Jeff

For minerals, metals, etc., dwarfs typically ask significantly over what a merchant might sell it for - but it is ALWAYS in stock. And in whatever quantities you ask for. You want enough gold to mint some wheels - that's easy. You want enough gold to refurbish the Sun Dome Temple - you go to the dwarfs.

For those who wonder why I have Cults listed as the 3rd book I expect to get out, that's because one artist is doing the bulk of the work for two volumes. And even if that one artist is the amazing Loïc Muzy, it is going to take longer than a shorter book that has ten artists working on it.

If you decide you want to permanently kill off one of the five main figures in the setting, you need to decide what that means. And at that point, you are off the grid. Your Glorantha Will Vary to the point where the published material will provide you very little support or guidance.

This is the advice we give in the forthcoming RQ Campaign book: CHANGING HISTORY We encourage you to include well-known Gloranthan characters and events in your campaign. Their presence adds to the players’ experience and lends authority and authenticity. However, their inclusion always threatens the worst. For instance, what if Gunda the Guilty is facing the adventurers in battle and happens to roll a 00, while the adventurer rolls a critical success. What should you do? Here are some suggestions: You can fudge: “Well, a blow like that would have killed any normal mortal twice over, but not the mighty Gunda!” You can invoke a deus ex machina: “Gunda reels, but a spectral armed woman rides down from the sky. Everyone make a Cult Lore lore – it is one of Humakt’s choosers of the dead! She kneels over Gunda to tell her that it is not yet time to join Death, and kisses her gently on the lips. Gunda wakes, slightly dazed.” How about surprise: “Gunda’s body falls to the ground. When you move forward to loot the body, make a Homeland Lore roll – made it? You realize this isn’t Gunda! Someone is wearing her armor and carries her weapons, but it is definitely not her!” Or do nothing. Change history. “The terrible Gunda the Guilty, boon companion of Harrek the Berserk, is dead.” And we pity the killer – as Harrek the Berserk will stop at nothing to avenge her death. You can even resurrect the character! Some characters like Argrath, the Feathered Horse Queen, Sir Ethilrist, and Jar-eel have escaped the Place of the Dead before and can do it again, others might be resurrected by their followers or community. “Sometime after the battle, you hear that Harrek traveled into Hell to rescue Gunda the Guilty and fought Death himself to do so. Despite bringing her back to the world of the living, the White Bear has announced that he shall kill everyone involved in Gunda’s death, and that he intends not only to kill them, but their families, and even their neighbors!” Most characters are dispensable anyway. Only the death of one of the five main characters would extensively change the campaign plot. And even that is not inviolate – although it does create additional work for you as your campaign will go in a very different direction without much guidance or support from published materials. Changing history requires some forethought, but nothing requires you to follow the campaign to its predestined end. You may decide to throw predestination to the wind, let any player-character become the Prince of Sartar, and maybe even allow someone else to marry the Feathered Horse Queen and become the King of Dragon Pass. In the end, this campaign is yours to decide what you make of it.

Also Wilms, a minor cult in Sartar.

Correct. According to the Tribal Compatibility Chart, the Locaem (which is the surrounding tribe) and Torkani are hostile to the Sun Dome Temple, while the Kultain are Friendly. The others are Neutral. And since Orlanth is Neutral towards Yelmalio, that stands out more as there are not cult associations with the tribal leaders, which makes that Neutrality stand out much starker.

The Sun Dome Temple are mercenaries. The Lunars won the wars of Dragon Pass and they call the shots now. Its tough, but that's how it works. And there is a legitimate prince of Sartar in Boldhome. Who supports the Lunars after all. Why were there Greek mercenaries in the employ of the Persian king and his satraps?

What is clear is that it takes more or less a round to get greaves on IF everything is ready. Longer if they are leather or otherwise need to be tied. It takes more or less around to get vambraces ready. Longer if they are leather or otherwise need to be tied. Same thing with a helmet. You could use the preparing or changing rules for EACH item assuming it is none too complicated (requiring ties, etc). But for your cuirass or linothorax or hauberk of scale - that's going to take awhile. Normally you would have someone else help you if you wanted to be speedy. But there is a reason people historically put their armor on before battle, and if they got ambushed - they grabbed their shield and their weapons and left their armor behind. Given the speed and lethality of RuneQuest combat, most players might throw on a helmet or something, but generally will do the same as their historical counterparts.

In general, greaves, vambraces, and cuirasses take a while to put on, and if a fight starts before you are armed, it might be over before you get your armor on! I ask my characters often if they are wearing their armor while marching, riding, or doing normal stuff - first by prefacing that the armor is uncomfortable, heavy, and hot. If they insist I might require a Constitution check or give them some additional penalties on their skills. But I find having fixed mechanical penalties isn't as effective as just describing to them how uncomfortable and heavy the armor is.

The Theyalans, the Malkioni, the Lunars, the Yelmites, the Praxians, and probably plenty of others have a very STRONG connection between the Dawn and Time. The Kralorelans and the Teshnites often acknowledge it, but also think it misleading or illusory. The truth is that everyone that was tied to the Theyalan Councils (including the Broken Council) or the Middle Sea Empire are going to have that as a strong connection.

We prefer to be called "Chaosium".

Why did Magic World fail? Personally I think it was a perfect storm of things. It took the (very good) Stormbringer rules and dropped them into a bland and unmemorable generic fantasy setting that had nothing to tie it together (unlike Stormbringer). It had an utterly forgettable name. And its production values were low. Greg and I had zero interest in it, none of the rest of the team had any connection to it. And its sales were minimal. Given the bandwidth that any product line takes up, why would we devote resources to a game that we didn’t have any interest in and didn’t generate enough revenue for us to do it anyways? If you have fond memories of Magic World or disagree with my assessment of the book, that's totally fine. This stuff is subjective after all (except for the sales data - that is what it is and Magic World did not even reach mediocre sales). But that's why it failed from my perspective.

Correct. And this is how the Communication (or Issaries) Rune was presented back with Cults of Prax.

We know that the green elves of the Stinking Forest have some excellent winter ski troops. Perhaps the humans have learned the technique.

Prokaryotes ("before nut") fit within the God Learner schemes as life before Flamal, Mee Vorala, or Triolina. Or maybe the embryonic stuff that was later worked into those forms. They are entirely hypothetical of course, but then again, so is that entire schematic.

Here's an interesting late Second Age document that I find deep in the Library of Nochet. Although it was written in Theyalan, I suspect it is of Jrusteli origin, given its materialist nature. THE AGES OF THE WORLD 1. All was Darkness and Water. Then came Earth and Aether. 2. Earth formed a perfect lozenge floated atop the water, rooted or pillared to the ancient base of Darkness. At first there were only gods, but later came life - algae, prokaryotes, arthropods, and fish. 3. Earth became irregular as it grew faster in some areas than in others. Flamal was born and plants grew atop the earth, followed by arthropods, and then by the first amphibians. 4. The Spike grew in the center and the first River flows uphill onto land. General mixing on surface world of elements. Other mountains are grown or made at this period. Reptiles rule the land, and True Dragons nest. Grandfather Mortal created. 5. Intense light begins above the Spike and grows in brightness. The first birds appear. 6. Sky encircles all the earth. Yelm rules the north, Lodril the south. Flowering plants appear, and insects flourish. Giant reptiles dominant. 7. Ratites and other great birds proliferate. Growing conflict among gods. Age ends with Yelm slain by Orlanth. 8. Storm gods dominate. Seas drop, many clouds, and more rivers. Mammals become dominant land animal. Conifers proliferate. First trolls appear on surface. 9. A predatory age. Valind conquers much of the world. Daga, Mallia, and Ragnaglar are big leaders. Trolls are very powerful. Brithos persists. 10. First Chaos gods appear. Age ends with the destruction of the Spike and departure of the Lightbringers. 11. Age of Chaos. Mortal revival and resurgence. Increased victories against Chaos, including I Fought, We Won. 12. Age of Time. The Dawn. History begins.

David is good at deflecting my curses. I think it bounced off him and hit UK Customs, which is why our pallet of Malleus was turned around. Let that be a reminder kids, don't thoughtlessly curse!

Correct on both accounts.

Curse you!!!

Without a Prince, tribal warfare is going to be endemic but usually low key. The Culbrea rebelled, stopped paying tribute, and even engaged in guerrilla activity and banditry-in-force, but refrained from taking actions that would alienate the anti-Lunar population in other tribes. They could raid and humiliate leaders of the Cinsina, holding specific people for ransom, rustling cattle, and the embarrassed Cinsina leaders can't really do anything about it. The Culbrea are folk heroes for blowing off the Lunars (who are too distracted to do much about it as long as the Culbrea don't force their hand), and the Cinsina have their own needs to remain friendly to the Lunar Army (Jomes after all is a General). Nobody appeals any of this up to Prince Temertain, who is too disinterested to do his job. In early 1625, Temertain is gone, and there are a lot of Lunar soldiers (more than 10,000) gathered around the New Lunar Temple. They are focused on other things (like major Praxian nomad activity and an army of Hendriki around Whitewall), but nobody wants to give them an excuse to march two days north and crush the Culbrea. And them the Dragonrise happened and the chessboard got knocked over. And when the pieces got picked up, there were almost no Red pieces left. And Kallyr was there in person leading the Orange pieces.

Thanks Scott - now I am really trying to figure out how to get my hands on the full collection of MMM!

Lord yes.

That’s Cavendish right?

A frighteningly on-target post.

Yes.