skulldixon

My players just Finished The Dragon of the Thunder Hills and two of them took the offer to reform Orgorvale Summer's Cult; so everything you are sharing is going to be very helpful. My one player does want to be the High Priestess of the cult but she is not meet the requirements for those high positions yet.

I am in the process of creating 4 sacred objects that were taken from the cult for the time of the third Unity Council when they imprisoned the goddess and replaced her with an imposter. They have been lost to time and the new cultist as given the objective by Orgorvale to seek them out and return them to her Temple Tomb where they belong. This gave the players something more to do than seek out other cultist to join them as well as restoring the Temple to something akin to its former glory (which is more about time and money). So far what I know about these items if that the First was a gift from her Grandfather - Orlanth. The second was a Gift from her Father - Vingkot, The Third gift was given to her by her Husband - Ulanin the Rider (Which is a saddle), and the fourth was given to her by the Dryad Tardisis. The Saddle is the only one I know what it looks like so far. I haven't decided for anything else yet and still need to write up the lore and abilities of each one. But I have time since they just became her new cultist last week and I though it this idea right before game. This will also be a the prefect opportunity for the Assistant shaman in the group to learn about and how to make Medicine Bundles (using the rules from the Treasure of Glorantha Jonstown Compendium) and how to make a God Bundle so that they can make a shrine in Apple Lane.

Here is a thought; maybe a bad one. What f the urns in the Queen's tomb were placed there by the EWF when they imprisoned Orgorvale and replaced her with a delusional Dream Dragon? What if they were the original Initiates, Rune Priests, and Rune Lords of the Orgorvale Summer Cult. Removing them and replacing these worshipers with ones that would help the EWF cement the worship of Yezezum Storn in her place would the EWF succeed in this there goal. This also opens up the possibility for the Players who reestablish her cult to later learn from these spirits what traditions and duties the cult lost. Like when a initiate gains the role of Rune Lord, one of the spirits manifests before them and instructs them in their new duties. This would also align really well with the rune spells that you gain through this cult.

I don't know how everyone feels about RPG based Novels. But it would be super kool to see Chaosium expand some of their IP with in universe novels. So in this case, Official Glorantha novels or a trilogy. Just a thought i want to float out there incase someone who has any say picks it up and runs with it. I mean, there is no way there are not a some really good writer's in the community who would like to do something like this. For instance, i would love to read a novelization of the journey that Kellyr Starbrow and her followers took that lead to them waking the brown Dragon and causing the Dragonrise. if it was a Trilogy series, the first book could start with the failure of the first Rebelion.

The series Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver. More european stone age than bronze, but still enjoyable. Stephen Lawhead's Song of Albion series was great when i first read it back in early 2001.

I can't find it now, But I remember reading somewhere that Apple Lane had a Wyter in the oldest (first planted tree maybe) Tree in the whole Orchard. When i went back to look it up though, I didn't find it mentioned in the Apple Lane description so I suspect that I may have misremembered this detail. Looking back at the GM Adventure book - it does say that Arnoring have a Wyter in an Apple Tree for their clan. So maybe combined two pieces of info in my head. YGMV, I'm just going to say they have a local Wyter in the Orchard anyway. Seems reasonable to me.

Sacred time is coming up in a few weeks for my game. After reading another post in the forum about sacred time, I've written up a few notes about some of the practices that take place during sacred time that is unique to Apple Lane. During the Week of Luck, locals renew their bond with the Apple Lane Wyter. They perform rituals that reenact the founding of Apple Lane by the Prince Tarkalor and Gringle, which end with the ritualized killing of the youngest calf from the local herd. Its entrails are intergraded into the soil at the base of the Wyter's tree, enriching it. Omen Reading: During Fate Week; the oldest Apple Tree (That is not the Wyter's tree) is cut down. All the wood from this tree are burned throughout Fate Week. At the end of fate week, a local priest(ess) imbibes the sacred Apple Wine and reads the omens that they see within the ashes of the tree. The Priest(ess), as they perform the ritual dance, spread the ash through their hair and uses the ashes to paint the symbols upon their naked body. These symbols are ones that were revealed in other rituals, the runes of the gods, and the runes of luck and fate. When the Dance through the ashes is completed they look over the ashes that lay about them and foretell the communities future for the coming year. The Dance ends just as the sun sets, marking the end of the day and the end of sacred time and takes an hour to fully preform. - During that year's harvest, the apples from this tree are keep separate from the others so that they can be used to make a sacred apple wine that will be enbibed during the Omen Rituals after its fermented for 7 years. Each apple is pared in the temple of Uleria by the temple's head Priestess'. Each is pared in a way to get the whole apple skin in one long strip. The priestess lets the long strip fall to the floor of the temple, noting how they land and what symbols they reveal. These are saved and burned with the tree at Sacred time. The noted symbols from this ritual are applied to the reading of the ashes to add clarity and depth to the reading. - The Apple Seeds from the Apples that were harvested from the chosen tree are ground into a powder during the ritual to renew the bond with the local Wyter during Luck week and placed in a medicine bag made from the skin of the sacrificed calf. If the ashes of the tree reveal ill omens for the coming year, this powder can be used to curse an enemy who would bring harm to the community. If the omens are good then the powder can be used to bless a local champion. Here is the link tot he other Forum post for reference.

So looking it up, both Runes and Passions last the whole situation. I'm glad I'm not the only one wondering how to handle this. I think the approach I'll follow will be similar to how Rivers ave Personality disputes works. When they encounter their fear, they try to roll above the % to push past or overcome that passion for the scene. A failed roll would indicate that their fear is holding them back and if the player wanted for force it they would increase the passion by +1d10. Though maybe instead it would cause -10% to all rolls for the situation.

As much as I like the idea of that, In roll20 you don't need a dozen NPC character sheets for the same basic npc (if they are not all completely unique. You only need one Bandit sheet, as an example; then you can pull out as many bandit tokens from that one sheet and they will have have (in theory) their own HP tracking. Though seeing as how Runequest has HP split up into various Hit Locations, maybe a Squad sheet would be good. That is an interesting idea for sure

I think that a great idea! I think the community would totally support getting more official VTT support out there.

Thats good to know. Thanks! So to get an official one made you have to work directly with the Roll20/FG developers?

For anyone who is interested; David - the guy who made the Fan made Runequest Character sheet on Roll20 will make any changes to it if you pay him. I didn't take him up on the offer but I figure maybe someone else would. Here

Thats a good find I found this one: Here

I was hoping to find a convenient document that listed what each official (old and New) adventure was by name and what themes they included. Since there isn't one that already exists I started a Spreadsheet. Please add to it if you have read or run any of the adventures. Thanks. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DX7MRPvISwrrcOkzSbmK3oHqouMmZA1rcFCcyj-FhqA/edit?usp=sharing

Ya, I was thinking about doing the same. Its one of the suggests in the adventure, actually.

Thanks you for the suggestions. Much appreciated!

I've been thinking about converting the of Avalon hill shadows on the borderland adventure, Gaumata's Vision, over to Runequest: role-playing in Glorantha. One aspect of this conversation would be moving out to an area in the region near apply lane. Any suggests or tips? I haven't tried converting any of the older stuff before. Plus, I'm sure everyone on here who had run it before have all kinds of advice and suggests.

Refine Medicine Can we get more clarity with the Spell. pg 71 First the Spell description says that it can be cast to alter either the potency or usefulness of a plant on the “Other” category of the healing plants list. But then the example on pg 72 as part of the Healing Plant list, shows Muricane Ninefinger using it on a plant part that is outside of the Other Catagory previously spoken of. Then there is the question of whether or not any plant that is not of the "Other" group, like seeds, stem, flowers, etc can still be used to heal people without the need of a Rune spell like Refine Medicine. Overall the more clearly defined set of steps to follow on pg 72 would be great.

Now if you want to continue with that idea as a story aspect of your own game - that's fine. I don't mind that. I think that it can create something very actionable for the PCs to do. I just wouldn't suggest that it was something actually true for the hamlet in general. I like the idea that Apple Lane has lost a lot of the wealth it once had prier to the Lunar occupancy. Maybe the Lunars corrupted the water in the region or corrupted the source of the water in the region and now its no longer sustaining the orchards. This gives the PC something they can tackle and change for the betterment of all. It lets them explore how and why the Lunars corrupted the water source and to what end.

The Orchards are not on the map either neither are any of the underground water sources that might be feeding the well. Personally, in any game system/setting - I general use common sense instead of expecting every answer to be on the map or in the book. I think you're worrying about nothing. It would be one thing if any of sources said that it was a Dry region with very little water, but as far as I know none of them state this. Apple Lane, iirc, was quite wealthy before the Lunar occupation because of these apple orchards. So, to suggest that they don't have nearby water sources, seems to kind of spit in the face of all the available information on the area. I very rarely wish they would add every water way, stream, creek, etc to these maps. Having Drawn maps for games, there is nothing less fun than adding redundant info into a detailed map. A course, the other answer to all of this involves spirits of water and air being used for agriculture. It should also be pointed out that with abundant ground water you don't need a lot of above ground water ways. If the region gets a lot of rain - which I believe it does, then the aquafer would sustain the area very well during the dry season.

Actually, you are correct. There is a well on the map.

I didn't see anything that would suggest that there wasn't a stream or natural reservoir of ground water in the area -especially with there being 200-300 acres of Orchards. That many ares of trees would suggest that there is an ample supply of water in the area - otherwise you would have issue growing some many apple trees. Iirc, Apple Trees require a lot of water. Though The temple of Uleria could be built on a natural hot spring - that would be a good idea and one I think I'll be including into my game for sure.

Just wanted to update everyone who might find this post helpful or is following this thread. Here is some of the stuff that I have added to the Apple Lane setting. The Rotroot family is one of the Tenant farmers who manage one of the hides of land owned by the Thane of Apple Lane. I see them as Conniving hillbilly types. But I have them taking a portion of their share of the Harvest and turning them into Picked, fermented Apple Slice. Which are stored in sealed Earthenware jars and placed in a root cellar. I gave Aileena the Manage Household skill since she needs to be able to manage the temple and the orchards that the temple owns. Its the same thing with Kareena. I feel the number of people in Apple Lane given in the book is off. it says that there are 20 adults in the hamlet. And I think maybe that is correct as far as 20 Adults who live within the Hamlet. But I think that much like the hide of land that the Tenants manage for the Thane, there are other tenants who manage the orchards for The two temples, the Horsemaster, and the Vacant Weaponmaster. Which would place the population between 30-52 Adults.

Thats fun. Current, Gooseberry is the character my party is interacting with at the moment. They hard a rumor from him that Lunars were spotted robbing a Grave Mound and the party is using him as a guide to find that location. So I am seeding these characters in slowly for sure. They only had some minor interactions so far with Brightflowwer and Aleenia and the Horsemaster - whose name I can't think of at the moment. As a side note: I see Gooseberrry Sprig as being played by Steve Buscemi

I never heard of Drama System, I'll have to take a look at it. I haven't watched many shows that are about village life, but I can see what you are talking about. I'll probably pull some reference from Lark Rise to Candleford. But I think some of what you are saying is helpful. Its possible I might spread myself to thin with them interacting with too many villagers at first. Thanks for the advice!