Darius West

Are they really right though? I mean, Chaos monsters did murder Rashoran despite his tolerance. The idea of forming a tolerant relationship with a lethal malignant tumor (like Chaos) doesn't sound very wise to me. It sounds to me like embracing the Death of the World. Then there is the whole power gamer aspect of deception that goes with Nysalor, that essentially allows people to infiltrate even enemy cults without the gods being able to object. Nysalor is Gbaji, there is no contradiction, and Arkat was right to rid Glorantha of the bulk of this insidious threat. Also, Nysalor is a very shabby and inaccurate rip-off of Zen Buddhism which insults it. Glorantha is an RPG which features bronze age action and adventure. Are we apologizing for having fun now? While I think it is crazy, I can understand how some people could feel more attached to their religious identification via an RPG experience than they do to the religion of their birth. I think that is unfortunate on so many levels.

A 99% correlation is not a perfect correlation, it's true.

You have to wonder how much the devoured's former personality survives along with their other memories. It just adds to the horror of Chaos.

Most of the people on this forum despise Mongoose for various reasons. As to mercenary soldiers and drive skill (a) 10% won't achieve much (b) are you sure the primary use of the skill isn't for driving supply wagons? Even basic components change dramatically from culture to culture in shape, in material, in attachments. If you compare Scythian, Chinese, Greek, Celtic, Egyptian, Hittite, Assyrian, Roman, Seleucid etc. chariots change over time. A military shock chariot is very different from a racing chariot or a hunting chariot or a religious chariot or a war chariot designed for missile combat. As to the inaccuracies vis Ben Hur, I think I read about the body lacing of the reins in in Vera Oliviva's "Chariot Racing in the Ancient World" and a couple of other places. Does Gibbons mention it? Racers all carried daggers for hacking themselves loose from the reins, and it was made deliberately dangerous to make the sport more exciting, as well as allegedly offering the drivers more control over the larger 4 horse teams due to being able to exert greater strength. It was exclusively a Roman thing and mainly late empire afaik.

If it isn't on YouTube, the answer is they probably don't. I found an elephant having a go at a drum, but frankly they weren't showing much talent.

The whole concept of 6 Ages is great. Living through Glorantha "Before Time" in this way is a very original idea. I am apprehensive about the rise of Chaos in the new Lights Going Out expansion (for my poor clan, not for the game itself though). This is exciting!

I have to disagree. Chariot design changes remarkably over time. The materials change. The choice of weight changes. The number of horses change. Sometimes they are missile platforms, and sometimes they are shock weapons. Eventually suspension is developed. Systems of reins change. The wheels are separated from the axle (not the case in Ur chariots). The yokes change. The armoring of the sides varies a lot from culture to culture and over time. Then there are the scythed wheels etc. The variance between a chariot from Ur changes dramatically when compared to an Egyptian or Celtic chariot. There is clearly a lot of design change over time. While the technology of the chariot itself remains identifiable, virtually every element of the design is refined over time. As to no chages in driving them, the Romans are on record as lashing the reins around their bodies, which most earlier charioteers didn't do afaik.

For the past 40 years there has been a remarkable dearth of chariots in RQ. While I like the idea of chariots immensely, there is no mention of them in any of the histories or lore either, quite apart from what was written in RQ2 and RQ3. No mention of chariots in Wyrms footnotes or the various fanzines as part of how Orlanthi fight. No mention of chariots at the Battle of Grizzly Peak or during the Invasion of Sartar in 1602 or during Starbrow's Rebellion. There has been ample opportunity too. As such, as I don't like retconning, I have found a good work around I think.

That is easy. The thing holding Ralzakark back is his character. He simply doesn't want to do that. Exhibit A: The Monster Empire.

That is for gladiatorial combat a la ancient Roman sporting use of chariots, not bronze age military chariot deployment. I can't think of a single RQ scenario which featured a chariot or chariot warfare; not even as a novelty.

Well I could point out some salient points, such as the lack of chariot illustrations in White Bear Red Moon military units, but I won't. I happen to love the idea of making RQG more Bronze Age, and nothing says that more than chariots. When I first read about Volsaxi chariots, I immediately wrote a scenario involving the retrieval of such an ancient chariot, and a quest to drive it to the White Bull rebels in Prax for safe keeping. I would point out though that RQ2 and RQ3 and HQ had no chariot rules. They are purely from RQG, and I like them a lot. Retrofitting them into the lore however has been an issue. The way I get around this issue is that Argrath sees the utility of chariots among the Volsaxi forces and realizes their value for his Sartar Magical Union, and reintroduces what was a technology that largely died in ages prior, perhaps wiped out by the God Learners or the True Golden Horde. Rather than pretend chariots have always been there, I chose instead to link them to the Hero Wars as a reintroduction. This way we don't abandon the lore and history that went before, but instead celebrate the chariot rules as something exciting and new on the battlefield.

Then you should treat Greg and your work with more respect. These notes are actually quite detailed and provide plenty of useful info. When the time comes to start producing Hero Quests for RQG the Stafford Library will absolutely invaluable. Even a loose collection of notes are better than no notes.

Given that it is the best source material we have on a lot of lore, I think we should stop treating the Stafford Library so flippantly. It isn't as if Greg is around to do it better anymore, so we need to treat it as the obviously invaluable resource that these books so clearly are. That being said, if Chaosium ever produced the Stafford Library in printed form again, I would certainly purchase them. It is lore that the Volsaxi are the last Orlanthi to be chariot users. I think that came out in a TORM article by Greg in the 1990s, or it was in one of the many Jonstown Compendium footnotes somewhere from back in the day. The Volsaxi tribe are one of the last peoples in Genertela to use chariots.

All the Elder Races are potentially forces to reckon with if they unite. I think the Mostali in particular are terrifying in their potential.

They are all in The Stafford Library, and if that isn't canon then it damn well should be. And yes, I think they should all be included as they are part of the lore. I take exception to the notion that these are old "HW" subcults, as I never played HW because it was a terrible system. My thoughts on the matter are quite public. That has to be incorrect, as the Volsaxi are a super rare Orlanthi chariot people, while Finovan is a rider/raider god who rides a horse rather than driving a chariot as far as the literature tells us. More importantly I can see broad appeal in a deity who is able to enhance a clan's ability to steal cattle, which is a major source of wealth. The notion that Finovan is so narrowly worshipped and in the wrong place (Chariot heavy Volsaxiland) doesn't seem very credible to me. Finovan is too broadly valuable to every Orlanthi clan to be as limited in adoption as you suggest. More importantly, many if not all Tribal and Clan rings will include a Thunder Brother seat. It is part of the lore, and every clan or tribe of any size will incorporate the cult of at least one Thunder Brother, and while most may choose Elmal or Vinga, not all will or should. Diversity and respect for the deeper Lore will in no way diminish Glorantha, but will instead make it stronger.

What about the cult of Finovan? He rides upon Rolling Thunder, a magnificent stolen horse. As the pre-eminent rustling and raiding deity, why doesn't he get a mention? Rustling cattle is very hard on foot. Elmal may raise the horses, but Finovan steals them and rides them. If Elmal or Yelmalio were a better rider, Finovan wouldn't raid successfully.

You raise an interesting point about what Mostali wear Erol. I imagine their ordinary clothes might be a bit like this... While Mostali lingerie might be a bit more like...

I am surprised no God Learners made the cut. Surely Gloranthan history's munchkins par excellence must have had some superheroes? I mean, they are all dead now, I assume, but still... If Errinoru almost makes the cut and he's dead...

According to what I've read Harvar was doing both.

Vingkotlings originate in Dragon Pass. They will pilgrimage to Kero Fin. The fact is, in Far Point Harvar Ironfist as part of the Lunar Occupation tried to convert everyone to Yelmalio worship by force, hence his sobriquet. That went down slightly less well than the more persuasive Lunar tactics elsewhere. The point being that my position is backed by references. There is no mention of Dog Orlanthi in Far Point, and no mention of Yelmalios until Harvar Ironfist builds his Sun Dome temple in Alda Chur. I'm certain that both of these anomalies would rate a mention somewhere if they were valid.

To quote from page 169: "Yelmalio: God of the Winter Sun, Preserver of the Light. When Yelm traveled to the Underworld, Yelmalio preserved the dim, cold light until he returned. He also fought against Orlanth at the Hill of Gold, and even stole fire from Elmal one time. He is now worshipped by some Orlanthi who have abandoned Elmal." Now ALL Orlanthi culture derives from the Heortlands. They may have headed north, but at their core they look to the Heortlands as the heartland of Orlanthi culture, because that is where the Orlanthi survivors of the Great Darkness came from and spread from. In later ages Orlanthi from the north will go on pilgrimage to Kero Fin and the Temple of Old Wind and learn how to be proper Orlanthi. Elmal should be treated as a separate deity, even if he is a similar deity. Elmal is a Thunder Brother and thus a distinct part of Orlanth's pantheon. Yelmalio clearly isn't. Elmal and Yelmalio are culturally distinct religious practices and will continue to be separate whether or not they worship the same deity. Ultimately it is the worshippers who will decide and they will do so based on politics, and that means most clans won't want the disloyal thane Yelmalio to walk among them. 👉We literally have a reference to Yelmalio stealing Elmal's fire powers one time.👈 This suggests to me that Elmal has retained his fire powers, which has long been part of my Elmal cult write-up. As far as I am concerned the matter is closed and I consider my position completely vindicated.

Well, first up, Elmal is listed as a Thunder Brother in the Stafford Library's "The Book of Heortling Mythology". The Thunder Brothers are all Orlanthi subcults. Yelmalio is not. I direct you to page 169 where the situation is laid out in the Yelmalio section. Frankly I think Greg Stafford's own words are good enough for me.

"Other" is a very broad category. Given their pike based fighting style I am also surprised that the Agimori don't include more Yelmalios, but then Yelmalio has a problem with fire, as he doesn't have any. As to Oakfed, it is primarily useful as a weapon, and it would be hard to justify the Agimori maintaining a large cult, even if they are resistant to flames and likely to Oakfed more effectively as a result.

I would like to see The Day of the Beast" campaign written for Pulp C'thulhu. I mean, Castles in Transylvania, Egyptian Adventures, fighting a Fu Manchu character in San Francisco etc... It is very pulpy stuff.