Erol of Backford

Yet another interesting rabbit hole... like Blackmaw. Is there a ledge or platform halfway down if that distance in time and speed is ever to be known? I didn't find Halway and looked for Halfway but nothing on that related to Magasta's Pool unfortunately. Iron City juts sideways out of the wall of Magasta’s Pool and Nowhere Land, a bleak and desolate place which sits deep within the maelstrom of Magasta’s Pool. This is where Barran's boat and the Cradle dock before decending to the bottom. Hero Quest station 01. It's perfect. A 3 mile long crossbow bolt... the Sun Domers of Harpoon should visit there. Do dwarves go to Iron City for vacation to recharge their batteries, get a little R&R?

Halfway down the Maelstrom... GtG p.472 Nowhere Land: Nothing grows on Nowhere Land, but it lies exactly on the boundary of the regions of Life and Death, so no one ever dies there. Maybe there is an outcropping of stone or earth in the shaft that is the Toe Hole that sticks out where there is a Humakti shrine that guards access from the underworld... maybe the PC's set one up there... yes its impossible but with the use of the Fish Road it becomes much more navigable than the maelstrom.

Anyone have insight as to a potential relationship between Axe Hall and the Nochet Axe Temple? Do they send weekly caravans and or change guards monthly and is there a changing of the guard ceremony like at the B Palace? Does each earth temple request guards from Axe Hall or do they recruit and train their own guards? Who wants to be on guard duty when you could be out tearing up the town...

I'll apologize in advance, just had to: Which grave at Necropolis... does anyone hear a flute?

OK, I know it sounds hoaky but... the PC's have all but the last of the mirror fragments and use it to see Necropolis as it was back in the day which happens to shows them likely locations of the last shard at sunrise... something. It'll take a good bit of development but has almost outlined itself in these few entries. Many sessions of game fun for sure.

Not an easy place to get into you can be sure of that. The basement catacombs would be an interesting scenario to be sure...

Somehow I thought they were the same. So this quest is amended to misdirect to Ezel and redirects to Necropolis. Thank you!

And there is religious intrigue already written into the Smoking Ruin - Clearwine Earth Temple scenario.

Cam's, Ezel, Smoking Ruin, maybe the trinket table of Oriane the Peddler from Pegasus Plateau or something like that... a great start. Ezel details? Would be curious to see point details would be nice of... thank you both.

So, looking at the Ernalda's Mirror. Curious if the mirror might only attract snakes if in possession of an Ernalda priestess and or if they wish it to do so... YGMV and I don't like snakes much. I love Dumuzid's post for what happens after the Smoking Ruin scenarios are resolved and is related:

I like this and may use it for Mostali but most PC's wouldn't see a true Mostali bleed... at least in the Glorantha I've played in. Somehow the PC's have earned the trust of the dwarves/Mostali, maybe the dwarf of Dwarf Run (enough adventure links near there) and are to conduct a Hero Quest to Magasta's Pool to find some missing parts of the original Iron Mostali recipe... do they join the Barran on his quest to a certain point or do they ride the Cradle down, either way they part ways with either of those heroes once they are down there... Anyone have Hero Quest stations for Magasta's Pool and a dwarven Hero Quest down there, maybe a dwarvish submarine and or Leonardo works with Isidilian and sends the PC's to the Clanking Ruins to find something crucial for the submarine to survive the trip into the Pool... could they use it in the future to go up the Syphon and down the Toe Hole as well? Maybe its a Turtle Ship in lieu of a Dragon Ship? The dwarves wish to begin preparing for the Hero Wars... need recipe for Jolanti or some ingredients and or missing fragments of the mold that makes Iron Warriors (idea from White Dwarf Magazine Issue 098 - Feb. 1988) both would be fun. Sounds like an epic long term quest.

Did I miss it? Do dwarves bleed and what color is their blood? No source for dwarvish zombies... Do they have skeletons? I wonder if Dwarves are made similar to Jolanti? Where are the molds... If a PC found the recipe for Jolanti (Different-Worlds-21 p.30) and then somehow modified it via alchemy to make it create dwarves somehow they could make a dwarf army... what fun. Like the Clone Wars. Somehow I thought of yaba-daba-do...

Are dwarves able to be turned into undead? Can dwarves be resurrected or are they needing to be repaired and or their spirit rebound into a repaired body? Would they have regrow limb cast on them or would it be some sort of repair body? (see menu clip below) We always played that dwarves bleed, never thought as to the color? Are there any dwarven undead and if so where are they referenced? On the same note are there any published dwarf Humakti? (If this was discussed in past posts please link and thank you all.)

Liking the idea that Argrath leans towards Maoist tendencies... I wonder who plays the role of Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling? Her sisters and did they dye their hair red? Are they Vigans or Hell Sisters? Who is Stillwell?

Curious if we are not a PC in any of the Rune Quest events are we able to sit a listen in? I have yet to partake in a Con even I've gamed for 40ish years off and on. I don't know my schedule yet that week which keeps me from signing up for fear I could not be there but really want to stop in. Really interested in picking up any not yet published material. Any thoughts?

For sure.

There was a sorcery spell, if you use them, human to troll which is good if you'd like to have your PC's play trollball... Scouts for ambush easy enough. Somehow the trolls give the pigmy's night vision... Where are they located please? In the game they may be allied however and then it's anyone's guess how helpful they might be. And engage in friendly trollball matches. Jaja is there a trollball pitch in Nochet? I am sure the Kitori might send a warband to Nochet posing as a team and then raid on the way back after losing... They may be antagonized into counter raiding by the Kurtali who are their enemies, still thinking some of then are Night Jumpers...

Should have posted this last Friday. So Herka Bonegnasher a Karrg's Son from Dorastor in the year 357-363 is wishing to undermine the Zorak Zorani of the time period. Sounds like an opening for the Temple of the Wooden Sword back then as well but that's about 1250 years to early... but wait, when did the Wooden Sword germinate, sprout and when was it originally harvested? Maybe it was around then and has more recently resurfaced? On a side note, I wonder if "putting the Zee-Zee's on both cheeks of your life" meant the same then as it does now in Glorantha? Strange that Herka was wearing stylish lamellae samurai-ish armor back in 360? Who knows with the sword he could have been a converted Humakti? It might be interesting for the PC's to go from Nochet to be part of the group that interviews Isidilian from the inset of RQA 05 to find out about Herka as he likely met him at the unity Council way back then, wasn't Isidilian there?

I like this, could be anywhere in the Mountains but likely its at the Old Wind Temple... it works for me. The idea of a Primal Chaos shrine parallels the idea of the Dyskund Caverns but it's more difficult to get to than the Caverns would be... thanks!

Yes its a few years late... Found interesting note from RQ Con Comp 02 p.05: The elves secured the dwarves as an ally by simply promising to not permit the Third Eye Blue from entering their forests. Referring to the dwarves, "What fools, as if we would allow the death-metal lovers into the living lands?"

As an offshoot to g33k's post: Huh... is the Syphon a key trade route? So, somewhat infatuated with all things Herotland, Backford and the Syphon... There would be increased flow into the Toe-Hole, particularly in Storm season but also Sea (rain?) and Dark (melting snows). I'd imagine the area around the whole be like a rain forest with the heat coming up the hole from Hell if its not 100% filled with water, which I speculate it is not but rather like Niagra Falls with some pockets or crevices behind the water, as there always is at every fantasy waterfall... again this flow would reduce towards the end of Fire Season maybe enough so the brave would be climbing down into the hole to try an find Larnste blood crystals. Larnste the Changer was bitten by Krarsht and where he bleed it burned a hole to the Underworld? GtG p.255 - Where Larnste bled, there rose up a foul and evil forest, a perfect nesting place for all things Chaotic. In my Glorantha, there are probably blood crystals from Larnste that may still be found but those doing so must get to the subterranean Toe-Hole levels somehow without being washed into Hell. How fun would that be, archeology with chaos beings abound, I am sure Saronil Whiteteeth (Tradetalk #12 p.10) would like to hire Rivermen and Stom Bulls to get to the Toe-Hole to investigate. Everyone should be prepared with a ring of flight and a bag of wins with plenty of extension before heading upriver from Backford. Maybe they disguise the boat as a tree covered in leaves as camouflage? Maybe they use the Fish Road diving out of it just at the right moment to keep from being plunged into Hell? I thought there would be a more contemporary holy site or shrine where Larnste was bitten, an abandoned cave or ledge somewhere down in the hole with winds roaring past. Again, like a massive A secret wind cave Larnsting mysticism grotto with winds howling up from the Underworld while water crashes or cascades downward. This has huge questing possibilities, just don't fall down the hole! Do mining operations in the hole bring forth metals as well as crystals? Do they invigorate trade in Backford via the Syphon? Your Glorantha will vary... yes mining is very dangerous, especially in the Toe-Hole. Does the water flow simply dropping off the edge? Does the water swirl as it goes down? Does the terrain of the hole step as it goes down, does it have ledges and landings that beings could swim in and climb up? How has it eroded over the years? Does the water flow decrease as Fire Season progresses and so does a bit of land appear at the opening rim of the hole which has over 100's of years eroded steps as it descends at various points which allow those either crazy (Storm Bulls) or brave enough Llankor Mhy's would venture there? The crystals may be part of or a required element of the Larnsting's awakening? It rains, is foggy or misty all the time and if the sun shines through there are a hell of a lot of rainbows... is the a child of Elmal? Back to the shrine topic. There might, just maybe a Larnsting shrine which is quite similar to a particular Tien Shrine in the Wastes but will assist Illuminated Lightbringers via enchantments... of course there are guardians that prevent chaotics from entering. I can't stop smiling while typing this: A Larnsting shrine in the Toe-Hole for illuminated Lightbringers with guardian spirits whole will create enchantments and attack chaotics. Oakfed's purifying fire, Larnsting's blood crystals. What powers might the "living blood" of Larnsting have, of course Larsting's blood would be somewhat malleable rather than a hard crystal as he is of movement isn't he?

Defiantly chaos, maybe Muriah's cousin?

https://www.google.com/search?q=more+cowbell&gs_ivs=1#fpstate=ive&tts=0&vld=cid:7e73c7b1,vid:cVsQLlk-T0s,st:0

For my Glorantha, the Syphon runs smooth to Backford and at that location the river has had its banks engineered with dwarvish cooperation and Capratis funding to flow through a mill spillway and a narrow deep channel for larger and slightly deeper vessels. Grain is milled and now, the lumber trade is thriving, cut at Backford. The newly established Backford Syphon River Department has been developing river improvements since 1600. These goods along with salt and dried fish find their way down to the Syphon in shallow draft barges that easily transverse the Bay. The Syphon agrees with the increased use and resulting worship. The upstream current in the river is not so swift at the surface from the Bay to Backford, in fact it nearly balances the westerly winds from the Stomwwalk Mts. and the gravitational pull on the craft to be pulled downstream - downhill to the Bay. With a sail its no problem to get to the Bay due to the winds in the river valley blowing westward which can be quite strong at the water level A few tow paths are being constructed with large wooden locks at key points along the uphill rapids so vessels may avoid them. The Sypohn surface elevation does not tend to fluctuate much seasonally due to reduced runoff in Fire Season as the Bay constantly supplies it with adequate flow whereas in times of draught or late Fire Season the other Heartland river's end up having vessels being often hung up on rock and sandbars, this doesn't happen up to Backford on the Syphon. Again constant flow from the Bay. Even though Backford draws less deep draft vessels it's still a major trade hub up and down the Herotland Plateau north to south via the roadways. Smithstone and Jansholm to the north and Durengard and Mt. Passant to the south keeps a constant flow of trade and pilgrims. I have an influx of Elmali as formal relations between the Sartar Sundome and the nobility of Backford have also increased a more formal military post. The mining of the copper from Stormwalk's torn off head has also increased smelting form there and a few other mines nearby. Oddities from Stonewood all draw additional trade and travel now that the riffraff has been cleaned up and put to work. YGWV allows anything to work the way you wish.

I could see the sensation where SB's sense chaos, eliminate it and gain satisfaction, like Pavlov'v experiment. Sense chaos is like the bell. Killing is like eating? Speaking of eating, if you bake halved sprouts tossed in olive oil and chopped bacon they can be really tasty, maybe walktopus tentacles could be grilled or roasted to rid the taint, it that cut is no longer regenerating? If you eat that would you then be tainted and sense yourself? Headaches or just indigestion?