M Helsdon

Yes, I know the history of fire farming. And, no I don't believe it is applicable. According to the sources there were wild and semi-wild horse herds in the lands around Felster. So far as I am aware, the few cities with surviving populations were on or very near the coast. I very much doubt it. Damolsket was founded by the Malkioni in Jrustela. The effect of the Lightbringer missionaries indicates a much richer culture. There were cattle Hsunchen in Ralios - the Bemuri. They became Orlanthi Barntar worshippers. The northern colonies were in a bad way before the Seshnegi arrived.

I suspect that Hsunchen would view fire-fallow cultivation as an abuse of the Earth. The Enerali are not Hsunchen, but I have encountered indications that they did not farm until the Theyalan missionaries introduced it. They wouldn't adopt Seshnegi methods as they were the enemy from the Dawn, if not before. Tribal ancestors are never the only ancestors, but in these cultures the culture-ancestor is predominant, and Hrestol killed or injured their culture-mother to harm them. For that matter, if the Seshnegi hadn't gone totally native and their Talar hadn't married into the Land Goddess' family, the West would have looked very different - no expansion into the hinterland, no Silver Empire aiding the northern survivors. Here I have to strongly disagree. The Seshnegi were heirs to large walled cities, even if their ancestors were Brithini exiles. At the Dawn they were living in these walled enclaves, mostly ruined. The Pendali were living in what were scattered villages - not heirs to a civilisation, in that the term derives from living in cities. When they were ultimately assimilated, those who weren't killed or driven off, they would have been Workers, in as much as the Malkioni had castes at that time. For both, a community of a thousand was probably very unusual, and at that population you can't retain much knowledge or technology. The Malkioni might have had a very few genuine talari, holari and maybe a couple of zzaburi, but not many. Afraid I find it almost impossible to tangle a historical narrative out of Western God Time myths. It is (intentionally) contradictory. They were all heirs to wrecked cultures, living in abject poverty, much like the survivors in the Malkioni enclaves, with a population size too low to maintain any sophistication. The Theyalans were much better off than, for example, the Enerali, and their initial contacts seem to have driven the development of farming, a major population growth and political organization. They might have got there on their own, but the Malkioni and Theyalans gave them no time to do so, and at first the Theyalans weren't competitors and enemies like the Seshnegi. At the Dawn and in the following century, these people were poor, had little or no metalworking, and no big urban centers. The Malkioni probably retained metalworking, and almost certainly writing, and the agricultural methods of Brithos but they were dirt poor. Continuity and sequence before Time is tricky. The Westerners who emerged were probably barbarians themselves, in the eyes of the Brithini and themselves. The majority of the Western enclaves probably didn't survive, and even the ones that did, up in the north had a hard time until the Silver Empire arrived with reinforcements.

At the Dawn they were hunter-gatherers, though the Enerali, possibly because of their association with the elves, probably had limited horticulture which is why they revered Flamal. Don't know about the Enjoreli. The Pendali tribe were descended from the sons of Pendal, and as his wife was a daughter of Seshna they were 'tainted' by an earth goddess. Eneral was the son of Galanin the Sun Horse and a daughter of the Land Goddess Ralia, so also 'tainted'. Enjoreli - unknown. Before the Theyalans arrived to teach the Enerali about agriculture, there were no farmers to give up tribute in the region. The Enerali lived off the marshes around the lakes, and annually ate horse flesh in a sacred rite. The Pendali, Enerali, and the Enjoreli were poor desperate survivors of the Darkness; better off than many, but none had cities (at most they had hill-forts) or agriculture. The Hsunchen who shared their territories were much worse off.

I know. It appears in different sizes on the maps posted yesterday.

Am told those northern coastlines are accurate...

Well, I hadn't noticed the difference before drawing these, and it has me mightily bemused. It is a simple thing to alter my maps, but I don't know if I should.

I believe Greg obtained it from a science fiction or fantasy novel and liked the term. Here we are: A Voyage to Arcturus is a novel by the Scottish writer David Lindsay, published in 1920.

Wouldn't be visible at the scale these maps are used at? I used the historical maps in the Guide as a... guide. Hmm, maybe the early ones aren't accurate. I can fix mine.

These are base maps I have drawn to illustrate my current project (but lacking most of the names that are going on them). Whilst these are not up to the standard of Chaosium cartography (or overly accurate when it comes to islands), they might be useful... I will be using them reduced to roughly half a page. Free to use.

It was rebuilt. Arkat then destroyed it again. Some of the Enerali fought for, and some against, the Bright Empire. Bear in mind that Lokamayadon then subverted many 'Orlanthi' to worship his High Storm. An old post on an email group by Jeff or Greg. The Galanini/Enerali seem to have been split between those who bought into the Bright Empire, and some that did not. The Galanini seem to have been nobles rather than specific tribes. The Prosopaedia in the Gods of Glorantha boxed set presents the fundamentalist Malkioni definition. I know. Information online about the Enerali suggests they weren't Hsunchen. https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/gloranthan-documents/glorantha-2/the-enerali-circa-130-st/ Unfortunately the other document appears to be no longer available. I should also note that whilst I am using as much canonical material as possible, my work does not define canon. There is, however, an awful lot of wriggle room and contradictions in First Age material, as there should be, as in 'modern' Glorantha it is more than a thousand years ago, and with several big disasters since then, sources in-world are probably hopelessly suspect. However, I would note that in Arkat and Nysalor's wars, it is unlikely that everyone of a particular tribe or kingdom was actually on the same side, or agreed on the definition of their gods.

It is also known that Arkat fought, defeated, and skinned the Crimson Bat. Possibly in Ralios?

I believe that the Enerali were not Hsunchen, but grouped as such by the Seshnegi. Perhaps one or two lineages had Hsunchen abilities. My perspective on them is based on the two First Age documents that are available, and one indicates that one group backed the Storm God and the other the Sun God. I will have to take a look at Troll Gods. You are free to write one, but this is from a document covering the West, not Peloria.

Hmm, will think on that. Writing about Ralios in the First Age is tricky, because probably the Galanini, Enerali, and Orlanthi were not mutually exclusive groups by the time Arkat arrived. I suspect the Galanini were the Enerali elite, and that many Enerali 'became' Orlanthi. There's a surfeit of riches for First Age Ralios; the Second, even with the wars between Seshnela and the Autarchy, is fairly slim in detail, so far as I can tell.

At present my section on Arkat's wars in Ralios is: [This is of course non-canonical. Other sections deal with him in Seshnela, and Talor in Fronela.] The Coming of Arkat After cleansing Seshnela and Tanisor of the evil works of Nysalor, the Hero led his army deep into Ralios, where he found that many barbarian nations and non-humans had embraced the evil cult. Since non-humans were uncommon in Seshnela and Brithos, the invaders called the forces arrayed against them now the League of Monsters, using the word krjalki to describe their nonhuman enemies as a single group. In their ignorance, much of the Western army thought that the krjalki were mutated monsters who had long sold themselves to Chaos. The elves, who revered Nysalor, and had been allies of the Unity Council since 130 ST, revealed The Light in Darkness, whose worshippers were all women revering the Star Huntress who lived in their forest. A cult of unicorn riding virgins served this goddess[1] and they defended Hrelar Amali against Arkat and his army of sorcerers. He crushed their defenses, razed Hrelar Amali (though the ruins still glow with Ehilm’s light), and scattered the cult. This destruction also broke the power of the Galanini. Arkat led his forces north and east, and at this time his foes could not rally against him. The Greatwood of the elves was divided in the wars, its trees felled, reducing it to the Ballid in the north and Tarinwood in the south. By this time, Arkat’s armies still included some Brithini, many Seshnegi, and Orlanthi of the Ralian hill lands. After being crowned King Grimnos had continued to allow his knights and soldiers to follow the Hero. Despite the forces[2] arrayed against him, Arkat defeated the Dorastoran general Deringogus, routing the Second Dari Alliance and waded through gore until he reached the fortress Kartolin, but was unable to breach its defenses. Then, in 418 ST, Arkat was slain himself by Nysalor’s lieutenant, Palangio the Iron Vrok[3]. The armies of the Bright Empire launched a counter offensive, through Kartolin Pass. For four years, in his absence, the armies of Nysalor rampaged through Ralios and into Arolanit. Many of the cities in Safelster were barely able to withstand the onslaught and their armies fought many desperate battles. The Hero Harmast Barefoot[4], one of the Old Ways Orlanthi oppressed by Nysalor’s empire in Dragon Pass, set out on his god’s path and undertook the first human Lightbringers’ Quest, and returned from the Underworld with Arkat, reappearing amidst the rubble of Hrelar Amali in 422 ST. Harmast spearheaded the Lightning Revolt of the Enerali tribes against the Bright Empire, whilst Arkat rallied his allies in the west. In 424 ST, the Orlanthi, led by King Alongor Lightning of Surkorion[5] and Harmast, held off the Dorastoran army at Vanganth Hill until Arkat returned with an army of Seshnegi cavalry. The Battle of Vanganth Hill at the confluence of the Doskior and Allspring rivers proved to be a decisive victory, followed by a very effective pursuit. Afterwards most of the Seshnegi departed. The city of Kasda in Delela was besieged and destroyed by the army of the Bright Empire in 425 ST. Under the Bright Empire, Chalana Arroy healers were widely distrusted by those who fought against Lokamayadon. The pacifist Chalana Arroy healers opposed Arkat and his rampage of war; Arkat’s Humakti bodyguard Makla Mann ritually murdered a band of them shocking the Hero[6]. Arkat and Harmast showed the Enerali that their High God Humat was not the High Storm Tarumath of the Bright Empire, but Humakt, after Orlanth’s theft of Death. This prevented the cult of Humat from further falling under the influence of the false god of the High Storm. Arkat and Harmast stayed in Ralios for several years. The old man taught the Ralian Orlanthi the secrets of his Lightbringers’ Quest[7]. Arkat cast aside the tripart triangle of the Invisible God and joined the Orlanthi Cult of Death[8]. Many Westerners were appalled at this, and most of his remaining Seshnelan allies returned to Seshnela despairing at his fall into pagan ways. Arkat lingered in Ralios to learn from Harmast and broke entirely with the Hrestoli Way. These acts endeared him to the people of Ralios. Under his renewed leadership, one by one the strongholds of the Bright Empire in Ralios fell. Even an elf warlord of Ballid forest led his troops out to aid Arkat the Liberator. In 428 ST Arkat led his army of Orlanthi and few remaining Seshnegi to Kartolin Pass. In a terrible battle at Kartolin, Arkat was sorely wounded and forced to retreat only to assault and escalade the fortifications again and again trying to force his way through the Pass. The Hero was now accompanied by twelve Companions, and each of them were served by a band of the Guards of Arkat. All knew Arkat’s secrets and were pledged to his service. After two more years spent in the fruitless siege and assaults, and after storming the City of Wolves, Arkat left an army before Kartolin and sought a new approach to the strongholds of Nysalor. In 430 ST, Arkat and his army left Ralios and moved downriver to the sea and went to Slontos, where his foe Palangio was oppressing the people. Ralios was relatively quiet after that, and for centuries after Arkat returned and organized the Empire of Peace. [1] The goddess known as Yelorna. Her cult in Ralios and Saird was shattered and scattered during the victories of Arkat, and the Dark Empire that followed Arkat claimed to have extinguished the Yelornan cult everywhere west of the Rockwoods. Despite his efforts, the cult endured to greet the Sun Dome Templar mercenaries of the EWF in the Second Age. One text declares that the Sun Women lived among the Enerali before this, though they claimed no descent from Eneral’s four sons. In Ralios she was associated with the Pole Star, and legend claimed that when she returned to the Sky World she found her place had been usurped by another god. [2] The armies of the Bright Empire included Dara Happan regiments sent by the Emperor Radaidavu and later Emperor Anirestyu. Before ascending the throne as a young man Radaidavu had fought in Ralios; his son, Anirestyu, was not a warrior, but his generals and armies fought Arkat in Ralios. [3] So named for the flying iron vrok Nysalor had gifted him. [4] Harmast casts a large figure in Orlanthi histories, but in the West is accounted little more than the outland retainer and companion of Arkat, and then of Talor. The Orlanthi of Ralios were the first to embrace Harmast as an important figure after his Lightbringers Quest returned from the Underworld with Arkat. [5] Named for a region of the Western Korioni tribe. [6] Modern Orlanthi do not believe in ‘bad healers’ and this act seems an atrocity; this was, however, in the context of a war in which Illuminated Orlanthi, Tarumathi, Humakti and Chalana Arroy cultists fought against each other, ignoring cult and cultural restrictions whenever it proved expedient. [7] Harmast's Lightbrings Quest did not strictly follow Orlanth's path, as he had to fill the gaps in his knowledge with conjecture. [8] Arkat was first initiated into the cult of Orlanth in 426 ST, after four years of instruction by Harmast. He joined the cult of Humakt later. The Malkioni say that Humct, whom the Orlanthi call Humakt, was a Western sorcerer who attempted to master the ways of Death.

This is useful, thank you. All the sources seem confused, but there does seem to be a thread there.

Yes, I read the description of the ruined relief found in Delela, but I can't quite square that with the description of Anirestyu's rule in Fortunate Succession. As this was the time of Arkat's campaign in Ralios, I am wondering if the relief was from elsewhere and was plunder brought back from the wars (seems improbable) or if it is a relic of a Dara Happan/Bright Empire campaign in Ralios - which doesn't seem to fit the text in FS... I may be reading too much into the fact that the illustration is from an Assyrian palace (probably at Nineveh) but usually that sort of art isn't left as a commemoration, but appears as palace wall propaganda. If it is a commemoration of the Bright Empire campaign against Arkat in Ralios, then Kasda must have been a pro-Arkat city. [I am attempting to find all the details I can about Arkat in Ralios, and this 'data point' doesn't seem to quite fit the narrative.]

Could anyone tell me where this city is? Emperor Anirestyu besieged it.

Page count sans index now at 100. Keep on thinking of things to add. Will start on the maps tomorrow.

I don't generally include very much about the Elder Races. There's about a page on Arkat's Autarchy (rise, military, fall). From what I can tell, his empire didn't heavily influence the culture, martial or otherwise, of its citizens. But this time, I hope to include historical sketches ranging from the First to the Third Age.

Not certain if I have seen that... But, so far as I can determine, the Axemen are probably of the same non-mainstream Hrestoli sect as their lords. One thing I have realised in writing the text is that there is a very great deal of variety between the different branches of Hrestolism, with the Loskalmi at one end of the spectrum, and the Ramalians at the other, at least for a time. I've never particularly 'liked' Rokarism, but now understand why it rejects Hrestolism - Hrestolism can be very nice or very bad, and it makes me wonder if Hrestol was, in fact, Illuminated..

Yes - though it's the oppressed serfs who worship Zorak Zoran (and Mralot - and most of them are 'tamed'), as I understand it, not the nobility or their soldiers. If this project receives the go-ahead, will be sketching soldiers etc. not, I'm afraid, serfs.

Realised I needed to include western Slontos. Only adds a page and a bit as it's a fairly peripheral region, and I don't have access to much source material. First draft text pretty much done: now at 100 pages plus index. May start drawing maps...

So far today have added more information about ships (which brings the section on Safelstran vessels to about a thousand words) and Brithini crossbows. By offering details of Brithini and later Western crossbows, it illustrates the decline in technical/magical ability (the Brithini use hi-tech crossbows with a metal lath with a lever, whilst the Western are basically composite wood/baleen with a much simpler mechanism).

There's a time limit. Recovering the head helps. One thing I had to do was attempt to delve into the various Malkioni sects, because without it, understanding their military is difficult.

My understanding is that riding was the prerogative of talari officers; ancient holari didn't ride because it was against their caste laws. From what I can tell, the Daron wasn't bred to be an ideal heavy cavalry horse until the Second Age - before that it was big but slow. Very tough, but prone to making assumptions based on past experience.