Jeff

In the Grey Age, the Lightfore cult was spread in Peloria by the horse nations. As Dara Happa woke up, the nascent cities claimed that Lightfore was wrestled into a consistent path by their patron Antirius, who of course became the Lightfore god - of course the horse nation ruling class continued to worship Lightfore their way. When the Sun arose at the Dawn, at first they figured that this was Lightfore carrying the Sun Disk - and they contacted the Sun through Lightfore. But at some point, the Pure Horse People were able to contact the Sun directly, and later the Dara Happens were able to contact even more of Sun, who they realised was the returned Yelm. Such a glorious return! But the Lightfore cult remained, among the cattle herding horse nomads, and among the hill barbarians. and among those too common to approach Yelm but too noble to follow Lodril. Nysalor made great use of the Lightfore cult (even if the cult was Neutral towards Nysalor), as they could fight in the hills and against the trolls. But fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me, Yelmalio is hostile towards the Red Goddess.

Now King of Dragon Pass introduced Elmal as Orlanth's sidekick (he got called Orlanth's thane in KoS, but that has more wiggle-room and was also a nice gesture to David Hall who kept the lights on for Glorantha for several years). The treatment of Elmal lost all that tension- it worked in the closed environment of KoDP (which is a great video game), but it did not work for the Sartar Dynasty era setting.

So the Solar-Air rivalry is hardbaked into the setting's cosmology. Three Feathered Rivals, Rival Cousins, Uncle Sun and Vengeful Storm, all that. The dark cloud that ends a sunny day. Elmal is the result of Greg trying to imagine the Orlanthi understanding of Solar magic at the Dawn - when Lightfore was but a friendly spirit who had aided everyone survive the Darkness. Understandable - at the Dawn even Kyger Litor and Orlanth worked together. But as Time progressed, ancient mythic conflicts reasserted themselves. When the Dragon Pass folk encounter the Sons of the Sun in Peloria, they discover that mythic rivalry and it continues through time. Yelmalio is that part of the Solar Pantheon able to survive in the Lesser Darkness - the world ruled by Orlanth. Both Orlanth and Yelm are largely absent from the world in the Greater Darkness - both are in Hell and need to reconcile. But Yelmalio is still there, ever weaker, ever dimmer, but never extinguished. Now most human societies need to straddle these ancient mythic rivals - just as the Aesir and Vanir both get worship, and devas and asuras both play their part in the Vedas. Sartar in particular needs to straddle having Orlanth Rex as the cult of rulership, but the powerful cult of Yelmalio is only neutral to Orlanth.

I don't actually think it adds much mythic value and actually causes us to lose something important about the interplay of cults and gods. But we kept the option because there are a lot of KoDP fans!

They are the followers and tools of Orlanth. They are the Maruts who follow Indra, the howling winds and storms that follow Orlanth. The Thunder Brothers are always worshiped as a collective and as part of the Orlanth cult, usually led by Vinga (who is always worshiped as part of the Orlanth cult). They number anywhere between three and sixty, and provide the Rune spell of Summon Large Air Elemental.

There is no Elmal v. Yelmalio. They are the same god, same archetypes, and fit in the same place in cosmic mythology. We all know Yelmalio - he's that last light that survived after the Sun went to the Underworld. He's in the night sky as Lightfore, the brightest planet in the heavens, which follows the same route as the Sun. In much of central Genertela, we have a network of Sun Dome temples which anchor the Yelmalio cult. We've got several in Dragon Pass, several more in Saird, one in Prax, a few in Aggar and Talastar, etc. Let's say altogether that network has about 160,000 or so initiates. That's a BIG cult. The cult really got rolling in the early Second Age, when it helped break the power of the trolls (lets call it the "mini-Darkness" following the Gbaji Wars). After the Dragonkill War, the Hendriki of Heortland were cut off from that. And the Orlanth cult was SO predominant in Hendrikiland, their tiny Yelmalio cult found ways to claim an association with Orlanth to survive. They harkened back to the Dawn Age Orlanthi, when Yelmalio was worshiped in conjunction with Orlanth as "Elmal". But with the Resettlement of Dragon Pass in the 1400s and the resumption of trade with Peloria in the 1500s, the truncated (Y)Elmal(io) cult came into contact with Yelm (the Lunars helped with this). They looked to magical riches of Yelm and started joining that cult - and they started a civil war in Sartar against the Orlanth Rex cult. Monrogh went to the Hill of Gold and saw the fullness of Yelmalio. Yelmalio is Neutral towards Orlanth, and as long as Orlanth respects Yelmalio's place in the world, Yelmalio can respect Orlanth's. And guess what guys? We are already initiates of Yelmalio! No need to try to tie ourselves into pretzels trying to initiate to Yelm - we are already Yelmalio! For the sake of people who really loved the KoDP video game, we kept a small Elmal subcult as a possibility in the Yelmalio cult writeup, but as far as I am concerned, that subcult is maybe a generation away from being extinct.

Corrected to Argrath.

Argrath was able to get 2000 warriors to leave Sartar and march over Dragon Pass in Storm Season. That's certainly one of the largest group of Sartarites to follow a Prince outside of the Kingdom since Tarkalor. And wisely, he brought Wolf Pirates and loads of Praxian cavalry, just like in the old days. As for the Colymar, it is easy enough for him to show tribal ancestry.

The release of Sartar and Dragon Pass and the rest are freed up by the release of Lightbringers, Earth, and Mythology - all which make those books easier to handle. Sartar and Dragon Pass (which already have all their art) free up Prax, Pavis, and Big Rubble. The Lunar, Solar, Darkness, Horned God, Sea, etc. books all are on their track and not in the same lane for those others. They open up the Dragon Pass Campaign, and others. In short, we have a metric ton of RQ that gets opened up by this. But Lightbringers and Earth are foundational for doing more with the Orlanthi.

Whenever I run a game for people who have played DND but never played RuneQuest or Call of Cthulhu before, I have roughly a 45-60 minute overview of the rules (especially magic) and the tropes of the setting, and emphasise that combat is a two-edged sword. Then in whatever introductory adventure I do (and I have my favorites), we have a little investigation, a lot of roleplaying opportunities, and then some combat. Sometimes the combat is a duel or two, sometimes it is a loose skirmish, and sometimes it is something the players get to plan and initiate. But that teaches them the ropes pretty quickly. If they have played Cthulhu it is easier, and if they have never played any TTRPGs it is easiest.

Argrath has promises to fulfil. (STORM SEASON - EARLY) BATTLE OF HEROES Argrath leads a smaller army of some 2500 Praxians, 2000 Sartarites, and 1500 Wolf Pirates over Dragon Pass in mid-winter. It includes Harrek, Gunda, the Sartar Free Army, the Magical Union, and his Barbarian Horde. Upon hearing that the Sartarites have crossed into Tarsh, the Lunar Army quickly marches to meet the foe. The two armies assembled outside of Bagnot. The battle was ferocious and terrible. Harrek kills Jar-eel and rips out her heart which he wears as jewelry (Harrek also loses an eye and a foot). Without Jar-eel, the Lunar army is routed and were cut down when they ran. Some 2000 imperials are casualties; Argrath loses around 1000 casualties. Afterwards, the victorious Sartarites seize Bagnot, but do not dare pursue further. (STORM SEASON - LATE) MUSE ROOST Argrath sends part of his army back to Sartar to put down a Telmori uprising. With a select force of chosen warriors, Argrath, Harrek, and Gunda the Guilty make a surprise raid on Black Horse Country, to fulfill Argrath’s promise to Harrek.

And had it been any of those, there would be those Specific details are going to have to wait until Marketing reveals it, but needless to say it is our (Greg and me) overview of Glorantha mythology, how to piece it all together, how to bring it down to the game level, what the cult breakdowns are, and so much more. It is my personal favorite volume.

The Rex of Boldhome is the Rex of Sartar - aka the Prince of Sartar. That's the representative of Orlanth Rex for all the tribes and cities of Sartar. This is a sacral, judicial, and rulership position. ONLY a member of the Sartar Dynasty can hold this position. Leikan "the Mayor" is someone who works with the other guilds and temples to try to keep the city functioning in 1626-1627, and is made part of the High Council in 1627.

Yelmalio is a neutral cult to the Lightbringers and is in the Solar deity book, along with Polaris, Urania, Shargash, etc.

I am literally giving you meaning of "grognard" ("grumblers"). Bonaparte put up with their grumbling, even made it a special privilege, because of their veteran status. That's not pouring scorn on the criticism - that's literally the meaning of the term and why "grognards" call themselves that.

And grognards really grumble when a big announcement is made for a much broader audience. Sure we all knew what was going on, but we have had nearly 100k people view the twitter announcement, and some 30k people have watched the video between FB, Twitter, and YT. That is a tremendous boost to RQ.

Grognards gotta grumble. It is the literal meaning of the word.

That is a LOT of defensive magic and should give the players a huge amount of survivability. Of course that tends to be the sort of thing that you can cast once, maybe twice, and then it better be off to the temple! Assuming both sides are that amped up on magic (which should be pointed out to them - that means they are regularly fighting the elite of Glorantha!), that tends to prolong fights. And of course, even with all that defensive magic, all it takes is a critical on one side or a fumble on the other for things to fall apart really fast.

BATTLE SIZE AND INTENSITY The size of the battle dictates its Intensity rating. Scripted battles give a set Intensity rating. To determine Intensity randomly (or if you would prefer to do so in the case of scripted battles), roll 3D6 and add the number of Battle Turns/Encounters for the size of the battle as given in Battle Size Table. For example, a Medium Battle has a random Intensity of 3D6+7. Battle Intensity is used primarily to determine who chooses the Skirmish Encounter the Players face each Battle Turn. Battle Size Table Battle Size Example Total Combatants Maximum Turns Random Intensity Skirmish Bandits, Cattle Rustlers 30 1 3D6+1 Clash Clan, Company 300 3 3D6+3 Small Battle Tribe, Regiment 1,000 5 3D6+5 Medium Battle Liberation of Boldhome 3,000 7 3D6+7 Large Battle Second Moonbroth, Dangerford, Battle of Queens 10,000 8 3D6+8 Huge Battle Pennel Ford, Battle of Heroes 30,000 10 3D6+10 ENCOUNTERS Each battle, from the smallest tussle between a handful of skirmishers to the largest clashes of armies, is built around the Encounter. For battles of Skirmish size, a single Encounter is the entirety of the fight. For larger conflicts, multiple Encounters are strung together through a combination of Player and Gamemaster choices. Think of these as vignettes contained within the larger battle environment; exciting highlights in between periods of amorphous chaos, nameless fear, and mind-numbing boredom. Encounters are arranged by use of cards or a list drawn up by the Gamemaster. They are chosen by either the Players or the Gamemaster, depending on Battle roll outcomes. The Gamemaster should make up two decks or lists before the battle begins: one of Foes, the other of Opportunities. The Gamemaster should tailor the selections to the battle being fought—for instance, if there are no local militia present, then the Militia Encounter should be left out. Foes represent different types of enemy fighters and may be encountered multiple times in a battle. Opportunities, on the other hand, come but once, and may only be chosen when a Player rolls a critical success on their Battle roll. Opportunities are a chance to make a major impact on the battle: by seizing an enemy standard or killing an enemy commander, for example. After an Opportunity is played through, it may not be chosen again during that battle. The available Encounters are determined by the type of foe being fought. In this chapter we include foes from Sartar, Prax, and the Lunar Empire, and some from other cultures around the periphery of Dragon Pass. Gamemasters are free to mix and match Encounters as they see fit to create an interesting variety of potential events prior to a given battle. However, once battle is joined, the actual sequence and type of Encounters is determined by a mix of Battle rolls and Gamemaster choice. Players and the Gamemaster choose a number of potential Encounters each Battle Turn, but only one is played through. SELECT ENCOUNTER After making their Battle rolls, adventurers who rolled successes take turns (from highest CHA to lowest) selecting a Foe Encounter. An adventurer who rolls a special or critical success on Battle may opt to select an Opportunity instead. Regardless of the adventurer’s rolls, the Gamemaster always selects an Encounter as well. Once all selections are made, make an opposed roll against the battle’s Intensity rating. If the roll succeeds, the Gamemaster chooses a Foe from the selected Encounters to play that Battle Turn. If the roll fails, then it is the Commander who chooses (if an adventurer) or otherwise select an Encounter at random. Of course, if there is only one possible Encounter this Battle Turn, you may skip this step. However, if an Opportunity has been selected, it must be chosen. If there are more than one Opportunity selected, the Gamemaster or Commander may choose between them. A final note: if the enemy Army Commander succeeded with their Battle roll at the start of the battle, the Gamemaster may, once per battle, overrule any chosen Encounter and substitute any other Encounter—even one not otherwise available in the battle’s normal selection of Encounters! (Thus may surprise events and hidden ambushes be sprung.) If the enemy Army Commander’s Battle roll was a critical success, the enemy forces are inspired by their Passions and fight with a +25% modifier to their pertinent Weapon or Magic Skills in the substituted Encounter. After the selection is made, the chosen Encounter is played through, as detailed below. The remaining Foes and Opportunities are disregarded for now and may be chosen again in later rounds. Foes may be faced more than once, but Opportunities, once played, may not be chosen again this battle.

Those should be exceptions that prove the rule. Unless your game is all about fighting Chaos. In which case, they quickly learn why Chaos is hated.

Yes, that is why you put them into key dramatic moments of the battle, and then extrapolate from there.

OK this has wandered far afield and there is even a thread over in RuneQuest talking specifically about running combats and battles. So unless this thread returns to the subject of the number of monsters in the Bestiary, I am going to shut it down.

After things go bad for one side, that is when people should 1. run away, or 2. surrender for ransom. Or something else is going on that they should run to. There is a video game/DND mentality that all fights should be to the death before moving on to something else. In RQ it is much smarter (and usually more fun) to have the losing side run away or surrender.

This is all spot on, although I find that in RQ, fights are usually settled once one side or another loses a "critical mass". That might be when the leader of one side is defeated, or when there is a clear numerical/usefulness superiority on one side or another. Combats tend to last 2 to 4 rounds in my experience.

First off, thank you for creating a new thread. Second, let's play around with terminology and definitions a little. I tend to approach RuneQuest combats as falling into one of four categories: 1. Duel. This is a one on one combat. Simplest to run, requires no special prep. 2. Loose skirmish. This is probably the most common - when the player characters fight a roughly equivalent group of opponents. Effectively it is a group of one on one combats, but some players might be casting spells or using missile weapons, others might be trying to double-team an enemy while defending against another. I tend to just print out a bunch of NPC stats if this is prepared, and if not I just do a table like: Tusk Rider 1 ("Dave") Total Hit points Injuries Spells cast Any other notes: Tusker 1 ("Dave's Big Pig") Total Hit points Injuries Any notes: And then reference the Bestiary or other source for stuff like attack %, etc. 3. Large skirmish. This is where the players are assisted by other NPCs against a large number of foes. There might be several waves of combat, like for the defenders of the Cradle. Here's the point I start hand-waving - this is a TTRPG and not a war game! I am only interested in rolling stuff where the players are directly involved. The rest we handwave and describe narratively. In a large skirmish, the GM really needs to keep track of how the player characters are doing. If they are kicking butt, let there be a short pause (which expires their spirit magic) and then have another wave. Maybe a few Rune levels engage with them. Or have them targeted by missile weapons or spells. If they are on the ropes, let them be rescued by allies. Move away from the idea that this is a clockwork mechanism, and really think about pacing. 4. Battle. This is where the hand-waving really needs to take over. Focus on what the players are doing. Give them opportunities to play an important role in the battle - maybe they are able to attack the enemy banner man or even a commander. Let there be plenty of pauses where spirit magic, and in larger battles Rune magic, is going to expire. Battles are confusing places where the combatants rarely know what is going on overall - that's what their Battle Skill is for! But even in a skirmish or a battle, I handle the NPCs like I do in a loose skirmish. Stat up a few that you think are going to matter and track them. A battle is usually a session by itself - it should be a major event in a campaign, so if a game session looks like it is going to come to a battle, and you aren't ready as the GM, that's a good point to call it a night and you can prepare for the battle before the next game.