Sir_Godspeed

I wouldn't put it past trolls to ski or use snow shoes. They'd get tired of trudging through three feet of snow too, I'd imagine.

Ah, I must've conflated the forest giants and hollri, forgot they were separate.

From what I recall, Valind's followers as mentioned are mainly Ice trolls (by way of his alliance with Himile?) and some kind of frost giant. But he does have humanoid warriors, too? Are these mortals, or more like the demigods/lesser divines found somewhere like in Orlanth's hall? Part of what made me wonder about this was how Valind, unlike most deities, seem to be associated with one terrestrial area (the Glacier/north in general) as opposed to the more otherworldly domains of gods like Orlanth and so on. Don't get me wrong, I know there are hundreds of hills and mountains associated with Orlanth, but the contact with him there depends on ritual times and other factors, whereas the Glacier is sorta... always there? Admittedly, the easiest answer would be just to say that the Glacier is kind of a Gods Plane/Hero Plane domain the further north you go, or in certain spots, so it's not like you have roving bands of Valindings about in a mundane sense.

You and the God Learners, both. 😅

I'd totally be up for this being one (of many) possible outcomes of sailing out past the edge.

Well, this was definitely a curveball.

Isn't there any door-ward/"bouncer" of the hall that could offer some kind of challenge/greeting ("Halt, who approaches the Hall of the King of the Middle Air? Make yourself known!*", etc.) Elmal? Someone else? (*seems like a nice excuse to have them assume identities or run some minor Rune check or something, but obviously I'm just speculating)

That's my take on it as well, and I'm pretty sure Mostal being the cosmic order is straight up Chaosium-canon and mentioned in the Guide.

Just don't mention Elmal.

Except in names, where where pseudo-Latin is everywhere. Much like the Orlanthi have pseudo-Germanic/Celtic name elements all around the place. This is basically a worldbuilding artifact of previous interpretations/visions. In terms of artstyles and aesthetics, there's also a lot of India around. Lots of statues from the Lunar Empire and Esrolia are straight up based on Hindu sculptures, for examples. Some Orlanthi ascetic warriors look a bit like Hindu sadhus as well, judging from the guide. There's probably a convenient similarity (like the convenient similarity of Hittite-Hallstatt-Dark Age Germanic aesthetics) with Sumerian-Akkadian robes, wraparounds and loincloths with similar garments from the Indian subcontinent (and also with similar Greek clothing, I suppose). Also, a subversion of typical fantasy convention of "barbarians versus the decadent empire": the Orlanthi "Hill Barbarians" are on the tanner side, and the Imperial Lunars are on the paler side, *in general*. This doesn't always bear out with regards to prominent named characters though, as far as I've seen.

Yeah, a PC is probably someone struggling on the threshold of this. Deep enough to get interesting, playable powers, but not enough to yet have quenched their "worldliness" for lack of a better word. Or someone going through some personal issue that is blocking further advancement (strong personal passions regarding something specific, etc.)

Yes, but in all likelihood, this monorunic mysticism probably entails the runes getting power over them in turn, or rather, the line between them becoming blurred, in that typical "dichotomies are false, everything is one" kind of sense. My interpretation: Mr. Old Wind Mystic controls the winds, yes. Very powerful stuff. He can summon a storm or turn aside a tornado without suffering any harm. But he also goes when and where the winds take him. He builds no great clan coalitions or tribal empires. Its will is his. He's achieved mystical union with it. The tempest of ego has dissipated, and joined in the greater cycle of Airs. Sometimes this leads him to go on quests, but whose to say if it's him or the winds that are the source of that motivation? (Admittedly, someone this powerful might be past their PC stage, but you get the gist). Someone actively going in with the motivation of getting power over a rune sounds a lot more like sorcery.

Not necessarily as much "getting power over" as "reaching harmony with/becoming one with", etc.

Tufts / Greytufts etc. Mouser Fencer Lounger Leaper Pouncer Lunger Spots Stripes Lucky Duskwalker, Dusk-guest Old Man / Old Lady / Sir / Elder Spooks / Ghast / Shadow Watcher Stalker Eavesdropper ("Eaves" for short) Screech(er) Rambler Walker Runner Nightkit Moonkit Wildkit Housekit Footkit Sentry Watcher

I knew most of the European aristocracy were Satanists. More like Richard DEMONheart!

After reading Jeff's various comments on how Sartar works in other threads, my own mental shortcut is that Sartar is a case of "what if Kwarazm, but in the Caucasus?" It does have a weirdly high urbanization, which is sustained by intensive overland trade through geographical necessity. The wealth that flows through it is probably used to sustain food imports and/or intense landscape-reshaping in its nearby areas to sustain agricultural practices that would not have been even attempted if it weren't for the fact that some rich people were financing it in order to stay put (although I don't know any specific mentions of the latter, possibly the funnel sacrifices into the Earth temples to ensure statistically improbably, but not outright impossibly good harvests year after year.) I also think we need to reconsider a few things: Boldhome's footprint is, to the best my by knowledge, massive. It's not actually super-dense. It's a walled-in valley, with its own interior grazing areas (and possibly grain fields?). I don't know how much food it produces itself, but it would presumably offset the needs for import, if only a little. Secondly, many of those who "live in" Boldhome will probably also be farming the hillsides and valley floor directly outside the valley. Admittedly, this is true for anywhere in Glorantha and in history, so it might not explain much.

Definitely sounds like a fun plan, and something you can use Argrath's burgeoning, eh, "radicalization" for.

True, but that is a culturally defined view. As is every other view, of course.

I agree. I don't know about others, but I'd definitely prefer if Glorantha wasn't just 80-90% theism and animism with sorcery and mysticism as these tiny, tiny outliers. So making less restrictive, less imposing versions of them seems the path, at least for me. Minor sorcerous secrets for a carpenter's guild. Low mysticism for a martial arts school. That sort of thing.

Making of the Storm Tribe contains, if not a formal election, some process of acclamation, I think.

Now I'm imagining Mostali laboratories with 80s/90s oak paneling.

Happy New Years, may better things be coming!

Another fun idea for the pile.

That's neat, I like it.