Evilroddy

Interesting thread so far. But how extravagant and decadent can a 5,000 soul town in a semi-arid backwater be?

Cheers.

Evilroddy.

David Scott:

Why develop water screws and pumps when you can enslave (long-term binding enchantments) elemental spirits to move your water up hill or along to fields? Why build cranes when sorcerers or priests can animate very heavy stone and lumber loads to walk themselves to building sites? Magic tends to suppress technological innovation and application in my Glorantha unless you experience the highly disturbing examples of Zistorite and God Learner pragmatism which threaten the fabric of the magical, spiritual and divine worlds operating pervasively under the surface of Glorantha.

Even time, experience and history are somewhat mutable in Glorantha, despite the Great Compromise, so even trying to catalogue and date a technological history may be thwarted by meddlesome heroquesters changing mythical pathways and past realities in order to alter modern temporal understanding of what has been. In a world where just about all "reality" is mutable illusion and myths, these questions become unanswerable and somewhat pointless. That is why in my Glorantha, many scholars tied to mobility or illusion runes scoff at fixed histories and discount the value of well catalogued and organised temple libraries where "false order" can eclipse truer understanding of the nature of Gloranthan "reality". This is a big bone of contention between change oriented scholarly traditions and scholarly traditions tied to the stasis rune. Needless to say, Mostali go almost apoplectic when confronted with these notions of historical fluidity and temporal mutability, but in the opinion of many human scholars they are occluded by their insistence on a fixed order and their blind devotion to the immutable nature of their Great Machine dogma; in the eyes of most Lhankor Mhy and Ippri Ontor scholars, that is.

 So just go with the flow and let whimsy and fancy take you where they will. 

Cheers.

Evilroddy.

Jon:

These are the Wargames Foundry 28mm figures I use for Sartarians.

https://www.wargamesfoundry.com/collections/european-bronze-age-scandanavia-north-west-europe-1600-bc

They're metal and they're a wee bit more expensive but they paint up well and look very good on the skirmish table.

For Lunars I use Crocodile Games Miniatures.

https://www.crocodilegames.com/store/itemDetail.cfm?prodID=455&catID=40

Cheers.

Evilroddy.

Print.slasar:

A prominent dwarven business owner named Agbardixitle Blackchert is acting as a frontman for a group of Pavic merchants who are interested in reopening the mines at Dwarf Knoll if the ore body is rich and sustainable enough. He hires and sends the party plus a few other mercenaries to guard and protect a couple of dwarven mining experts from Pavis. One is Ojadarr Veinsusser a curmudgeonly old Mostali who knows mining but is also a disreputable alcoholic and is down on his luck. The other is Porbeen Pluton a younger and more responsible dwarf who is acting as the assistant to Odajar and as his minder. 

The party traverses the Long Dry, encountering a vicious and xenophobic shaman named Ikogie Spiritleaper of the Twistbone Sable Clan, who harasses the party with spirit sendings over the course of a day and a night before losing interest. Ikogie is accompanied by her assistant and by a sable warrior named Ulhanhi Strongbow (he uses a captured composte bow with some skill instead of the more usual self bow).

As the party approaches Dwarf Knoll they find the old tailings pit, now a water hole of inferior quality, occupied by fifty or so sable riders of the Twistbone Clan. There are about 14 men, 18 women, and about 14 children and eight slaves in the clan along with 76 sables, two Llamas, a bison and 11 impala, all animals are domesticated. The clan is not hospitable and demands three challenging tests of the party's worth before allowing the party to water mounts and rest at the oasis unmolested. The tests include a skills test of hunting three impala from a nearby wild herd, a magical test (the Peaceful Cut ritual and a butchery skill test, meat to go to the Twistbones) and a martial test vs. a Twistbone champion. If the party succeeds in all three tests then the Twistbones allow them to stay but are stand-offish and aloof. If they fail one test they are humiliated but allowed to water before being sent away. If they fail two tests they are denied water and sent away. If they fail all three tests they are attacked and either killed or captured to be sold into slavery as foreign enemies of Prax.

Whatever the result of the tests, except for total failure, the party proceeds to the nearby mines to conduct their investigation. Happily there is some stagnant water in the mines which, while barely potable, can be used to water mounts and party members alike. Animals will be fine but party members must make Con X 5 rolls or suffer mild illness, the runs and dyspepsia. The mines are right beside and below the artificial knoll where the Mostali miners used to live and process the copper. The mines are occupied by some dwarven creations like nimlergs and gobblers. There is also a pack of 12 feral Trollkin who have fallen under the brutal and unsophisticated sway of a minor Tien priest and fugitive Morokanth named Eejabao Throatrender. The Tien worshipping pack will attempt to ambush or pick off party members as they are fearful and have very poor morale/elan and no real armour to speak of. The pack has amassed a rich hoard of loot from preying upon vulnerable travellers along the Old Pavis Road over the last year or so. The party must deal with the denizens of the mine in order to make their appreciation of the mine's viability.

When they emerge from the mine, which is a taboo place to the sable folk, the Twistbone Clan has been reunited with Ikogie Spiritleaper the shaman, who will turn the clan against the party for un-Praxian behaviour. A harrowing chase will result until the party is either able to escape, is captured/killed or drives off the dozen sable riders out to get them. Ikogie will accompany the sable braves as will her apprentice. There are two veteran sable riders, four warriors and six young novice scouts plus Ikogie and her apprentice. Scouts have self bows and light clubs. Warriors have selfbows lances, shields and either axes or clubs/maces. Veterans have the same as warriors but have scimitars too. Shamans have daggers/sickles and selfbows. Scouts and shamans are unarmoured except for light leather, warriors have hardened leather armour and veterans have light scale shirts and skirts with metal helmets and hardened leather limbs. All are mounted with warriors and veterans on cavalry mounts and scouts on skittish riding beasts. Ikogie and the apprentice will also be mounted on riding beasts unsuited to melee combat.

Cheers.

Evilroddy.

Happy Birthday Mr. Stafford and thank you for forty wonderful years of sharing your brainchild of Glorantha with us all. What a marvellous place to lose oneself in the reverie of imagination and role playing. I hope you have many more happy birthdays, prosperity and satisfaction. Bravo, sir, on your journey of seven decades through the tumultuous seas of time, and let's all hope to avoid the final closing of that sea for as long as possible. Congratulations!

Cheers.

Evilroddy.

On November 10, 2017 at 2:04 AM, Jon Hunter said:

Are there part of Glorantha that you never use as either you don't like them or you don't understand?

With me ducks never get a mention in games, i have not un-invented them and don't deny them. They just don't appear.

Also Mostali never get used, just because i cant work our how to play them well or involve them in a campaign. 

anyone else?

Jon:

Years ago my circle of RuneQuest players and I jointly and severally ran a cooperative campaign in Balazar, the Elder Wilds and the blank lands of Garsting and Jarst. One player/referee named Dave placed an isolated "Shangri-La" for Ducks in the Nand Valley along the lower Seronde River and called it the Republic of Canardia. Many an evening of silliness and deep frustration was spent arguing and negotiating with the "Founding Feathers" of this quarrelsome and absurd republic in order to repeatedly secure transit rights and safe passage to supply a player established community further upriver called Fort Yrmma. I still twinge and get unsettled thinking about it almost forty years later and I still haven't forgiven Dave for doing that to us! 

Cheers.

Evilroddy.

Locations in Glorantha which I have never used are Slon, Tarien, the Eastern coast of Pamaltela, the Nargan Desert, Vormain, The East Islands, Telos, Valind's Glacier, Koromondol, Brithos, Rathorela, and most of Jrustela.

Critters and races which I never have used are Balucitheres, Dwerelan, Gods incarnated on the mundane plain, Lesser Hydras, Hydras, Gyndrons, Orcs (A Griffin Island aberration which I never accepted) Orveltor,, Ouori, Scythanni, Slarges, Surutran, Titanotheres, True Dragons (unless they're dormant geographical features), Weartagi (although I have used ghosts, wraiths and undead of Waertagi origin, just no living ones), Watchweres, Ysabbau, and Zabdamar.

Cheers.

Evilroddy.

Jon:

P.S. I liked reading your five-part list of encounters too! Very nicely done.

cheers again.

Evilroddy.

Jon Hunter:

An interesting group of NPC's which you have created as the companions to Yalaring of Trilus. Well done, sir. Your Balazaring Renaissance is progressing well. Congratulations on breathing new life into this classic setting.

Cheers.

Evilroddy. 

Wlewisiii:

Why is it necessary to give the boy a comprehensive understanding of the world of Glorantha before he plays? My recommendation would be to teach him and his friends as they adventure in this magical and mysterious realm. Have the players start as newbs in Lunar occupied Sartar c. 1613 and let them run afoul of the Lunars in post-rebellion Sartar, after a few adventures. Then, fleeing for their lives they escape to the Pol Joni Marches and Pimber's Block to sign on as caravan guards with Biturian  Varosh. Thus they play and experience his travels first hand so that they can learn along with him as they go. Sprinkle your own adventures into the Biturian cycle and you're good to go.

Once they have been seasoned, toughened up and improved in some key skills, then have them arrive at Pavis for some post conquest shenanigans in the City of Thieves and the Big Rubble. Let them make, and likely lose, a fortune or two at the hands of Sor Eel, Bor Eel, The Rat, Wolfshead or Griselda and then have them beat it out of town for self-preservation so you can have them trek about the Zola Fel Valley. Eventually have them enter service with Duke Raus and they can do the Borderlands, River of Cradles and/or the Shadows on the Borderlands adventures.

Then they can jump off to Balazar after travelling to Gonn Orta's Pass and enjoy the Griffin Mountain adventures and more. I would recommend Jon Hunter's "Back to Balazar" webpage resources for inspiration in order to spice up the Griffin Mountain campaign with great personalities and scenario ideas. If they eventually get access to the Windsword, then have them drawn to Talastar and the Riskland Campaign, where they fight chaos horrors in and around Dorastor. Here they can also begin to learn about Gloranthan cosmology, mythical cycles and begin to experiment with serious  heroquestng for high stakes. From there the world's their oyster until they poop out or meet Harrek and his company in Esrolia. The sky is the limit.

Whatever you choose to do and whatever path you elect to follow, I hope you and your boy have a great time gaming and experiencing the marvel that is Glorantha. And if Genertela is not enough, then take him to Pamaltela for some more high adventure!

Cheers.

Evilroddy.

On July 20, 2017 at 2:50 PM, Jeff said:

Just pondering through EvilRoddy's original post. The party wants to travel across Vanch and Sylila, avoiding population centers, and skirting along until they reach Talastar. That's certainly doable - and if the gamemaster wants to simply narrate the journey, knock off some silver (for the ferry across the Oslir at the very least), I'd certainly view that as perfectly reasonable.

If on the other hand, the gamemaster wants to introduce some tension and excitement to the travels, here's some off-the-top-of-my-mind suggestions:

• Local villagers are convinced the skulking barbarians are the same bandits or raiders who have been troubling the area and either send out the militia or recruit the Seven Samurai to hunt down the "bandits";
• The party finds themselves drawn into an "anti-Orlanthi" ritual of the local temple - maybe Hwarin Dalthippa, maybe Yelm, maybe Yelmalio, etc.
• The party finds themselves drawn into a "enlighten the blinded" ritual of a Red Goddess priestess. The priestess is friendly, helpful, and determined to Illuminate the barbarians.
• A band of Pentan scouts offer to ally with the party. They too want to find a route that a small army could travel through South Peloria without notice....
• A big unfriendly spirit - Lunar or Fire - is wandering across the landscape and drawn towards the party.
• A Lunar aristocrat is hunting with companions and decides to hunt "the most dangerous game".
• While trying to cross the Oslir, some Water spirits or intelligent fish wish the party to help them with a ritual to undermine the dykes that keep the Oslir River in its banks.
• Vanchite Orlanthi contact the party and beg the Rune Lord to help them summon a more powerful manifestation of Orlanth into their temple in the hills. Of course this might require overcoming the manifestation of Hwarin Dalthippa or Yara Aranis or whoever is "suppressing" Orlanth in that area.

 

 

Thank you Jeff. Some great ideas, two of which are variants of things I am planning to do. You almost read my mind on the hunting party encounter. My plan is that a small group of off-duty Lunar cavalry officers plus a gaggle of beaters and some dog handlers are after a Vanchite smilodon when they spot and/or are spotted by the party near the cliffs at the southern tip of the Hungry Plateau. What happens next is anybody's guess. The only thing that is certain is that the cavalry officers are bored and spoiling for some adventure.

The second similar idea is that the party meet or are ambushed by some Vanchite brigands/rebels. When the brigands realise that the party are mostly Lightbringers they suspend hostilities, parlay and then bring the party before a powerful Kolating shaman -Umaskamar Thunder-drummer. The shaman demands that the party help the brigands to attack a fortified farming compound which has been recently built too close to the brigands' territory. If the players agree and succeed in the task they will get a scout to guide them to the Syilian frontier. If they fail in the attack and survive they will be allowed to proceed but without help and with the Lunars alerted to their presence in the region. If they refuse they will be harassed by the shaman's sendings and possible brigand attacks plus the locals will inform upon the party to the Lunar authorities.

I have already used a variation of your second bullet point before the party (in a slightly different form) joined the trans-Pent caravan. They were drawn into a ceremony by the local Hon-Eel temple to protect the Orayan marches from rogue Kashis raiders as they rode towards the Red Hair Place. While riding towards the caravan marshalling point, the party found themselves lost in the dark spirit-ridden mists choking the undulating grasslands of the hero-plane and battled both Orayan militia cavalry and Kashis reivers to prove their worth to Hon-Eel the Artess. Then the mists cleared and they had to pick which side to support in a mundane but small pitched battle. They chose to support the militia cavalry and tipped the scales enough to drive the renegade Kashis off. They were then allowed to continue on their way.

By the way, for the benefit of all who have posted to date, this is a RuneQuest game using elements of both RQ II and RQ III with some home brew modifications.

The new leg of the adventure starts tonight, so we'll see how the party fairs and what choices they make.

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.

Thank you to you all for your input and counsel. It seems that the Lunar Empire possesses no means to magically or spiritually track foreigners who enter or traverse Lunar territory so long as those foreigners avoid temples, large towns, cities and holy places. So it is feasible for the party to attempt this. They intend to avoid all population centres and will stick to rural areas as much as possible. Crossing major rivers might be the one time they will have to approach centres of civilisation during their crossing. 

As to the encounters and the sources of jeopardy they will face during the crossing I have plans for the party, but such plans would have been mooted if the Lunar "AWACS" infrastructure could have pick up their presence and tracked their progress reliably. Some of my players check out this site on occasion so I will not delineate the nature of the perils which may face the travellers but sufficed to say this transit will not be a cake walk for our neophyte, west-faring trekkers.

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.

Oh, wise Magus Byll:

In reading your post I noticed something which has been staring me in the face but has gone unnoticed by me for quite a while. You mentioned a "seventhed" illuminate as a guide towards Dorastor for the party. Dorastor made me think of Ralzakark which made me think of broo which in turn made me think of Thed. Then I saw it in a blinding flash of mini-revelation. "Seventhed", is it seventh-ed or seven-thed and thus Seven-Thed! More searing insight into the insidious corruption of Nysalor/Gbaji and possibly the influence of Ralzakark? Enquiring minds want to know! Have I just solved a Nysalor riddle posed by the Magus Byll and seen a glimpse of my seventh soul or my inner broo, or both? 

Cheers and good gaming?

Evilroddy.

Oh, wise magi:

Some great ideas and I thank you for them. I may incorporate some of them in to the passage. 

However my key question has not been addressed and that's my fault for not making it clear enough. The answer to the question will shape the passage narrative strongly. So I will ask it again:

9 hours ago, Evilroddy said:

Given that clan wyters can detect the presence of foreigners on clan lands does the Lunar empire have magical and/or spiritual mechanisms for detecting aliens crossing its territory remotely or must it rely upon military patrols and interrogation of intercepted foreigners to secure its sovereignty?

The ability or inability of the Lunars to detect and track the party will determine whether the party can successfully avoid problems over and above the encounters that would normally occur for any party moving through the region. I should point out that two party-members have in their possession magic items which the Lunars would likely confiscate if they became aware of the item's presence, so party stealth and evasion will be key to a successful transit. I need to get your opinions; can the Lunars detect by magical or spiritual means small parties of non-Lunars moving through their heartland territory?

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.

To the wise Magi of Glorantha:

I need counsel and help for my campaign. Well, the party, or more accurately what's left of it, has returned from crossing Pent with the Red Hair Lunar caravan (great adventures there by the way) and are now hellbent on travelling to Talastar and Dorastor to continue their adventures. They've got it into their group-mind that they are now destined to begin west-faring  in preparation for bigger ritual things to come and want to fight chaos and then cross the Kartolin Pass to travel across Railos and the Korions. One player character is an Orlanthi Rune Lord who is a fugitive from Lunar law in Sartar, the Far Point and Pavis County as well as having run afoul of the "authorities" in Balazar. Another is a Vingan on the cusp of becoming a Red Woman (Rune Lady) but she has kept her nose cleaner and while not popular with Lunar authorities, she is not yet wanted by Lunars anywhere. The third established PC is a powerful Yelmalio Horse Archer and duellist who has earned the enmity of some powerful Lunar persons, but has not broken any laws per se. One replacement PC is now playing a Pentan adventurer who wants to see the world and unbeknownst to the rest of the party is scouting out the Lunar empire on her own initiative for military intelligence purposes. The last replacement PC is a sort of Kingdom of Ignorance knight-errant/ronin who has taken up common cause with the PCs, but is just along for the ride. The NPCs in the party include a Sword Sage of Lhankor Mhy (senior initiate) and an Issaries Golden Tongue (senior initiate) and both are not wanted by the Lunars but have a bad track record in the cordial relations department.

The party plan to ride from the eastern fringes of the Oraya Sultanate southwest across the Lunar Heartland. They will skirt south around the southern tip of the Hungry Plateau through very rough territory and then cross the heart of Yelmic and Lunar civilisations. They intend to cross Sylilia and then Larkene until they arrive at the Kingdom of Bilini. The party has been away for almost two years serving as caravan guards and generally acquitted themselves well with the red haired masters. They intend to avoid population centres while traversing the Lunar heartland but will be within the Glowline and the arcane perception of the Lunar Godess and her followers.

So my question is how likely can a party of politically hostile but passive Lightbringers cross the heart of the Lunar empire without running afoul of Lunar magical and spiritual defences, if they are disguised, circumspect and furtive in their crossing? They all but one speak some Pelorian and two are quite fluent speakers. They are flush with money, so need not rob and pilfer their way across the Lunar Empire. Given that clan wyters can detect the presence of foreigners on clan lands does the Lunar empire have magical and/or spiritual mechanisms for detecting aliens crossing its territory remotely or must it rely upon military patrols and interrogation of intercepted foreigners to secure its sovereignty?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and input.

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.

And let's not forget that Praxian Bison Tribe hit - "Wooley Bully" by Sam the Shaman.

Or Van Morokanth's "Brown Hide Girl" and "Moontrance".

Nor should we discount the Kerofini classic, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", by Marvan Gor.

"Devil With a Blue Streak Gone" by Witch Ryder.

"I Love Rock and Bolgs" by Jaganatha Jett.

"La Binga" [Bang] by Twitchy Talons.

"Lightson of a Creature Man" by Dusty Seafield.

"Mama's Got a Brand New Hag" by Jomes Brown, the hardest work'in Uz in Rock and Roll.

"Red Magic Woman" by Sant-Xentha.

and finally the memorable "Turn Beat-Pot Around" by the Mostali Sound Machine.

Argh, I've got to stop this!

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.

The title of this thread always makes me think of a 1960's garage band! "Mrs. Bronze you've got a lovely Moonson!". "I'm Phaoroh and the eighth I am". The Gagarthi classic, "Wild Thing" and who can forget, "Troll, you've really got me Uzzy!". Not available in stores.

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.

Wow! What else can be said. Just wow. This sounds like quite the dysfunctional party and reads like Fifty Shades of Rufelza!. That's quite the psycho-drama you have ticking away there. And that must be some secret driving several party members. I hope that when it all comes out the the blood-soaked, dirty laundry of your campaign that you share it here too. I am intrigued. Game on!

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.

Pentallion:

How did your party get from freemen in Dagori Inkarth to slaves on an Island off Palmatela in such short order? I think I have narrative whiplash! This sounds fascinating.

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.

Pentallion:

More interesting entries as the perplexing story unfolds through the keyhole. Thanks again for sharing. In the spirit of editorial help and not because I am a pedantic pain in the butt (which I regrettably am) there is a your which should be a you're in the line, "Be calm, your okay, your baby is well". I'm sorry but I'm a teacher and I just can't help myself sometimes. Please forgive my unhealthy compulsion to correct and my inexplicable fascination with red ink pens! Mea culpa.

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.

Interesting entries, but they suffer from a lack of context. I suspect there is a fascinating campaign here! Thanks for sharing this.

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.

Quackatoa:

Ponsonby is delightfully composed and makes for an amusing or possibly an hilarious NPC. How do you see him becoming a hero of the Hero Wars? How will he leave his mark on Glorantha? Is he the ducks-amorum to Faitikus' Dux Bellorum? Will he woo Queens in Nochet and just generally duck things up? I crave to learn more of this elegant drake as he moves from public service in the militia to servicing the public in the City of Queens. 

Cheers and thanks for posting this.

Evilroddy.

Sayerson:

Lovely and funny postcards and very nice character portraits too. Well done, sir! Bravo!

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy

Jon:

I liked the Lunar jr. officer, the scout and the grizzled veteran peltasts group! Well done! Keep up the great work. Your NPC's are most interesting.

cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.

Jon Hunter:

I like Refuza the refusenik! Is she suffering from PBSD - Post Bat-tactic Stress Disorder? An interesting and complicated NPC with conflicting motivations is always a great asset to any campaign. Ones with real power or influence are even better. Bravo, sir! Thanks for sharing this.

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.