front of BG and Daka Fal. ----------- Cartacar has a 20% skill in Glorantha Lore, knowing the basic history and geography and a better knowledge of his native Carmania. By 35%, he focuses on Glorantha’s political history. Questions of military history, for example, are capped at 25%, with a bonus in areas connected to the political history. By 65%, he is fascinated with the 2nd Council. He has a good basis of general political history, but his knowledge of the 2nd Council has begun to be noticed by other scholars. By 80%, he researches Dara Happans on the 2nd Council. The work brings the patronage of families whose ancestors were involved and leads to discoveries of relevant sites. By 95%, he works with shamans to contact the spirits of Dara Happans involved in the decision to join the Council and has led exploration of important sites. His work resulted in a significant rise of importance in one of his patrons, who gave him a small estate. He provides information on the 2nd Council which could be instrumental to future heroquests.

My memory is that the Varmandi settled in the Arfritha Vale, got kicked out and settled in the Ormthane Valley, then got kicked out of there and ended up in their current location, which has very little agricultural value (which led many Varmandi to migrate to Antorling when it was founded). They are a war clan now, though there is enough memory of their peace clan days that the women of the clan elected a peace leader prior to Korol Serpent-Tongue. In my game they have a strong and necessary reciprocal relationship with the Hiording where the Varmandi serve as military allies while the Hiording provide them with food, there is much intermarriage between the two including in the leadership. The two share rivalries with the Taraling and Orleving (though in the Varmandi-Orleving case it is a feud). The Orleving-Varmandi "border" is particularly sketchy, with each side claiming territory well beyond the line on the Colymar tribal map. For instance, the Orleving claim Tarkalor Keep while the Varmandi claim Rainbow Mounds.

Can anyone point to examples of explaining/playing spirit world travel of discorporate characters? I'm a bit confused by the RQG descriptions of the region and vortices and how they map to the middle world.

One of the Seven Mothers was (and is) Eurmal in disguise.

The line from the book tells me that the Tusk Riders have formed a spirit cult around Redeye. So anything needs to start from the premise that it already has such a cult in operation with a priest and worshippers. The Ernalda/Gouger/Redeye connection is interesting. Ernalda sent both of them as punishment, but their worshippers are very, very far afield from the earth goddess! So in my game I am assuming that they were captives of Ernalda released upon the world as punishment. In my game, I have adapted the backstory from In a Merry Green Vale (a great source of ideas if you are playing in the Apple Lane area, though it is 1615 and not 1625). There is a Gouger Lord in Pig Hollow with ca. 20 tusk riders under his command, Xiobalg's attack on Apple Lane was a rogue operation to get his own Lord qualification and start his own band. The Gouger Lord continues to harry Birne's Squeeze and also raids Antorling, Hiording, and Lysang territory for sacrifices. He is trying to breed or even tame Redeye as a mount. My players are trying to get the three clans to band together to clean out Pig Hollow, as part of a larger mission to convince Lysang to rejoin Colymar. They think they can get the Dragonewts to help, but are wrong. I'm interested in whether they will realize that the Anmangarn and possibly the Aldryami would help also.

I would guess that Hon-eel got Charisma from Eurmal. Whether she wrested it out of him or Eurmal gave it to her as part of a trick (on her or someone else) or he just was in the mood to do so randomly that day (or all of the above) would make a good myth.

The original Rainbow Mounds scenario had an adamantine column that cut through one of the columns that was associated with or connected to the dragonewt plinth that sat atop the mound.

I second @David Scott on introducing the characters gradually. I did not do that and the players were overwhelmed with named and personalities (since I had also just introduced them to their clan, Hiording). Several players paired up with NPCs (Aileena, Brightflower, Squinch, Thrilla), but it hasn't really lasted.

As a GM, do you give your players full value for treasure? If they find a gem "worth" 300L, do you let them sell it for the full amount (or more, with bargaining)? I'm not much of a believer in objective value, things are worth different things to different people. A merchant is going to turn around and try and sell it, so they are only going to offer half or so of the price they think they can get. If they can figure out who would really want something (copper necklace with Extinguish matrix to the Aldryami), then they may get a good bit more than 'list price'.

Thanks for all this! My players were looking to recruit a blacksmith to revitalize the Apple Lane forges. I will suggest they find a redsmith for now and plant the seed for an adventure to find and recruit Piku's son.

Thanks for this. I have a couple of other adventures queued up that will provide similar opportunities, including the dragon/queen scenario from the GA. In this case, I have moved the Stone Woman to Tarkalor Keep and the enthralled bad guy is one of the PC's brothers. So she could become an ally in the Varmandi/Colymar feud with the Orleving/Malani.

Yes, I'm open to that possibility. The book emphasizes how she is mostly just hungry and that that is what she has used the NPC to accomplish, so I think that is an incentive. None of the players are Earth cultists and I don't think they will be interested in worshipping her, though in my game the tower she has moved into is highly strategic so they may realize the wisdom of finding someone that will worship her. As a daughter of Maran Gor she would probably prefer female worshippers, though she is in no position to be picky.

I'm very interested in your experiences running Broken Tower, particularly if your players ended up bargaining with the Stone Woman (successfully or not). I'm running a version of it soon and am intrigued by the notion of the players allying it, I could see that potentially happening. Did your players try this, what did they offer and what was the result? Curious how many cows/season would result in a truce or even alliance.

Okay, so maybe a dozen?

How common would blacksmiths (as opposed to redsmiths) be in Sartarite cities and clans? What would they be? Dwarves? Third Eye Blue? Humakti? Other?

I love having a fillable character sheet in this Zoom era! I would like to be able to customize it to add things that are important to my game in lieu of things that I'm not using (more passions, less sorcery). Is it available in a raw form that I can edit with Adobe Pro or Publisher or something?

It depends on your gamers, of course. But economics has already been introduced in RQG on a micro scale with occupations, cost of living, hides, harvest rolls, etc. If they want to play within the kind of social structure that RQG introduces and encourages, then economics is going to come with it. My players are trying to develop Apple Lane, encourage another clan to defect to their tribe, fund a new shrine, navigate between competing interests of their tribe and clan, and figure out how to get to an important artifact buried in a cave-in. All of these have economic implications and require me to give them answers to questions about how things are done in Sartar. If your adventurers are more of the wandering adventurer type, then certainly they couldn't care less about these things.