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Jeff

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Everything posted by Jeff

  1. Caladraland's main involvement in the Hero Wars is as a seemingly inexhaustible source of mercenaries. Porthomeka and Vinavale are the main recruitment areas, and it is worth mentioning that they are the most Orlanthi (the Orlanth cult is nearly as big as Caladra & Aurelion there, and much bigger than Lodril). The Maran Gor, Humakt, and Yelmalio cultists are also sources of mercenaries. At first they fight mainly for the Esrolian cities, but as the Hero Wars progress they no doubt get recruited by Argrath's allies and end up fighting in Dragon Pass and Peloria.
  2. Jeff

    Kitori Warbands

    Yeah, well I realised that was not right, as the Sartar Book will make clear.
  3. A few notes on cults of the above. EHILM: Has no cult. He's too abstract and impersonal to devote direct through and is worshiped through intermediaries. GALANIN: Yelmalio with Ehilm as an associated god. That's where you can get some solar magic. GAMARA: Hippoi. YU-KARGZANT: That's Yelm. The Pure Horse People were not chariot folk. That was the Yelmalio worshiping Starlight Tribes.
  4. Mythically? The stories of Orlanth and the Lightbringers are well-known in Ralios. Orlanth and the storm gods were powerful throughout Glorantha, and they have plenty of places of power in Ralios, especially in the mountains. Historically, the Orlanth cult came to Ralios in the First Age from Dragon Pass and was brought by the Theyalan missionaries. By the time of the Gbaji Wars, the Orlanth cult had been well established in Ralios for more than a century. The cult was in communication with Dragon Pass throughout the Second Age. However, with the Dragonkill War in 1120, it lost contact with Dragon Pass and developed independently. For example, the cult has had far more interaction with the Malkioni than the Dragon Pass Orlanthi, and has little experience of the Lunar Empire (other than viewing the Red Moon as a Bad Thing).
  5. In truth, the big problem with the Garhound contest is that Argan Argar hates Chaos. It isn't the Storm Bull question - it is how the heck did an ogre become an initiate of a cult that hates Chaos! And that requires the initiate swear loyalty to their priest. Which to be honest, has always been my issue with that scenario.
  6. I don't think the Rune spell 'False Form' is listed as being part of the ogre's repertoire in Sun County, but it would solve the problem if it was As much as I generally get what you are saying, I don't think Lunar tolerance/Sor Eel's presence would actually work in this case If the Stormbull manages to restrain themselves enough to rush over the the organisers (difficult but not impossible) and says 'That Daro guy is Chaos! I felt it earlier and just followed him around to make sure it wasn't someone else. Hell, yes I'm certain. He's got to be an ogre'" I simply cannot see the Garhound Contest organisers saying: "Well, because there are Lunars here, we will have to accept him as a valid suitor for Ernalda." The mythic implications of allowing this are too vast. They would have no choice but to act - at the least by rallying some more Stormbulls for confirmation So without the existence of the 'False Form' spell, this scenario is an example of the kind of scenario-challenge I am pondering But in this case, with the existence of the FF spell, it is a moot problem here anyway I don't think you appreciate how much having Sor-eel present changes things. Sor-eel is a leading member of one of the most powerful families in the Lunar Empire. He has no real superior beyond the Red Emperor and his court. His cousin is a demigoddess, and he is the Lunar ruler of Prax. This festival is permitted only by his forbearance. Sor-eel is there with Bor-eel and Radak the Iron Centurion and 50 members of his bodyguard. Which means if Sor-eel says Daro stays because the Lunar Way demands tolerance of Chaos, then he stays. And if the peasants organizing this festival want to disagree, they likely recall that not all that long ago Sor-eel had pretty much all members of Dorasar's family murdered. And those 50 armed, professional elite mercenaries with Sor-eel are likely more than a match for whatever is there in Garhound. And if you are thinking general rebellion, well a few hours away are several hundred more Lunar soldiers. And what Storm Bulls do you think are present here?
  7. Yep. So in most Orlanthi societies, Storm Bull is at least taken seriously. Same as in Prax. But in many other cultures, Storm Bull is viewed as a raving murderous berserk. A tinfoil hat nutcase with serious anger management issues. And in the Lunar Empire the official reaction is, so what? OK, so that guy has a Chaotic taint. Assuming we even believe you, so what?
  8. Yep. Yep. They pass for human in all walks for civilization. But if the Storm Bull cult is present and respected, they are in danger. Under Lunar Occupation, which is one of the exceptions. The Pol-Joni contestant is a Storm Bull worshiper and MIGHT detect Chaos, but given that Sor-eel is present, I don't think that will change the scenario. Not a Chaosium product, so can't comment. Not a RuneQuest product. I wouldn't do that scenario that way in RQ. Not Chaosium products, so I can't comment. Yep, it might. If there are Storm Bull cultists in a party, it might play out differently. Just like with any party make up. But it does not invalidate the scenario. Besides, she is a Lunar. Underground and under Lunar Occupation. Under Lunar occupation. And not RuneQuest. No idea of the reference? No idea of the reference.
  9. Some of those "possible plots" are not going to work in Orlanthi or Praxian societies where Storm Bull is present, except during periods of Lunar rule or other unusual circumstances. And that's fine. I can't think of any published RuneQuest scenario where this would change things (as Sense Chaos has always been around). Gaumata's Vision takes place in a Yelmalion community and the scenario even gives pointer on how to handle outsider Storm Bull cultists.
  10. Any Chaos is all Chaos as far as Storm Bull goes. And they are the only ones with the skill. So if someone tainted by Chaos goes near a Storm Bull initiate or rune lord, they are running the risk of being sensed. Period. BUT Storm Bull is a pretty small cult. In Prax and the Genert Wastes, the cult is largely occupied with guarding the Block and hunting down and killing Chaos. There's a lot of Chaos in the Wastes after all. In Dragon Pass, the cult is a lot smaller. Many cult members are guarding the Block or raiding places like Snakepipe Hollow. In Esrolia, the cult forms much of the war retinues of the Esrolian queens. In all of those places, Storm Bull is well-loved but not allowed to be in charge outside of actually fighting Chaos. So in those areas, folk tainted by Chaos will stay away from places where there are likely to be Storm Bulls. Now in areas ruled by the Lunar Empire, the Storm Bull cult is usually pushed to the outliers. The cult hates the Red Emperor and the Red Goddess and the cult often holds that they are Chaotic even if they sense nothing. And given the Lunar Ways official tolerance of Chaos, that means that where the Lunars rule, the Lords of Terror may operate. They need to avoid upsetting the powerful - or at least being noticed - but it is certainly safer to be an ogre, a vampire, or a Krarsht cultist in Furthest than in Boldhome!
  11. Yep. The conflict between Queen Hendira and Samastina (her niece) was a FAMILY conflict. Like Starbrow's Rebellion, it came out of play - Samastina (like Leika) was a player character. Her player got herself into conflict with her aunt the old-fashioned way. As others have pointed out - the razing of part of the city for the Lunar Temple played a part of setting the scene. So did the Lunar military defeat at Auroch's Hill. So did the Great Winter which was a case of Lunar propaganda backfiring. The whole situation was perfect for a bunch of player character Esrolians to organise a coup - which is exactly what they did.
  12. As an aside, no I do not think this is what happened. In fact, I do not think heroquesting was at the center of this.
  13. When we were working on this stuff, Greg told me that he viewed his earliest stuff as "mostly true" but filtered through the lens of another world and time. Like knights in medieval versions of the Old Testament (or for that matter medieval knights and bishops in Malkionism).
  14. For what it is worth, that's not quite true. Or more precisely, it relies on an overly narrow definition of training. In Greece, this was done as part of the Ephebos - those 18-20 year old men were given military training, patrolled, etc. They learned the skills of fighting in a phalanx, etc. This was likely also tied into assemblies (such as of the Macedonian tribes), religious festivals (such as the Pyrrhic dances), and so on. The Sartarites do the same. Traditionally, new adults in Orlanthi cultures go through a period of cult training or apprenticeship, often called the “Ordeal Years”. The newly initiated young men (which include those women chosen by Vinga) are brought to Orlanth Adventurous and given weapons, a cloak, and a broad hat. This is sometimes done by the clan, more often by the tribe; in some cities, the young men live in the temple or guild house; in other traditional clans, they live in the wilderness. For the next two years, they learn to fight alone and as part of the militia. They raid and hunt, learn to run long distances, how to climb cliffs, and other physical training. Most importantly, they learn the songs and dances of the Orlanthi gods and heroes, how to speak with spirits, and of sex, the bonds of friendship, and the duties of men. Now during the Lunar Occupation of places like Boldhome, New Pavis, or the other Sartarite cities, this had to be more circumspect. Young men were often sent to relatives in the countryside to learn how to be Orlanthi - for example, many went to Garhound in Pavis County, where they were under the protection of the clan chieftain. In Boldhome, many had kin among the tribes. Ironically, this may have created a stronger and more defined Orlanth cult identity among the Sartarite communities and one often more loyal or devoted to the Orlanth cult to their own city. This is the basis of the militia - every Orlanth initiate has trained with his peers and learned to form a cohesive fighting group. And these are the same quality of troops as make up the Lunar Provincial Army or much of the Heartland Corps cavalry. Alternatively, another way of looking at it, is that a lot of those Lunar Army units are militia as well.
  15. Again not really. Storm Bull exists to fight Chaos. Usually to sacrifice himself to fight Chaos. Everything else about him comes out of that. Is he violent, deranged, impulsive, aggressive, and fill with rage? Likely. Are his worshipers little more than mindless brutes, barely human, and social unacceptable? Sure. But people in these communities forgive that because he fights Chaos. And not only does he fight Chaos, he actively seeks it out to fight. The Storm Bull cult exists for that reason alone. Not to be a source of warriors, not to be a band of bullies and troublemakers, etc, although it certainly can be all of those things. But it is first and foremost a Chaos fighting operation. It is probably better to think of them like a special military unit that does the absolutely essential jobs nobody else will - and as a result, they get away with behaviour that would normally be severely punished. Nobody else is going to do what they do, and what they do is essential for survival.
  16. But that useful function of Storm Bull is of incredible importance and often existential for the community. It is THE defining feature of Storm Bull - he's violent and filled with rage BECAUSE he exists to sacrifice himself in the fight against Chaos. So although outlaw biker gang is often used as a short-hand for how Storm Bull cultists behave, it does not help to understand why the community supports and even loves Storm Bull.
  17. This is really pretty easy. The Colymar are a pretty autonomous group. When they muster the militia for assembly in Fire Season, everyone qualified shows up, especially during the rebellious years of 1625-1626. But when it goes off to war outside its tribal borders, I suspect it is much smaller - probably around 1000 or so. This is the Colymar unit in WBRM. The Jonstown militia is also both an assembly and a military unit, but it weighted towards the wealthier famers and crafters. In WBRM, they can muster two units under the direction of the city leaders - Foot Militia and Mounted Militia. And to add to that, the Malani tribe have their own separate tribal force that is kept autonomous - the so-called Two Ridge Farm.
  18. In Pent, Gagarth was one of the gods the survivors of the Nights of Horror reached out to. He's a brutal, vicious, and frightful god, but he enabled survival, alongside Orlanth, Humakt, and Storm Bull. These were all enemy gods, but its shows how much the Nights of Horror shocked the Pentans to their core that many of them embraced such demon gods.
  19. I'd go further than that. Gagarth is Orlanth unbound from Orlanth, Storm Bull unbound from Storm Bull. Orlanth demands Honor. Gagarth does not. Storm Bull demands his initiates fight Chaos. Gagarth demands nothing from his worshippers - being an outlaw from the rest of society is demand enough. Gagarth is forced to aid Orlanth when demanded, but that is almost always reluctant and with a price.
  20. Gagarth is associated with nobody. His cult is friendly with nobody (although it is neutral towards plenty of cults, including Humakt, Orlanth, Storm Bull, and Waha. As Vadrus never had a cult, I'm uncertain of his relationship to Gagarth. But it was probably no better than neutral. Gagarth is one of those things you sacrifice to when you really have nobody else who will accept you. He's not as bad as Chaos, but the best thing you can say about him is that it is sometimes possibly to get him to attack people other than you.
  21. Ultimately, the appeal of the Seven Mothers is that they allow you to approach the Red Goddess. And that big Red Moon floating in the sky above you is an obvious reminder of Her importance and significance. By worshiping the Seven Mothers, you participate in her rebirth, and begin a path towards your own spiritual liberation. And it doesn't hurt that by initiating into the Seven Mothers (or other Lunar cults) you became a citizen of the Lunar Empire, and not merely a subject. You become part of the Lunar ummah which transcends tribe and city. In four centuries, a little over a third of the Lunar Heartlands are initiated into the Lunar Way, with the Seven Mothers being by leaps and bounds the most popular path. I suspect it is very overrepresented in the towns and cities, and underrepresented among the unskilled labourers and peasantry.
  22. Probably some tuber or something that can double for pig food. Probably something like duck-potato.
  23. Whatever Simon. There were some throwaway references in RQ2 to potatoes and such in Cults of Prax and Pavis (the potato bread fund of the Teelo Norri poorhouse, a prisoner offering some potato bread, and Light Sons being forbidden from eating potatoes). At the same, there's no mention of potatoes in the lists of foods, farming materials, etc. This stuff happened all the time with the older material - or does anyone really think that billiards is a common game in rural Sartar? When I was working on the Guide, food and crops came up a lot. We wanted to put the Seven Mothers back at the center of the Lunar religion (remember they pretty much got eliminated in the ILH materials), and the Poor Fund came up. Greg said the poor fund would give maize bread (because maize is the Lunar crop after all), and just drop potatoes as a reference. Maybe there was some sort of local "Earth apple" or tuber (like a Jerusalem Artichoke) grown in Rinliddi but they likely are little better than pig fodder, and once Hon-eel brought back maize, that is what would get stored and used (why bother having a Maize Goddess if you aren't going to use maize?). But we decided that potatoes - at least what we moderns would recognise as potatoes - aren't present.
  24. That's likely a pretty fringe characterisation. Like I posted earlier, the Esrolians have the same basic view of the differences between the genders that other Orlanthi have. Their big difference is that they put the Earth Goddess and her priestesses at the center of the social order instead of Orlanth (and his warriors). So one way of thinking about this is that most Orlanthi communities put a martial leader (and a martial deity) in charge. The Esrolians put a fertility-bringer in charge. That ends having big social implications - the top leaders in Esrolia are almost always women; the top leaders in most other Orlanthi societies are usually (but not always) men. But just as few Sartarite men view women as "having their uses but ultimately a waste of time and resources", I suspect very few Esrolians view men that way. Men are their husbands, their brothers, their sons, and their fathers. Men are most useful for war, but they are also useful for farming, for making things, for sex, for aesthetics, for reading and writing, for trade, etc. Men lead most martial activities - it is just that those activities are always held in check by the Earth Priestesses.
  25. I'm shutting this thread down. Greg hated the term "Gregged" and I feel the same thing about "Jeffed." Complain about specific things I've done, but lets not have a broad abstract thread.
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