SDLeary

@MOB Same as the original print run, or cleaned up a bit? SDLeary

Academia.edu has lots of excellent papers! Id also like to put forward two YouTube channels: Esoterica and Crecganford. Esoterica is about the Western faith, philosophical, and magic traditions. They have an interesting recent cast on Yahweh, his origins and ultimate merging with El, among many others. Crecganford broadens things out a bit to cover (mostly)PIE, mainly focusing on comparative mythology and folklore, with some deeper dives into particular cultures. Also tying things into cultures on the periphery of the PIE world where cross pollination can be shown to have occurred. SDLeary

Considering what Chaos represents, I'm not sure aberration is the correct term. Manifestation probably fits more! 🙂 The current holder of Chaos though could argue the point. SDLeary

Not sure of his other campaigns, but during the early-mid eighties one (iirc, there has been more than one Sandy campaign in Pamaltela), there were broo, but not the "normal" broo you see in Genertela. These things were alligator broos, scorpion broos, dinosaur broos, and so on, along with some bigger monstrosities coming out of Nargan. As far as attacks, while attacks on the Kresh were not unheard of, the majority of the attacks fell on the Arbennan and other semi-nomadic Doraddi the most. SDLeary

Color me seriously surprised! On the shopping list! SDLeary

Wait... you didn't know Greg was the Great Trickster?! 😉 SDLeary

I missed this in the guide... So seeing this has caused my head to churn... and churn... and out spilled... Cactus Aldryami! SDLeary

Pendragon route? Personality Traits along with a list of "Virtues" that the various factions look for? Perhaps the sum of such virtues are a measure of soul, at least as regards the faction that values such virtues. Others see the sum as powerful, but of the wrong flavor (or color if we use "auras") and perhaps do naughty things to such a being rather than courting them to their camp? That's off the top. SDLeary

For me, it’s not that Elmal and Yelmalio are the same entity. It’s more that, socially, they are seen as different, worshipped differently, and have different organizational structures. In Orlanthi society, Elmal is The Sun, the Defender of the stead and integrated into clan and tribe. He fights in skirmishes and in the shield wall with good Orlanthi, rides patrol and stands watch. Yelmalio is a foreigner. He is standoffish, gathers mainly with his own. His followers fight in their own groups, and even if they are allied with you, they act on their own and follow their own rules. And watch your back, because for the right coin, they can easily become your enemy. off to work… SDLeary

Thanks much! An added detail that I missed! SDLeary

Sorry, my question was not about fire powers specifically. More the overall representation of Elmal, where he is the Orlanthi Sun in multiple areas. Guide Vol 1, p.37 – Minor Deities: ... , Elmal the Sun God Vol 1, p.152 – Storm Pantheon – Elmal: Sun God (, )[sorry, forgot about not being able to use the R font, and don't have the pic files handy] Vol 1, p.188 – Runegate (town): The town has a large temple to Elmal the Sun God and Hyalor Horsebreaker. Vol 2, p. 646 – Celestial Bodies: The Sun – ... Most Orlanthi say that the Sun is Elmal, a thane of Orlanth, while in Pent it is Kargzant, the Horse God who was a rival of Yelm when the Pentans ruled Dara Happa in the First Age. ... And then the entry which you reference which is on a Chronicle from 550ST (is that the one you would omit?). The fact that Yelmalio appears more doesn't negate what is written about Elmal, as Yelmalio is considered part of the Solar folk, and recognized by the Aldryami. Also, in Vol 2, p. 647, in the section on Lightfore, Yelmalio is equated by the Orlanthi as Lightfore (not Elmal). So it appears as if the Orlanthi (note the collective here) believe that Elmal is the Sun God, and that Yelmalio is a different god. I can certainly see how Monrogh's rebellion could attract a substantial following, to the point where actual Elmal worshippers might be in the minority, and possibly in decline in Sartar, but can that really be said of all Orlanthi society? And, if it can, how has that happened in only 60-80 ish years, with the Opening only being about 40 years? (blah, blah Heroquest... So back to Godlearnerism?) SDLeary

And in the Guide? SDLeary

Any improvements? Typos cleaned up, etc? SDLeary

This. Many times over. Roleplay the culture shock! Its fun! (perhaps not so much for the GM though!) 🙃 SDLeary

Thanks David. Saw that and already contacted them. An initial look (via web) at the posts doesn’t look like it has the discussions I was looking for. Will check the decompressed archives later. SDLeary

Can anyone point me to an active archive with the old Glorantha Digest? I was searching last night, and found an index, but when I clicked on the link, it was broken. It was a link to a post from @Joerg from 1994 discussing Elmal. More importantly, I’d like to add the Digest “issues” to my local archive of the old various RQ-Digest runs. SDLeary

Isn't that basically the prelude to Firefly? 😉 SDLeary

Unless things have changed, I'm not sure that's true. Jeff has stated in the past that Elmal (at least differences between him and Yelmalio) would be listed in the Yelmalio write-up. I really really hope I'm wrong though... culture has to win out over Godlearnerism at some point. SDLeary

We are of an age, and have the same concerns sir! SDLeary

I'll admit that is somewhat fair. I think the issue is the buildup, to the announcement, of a product that we already knew about, announcing that the product was coming (rather than an actual release of something), and that it was now MANY more volumes strung across a much larger timeline. At least that is the way I reacted to it. If it "opens the floodgates", that is certainly progress. I'm just not sure why this could not have been a CoP style book(s), with the greater detail about variability actually integrated into the actual region/culture books. This would have probably been more efficient, and we would more-than-likely have at least Sartar and Pavis by now, two other long known and worked on supplements. SDLeary

ARGH! 10 different volumes?! Perhaps I'll stick with CoP and the Guide and roll my own. Why can they spend that kind effort on the faiths, and not actually introduce us to the cultures that embrace those faiths? In fact, I'd much rather have rich regional guidebooks that talk about the culture, faiths they worship, and how they vary from other areas if they are the same or similar deity. SDLeary

Sigh... So a teaser about an announcement. An announcement which isn't something new, but simply to reveal that what had been two volumes, and then three, has now morphed into 10, and there isn't even an actual release now? I'll end up purchasing them, no doubt, but it is somewhat disappointing. SDLeary

Hmmmm, I wonder... New Path... With the deflation of a particularly large game company, and the thirst for somewhat generic fantasy that's NOT DnD, I'm wondering if it couldn't be a new edition of Magic World. Or, is it possible that Lord’s of the Middle Sea is ready? SDLeary

God that would be horrible... We would move the timeline another 6 years forward, and start with Sartar ALL OVER AGAIN!!😧 SDLeary

Or... egads! Perhaps it's FINALLY Mythic Iceland! Not holding my breath though. 😉 SDLeary