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RHW

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  1. Been thinking a little about what root words we might be able to infer from proper names in Glorantha, especially Theyalan ones (since I think the Theyalan names are the ones that mostly appear in canon). So for example, Eurmal and Urox start with the same sound, Elmal and Eurmal have same ending, Humakt and Helemakt are know, Hu likely means "Sword" so... Eurmal = Wild Man = Ur (Wild, in the sense of dangerous and unpredictable) + Mal (man) Elmal = Sun Man = El/Yelm (Sun) + Mal (man) Humakt = Sword Warrior = Hu (Sword) + Makt (warrior) Helemakt = Cloud Warrior or Rain Warrior = Hele (Cloud or maybe Rain) + Makt (Warrior) Artmal = Blue Man? = Art (Blue? Something else? Annilla is the Blue Moon, so maybe not) + Mal (man) Yelmalio = Little Sun Man = El/Yelm (sun) + Mal (man) + io (diminutive suffix) Urox = Wild Bull = Ur (Wild) + Ox (Bull) (Or maybe Ur means cow/bull and Ur and Eur are different worlds. See Uralda) Ernalda = Earth Mother = Ern (Earth) + Alda (Mother) Uralda = Wild Mother or maybe Cow Mother = Ur (cow or possible wild animal) + Alda (mother) Dormal = Ship Man = Dor (ship) + Mal (man) Other possible root words (wild conjecture): Tar = Land (found in Sartar and Barntar) Arr = To heal (found in Chalana Arroy, Arroin, Arran, possibly also Argan Argar, given his harmony rune. Arkat and Argrath both mean Liberator, but that might be broken down into Freedom Healer or some such roots) Esra = Barley (as in Esrola) Gor = Blood? or "The Bloody?" Destructive Earth? Underworld? (found in Babeestor Gor, Gorgorma, Maran Gor, etc etc. Maybe also Gorakiki) Ara = Spider (Aranea and Arachne Solera) Ki or Ky = Darkness (Kitori, Kyger Litor, Gorakiki) Anyone else got pet theories of this nature?
  2. All you need is Irrippi Ontor. I guess he’s a Buseri now instead of a Lhankor May, but they’re masks of each other more or less and he would’ve either know about the LBQ or been able to research it. And he was outlawed by his cult for pursuing forbidden knowledge. Or at least I think that’s still a thing.
  3. Gloranthan puns/shout-outs that I know about: Dunstop - Don't Stop. Tada - Tadashi Ehara, Chaosium employee in the early days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadashi_Ehara Biggle's Stone - Clint Bigglestone, game designer and Chaosium playtester Pimper's Block - Jeff Pimper, co-author of ALL THE WORLDS MONSTERS Pavis - a small shield Furthest - Originally the edge of the map from the house campaign?
  4. Look, it is reductionist God Learner madness to think the Seven Mothers performed the Lightbringer Quest as part of the creation of the Red Goddess.... Unless they did. If they did, which role did each of them take? Some are obvious, some less so. But for sake of argument: Orlanth - Danfive Xaron is forced to play this part. Lhankor Mhy - Irrippi Ontor obviously. He probably came up with the whole thing. Ginna Jar - She Who Waits. Who exactly either of these entities is is a deeper mystery. It's entirely possible they're the same deity, right? Perhaps both ritually invoked manifestations of Arachne Solara and/or Glorantha itself? Or maybe this is the ghost of Lesilla? Chalana Arroy - Deezola seems the best candidate. Issaries - I'm thinking this is the role assigned to Teelo. Or maybe Etyries actually did this part, even though she's not an official Mother, because they'd already ritually sacrificed poor little Teelo? Eurmal - Jakaleel. She has illusion magic and the Blue Moon is tricky. Though there's part of me that thinks it's hilarious if this was YT. Flesh Man - Yanafal Tarnils takes this role since it's basically a blank. Interestingly, when we've run the LBQ in my games, the Humakti ends up here a lot. But could be Teelo. No, it's all insane. This can't be what happened. It's all too neat. Unless it isn't. SMOKE BOMB! TRICKSTER EXIT!
  5. From what I can tell, the Cinsina get pre-worked iron from the Dwarves to help in their battles against the Telmori, so it's not clear if they have their own blacksmiths. Can Willandring the Giant work iron? In Storm Tribe (now non-canon but very useful IMO) the Humakt subcult of Inginew can work iron and the cult of Babeestor Gor can, at the very least, enchant it.
  6. I think that's my biggest issue. For me, the aesthetics of the Lunars, Dara Happans, Darjinni and other Pelorian cultures don't match their reported climate/environment. I'm not an archaeologist, but I have a wee bit of experience with fictional world building and those sorts of things gnaw at me. All major signifiers of Pelorian civilization scream "Mediterranean climate" to me. And while their geographical location flies in the face of this, the magical nature of Glorantha makes it pretty easy to imagine a temperate Peloria. I guess I have an easier time believing the Lunar basin is temperate than justifying how the various Pelorian civilizations evolved the way they did in a climate like the upper Mississippi.
  7. For what it's worth, I made RQ3 style spells for Ulanin cult out of the Feats from Storm Tribe. In RQ:G I wouldn't give the subcult all of these, but you might give one or two. Here you go: Ulanin the Rider is one of the Thunder Brothers and the Orlanth aspect most worshipped by the nomadic Pol Joni. Ulanin has his origins in the Great Darkness and, in addition to his skill with horses, has special magic for fighting trolls. His cult has been outlawed by the Lunars. Ulanini have a friendly rivalry with the Elmal subcult of Beren the Rider. CULT PERSONALITY SKILLS: Brave, Love Horses CULT SKILLS: Know Troll Tactics, Kuschile Horse Archery, Ride By Attack CULT GEAS: Never let a horse suffer needlessly. STORM RUNE MAGIC FACE DARKNESS (Rune Magic, Ranged, Stackable, 1 pt) When cast on a fighter, the target may not flee from Darkness creatures or spirits (including Uz) until the caster dies. Resistance applies. Target may resist. FIGHT DARKNESS (Rune Magic, Ranged, Touch, 1 pt). Each pt of the spell gives the target a +10% to hit and +2 to damage and +2 to POW for resistance checks vs. Darkness creatures (including Trolls). TRUESPEAR (Rune Magic, Touch, 2 pts) This spell doubles the base damage of any spear, lance, or similar weapon. RAPID CHARGE (Rune Magic, Touch, 1 pt) The caster must be mounted when casting this spell. As soon as this spell is cast, the rider may immediately move up to his mount’s full movement in a straight line. He may attack any one enemy at the end of this charge. Casting the spell, the move, and the attack all count as a single action. HORSE (BEAST) RUNE MAGIC HEAL HORSE (Rune Magic, Touch, 2 pts.) Heals all damage taken by a single horse including poison and other overall damage. STAY MOUNTED (Rune Magic, Self, 1 pt.) The caster must be mounted when casting this spell. While under the influence of this spell, the caster automatically succeeds in any riding check to stay mounted. He can add his Riding Skill/5 to his POW to resist any spell that would unhorse him. STEADY HORSE (Rune Magic, Touch, 1 pt) If the caster overcomes a horse’s resistance with this spell, the horse will act as if battle trained for the duration of the spell. This also renders the horse immune to fear effects for the duration of the spell. MOBILITY RUNE MAGIC SAFE TRAIL (Rune Magic, Stackable, 1 pt.) This spell must be cast on a mount which is on a specific trail or path. So long as the horse moves along the trail, it gets +25% to its Balance and Climb skills per point. SPEED HORSE (Rune Magic, Touch, Stackable, 1 pt) Doubles the movement rate of the target horse. Each additional pt adds an additional 1x. So 2pts = 3x normal, 3pts = 4x normal. ULANIN’S SECRET (Available to Rune Levels Only) ULANIN’S BOUND (Rune Magic, Ritual, Self and Mount, One-Use, 3 pts) This spell creates a permanent life link between the caster and his horse. So long as the caster is conscious and within 100m of the horse, his horse cannot be killed. Likewise, if the horse is conscious and within 100m of the caster, the caster cannot be killed. Either (but not both) can be rendered unconscious, mutilated, chopped into pieces, but, so long as even the smallest piece remains, the caster or the horse can be healed back to full strength by appropriate magic. Once both the caster and the horse are both unconscious, both may be killed freely and if near death, die instantly. If the horse is somehow killed, the ritual is lost and must be recast.
  8. Gar Darkspear drunkenly shouts in New Pelorian (15% skill): “Person of Lunes, they go, the house!” Then in perfect Sartarite: “More beer!”
  9. Rain figures aren’t too different from what I’ve run IMG. Bit wetter in some places, but I always figured Tarsh and Talastar’s weather was more influenced by the Storm than the Sun. If most precipitation in the basin comes in Fire Season, that means not much snow. I picture Dara Happan precipitation as more L.A. than San Jose. i suspect our real divergence is temperature range.
  10. My wine vs beer debate with @Jeff made me realize we have a fundamental disconnect about the weather in Peloria. While of course, YGMV, he describes Peloria as similar in climate and plant life as the Upper Mississippi/Missouri Valley, and I've always thought of it being more akin to Spain or Southern France. Both are about the same latitude, but obviously there's a pretty big difference in the weather, both in terms of temperature range and humidity. My Peloria is more temperate and drier, Jeff's (I believe) is wetter with a more extreme range of temperatures. Now based on geography, Jeff's view (and by extension the official Chaosium POV) makes a lot of sense. Peloria is the north central part of a continent roughly the size of the United States. There's a glacier sitting just off the map. The White Sea is ice-locked, etc. And Sartar is just to the west of a hot dry wasteland and could easily be a high desert, given the Rockwoods' significant rain shadow. But... but... I don't know. That doesn't feel right to me. Dara Happa doesn't feel like it should be a cold place, normally. Nor does Darjin or Pelanda. I see ziggurats and togas and flat-roofed adobe and sandals and formation dependent infantry and none of that makes much sense in places with long cold winters, ample forests, and tons of rain. Dara Happa feels like a classic river flood plain civilization, dependent on the reliable Oslir for their water, not even bothering to sacrifice to any sort of rain or cloud god. In Dara Happa (and I think much of Peloria) river water + earth + sun = food. Meanwhile Sartar is boots and cloaks and long pants and forests and rain and storm gods. For Sartarites storms + earth + a bit of sun = food. They propitiate a god of winter (Peloria doesn't), they have a goddess of spring (does Peloria?), they seem to experience the full range of seasons. In Dark Season, they make no war (unless they honor Valind and then it's raidin' time!) So my justification for my version of Glorantha is that the gods make the difference. In my Dragon Pass, Orlanth and Heler do not give two shits about a rain shadow. It rains a lot because they say it does. Valind doesn't care about latitude. Valind hides in the mountaintops most of the year, then claims his kingship in Dark Season because that's the deal Orlanth made with him. In my Peloria, Yelm shines bright. He sends more heat to his beloved Dara Happa and the surrounding lands than the rest of the world. He's always moderated the climate there, except when he was dead. He does so still. Now from time to time, perhaps once a decade or so, Valind would beat Yelm back in a reenactment of the Lesser Darkness and Peloria would have a snowy winter. But even that doesn't happen anymore, because Yelm has now has help. The Lunar Icebreaker cult, for the last 30 years, has made sure that Valind never wins. Even while snow covers Pent and Fronela and Ignorance, Winter never truly comes to Peloria. (Well except Talastar, and Yelm doesn't love them, so there.) The point is, in my Peloria, hoplites can march in sandals and togas make perfect sense and I get my Lunar wine and olives and posca. Because really it's all about the posca. So how's the weather in your Peloria?
  11. It just occurred to me... Do noblewomen in Pavis or Sun County use herdwoman wetnurses? Do Morokanths make herdwoman cheese? If so, would other people eat it? Praxians have no issue eating herdman, right? What about non-Praxians? I can imagine herdman being served at a Lunar noble's party for a bit of fun. I can also imagine secret ogres selling real human meat as herdman and perhaps even creating more ogres this way.
  12. That's why I don't love going too far in that direction. Yes, Glorantha is not Earth, but I prefer to think of milk as milk, and the human digestive system as functionally the same, even if food allergies are caused by Godtime curses instead of biology. I mean, maybe lactose intolerance comes from your god's failed battle against the Herd Mother, or maybe everyone starts as lactose intolerant, but you gain tolerance from a mythic relationship with herd animals. Functionally, though, it works the same way there as here. Ditto food poisoning, waterborne illnesses, malnutrition, starvation, etc. Cows eat mostly the same stuff. So do people, mostly. The vast majority of fish live in water, almost all birds hatch from eggs, etc. And on a larger issue, gravity, wind resistance, asphyxiation, etc. all have magical justifications in Glorantha, but they work pretty much the same way there as on Earth. YGMV.
  13. Lactose intolerance is potentially an issue for many of the hunter-gatherer cultures of Glorantha including the Men-and-a-Half of Prax and Pamaltela (strictly hunter-gatherers? Or do they have herds like the Maasai?), the Telmori, the Rathori, Bolo Lizard and Ostrich Riders, and the Basmoli. This also might be an issue for Rightarm Islanders, the Sofali, and other coastal fishing populations. The Vormaini and other East Islanders probably don't consume much milk. I doubt the Dara Happans keep a lot of cows, given that their land is so swampy. In my Glorantha, they definitely think milk and cheese are gross. This can be a serious problem when cultures interact. Infamously, lactose intolerance among the Native Americans may have triggered the raids which destroyed the Viking Vinland colony. As someone else pointed out, milk consumers also smell weird and sour to peoples who don't eat cheese or drink milk.
  14. I suspect Rokari and traditional Zzubari Dronar aren't supposed to eat meat. That's reserved for the Horali and Ruler caste. And of course the Mari Mountain Mostali practice the heresy of Vegetarianism. I bet a lot of Malkioni wizards practice Vegetarianism as well. Likewise, I bet the Wizard and Ruler classes don't touch dead animals or people, or if they do, have to ritually purify themselves afterward.
  15. I do think that a lot of things that were probably huge, even life threatening problems in the Bronze Age (infections, tooth issues, broken bones) are much easier to deal with in Glorantha. Broken bones or even amputated limbs, in fact, are much easier for a Gloranthan to get fixed than for us with modern medicine. For a price, in Glorantha, you can even fix death itself... sometimes. In general, a Gloranthan is likely much healthier than their Bronze Age Real World equivalents.
  16. While gathered at a villa, Lergius Cassius, Tatius, Paulus, Laertes Skiplilies, Icilius Overholy, some toga-wearing Imperial Senators, various vexillifers, Emperors Argentus, et al, recline on their dining couches and agree that there's no reason whatsoever to see them as Romans. Pass the wine!
  17. I'm skeptical the Heortlings would eat snails. Never know when one of those little bastards might breath fire on you or explode on death. It happened to my grangranpa's cousin Hrothgar! Or so I'm told.
  18. I like this theory. I've always thought Deezola and Yanafal Tarnils were essentially flawed heroes who went a little too far to try to free their lands from the Carmanians. With help from a pair of questionable allies (Jakaleel and Irrippi Ontor) and a pair of victims, one deserving (Danfive Xaron), one innocent (Teelo Norri) they undertook a twisted version of the Lightbringers Quest to create/recreate/resurrect a goddess who would deliver them from their oppressors, and it didn't go quite the way they planned. I sometimes wonder if Deezola and Yanafal Tarnils are trapped in their roles just as much as Danfive Xaron and Teelo Norri. Whatever is left of mortal Deezola especially must understand she helped create the very kind of empire she rebelled against. When the Red Moon is destroyed, Jakaleel and Irrippi Ontor probably go screaming down into some sort of special hell. But Deezola, Yanafal Tarnils, and Danfive Xaron all breathe a sigh of relief... before being sent to hell because Argrath is an asshole that way. Teelo Norri becomes the White Orbiter though, because I like a happy ending.
  19. The world “Golden” mysteriously disappears from your post. You hear a distant chittering. Tunoral was never here. He’s not even canon. He doesn’t exist. Who were we talking about again?
  20. Is Tunoral the Raccoon God of Vanch still canon? He has a thief aspect. If so, I could see his worship being suppressed or highly controlled, with his merchant aspect being emphasized or co-opted by a Lunar hero cult and his thief aspect being de-emphasized or even outlawed.
  21. Beyond dietary restrictions, I also wonder which cultures would enjoy each other's food and which would find certain foods "gross." In my Glorantha, Pelorians garnish their meals with a lot of garum and cilantro. Because of a Godtime curse, Orlanthi think cilantro tastes vile (based on the RW genetic predisposition to like or hate cilantro) and think garum is stinky and disgusting. Because it's garum. So they even hate the taste of the Lunars' food and the way their breath smells. On the other hand, Orlanthi drink a lot of milk and eat a lot of milk products, which probably turns off the Dara Happans, who are lactose intolerant. Would Sartarites eat normal duck? Or refrain out of respect for their neighbors? Lismelder Tribe especially might have a taboo against eating duck. Rightarm Islanders eat a lot of ceviche, sashimi, etc. I bet Praxians and Grazelanders both hate the taste of fish, especially raw. Kitori probably have no issue eating bugs. Ham beetle is a reliable source of protein, but most human cultures wouldn't eat them unless they were desperate. Pelorians are probably the most enthusiastic about eating the foods of other cultures. In Glamour, I imagine there are Kralorelean, Pentish, Esrolian, and even "Sartarite" restaurants (mostly actually Aggari and Tarshite run). "We are all delicious!" Kitori, like the troll allies, are probably willing to eat almost anything. Including long pork.
  22. We know rune levels for certain cults have dietary restrictions and requirements, and Humakti and Yelmalian geases can also impose restrictions, but what are the wider dietary restrictions/cultural taboo foods in Glorantha? What foods do the various cultures consider "unclean?" For example, I'm pretty sure Orlanthi don't eat goat and likely don't eat cat. They'd probably get queasy at the idea of eating bugs, including ham beetles and other insect livestock raised by the trolls, though freshwater crawfish and probably okay. Praxians don't eat horse. Balazarings probably don't eat dog. The Pure Horse People don't eat cow, right? Do Odayalings eat bear like the Ainu or Sami or forbid it? Any other examples come to mind?
  23. I think we're mostly on the same page. I just think grape growing and wine production in Sartar is Colymar's "special thing" and the rest of the tribes produce and drink beer in general, and mead or grain spirits when celebrating or conducting religious ceremonies. This would be especially true during the Occupation, with Colymar in full collaborator mode. Buying their wine would be seen by many as aiding and abetting the enemy. Often, what one chooses to drink can be a political statement, not just an issue of taste. And finally, when I try to imagine what Kallyr would serve when entertaining guests vs. what Jar-eel would serve, my imagination goes to beer or mead for Kallyr (with lamb, mutton, or beef, game meats, hard cheese, dark breads, and cold-temperature friendly vegetables like leaks, rhubard, garlic, and kale, served with salt and butter) and wine for Jar-eel (with Oslir river fish, stewed goat, corn tortillas, rice, beans, cilantro* for a normal meal and much fancier stuff for a feast, all with lots of olive oil and garum). *Pelorians love cilantro, but because of a Godtime curse, to Orlanthi it tastes like soapy puke.
  24. Yep, exactly. You could definitely grow wine in Peloria. And it's been even easier since Kalikos started. 30+ years is plenty of time to get vineyards up and running. And while snobs at the Imperial Court may turn up their noses at the local vintages, a Silver Shadow red recently shocked the world by winning a blind taste test against the best vintages from Esrolia and Seshnela. In my Glorantha, the climate in most of Peloria is closer to Bordeaux than Minnesota and my Lunar Army will continue to be fueled by red wine vinegar and cheese. YGMV. To quote Paulus Longvale's short biography "FAZZUR WIDEREAD": "Though more desirous of peace than of war, he kept the soldiers in training just as if war were imminent and inspired them by proofs of his own powers of endurance, actually leading a soldier's life among the maniples, and cheerfully eating out of doors such camp-fare as bacon, cheese and posca." (Adapted from "Historia Augusta" on Hadrian.)
  25. DIRECTIVE 127-5186-221E ADVISORY NOTICE RE: Inventory Shortages It has come to the attention of supervisors in the Department of Gear and Rachet Maintenance that the departmental ethanol inventory has once again been inexplicably depleted beyond predicted needs for normrun maintenance procedures. This is double plus ungood. AgMosUnit calculations prove depletion cannot be explained by evaporation or overnorm useage rates. Current theory points to consumption. All MosUnits should be mindful that consumption of ethanol can lead to excessive Individualism and decrease in operational efficiency. World Machine Project is currently at a critical juncture, and maximum efficiency is required for Operation HW3ATermPhase1626. Ergo any MosUnit found consuming ethanol will be declared nonoptimal. Nonoptimal units will be subject to reconditioning, MosUnits which have a record of repeated reconditioning which are found with nonpassive concentrations of ethanol in their circulatory fluid will be preemptively recycled without further notice. FeMosUnits have been deployed to conduct spot checks per DIRECTIVE 127-5186-221D. All MosUnits are advised to cooperate fully with inspections or risk FieldTermRecyc. There will be no further Advisory Notices on this subject. END DIRECTIVE Functional World Machine!
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