David Scott

There's already a delecti versus elves game: https://www.ea.com/studios/popcap/plants-vs-zombies

The current major reference to the Rokari is in the Western Cultural section of the Guide, the main part being: Later we are told that they are: and the detail of the school is on page 408 in the Seshnela section. Have a look at these too, were written when we were doing the guide: http://www.glorantha.com/docs/malkioni-culture/ http://www.glorantha.com/docs/seshnela-art-direction/ http://www.glorantha.com/docs/quick-summary-gloranthan-cultures-part-two-westerners/

I'm pretty sure that hazia has it's Gloranthan origins in @MOB

Modern humans not Hsunchen lion folk Initiates can sacrifice for Rune points so can use the transform spells. Spirit practitioners will quickly acquire this standard magic. Youngsters will go after smaller animals - in Prax impala are likely a common prey - High Llamas, Bison and the occasional rhino are for the experts. It would be a group effort on larger prey. There are a two scenarios here: High Mortality - Normal/high Birth rate or Normal Mortality - low birth rate The first reflects your outlook, the second I believe is the real one although both can work.

I have no problem with this especially in light of Bronze age Cretan Bull leaping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull-leaping https://web.archive.org/web/20070212124218/http://www.strangehorizons.com/2005/20050124/bull-leaping-a.shtml https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull-leaping#/media/File:Goya_Tauromachia4.jpg The last image clearly shows the link to spear use for me in the form a vaulting stick.

The Hero Wars rune is clearly a godlearner label denoting the mystical world. Otherwise there is no rune for mysticism. Those on the outside expect there to be one as runes mark everything, but all mystics know there is no rune. My understanding of this comes from listening to some of our greatest modern mystical teachers: Oogway, Shufu and of course there is no spoon.

Praxian lionskin loincloths would be a rareity. The occasional lion is still born amongst them (I’m sure it’s in the sources somewhere, but don’t breed) of course they get skinned, the spirit has departed, the body is defleshed, the bones are temporarily buried to be collected later for making into charms and ceremonial regalia for khans/shaman. The head skin becomes the shaman’s head dress, embodying basmol/basmoli themself. Teeth and claws become the greatest charms, penis for the clans fertility, etc. Rib bones become armour. A dead lion is a rich resource for a Tribe starved of such things.

It also worth asking which Basmoli are we talking about. I don’t think they are homogenous in any way. They are not a large group in Genertela by any means and likely have no contact with each other. The Praxian group are the relic of those that were with Basmol when Tada killed him, the others didn’t have this experience. In the Heroes article, it’s worth noting that they don’t have a transform body magic, just head, hands and a strength of lion/berserker magic. Different northern groups may have different magics, with perhaps none being complete. Likewise the Ralios groups became Orlanthi, perhaps with Basmol becoming part of their ancestor worship, the East Wilds clans still have him as a god (not spirit). The Pamaltelan Tribes are different again, able to transform into lions and travel with lion prides (GtG p589). They are much more numerous (20k) and don’t seem to have suffered the same problems as the Northern groups. These are likely the “standard” type. I’m sure that the Pamaltelan basmoli don’t have the whole Tada and the Lion dance ritual detailed in Borderlands and Beyond (page 9 or in the Borderlands boxed set). As for their hunting style - lions are are a stalk and jump predator at close quarters. I would imagine hunters getting as close as possible from their prey then leaping with giant lion paws and a lion head for the neck and biting. I’ve seen this at close quarters in Tanzania, unusually it was a male who did this. I saw females attacking prey too, but a huge young male was really impressive. If you get to see them out on Serengeti lounging in the grass with all their prey just wandering around metres from them, you really appreciate that huge split second lunge - berserker move. Everyone knows they are there, they just try to be a few steps ahead of the lions. i can’t really see them doing ranged weapons or running down their prey. I imagine untransformed basmoli working much the same way - leaping on their prey with stone daggers or if lucky a metal claw in a lion skin loincloth. It’s this whole form of attack that defines the basmoli berserker for me. Close hand to hand combat. Spirit magic would be leaping/jumping and claw/bladesharp based. I’m not discounting other weapon use. It clear that in the Wastelands they would use spears to deter mounted charges deflecting the charge enough to be able to leap on the riders. I’m sure that it’s this that the Nomads fear if they would admit it.

This was the basic idea I used for many years. Then I started using a graded opponent system: Bad 25%, Poor 50%, Okay 75%, Good 100%, Better 125%, Superior 150% I used this for NPCs in many BRP based games for a long time, then got fed up with the maths and built a small ready ref table. This is my RQ one - its on a sheet of card - Abilities one side table on the other. The abilities were based on the King of Dragon Pass computer game mainly as they were simple. To make an NPC - say the players encounter a merchant traveller who is secretly a spy sent to trail them. I'd decide a couple of skills for flavour - Bargaining and Deception. I'd say they were Fair at Bargaining, but make them Very Good at deception giving them: Bargaining 50% Deception 80% and that's the NPC fleshed out. If needed I'd add more later from the table. If it becomes major, I add it to its own index card with a name etc. Primary abilities Animals Bargaining Combat Customs Leadership Magic Plants Wealth Secondary abilities - best of Deception (Bargaining or Leadership) Diplomacy (Bargaining or Custom) Exploring (Bargaining or Combat) Farming (Animals or Plants) Hunting (Animals or Combat or Plants) Poetry (Custom or Leadership) Prophecy (Magic or Leadership) Strategy (Combat or Leadership) Fair Good Very Good Excellent Renowned Heroic % 50 70 80 90 120 150 Spirit Magic points D6 (3) 6 + D6 (9) 9 + D6 (12) Shaman 12 + D6 15 + D6 (18) 18 + D6 (21) Rune Magicpoints Initiate 0 Initiate D2 (1) Initiate 2 + D4 (4) Rune Level 4 + D6 (7) 10 + D6 (13) 15 + D10 (20) Helper spirits / allied spirits D2 -1 (0) D2 (1) D4 (2) D6 (3) Magic Items 0 0 D2 -1 (0) D2 (1) D3 (2) D4 (2) Hit Points 12 15 18 20 22 24 Armour 4 5 6 8 10 12

And that's what was happening during the consecration of New Lunar Temple / Dragon meal. An intricate dance reflecting the dancers places as Celestial objects in the Perfect Sky to align the Stars for the Glowline to expand. Certainly ballet for me.

Avalon Hill’s Gods of Glorantha box, the Cults book, under Hykim & Mikyh. There’s a box with the Spell Versions of the cult. Also Tales of the reaching moon 14, an article by Tom Zunder, rune magic as per GoG.

For those of you interested, you might like to look at some of the mythology, animism, and gods of Karelia. It's a cultural region that overlaps Finland and Russia, with it's own history (that's a very simplified explanation):

No, but Mythic Russia and Nameless Streets do.

Buy here https://www.chaosium.com/superworld/ it's a great game. Admittedly I last played 20 years ago :-)

Generally speaking no. The fetch will do as you say, but most spirits are neutral, not hostile. The fetch doesn’t need to be conspicuous in the spirit world. So unless part of a storyline I would ignore this. The shaman is always with the fetch and it will alert him to any issues. In real world shamanism this isn’t perceived as a problem unless you go to places that have hostile spirits. Spirits are not wandering monsters.

That's very true as opposed to a current, the dominant god being Choralinthor.

I'm not sure this is a thing. The Guide has the Lycos as a sluggish river. It looks from the description and the Season picture that the meeting for Chlorinthor and Lycos is one of slowness.

Don't forget that we also have Jennifer Lange's painting of Esrolia in Sea season from the Guide (page 656). It gives us an excellent view of Mirrorsea and Nochet.

It's certainly another way of classifying what happened. For example in King of Sartar the same cycles are called by Argarth as the coming of the Devil (every 600 years). But could easily be the end of Empires or any one of many other just as valid descriptions. Interestingly, none of the fledgling groups started out just to achieve what you have described. The First Council didn't start out wanting to make a god, the Godlearners started out as a trading empire, The lunar empire didn't start as a proselytising force. Polarities are certainly part of these themes Nysalor / Arkat, Godlearners / Dragons, Red Godesss / Sheng Seleris. to name but a few.

Not unique. Not sure if essence actually exists or even spiritual organs (clearly a god learner concept) as you find those that use sorcery on the Path of the Dead going to be judged. "Soulless" sorcerers actually have a spirit or soul, it's just they don't recognise it or need it.

In hindsight I would change Devotees giving up what spirit magic they have. In my ongoing playtest game one of my players became a Waha Devotee (but not a khan), he kept his his spirit magic and it didn't really make any difference to his playing style or the game. His spirit magic was still standalone charms (and he had loads of it). The real cap on his spirit magic development was the usual hero point economy - better to increase keyword than standalone abilities.

Maybe the same person who gave probable 25%

You might find it easier to screenshot maps and then annotate them in a simple paint package - that's all I do.

Lets see an outline map of your different "Hrestoli" areas.

The RQ Companion, I also checked Greg's original map just to confirm. Whilst that's a great idea, I prefer the serene river mouth version of the 1885 OS map sandwiched between Hornchurch and Rainham Marshes with a gentle population of giant frogs chirping under the control of their Trasker equivalent...