Sir_Godspeed

Trolls struggle to preserve wooden architecture or tools around since it is literally edible to them. And reasonably tasty.

This is a generic hypothetical "you" and not me specifically, right?

I mean, who isn't.

It does look good with regards to symmetry and drawing attention to the face. Plus, it might be a particular choice made my people with no beard-growth (whether men or women), or in Orlanthi groups that traditionally shave their chins. Heck, it might even be a kind of metaphorical beard, albeit imbued with the properties of the tattoo in question, a bit like how the necktie is actually a massively derived handkerchief (if that makes any kind of sense).

Zzabur's book of inked skin, anyone? Oof. India has a long-standing love-affair with the moustache, and given the Indic/Dharmic inspirations found in Orlanthi culture and visual design, I suspect it's from there.

There are a few factors speaking for a (semi-)formalized court or mediation system. Or at least, the ingredients are there, imho: - Given the presence of traders and porters along the river and overland, there's a need for a system to solve disputes between locals and foreigners, as well as between foreigners. A failure to suitably deal with such disagreements, or the "dealing" being overly draconian (sending in the Gorites or the Humakti) might push trade elsewhere. - The existence of a set of formalized or semi-formalized (even if it's only normatively or customarily understood, not legally enshrined) set of rights and obligations particular to the city-state and its environs as a polity. - The presence of a class or scribes who have access to written records on transactions, land rights and interpersonal relations (marriages, indenturing, etc.). That's a lot of the work of a legal system already done. I'm not trying to push an agenda, but just putting forth that I wouldn't be too surprised if there was some kind of mediatory session for tort and restitution when parties either aren't directly connected to a Grandmother, or the Grandmothers fail to find a solution alone, for example, or to appease valuable foreign connections seeking some kind of restitution or at the very least a sense of security (legally speaking).

I apologize if I've touched on something sensitive, I was just trying to give an earnest summary of the differences with the free Vocies pamphlet I've read, and how Genertela is presented in the Guide and how Jeff tends to present it here on the board. I'm not implying that other visions are invalid (how could they be, with YGWV?). - Aeolians, along with other Malkioni have been changed in nomenclature and art depiction to be less medieval European. The Malkioni religion has become less an collective worship community (Aeolian community worship is now basically just Orlanthi religion) and more a social order and philosophical cosmology behind that social order, largely only fully explored by the Wizards themselves. I believe the title saint is not used anymore. I'm not sure if the overt French phonemes are still used or not. - I've got nothing against the Puma people, I just haven't seen a mention of them anywhere in the Guide or elsewhere. I may very well be wildly wrong. I think they're cool, but I'm not the one writing stuff for Chaosium, obvs. - As I mentioned, Chaosium is moving away from some of the Anglo-Saxon (and wider Germanic) titles for Orlanthi society. So no more carls, cottars, thanes and so forth in future Chaosium publications, it seems. Some people like it, some people don't. I was just trying to relay that to the person who asked. I'm sure there's more, and I am again not trying to imply that people who disagree with these changes are "wrong", but that's my impression of Chaosium's perspective and policy on Gloranthan publications going forward, which is what I gathered @creativehum was first and foremost wondering about.

And by extension, since they are locals, they are also the ones with the most stake in the conflict. Makes me think of how the Spanish subverted local Nahua politics in order to get a coalition of other city-states to do the brunt of the fighting against the Aztecs. The Spaniards wanted the Aztecs gone, because they were the dominant power bloc in the area and thus their largest potential future rival, whereas the locals wanted the Aztec gone because they had decades, if not centuries of personal, and at times intense enmity with them, and they believed (initially at least) that they had everything to gain if they won, and once the fighting started, everything to lose if they lost. Not a perfect comparison, but it gets the point across.

On the I've got some thoughts on this one: - Given that Esrolian houses function approximately like Heortling clans, any (organized) legal dispute on a cross-house basis is likely to drag the extended family/house into the legal conflict as well, meaning that legal battles occur on a house vs. house basis, not person vs. person basis. - As such, I'm not entirely sure if a third-party mediator/court can really maintain a prejudice against a male party, since it's quite likely that he'll be either represented by or supported by his wife, or mother, or other notable female relative, possibly even Grandmother. - Obviously, there are likely cases where the House doesn't want to invest a huge amount of resources in a clear-cut-case, or costly affair (either literal resources or prestige and time/effort), so it's not like every legal dispute is tantamount to all-out-legal-war, as it were. - Intra-house legal conflicts are presumably settled by their Grandmothers, and are therefore not really public matters in the same sense, so function differently. - I'm not entirely sure who handles legal disputes in Esrolian cities/towns. Professional courts and judges are perhaps unlikely, but do they have Lhankor Mhy lawspeakers? (and if there are, do they function as judges, or are they merely neutral "expert witnesses" who can be consulted with on matters of procedure and recorded facts?) Earth priestess mediators? A called-in jury of other citizens debating until they reach some kind of consensus? - The class bias (wealthy houses winning against weaker houses most of the time) is kind of a given, but there is some alleviating factor in that this bias can't be TOO obvious, or else the proles might collectively riot (or refuse to do their work, walk out of the town, etc.)

You should look up the story about Ernalda (or was it Esrola?) and the sky king Harono in Esrolia:10k Goddesses. That's basically what you get there. The same book also lists Elmal as one of the husband-protectors, for what it's worth (and explicitly mentions Yelmalio as a later, foreign cult that is rejected at least once, if that matters.).

I'll believe it.

Ooh, I love the helmet. It looks a bit northern European dark ages-y, but combined with the horse, I'm getting a vague Byzantine feeling. Which is probably incorrect, but hey.

Malkion (the creator supra-deity) and Glorantha (the cosmos personified) are somehow the same/analogues. It doesn't really fit any known evidence, but the way they're presented in the myths just kinda slots together in my mind.

Ah, yeah, I think I recognized an actress. Can't recall the name though. Turned out great.

For what it's worth, I think it looks great.

People. Honestly. The Red Goddess can have a little Chaos. As a treat.

Why? The Red Emperor is a Yelmite, even if we players might not think of him that way first and foremost.

Why not both? As Jeff has emphasised, the two cults have been integrated for centuries at this point. I *personally* agree that I somewhat struggle to grok them as harmoniously coexisting as part of the same worldview and ethos, but that seems to be the company line. EDIT: Honestly, there's often talk about how the Lunars have subverted the Dara Happans and Yelm, but given how the Lunar cult has evolved from a messianic revolutionary movement to a hierarchic, authoritarian state religion, you could probably make a pretty good case for the Yelmites subverting the Moon the other way around as well. (a la the Romans and Christianity, though I suspect someone will be right around the corner to explain just how wrong that comparison is).

Aeolians are different now. The Panther people (?) don't exist anymore, I think? Heortling terminology is being changed to be less pseudo-Old English. Not sure what else.

Yelm isn't so much opposed to Chaos (not even really a concept in Yelmic cosmology) as he is opposed to insurrection and rebelliousness. It appears that once the Red Goddess defeated the Dara Happan Revolts, and Moonson became the Dara Happan Emperor, this satisfied the hierarchical demands of Yelm, and all was well - at least technically (which is enough, so far). The Red Goddess was no longer a rebel. Now, that's Dara Happa, of course. But Yelm-analogues are worshipped in other areas. Yu-Kargzant is the Pentan analogue of Yelm, and they are, uh, pissed at the Red Moon (though mostly they just want their fertile Pelorian pastures back).

Replace the guitar with a drum, and this is how I envision Shargashi courtship (CW: bad language, some sexism)

Those are amazing!

If you haven't read it yet, I heartily recommend the awesome webcomic Prince of Sartar (http://www.princeofsartar.com/comic/introduction-chapter-1/). It provides a more personally grounded perspective on the core conflict and some mythology and ritual in practice.

Southern Fronela. Not sure specifically where.

I love how the broo (although I guess it could work as mino as well) is totally giving people the thumbs up. I like the enthusiasm!