Joerg

Personally, I don't think we have just a single parallel for Kralorela in China. We have China through its ages, with lots of quite different dominant ethnicities. And a lot of uninformed impressions of westerners of China. And yes, I am going to ignore the upset about cultural appropriation here. All of Glorantha is about cultural appropriation where it isn't wildly original, and even those keep appropriating elements from cultures that never were asked. Take for instance the Praxians with their plains American native loans - about as politically incorrect as you can get. But then, people are invested on the Praxians (which keeps astonishing me, frankly - in my Glorantha they are a side effect comparable to the Ducks, established, but not a place I would base my gaming on). Kublai Khan's china as reported by Marco Polo is the source for many a fantasy china. This in itself isn't the most typical period of China, although a group of horse nomads ascending to Emperorhood wasn't unique at all. Kublai Khan combined the unparalleled might of the Mongolian horse armies referred to as hordes with the conquered bureaucracy trained to worship a powerful ordering hand. This makes me wonder whether Kublai's Cathay would be a good model for Sheng Seleris's empire. True, this is usurping the Mongol trope on our Pentans, which have been portrayed as something closer to the Yamnayan successor cultures in the Pontic steppe in recent years. Sheng Seleris has been demonized by his opponents, and is about to be demonized again by Argrath - the very fellow who is going to bring him back from a deeper Hell than Arkat and Talor ever experienced (and they, too, had been imprisoned by an illuminated and chaos-using empire). There are sides to Sheng or his minions which should make us wary about accusing him to have brought an era of invigorated prosperity to those who accepted his rule, but on the whole, something like this appears to have been the case. Another major source for our uninformed Western impression of mythical china comes from the kung fu action movies churned out by Hongkong. Leaving aside all the ones playing in modern times, there are many set in a historical context. And apparently, the target audience isn't necessarily the western market, as you don't really see dubbed versions of these in your cinemas. Wuxia movies are a fringe market in western media, although a well-beloved one by its fans. I don't recall Marco Polo reporting anything notable about chinese martial arts, he was way too busy admiring their technology, food, and administration. What military and martial exploits he described was that of the mongol rulers, like their postal system. Yet there are dojos (what's that Japanese term doing here) of martial artists all over Kralorela, and for some reason quite a lot of those martial arts involve weaponless combat. A friend of mine has given me a couple of textbooks from his Wing Tsun martial arts classes (which he practices now in the lowest teacher grades, last things I heard). Yes, that's the same school that Bruce Lee branched off when he included opera styles in his movies. Another source for Asians looking at their old history that is open for the uninformed Westerner are mangas, manhwas or whatever else they are called locally. They vary as strongly in their choice of artistic styles as do American or European comic books/Graphic novels, but there are quite a few going for quite realistic depiction of people and using mythological themes unrelated to Western or D&D influences. (Those abound, too...) I don't think that mythologies can be taught by anything but immersion. The uninformed Westerner with a fascination for mythical Cathay has a few avenues to draw the sources for his immersion from. Hong Kong movies and their spill-over to Hollywood are a common avenue. The travels of Marco Polo and all the literature spawned off from his book, and the archaeological reconstruction of his observations are a common avenue. Our museums with exhibitions like the terracotta army (which doesn't do a very good job of conveying the context, IMO) are an avenue, though heavily tinted by their Imperialist origins in private collections of cultural appropriation. Mangas, as mentioned. Does Kralorela need real world influences other than China? I don't think so. It already has Gloranthan influences that are wildly different from anything any version of these Chinas have, like the Hsunchen origin of the population. Can it do with less China? Probably yes, although its role in exchange with the God Learners is pretty much this, as may be the case for Vormain. I have a somewhat different problem: leaving aside whether there are traces of Cathay in Kralorela or (even less so) traces of Nippon in Vormain, we are dealing with another stratified Celestial/Solar Empire here. Vith is somewhat interesting as he represents both the Upper, Celestial Sky and the Lower, Underworld Sky in a single entity. None of the human successor states, whether Kralorela, Vormain or the greater East Isles leader cultures, embrace that dualism or transcendence of that dualism.

Kralorela has always been the land of the dragonewts. An unbroken string of Inhuman Kings/Dragon Emperors should be assumed in order to enable the Kralori dragonewts a survival in strength, as opposed to the survival in weakness their Dragon Pass cousins suffered. Whether this unbroken string of emperors applied as much to the humans as it applied to the dragonewts is another question. Did the dragonewts require an Inhuman King for re-hatching from their eggs prior to the arrival of Death? The False Dragon Ring with Shang-Hsa MHNBC somehow failed to interfere negatively with the dragonewts. It looks like Shang-Hsa was a sufficiently draconic entity to allow continued rebirth of the dragonewts despite his other failings. To my knowledge, Sheng Seleris never interfered with the dragonewts of Hum Chang and Fanzai. (Neither is there much evidence of Sheng doing anything with or about the Bridges of Godunya.) So how are the Kralori humans tied to the emperors? There is an old theory that the Kralori humans are descendants of dragon hsunchen, but that may very well be a God Learner fallacy misunderstanding the Korgatsu rites of the eastern Hsunchen. All Korgatsu hsunchen are dragon hsunchen. (Hykimi are Serpent Brothers, Fiwan follow the Horned Serpent Amuron, who is the Namahs of the Pamalt pantheon, or possibly his fetch.) The False Dragon Ring apparently takes the approach that a (reverse-engineered) Hsunchen-like transformation into a dragon (or at least a very advanced dragonewt) is secret to how the emperor rules over the humans. Several modern Kralori subgroups bear clear relationships to extant or former hsunchen populations, creating significant variety in the Kralori descended from this kind of ancestry. It is possible that Daruda integrated a great mass of former hsunchen into the imperial population. That would make him something like an apostate shaman (but then, that's a fair description of Sheng Seleris, too).

I would rather say that Darudism is the officials' religion, and sort of the umbrella path to the afterlife (the Book of the Dead function of the Dragon Emperor to ferry the souls from the waiting place to ascension upon his utuma). There is plenty of theism, animism and sorcery in Kralorela, all with its cults or schools or animal totems, and with its semi-acculturated invaders. The case of xenophobia is overstated, IMO. Foreigners having undergone a minimal acculturation are tolerated. Most of the Kralori sages predate Daruda by a dynasty or three. They aren't (or haven't been) draconic in origin (unless you reckon that Wild Man and Allgiver are high eastern deities equal to dragons). If Kralori subscribe to a thesis of multiple souls similar to those of central Genertela, then a distributed afterlife is possible. If that's the case, then the departing emperor will only be responsible for ascending the Darudic soul of a deceased individual.

Vostor's Moon rune covers all of the Young Elementals (i.e. Darkness, Water, Earth or Fire as small elementals). In addition to "summon cult spirit" the caster also needs "command cult spirit" to make the elemental do anything.

In many ways as the local fight of the bull defender against the devil. Only here the bull is the attacker. Perhaps some parallel to Heler being released from the dragon (Enkoshons/Aroka). The detail that the rain deity needs to be put together after slaying the monster is distinctive. Yes - his fight against the regional devil is in many ways a reflection of Storm Bull's fight in Prax. But at the same time, this is fighting Daga. Storm Bull has no requirement of having a dick - being one is sufficient. A couple of berserk chicks are in the Griselda stories. The Eternal Battle followed Earthfall, and most of the earth defenders would have been turned into the Copper Sands or worse there. There weren't many deities suitable for women left active in the world. Babeester stood guard over her sleeping mother (and aunts, I suppose), taking on all comers, but not leaving that post. Maran probably was with her sister. Sun Daughter (the Praxian ur-Yelmalio) might qualify.

You need to roll whenever you use First Aid. But you have the choice whether to use First Aid just to stop the bleeding (which takes one melee round) or whether you use it to heal damage (which takes five melee rounds). The difference (IMO) is that the person applying First Aid doesn't do any other active stuff in that time. Also, if the giver of First Aid parries or dodges in that time, the recipient uses 2 hit points. Same if the First Aid giver or recipient casts a Heal spell. Basically, if you decide just to stop the bleeding, the chance for getting HP back is gone. On the plus side, the recipient can fight on without losing two hit points. If you decide to go for the healing, more care (and possibly some needlework) is involved, and both characters are out of any other action for five melee rounds. Revival of an unconscious character may occur if the 5 melee round version of First Aid brings the hit points from below zero up to 1 or more. IMO you roll only once. You decide whether to just staunch the bleeding (a consequence of special hits or chest/abdomen/head wounds with more than location HP damage) or to heal hit points before the roll. Interestingly, stopping the bleeding allows a re-roll if your first roll was a failure. I wouldn't allow a re-roll to heal any hit points, though. A fumble will cost 1D3 hit points even on an attempt just to stop the bleeding.

If that isn't enlightenment/Illumination, what is?

On the matter of non-mammalian boobs and nourishing liquids, just as aldryami boobs should generate nectar, so might sweat-lactating platypus duck females have some special down to soak up liquid that might bulge out a little. Imitation of organs by feathers isn't exactly unknown - great creste grebes, "horned owls" or "eared owls" for instance.

The Eleven Troll Battles state that the Great Victory followed a battle between Kajabor and Wakboth. I always assumed that that battle had been the event that sent Kajabor into the Underworld, as there is no other claimant for slaying the Devil other than Storm Bull. Kajabor's journey down may have taken a while, though. IFWW should have coincided with the Ritual of the Net. Boztakang is mentioned again for Winter Win (not shown on the map), which would be the other opportunity to have dispersed Pocharngo. Otherwise, assuming that the battle which saw the mutation of the Cave Trolls was one of these eleven battles, that army would have had to be afflicted at Stormfall. Personally, I think that Kajabor and Pocharngo emerged from the Implosion of the Spike, and were not part of Wakboth's initial invasion from the North. Krarsht had already been present (Predark) and could have joined Wakboth's host for the Siege of the Castle of Lead, and Tien is a son of Wakboth, but most of the major Chaos deities not descended from Wakboth should have swarmed the world only after the Implosion of the Spike. But then, Pocharngo might be the "child" of Larnste and Krarsht, and the Foulblood Forest his birthplace. Krjalk appears to be one of the Wakbothi deities, with his branching off to Icebreak (aided by Zzabur). But then, his Prosopaedia entry suggests otherwise: (https://www.glorantha.com/docs/krjalk/) I do wonder about the relationship between Pelandan YarGan and the Theyalan-known Chaos entities.

Uz Lore (2nd ed version, of 1982) mentions Pocharngo as an enemy overcome by Bozkatang after having mutated previous victims.

The ducks and keets are all related to webbed feet birds, birds with both water and sky as parents. At least that's what Tholaina tells us. Reducing their sorry state to the Sky connection (a captured sky being, according to Tholaina's Prosopaedia entry) leaves out their water ancestry. It doesn't seem very likely that any cursed being would gain sky attributes like beaks or feathers. (I won't rule out the possibility that the ducks stole these from the dismembering of Hippogriff, though...)

While a book isn't meant to be read in one go, I would at least demand concentration rolls to keep your mind on the topic of the book rather than casting your Logician spell when studying it.

Yes, but for it to have an effect you need to spend about 14 points on duration, and then some on intensity. Or a couple of POW for inscribing the spell.

Not Arkatism, no. I think something to do with how the wizard side failed, and an -ism I had not seen anywhere before.

I'd apply them to the use of material. The rules as presented allow you to buy ready-made alchemy kits from some organisation, but these lores would either allow you to prepare your material yourself, or to husband the resources for better efficiency/more applications. Speaking as a chemist, recovery rates in a preparatory process are a big deal when aiming for the best possible use of your material. The rest is expensive and annoying gunk.

ZZ is fine using cave trolls (who bear a chaos taint and have chaotic regeneration abilities) as ablative meat alongside their posthumous cult members and victims. Hatred is a huge part of what ZZ is about, the choice of target is fairly secondary. Chaos is a notable rival for maximum scariness, and has done things to the trolls that fuel that hatred, but fire cults are as bad. Pacifist vegetarian broos are indeed nothing short of a miracle. Illumination can be quite powerful, and the seed may have come from a Chalanan who got afflicted with chaotic features but managed to hold on to her tenets. Possibly got illuminated in the process, possibly even gave birth to those broos survivng by healing herself. (Or himself... broo births don't require any sexual organs, and any kind of opening to the body will do for insemination, including a spear wound.) Biologists might argue whether broos really have male genitals or rather ovipositors.

Speaking as a rules-playing munchkin, delaying reading such books will increase their benefit greatly as your chance to fail your skill check diminishes at high proficiency, while the book still gives a straight bonus. OTOH, there might be a skill cap for each book beyond which it becomes useless. While a good trainer can teach a student to surpass the trainer's practical abilities, even that has limits.

I would opt for one skill, but numerous recipes. Without the recipe, you can't make the potion in question. The recipes are a magical ability similar to spirit magic.

If you coat them with gold, you might be mistaken for a Gold Wheel Dancer?

Esrolia actually has an Aviarchy - reign of the grandmothers, from latin avia. It isn't quite a gerontocracy like the high soviet in the boardgame Kremlin, but Esrolians wouldn't leave decision-making to such a silly being as a nurturing mother. Real decision-making shouldn't be affected by hormones, in their view.

Teach for a living...

He is? Did that change at some point - I'm just reading that chapter in the Sourcebook, and it's particularly specific that the Waertagi don't (or at least, didn't) worship Wachaza. P.86: "who had seen and feared his power of Death." That's prior to their retreat down Magasta's Pool, into the realm of Sapana/Robber. Those who returned may have adopted Wachaza for their revenge on the Jrusteli. The box on p.85 tells a different story about Wachaza and the Waertagi: I am not quite certain whether this really should read "The Wartain Mer-Tribe", though, and that "King Waertag" as "King Wartain" - the final sentences of that box talk about Warera being descended from King "Waertag" to become grandmother of Waertag and Zzabur. But then, who is left to worship Wachaza in the God Learner way? The Malkioni coastal folk of Umathela received the Dormal secrets from the Vadeli. I don't see much evidence for a revival of Wachaza here. The Rightarm Islanders do whatever the Kethaelan Ludoch dictate. The Masloi shun strong deities.

I wouldn't make the name Halikiv as that important for Dari's origin, but that tribal knowledge about the smithing god. Unfortunately, the East Wilds don't really lend themselves much to hereditary metal-working, although Aruzban Ironarm of Delela appears to have an unusual source for metal, too. In the mountains next to the Uncolings in Tastolar, Fronela. If you say Aignor was a Vadeli, then so was Hrestol. From what I have seen, Aignor's grandmother appears to be Florina, Hrestol's wife from Brithos. It isn't clear where his father got his wife from, but even if he should have taken a Vadeli wife, Aignor would at best be half Vadeli by descent. Aignor was neither Malkioni nor Hrestolist. He went and mated with Seshna, aiding his serpent-legged cousins. From what I know about Vadeli judges, they are non-Vadeli outsiders necessary because of the absence of the yellows, and probably should be Talars, indicating a yellow-ish skin type. It would go against their purpose if they went native. Pamala, Aignor's daughter in Law, was "from the East", in a place visited by the Waertagi probably within the first years after Boltror's departure.

Should that be "the Vormaino"? That's Tsankht. Wachaza is mainly worshiped by the Waertagi, is what Jeff probably meant to type.

Just train your players that circumventing things makes you improvise, pulling monsters straight from the book in unprepared situations rather than offering them in well-prepared ones with lots of character opportunities. If the players didn't take in all the hints and magical upgrades you were preparing for the long road from Nochet to Pavis, put these items up for quests when they arrive in Pavis. "You really need this stuff from Stormwalk Mountain...."