RicKaySi

If you like this kind of creative archaeology you should should see if you can find the 90s Avalon Hill material like Dorastor: Land of Doom, Shadows on the Borderlands and River of Cradles. It presented a grungy, dangerous and disgusting version of Glorantha (with Dorastor and Broo-haunted Prax as example areas they focused on) that I think really informed a lot of the aesthetic associations of a lot of the RQ fans to this day. I also personally really like that material's focus on mechanics-as-storytelling. Rather than "show don't tell", like a lot of RPG settings, they actually had mechanics for farming in Dorastor, which was as difficult as it sounds, and demonstrated how hard Chaos is to dislodge by making it geographically inaccessible. Instead of heroic charges into pitched battle the players had inglorious and difficult fights in the sheer bluffs of Vulture Country and waterlogged caves under the Rubble. I love RQG's new art direction, it's a lot easier to convince cozy/casual fantasy DnD players I know to try Glorantha now it's pretty and inviting and maybe some of them will love it enough to go back in time and find things they love in all the versions (I still love Mongoose's Blood of Orlanth). The genderqueer, LGBTQ+ representation and ethnic/cultural diversity in a lot of the new art feels very welcome considering that's always been one of the more unique and interesting aspects of Glorantha as a setting.

Heroes in Glorantha are people who defend their societies whilst ignoring or outright violating at least some of their society's the rules. Harrek skinned his people's Grandfather-god and goes on to challenge the Lunars who enslaved him and Argrath is messing around with Dragon-magic after the previous Dragon experiments (supposedly) killed every human in what's now Sartar. It's safe to assume at least one duck is interested in Sorcery, especially as the ducks, Delecti, and human Orlanthi have been stuck in a bloody three-way stalemate for centuries - he could be looking to break the cycle and free the ducks. The duck could have raided an old sorcerer's tower and kept the books rather than handing them over to the lore-guardians of the village. Love this character idea too btw, I think there's a very old sentiment about how people never stop adapting and learning, and even war can bring new ideas into contact: "it is right to learn, even from an enemy" - not sure it was worth the cost what with Boldhome being destroyed but sometimes you can only look forward. To me the main problem with being a Shaman vs. being a Sorcerer is that they're representing different ways of looking at the world. Sorcery seems focused on Matter and and its manipulation, with Spiritual questions either solved by tradition and scripture (Malkioni) or philosophically refuted (Atheists). But in the real world there are many people that would meet the requirements of both and could have analogues in Glorantha. Christian Demonologists like Johann Weyer assume God is singular and all-powerful but he also intellectually engaged with the idea of discourse with learned/powerful/useful supernatural creatures (Demons) and even systematized these interactions in a way recognizable to Gloranthan Sorcerers. Full disclosure, my next Adventure (hopefully coming out in Nov) is set among the Aeolians and Atheists so I've been thinking about this a lot. Thank you for starting this thread @Jex, there's been a lot of Sorcery questions in the RQ side of these forums so a lot of people must be curious about exploring this aspect of Gameplay!

Esrolia! I want more artwork of that country outside Notchet. Speaking of art, the front cover: I can't see if the Orlanthi/Vingan is Vasana and the Earth Priestess could be Yanioth but who are the other two? Chances are it could be four completely new characters! Does anyone know for sure who the characters depicted are?

TRNB broke Copper yesterday on DriveThru! It makes me really happy to have that medal so a huge thank you to everyone who’s bought it so far and a special thank you to everyone who left a rating. If you’re interested in a summary of the adventure @Nick Brooke posted a really good one to his JC Roundup here on BRP: Jonstown Compendium Index 2024 - updated 15 June - RuneQuest - BRP Central - The Chaosium forums (basicroleplaying.org)

Thanks Peter! I agree Tusk Riders Need Blood would be a good fit for this campaign. One intersection with your ideas @Super Thunder Bros. could be Penjurlhi, the titular “Tusk Rider Who Needs Blood”. The main Adventure in the book is centred around using him as an intelligence asset, he’s been feeding the Colymars useful information from his perspective as one of Dragon Pass’ indigenous forest-dwellers. You could have him in your adventure as knowing important information about the corruption but won’t divulge until the party helps him solve his Boar’s frenzy problem. I love Princess Mononoke, I hadn’t thought about it before but Penjurlhi the Tusk Rider has surface similarities to Ashitaka from Princess Mononoke. He is an exile who comes from a low-metal use, unique animal riding culture that is largely forgotten about by the wider country – so should contribute nicely to the theme you’re going for. Also, if you want to have Tusk Riders as forest guardians TRNB actually does feature rules for that. The cult of the Guardian-Ghost Sawtooth Korvan. Korvan himself has stats so you could include him as mentor/ally in the fight to stop the pollution. If you’re interested in alternate takes on Korvan I started a discussion thread on him here that also had some great takes by other writers here on BRP. Link to the Adventure here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/482306/Skull-Ruins-Tusk-Riders-Need-Blood?affiliate_id=4274120 But if this adventure isn’t what you’re looking for I have some other recommendations: For Lore around this area I can’t recommend the Red Cow campaign enough, aka. The Coming Storm and The Eleven Lights . I think you might have to buy them second-hand; I don’t know if Chaosium is still selling them direct. These books cover the Far Place tribes in so much detail it could really help you create backgrounds for your NPCs. There’s rivalries, intermarriages, blood feuds, raids and attempts to steal magical secrets on par with any real world Norse sagas. Defending Apple Lane is a great scenario. To incorporate into your campaign, you could have your characters on a tour of Sartar’s greatest Earth Temples, looking for answers to the source of the pollution ruining the north. The Great Temple at Greenstone had no answers so they’re travelling to Clearwine. Whilst staying at the Tin Inn in Apple Lane they (and the whole village) are set upon by Xiobalg’s Tusk Riders! Regarding the Iron Ball and its history, I have an idea. It could be a Sliotar (Celtic hurling-ball) that was used to kill a giant/giant animal/demon by the Humakti’s ancestor. Celtic myth/Glorantha is full of references to Iron killing “fae”/Trolls/Aldryami and the legend of Cuchulain has him kill the Culann’s Hound (a giant dog) with a hurling-ball, put the two together and you’ve got a ready-made myth! Maybe The Humakti needs to find the hurling-stick to activate its hidden powers and/or he suspects someone has already found the hurling stick and is using it to kill the giant animals and protect the mining operation.

For anyone who hasn't had a chance to see the adventure, which went live on the JC last week, I thought I'd share some art from the Sawtooth Cult writeup:

This is a really fantastic idea! This concept could be expanded to give sacrifice/Appease Earth a power unique to Earth Cults. In this case when an Earth Cultist uses Appease Earth they could create temporary, one use, Rune Points they assign for access to a Rune Spell from another Earth Cult. For example a Maran Gor could sacrifice a bull, a magic item and basket of corn for a one-use of Bless Crops. It works thematically, in a lot of Earth Cult mysteries the ritual secret/message often emphasises cooperation, compromise and sharing power over territoriality (between Earth Cults). It happens a lot in Ernalda Feeds the Tribe: Ernalda meets her daughters, Aldrya and Babeester Gor, her sister Maran Gor and her aunt Ty Kora Tek and gets to access powers in the form of Barntar, Voria and underworld entry/egress. So in one interpretation the Earth Goddesses may be able to communicate via a deep shared connection, different to the transactional of Issaries' spell trading. This could very easily get overpowered though... There are already some limiting factors in place: the possible requirement of human(sentient) sacrifice, and/or the destruction of a costly magic item, but is that enough? Maybe a sacrifice of Power equal to the Rune Points is needed for this extra effect from Appease Earth, or maybe it is necessary for the sacrificer to specify the one-use spell they want at the point of the ritual rather than gaining flexible Rune Points. Even increasing the cost it could still be worth it in specific scenarios. A party might need a Seal Soul spell to resurrect the party healer Ernalda/Chalana Arroy/Eiritha who's fallen - so the Maran Gor steps in and makes the sacrifice, or maybe a Babeester has a strategy that relies on a rockslide to narrow a pass into a defile where she can use her Axe Trance better and there's no Shakers in the party, etc. To avoid making it seem like "cheap" multiclassing I think players and GMs would have to emphasise that this use of the spell is almost taboo. It shows the deep shared foundations to Magic in different Earth Cults that should only be accessed at times of utmost need, due to the high cost, spiritual boundary blurring and personal sacrifice necessary. What do you think, can this idea of "mutual understanding and power through sacrifice" be made into a workable gameplay mechanic?

If you decide to run with this idea I read about a real world equivalent that could provide inspiration. The Kanda Empat in Balinese Hinduism (and possibly other Balinese/South East Asian traditions) are four guardian spirits that share the womb with a child before its born and are transferred to the family temple after it's born. They are represented physically by the four substances that accompany births: ari-ari (the placenta), yeh nyom (amniotic fluid), rah (blood) and banah (venix caseosa). These physical parts must be disposed of in a ritual that protects them from exploitation or theft by leyak (witches), but once they are transfigured into spirits they will protect their human sibling - even helping them should they become a leyak and prey on the birth-spirits of others. As this thread pointed out the giants have a broken cycle of birth (the smashed stairwell, the incomplete "rash" giants, the Dragon's curse) and they may not have physical ways of giving birth at all (which leads us back to the issue of who the mother of the giant baby is). Whatever workaround they've found may need them to substitute the physical-turned-spirit siblings with the Sun Wheel Dancers. The SWDs act as guardians superficially similar to the Kanda Empat. They accompany the baby at all stages of the pre-birth: during "conception" they can protect the giant babies travelling the birth canal of Zola Fel, the River of Cradles, in "gestation" they provide education in the corner of Hell, finally, they accompany the "birth" that has the baby ascending to the world above as a complete Elder Giant. Of course this flips the birth canal analogy, Gonn Orta's seed is travelling upstream into the womb of Hell but downstream in the mundane world. But if Hell is where the baby gestates and matures then maybe the "mother" in this story is actually Hell itself. It is worth looking at the solar connections of the SWDs. They mirror the myths of Yelm/Ra, descending into the underworld to gain strength and be (re)born. They may even have been made by the giants to mimic/draw on this dying-and-rising power (giants seem adept at giving life to the unliving, like the giant chess pieces that protect the bowels of the Cradle).

Elder Giants have been alternately referred to as being cursed to become stone or having voluntarily becoming stone (sometimes so they can trap something underneath them, like dragons and chaotic dogs). It is ambiguous if they are still alive or not. I think Gonn Orta himself went looking for the answer to "are they still alive" and it might be why he smashed dwarfen mines built into mountains and freed the Jolanti (giant stone-men). Maybe he found a living giant inside a mountain or found the "living" soul of a giant-mountain. There's a lot of references to these kinds of giants existing as both bodies and souls, maybe they only need a soul to make a baby out of Earth? Amazing source! Pinchining, the protector of the Cradle that evaded Lunar capture, may have been a Sun Wheel Dancer too (or maybe is Talallia?). I can't find the source but I think Pinchining came into being, and so exists to help the Giant Baby get to the creche in Hell safely, because Blorn the Statue Uurgh the Ugly (thank you @metcalph) worshipped a pile of Wheels (the gold coins). There is an indirect reference to this in the Cradle scenario: "If asked what Pinchining is, Garrath will confess ignorance. “I am told it is a creature from ages gone past; his kind are no more. It came to life in the underworld because an ignorant creature worshipped what everyone thought was dead. When reborn, Pinchining brought its worshiper on its ancient pathways and went to the land of giants. Once there the giants could fashion another child and send it downriver. Such a wonder may never happen again.”

VTT Battle of Skull Ruins is coming! - UPDATE I am very happy to say that we're working on a free expansion to Tusk Riders Need Blood , and the next version after release (1.1) will feature VTT versions of the Ruin Map and counters for all the Battle combatants, both rank-and-file and leaders. There will be a couple of additional tokens to properly represent the summoning options for a certain Earth Witch too 😉 We originally planned for the VTT upgrade to be a celebration of hitting Copper but it looks like we might be hitting that level sooner than we thought! Thank you to everyone who bought a copy and a special thank you to those who left 5 star ratings on the product page. UPDATE: The first round of tokens is ready, with a few more tweaks to maps before upload to JC. For the tokens we’re thinking of having the “commander” characters in coin-token style to emphasise their character portraits and the regular warriors available in top-down style. Let us know what you think of our plan to mix styles! P.S. We’re also working on a physical version for when I start playing the scenario at cons, starting with Continuum in July. P.P.S. I liked Dario’s troll commander token so much it’s now my profile pic you'll see on Facebook, BRP, and Discord.

Agree with you that Illumination could be a "many names, one Truth" situation. I think in The Coming Storm there's even an example of being Illuminated just by visiting the Green Age of Genert. Its verdancy just wipes away your cares based in difference and fear. But reading the replies it looks like there's really good grounds for treating the two as distinct, with potential for them to be reconciled by only truly exceptional individuals. So why not both? Being an Illuminate doesn't seem to make someone inherently any smarter, just changes their habitus/paradigm/worldview, with any advantages dependant on the individual. For every Arkat, Palangio, Lokamayadon, Sereden(-maybe?) there must be a million unremarkable Illuminates. If Illumination doesn't make the Illuminate immune to fear of rival paths to this coveted state of being, or inherently knowledgeable of the other pathway, or immune to plain old bad rationalisations, then there's not necessarily a reason to assume an Illuminate isn't incredibly nitpicky about which is the best way to become Illuminated, being vain or protective of their rebirth's parentage. Regarding Argrath, delving into non-canon/campaign utility for a minute, this whole debate could be a very helpful way of "selling" your campaign's Argrath as the real deal by having him be the very rare instance of someone verified as both kinds of Illuminate - by both a Draconic Illuminate and a Nysalorean. This Draconic verifier could even be the latest version of Sheng Seleris - who we know Argrath will work with eventually and who might have received Draconic Instruction when he was enslaved by, then became master of, Kralorela. For the Nysalorean verification a writer could end up going very weird/ominous to fit the prophesised devastating final phase of the Hero Wars. Maybe a Chaos champion recognises Argrath's potential as destroyer and lets him pass unmolested (like Wakboth finding Gark pleasing to him and sparing him). Or Lunar exiles/madmen seeing Argrath as the "true" reincarnation of Sedenya/Rashorana/Nysalor/Gbaji/Arkat/the promised White Moon, and making pilgrimage to find him (especially after he starts to gain ground in the war). The Mad Sultanate could make an appearance to fill both roles. When both parties are in his camp and seem to agree he is what they say, and what the others say about him, then it makes his claim to being transcendent seem more real.

Latecomer to this monumentally impressive thread - so apologies to anyone if I end up saying something already covered by their previous posts. If you saw this on the Digest and liked it but can't square it for all the reasons that @jajagappa has already pointed out (it's probably non-canon, comes close to contradicting more recent sources, goes against the syncretistic vibe of the Aeolians) then maybe you could tie these burnings to certain characters or events? Maybe the Aeolians and Zzaburi came to blows over whether to abandon the teaching of Aeol and be closer to the Malkionism of the Abiding Book? Either Malkioni Abiding Book fundamentalists were coming to Gardufar and Esvular and getting burned for disrespect of Aeol (lynch mob or wizard-duel, both can involve fire so take your pick) or the Aeolians themselves were re-assessing their faith after studying the Abiding Book, and the Reformist-Fundamentalists lost the tussle for power). This could still be a contemporary problem. There may be a line of thinking among some Aeolians that wizards who emulate Zzabur are actually misguided and dangerous for not respecting gods (you could make a big deal out of how they refer to themselves as Wizards and not Zzaburi for just this reason). If Aeolians are aware of how traditional Zzaburism treats Orlanth, Ernalda, Uleria, Lodril (basically all the Aeolian God-Saints) with contempt then Aeolian hostility to Zzabur's teachings (and especially his self-importance in those teachings) might make sense. Even if the time of burnings is over (or on pause) then it would make sense that visiting Malkioni from other castes/cultures still seek protection/hospitality from church-temples, it signals mutual respect and helps travellers avoid getting targeted for harassment by overzealous hardliner Aeolians. Maybe there's a specific gift you get from the churches that visually signals your acceptance by the local church, like woven flowers in the colours of the Aeolian gods on your sorcerer staff?

I will be running a table at Continuum Con 2024 (26th-29th July) where I will be GMing a session of Skull Ruins: Tusk Riders Need Blood on the Friday 26th,14:00 until 18:00. Full Room details here: https://continuumconvention.co.uk/game/tusk-riders-need-blood/. There’s no advance online registration for the game, so if you’re at the con and want to join the game of Tusk Riders Need Blood make sure to look for it on the pin-board at the con. I should clarify I don’t work for Continuum Con, just excited to be there (especially looking forward to getting to play in the Home of the Bold Freeform!) Feel free to message me any questions you have that you don't want to put in the thread.

Skull Ruins: Tusk Riders Need Blood Out now as PDF on Jonstown Compendium: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/482306/skull-ruins-tusk-riders-need-blood?affiliate_id=4274120 In this adventure your party has been tasked with taking a valuable captive on a secret mission that, if successful, will ensure his continued cooperation with his captors. However there are a few complications: The captive is a member of the infamous Tusk Riders, the mission involves procuring a blood ritual to appease a berserk Boar, and the only temple where you can access the magic is in the hands of Gornorix, a powerful and experienced warlord-priest. This adventure will give the party the chance to learn more about Tusk Riders, as well as uncover Earth Witch secrets, explore the ancient ruin, earn wealth, capture unique artefacts, and perform diplomacy. Depending on choices made they might find themselves defending Skull Ruin from attack or mounting a rescue mission with the war party of a Troll Prince. If they’re defeated they could be killed, ransomed, or sacrificed! This adventure features: Options to run this scenario as part of an existing campaign, as a standalone adventure, or as a continuation of the Gamemaster Screen Pack’s “Defending Apple Lane”. A multi route journey across Sartar to the Skull Ruin. Each route has its own challenges and impact on the story. A full room-by-room description of the Skull Ruins, including a map of the cave system. Included are the ruin’s found item table, unique treasures, and location hazards. A Battle for control of the ruin, complete with tactics, multiple strategic approaches, and different skill challenges. Each side features multiple enemy types and are led by powerful leaders with unique magical equipment. Also featured are rules and backstory for new types of NPCs and enemies usable in other RuneQuest Glorantha campaigns. A full Cult description for the Cult of Sawtooth. The Sawtooth Cultists are an odd alliance of Tusk Riders, Trolls and Aldryami and the Tusk Riders in the cult wield plant magic taught to them by the ghost of Sawtooth, a legendary guardian of the Stinking Forest. The cult also guards a powerful ritual desirable to anyone, be they peasants, nomads, soldiers, or kings. Statistics for Sawtooth’s Ghost and Incarnate forms, as well as his most powerful lieutenants, perfect for high-level encounters or as patrons to weirder adventurer types. A bestiary entry complete with advice for creating, using and playing Tusk Brother Wereboars. The Tusk Brothers are considered by most to be cursed even compared to other shapeshifters. Their curse also contains useful magic and may be a blessing in disguise… Art and maps by @DarioCorallo Look forward to your thoughts on the adventure!

I like the visuals of this idea a lot, Dragons in Dragon Pass seem to make up the land as well as the celestial connotations you see in Dara Happa/Kralorela. Some art for King of Dragon Pass’ intro clan quiz has a Dragon that's rising out of the earth during the Dragonkill to devour the trespassing Golden Horde. I liked this visual as soon as I saw it, it neatly expresses the idea they were roused into action and that the Golden Horde made a tactical blunder walking right into the middle of a magical ambush. Outside Dragonkill, Dragons as an expression of land would fit as a good mystical trigger or spirit animal for Earth and Blood type characters. Dragons-as-land itself could be part of mysticism as both Devourer (when you are buried) and then Rebirther as things grow on them (with seeds of all kinds interpreted as eggs powered by the Dragon’s gift of vitality). If Bagog didn’t already eat people and rebirth them then it would seem a natural fit for a Dragon Power to eat and rebirth your enemy, maybe with the understanding you are taking responsibility for their reincarnation. I would love to hear more about your Involuntary Utuma theory! I totally agree with your take that his meat eating could be an expression of appeasing/empowering the earth with blood – when I was designing his Boss Monster / Cult Wyter form I came up with some powers tied to that. I thought that rather than the Troll and Tusk Rider magic being the scary part it should be the innovative blending of elements that give Trolls and Tusk riders access to elf-magic that is scary. Aldryami can remote view and camouflage themselves, these abilities would make Tusk Rider and Troll ambushes even more dangerous. I always thought elves by themselves could be very intimidating if played right. They have very high morale from their forest connection and could make good hit and run fighters. I think there’s a reason most battles against elves in lore seem to feature just burning the forest down rather than facing them on their turf. I wanted to say a huge thanks to everyone who replied to my question, it’s good to know there are indeed no other known official publications about Sawtooth. Which is great as in the end the lack of official material freed up speculation to run rampant!