jajagappa

p.336 - nice to see the illustration of Jannisor and his companions. That he's riding a sable is a nice touch, particularly before his betrayal. Interesting depiction of Jannisor's daemon familiar, Karash’arll. Likely gained that ally on some Jajagappa-related quest as Karash'arll seems to have some dog-like aspects. Perhaps he comes from the Nightwood? Both Jannisor's War (p.336) and Jannisor's Vase (p.338) appeared in WF12, so those tales have been around for awhile. Of the Underworld figures on the vase, Jajagappa and Annara Gor (aka Ty Kora Tek) can be clearly placed in the DH Underworld of the Gods Wall. I've always wondered who the “Holder” was though, whose jar can imprison any soul for up to seven earth years. As "a real terror to non-Lunar magicians" she must be part of the Lunar pantheon of Underworld figures. Possible she is related to Natha but otherwise it would seem she is largely unknown at this point.

As you read through the Holayan entries, one of the things I noted was the strong prevalence of Ernalda: Dolmisk - small pantheon of agricultural goddesses, including Ernalda, Uralda, and Ornore. Dolsonin - great temple to Ernalda (worshiped in the form of a cow, or a woman with cow horns) and Barntar. Dwernapple - famous and well-endowed temple of Dendara and Ernalda. Lake Invaress - Ernalda came here to bath in its sacred waters Riyestan - ruins are still a sacred place to the Earth cults of Terarir and Saird. They are the home of Riyesta Earth Mother and Kemar Seed Father, commonly associated with Ernalda and Flamal Saird - Although the cults are not unified, the harmonious duality of Nature is widely held, especially in the myth of the competition between Orlanth and Yelm for the hand of Ernalda, the chief Earth goddess. While the region has clearly been influenced by the back-and-forth waves of Orlanthi and DH, the Earth cults form the central and ongoing basis of society. And the rival suitors, competing annually for Ernalda's hand, is a central religious theme.

I'm still amazed by what can still be found in the internet 20 years on. :-)

p.335 Filichet. Here's my current map of the place. It's not quite "on the shores of Lake Invaress", that being perhaps 5 miles upstream and to the east based on what you see in the Guide. The Bell Temple is a huge complex. It starts as a temple town around 1041 when a temple to Reladiva Holaya the Red Woman was built there.

p.335 Black Eel River - "inhabited by an ancient tribe of river people called the Nogatendites, whose temples are large feathered boats." p.711 tells of the Nogatend folk at the Dawn with their giant Loon boats. Somewhere or other I think I still have the old email where Greg first described them to me. I wrote this bit about the Black Eel nearly twenty years ago - posted on the old Glorantha Digest. The Black Eel It is said among the jadam (the dog servants) of Saird that Reladiva the Bountiful gave birth to the waters from within her well. The first water came forth and was Tugarath, the flowing. He traversed the many ways of Reladiva, sometimes flowing across her, sometimes through her or within her. He even tried to eat her, but she was then within him and he could not be within her. She withdrew from him and he became lonely and released her so that could mingle again. From this mingling came forth more children: the rivers and ponds, the wells and springs, the water horses and the fishes. The greatest of these children were three: Islara the Blue Woman, Murgadoth the Black Eel, and Imothan the Red Worm. In the land called Reladivela or the Bowl of Reladiva there were many people. Some rode horses and these were the Hyalorings. Some were the brothers of dogs and these were the Jajalarings. Some rode the great Loon boat and these were the Nogtendos (or eelies). These last folk worshipped Jadarenasa, Mother Loon, and she taught her people how to ride upon her back across the waters, protecting them from the eels and the fish and the turtles. When the waters rose again to devour the land, the Nogtendos rose above the waters upon Nogatend, the Feathered Boat. Islara tried to reach the Nogtendos, but no matter how high she climbed, the Feathered Boat climbed higher. Murgadoth though rose above the waters. He was so black he could not be seen from the shadows of the world. His jaws were so strong that he had crushed the shell of the Rock Crab. His teeth were so sharp that they had cut the Ice Shield of the Winter King. But when Murgadoth rose to eat Nogatend the Feathered Boat, the Nogtendos called upon Jadarenasa. Nogatend became a huge living loon which ate Murgadoth and all the little eels who accompanied him. Murgadoth sued for peace and a pact was made between Jadarenasa and the Black Eel. Henceforth, the Nogtendos could ply the waters of the Black Eel without harm. At the Dawning, only the Nogtendos travelled upon the Black Eel. This monster kept the folk of the north apart from the folk of the south. To the north, the peoples of Vanch fished the banks of the waters, but always ran from the Black Eel for they were afraid of him and many were drowned in his wake. To the south, the Berenethtelli also fished the banks, though they did not fear the Black Eel for Orlanth had conquered the waters. Ervana Flamehair was the first to find the low water crossing. She taught others how to use this path. When the missionaries came, Ervana showed them how to cross by this path, though many used Nogatend to aid their passage. Irekath Blackwave was the man who brought Orlanth to Lolon. He first followed the path of Ervana, but soon wanted greater powers to aid his folk. He called upon Orlanth and Orlanth showed him how to defeat the Black Eel. Irekath used the black waters to rise into the land of Vanch and defeat the treacherous folk there. He later found the Mammoth Gate and settled his people north of the river. As more crossed over in Irekath's wake, the Black Eel hid in the deep grottoes of the river and the Nogtendos dwindled. In the wake of Arkat the Destroyer, shadows crept across the land and over the waters. The Black Eel rose again and devoured those who knew not the ways of the Loon. Those men who survived gathered around great champions who could fight off the demons who sought food. Helavath the Huge was the greatest of these warriors and he formed a ring at Mammoth Gate, calling upon the strength of the ancient beast to aid him. Helavath broke the legs and cut the teeth from the Four Fang Demon. He turned the Death Clouds aside with his breath. And he sang the song of the Mammoth to overcome the Drums of the Red Kings. Helavath's son, Horgavuth, equaled their father in strength, though not in wisdom. Where Helavath sought unity, they sought goods of power. This led them on the quest to the dark river for the Ebony Tooth. The Black Eel was greater than they though and devoured Horgavuth, eldest of Helavath's sons. The other sons quarreled and soon lost what tools they held. The Black Eel did not appear in prominence again until the river folk called upon it to aid them in stemming the Lunar tide. Then the Black Eel swam freely again and terrorized those who tried to cross. Hwarin Dalthippa was not terrorized, though. She knew other secrets, ancient secrets. At the battle of Mirin's Cross, she turned the great monster and laid her crystal bridge across his back. The Orlanthi say that since Hwarin's victory, that the Black Eel merely rests, nursing his wounds, waiting for the day when he rises again and shatters his crystal bonds.

For reference there's some other short discussion on Holay, Filichet, and the Daughter's Road here: http://www.glorantha.com/forums/topic/daughters-road-and-filichet/ Important to note that "Redaylda is not Vinga, since Redaylda is not Orlanth. She shares red-hair with Vinga, but Redaylda is a goddess of horses and a granter of sovereignty. She’s got much more to do with La-Ungariant and Ernalda, than with Orlanth".

Still lots of reading to do! Holay is interesting because it is not only 'a client state similar to Tarsh' (one of the original notes per Griffin Mountain), but contains most of Saird. And per King of Sartar, Holay and its Queen are going to play a very significant and important part in the Hero Wars. But that is still to come. I did very little with Holay in my original Imther campaign, despite its proximity. I really only began exploring it, or more precisely its background, when writing the Verenmars Saga. The question that arose then was: where did the name Holay come from? The kingdom and name don't seem to appear until some point between the Dragonkill and the wars of the Conquering Daughter. And there doesn't seem to be a specific named place ever, so it seemed most likely that it was named after a person. In the Verenmars Saga, that is Holaya, the Red Woman and Priestess of Redaylda, who led her folk from the outskirts of Prax (one of the horse folk), through Dragon Pass, and into the region of Saird. I think the first story that I wrote about Holaya was the Saga of Holaya. It's one of the many pieces of the Verenmars Saga which has never been presented before. It is drawn from a common/familiar myth. The Saga of Holaya When the Goldtooth Demon arose amongst the foes of the Tessarae[1], the Starreaders came before the tribe and spoke. They said that this was the long-awaited sign of the end of their exile from the land of the Heart. But the Lawspeakers also spoke and they said that though the sign was true, they could not leave for the children of the Kargzant had called for their aid against the Goldtooth Demon. Thus the Tessarae were torn between their desires and their word until the Eldest Mother spoke. She said they must answer both calls or each and every soul would die forever. So the Tessarae were divided. The Sun Wheel gathered the warriors to his side and they marched to join the children of Kargzant against the Goldtooth Demon and its hordes. But the Eldest Mother gathered the tribe’s elders and women and children and set out upon the Last Light trail to return to the Heart. The Sun Wheel and his warriors fell in battle, devoured by the Goldtooth Demon.[2] Only one man found the Last Light trail to bring news of this defeat to the tribe. He told of beastmen who aided the Goldtooth Demon and the fall of the Giant’s Ring before the children of Kargzant betrayed the Sun Wheel and proved their cowardice. When the elders and lawspeakers came before the Eldest Mother, they asked her to choose the next Sun Wheel. But she refused. She said that no Sun Wheel could be chosen until the Heart was found. But she also said they would not be leaderless for they would have the Hazaripa[3] to lead them. And the Eldest Mother also named the Hazaripa to be Holaya, first daughter of the serpent clan, though she had just seen her first blood. Holaya then led the Tessarae onward, guided by the Starreaders and the Lawspeakers and the Eldest Mother. When they came to the land of the Raging Storms, the Dragons stirred the hill tribes against them by calling the Tessarae spawn of the demons. When the hill tribes attacked the Tessarae, Holaya called upon the Red River for aid. Her call was answered by the thunders. The hill tribes stopped to wait for the thunders to arrive for they still worshipped an aging bull in their hearts. But it was not their bull which came, but the Red Man and he brought his spears amongst the hill tribes and slew them all until the rivers below them did indeed run red. The Starreaders spoke against this place, though, and the Lawspeakers said that no laws could be made there. So Holaya led her folk on into the heart of the Dragon. There the Earth Dragon trapped the people of Holaya in land divided by great fissures. When the Earth Dragon rose against them, Holaya called upon the Eldest Mother to act for her people. The Eldest Mother responded and led forth her companions, bound by ancient yokes so that the Earth Dragon waited to consume them. But the Eldest Mother knew more of the earth than the Earth Dragon and through her sacrifice she transformed the Earth Dragon into a bridge for her folk. Though Holaya and her people mourned their loss, the Starreaders spoke against this place and the Lawspeakers said that no laws could be made there. So Holaya turned her folk to the north to seek the Heart. [1] one of the names for Holaya’s tribe, though there are others. [2] one of Jaldon Goldentooth’s battles outside Pavis between 927 and 940, probably closer to the latter. (see River of Cradles p.12) [3] possibly Red River Guide or River Horse Rider.

I had one player who played a sorceress for several years. But everything about the RQ3 sorcery system was difficult. Difficult to design spells, difficult to work through effects, difficult to play through, and just difficult to use. Definitely looking forward to the revamp.

I had one player who played a sorceress for several years. But everything about the RQ3 sorcery system was difficult. Difficult to design spells, difficult to work through effects, difficult to play through, and just difficult to use. Definitely looking forward to the revamp.

First, LM (and Issaries) came from the West. He doesn't really appear in Orlanthi myths until the LBQ. Not really evident until Revealed Mythologies. But what we had before was only LM in Prax - an out-of-the-way locale. Second, the center of the LM cult, with the greatest temple of Knowledge, is Nochet, a place heavily influenced by the God Learners (and EWF). LM is not known for relinquishing knowledge once found (despite 2nd Age cataclysms).

I agree that these are two of the best sources to start and get a feel for Glorantha. They will lean you towards Pavis and Prax rather than Sartar, but that's probably reasonable if it's just the two of you.

I would say that is correct. The clan members as enemy gods are following the known script, and they must perform well for the action to occur as expected. Their vantage is what their culture perceives the enemy god's vantage to be. And that's why it's so dangerous when Arkat or Jar-eel or Argrath show up and take the place of the enemy god, because they have/know the script, the vantage of the enemy, and the knowledge of other paths they can potentially direct the script to that will work.

He undertook the ritual of rebirth to become a troll. That was in the old Uz Lore, IIRC. He obviously initiated several times: as an Orlanthi, as a Humakti. These would follow the standard initiation quests (e.g. to gain the Star Heart, to look in the face of the Devil, to sever himself from his kin, ...). Arcane Lore p.7 "He underwent several secret initiations (and excommunications) which gave him an unusual transcultural view of the secret world of legend." Heortling Mythology p.135 - he had gained the Unbreakable Sword. Arcane Lore p.8 "He [Arkat] went a step further and discovered that he could actually change paths in mid quest, and invade the mythic space of other peoples." The multiple initiations gave him this perspective, so was the first to actually create new HeroQuests, and map the God Plane. A fair bit of background in Arcane Lore p.9-10, noting him going on many heroquests, and many experimental ones, though not particularly elaborating on them. Eventually, "Arkat finally met himself on the Hero Plane". Also an interesting note in same book p.23 "Arkat, more solitary and bereft of social support, was also more independent of social expectations and so was able to forge a more innovative path. It was also much more difficult, occasionally marked with bits of lost would-be heroes who had gone before him." Of particular interest is p.43 "Arkat's Tome" which gives you the feeling there would be a whole book on the subject of all his heroquests. A few are discernable here. I. General History of Arkat A. Early B. Brithini Period - Weapon Tests of Horal 1. Club, Sling 2. Whip, Bolo 3. Ax, Shield 4. Spear, Bow 5. Sword, Javelin C. Knightly Period Hrestol's Quest (Rebirth) D. Humakti Period to Get Godkey (out God Plane Magic), i.e., God Death E. Troll Period Hill of Gold F. Later Period II. - VI.-Each Stage (II. Brithini, III. Knightly, IV. Humakti, V. Troll, VI. Later) A. General Plan and Scheme B. Long-term Ritual C. (Greatest) Heroquest Path 1. Story 2. Prep 3. Stages VII. Additions A. Arkat's Paths on the Map Arcane Lore p.78 "Arkat eventually realized the dangers of exploring other paths, and thus one of Arkat's followers stands guard at many of the places where heroquest paths cross." - This clue tells you something of which places a number of heroquests may lead. p.102 "The Quest for Ten Strikes" - Stage 4 is notable "4. The Guardian of the Globe - This being is a raven with iron knife-blades instead of feathers. He is always accompanied by the Dark Warrior (an Arkati) who never takes action except to defend the Guardian or himself if the quester attacks." This is clearly one point where multiple quests cross. And likely one that Arkat took. p.112 "The Crossroads", not only does one of the Hundred Roads lead to Arkat, but "Also here is the Riddling Raven, behind whom stands one of the Dark Warriors." So the Crossroads is another station that occurs across quests. (And clearly quests with Ravens offer opportunities to do something different) p.115-6 "The Six Vales" and by extension "The Citadel of Drang" - notes that the Serpent Dragon guarding the Magic Bush is protected by a Dark Warrior. If you can pass the Serpent Dragon you can gain one of the leaves of the Magic Bush. Likely another quest Arkat went on. Hopefully those provide some further ideas/thoughts.

Lots of lost things in Asrelia's Hut/Cavern too, particularly in the Dancing Jar. Yes, there should definitely be demons around. Of course, it may not exactly enjoy having its wings ripped off... And the wings might be Giant Fly wings, or Bat wings, or even Angelic wings that it gained (or perhaps it's even a Fallen Angel!) ... But agree that it is the "Easier" solution. Yes, makes sense. Of course, another option is to take the wings from Gold-Gryphon, who stands guard at Yelm's Palace in Hell. After all, he was no friend of Hippogriff.

Probably have to break Gamara out of Hell first and bring her back to the world of the living. Otherwise Regrow Limbs will likely just regrow dead skeletal wings. Or the attempt will attract those who will simply break off and devour the wings again. Gamara is one of the eternally suffering, so I'm sure a good demon or two around to ensure she stays that way.

There appear to be 2 Vesmonstran threads created.

Ah, yes, forgot about the Eleven Lights due to the 'planets' reference. But I think that makes a lot of sense - these might be new "Wind" stars/planets as part of Orlanth's Ring. Or Ralzakark! (All the figures are conveniently brought into the 'web' of the 'Red Goddess', then devoured by [Wakboth, Blood Sun, some other choice deity]) Nor do trolls. And given that the stumps remain despite the presence of trolls in this land, that suggests some other hand such as dwarfs (not noted for being this far north) or demons. I'd suspect something more associated with Can Shu/Ignorance.

Thoughts and reactions on Pent chapter. "Herds of horses, northern bison, giant sable, and red sable" - we knew these existed in Balazar/Elder Wilds from old Griffin Mountain days. It makes sense to see these spread across Pent as well. Could make for a good Praxian scenario to have a clan have a vision of a great bison or giant sable that they must find to save them from the Hero Wars. "a new tribe, the Women Warriors, has provided a society for both men and women who find their traditional social roles unpalatable." - I like this and could either make a great tribe to have adventurers come from or traditional tribes to encounter. "Pent is dominated by ten tribes, called the Ten Arrows." - very useful to have these ten great tribes with names and brief annotation. "Storm tribes worship West King Wind (Orlanth), North War Wind (Humakt), South Rage Wind (Storm Bull), East Sting Wind (Gagarth)" - I've always liked these names for the Pentan storm gods. Suggests that the cults may still be of these gods, yet considerably different in how they are approached. I like the inclusion of Gagarth as one of the four as well. "ancestral homelands along the Arcos River" - based on this, we'd conclude first that the Arcos valley has far more significance than you'd initially suspect based on GRoY and other Pelorian/Oslir-centered works. (Wonder what secrets we've yet to uncover about this region???) And second, that Pent itself was not inhabited by humans in the Silver Age or perhaps even at the Dawn. IIt was not under the Glacier, but was it largely troll land? Or disrupted by the passage of Chaos? "Pure Horse People eventually ceased to exist as a tribe, becoming a special priestly caste among many tribes." Based on the Ten Arrows, it seems there remains one tribe that is Pure Horse People, otherwise each of the tribes likely has a clan of folk who make up this priestly caste. I would guess that the Pure Horse people are more oriented towards ritual worship and rune magic than shamanism. Then again, they may simply be like the current Grazelanders. "the Bursts... They could ride across the land and into the stellar camp of Sheng Seleris. Aided by the supernatural weapons which they bore, they were demigods in their own right." - if one was developing a Pentan campaign, it would be cool to be able to ride right into the stellar camp. "At the same time as the birth of the Red Goddess (1220), the man named AgartuSay was born amid great omens. In 1247, he participated in the Great Contest." - 1220 was a year of notable births: not only the Red Goddess and AgartuSay, but also Jannisor in Imther, and the False Imarjarin in Esrolia. "Sheng Seleris returned to his people and taught them his secret: “all Life is Slavery”; and that the Pentan lifestyle is the foundation of that truth. He said that this knowledge was a gift given to him by his god, Jolaty" - wonder if Jolaty is just a personal deity or part of/aspect of something greater (like Ompalam)? Useful to have more background on all of Sheng's exploits in one place. "Dranz Goloi... succeeds in raising new planets in the Sky" - not sure if this should really be plural or not, but clearly references the Boat Planet. The story/myth/reason must be similar to that of the High Llama's Lucky Star. Or perhaps to the Pentans this is the River Horse??? And it's return provides the Pentans with new movement magics? "The cult of the Blood Sun from the Kingdom of Ignorance has been adopted by some Solar tribes in recent years." - sounds ominous. And then there are maps. Maps, maps, maps. Stretching across 3 pages for North Pent, then another 3 pages for South Pent. Something about these really gives you the sense of the vastness of the land. Having travelled across the Great Plains multiple times by car and train (not to mention more times flying over it), I can easily picture the flatness, the occasional roll of hills, sporadic badlands, the endless grasslands, and the lack of trees. The long coast of the White Sea. The Troll Marshes - those must be a dismal place filled with nasty blood-sucking insect swarms!. The Haunted Lands. The Hot Lake. The Arcos Valley, and the proximity of Griffin Mountain - it seems more likely that some Pentan following the West King Wind will have the inspiration to quest for the legendary Wind Sword or the Windberry tree. The Sky King Mountains - good place from which to reach the Sky World? Gork's Hills - even if there is no longer a vampire here, somehow this seems like a place of Undeath from which foes opposing questers to either Griffin Mountain or the Sky King Mountains will come. The Hellcrack - that's one big chasm! Orathorn - its proximity to Gonn Orta's Pass (and the Hellcrack) is notable. Celestial Eagle Hills - must be another important quest site. "Joloi Maskoss: Also called Always Awake Twice, she is the most powerful shaman of Pent. She can call stars down into her hand" - sounds like the type of power an adventurer would like to have. Probably need to go to the Sky King Mountains and then into the Sky itself to gain something like that. "Black Butte: This forested butte is a religious site for Pentan shamans" - Close Encounters of the Third Kind??? "Hellcrack... Anything which is thrown in falls down for weeks until it reaches the center of Glorantha, where is found a vast cavern collecting many lost things." - sounds like Asrelia's Cavern, so I'd guess this is somewhere along the border of the Third Hell. I suspect that if one knew how, one could enter most of the different Hells from here. "Two doors lead from the cavern. One leads upward to the Surface World, the other leads upward to the Underworld. Both are of equal hardship; years of difficult effort, or at best several weeks of swift flying. To exit in the Underworld is to die; to exit in the Surface World brings you back to Pent." - I have the feeling that Ethilrist was on one of these paths when he emerged at the Night of Horrors. Interesting that both paths lead up. Makes sense in the confusing manner of Hell - plus makes it more challenging to determine which door to take! (Contestant A, do you choose Door #1 or Door #2?) "Lentasia: This vast expanse of stumps and dead trees is all that remains of a great Aldryami Forest that was killed in the First Age" - first, who killed it? Trolls? Pentan shamans? Something else? And second, do the plans of the Aldryami extend this far north? "Orathorn: In this ancient castle live sorcerers who are immortal and are served by undead servants. They have ventured out of their lair only once" - suggests that despite their proximity to Gonn Orta's castle, they have no need to go there. I wonder if the vampire of Gork's Hills was an escaped servant from here? "Senbar: This evil place first appeared in 1051, when it was revealed by a gigantic earthquake" - clearly this must have a roll in delivering up evil in the Hero Wars. "Troll Marshes: These vast peat marshes" - already commented on the insects. But makes me think of mummified figures buried in the peat bogs. Will a legion of mummified trolls rise from here? Or some ancient Pentan tribe slain by the trolls? "Gord-un (Gopher People)" - nothing like a whole colony of pygmy hsunchen guaranteed to make travel by horses and other herd beasts difficult.

I doubt there is a single owner. I think in Nochet it is Harono who remains the Messenger to the Sky World.

That's cool. I like that idea. Definitely should be a part of Nochet.

Surprised there wouldn't be more slit windows on the towers, both for directing magics and missiles down on the foes, as well as getting useful heavenly observations.

No, not Mostali - too 'organic'. Could be a by-product of Mostali waste though. Would Lunars use? - certainly seems like a rather mind-warping type of being, so yes.

Cool idea. Sounds like its chaotic feature - not necessarily intelligent. Maybe it absorbs the speech of whoever its consumed.

What did I find interesting in Maniria? First, p.350 "Esrolian culture has heavily influenced Manirian society; most clans are matrilineal: women own the land, and chieftains must answer to a council of elder women." Makes for a different style of Orlanthi society. Is the Clan Ring replaced by the Council of Grandmothers? Also, "temples to the Invisible God as well as to Orlanthi gods that are a curious mixture of Western and Esrolian architecture". Definitely a place of mixed religious culture, not to mention architectural styles. "small units of heavy cavalry, recruited from the elite of the clans or from the Pralori elk people... Many had served as mercenaries for the Holy Country prior to Greymane’s invasion". Interesting to see the distance from which the Esrolians recruited mercenaries, at least until Greymane cut off that source. But it does suggest that you'll see a wide variety of mercenaries in Nochet, Rhigos, and likely the western Esrolian cities. p.351 - Map of Second Age Slontos. I remember Jeff commenting during the creation of the Guide that they'd had to go back to flesh this out before being able to finalize the Wenelian Islands. It's inclusion is definitely useful and can provide a source for varied expeditions in search of plunder, lost artifacts, and knowledge. "Herilia .... Its people were fishermen who clung to the worship of the sea gods and the Blue Moon." Did remnant folk escape? And if so, to where? Just the local coastal areas? The Rightarm Islands? Or perhaps Nochet? Might well be some old Blue Moon artifacts that end up in the last. p.352 "The Zaranistangi offered human sacrifice to the Blue Moon every 16 days" - don't think this is something I was previously aware of. Makes me wonder whether the Blue Moon goddess desires/demands regular human sacrifice or if this was just a Zaranistangi thing? p.353 There are as many Ditali as Aggari, and more Solanthi than Sartarites. It's a sizable population here. And probably substantial enough to create pressure for the raiding that has predominated under Greymane. What will happen in the Hero Wars? With the demise of Greymane and primary sons, will they simply become mercenaries of the rival Esrolian factions of Samastina and the Demivierge? Or will they squabble until overrun by the New Forest? Plus there is Esrolian plunder out there. Treasures that many important Esrolians want returned, and are willing to hire adventurers to go get. p.354 I like this art piece - probably something with the brighter colors. Obrana is particularly colorful, but even the Solanthi wears a yellow/golden cloak. Who are these adventurers meeting with Obrana? Pralori, Solanthi, and Auloring Riverwoman suggests some goal more towards the interior, perhaps even in Arstola Forest. p.355 The New Fens - I still remember an old Different Worlds magazine, I believe, that first introduced us to the New Fens of Ralios, that Ken Rolston had done work on. One of the first times I saw some reference to campaigning beyond Dragon Pass, Prax, and Balazar/Elder Wilds. Probably helped inspire me to venture into Imther. p.360 a reprint from Blood over Gold, but I've always liked this picture. There's the hint at the giant tower that previously existed and now lost, as well as the Fire Demon at the top of the current tower. Very reminiscent of Mont St. Michel too.

Except that the Red Earth Alliance is notoriously hostile to Greymane and the western barbarians. The timing smacks of intervention by the recent Lunar/Tarshite allies who convince Queen Hendira that 'there is always another way'. Who knows what Varstari was promised. All he got in the end was an enraged Harrek.