M Helsdon

The Flowers of Death are a heavy cavalry regiment of the Cavalry Corps of the Lunar Army, not of the Provincial Army. The regiment was founded by Hwarin Dalthippa during the resettlement of Rist in 1/49 (1296), and are equipped with kontos (two-handed 'lance') and kopis swords.

Officers from the Doblian Dogeaters and Standfast regiments plan the assault on Whitewall. It also seems likely that the Crater Makers magical regiment (or elements thereof) and the Seven of Vistur were present when Whitewall was finally taken. The Standfast are mounted Heavy Infantry hoplites; the Dogeaters fight as peltasts. Many other units were present.

Page reference below refer to page numbers within the pdf, not the number on the pages. Page 6: wthin – should be – within Page 6 – gazeteer – should be – gazetteer Page 6 - lands are defined by their goddess – might be - lands are defined by their goddesses Page 6 – about what is magic – suggest – about what magic is Pages 6-7 – unfortunate that the map cropping cuts short Vulture Country on the right and the Forest (of) Wondrous Beasts on the left. If possible, might the map be edited to shift the text? Also suggest removing NTAINS in the upper left. The version in the rulebook isn’t cropped. Perhaps use that version in both books? Page 8 - the Earth King that once ruled the land – suggest - the Earth King who once ruled the land Page 11 - dot the Janube – suggest - dot the Janube valley Page 11 - Pendarli – should be – Pendali Page 11 – refered – should be – referred Page 11 – betweem – should be – between Page 11 – stuggle – should be – struggle Page 12 - mythico-magical – suggest - mythic-magical Page 12 – goddesss – should be – goddess Page 12 – reincrnating – should be – reincarnating Page 12 - Suam Chong – should be – Suam Chow Page 12 - The center of civilization is around the Suam Chong, a shallow sea atop Kralora. The great Dragon Island called Hum Chang is to her east, and is the home the splendid Dragon Empire that rules all the lands around the Suam Chow – duplication ‘around’. Suggest - The center of the splendid Dragon Empire is around the Suam Chow, a shallow sea atop Kralora. The great Dragon Island called Hum Chang is to her east. Page 12 - Pamalt, the Earth King that still rules – might be - Pamalt, the Earth King who still rules Page 15 - Brown Elves covered much of what was later the Bush Range, Grazelands, and Beast Valley – suggest - Brown Elves covered much of what was later the Bush Range, Grazelands, and Beast Valley with forest Page 16 - because of the threated – should be - because of the threat Page 18 - There is another tale of Hiia Swordman – should this paragraph and the next be in italics? Perhaps the ‘poem’ should only be one paragraph? Page 20 - Calf-wool Stand – should be - Calfwool Stands (see GtG) Page 23 – red line of offspring of Sartar and Eneera Tor should descend from their blue marriage line? Page 24 - vendref – should be in italics? Page 25 - Green Dragon – looks blue? Page 25 - The Puppeteer Troupe is among Glorantha’s foremost cult of Illusion – might be - The Puppeteer Troupe is among Glorantha’s foremost cults of Illusion Page 50 - Oralont Dragonfriend – should be - Orlaront Dragonfriend Page 71 - the various land goddess – should be - the various land goddesses Page 121 - eternal contrast – might be – eternal conflict Pages 158, 166, 170, 173, 176, 180, 186, 190 – map keys and many place names may be in too small a font to be read when printed. Suspect nothing can be done about the place names, but the key needs to be readable. Page 181 - A defeated Horse Queen and storm barbarians – should be - A defeated Horse Queen and storm barbarian Page 207 - This piece depicts a group of holy people that have been garbed – should be - This piece depicts a group of holy people who have been garbed Page 218 -kolati and umbroli should be in italics? [General comment] Page 218 – meaning of umbroli never given in text Page 221 - Kolati 75, 109 – also pages 108, 113, 213. Indexing not complete? [Search through to find definition, and found more instances than given in the index] Resume at page 26

No doubt, though in depicting the Paps I tried to show a Gods Age temple façade. The modern Praxians are as far removed from the God Time culture of Genert's Garden as, say, modern Egyptians from the dynasties of the Old Kingdom... But any pictorial reference is useful.

As udders are pairs of mammary glands, and Eiritha is depicted in near human form (based on the image in Cults of Prax), I elected to give her human attributes. Different animals have different numbers of pairs: cows and bison two pairs, rhinos and llamas one pair, for example, so giving a depiction of multiple pairs would be species specific, and probably make the image look a little trollish. In the case of most real world cow goddesses, the deity is depicted as either animal or human, with limited cross-over of attributes, usually horns on the human image, and perhaps bovine ears, with the exception of the Hindu goddess Kamadhenu, who has a human head and breasts, and a bovine body with udders. In Prax, the human imagery might be tribe neutral, as for each tribe, the visual hagiography of the goddess would likely follow the attributes of the totem herd animal of the tribe, but perhaps only regarding the head. I used the image of Eiritha in this illustration as a basis, but assumed the form shown was perhaps how the Sable tribe see her... In my picture, Eiritha's head does not conform to any specific extant herd animal. And of course, Eiritha is not a cow goddess (though she might be the same deity as the Orlanthi cow goddess - but I wouldn't suggest that to a Praxian...)

A few changes made. Only after uploading the image did I realize some of the shadows were in the wrong places, and the multiple small doorways were too many and too regular. So here's version #2.

See David Scott's posts on page 14 of this thread. The Tomb of Um was a major inspiration, but also examples of Egyptian and Indian rock temples. I've decided to make a number of changes to this image.

My interpretation of the Paps. The inset is to provide a sense of scale. The Paps are known as the Deep Womb of the Goddess, sacred to the goddess Eiritha and her son, Waha, as it was here that Eiritha hid herself from Death by going underneath the earth. The Paps are an enormous underground earth temple, a vestige of the Golden Age. As an ancient and major Earth temple, the facade is very large. Originally a limestone processional way led up to the entrance, but the ramp was destroyed or demolished during the Gods War. The pillars depict each of the original ten Herd Mothers, damaged to a greater or lesser degree, with some portraying creatures now extinct. Between the pillars are reliefs of life in Prax before Time, severely eroded. These panels show animals and peoples now unknown to the inhabitants of Prax, from when it was part of Genert's Garden.

The Cult of Geo, with mention of his Bouncer, is included in the Encyclopedia Glorantha, one of the Kickstarter reward volumes, and so probably dates back to the 80s, if not before.

Perhaps within a set of parameters, based on the actual nature of the god. But perhaps not too far, otherwise divine nature reasserts itself, as the God Learners finally discovered to their ultimate misfortune.

It strikes me that Gloranthan gods are a bit like the elephant in the parable of the Blind Men and an Elephant, with mortal worshippers being the blind men. Each cult can perceive something of a god, but not its entirety, resulting in the same deity being viewed very differently by different cultures. For the major gods who appear in different cultures no one mortal belief is completely correct, and so there is no single answer. Gods are just too big for mortals to fully comprehend, and so all are viewed through cultural and cultic filters.

If, by military units, you mean regiments, then all regiments, which would include those in the Lunar Army (and many of which predate the Lunar Empire), Yelmalion Templar regiments and Humakti Battalions, have some significant spirits in their regimental standards, and less powerful ones in their company/century standards (and in Lunar Vexillae standards). Some of these may be the founder of the regiment, spirits of long dead soldiers, or other spirits sent by the patron deity. Sartarite magical regiments of course have very powerful wyters, and doubtless some of the warlocks have access to powerful spirits of their own. I believe there was a scenario by MOB where recruits to the Lunar Army obtained their own 'file' or 'platoon' spirit to inhabit their standard from among their own number - it wasn't very powerful, but over time.... Completely non-canonical, but my thoughts from my unofficial book: The Standard Standards are held in awe as potent symbols of the honor of the unit. A regimental standard is inhabited by the guardian spirit, wyter or genius of the regiment. Each company (or equivalent) of a regiment usually has a lesser standard which carries a lesser spirit. The assembled company wyters or genii are celebrated and worshipped, in addition to the regimental spirit. The cult of the regimental standard unifies the members of the regiment; soldiers make oaths upon it, and a recruit is initiated into its worship. When making their surrender, vanquished enemy leaders are expected to submit under the shadow of the victorious standards. A standard may be decorated with treasures stripped from their person: diadems, torcs, armrings. The standard is important as a recognition symbol and rallying point, and a means of communication in battle. A trumpet or horn blast is often used to draw the attention of the troops to the standard which then directs the action to be taken. The standard-bearer lowers, raises, waves, or make some other motion with the standard to indicate or direct the movement, tactic or formation to be employed. The standard is staked in the ground as the first act of setting up camp at the very heart of the camp itself, next to the tent of the commanding officer. When striking camp the standard is pulled from the ground. As the habitation of the regimental spirit the standard plays a key role in religious festivals, being anointed with precious oils and decorated with garlands. In addition to the metal and stone ornamentation, a standard often carries a banner depicting either the patron deity or a religious icon. Whilst Orlanthi warbands often carry a standard, it is rare, even for War Clans and Tribes to risk their wyter upon the battlefield. Instead, their standard may be inhabited by the allied spirit of their warleader, which is mostly far weaker than regimental guardian spirits. Very few mercenary regiments and companies have such guardians, save for longstanding Yelmalion regiments and Humakti Battalions. Some Humakti temples retain standards for battalions long dormant, ready for their revival. In battle Solar and Lunar standards often glow; Solar with a yellow aura, Lunar with a ruddy one. Storm standards crackle and spark with orange or blue lightning or may be surrounded by a blowing wind. In regiments associated with a beast god the standard-bearers wear the animal skins of their patron animal over their uniforms and helmets. Lunar standards often feature a bat with outspread wings, as a symbol of power and death. The Crimson Bat inhabits an important role in the mythos of the Red Goddess. The bat is also the Dara Happan symbol for Death. Yelm was slain when the bat, the shadow he cannot see, put its wings over his eyes so that he could not perceive the killing blow of the Rebel which sent him to the Underworld. And from another chapter... Standards Almost all units have a regimental wyter and other spirits within its standards. These serve as a focus for the regiment, and even if they possess no significant offensive powers support cohesion and morale, and defend against magical attacks, including those by other spirits. Regimental and company standards are inhabited by spirits associated with their patron deity. These spirits vary in power and origin. Company spirits are the weakest, often belonging to a deceased member of the regiment, who excelled in the qualities the regiment holds dear. Regiment spirits are more powerful, often spirits sent by the regimental deity, or even, in the case of lesser deities, the god themselves. Senior officers, such as generals often have their own standard, inhabited by a spirit almost as powerful as a regimental spirit. Standard spirits usually have several powers, including the defense of the standard and its bearer, and a few offensive powers that often bolster the regiment’s capability in fighting a particular foe. However, even the most powerful are not in the same class as the wyters of magical regiments. In addition to their spirit senses they can also feel, see and hear via their bearer. A spirit inhabiting a standard has few physical abilities. They can tug the hands of their standard-bearer to lead them in a particular direction, or, if set in the ground, refuse to be pulled out, or, most inauspiciously, fall over. Such actions are viewed as potent signs by the soldiers of the cult of the standard. If a standard is unwilling to be pulled free it signifies that the spirit is unwilling to move; should it fall to the ground, the troops will become disheartened until the regimental priests appease the guardian spirit with sacrifices. The loss of a standard brings both humiliating dishonor and deprives the troops of a focus of their devotion, seriously reducing morale. Soldiers will fight desperately to defend their standard or attempt to rescue the standard from profane hands. A captured standard is often placed in a temple so that the associated deity cannot see it. Often shamed soldiers will attempt to free their standard. New standards can be established, requiring lengthy rituals. These successors are unlikely to be as powerful as the standard they replace, for like other spirits, a standard increases in power over time, unless destroyed. And an example regiment: Marble Phalanx Type Heavy Infantry Armor Bronze mail coat and greaves Weapons Long spear, large round shield, kopis Morale Regular 4 Patron Deity Polaris, Urvairinus Notes Stonewall Phalanx Magic Factor Medium 4 Missile Factor 0 Melee Factor 5 One of the ancient Stonewall Phalanxes, this regiment has special magic for fighting against Darkness. The home city of this phalanx is Mesavos in the Oronin satrapy. Their tunics and helmet decorations are scarlet and white. Honathum the Shining God is the regimental genius who protects the regiment against cavalry as long as the regimental standard is secure. The standard consists of a spear with a counterweight, set across the pole surmounted by a star medallion of Polaris with eight rays. Within the medallion there is a portrait of Urvairinus. Please note: this material is not official.

Or perhaps a link? If the 'coins' were in the form of silver loops, a number could be joined together as a 'chain', which would have particular meaning in Fonrit. Each link might have a stamp of its place of manufacture, but of course would be weighed in any transaction.

Yanafal Tarnils is called “Ram and Warrior” in the old rituals. He was an exiled Carmanian nobleman living in Yuthuppa who still ruled his lands. He later defeated his master, Humakt, in battle and became War God for the Lunar pantheon. Yanafal Tarnils was responsible for bringing the Lunar Way to the Dara Happan army. He also organized new Lunar regiments to replace destroyed Dara Happan units. Most importantly, he transformed the Army Headquarters into Corps Headquarters, and he instituted the Battle Groups, with their sacred headquarters and vexillae. His cult resembles Humakt’s cult in most respects, though it is less narrow-minded. High honor and bravery are upheld by the Yanafal Tarnils soldiery. Yanafal Tarnils is worshipped by both officers and many enlisted men in the regiments (although the officers also often worship Polaris). One significant factor of the Yanafal Tarnils units (designated as the Modern Lunar tradition) is that they can receive the “normal” Lunar magic. This is different from previous military magic, and is the result of Yanafal Tarnils and his worship.

My understanding is that the 'Gardens of Babylon' were probably a terraced garden at Nineveh watered by a canal. Your picture is of Machu Pichu. 8-) I'm presently attempting to 'map' the interior. Exterior front view:

The Book of Drastic Resolutions: Prax provided a counter and description of the Charioteers (and is doubtless non-canonical).

Um, no. For an introduction to the topic, I suggest the two volume Religions of Rome by Beard, North & Price.

X roughly marks the spot.

A map in the GreGanth Atlas.

Kastok apparently built a fort further inland around 556 west of the Elf Sea, but it doesn't appear on modern maps. I wonder if it survived in any form?

There's a resonance of past events (even those before Time) creating patterns of events. Some events are purely mythical (which in Glorantha means that mythic events tend to repeat) and those you can see in Glorantha. Some of the latter are relatively simple, such as the passage of the Sun through the Sky and Underworld every day; the Red Moon following its weekly cycle (and larger cycles); the passage and interaction of the planets and constellations, or particular events such as the passage of Orlanth's Ring through the Sky and Underworld, and what it interacts with on its way; the sequence of the Seasons (which map to the Mythic ages); the fact the movement of the heavenly bodies repeats every few centuries (except when it doesn't when planets or stars appear or vanish - always heralding major events). And each Age in Time maps onto Mythic Ages, with a similar increase in entropy as the magic gradually goes away. Astrology in Glorantha probably follows the Babylonian model, of correlating events on Earth with events in the Sky - 'so above, so below' - as the Sky is inhabited by deities of every sort - and in Glorantha this is true. So Sky Gazers in Yuthuppa and Kralorela are doubtless studying the Sky, and getting really scared as the Hero Wars unfold, because of what they are seeing, and what they are not. And senior Lunars probably expect the Eighth Wane to duplicate the First, with mounting energy, and new threats such as a new Dara Happan revolt and a new Jannisor in the south... but, he seems to have arrived ahead of schedule...

Bear in mind the granularity of the map - small settlements and anchorages aren't going to show up on the scale of the map, so it is likely that there are several places on the islands between Karse and Nochet where a ship could safely spend the night. Bottomland Marsh would be best avoided, as it is subject to the tides, and a vessel could get stuck until the tide changes, unless you know you can sail through it at high tide. The County of the Isles is also dangerously close to your route; as a pirate stronghold it is best avoided. In fact, given the situation after the disappearance of Belintar, a wise merchant captain would arrange to sail in a convoy protected by a few triremes from one of the Noble Houses - who probably own a share in the merchant ships.

I know. In Time perhaps, but everything before is derived from the garbled memories of mortals of a world they barely understand. There were very few human survivors of the Darkness, and they had more on their minds than history. Even the Dara Happan record, with its convenient dates conveniently based in their sacred numbers is suspect.

Um, no. The Thracian thunder god was Zibelthiurdos, and it's a mite tricky to derive Thor from Zibelthiurdos....(unless you chop the front and back off to get Thiur). Of course, Zibelthiurdos was usually equated with Zeus, but all the Indo-European pantheons are filled with storm gods, and ideas travel easier than people... Of course, in Glorantha, Orlanth is perhaps only the local Southern Theyalan version of the name of the Storm God; we know the Dara Happans know of the names Orlanat(um), Orlanat(us), Erlandus, and Lanatum, all perhaps (mangled) North Theyalan names. However, in a desire for sanity, Orlanth is a good approximation.

The related illustrations include versions more suited to Sartar and Esrolia, with thatched and tiled roofs, respectively. The house shown is from Pavis. Here are a few from the related series. Note that further research indicates that the outer walls in all cases are too thin. I am currently working on a 'fortified palace'.