jajagappa

Not at all! I enjoyed seeing the combination. True. Well, both. Makes for good 'dungeon' crawls. Holes open up in the ground after heavy rains, etc. revealing access into 2nd Age homes and palaces. Enter at the upper level. What's been lurking within? This is the Single Matron Woman period, I believe, and she seems particularly intent on warfare and raiding. She may well be instrumental in fomenting Greymane's raids, too. She may well be pushing at Hendira's control over Ernalda, at least until the Great Winter. Or, perhaps she and Hendira are ostensibly working together to weaken the Old Earth Alliance. Likely a factor. True, though there may well be the possibility that they are seeking to control the Vent too.

One of the two chapters that I've read most extensively, particularly history, Esrolia, and Belintar entries as I set out to develop Nochet. A lot familiar too from the old Holy Country article in RQ Companion and the histories in the original Trollpak. So, for this read, it was more on the order of "what haven't I noticed before?" and "what do I find I come back to again?" Interesting bit right in the opening summary: "Many nations exist in harmony in this land, drawing on the ancient knowledge of the west, the east, and the north, and from far beneath the earth." Why interesting? Well, nothing noted from the south! And a bit surprising to draw on the east here, but it does suggest something of a crossroads. The Lightbringers Return from the Underworld: I enjoy the in-world art. I do wonder who the King of Men is? An abstract figure? A Silver Age hero? The way the Theya/Dawn Rune is abstracted is very suggestive of how Gloranthans may incorporate runes into everyday usage without being obvious. The presence of both the Sun Stallion and the Sun Emperor is somewhat unexpected, but I like that. Only the King of Men and Issaries have shoes. The Devastation of the Vent: elsewhere there is reference to the 7 tsunamis that washed across Esrolia. Here we have a "ten-foot-tall wave of earth passed through Esrolia, knocking down almost everything, followed by a smaller ripple." Like someone snapped the carpet of earth. One of the working premises in building Nochet was that there was very little left either standing or unburied by debris at this point. But, there was lots of rubble, stone, and rock available for subsequent building. And folk continue to dig this stuff out to use in the great building boom of the post-Dormal era. Some areas of Nochet (the Dark Warrens) are actually still largely buried - but the Queens have granted this area to the trolls, and they have dug through the ancient foundations to make their homes underground. Above, small herds of sheep or other beasts wander about by day. And by night, hungry trollkin eat the growth of weeds and shrubs. Across the river, old Forenes remains buried. The Ascension of Belintar: watching over all, the Eye that Pierces the Veils. Seems like something that should show up in some Holy Country heroquest. Then Yelm holds the Brighteye Shield. Also, if you look at the set of figures on our left (Belintar's right), you discover that there are 7 figures, not 6 - a dragonewt has photobombed the picture! Lunar Advancement: several major raids by the Feathered Horse Queen, particularly in 1620. Reminds you that there is an interesting conflict between leaders of Earth cults (some ancient conflict between Ketha and Kero Fin there?). Inhabitants: its a good place to find all the major Elder Races. This may be one of the best regions for mixed-race adventuring parties. Warlords of Porthomeka: after RQ Companion came out, I tried putting together some material set here and in nearby Rhigos. Never really developed that though. Maybe one of these days (when I'm not working on some other project!).

Looking over brief notes from Greg in a couple of the old Wyrms Footnotes as to what he hoped to accomplish (e.g. completing rituals and the like), it actually sounds very close conceptually to what Sandy Petersen has produced in The Gods War.

And conveniently, I have both of those issues of WF. :-) Here's the WF #9 entries (which are noted as modified/corrected from the RQ2 entries): RUNE COLOR METAL WEAPON PHYLA ELEMENTAL SENSE Darkness Black Lead Club/Rock Insect Shade Hearing Water Blue Aluminum Whip/flail Fish Undine Taste Earth Green Copper Axe Reptile Gnome Touch Fire/Sky Yellow Gold Spear/Arrow Bird Salamander Sight Air/Storm Orange Bronze Sword Mammal Sylph Smell Lunar Red Silver Sickle - Lune Balance

It was noted in RQ2 as well: MASTERS OF LUCK AND DEATH The third boardgame in the Dragon Pass trilogy. This one is not going to be a war game per se, but instead is a Heroquest to become the ruling deity on the board. This is done through various magical alliances and rites, dealing with various parts of the spirit plane. It covers the tide-wracked Holy Country. By Greg Stafford. The intent was to reflect the chosing of Belintar's next body. Some notes on that here: http://www.glorantha.com/the-tournament-of-the-masters-of-luck-and-death/ In the HQ1 era (2003), a book of hero bands was finally published with that title, but did not reflect the original game intent. Also check out this event from Convulsion in 1998 which seems a bit closer to original ideas: http://etyries.albionsoft.com/etyries.com/cons/molad.html As for how far it got, check out the response from Greg here: https://www.acaeum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?cache=1&f=1&t=4109&c=1 Marinagh wrote:I have a question that I've wondered about ever since I picked up the Dieux Nomades reprint of Nomad Gods. In the introduction to the rules it mentions a third Glorantha boardgame "Masters of Luck and Death". I'm a bit surprised that they put that in there. By the time Oriflam printed their board games it was well established that Masters of Luck and Death--the boardgame--wouldn't be finished, never mind be published. Was this game ever close to being published? Is it ever likely to be published in future? It got as close as having a map made and some counters made, by hand. It was to be a multi player war game, and also one in which the players ran around the board and assembled runes to create the winning combination, a new leader of the entire region. It was going to work in conjunction with the other games--Dragon Pass/WB&RM and Nomad Gods as well, hence the mysterious runes in them. However, I got entirely diverted by RPGs, especially RuneQuest, and instead had planned to do the "make the leader" game as part of the RPG. And, well, that never got done either. Nor do I have plans to do it.

Yeah.... Second that thought.

The original table of associations was in RQ2, Appendix D. Looking back on it, it's interesting that Air/Storm was missed in the table. I feel like there was another table somewhere but can't find it. D. RUNE IDENTITIES Each elemental Rune has certain things identified with it in the mythology of Glorantha. RUNE COLOR METAL WEAPON PHYLA Darkness Black Lead Club/Rock Insect Water Blue Aluminum Whip/flail Fish Earth Green Copper Axe Reptile Fire/Sky Yellow Gold Spear/Arrow Bird Lunar Red Silver Sickle -

It would probably be easier to see if there is old, interesting content to bring forward which has not yet seen reprint (and where authors can be found) and add into one of the upcoming Wyrm's Footnote issues. A lot of the particularly useful WF content is already in the Glorantha Sourcebook (e.g. the Theogony, the Redline History).

This may be the home (or a remnant of it) of the goddesses Delaeo and Delaina. If you look at the map in Heortling Mythology p.62, you'll note both Ancient Dellen and Deleppo Heart. These may also be connected with the Delainen Hills or the Del(...) goddesses. They may have been from Ancient Dellen and joined the Downland Migration, bringing/planting their gifts in the Delainan Hills.

Can't be. I hate Pepsi, but love CoC. Dr. Pepper, maybe.

The player's choice. Even in the case of a new NPC, it's easy enough to have the hero realize there's some old connection between them (e.g. hero discovers that Joh Mith not only knew her father, but her father guarded his caravan once).

Ernalda has at least 48 names alone (per Heortling Mythology), and likely more, not to mention other titles, temples, and shrines. Then all the major earth deities (along with deities of hearth, home, hill and vale), and the land and grain goddesses, and the wild vegetation goddesses, river spirits and nymphs, dryads of the groves, etc. And then all the 200 noble houses have ancestors who are likely worshipped sufficiently to be included in such lists. I agree that the ceremonies will be long, lots of names, etc. And of course by tradition, both exterior and interior walls of temples, palaces, homes, and other buildings are decorated (typically painted) with all the varied images and stories of said goddesses. Not to mention all the offerings, tribute, etc. that are not only due to each, but have actually been presented to each over the course of 1600+ years (aside from those records lost to fire, flood, and the unmentionable theft). Keeps the LM temples very busy! (Not to mention all the sages and scribes who belong to the houses/clans throughout Esrolia.)

High rolls at the same level of success win in HQG vs. low rolls in HQ2.

I think I completely forgot it even existed. Never used it during 10 years of play.

Makes for an interesting twist on criminal networks, and far more effective than some light-footed Lanbril initiate. One of the criminal cults in my Nochet follows Auntie Nym, the Acquisitive Spirit - which of course might just be an aspect of Asrelia.

Yes, or Bedouin sheikhs. But then again, no one said the Earth was all warm and embracing. It can be that, or can be as cold and hard as stone and as sharp as a flint. It's also very stable, unlike the on-again, off-again Air worshippers. Yes, I like that. And then there is the layabout son-in-law, not to mention the bull-headed son.

Really don't like those Grandmothers! I, on the other hand, am sure that Rastagar was a Bad Man, and that Nochet was clearly better off without him. ;-) Irillo (which I believe is simply a title meaning something like "Ir's Chosen" or "Ir's Defender") is clearly the good guy and obviously had to labor to clean up the mess that Rastagar left behind. Clearly a Heortlander view! Always trying to claim someone else's land for your herds.

Yes, I like that idea. Wonder if such Polar Lights are slaves to the Winter King, or like Yelmalio able to resist the Glacier? I'm inclined towards the latter. Would make sense. If that is the case, they may be searching for clues to the whereabouts of both Mister Raccoon and Doctor Rock to restore them to their right places. Both woolly rhinos and northern bison make sense. Agree with no cave bears. Might be a good area for giant beaver, though they wouldn't have any Hsunchen support.

Kind of like the curse of the Rheingold but this is the Curse of the Janube Iron! Perfect Nidan plot to get the humans to kill and destroy each other (and maybe some elves while they're at it). Once Fronela is a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the dwarfs can continue the next phase in rebuilding the Maker's World there.

Odds and ends of thoughts on Northern Fronela: We've known some parts of this for a long time - e.g. Harrek and the White Bear Empire, the Glacier - so mostly focusing here on what caught my eye. Fral Angor - if he fought Black Hralf the Weasel, then he lived in the days of Snodal and remembers Rathorela from well before the Ban. What's his role in Rathorela? Courtwood Forest - ruled by the Elf King: "He is a mercurial figure, sometimes very friendly and generous, but sometimes very cruel and malicious" - makes me think of Thranduil. Finho - "Gold was recently discovered in the hills" - expect Yukon Cornelius to show up here, ready to fight the Abominable Snowman. Tastolar - "The highlands of the region, from whence the Third Eye Blue people first came, are still cut off by the Ban." - wonder if anything new emerges here, or what has become of the Third Eye Blue folk? Or was this area cursed by the dwarves and left as a dangerous ruin guarded by dwarven constructs? Hsunchen - "a shamanic priesthood called variously the Snake Masters, Cowled Vipers, High Ones, Great Lords, Holy Ones, and so on." - seems like the return of one of these shaman-priests could mark the start of a Fronelan Campaign. Uncolings - "famed for their powerful shamans, who are a match for the wizards of Loskalm" - these must be able to draw on a range of powerful spirits and magics. Perhaps their quests upon the Spirit Plane even connect up to Gods War events interacting with the 'nodes' of the wizards? Liked seeing the range of Hsunchen here, even though many of the tribes are small. "Lotara, the great raccoon spirit, was once a lover of Trickster, which may explain his children’s propensities." - Wonder if this spirit connects with the Raccoon Guardian of Tusunimmi Ford or Mister Raccoon (not to mention Tunoral the Raccoon God of the Vanchites)? "the Hogari and their mammoths are not related to the more numerous mastodons familiar to the inhabitants of northern Fronela" - tells us that there aren't many mammoths, but are a fair number of mastodons in northern Fronela. What other Ice Age animals may still exist here?

Of course! And I fully suspect that as Samastina's warleader, Broyan was in and out of the city during the siege, striking behind Lunar lines, searching for or gathering allies, etc. since Nochet was not truly closed off. And as the Vingkotling King (aka heir of Kodig), he needs to defend Storm Hill in Nochet from the Lunars (which, of course, is Kodig's burial mound). Also, there is no indication of him in say Heortland/Hendrikiland in this period.

I think the Grace Temple has survived relatively intact throughout (unlike the Esrola Temple which had to be rebuilt). Initially agreed with the comment that the Grace Temple is less likely to have the uz/OOO representation (and thinking that it might by a gate to the Esrola Temple). However, this is also just one of the gates, not the whole temple (which is massize). Other gates would likely include the other Noble Brothers, so in that context it would make sense.

He was in Nochet during the siege in 1623. In Seaseason 1624, he goes out from there to meet Argrath and brings the Wolf Pirates in as allies to break the siege. The Lunars retreat and the armies meet up at Pennel Ford. If you look at GtG p.249: "Early in 1623, King Broyan leads his army into Esrolia, defeating the Grazeland Horse Army. King Broyan allies with the new Esrolian queen, and settles the mythical feud between the Vingkotlings and the Esrolian Grandmothers. The lands of the Red Earth Alliance are invaded and their cities besieged. In the south, the Warlords of Porthomeka form the Warm Earth Alliance under the leadership of the Demivierge of Rhigos. Later that year, Tatius the Bright, now General of the Lunar Provincial Army, rashly marches west to support the Lunar faction in Esrolia and besieges Nochet, trapping most of the Old Earth Alliance within." Part of settling the mythical feud is becoming Samastina's lover. He also leads the Old Earth Army around against the Red Earth Alliance until forced back into Nochet. Glorantha Sourcebook p.157 also notes: "when Broyan and his ragged army of outlaws showed up in Esrolia, the Grazeland Horse Army was defeated and ran away. Broyan made alliance with the Old Earth queen and she appointed him her warleader."

Yes, Broyan is in Nochet during the siege in 1623. Harmast joined the campaign that culminated in the Battle of Pennel Ford. Except that Argrath was not at the Dragonrise, he is in Pavis. It was hard not to in Dragon Pass. The dragon was several miles long and circled in a spiral first north towards Tarsh (where it was driven back by the magic of the Red Emperor), then around Kero Fin until returning to the new valley it created. Per KoS p.127 "Kallyr called for a convocation of all leaders at the city of Boldhome. Many came, and they were glad to have a ruler of their own. Those who did not come were mostly afraid of the Lunar retaliation which was yet to fall. They met in the old manner, and they forged a new ring of Sartar. Kallyr Starbrow was named queen and warlord." As @Oracle noted based on the Guide, she lights the Flame to at least some extent to be acclaimed Prince of Sartar.

I first encountered the wonderful city of Sog(oltha Mambrola) in the RQ Con2 LARP "How the West was One" when I played Pelinorius Staarki, the University Vice Chancellor and not only permitted the successful arrival of the Waertagi dragonship but also oversaw the foundation of the new School of Business and the Performing Arts. [Original writeup still out in the Glorantha Digest archives: http://glorantha.temppeli.org/digest/gd1/1995.01/0707.html ] Of course, that was still during the days when Fronela was under the heavier medieval trappings and it's nice to see the shift away from that view (though pieces such as the University and the Street Judges clearly survive). But it's interesting to see how the Brithini influence the small region of Akem. We've got an ancient city here with the reclusive Brithini, and opportunity presumably to learn some of their ancient spells (or even get a glance into the Blue Book of Zzabur). And the small city of Zys with its workshop for the immortals Smith and Tinker (I see some conflict with the dwarfs brewing here). We've got a small swamp of chaos monsters (unclear if there is anything unique, but would like to think so). The Iron Gate is intriguing with its eldritch runes of terrible power, as is the Mouse Tower. Then there is Halkomelem, the Munchkinland of Fronela - who can free them from their cursed stature (if they even want someone to do so)? What can be learned from the Ferrymen of Semple?