jajagappa

One question for a GM allowing PC Tusk Riders to consider is the base CHA as this potentially impacts the ability to become a Rune Lord of the Bloody Tusk. Possible options: Increase CHA for PC Tusk Riders to 3d6. Typical Tusk Riders remain as-is. Remove the CHA requirement for the Rune Lords of the Bloody Tusk. See: https://basicroleplaying.org/topic/8021-cha-requirement-for-rune-lords/

Given the tight integration of RQG and Glorantha, I expect we'll see a lot that could go in either. Since this was noted in the initial post: "Trying to develop a family background for a player character baboon shaman", I'd interpret as an RQG question.

After Harmast and company succumb to a TPK! 😈 Got my hands full with that one. Thanks!

With the advent of the RuneQuest Glorantha Bestiary, we've got a lot of new player character possibilities, but nothing for their backgrounds (except for the ducks). I figure there will eventually be something for the trolls, and I don't have a good feel for the elves, so I thought I'd write one up for the Tusk Riders. The advantage for them is that the region/campaign tables for Dragon Pass that are in Wyrms Footnotes #15 come in real handy! A key theme for Tusk Riders is going off to raid (and in almost any direction based on the distribution map in the RQG Bestiary) which I've tried to capture in a Tusk Rider Raid table (and noting years when raids there were specifically noted). As Tusk Riders mature quicker, I ended up with an option for a great-grandparent which allows you to start at Grizzly Peak. I didn't figure they'd get involved in political assassinations off in Esrolia, so included the earlier attempted invasion of Sartar in 1591 instead (an event which can also be added for a human in Dragon Pass). Generally the events focus on Tusk Riders only, though in a few instances I've noted options to include for others (e.g. the Boar Hunt, the Battle of the Porkers). I'm sure lots of other ideas can be brought in, and events/entries and bonuses improved, but hopefully is a useful starting place. Enjoy! Tusk Rider Family Background generator for RQG: Tusk Riders Background.pdf

Some nice options for shields: the scale of a True Dragon, a polished piece of obsidian, or possibly a fragment of their own birth egg.

Exactly. And then you discover that Clan X is really descended from Ancestor who screwed it all up (if you didn't know that already!).

A lot of opportunity for some classic "Human" myths to play out (e.g. Cain vs. Abel, sacrifice of Isaac, Garden of "Ernalda", Temptation, etc.) that get reflected back into the mundane world.

Wyrms Footnotes #15 has a good map of this area including ruins. One, the Howling Tower, is described in Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes.

Yes, swimming across could be problematic. The river itself would probably kill/drown oathbreakers attempting to cross. For those who aren't, there could be all sorts of fun effects, like: slowly washing/eating away any elemental connection not associated with Darkness or Water; consuming memories; rendering perceptions useless (e.g. causing blindness); removing body features (like a face); not to mention being potential prey to anything that might live within the River like darkness spirits, shades, demons, or the like.

Eurmal (or Ratslaff before him). The never-ending desire for food, drink, hallucinogenic substances, etc that can never be satisfied or satiated.

Malia, other hostile spirits, chaotic raiders, trolls & trollkin, tusk riders. Lots of options.

Except Eurmal's approach would be the opposite - ensure NOBODY can understand anything anyone else says (aka Tower of Babel-style effect).

I can't see Nysalor doing this. If there is any cult who would do so it would be Etyries, wayward daughter of Issaries. It would be through New Pelorian, and quite likely a sorcery spell.

I like it! Just the right amount of steps through the Nightwood, some good opportunity for an event or two in the Plains of Dust, and chance to have someone speak against the quester in the Court of the Dead.

Yes, it got changed during development, but here and then "Area Lore" still pops up.

I think Voria and Voriof are seen as effectively guardians/protectors of children/youths before initiation. Perhaps they serve as 'play' models of what life is like as adults. But there is no initiation to them, no magic from them for children. SKoH p.73 notes "Your rune affinities are a part of you, but you are awakened to them with your adulthood initiation" and "A child cannot do rune magic." And SKoH p.76 "All Orlanthi undergo a formal initiation ceremony conducted by their clan elders, parts of which are the most closely held secrets of the clan. This rite transforms you from a child to an adult, with full benefits and responsibilities in the society. Your initiation rites were probably performed when you were between the ages of 15 and 19. “God Learner” sorcerers called those who had achieved this status “Lay Members” and shall be used in this book even though that term has little use to the Orlanthi. These adulthood rites included a preparatory period of guidance and education, a period of time spent away from mundane society, a solemn test of you as an individual, and a final ceremony which transformed you into a full, adult member of society and a worshipper of the Orlanthi gods. The climax of the ritual involved your trip to the Gods World. It was during these rituals that your Man’s Breath was awakened or your Woman’s True Self was born. The rituals can be dangerous, it has been known for children or even elders to die or be lost during the initiation process. Your rune powers woke within you and you received roles in the clan rituals (usually simply as one of the crowds of Thunder Brothers or Weaver Women). Afterwards, the god-talker tattooed you with the markings of clan and rune." A good example is the initiation of Argrath as an adult in the Prince of Sartar comic. Effectively you are initiated into the clan and the rites of the gods when you become an adult. Whether you ever are fully initiated is another story (though I'm sure exceptional individuals who achieve both may occur). More in Thunder Rebels p.58 (though it made too much of subcults, there's still lots of core information on Heortling/Orlanthi society) "The Heortling Rites come first, which make children into adults, individual and recognized. Heort and his wife Ivarne taught these rites to everyone, and all Heortling clans use them today. Before their initiation, children are called “Not Adults.” They do not have full rights or responsibilities, are forbidden certain things (such as having sex or learning magic), and observe worship of the pantheon without any understanding of the secrets. During the adulthood rites, boys and girls both discover their place in a world of supernatural power, their expectations as members of a community, the consequences of failure, and the rewards of success. The adulthood rites are segregated by gender. Girls are initiated after they begin menstruation. Their rites last about two weeks, and are held every year. Boys are initiated sometime after they turn fourteen. A clan usually conducts the rites only about once every five years, so boys may be as old as nineteen before they become men. Afterwards, the new man or woman is an adult of the clan. He or she may wed, own cattle, and speak at clan moots. After the Heortling Rites, the former children are “New Adults” for at least two years while they discover which deity has chosen them. The New Adults are full members of the religion. They receive roles in the rituals (usually simply being one of the crowd of Thunder Brothers or Weaver Women), and must shoulder their appropriate burdens in society. Wergild is fixed by the family’s status (cottar or carl for most people). In game terms, the New Adult is a communal worshipper of the entire Orlanth Pantheon. They do not learn any specific magic until they actually become initiates of Orlanth, Ernalda, or another deity. When the Heortling Rites end, each New Adult names the deity that they think (or hope) has chosen them. Occasionally, this will be obvious to them and even to others. Most people choose a subcult of Orlanth or Ernalda. The New Adults receive instruction on worship during the next year. At the end of the first year the groups meet again, and this time the elders assign a deity for each New Adult to learn about for a year. This is usually a subcult of Orlanth or Ernalda, as appropriate to the New Adult’s occupation." You can see these distinctions as well even back in the older RQ2 cult writeups: E.g. for Orlanth: "Orlanth welcomes almost all beings who breathe air. This includes all the Elder Races (yes, Trolls too). Lay Members must have reached their maturity (between 16 and 20 for humans) and must make the choice to join by their own free will." and "The prospective Initiate of the cult of Orlanth must have belonged to the cult for at least a year as a Lay Member, and must make a formal rejection of former cult ties and swear to devote himself “to the winds.” He pledges himself to follow his priest and his god. He must have a sponsor who is already an Initiate. He must pass a test given by the Priest." The "test" in these cases are the formal initiation rites of the respective cult.

RQ2 started characters off at 15-16, just after becoming adults; RQG at roughly 21, have completed cult initiation and some further experience. But stats the same in both cases. In real world, yes, agree that there is still development through those years in many features. Gloranthans seem to come of age sooner. Really depends on how much bookkeeping you want in the Background time going from year-to-year.

Initiation into adulthood gives you your full Runic abilities: 60/40/20 and two at 75/25. You do not need cult initiation to have this - adulthood is your right of passage. What you get with cult initiation is the awareness of how to use those runes to cast Rune Magic. I don't see a need to segregate characteristics for this age group though YGWV. Keep in mind that initiation into adulthood does not equal initiation into a cult so new adults should not have any rune magic. You can't participate in any cult rites until you are an adult. At that point, you may participate as a lay member and begin training to satisfy cult initiation requirements (and may pay/work to learn spirit magic). But it may well be 2-4 years before there is a new initiation rite into Orlanth for instance.

You can use Training or Research to increase/recover some of the characteristics (see RQG p417-8) including STR, CON, DEX and CHA. POW can be regained through subsequent use/experience (POW gain rolls). Losses to INT or SIZ are largely permanent without use of magic. But there is no natural rate of recovery.

Why? That's the stuff of stories and legends! The Eurmali trickster shatters your famed sword Trollbane, but you know Humakt blessed you to carry it into the heart of the Black Dragon Mountain so you could confront the great darkness there. You consult the sages of Jonstown, but their only answers are to seek out the Seers of Enervi in distant Esrolia. But you know Humakt has set this task to you, so you gather companions to journey there and learn what you can. The price of the seers is high, but you learn that Trollbane can be reforged in the Fires of Heaven, Gustbran's birthplace, a place that darkness cannot touch. It is a journey into the Sky World and the way is shrouded, but your quest is clear...

I would probably not play Runes on an incremental scale. Generally, the point of the initiation into adulthood is to gain/learn/awaken your Runes. Before then you (and your clan) have no specific awareness of them and you don't get any benefit from them (no magic, no inspiration). That said, from an MGF standpoint, the runes are the building blocks of everything, including every person. You might say that the runes are not yet differentiated so maybe 30/30/10 or 20/20/20 for the elemental runes and all power/form runes at 50/50. However, this is also a world of exceptions. A god or spirit has touched this child and awoken something early, so make one or two runes at 60. There's some awareness of that one element or power and the child can use it for a limited augment.

I'd say it depends on your goal. If you are building up myths/quests related to the First Man, then yes. If you are talking about the interaction between two different cultures, it depends. If the cultures want to become friendly, then they would look at commonalities (you call him this, we call him that, but he is the same). If they are enemies, then they would focus on differences (we know the True First Man, but yours is false - the child of the Evil one or the Trickster who made a parody or mockery of First Man).

Veskarthan is VERY sluggish. Arousal is clearly a requirement of any quest to get his help.

Let's see: we could resurrect Genert; or maybe quest for the Seed of Genert to give birth to a new Earth child to hold back the waters; or maybe awaken Veskarthan/Lodril to lift the earth up on his shoulders. I'm sure we can find more! 😉

I'd say yes, and that there are very few outside the dwarfs who would have it - perhaps Gonn Orta, the Red Emperor, Godunya, Argrath and Harrek, and few others.