Nevermet

I really love the God Runes, btw

The PCs didn't know them, so it's ok 🤗

Tomorrow night is my second session of my online HQG game, Caravan Calamity. Last session, the PCs discovered the body of their Caravan boss, started collecting evidence at the scene, and also became worried about the social-political consequences of the boss dying. As all three players are new to Glorantha and Heroquest, I am slowly bringing them up to speed. Setting-wise, they are aware they are on a caravan, and they know Elves are humanoid trees. This session they'll be introduced to Chaos, or at least the threat of Chaos, as someone will be starting a panic that there is an Ogre on the caravan! The ACTUAL Ogre on the caravan is rather upset at this rumour, as he's far too smart to kill the head of the caravan in the middle of nowhere.... that's just stupid. In terms of rules, I'm introducing extended contests and using Hero Points. Core things I know: I know who actually killed the caravan boss: a Trader Princess on the caravan, who is trying to taker over his freelance spy network. I know this was witnessed by a scholar from Solung who is on the caravan. The murderer is currently unaware of this, but if the players are sloppy they may inform her. I know which NPCs care, don't care, and are happy the caravan boss (who had a penchant for blackmail) is dead. I'm planning on re-reading the rules on long-term benefits to make sure I know how that works, so there is a mechanic to help them put the pieces together if they don't themselves. So... yeah. Wish me luck. I'll be back over the weekend to let yo uknow how it went.

This thread is fully outside the realm of what I can talk intelligently about, but I am following.

Looks like I'm going to be doing a close reading of the Entekosaid. Again. Wimper

To elaborate, up until this thread, I had been of the opinion that Ganestarus was a darkened aspect of Lodril / Turos. (I can argue this relatively well given the Entekosaid... I thought) I'm now rethinkng a lot.

And I can sympathize with that perspective to an extent, as it does seem almost petty to understand and know the infinite and essential forces of the universe to cast 3rd level Magic-User spells.

Well, that blows my mind, especially given that the Entekosaid came out in 1996, so it would be reasonable to assume his thinking didn't change THAT dramatically between the two. I'm too busy being fascinated to be upset how much that upends some things I concluded.

I suddenly feel like a lot of Carmanian and Western magic feels like magic at the beginning of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, where Serious Magic (tm) is a theoretical exercise, and actually using magic is looked down upon by a certain type of haughty Vizier. ....Of course, that all changes as the Lunar Empire begins to have "issues", Charg appears, and Carmania decides to save the Arrolian Properties. My God.... I kinda wanna run this now. Help.

Agreed. The more I think about what is "proven" regarding the mythological structure of Glorantha, the more a phrase from philosopher John Dewey comes to mind: less truth or proof and more "Warranted Assertability." Have I done things that seem to give me permission to make a claim (aka "Does it Work?").

My next paycheck is Friday. I will be buying this Friday.

I guess I could just as easily ask what runes are associated with Idovanus and play the antonym game. Idovanus / Ganestoro Law / Disorder (possibly Chaos) Truth / Illusion Light or Fire / Darkness (this would work well for the versions of Idovanus that get equated with Yelm.

Also, I just started 2 threads, and I want to make something clear: Currently, IMG, I do not believe Bijiif is Ganestoro. (I have completely different heretical understandings of Ganestoro 😎 )

Also, I just started 2 threads, and I want to make something clear: Currently, IMG, Bijiif is not Ganestoro.

Does Bijiif, the portion of Yelm smeared with ash that sat and waited in the underworld, have an association with the fire rune?

Pretty much what it says on the tin: what runes are associated with Estoro / Ganestoro / Ganesatarus? Even more specifically, are there any canonical statements about this? I could imagine cases to be made for darkness, death, disorder, illusion, chaos...

I have had dreams of doing exactly that, and then I remember I have no clue how to write gaming stuff. 😅😶

And.... I'm kind of embarrassed to ask this, but does anyone else find the unrelenting cycles of destruction to be depressing? I mean, to say that does not suggest it's low quality, but.... damn.

As I look at the map that got posted a while ago... it looks like Maniria somehow isn't flooded? If that's the case, I'm guessing some big Heler goings on, combined with some cities going domed liked Erenplose. And, of course, floating pigs. Also... what will the Flood do to the White Sea? Will the Sweet Sea rejoin the oceans?

The fact that they "proved" the Goddess is both Natha and Gerra is a neat trick for Pelandan religion. I mean, I'm sure that there's much more than that, but that is a kinda mindfuck. Also, given that, I'd imagine more than a few promoters of the Jernotian Way who had to be quickly removed from power as the region was lunarized. EDIT: Also, i'm not entirely sure how "proving" God 1 = God 2 works, but I'd imagine some Spolites resisted the lunarization of Gerra (though not many, given they would have seen the Lunars as liberators against the Carmanians I suspect)

Agreed 100%

I almost want to suggest the easiest way to read the Entekosaid is to only deal with the Entekosaid, accept that it is a series of myths (and a few snippets of history) from very different points in time, edited together by an unreliable narrator. I don't think I actually believe this, but I almost do

Also, why are you reading this? What do you want to get out of it?

I will not suggest a reading group I will not suggest a reading group I will not suggest a reading group... Heh, sounds like we should make a reading group! Dammit!

Yeah For cross referencing outside the Entekosaid, I found it handy to have The Guide, the Fortunate Succession, and the Glorious Reascent. Last time I read it carefully, I was more interested in figuring out Spol than Carmania, or perhaps I would have also had Revealed Mythologies handy too. But yeah, it's one of the least Godlearner-y texts there is.