soltakss

6 minutes ago, midwinter said:

Isn't it a nice site anymore, you mean? Is it because of me, The Odious One/The Lovecraft Fanboy Extraordinaire, or someone else? Was this your safe space? Has the site changed because some might have vastly different opinions than you do? Could you elaborate why it isn't a nice site anymore?

Because of all the bitching, bad language and nastiness in several threads recently.

Never had that back in my day. Damn kids. Get off my lawn ...

On 8/15/2019 at 3:02 PM, midwinter said:

Speaking of the Miskatonic Repository, why can't Chaosium list the Mythos beings that are safe to use without any copyright issues?

At a guess? Because Chaosium have done work on all the Mythos beings, so assume they are partially owned by Chaosium, or rather that it is difficult to decide what was originally Lovecraft and what has been enhanced by Chaosium.

Lunars also tolerate Storm Bullers near Dorastor and at the Footprint. Even the most devout Lunar doesn't want a horde of feral broos kicking down his door in the middle of the night.

In my Glorantha, every generation or so, some Storm Buller calls for a Stampede across chaos and a host of Storm Bulls charge into Dorastor, The Footprint or the Devil's Marsh, never to be seen again. The Lunars know this and know they just need to wait until the next Storm Bull hero comes along.

On 8/12/2019 at 9:26 AM, Minlister said:

I don't think it is so hard to create an index for the LM great library. It seems clear that Joerg's parents managed to do it...

Nah, he can just reach the top shelves without using a stepladder, a great advantage for a Librarian. 🙂

12 hours ago, Qizilbashwoman said:

What, uh, is the exact status of Shargash the Hell Sun here? He has the Sky-Death-Disorder runes in older works, but I'm not really clear what his... job, I guess, is.

He is the Solar Bully Boy, the Thug, the Muscle, he is Death who slew Umath, he is the Red King, the Green King and the Black King, Lord of the Sky when The Emperor was away, the Earth when he could and the Underworld when he went there. 

And this used to be such a nice Site.

I wonder what happened.

On 8/12/2019 at 6:00 PM, seneschal said:

Think about who the women of the Twenties and Thirties were

They were Flappers, escaping the horrors of the First World War, partying because the War to End All Wars had finished.

They were the children of Suffragettes, or had been Suffragettes themselves, so they knew they had fought to get the vote.

They were breaking down barriers, becoming the first woman to do many things.

They were the children or grandchildren of Pioneers, with horror stories of their own.

They were the women of the Great Depression, with horror stories of their own.

They were the children or grandchildren of slaves.

They were all of the above, or none of the above, or some of the above.

Sure, they can learn to read. Roleplay them in a classroom with kids, perhaps Lhankor Mhy knowitall kids. See if they can get through a session without threatening to kill one of them.

21 hours ago, seneschal said:

So here we are in 2019.  Chaosium has revived, shiny new editions of Call of Cthulhu and RuneQuest are selling like (digital) hotcakes and gaining new fans.  And someone feels the need to condemn the guy who made it all possible because he lived nearly a century ago and didn’t conform to trendy current notions of propriety?  That’s just not right.

Nobody is beyond reproach.

Sure, Lovecraft's books were the basis of the call of Cthulhu game and it has pleased a lot of people. Chaosium has done well out of it over the years, and with good reason.

I know that Lovecraft is no longer with us and can't defend himself, but that shouldn't stifle any debate about how good his books were or what kind of person he was in real life and how that crept into his books, or didn't.

If Call of Cthulhu can survive the criticism of Lovecraft as a person, as an author and of his books themselves, then that makes it stronger.

By the way, I have seen such discussions about Lovecraft for many years and it doesn't seem to have affected the popularity of Call of Cthulhu one little bit.

Broo attacks, maybe Scorpionmen attacks, disease, corruption of plants, poisoned water, Ragnaglar's Breath, Hellwood Krjalki Elves, there are lots of things that can erupt from Dorastor.

I think that Ralzakark was involved, if only in an "Ok, I'll leave things alone and withdraw all my Humakti broos to Fort Wrath and then we'll see what happens" kind of way.

26 minutes ago, Ian Cooper said:

Perhaps. Remember Elmal has a myth about how he resurrects each Dawn without passing into the Underworld.

That probably fits in well with how he didn't go on the Lightbringer Quest and was the Loyal thane who protected everyone while Big Boss Man was away.

23 minutes ago, Joerg said:

But why does he teleport at dusk?

He wouldn't want to stick around, so he disappears.

He doesn't want to appear before Yelm, as that would be wrong, so he teleports and then stays hidden until Yelm rises.

My Number One Rule for Glorantha is "Don't look too close, otherwise it will start to fall apart".

10 hours ago, HeartQuintessence said:

As a USA player, but one who lives on the east coast, its actually a little harder to make the trip to a middle state to do a convention (as someone who's just gotten the ability to potentially do that if I save).

Ah, I saw a facebook post by someone asking for a game and saying they were in GMT-5, so East Coast, that might have been you, then. It is confusing when people use different names across forums, one reason why I am soltakss almost everywhere and Simon Phipp when I am not.

10 hours ago, HeartQuintessence said:

So I am basically based online for now. I did join the Facebook group. But I guess being under only a 'kid' in comparison to how long some of you all have been playing ( my entire existence)- just means I have to find new ways to inovate.

Don't start thinking that. A lot of us have been playing for a long time, which means we are stuck-in-the-mud grognards, dinosaurs and so on, The future is with new players, especially young new players.

I hope you find a game soon. 

I'm not a fan of Lovecraft because of his personal politics/beliefs, as I don't care whether he was a bigot or whatever, I'm not a fan because I find his stories are dull, predictable and just not scary. Now, I know that a lot of people will disagree, which is fair enough.

2 hours ago, Sub said:

14 hours ago, soltakss said:

Different clans might interpret the responsibilities in different ways, so one clan might give you a feast containing berries, another might feed you apples, another might give you eggs and so on. Whether you eat them or not depends on your own personal geases and tribal taboos. Refusing to eat something offered to you might constitute a breach of Hospitality, depending on the situation. 

What a terribly exciting lose-lose scenario! I wonder if putting someone in that situation knowingly means that the consequences are visited on the manipulator rather than the manipulated. Maybe both?

Maybe both, maybe neither. Depending on the PCs, they might be able to say "Oh, that looks like an amazing leg of dog, but I am afraid that I am forbidden to eat dog, do you have mutton instead?" and the host could either say "Around here, matey, we offer dog to our guests in remembrance of Dorvat Dog-Slayer, who rid us of the Dire Auroch-Hound, you insult me with your very presence!" or "Oh, I am terribly sorry, I didn't know, we normally offer dog meat in remembrance of Dorvat Dog-Slayer, but sure, have some mutton instead, I am really sorry and didn't mean any offence, what can I do to make it up to you?", either are perfectly acceptable responses, as is anything in between.

2 hours ago, Sub said:

In King of Dragon Pass, a customary gift to an entire clan is 20 cows, which was easy to learn and put into practice when playing, but these are the dealings of chiefs. Is it expected that small gifts such as water and food to travelers are simply repaid by the guest's clan extending the same kindness to the granter's clan, in the form of a promise? What are acceptable, small services that could be rendered? Does a guest help thresh the grain for a while, for example? In the same vein, what are customary gifts of goods or services for a night of hospitality?

You can repay a gift by telling of news from elsewhere, telling a story, singing a song, helping the healers, threshing some grain, helping with the harvest and so on. Sometimes, a small monetary gift will do. On a HeroQuest, you might have to give away some of your clothing, or lose an eye or a finger, that kind of thing.

2 hours ago, Sub said:

When dealing with enemy clans, either sneaking through their lands for travel or banditry, it seems like magic is the way to go here. Perhaps I sacrifice to Ulanin the Rider and hope my steeds are swifter than theirs. Are there other ways to get through an enemy clan's lands, magical or otherwise?

If you are on a road, then you might be able to avoid them, by staying on the road.

However, swift horses are a good idea, as is concealment magic. Going in disguise might work, but that depends on cultural things, so if your clan always wears yellow scarves and you go through the rival's tula wearing green scarves then one of your party might go "Hang on, I ain't wearing no green scarves, I'm proud of my yellow scarf, ain't I?"

Sometimes, the best option is to take a long way around and go around the clan, so you don't step foot on their tula.

3 hours ago, Sub said:

When dealing with neutral-to-hostile clans, what are mythologically appropriate greeting rejections? Are the rejected guests identified with certain unruly thunder brothers, more ancient enemies, or simply insulted with generally unfavorable comparisons ("Greedy woodpecker, begone", etc.)?

That can be a good way of doing it. You might have ritual responses to their greetings that don't break any laws but are accepted. Sure, they might make you confirm their image of you as uncouth barbarians who don't have proper manners, but so what?

Another way of doing this is to enact a HeroQuest where Orlanth Went to a Strange Place and do the steps that made Orlanth accepted in the Strange Place. That might have other ramifications, though, as you might end up with obligations resulting from the HeroQuest. Also, you might have to make up the HeroQuest if it doesn't exist, in game terms.

2 hours ago, Sub said:

Thank you for your replies, everyone. I will speak ever of your generosity. I realize now that it will soon become unwieldly to reply to every bit of information

Oh, you haven't been around any where near long enough, then. Some threads end up only containing detailed, point by point rebuttals of other people's detailed point by point rebuttals. 🙂

8 hours ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

"Who are you?"
"I am called Herald, for I must bring news, and speedily."
"Where are you going?"
"Nowhere else I must go, but where the roads take me."

It is always a good idea to plan to go somewhere else as well as your main destination, that way you can say "Oh, I am taking a cart full of trade goods to my cousin" instead of saying "I am travelling to your biggest enemies to broker a peace and marriage treaty with their clan".

14 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

This is why it's such an effective insult to offer a guest old crappy beer - they still have to drink it under the rules of hospitality.

That act, in itself, could be seen as breaking the laws of Hospitality. It goes both ways.

3 hours ago, Sub said:

If I'm a Sartarite from the Woodpecker clan, and I'm traveling to Jonstown on the trade road, does it make sense to seek out hospitality from every clan whose territory I'm passing through, or are trade roads exempt from this custom?

Yes, it is polite to do so. That way, when you come back and need their help, you will be on good terms.

I don't think that Trade Roads are exempt, just that you can travel along the roads without being considered travelling through clan tulas. When you stop at the side of the road for a comfort break or decide to pick some blackberries from the bushes alongside the road, then you can be drawn into a "Who are you and what are you doing?" conversation.

3 hours ago, Sub said:

Can hospitality be granted by farmers and herders, or only warriors, or does the chief get involved every time, even for travel?

Anyone can grant hospitality, but it only applies to them.

For example if you stay in a stickpicker's hovel then you have the protection of the stickpicker. If some burly warriors from the clan come along and try to bother you, then the stickpicker might argue that you are under his protection under the laws of hospitality, but that might not be enough to stop them from picking a fight. If that happens, then you can try to take it up with the clan chieftain, but he's likely to ask why you stayed there rather than coming to his hearth.

If you don't visit the clan chieftain, as a matter of courtesy, then he might not take kindly to you and might see it as a snub. If you have kin in the clan, then you might be OK to stay with them. (Yes, I know that sometimes becoming a clan member means you lose the old kinship ties, but if someone's mother's sister joined this clan and you are passing through then it would be nice to visit.)

3 hours ago, Sub said:

Does the hospitality rite compel you to tell the truth?

Nope. Generally, if you accept Hospitality, then you are bound by its rules. Normally the rules are:

• Don't abuse the Hospitality
• Don't steal from your host
• Don't attack your host or the local people
• Don't cause trouble
• Don't embarrass yourself or your own clan

Lying is frowned upon, as it is being rude and might be seen as causing trouble, but sometimes it is best to lie. For example, the clan you are eating with might be an enemy of the clan you are travelling to, so no point telling them that you are travelling to their enemies.

3 hours ago, Sub said:

Is there a safe way to reject hospitality, or to reject greater levels of hospitality than desired? 

Rejecting Hospitality is normally seen as being a snub. However, you may be able to sweet-talk the people by saying that you are in a hurry,, or are geased not to eat today, or that you have already eaten and can only stay for a slice of bread with salt and water. this is where your Communication skills come into play.

3 hours ago, Sub said:

If Argrath offers me duty and I want none of that, as another example.

Argrath conning you into accepting some task would probably be seen as being a breach of Hospitality. These things should be roleplayed, as sometimes you can be tricked. So, for example, you might accept a meal and a night's sleep and might be seduced by a lovely young lady, only to find that it is the chieftain's daughter and sleeping with her is seen as a breah of hospitality and the only way to restore your good relations is to clear out the troll and her family that have settled in a nearby cave.

3 hours ago, Sub said:

How does the hospitality rite vary among Sartarite clans, Orlanthi cultures, or in your Glorantha?

Each clan might have its little variations, but generally the rite is the same. The person you are staying with formally extends Hospitality to you and you accept. This is a binding action that gives both of you some responsibilities.

Different clans might interpret the responsibilities in different ways, so one clan might give you a feast containing berries, another might feed you apples, another might give you eggs and so on. Whether you eat them or not depends on your own personal geases and tribal taboos. Refusing to eat something offered to you might constitute a breach of Hospitality, depending on the situation.

Generally if you ask around you might be able to get a game.

There are sites on the Internet that link gamers with groups. It might be worth doing a Google Search to find some of them.

As has been mentioned, posting here is a good idea, posting on the Facebook page might be useful as well.

As a matter of interest, where are you based? There might be some gaming groups in your area that people know about.

Also as has been mentioned, Conventions are good for Gloranthan games. They can be quite sketchy, but some are good. Continuum in the IK and Eternal Con in Germany normally have Gloranthan games of various kinds, especially with the Runemasters group who try to spread Gloranthan joy (Or the Cult of Chaos, if He Who Must not Be Crossed is reading), we have a Gloranthan Games convention in Birmingham UK (which coincided with my wide's operation so I couldn't go) which was apparently very good. I am not sure about GenCon and so on, as I've never been to anything in the USA.

59 minutes ago, Qizilbashwoman said:

Is Murharzarm part of the myth-cycle that the God Learners decided was Grandfather Mortal? I ask because that's the Spirit Rune.

Grandfather Mortal is not the Spirit Rune, he is the Man Rune.

A lot of Pelorian Mythology was not integrated by the God Leaners but was adapted by the Theyalans and Lifebringer Missionaries in the First Age. However, I am not particularly familiar with Murharzarm.

1 hour ago, Qizilbashwoman said:

Or was. Daka Fal was the first person to die, allegedly, but now shamans don't access his spirit rune anymore so

Daka Fal is the Judge of the Dead, who split the Spirits of the Dead from the Spirits of the Living. He has the Spirit Rune as that is what he did. In my Glorantha, it was Larnste, but I am often wrong.

Shamans are associated with the Horned Man, as a general idea, but are more likely to be associated with various Traditions. So, Ancestor Worshippers are associated with the Man Rune, Water Shamans with the Water Rune and so on.

3 hours ago, g33k said:

4 hours ago, Byll said:

It's a bit weird. Why is it OK to be a plant form with the man form or a beast form with the man form but not a man form with the spirit form?

'All forms are formal but some forms are more formal than others.'

Plants, Beasts, and Humans are all physical, Middle-World things.  Spirits are not.

It's a rules construct.

If you want Shamans to use the Spirit Rune then add it to the Character Sheet and amend the PC accordingly.

2 hours ago, Sub said:

Why does the cult of Lhankor Mhy keep the secrets of literacy and writing to themselves?

They don't, as far as I know. Lhankor Mhy will teach people to read and write if they pay enough. Unless, of course, it says somewhere that they don't, in which case I am wrong, again.

2 hours ago, Sub said:

Would there be mythological consequences for sharing literacy outside of the cult, or is this more of a Completionist/Ivalist thing? Are possible mythological consequences limited to Spirits of Reprisal from Lhankor Mhy, and does sharing knowledge weaken the initiate's magic?

If the Lhankor Mhy member is forbidden to share some secret information and does so, then the Spirits of Retribution will come a-calling. I can't remember what the Spirit of Retribution is, but it probably affects knowledge in some way.

2 hours ago, Sub said:

How hard would it be to index a Lhankor Mhy library? Would this be opposed by the sages?

Nope, it is very easy to index a Lankhor Mhy library and this has been done many times in the past. The trouble is, every Lhankhor Mhy cultist has his/her own way of indexing.

Brankist Farlow, a Sword Sage in our RQ2 campaign, sorted the library by putting all the scrolls together, in order of thickness of the scroll case, all the books together in order of height, all the metal plates together in order of weight and so on. Then he simply numbered each category, from lowest to highest and wrote down what the item was. So, Scroll 28 might be a History of the Sword Sages of Boldhome but Plate 5 might be the Love Letter of Sartar to the Feathered Horse Queen. "What happens when you add items?" you ask, "Surely they would go in the middle of the lists", not at all, because they would be put in the Library Appendices, with a new Appendix for each item that did not fit. Sometimes, he would put one book inside another, just so it fitted correctly at the end.

Difficulties occur when two Lhankor Mhy cultists try to index a library at the same time, because they will eventually have to index those parts indexed by the other. This can result in perpetual re-indexing, confusing indexes, appeals to the High Sage, duels or even poisons being deployed on a soon-to-be-indexed book.

Sometimes, one section of the library will be indexed in one way and another section in another way. This often happens when Sages die and leave their personal libraries to the Temple.

2 hours ago, Sub said:

What resources fuel or grow a library and what are some of the barriers to getting those resources? How does a library get its paper, scrolls, and materials? Are Lhankorings seeking tree pulp opposed by Aldryami, for example? Do they work heavily with Issaries traders, and what do they give in return?

Many libraries have flocks of sheep and cattle that can be used to make parchment and vellum. Some poor initiates are given the task of herding these and often become expert in the behaviour and mythology of the animals. Where they don't they buy them in, or are provided them in payment for services rendered.

Most Lhankor Mhy libraries don't use a lot of paper, I think, although papyrus might be available along the Zola Fel or other rivers. Of course, nothing to stop paper being made from pulped wood, with a deal with the local Aldryami.

Lhankor Mhy cultists include Alchemists and they generally make inks and so on themselves. They are quite self-sufficient.

As for how they grow libraries, I think they do it in many different ways. Sages leave collections to the library. Adventurers come to the library and offer various books for sale and are grateful for the meagre amounts offered. Adventurers often ask for a book to be translated and Lhankor Mhy cultists will also copy the book while it is being translated, keeping a copy themselves. Lhankor Mhy cultists accept books, scrolls and so on as payment for services rendered. Sword Sages go out and investigate crypts and so on, bringing back any books they find.

2 hours ago, Sub said:

Does a form of moveable type already exist somewhere in Glorantha? What would it take to use it or invent it?

I don't think it does. Inventing it would be problematic, for the reasons given in Discworld. If you have a magical book and print it with movable type, then the letters become magical, if you then reuse the letters, you jumble up the magic and that would cause really bad problems. 

Also, what is the point of having mass-produced books? Everyone would be able to read them and Lhankor Mhy would lose its stranglehold on knowledge. No, better off having hordes of Sages carefully copying books.

2 hours ago, Sub said:

Do Lhankorings such as the ones in Jonstown submit to chosen leaders when it comes to whether or not they expand or prosper?

Of course, as Lhankor Mhy cultists have to obey the law.

However, only Lhankor Mhy cult law applies within their temples. They don't like giving non-members access to their temples, for example, so fugitives seeking sanctuary cannot be arrested by locals.

Leaders outside the temples don't generally have any say over what goes on inside the temple, although Marran the Burner of Books might be listened to carefully. 

Where a group of Lhankor Mhy cultists want to expand a temple or set up a new one, they need to speak to the local leaders and generally broker a good deal that allows them to provide services to the leaders or the locals.

2 hours ago, Sub said:

How [in]accessible are some of the dangerous secrets in a library like Jonstown? Are certain secrets limited to devotees only, and can only some, or all, be bought at a price of money, or legendary treasure?

You have to be a member of Lhankhor Mhy to access certain areas, only initiates can access further areas, Priests can only access secret areas, High Priests can only access things stored in highly restricted areas and so on. In theory, the Spirits of Retribution could be used against anyone accessing knowledge that they are not privy to, but I think that is unlikely. 

The best defence a Lhankor Mhy library has against the unauthorised access of information if the seemingly random way the books are stored. If you don't have an index of the Inner Sanctum then you don;t know what is hidden there. If you get into the inner sanctum and find piles of old books, it might take a while to find the one you are looking for, especially if they are mislabelled.

2 hours ago, Sub said:

Do I, as a Lhankor Mhy cultist, need to be Illuminated in order to even consider messing around with God Learning, or other Gloranthan secrets?

Absolutely not.

Lhankor Mhy does not necessarily encourage Illumination of its members, as that makes them immune to the Spirits of Retribution. However, it doesn't ban illuminates either.

God Learner Secrets are not the downfall of the God Learners. Their downfall was their pride, their hubris and the fact that they took things way too far and opened the world up to chaos. Knowledge is just knowledge and anything dangerous can just be stored away in secret sections of the library where those experienced enough to study them can be found.

2 hours ago, Sub said:

What are my biggest obstacles in learning and using secrets as an initiate of Lhankor Mhy:

• My limited knowledge?
• My cult?
• Orlanth and his tribe, who would put Lhankor Mhy in his place?
• Dangerous heroquesting, including Arkati protectors and other enemy heroquesters?

None of the above.

Your biggest obstacles are:

• Not enough time to read books
• Too many books to study
• Books written in too many languages to learn and study
• Books hidden away in badly organised sections of libraries
• Other Sages keeping books away from you, especially if they are your rivals
• Being kept at a desk and having to copy books rather than being allowed to become a Sword Sage, heroically rediscovering lost knowledge
• The hidebound and old-fashioned traditions of older priests
• Having to eat, sleep and go to the toilet, instead of spending all your time reading books
• Distractions from studying, some sages have been known to get married, which takes them away from studying for hours at a time, for example
• Some books or scrolls are so old that simply opening them will destroy them, you know they contain secret knowledge but can't get to them

I think the Orlanthi cultivate woad and use it for their dyes. Also, some might use henna, but that is a lot darker. 

2 minutes ago, Runeblogger said:

For example, let's say my character, an Orlanthi mercenary hired by Duke Raus in the Zola Fel valley, is made prisoner by the Praxians just a week before Sacred Time. Then after Sacred Time, the Praxians return and ransom her to Duke Raus. Does that mean her community (Duke Raus' settlers and mercenaries) is not going to support me for the whole coming year?

No, what it means is that your PC performs some Sacred Time rite and joins in on her own. She might not get any benefit from it, but she has supported in her own way. Performing such a rite might just be a case of telling the Sacred Time stories, imagining a previous Sacred Time or even performing a little re-enactment of her own. Performing the Summoning of Chaos might even be a way to escape the Praxians, if it summons up a broo that attacks their camp to get to you.

7 hours ago, Crel said:

18 hours ago, Luxus said:

If a character is a target of a spell that requires a POW vs POW resistance roll, can the character use runic augment to better resist the spell?

Page 146 has the rules text supporting the above explanations.

Funnily enough, we have never used POW vs POW as resistance, we always have NPCs being the Active party and actively overcoming POW.

When someone is under the effect of a spell, we use the Resistance Table to see if they can throw off the effect, for example someone stuck in a Giant Spider's Web can try using STR to overcome the Web's Glue, but that is an active thing.

Does anyone actually say "The Lunar is casting a spell at you, roll on the Resistance Table to see if you resist"?