Shiningbrow

I just came across this the other day as I slowly go through GtG1... (and, yes, I know it's only 1 word out of a whole lot of material, but still...). Upland Marsh: This entire area was solid earth, until ensorcelled by Delecti the Necromancer, a sorcerer who reached magus level about 800 years ago. He did it to save himself and his followers from the Great Golden Horde and the Dragonkill. It succeeded, and he “lives” there still, an immortal and powerful vampire. Within the treacherous bogs, streams, and sandbars are many undead strongholds. Delecti’s Ruins, vast acres of fallen buildings, are inhabited by his bizarre undead constructs. In the waters swims an undead killer whale." (p190, my emphasis)

I just figured the names were translated into English, from whichever language they came from, and thus the various books used English declensions where relevant. When translated into French, German, etc, I expected similar changes to the grammar - suffixes etc. The other option would have been to create a large number of languages, and use whatever grammar is used for proper nouns of the various groups... Which (for some in this world) would be silly! Speaking of which - has anyone tried to create any Gloranthan languages?

Thanks! I didn't think it was as @Joerg was suggesting, but IANAH(istorian), and my recent expedition into the book was through literature, not history. Do you have any evidence to support this? (Genealogy guide, not entertainment)

While I'm complaining about the name-dropping, I did also enjoy it! So, don't be too put off by what's been said above.

You're referencing things I haven't come across in my readings yet.... Very interesting if that's how the world works - I've never seen it like this before! Please expand! "Blaming" Grandfather Mortal for "accepting" Death... 🤨

I have a certain amount of Asperger's Syndrome - so asking me that question won't result in an answer you'd probably appreciate 😛 I get the need to do that occasionally, but (IIRC) it filled up half of the Iliad! I also get that we're a completely different culture in that respect - but if they did that in a movie or TV series now, it would get panned and cancelled within a week! His backstory and reappearances were essential to the main plot. In Iliad, they're mere window-dressing.

Obviously personal responsibility is completely irrelevant here, but I would have thought that perhaps he'd take it all in stride, rather than so personally. Surely there's some concept of deserving what he gets? Besides which, he's managed to get his own back enough times.... (not sure who gets the last laugh though...) Extremely narrow minded.... Hating Death (and Humakt) makes sense. And Chaos. Distrusting the others is just silly.... (but... I know - I didn't write the story, and that's just the way it is! So, I'm not arguing about it... just stating a perception)

Some times... but many times I found it was less about the deeds of the individual slain, and more about their ancestors When the trollkin kills Rurik, then the trollkin gives a long list of *Rurik's* achievements... If Rurik did nothing noteworthy, but his grandfather did, it's much less impressive! But, as I said, *I* find that tedious... others obviously enjoy it more. I'm not into name-dropping... especially when (IIRC) it was page after page after page of name dropping before someone is killed... followed by another series of page after page after page of name dropping for another kill...

I find that hilarious! If we presume that the real world equivalent (or at least, inspiration) is based on Chinese, then it's an in-joke! I've been living in China for about the last 10 years, and I can hear 3 different dialects within a 5 minute walk (or less). And, that's not including any of the 53 various ethnicities in the country... nor the Mandarin/Cantonese distinction. I'd also be saying XunChen (Lucky we're not intending to use any of the tones in these languages!)... my dictionary says there's only one XunChen combination - 勋臣... meaning "official with meritorious records". Of course, there could be more that it didn't tell me... For the others, I presume that we're using English* transliterations of the local languages.. hence, we're using silent 'e's and long vowels on words like Sartarite... rather than pronouncing the end as "-it-ee" or "-ity". (makes Tarshite even better 😛 ) I used to say "JEN-ert-ela", until I got the idea of the god Genert and his land... and now I'm happy with "GENert-ela_. Likewise now, 'PAMalt-ela". - stressing the names of the gods, and adding the '-ela' suffix. However, I don't think I'll ever change from "ISS-ar-ies" with a short 'i' at the beginning. (should be pointed out that I'm an Aussie, and used to numerous versions of English pronunciation... and vocabulary). Lastly, let's just remember.... ghoti. (*the language that has 9 different pronunciations for the "-ough-" combination... )

Cos, it was interesting.... And, he gets some important cameos later as well.... His role actually was crucial to the whole thing. In the Greek myths, they're completely irrelevant - just a name drop.

I was flicking through the cults section in the RQG book, and I noticed in the Cult Compatibility chart that Daka Fal is very hostile to the majority of other cults, and this is generally reciprocated. Any good reason why the cult of Ancestor Worship is so angry? Or that cults that actively practice (or at least, cultures that respect) ancestor worship are so angsty towards Daka Fal? Similarly - Eurmal... why does this cult have so much hostility towards others? I mean, outside of pantheon loyalties... After all, Orlanth and Yelm are Neutral.

that's what really annoys me about some of the old myth sagas... Especially Greek. Two and a half pages of someone's background, just so you know who some hero kills... 😒

If you can deal with the blandness of the writing, Herodotus and Thucydides as well... (The Persian Wars, and History of the Peleponnesian* Wars... although, off the top of my head, I forget who wrote what. The Peleponnesus* penninsula is Athens, Sparta and a few other city-states. Lots of seasonal raiding (hmmm rings a bell somewhere!)). I consider Gilgamesh almost a waste of time... it's far too fragmentary... and incredibly repetitive in its poetics. (* - pls forgive spelling :p)

Back to OP... "Didn't you guys get the missive?" (hand over pretty note in New Pelorian) "The Red Emperor has granted us independence, and you guys are required to hand over your weapons and return to Furthest... ASAP". Or, "The Sun Domers have revolted and tried to raise Glamour - you are ordered to raze the Sun Dome Temple down south as retribution".

Damn! We're so lucky to have you here then!!!

I see the tip, but not an edge. I'm also asking if they'll all be like that... Or some will be "battle ready"? I do love it! If I had the money and space, I'd definitely be buying!!

How do you deal with Shamans getting new abilities? RAW, they sacrifice attributes, until such time as they accept a geas/taboo. (I'm just coming from the perspective that gods are only interested in POW in order to hand over their gifts/abilities, etc). Similarly, HQ's, although not yet given for RQG, were written up in MRQ... and no POW is sacrificed in order to get nice new shinies... meaning, from your perspective, gifts don't need to be 'paid for' (as just doing a HQ is not a real payment, if the only currency is POW). Also, just advancing up the religious chain is another form of 'gift'... with no POW necessary. Requirements for Rune Lord are pretty minimal (with regards to the relationship with the god... ie, no extra POW needed to have been sacrificed). There are conditions attached (ie, geas)... eg, no consorting with the enemy gods.

Nice!!! a) are they sharpened or blunted? b) what accessories? Stand? Scabbard? Plaque? c) what do they weigh? d) 100% bronze? e) if you happen to know, will they customise? In particular, Runes and their locations... and, of course, f) pricing? (should I point out that if it was "fit for a Rune Lord", then it should actually be made of iron? Or gold, or copper, or silver or some other Rune Metal.... )

Firstly, I like what @Joerg wrote above... This isn't actually correct! If those gods exist, then there should be nothing stopping them from proving their existence to our satisfaction. Perhaps they're all stuck in their own Great Cosmic Compromise?? And, of course, when you die, there will be sufficient proof... I disagree with this... but not overly important... This is not actually correct, as @Joerg summarised above. It also ignores the possibility of what this entire exchange is about... If a god wants validation, and existence, then it will also need loyalty. In return for loyalty (which can be seen as a type of currency), then the god may be willing to grant extra benefits... but is going ot be extra watchful over those individuals which are given those extra benefits. The benefit is called 'Gift", and the loyalty is expressed through "geas". (NB - if this isn't sufficient to make it obvious that people's POW isn't merely the only form of currency a god wants, then consider why animals are often sacrificed... or food and gifts are left "to the god". The word "sacrifice" originally meant having to give up something important to you... picking some flowers and leaving them on an altar is in no way a 'sacrifice'. However, giving up the ability to wear blue hats on Windsday would be (albeit, incredibly minor as sacrifices go...). Q: which is the more powerful god - the one with 10,000 lay members and only 1 priest and 5 initiates? Or the god with 5 priests, 10 initiates, and no other lay members?

I was suggesting allowing experience (and POW gain) rolls more often... But I suggest only for skills that actually work that way... Combat skills work like that... Herd doesn't. Some skills are just easier to train up than others. I do like the idea of starting as a Lay Member The most obvious scenario is to be on the receiving end of a raid (Or 2)... Perhaps with a kidnapping of a close relative. Or getting drawn into a blood feud. Then, Chaos (Or Lunars) come knocking. Thus giving a reason for your farmer/herder to step out of their comfort zone and on the way to herodom. (I'm sure you've already figured that out... Hopefully the players RP the *need* to become an adventurer... It's not something their characters should just do)

RQG is basically RQIII characters with an age roll of not bad. RQG characters are getting +20-30 in major focus skills, and 10-15 or so on less focussed skills. RQIII is age roll x X% (between 1-5%). So, younger PCs, less experience... More zero. If you want the hero a lot faster, increase the rate of experience rolls. 1/week or 1/month rather than 1/season.

Now that's just taking the fun out of it！ Putting them in situations which offer difficult solutions is what a geas is all about!

What if the spell is from an enemy cult? Your Glorantha is different to mine, because I have the deity supplying a bit of their power for a Rune spell, and so there's no way they'd mix and match their powers or energy , with the possible exception of associated deities (as, being in the same pantheon, they already share some of those energies)

My post wasn't so much about right and wrong of geasa (I can see the argument for the breaking in the example) - it's about when the break happens. Is it as soon as the break happens? Or when the geased becomes aware of it? If it's the latter - how? Does having a geas (Or the gift) automatically mean the deity is permanently watching over the initiate? Is there a spirit constantly hanging around? Has the deity got itself a back door into the initiates unconscious? Which leads to... Is the gift/geas attached to the spirit or the body of the initiate? Or the mind? Or... Something else? (Silly questions, you may think... Until someone gets Dominated, or "their body possessed" ... Etc)

What's this "nerfing" you're talking about? Gloranthan deities have never been omniscient. Also, those that are still around, are around in God Time and their actions are constantly mirrored on the Hero Plane. They most definitely can not act of their own accord on the material plane, and as you've pointed out, don't really know what's going on down here except when specifically called upon to act here (and, even then, I'd question how much they know about what's happening when they do come!) Divination? Almost laughable as a spell... which makes sense - the Gods know sod all about what's happening here.. that's part of the Great Compromise!