M Helsdon

At present I am attempting to think up a new project.

This slim illustrated booklet explores the use of the mighty war elephants of Fonrit, one of the regions of the southern continent of Pamaltela.

It explores the diet and training of the feared shovel-tusker elephants, and their use on campaign and when deployed in battle.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/328937/War-Elephants-of-Fonrit?affiliate_id=2310005

57 minutes ago, Ian Absentia said:

A book on pachyderms alone?  You're my hero!

Only one species.

As I have two illustrations I have decided to create a small (five or six page) booklet on shovel-tusker war elephants, which I will put on JC for a $ or less.

22 minutes ago, Joerg said:

In that case, might we entice you to take a look at the participants in the Twin Phoenix Saga?

Afraid the East is potentially as tricky as Pamaltela.

There's an official Kralorelan book in the works, so trying to write about and illustrate the east would be difficult.

I have someone asking me to look at their Tekumel project...

Finished, more-or-less.

Shovel-tusker now looking for a home.

2 hours ago, Manu said:

As I didn't follow the whole discussion, why is it shelved? I play in Pamaltela (more Umathela but still) and would have loved to see some thing about it. I really loved you western book.

Thank you. 

Given recent events, a treatment of Pamaltela would be potentially highly contentious (and I fully accept the advice) and there may be future official development of the region. 

Rather than spend considerable time developing a book that might be very sensitive I have concluded that it is best to shelve the project. 

Afraid the Pamaltela project is being shelved, based on advice received (which I entirely understand), so this is the only remnant.

Needs a little more work...

I need to think up another project.

Another one.

Next I will have to do the crews, though am not certain I have enough 'seed' material for Pamaltela to fill a book.

[The box isn't a 'fighting turret' but the enclosure for a chair - these creatures weren't massive.]

There is an error in this picture - the trunk shouldn't be able to fit between the lower tusks. Will have to amend...

2 hours ago, Ian Absentia said:

Nice.  Which of the shovel-tusks did you refer to as a model?  Gomphotherium?

!i!

Amebelodon. I decided to give it a long trunk.

Hmm, I've made a mistake with the trunk - starts to curve too soon. Need to do more research.

Will just leave this here...

On 9/7/2020 at 8:15 PM, Dreaming_Johnny said:

1) I'm currently sketching on a campaign originating in Northern Fronela so most of my questions are about that area, if anyone could recommend any books or articles that goes into that part of the world I'd appreciate it!

2) If I've understood it correctly a hero named Snodal kills a god, the God of Silver Feet to be more precise, in order to create the Syndic Ban. I assumed that he did so in order to stop the White Bear Empire from invading more of Fronela, but it doesn't actually say so explicitly anywhere, so am I wrong?

3) Why was the Telmori cursed by the hero Talor to become wolf monsters? Anywhere I can read more about this?

4) How many per cent of Hsunchen can transform into their totem animal would you say? 50 per cent? 5 percent? Less? Because according to "the Guide to Glorantha" there is one million Rathori in Fronela, meaning that if every adult among them can turn into a bear that would go a long way towards explaining why the White Bear Empire seemed so threatening.

5) Where can I read more about the Hsunchen? Especially the Uncolings since I plan on having all of the player characters be members of that clan (or at least member-adjacent).

Non-canonical, but as canonical as I can make it, Men of the West may answer many of your questions...

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/325525/Men-of-the-West&affiliate_id=2310005

10 hours ago, Joerg said:

One thing which I think you would do perfectly and which I really would like to see are the Second Age conflicts (Middle Sea Empire navies, Machine Wars, Kotor Wars, Six-Legged Empire, False Dragons Ring, Lopers, Teshnos) done right.

There's a fair bit of First and Second Age arms and armor illustrated in Men of the West, in part because I wanted to map in my own mind the evolution of the Western cataphract. Only the Zistorite Bronze Turtle galleys are illustrated; no other Zistorite inventions, though some are mentioned in the text.

6 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

This is known. Here are the art direction notes for Fonrit.

Yes. I have a few books on the Benin bronzes on order. Sadly, there appear to be no actual finds of pieces of armor, but the same is mostly so for other items of bronze armor, world wide - finds are relatively rare compared with the number of pieces there must have been in use, because it was recycled.

After working through my books (presently sitting in piles of books or disorganized on shelves) have found a fair number on Africa - but, all pretty much of the Colonial Era. I suspect that much of the Guide illustrations on Fonrit are derived in part from the Benin Bronzes, and whilst I have seen some of these, I don't have a book about them (cue search online for books).

Some of the West African states had significant armies, but, there's relatively little on them available outside academic circles, and other than documentation about them by the Colonial powers, there's very little available. However, this lack of documentation is true, even for armies we tend to think of as well documented (Macedonians, Successors, yes, even the Romans). So I am pondering whether to embark on this project. European armed forces only became superior to those they encountered, when the advantage of rifles over muskets became apparent, and even then weren't a guarantee of victory.

There is a bit of a disconnect, because most Gloranthan cultures are roughly equivalents of Late Bronze Age/Iron Age, and whilst bronze (and iron) working goes back a long way in West Africa, there's virtually nothing known of those earlier cultures, and it is necessary to rely upon almost modern cultures, like the Oyo and others dating to around the 12th Century onwards.

Am not sure if this is a sufficient basis. Obviously Fonrit isn't a copy of a West African empire, so getting the look and feel is important. Horses weren't unknown in West Africa, and many states had cavalry described as knights by Europeans, and of course, horses are rare in Pamaltela.

I for one would like to see how much I've got severely wrong, and how much more I could have gleaned from these in writing Men of the West...

I did pick up a copy of the GreGanth Atlas a while back and used it as a source for The Armies and Enemies of Dragon Pass - didn't copy the maps, but after studying it, it provided a view on the interaction of the various cultures in Peloria.

2 hours ago, g33k said:

If you took (for example) the canonical Uz material, and NDA'ed with Chaosium for early access to relevant passages of the new ms., I bet YOUR  Armies of the Uz  (or whatever you called your product) would be similarly supplementary to the official work, when that came out.

It's a few years since I saw a draft. Uz armies are basically war gangs. The only ones that seem more organized are part of the Kimantorings and those are covered in Armies & Enemies.

2 hours ago, g33k said:

Same for Kralorela.

With an official product in the works and a JC publication already present, it is a bit... crowded. Whilst I have read some books on Chinese ancient warfare, I have no knowledge of some of the genres that seem to feed into Kralorela.

At the moment I am assessing Pamaltela as a possibility, though I need to check with Chaosium.

Now at silver.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/325525/Men-of-the-West?affiliate_id=2310005

Now at silver.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/325525/Men-of-the-West?affiliate_id=2310005

15 hours ago, jajagappa said:

You could do the Dwarf armies of Slon! 😉  Ready to bring their vast army of dinosaur hsunchen and strange tech across the world! 

There's not really much I could add beyond what is in the Guide and the Different Worlds article. Whilst I use Chaosium material (with permission prior to publication) there's not a great deal I could add to dwarves.

13 hours ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

You don't HAVE to do anything!  😅 But if you're looking for ideas... maybe something specifically for the Wastes? I know you had Praxians and some horsefolk in the Central Genertela book, though, so there might not be much left.

Well, I do. For the past eight years I was the carer for a parent, for the last three, intensively so, usually at their home for twelve or so hours a day and on call outside that. It is no coincidence that this coincides with the work on Armies & Enemies of Dragon Pass, as it kept me busy and distracted when there wasn't a need to do anything - though I was there for 'emergencies' which became increasingly common. I could sit with the laptop or sketching pad ready. I had started work on Men of the West a few weeks before they suddenly died, and resumed work on it to help with the black pit a few months later. I am now clearing their home, and my own, because I'd promised I would look after their garden and pets, but can't work on this continuously, so am deliberating another project. 

12 hours ago, Ian Absentia said:

Take the deep dive -- an exploration of the Triolini.  Ludochs, malasps, murthdryami!  At the very least it'll be a an opportunity to put your stamp on what the Waertagi look like, and an excuse to draw mermaid boobs.

!i!

Again, there's the issue that available official material would be tricky to expand on.

4 hours ago, DreadDomain said:

I'd buy Fonrit! Also Armies of Darkness, a guide to warfare in Uzdom across Glorantha from ancient Dagori Inkarth to sophisticated Blue Moon Plateau and barbarian Tarmo...

There has been an official work on the Uz in the works for some time, so like Kralorela it is not viable.

Am pondering northern Pamaltela... 

Am now between projects.

Sadly an Eastern supplement to balance the West is unlikely, given an official Kralorela book is in the works. I did consider Fonrit, but that may not be viable topic at present.

13 minutes ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

I am aware of what Joy is, but it's interesting that I seemingly got two opposite explanations for how it functions. Maybe both apply. Transcedentalism is funny stuff.

Probably depends on what definition of henosis you follow. The one I adopted is: Union and unity with the Invisible God through self-mastery. Several techniques of henosis are practiced by different Malkioni sects. For the Hrestoli the paths involve clearing the Mind, overcoming the Self, and ascending to achieve Unity with the One who existed before Being. This ascension is opposed by many - Erasanchula, zzaburi wizards, and other forces, but once it is achieved, the state of Joy has been reached.

If you explore its basis in terrestrial philosophies and religions, you'll also find a variety of methodologies, ranging from meditation to ritual, to certain types of prayer.

As noted, there is undoubtedly more than one Gloranthan route to Joy.

[This probably deserves its own thread.]

7 hours ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

I wonder how Joy and other mysticism-esque disciplines align with the ultra-logic nature of Sorcery.

Sorcery is implicitly rational, cool, intellectual, almost the application of a mathematical algorithm; Joy is its antithesis: an emotional and ecstatic release, henosis with the transcendent One awakening the ‘inner light’ of the essential soul. The variant paths to Joy all follow the same general path of Preparation, Revelation, Return, Teaching, and ultimately, Dissolution.

Hrestolism and other cults of Joy reemerge now and then throughout Seshnela even in the late Third Age. One Rokari Watcher described it as a “plague of joyful madmen washing through the rural lands.”

See 'Men of the West' for an exploration of Western beliefs. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/325525/Men-of-the-West?src=hottest_filtered

What's interesting is that based on archaeological evidence, pigs were very definitely on the menu in the Near East, up to around 1000 BC, and there was then a significant decline. There's no clear reason why, but it may be due to an increase in the presence of trichinella parasites, or more likely because around that date human farming and logging was starting to impact local conditions, and pigs need water and woodland.

People were increasingly exploiting the woodlands for building structures and especially ships and temples. In much of the Near East, once you chop the trees down, the ecology can't recover, which is so for most of the Mediterranean woodland zone. Pigs were therefore expensive to maintain, so became taboo. The destruction of the forests even features in the Epic of Gilgamesh, and much later the Roman Emperor Hadrian attempted to prohibit the destruction of the cedar forests in what is now Lebanon.  Despite all the problems of that country, the Lebanese are now attempting to replant cedars, and one of the measures used is to ban goats, because goats are so destructive to woodland.

Of course, in Glorantha, many of the forests are likely to have guardians.

12 hours ago, Brootse said:

In Runequest Roleplaying in Glorantha on page 410 the tables don't have a cavalry best  types for all the animals. Do some animals lack the cavalry best type?

[Shameless plug]

Whilst it is non-canonical, Armies and Enemies of Dragon Pass goes into some detail of the cavalry types and tactics of the major Praxian tribes, derived in part by material written about the topic by Sandy Petersen.

There's also detail about whilst Praxian beasts can be used to pull chariots (in Sartar etc. not Prax).

As a detail, I suspect that this is an example of how the RQ rulebook can't cover everything without becoming a ten volume set.