Jon Hunter

I like variation and its got me looking wider for inspiration, I have now taken my anglo blinkers off when looking at celtic comparison so looking to dacian, thracian, pre-celt, celt Iberian as well as Gaulish and Briton. I know the orlanthi are not celts but its added diversity to where I steal inspiration from. I'm still also very willing to dip into vikings and saxons for cultural ideas.

Jeff, I think the issue here is part of a wider one, you seem to wish the Satarites to have a more Mediterranean feel than many have been used to in much of the the body of Gloranthan material to date. Others (myself included) are very happy with the psuedo northern European cultural feel that many associate with Satar and the Orlanthi, and feel a Mediterranean feel in Satar just doesn't work as well for them. Hill and Mountain bound worshipers of Gods of Storm and Rain wont look and act like a bunch of Cretans if you ask me, and behavior,dress and architecture that suits the climate would be in order. Looking at what comes from the real world, (apart from roman villas) courtyards didn't make it northern European climates until the mid medieval period and then in a different form. Now obviously you are in a position to drive your vision through, but may I suggest a certain amount of flexibility which allows people to interpret as they see fit. There can be an Esrolian style, a longhouse style and a roundhouse( stolen from celt iberians). Variations in both designs will exist due to materials, wealth and topography. So why not culture and preference too?

I think you got the point I was trying to make. Size of city will determine the number, diversity and strength of guilds. Also I think current politics, travel networks, religion, culture and will determine guild cooperation across cities, but agree with Jeff that the norm will be isolated city guids.

Should guilds of the ancient world be organised round trades, or important tradesmen? As in i belong to the guild of Arras the Redsmith, rather than I belong to the redsmiths guild.

I think I need to do some back tracking on pavis, id forgot what its population was. With some back of fag packet maths population 4000. % of city population being supported by craftsmen at 20%, with each craftsmen having 3 depends gives us about 200 craftsmen in the city. That does give room for 3 or 4 big guilds and 6 or 7 minor ones. What I think I was pushing back against was large towns and small cities with populations of 500 - 2000, with a wide range of large guilds.

What would it take to form a guild? i'd guess a few things At least 3 or 4 practitioners of that trade in the community. The freedom to organise A clear advantage or need for organising The need for professional services due to amateur skills not being qualified- ie weavers being a cottage industry in Orlanthi communities that most hearths will do themselves, means it unlikely to become a guild. There would also be mobile brotherhoods or guilds for certain trades which require imported tradesmen to the best examples would be masons, builders and mercenaries. I would also see smaller cities having limited of guilds and cross trade guilds.

Some more updates NPC's Lan Stormson Solina Garhound & the Company Background Broos of Balazar and the Elder Wilds Redrock Clan Trilus Orlanthi Update

I am a big fan of griffin mountain and there are lots of extra bits here www.backtobalazar.com. Its really down to your style of running a game, if you want a easy sandbox griffin mountain is great. If you want something easier to manage but on rails id recommend borderlands, opening up to Pavis and the rubble later.

imho the guilds as represented in RQ2 were far to medi evil in nature for Glorantha. Also most places in Glorantha are not urbanised enough to be able to support more than one or two guilds. Guilds could exist and be significant in Esroila, Karolea and the Lunar Empire. With cities such Pavis with its small population a wide range of guilds is not really feasible.

This weeks additions Troll trader - Encounter Guttuz war parties - Encounter Trilus Tribe Write Up Baboons of the Elder Wilds Yelmalian NPC's

OK weekly update on more additions. Running Deer Votanki clan write up Troll Hunting Party Encounter Blue Moon Caravan Troll Raiding Party Encounter Troll Clan Patrol Troll priest encounter Troll Wild Clan Encounter

Some more, additions to the site; 2 articles Chaos in Balazar & the Elder Wilds; Balazarings and their Dogs 2 Troll Encounters Trollkin Encounters of the Elder Wilds Troll Encounter – Elder Wilds Troll Shaman An Elkoi Clan write up Golden Armadillo Clan

I am liking the idea of different communities in a culture having different recipes they are famous for within the area, this may be due to game or crop type, tradition, knowledge of spices or even magic. So Clan 1 make great bread with cheese. Clan 2 have magic apple trees, which tasty produce apples and cider that gets you drunk but doesn't give you a hangover Clan 3 has a secret spice which means that there dried meat tastes like sweet fire. Clan 4 have great hunters and lots of warrens so make the best rabbit pie you have ever tasted. Not important for gameplay but adds color variation and stops every clan being a food copy of the other, and is an excuse for trade and interaction which can lead to plot. ( stealing the magic cider being a great starting level character plot)

OK few things added since last I posted Two balazaring clan write ups; http://www.backtobalazar.com/sea-otter-clan/ http://www.backtobalazar.com/the-griffins-claws-sample-balazaring-clan/ A tool to help refs and world builders specify communities http://www.backtobalazar.com/gloranthan-trades-and-community-guide/ and two groups of npc's http://www.backtobalazar.com/lunar-fighting-men/ http://www.backtobalazar.com/heortlanders-emissary-griffin-mountian-npc/ enjoy

I also think there will be a lot of local variations too, food will be also be seasonal. However earth magic will mean the food will be more abundant and of a higher quality than in our World. Due to limited preservatives salting, drying and magic will be very common

More goodies a troll history of the Elder Wilds http://www.backtobalazar.com/uz-history/

New Troll Personalties for the elder wilds http://www.backtobalazar.com/troll-personalities-elder-wilds/

Its a nice model, but like all models its prone to deviation due to a number of factors; Such as Level of conflict in the society Nature of magic in the society The season of history The whim of the Gods And for these reasons in dragon pass as the hero wars start I think they are very conservative

Yes women fighters are in Orlnathi tradition there also a specific cult for them which is vinga, she used to be seen as a daughter Orlanth, know i think she is more often seen as an aspect of Orlnath. The best stuff I have read on the sexuality of the Orlanthi is in King of Dragon Pass, but to my memory I cant remember specifics regarding homosexuality. My instinct would be that Glorantha is more liberal the RW history.

Anyway 2 new groups of NPC's on the site; http://www.backtobalazar.com/barons-blackshields/ http://www.backtobalazar.com/lunar-hunting-expedition/

Cheers Worrapol, its nice of you to say so, anything that would help more for the campaign?

There is also the intelligent chimp up with gon orta. Its fair to say they fit the world the amount is up to you, I use them sparingly but i tend to want to run gritty camapigns

Sometimes you just get strange images in your head, i think I saw them similar to medeivil italian city states, and there wa s p[icture once of a man with a rapier similar to thieves world and the image stuck

im not sure why but safelster has always carrie din my head this image of being a little 'generic fantsay', unsure why, maybe completely unjustified.

Things I think that made Pavis stand out were The numerous supplements that created the feel for Prax The artwork The desert setting The cosmopolitan nature made it a melting pot for different ideas and there were not the restrictions that a Balazar, Colymore or Praxian campaign would have. The Griselda stuff