Bill the barbarian

10 minutes ago, g33k said:

A God Talker is part of interpreting the god(s) to Middle-world people; I think it takes being in your own body to have the perspective to do so.

 

Sorry,  I was referring to all Rune Levels, my bad,  Priests, Rune lords, and of course the god-talkers  (which you have given your thoughts on, thanx) who may or may not be RLs or RPs.

5 hours ago, Kloster said:

Allied spirits are initiated, so the should be able to perform worship.

and sacrifice for spells and RPs with any POW gained I would surmise. Or give the POW to a wyter as is discussed in elsewhere.

Now can an allied spirit (if somehow it managed to complete the requirements) become a god talker of any flavour?

Senet demo from 

tarsasoznijo

So,  above I call out  a couple of talking points 

1 Which Pameltelan country do you think the game

          a originated from

          b and how did it travel to the sailor's ports who brought it to Genertela

         c what do the masses mistakenly say of its origins

2 The tie in with death mentioned above, I say it is ties with the death rune but did not name cults, mechanics, and effects. I left that open as well

Any comments?

Senet

Picture from discoveringegyptdotcom

Today's contribution comes from Egypt of 5,000 or more ago. Seems like a interesting exotic and possibly magical transplant to Dragon Pass. It will be a bit of a journey to get there  though. For that we will give it a bit of a back story.

Hmm, So, where on the lozenge does this fine game originate? Let’s make it a southern nation, dry exotic and foreign in flavour,and old (still existing?) much like our marble’s Egypt coincidentally.  Not knowing Pamatela very well (at all, really) someone else will have to decide the place where the game was first played and its route to the neighbouring cultures (more than likely known only by the LM or their ilk). On the marble according to Wikipedia It traveled as follows:

Quote

Senet also was played by people in neighboring cultures, and it probably came to those places through trade relationships between Egyptians and local peoples.^[7] It has been found in the Levant at sites such as Arad^[8] and Byblos, as well as in Cyprus.^[9] Because of the local practice of making games out of stone, there are more senet games that have been found in Cyprus than have been found in Egypt.^[10]

To get to Genertela  will require sailing, and up to the end of the second age this was not a problem, Cursed, the Oceans spend most of the third age impossible to sail. With the the ending of the third age comes a sea change and with it the opening, sailors are returning and bringing their colourful and hieroglyph embellished boxes of Senet to northern ports for the first time this age 

So, ports than. Anywhere sailors gather, I would imagining one could find a game being played, Perhaps in foreigner or hip enclaves in Notchet the game continued to find favour through the years of the Closing as well, Pavis was once a great port, so let’s say it lived on there as well, with the Lunars discovering it during the occupation and have taken it back home (some to the heartlands and provinces, many to Tarsh) after the liberation by Argrath.  Non LM folk will have a common tale of its origin and a place name that will not only be wrong but possibly a bastardization of a real place or not a place at all. The gameplay section of Wikipedia's article (see below) mentions that the rules vary from place to place and considering its travels and centuries of isolation this makes sense for the lozenge as well.

An interesting note from the same Wikipedia article  ties this game to death rune at a later point in its blue marble Egyptian history so incorporating it into the mysteries of Glorantha death cults might not be improbable The article says"

Quote

At least by the time of the New Kingdom in Egypt (1550–1077 BC), senet was conceived as a representation of the journey of the ka (the vital spark) to the afterlife. This connection is made in the Great Game Text, which appears in a number of papyri, as well as the appearance of markings of religious significance on senet boards themselves. The game is also referred to in chapter XVII of the Book of the Dead.^[6]:

any ideas on which cults and how to place it  game context... and to what effect? I welcome any discussion that you feel worth adding. 

Cheers

Bill

From Wikipedia:

History

Senet in hieroglyphs
Senet (Sn.t, "passage/gateway")
Painting in tomb of Egyptian Queen Nefertari (1295–1255 BC)

Senet is one of the oldest known board games. Fragmentary boards that could be senet have been found in First Dynasty burials in Egypt,^[2] c.  3100 BC. A hieroglyph resembling a senet board appears in the tomb of Merknera (3300–2700 BC).^[4] The first unequivocal painting of this ancient game is from the Third Dynasty tomb of Hesy (c. 2686–2613 BC). People are depicted playing senet in a painting in the tomb of Rashepes, as well as from other tombs of the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties (c. 2500 BC).^[5] The oldest intact senet boards date to the Middle Kingdom, but graffiti on Fifthand Sixth Dynasty monuments could date as early as the Old Kingdom.^[3]

Gameplay

The senet gameboard is a grid of 30 squares, arranged in three rows of ten. A senet board has two sets of pawns (at least five of each). Although details of the original game rules are a subject of some conjecture, senet historians Timothy Kendall and R. C. Bell have made their own reconstructions of the game.^[11] These rules are based on snippets of texts that span over a thousand years, over which time gameplay is likely to have changed. Therefore, it is unlikely these rules reflect the actual course of ancient Egyptian gameplay.^[7] Their rules have been adopted by sellers of modern senet sets.

In a presentation to the XX Board Games Studies Colloquium at the  University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Espen Aarsethasked if the game Senet could be said to still exist, given that the rules were unknown.^[12] In response, Alexander de Voogt of the American Museum of Natural History pointed out that games did not have a fixed set of rules, but rules varied over time and from place to place. Moreover, many players of games, even today, do not play (or sometimes do not even know) the "official rules".

Games historian Eddie Duggan (University of Suffolk) provides a brief resume of ideas related to the ancient Egyptian game of senet (together with an overview of the so-called "Royal Game of Ur") and a version of rules for play in his teaching notes on ancient games.^[13]

2 hours ago, Kloster said:

Long live the Andouillette!!

So I take the link  to read about the history—you know, something relevant to our bronze age setting—of this delicacy and what does it say?

Quote

The original composition of "andouillette sausages" is not known and there is no record of the andouillette's composition from earlier than the nineteenth century.

So, after the nineteenth century we know what's in it, and before its a mystery meat!

Oh great,  the Bronze Age Donair!

2 hours ago, davecake said:

The Humakti generally do not consider ghosts as undead, but simply as dead who have made different choices.

Being dead is now a life choice? I don't think I belong in this century.

5

high enough?

7 minutes ago, jeffjerwin said:

As for the 'old wizard' character, Dunorl Brandgorsson is a sprightly 52 at the time of the battle, and he is busy escaping with part of the regalia (no doubt having foreseen Boldhome's doom) and Yanioth Two-Sight and her 3 year old son may also be with the refugees ascending Quivin; her husband Maniski having stayed with the defenders.

Good way to get them involved in the colymar arc as well, thanks, I can use that myself. I think we got something, high five?

Cheers

12 hours ago, Lord High Munchkin said:

Don't you mean "Gloranthan Solar Time"?

well perhaps (your Gloranthan Solar Time) the critical word was "your".

cheers

1 hour ago, RHW said:

The Bronze Age equivalent of pies are... pies.

 

And upon the 14th day of the third season (that being the season of Earth when Ernalda and all her earthly kin rain bounty down upon their faithful) that all celebrate that mathematical wonder of Addafix Calcuii of Karse's slightly less famous temple of knowledge. This worthy sage impressed all his brethren by putting to sleep the entire city ring of Karse by expounding for 23 and a half hours on  how the 14 day of the third season (yada, yada, yada Earth) become 3.14 and... you know I am really not sure, it was at this point that I fell asleep.

In any case, the only good thing as far as the non-Lhankor Mhyan are concerned was that he explained his theory with what was easily to hand in Earth season. the heavenly pie, perfect in its circularity! To this day all celebrate Pi day (Addafix was a good mathematician but a verey pour spelr)! One can find Eurmali also celebrating in their own unique way by hitting pompous sages right in the pusses with a big merengue pi.

Cheers

4 minutes ago, Joerg said:

Somehow that feels wrong - the barefoot guy is supposed to resurrect others.

No that was another guy, we'll be bigger than him. 

39 minutes ago, Joerg said:

There will be guests you know that will bring trouble, despite any vows of hospitality you might exact from them, but you still will have to offer them hospitality or suffer political and probably magical consequences. Tricksters and Storm Bull Berserks alike are more or less certain to obey the rules of hospitality more in the breach. SMU warlocks or openly chaotic Lunars aren't any better. And then there are in-laws...

That would suck for some poor low level fyrd member pulling short straw and being on patrol and encountering a very sturdy very dangerous looking bunch of murder hoboes, but of rank and obviously by the standards they carry tied to people of greater rank. The militia grunt is thinking of bed, fishing, his kids anything but the fact that fucking up here can mean more than his head but could bode ill for his clan should he fail his culture lore in "welcoming" the strangers. Then, as his heartbeat and sweat his very terror can not get anymore obvious they fail the Hospitality Test, They obviously mean to harm the clan. What does one do... The correct answer is his duty, this is way above his pay grade, He is to accompany these strangers to his next higher up and somehow alert them to his discovery but...

6 minutes ago, The God Learner said:

The first session started out with John, Paul, George, Stuart and Pete ...

 

and a Great Troll, but not the only one (would that be "old" one?)...
and me too says Yoko!

But we are getting ahead of the story....

2 hours ago, Joerg said:

Definitely true for Jar-eel (though she was killed by Harrek, and has to push aside quite the queue of people not amused by his actions), and true for heroquesters worth their salt. The "return from death" heroquest is one that should be written up, as it is a common trait of capital H Heroes and many of the more powerful heroquesters. There will be a range of variations, of course, but some may be within the reach of player characters. I do think that the quest should have some mandatory loss or a number of geases involved.

 

To those who love Roger Zelazny, am I alone in seeing a whole Jack of Shadows vibe here... the world is broken, the dead keep walking back from where the dead go and return to their life, some petty some not so much. It's a long hard slog and the weak do not make it. The analogy does not go much further but this will do for now.

11 hours ago, davecake said:

My self-description as Lhankor Mhy is only half a joke - you can assume I've read pretty much every public thing written for HW/HQ/RQ (most editions) etc. I also play regularly, both HQ and RQ. 

 

If HreshtIronBorne, will permit what seems a bit of thread drift... not much and it gets back on track immediately!

Awesome, than you might  have some insight into a little puzzle that has been picking at me There is a passage from thunder rebels page 34 that I have always wondered about... It's the Hospitality Test and how it seems to be a spell. But what powers it, says I. 

Quote

 

The ritual greeting combines Orlanth’s protection and welcome at the same time. It consists of a series of questions whose answers, if correct, are a binding oath empowered by Orlanth. Anyone who enters into the questioning is under Orlanth’s scrutiny and power. If the stranger speaks a lie during the rite, the questioner knows this before the stranger has a chance to act.

Thunder Rebels page 34

 

So might this be powered by a wyter? and seeing as the source is no longer canonical, do you think this interpretation will carry through to RQ G? Just opinions would be fine, but if anyone actually knows and would like to chime in, that would be lovely too!

The military applications of this are not to be overlooked, better than passwords or asking about denizens of a town and/or their sporting heroes to pass guard posts in out world. Friend of Foe, advance and be recognized my hairy northern butt.

Cheers

13 hours ago, Bill the barbarian said:

You don't happen to know anyone who likes to beat things with  sticks do ya, I mean with a bit of swing, doncha  know?

And a new legend was born as was the strangest HeroQuest™ that the Lozenge had ever seen... 

We now return you to your previously hijacked thread...

3 minutes ago, The God Learner said:

Guide to Glorantha doesn't have any stats, does it?

 

It has SIZ (lotsa SIZ)!

13 minutes ago, davecake said:

My self-description as Lhankor Mhy is only half a joke - you can assume I've read pretty much every public thing written for HW/HQ/RQ (most editions) etc. I also play regularly, both HQ and RQ. 

 

Yeah makes sense, I am a bit ahead for your average RQ player in these new things but I have been reading them in the digest for 1 or 2 decades and a friend gifted me with some classic HW/HQ materials at the time that RQ 6 hit the shelves and talk of RQ in glorantha was heard in the lands... greg and steve were coming back being whispered in dark alleys. Well since RQ G was announced I  have been struggling to get my old game in order in time to incorporate all the new and failing miserably (don't look in that dungeon, its under construction).

Now its time to start grasping the new realities as it were.

13 minutes ago, davecake said:

- for creating clan wyters in play, the Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes clan creation system. Also, the way in which wyters are used in HeroQuesting is informative - lending the support of the clan (in the form of the wyter) to heroquesters is a big decision, as it is a risk to the clan (but heroquests can also reward the whole clan). 

- for examples of clan wyters in play, The Coming Storm and the Eleven Lights. This also includes creation of a wyter.

- for wyters in warfare, the Glorantha Sourcebook description of the Sartar Magical Union is very useful. 

Great, I will have a look. 

Cheers

Encroyable!

Good answers Dave, They also makes sense from a real world magical reality as well. (yes these words can exist in a single sentence without time and space collapsing be nice or set phasers on ignore if you must this will be the only flakey sentence you will have to endure in this post). 

What sources are you referencing. Your material is a little too dense to be checking up on sans citations. Not that it needs checking but, again it is quite a bit of material. Is it all from play and knowledge gained from playing or are yo a bit of a scholar of the of HW/HQ stuff. 

Again, thanx for the answers, It makes it easier to evoke the mental images required to run our games until our references of all things good and Gloranthan arrive.

Cheers

This is often mentioned as a roman game (ergo the name) a viking game, something  definitely in the iron age of our world, but wikipedia hints of older origins... making me think of a couple of Lunars sitting under an apple tree on a rise. Below them the mass of stinking barbarian slaves...

Not good for spit says the first and moves a piece boldly to the centre of the board. Aye says the second a waste of good skin if ya ask me. He counters moving a piece tentatively on the side of the board... Yelm's Beard, its hot today,, care for some vinegar. Nothing beats the heat like it? No, I want to get home (pushes a piece) to my missus an our orchards, the cider ah the cider, not like the piss these wind worshippers drink... Gotcha now!

From our real world FAQ: Wikipedia...

Latrunculi

History

Sources

The game of latrunculi is believed to be a variant of earlier Greek games known variously as Petteia, pessoí, psêphoi, poleis and pente grammaí, to which references are found as early as Homer's time.^[1] In Plato's Republic, Socrates' opponents are compared to “bad Petteia players, who are finally cornered and made unable to move.” In the Phaedrus, Plato writes that these games come from Egypt, and a draughts-like game called Seega is known to have been played in ancient Egypt.

In his Onomasticon, the Greek writer Julius Pollux describes Poleis as follows:

The game played with many pieces is a board with spaces disposed among lines: the board is called the “city” and each piece is called a “dog;” the pieces are of two colors, and the art of the game consists in taking a piece of one color by enclosing it between two of the other color.

Among the Romans, the first mention of latrunculi is found in the Roman author Varro (116–27 BC), in the tenth book of his De Lingua Latina (“On the Latin Language”), where he mentions the game in passing, comparing the grid on which it is played to the grid used for presenting declensions.^[2] An account of a game of latrunculi is given in the 1st-century AD Laus Pisonis:

When you are weary with the weight of your studies, if perhaps you are pleased not to be inactive but to start games of skill, in a more clever way you vary the moves of your counters on the open board, and wars are fought out by a soldiery of glass, so that at one time a white counter traps blacks, and at another a black traps whites. Yet what counter has not fled from you? What counter gave way when you were its leader? What counter [of yours] though doomed to die has not destroyed its foe? Your battle line joins combat in a thousand ways: that counter, flying from a pursuer, itself makes a capture; another, which stood at a vantage point, comes from a position far retired; this one dares to trust itself to the struggle, and deceives an enemy advancing on its prey; that one risks dangerous traps, and, apparently entrapped itself, counter traps two opponents; this one is advanced to greater things, so that when the formation is broken, it may quickly burst into the columns, and so that, when the rampart is overthrown, it may devastate the closed walls. Meanwhile, however keenly the battle rages with cut-up soldiers, you conquer with a formation that is full, or bereft of only a few soldiers, and each of your hands rattles with its band of captives.^[3]

These fellows seem to illustrate the game better then anything else so...

1 minute ago, The God Learner said:

Let's go mate. You can say I'm a Great Troll. But I'm not the only one. 

Goo goo, ga joob, Hey, Yoko, can ya bring tha bag, cheers.

You don't happen to know anyone who likes to beat things with  sticks do ya, I mean with a bit of swing, doncha  know?

3 minutes ago, The God Learner said:

Imagine there's no heaven. Above uz not even Sky.

 

Oy, that's pretty good mate, Want to join me bawnd? (said in a very bad Liverpudlian accent, one so bad it could cause a war!)

2 hours ago, jeffjerwin said:

I find it plausible that the the trolls would have some means of getting out but whether it involves giant insects or the lava tunnels made by Quivin himself is another matter.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth, 1864 Jules Verne,, of course. Should be a twist or two here