M Helsdon

Preview of a slim booklet I am finalising (only 20 pages instead of 280) using mostly things that have been languishing on memory sticks for the last year or two. [Whilst the Paps has the cover and a page, I don't attempt to provide floor plans.] Additional: It has been pointed out to me that the figure should be in the middle... Will see if I can extend the picture. Now released into the wild. Altered cover to the right.

The cover of a slim booklet I have put together of files languishing on the data stick for a year or two... Additional: It has been pointed out to me that the figure should be in the middle... Will see if I can extend the picture.

By becoming the kingdom of war...

Hi Richard, that was assumed to be a Temple level spell, not one cast by a single priest, and so distinct from the spells available in the rulebooks. It was a major ritual, involving several priests, their assistants, and singers etc. to enact the ritual, over several hours, and others simply bound into the ritual, set to 'detonate' at noon to utilize the greatest strength of the Sun. The high priest was the 'director' but it was a collaborative effort. The effects were like a massively powerful Sunspear, but not the same spell.

In the ancient world currency bars of bronze, copper and tin were valuable commodities, and bronze armor was valuable, because of its metal, which could be made into all sorts of useful things, which is why finds of bronze armor are very rare. Sadly I have no gold or silver, but the book seems to have received a silver medal (sales over 101+). Thank you.

I'm sorry: no. Your were correct to raise it: not being used to handling bullion, troy ounces aren't a measurement of weight I am familiar with. Please to hear the book is proving useful. At one point it had sidebars of scenario ideas, but I decided they didn't fit, and any GM could use the material to generate scenarios from. Have heard from Jeff that the Char-un worship Yu-Kargzant, not Kargzant so I will be changing that. Will probably upload a new version every week to DriveThruRPG.

Several Yelmalion temples provide a pike-phalanx regiment to Provincial Kings in lieu of paying tax, etc. Interestingly, whilst there seems to be a Yelmalion pike-phalanx in the Sylilan Satrapy Army (for much the same reason) there are none in the Lunar Army.

As the author, perhaps I shouldn't comment, but: The size of the book may seem daunting, but it is basically a reference book which grew out of the Army Lists. Hopefully not dry, but that's something I can't judge. The first chapter provides an overview of the four types of fighter, warrior, militia, mercenary and soldier (these aren't 'classes') and then goes on to explore different facets of Gloranthan warfare. Whilst you can read it from cover to cover, it is also (hopefully) structured so as to allow someone to dip in to find general details or specifics. If you want to find out how bronze swords are made, what siege engines and types of ship are in general use, it is there; if you want some ideas about the side-effects of powerful magic, it is there. Etc. It grew out of the Army Lists because it proved necessary to provide details about the weapons and armor used, the deities (some well known, others not), the type of unit, and an idea of how they fight, and their cultures. Each chapter commences with a brief piece of fiction intended to illustrate a facet of warfare, be it the approach of a pike-armed phalanx, or an assault on a city in an active siege. There are color-coded text boxes scattered throughout giving information about things as diverse as the Hero Light of different heroes to Logistics, which can be ignored or used as resources. There are also over a hundred illustrations - sketches of a Wind Lord, a Black Horse Trooper, several varieties of Yelmalion pike-men (and in these pre-industrial cultures, even in a unit there's going to be lots of variation) etc. so if you what to show your players a Dart Warrior, for example, there's picture. And, as a Your Glorantha Will Vary it is intended as a resource, not a definitive canonical source.

The Guide and RQG (at least the latest I have) given the weight of a Lunar as 4 grams (1/8 of an ounce). This converts to 0.128603 troy ounces, which I take as 0.13. Given that the Guide weights in grams and ounces are fairly consistent, I suspect that the Guide conversion to troy ounces is in error. Am going to update my text to 0.13 troy oz. unless anyone can convince me otherwise.

Thank you, sir. I am pleasantly surprised, as I thought it might sell fifty in the first month.

Have mentioned to MOB that my catalogue of sketches (about 105) could be made available for use in JC items. Am waiting to see if anything comes of that.

Sold around 116 copies on DriveThruRPG. Having nothing to compare this with, the fact it is still at the #2 suggests that it is getting steady sales. Wish had been able to create a more striking cover as it doesn't exactly do Glorantha justice.

Thank you. It states YGWV early on. Hmm. 'Armies & Enemies' is currently ranked as second highest selling item on DriveThruRPG. Am not going to get too excited as sales haven't exceeded sixty yet...

Please do not fight over the book, unless you are intending to follow one of the dueling traditions it describes.

Thank you. Typos, yes. I am about to generate v1.01 and send it to MOB. At the time of writing, only the Guide definition was available. I may address this in a future update. This is why RQ should include SAN....

MOB has said there will be a POD option.

Hmm, looks like five people have purchased it (thank you) but it is only intermittently available. Suspect DriveThruRPG are still recovering from last week's problems.

I have a few as chapter headings - but not for the Introduction or Appendices. Sometimes it is easier to 'show' instead of 'describe'...

Yes, I've seen two. Thank you. Nothing that appears in the Jonstown Compendium is canonical. The book has a YGWV warning near the front.

Given the size and draught, suspect the impression of a dragonship's hull is still down there, and it probably rested on a solid stone base. It may be covered in silt, but something will remain. Doubtless there are artifacts that might be revealed by the shifting of tides and currents. The Hittites worshiped three different sun deities (one of which was an underworld goddess) so two sun gods in one city is entirely feasible. Admit that I tend to think of Nochet as not unlike Alexandria in being extremely cosmopolitan, and there were so many different deities of different pantheons there, that there was considerable overlap and fusion.

Thank you for your comments. Sorry that you won't see the book (afraid I requested a fairly high price for the PDF because of its size). Hope your wife finds a job soon that pays well and she enjoys.

If there are still remains of Athenian ship sheds at Piraeus, the odds are good that something as massive as a dragonship dock would be hard to just disappear. The main portions of the structure might be removed/reused, but vanishing something so big, even if it is below layers of silt, would be very difficult. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-uncover-massive-naval-bases-ancient-athenians-180959452/ Regarding Yelmalio, I believe he is still accounted one of the Noble Brothers in Nochet, despite certain unpleasantness in the Second Age? Even though the Esrolians probably view Elmal as the sun god?

Thank you. It's the culmination of roughly three years, and is derived from material by Greg, Jeff, Steve Perrin, Sandy, MOB, Ian, and Harald, all expanded. If the assumptions and speculations are in error, then that's my bad.

The templates are now up on DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/295890/Jonstown-Compendium-Templates?affiliate_id=376034 The Guidelines are up: https://support.drivethrurpg.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036896591-Jonstown-Compendium-Content-Guidelines?mobile_site=true And the first product has just appeared: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/296285/Yozarians-Bandit-Ducks?src=newest_community

Will be bringing a couple of copies to Dragonmeet.