John Biles

That sounds like a great idea.

The Imperial University and the Imperial War College The Imperial University is a Dara Happan institution, found in Raibanth. It is divided into six Colleges - Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Darkness, and War. It teaches a mixture of lore about the world and magic and is mainly staffed by Dara Happans, Pelandans, priests of Irripi Ontor and shamans of the Changing Way. A handful of instructors are trolls. Each college's lore and magic is focused around its element, in a very broad sense. A student of birds would be in the Fire or Air college, a student of plants in the Earth college, a student of the oceans in the Water college. No one is entirely sure what the Darkness college teaches because it is run by the trolls and is rather secretive. The War College's teachers, students, and graduates form an important arm of the military. Aguragus Muranu, Falcon Hsunchen and Dean of the Imperial War College Aguragus is of Dara Happan Ancestry but his family converted to the Changing Way centuries ago. His brother Kineladan is the Satrap of Doblian; their parents are quite proud of their children. Aguragus misses going into the field, but he is now knee deep in bureaucratic affairs he doesn't want to deal with, so he allows Assistant Dean Merodach Sige (a Dara Happan Buserian priest) to handle that for him while he focuses on his main interest - study of the Thirteen Mysteries. He is a priest of Irrippi Ontor, so he considers finding the truth to be the most important thing. Especially if he can't go into battle any more. Aguragus' brother keeps trying to get him to blow up Smiley 'or something', but he basically has better things to do than deal with the Imperial Fool. Not when the Mysteries are calling. His runes are Water, Truth, and War. In battle, he generally does things like making your blood boil or having it all rush to your head, or just drowning you; he also is fond of unleashing Water Elementals. Assistant Dean Merodach Sige (a Dara Happan Buserian priest) Keenly aware that his boss basically is unsuited to run the Imperial War College or really anything at all, it falls to him to do all the man's real work and his own work. Since he ensures the research funds the Dean wants come in and the Imperial War College Batallions are doing well, he can help out his own kin and promote more competent people, then blame the Dean if others complain. And the Dean always backs him up so he can be free for the studies that Merodach is sure will inevitably kill him like his last six predecessors. He hasn't fought in a decade, but his runes are Fire, Truth, and Harmony. He will just set you on fire if he has to, but prefers to use the Harmony rune to smooth over conflicts. He is known to despise Jar-Eel's use of the rune to kill people. (Many members of the War College, however, find this to be hilarious; there was a fad a decade ago to find new ways to kill with Harmony.) The Thirteen Mysteries of the Imperial University The Giant's Eye: Kept in a huge glass container filled with magically neutral fluid, this eyeball came from some giant. If removed from the fluid, anyone close to it is filled with random visions of locations around Glorantha - this cannot be controlled but generally, if you can keep your sanity for an hour, you will see something useful. The problem is that it sometimes does things like make you observe horrible, mind-twisting things. One of Jaldon Goldentooth's Teeth: If the story is true, one time when Praxians brought back Jaldon, heroic Blue Moon warriors beat him down and stole one of his teeth. It remains in a box, throbbing with power, but having no clear use. The Golden Hand: A still-living hand made of gold. How gold can live remains unclear, and trying to figure out what this came from and why it is still twitching around and trying to escape has defeated many students. The Equation of Death: Carved into black metal, this kills anyone who reads it. It's origin is unclear (it was found in the 7th century), but demons show up once a century, try to steal it, and have to be killed. It is rarely studied for obvious reasons. The Golden Falcon of Desire: Anyone who looks at this jewel-encrusted golden falcon statuette is seized with lust for it. They will kill to have it. It is kept inside an elaborate crystal cage which neutralizes this power... usually. The only clue to its origin is the stylized Humakt Rune carved into the base. It does not seem to grant any proficiency in killing. The Golden Letter: Mysterious writing covers this flimsy gold foil, about nine inches long and three inches wide. It clearly was once wrapped around something shaped like a very small rectangular box. The other side of it has a few large letters; most of the writing was once on the inside. This is extremely ancient. The Rudder: A giant golden rudder; some think it was once part of Anaxial's ark. It's big enough, anyway. A stuffed and preserved giant red dog god: This is the last remains of a forgotten god of dogs. His name is lost, but shamans of dog spirits find their magic enhanced near it. The Storm's Eye: Imagine a diamond the size of your fist with a raging storm inside it. It enhances Air magic near it but it's believed to have other powers if they can be figured out. The Scroll of Vanishing: Written in the Dara Happan Script, these words, if written, cause the reader to vanish. They are not dead, but no one who has read it has ever returned to tell the tale. The Attractive Gas: Another giant diamond holds a roiling black gas. Anything which comes within about a hundred feet of this diamond and weighs 50 pounds or less eventually drifts over to clump around it. Heavier objects feel a pull but the heavier the object, the less it becomes. It was found in the aftermath of a battle with Sheng Seleris, inside a clump of objects it had drawn to itself. The Pusher Stone: The Pusher looks just like the Attractive Gas, but it pushes things away from itself instead of drawing them in. However, it dates back to the era of the Bright Empire and it has Nysalor's name carved into one facet The Black Book: A tome of Darkness Magic. . It is very hard to understand, written in dense, symbolic language. It claims to be full of Arkat's secrets. It's certainly full of mind traps and has destroyed many would-be students.

Dara Happans and the Imperial Bureaucracy Dara Happans face a difficult choice in the Empire. Abandon Dara Happan society, join the Changing Way, and leave the cities behind for a lifestyle alien to the normal Dara Happan, but have a chance to rise to the top of society. Or, hold to the way of Yelm, and try to rise in the Imperial Bureaucracy, where you can hold substantial power and keep society from total disruption, but at the cost of always answering to Changing Way people who probably have not bathed all season. The most ambitious Dara Happans left normal Dara Happan society behind and became all sorts of Hsunchen, though the majority of former Dara Happans become various flavors of Bird-Folk. These groups collectively call themselves the High Ones or the Night Birds. They are mostly Eagle, Hawk, and Falcon Hsunchen and they have an intense rivalry with the Rinliddi Bird People. What remains are those who love urban, civilized life too much to give it up. To their credit, they have played a major role in the Empire not simply degenerating into nothing but barbarian tribes fighting each other for territory. The elaborate tributary system which sustains the Hsunchen and keeps the Empire working is heavily maintained by Dara Happans and Pelandans. If taxes and tribute stopped flowing, the Changing Way tribes would not be able to feed themselves and would have to start killing each other for food. Some Dara Happans get through each day by dreaming of that. The Dara Happans who have held to the Solar Pantheon are known as the Faithful (they call themselves that.) People who don't like them call them the Bull-Headed. They are organized into noble families which form larger associations that focus on various activities, from war to administration to pursuit of knowledge. Noble families have client families of artisans and peasants, who are allied to them and get protection from them. The peasantry especially need protection from Changing Way folk who think they can just take whatever they want. Several Institutions are heavily staffed by Dara Happans: The Imperial University and the Imperial War College The Imperial Arteries (the Tax and Tribute service) The Hands of the Empire (the Imperial charity service)

The Imperial Fool The Imperial Fool is always a Trollkin; upon being initiated into the office (if he or she survives the initiation), they become as smart as a normal human, and indeed smarter in the area of understanding politics and social interaction. The fool's job is simple - to deflate the egos of the powerful through japes, mockery, and practical jokes. This tends to make them the most hated person in the Empire among the powerful and most beloved of everyone else. This job is a punishment because the Fool is inevitably murdered and knows it. But every moment they cling to life is precious and they are *driven* to do their job. The current Fool is named Smiley and dresses like a Dara Happan who was caught in a tide of a dozen painbuckets. Smiley spends some of his time entertaining kids in the orphanages of the capital and the rest of the time tormenting every other imperial official. He has lasted three years and only needs one more to set an all-time survival record. The Satrap of Doblian nearly got him, but then somehow mysteriously fell on forty-two knives instead. The new Satrap avoids the capital.

Lanbril, Rat People, and the Hobo Association Lanbril was originally worshipped by thieves in Dragon Pass and Prax and sometimes nearby areas. He is more important in urbanized areas, but in the modern era, Orlanthi areas tend not to be very organized and other pantheons have their own thief gods. However, as the Empire rolled into the Southern Provinces, it brought Orlanthi into the Empire. And Peloria is RICH with cities and urban life and thus theft. By the time of Sheng Seleris, it had taken deep root and been adopted by enough Changing Way followers that the Empire gave up and it was 'revealed' he was the son of Annila, who stole from the enemies of the Empire. This succeeded at creating a schism. Criminal gangs worship Lanbril in the original way, while there is an official cult of Lanbril which sends spies and operatives into the lands around the Empire and into areas in rebellion to rob the enemies of the Empire. Lanbril Moonchild's cult has open temples and is constantly feuding with Danfive Xaron's cult because they both recruit former criminals. The old cult is usually called Shadow Lanbril. Lanbril is also popular with Rat People, who unlike most Hsunchen, *like cities* even if they don't want be part of civilization in the normal way; cities are ideal for the scavenging lifestyle and so is Lanbril. Lanbril Ratfriend helps his Rat People followers live on the fringe of society and he is said to be married to Xola the Rat, the Goddess/Spirit of the Rat People. (Her metaphysical status is ambiguous like that of Kolat.) The Dara Happans assert that Lanbril is just Lodril with a sack over his head. They hate his cult but Imperial law won't let them eject the Rat People from their cities. Some Rat People stay in one city; others migrate and they formed the Hobo Association. It's half a society to help Rat People move around the Empire and half an organized crime society. The Hobo Association worships Lanbril in his aspect as Lanbril Ratfriend, though a lot of its membership are more of Shadow Lanbril followers. Imperial scholars have often wondered how the cult of Lanbril could muster enough power to do anything before it became an Imperial cult, how gangs of a few dozen can generate enough power to do miracles of Lanbril. The correct answer is, of course, that they *steal* it. Anyone initiated to Shadow Lanbril can attend any religious ceremony and steal some of the power for Lanbril. If a sacrifice is made, Lanbril gets a cut. If you do this right, the spirits of retaliation won't find you. Of course, if you've irritated Lanbril or you blow this trick, you are going to be in trouble. So don't blow it! Perhaps Lanbril's most annoying (to non-Lanbrili) power is the power to steal other Gods' miracles. This requires a heroquest and can backfire. The most common Shadow Lanbril quest is 'Lanbril Steals Orlanth's Sandals of Flight'. The one which makes outsiders the most nervous is 'Lanbril Steals Eurmal's Pants'. Even most Lanbrili aren't sure what that one does and they don't want to find out, really. Runes: Shadow Lanbril: Illusion and Disorder Lanbril Moonchild: Illusion and Water Lanbril Ratfriend: Illusion and Beast

The only song I could find by Cats Laughing on Youtube was Black Knight's Work, which is a good song for Sir Ethilrist. Dang it, here we go, by the Flash Girls:

Oh! Also 'A Girl Wants a Knife' is another good one.

Don't Fear the Reaper is her using the Harmony Rune to talk someone into killing themselves.

Ducks and the Changing Way Peloria is woefully short on Ducks, so it wasn't until the conquest of Dragon Pass that Ducks came into the Empire. Many Ducks embraced the Changing Way, for they already lived in ways compatible with it. Fishing in the Upland Marsh was always a major component of their lifestyle and farming usually got their crops stolen by raiders anyway. Ducks now roam the waterways of the Empire in great house boats, trading and fishing. Some remain in their old homeland, fighting Delicti and hunting marsh monsters. This has led to clashes with the Heron People, who prefer the same terrain as the Ducks and, well, Herons like to eat baby Ducklings. The Heron People don't engage in actual cannibalism (we hope), but the Ducks inherently can't trust them. Ducks remain organized in extended families known as nests; a group of nests forms a clan and a group of clans forms a tribe. They continue to organize in a more or less Orlanthi style and still worship some of their old gods, as well as the Blue Moon, the Seven Sailors, and other Blue Moon Gods. Most notably, the Upland Marsh ducks still swear oaths to Hueymakt, god of Death. Those Ducks who have undergone the High Challenge regain the power of Flight in their normal form. (As well as turning into True Ducks to fly) Duck Masterson, Captain of the Glorious Moonrise Duck Masterson is a Duck, as you might have guessed. He is the head of a Nest which hauls grains down the Osilira to the Dara Happan cities and finished goods upriver to the southern provinces. The Glorious Moonrise is a giant housebarge that would be a sitting duck in a dangerous area but can travel safely on the Osilira. Like any good duck, he enjoys smoking tobacco, but tries to ensure Hazia never gets a hold on is crew and he won't haul it. He is unusually disciplined for a member of the Changing Way; In the Empire, Argan Argar is the dominant trade god and has many non-Troll worshippers. He is only an initiate, but that suffices to aid his trade dealings. (He's also an initiate in the Changing Way.) Duck is a wheeler-dealer who sometimes gets in over his head because he's not always as clever as he thinks he is. Duck is always looking to hire guards for his ship because the last set of guards couldn't take any more shenanigans. Grod the Ernaldahunter Grod is a bitter, angry Duck who is a Rune Lord of Hueymakt and uses it to hunt down Ernalda worshippers for the Empire. The greatest moment of his life was the sacking of the Clearwine Temple. He now storms around Dragon Pass in the name of the Earthhunters, trying to root out Ernalda worshippers. Other Hueymakt runelords are annoyed with him for focusing on Ernalda instead of the dead, but several of his siblings were turned into scrambled eggs by a callous priestess as a punishment on his clan and he's going to avenge them. Peridot the Lucky Peridot is a cheerful Duck woman, a priestess of the Blue Moon, who wanders the Empire, preaching the glories of the Blue Moon. She entirely funds herself by gambling; her luck with anything random is incredible, due to her Luck rune. Most people assume she is eventually headed for a disaster when all that good luck is balanced out. But she just trips lightly through life, her luck always sustaining her. This irritates a lot of less lucky people and she's left many towns just slightly ahead of an angry mob.

The Purple Simian Imperial Bodyguard Bobholt is originally from Teshnos; a complex series of enslavements drew him across Pent and ended up dumping him into the Empire, where he came to the Changing Way and discovered he is a Gorilla Hsunchen, very rare in the Empire. He is accompanied by Beetle the Beagle, a dog spirit, and Imperius, his Gorilla True Animal companion. He liberated Beetle from a Pentan shaman as part of finally escaping slavery. He then became a gladiator, noted for his bright purple armor and his love of wine. His fighting skills and his charm made him a favorite and the Moonson plucked him out of the arena and gave him the job of Bodyguard. He is fiercely loyal to the Emperor and sometimes uses his abilities to help people who appeal to him for justice. He is largely outside Imperial politics. Beetle the Beagle Beetle claims to have been an insect spirit 'in his past life'. Where Bobholt is basically an amiable lug, Beetle is cunning and looks out for Bobholt's interests. Those who try to exploit his good nature will find a ready foe in Beetle. It's unusual for a Hsunchen to have a spirit ally of some other animal kind unless they are a shaman, but Beetle, who can physically manifest as a talking dog, says he's a free spirit and does what he wants. Impericus Once a circus performer, he is now Bobholt's constant companion and backup muscle. He can perform a variety of strength tricks and acrobatics. He can juggle babies but is rarely allowed to do so, which frustrates him as it's his best trick. He and Beetle argue endlessly over which one of them is Bobholt's best friend. He has a suit of purple armor to match his friend's. Having hands, Impericus can fight with hand weapons but his hugely potent bite is his best weapon. Dionor Dionor is Bobholt's special weapon, made for him by one of the Imperial wizards, a spear which renders whoever it hits drunk. As with everything the Purple Simian does, it is purple. Little Sister Bobholt has a very obvious, unreturned crush on Little Sister; everyone and their dog knows it. He becomes too incoherent around her to do anything about it. Still A Gladiator at Heart No longer a competitor, he frequently brings the top gladiators to the Emperor's parties and attends the games when he can.

Thanks! Once I finish brainstorming, I'll take a shot at that.

Blue Moon Troll Mysticism The Blue Moon Trolls do have a mystical tradition. On the Blue Moon, there are deep oceans where light never reaches. Blue Moon Shamans and Priestesses (and Priests) can travel to the Blue Moon and descend into the Dark Waters. They then enter underwater caves where they experience a series of tests - going without food, staring into the Sun for days (how this is possible in a dark underwater cave is unclear to outsiders), allowing people to beat on you without retaliating, and other things intended to force you to fight your instincts and escape from them. A successful Illuminate isn't bothered by the sun even outside the empire, can go without food or drink if necessary for a very long time, and loses the impulse to violence (though they can fight if need be). They also gain a greater resistance to any sort of Fire magic. Unsuccessful would-be Illuminates tend to either go mad or die.

Troll Heresy The Blue Moon Trolls always had an important place for Annila, the Blue Moon Goddess, unlike most trolls. The formation of the Empire and the Goddess walking among them and providing a home for many trolls under the islands of her Moon, where the sun cannot touch them, has led the Blue Moon Trolls into full blown heresy. Trolls initiated to her cult can live comfortably underwater, and the light of the Blue Moon during the day protects them from the Sun. (Conveniently, the Blue Moon sets when the Sun sets). They now see Annila as the supreme mother of Trollkind and Kygor Litor as her daughter, while Nysalor is seen as, basically, evil incarnate, too evil even to be eaten. And Trolls will eat Chaos creatures. One of the central goals of the cult is to obliterate Nysalor; the deepest enemy of the cult are the Nysalorean Riddlers who show up like outbreaks of plague. According to cult tradition, Arkat tore off Nysalor's arms and legs, then forced him to eat his own genitals, then chopped his torso into four pieces, then cracked his skull open and ground his brains into powder. So there are ten pieces of Nysalor, though one piece is powder in a jar. Unfortunately, he hauled them all off to Stygia and when that fell, the pieces were scattered. The cult has found five of the pieces and keeps them at hidden, widely separated locations - they have the skull, the upper right piece of the torso, the left arm (found by Sheng Seleris, recovered when he was slain), the brain powder, and the lower left piece of the torso. The case of Sheng Seleris revealed something horrible - a person missing the appropriate part can graft a chunk of Nysalor to their body and gain some of his power. Someone bringing a chunk of Nysalor to the Blue Moon Trolls would be greatly rewarded. Blue Moon Trolls are not immune to the curse on Trollkind, but those initiated to the Blue Moon only give birth to trollkin in one of three births instead of half the time. They believe they can end it entirely if they can ever get their hands on all of Nysalor's remains. Nysalorean Riddlers Ever since the death of Nysalor, Riddlers have periodically surfaced in Peloria like an outbreak of the plague. They are a constant source of trouble for the Empire; no one is sure how it keeps recurring, though the Trolls believe it's because Nysalor wasn't obliterated sufficiently. Nysaloreans spread Illumination without any sort of framework that will prevent Occlusion, believing the liberation of Illumination is beyond any sort of moral judgement and is a good in and of itself. They simply pose riddles and conundrums and paradoxes which infect the mind and eventually convince you the Empire's rules are a lie and you can do whatever you want without consequence. It is forbidden to eat Riddlers for fear it would give them power over the eater; they are usually just dismembered and burned. It is known there are books which can infect you with Nysalorean illumination. Many in the Empire assume this is what happened to Sheng Seleris, but his brand of mysticism, also illegal in the Empire, was rather different. Dara Happans seem especially vulnerable to Nysalorean Illumination, though many worry that people make false accusations to kill Dara Happans who annoyed them.

Allowing Argath to do his thing may be the karmic payback for the Dragonkill. Allowing his rise and revenge cancels out mass slaughter of DP people karmically.

Fair enough!

It's a small error, but page 18 leaves out Imther - there are five kingdoms in the Lunar Provinces, at least as of right now in canon.

Wind Boats Wind Boats are boats to which wind spirits have been bound. Most wind boats simply generate their own wind, blowing themselves across the Blue Moon and the lakes and rivers of the Empire. A few have been taken to Prax and now sail the seas for the Empire. Much rarer are those with both wind and bird spirits bound into them which can *fly*. These are possessed by the ultra-rich, Satraps, the very most important holy folk, and a slightly bigger cadre among the Rinliddi Bird People, who make them. Prince Temertain of Sartar has one decked out as a grand pleasure palace that flies. Little Sister is notable for her mobile library. These greater Wind Boats can be used to fly to and from the Blue Moon, or even up to the Planets and the Sky Dome. Heron Reed Boats The Heron People of Darjiin build reed boats where they dwell, migrating through the endless waterways of the wetlands of Darjiin to hunt fish and small birds. They are basically house-barges, very mobile in the swamp and providing a dry place to live. Most such boats have one or more spirits bound to them, giving them unpredictable powers. Some are mobile shrines. A handful can fly but the vast majority cannot. True Herons nest on the roofs of these boats. Carmanian Labor Punishment Boats In the Carmanian satrapies, a common punishment for crimes is to do some months or years of duty as a rower on one of these massive oar-powered boats. Rowing allows them to go up and down stream freely at a good speed, irregardless of weather. Most such boats are largely mundane, but some have enchantments to keep off rain, speed the ship, or even strengthen the rowers when needed.

Colonel Porker - Manager of the Imperial Arts Colonel Porker is a veteran of the Imperlai War Clan forces, a Boar Hsunchen from Saird, which he likes to claim all good things in Glorantha come from. Save the Blue Moon Goddess, but he claims Teelo Nori, her steed, was born there, though most scholars do not agree. Porker did a twenty year stint in the military, fighting Pentans, Broo, and Tusk-Riders. He especially hates the Tusk-Riders, seeing them as a mockery of his own people. But he then used his connections to become a patron of the arts, managing the affairs of various young bards. He was cunning enough to see Catticus' talent and had the connections to bring him to the attention of Emperor Igneus. He has managed the sale and use of Catticus' musical and other creations ever since. He also now makes huge amounts of money by basically running Imperial entertainments. He and High Flyer despise each other and he doesn't get on well with Little Sister, but he keeps Catticus supplied with catnip and apple sandwiches and barbequed pork. Porker's good military record means he has extensive contacts in the top ranks of the Imperial Army. The easiest way to get an audience with the Moonson is to convince Porker you have talent and the Emperor will enjoy seeing you. The second easiest way is to convince him you've killed some Tusk-Riders. He'll respect you more that way. No one is sure how tough Porker is - he is aging but still looks formidable and he apparently survived fighting Harrek the Berserk, even if he didn't *win*. Mind you, that was in 1607. Also, he helped guide Catticus through the Eleven Tests. Boar Hsunchen of the South The lands of the Boar Hsunchen cross Imther and Holay. The transformation of some of the locals into Boar Hsunchen was a surprise to everyone. The biggest group of Hsunchen in the area are the Jajalaring Dog People, but the Boar Hsunchen now live in some of these territories. They have gone almost entirely animist, save for those who worship the cults of the Empire. They ride their True Animal kin into battle, acting as heavy impact cavalry; they are sometimes mistaken for Tusk-Riders, which makes them really angry. Which is bad, because angry Boar Hsunchen will fight on long past when they are probably actually dead. Like their true kin, they are omnivores who can eat just about anything chewable. They make cheese from the milk of their sows and also a fermented milk drink they love and everyone else usually flees from.

Argath doesn't worship gods, Argath casually flushes them down the toilet. He no doubt is knee-deep in EWF things but he's just using it to get the power to kill his enemies. I expect even his lunch is chosen to somehow help wipe out the Lunar empire.

Carmanians One of the great ironies of the modern era is that the Empire was created to crush the Carmanians, but Carmanians played a critical role in saving the Empire from Sheng Seleris. The Carmanians began as Hrestoli Heretics who fled east into the lands of the Pelandans; in the process, they changed their religion to a belief in two supreme beings, locked in conflict, who must be balanced to be a whole person - Idovanus, the Lord of Light, who urges men to kindness, generosity, and mercy, and GanEstro, Lord of Night, who urges men to conquest, strength, and dominance. This is also called the right and the left hand paths. Idovanus is the lord of public truths and GanEstro knows the secrets of the world. They easily conquered the Pelandans, who are very smart and very unable to unify against enemies. So very smart but only in certain ways. Eventually, the Bull Shahs, who largely abandoned the right-hand path took over and began trashing all of Peloria and the Blue Moon Goddess had to be returned to beat them down. The last Bull Shah was turned into a literal bull. You may have eaten one of his descendents. Over the centuries, the vast majority of Carmanians have embraced the Changing Way, while the Pelandans have stuck to their urban and farming ways. Thus, the Carmanians still rule them, though under the aegis of the Empire. Most Carmanians are either Horse or Lion Hsunchen; the Carmanian Horse Hsunchen have a rivalry with the Elmal Horsefriend Hsunchen of the southern lands. Both groups are deeply offended if compared to the Pentans. However, the rivers and lakes of Carmania are home to various groups of aquatic Hsunchen, of whom Eel Hsunchen are the most important. Carmanians of the Changing Way usually continue to worship the two gods of their faith and the various servitor spirits who serve them, recognizing the Supremacy of the Blue Moon Goddess over their gods. Little Sister is resident in the Carmanian lands and the four satrapies in the area effectively answer to her, though in theory they owe fealty directly to the Moonson.

Wind Novels and Messenger Spirits One of the effects of the Changing Way is that a large amount of the empire is either illiterate, or they read and write in a special writing system which requires, say, cat claws, to do properly. Some Imperials still use the dominate Dara Happan writing system from before the Empire, but you can't count on people being able to read. This has led to the rise of Messenger Scrolls, fetishes with Communications Rune or Air Rune spirits bound into them. Anyone who knows the basic rite can operate them and get whatever messages they've been told and add new ones. The upper levels of society use these extensively, while the middling folk have to be more careful in their use and the peasants... are peasants and lucky to be told anything. The Dara Happans and Pelandans, both unusually literate cultures, have embraced these for ephemeral writing - light fiction, poetry, love letters and other things where you're unlikely to reread it a lot. These are known as 'Wind Novels'. The Horse Hsunchen Express Brown Recluse, a normally unimaginiative Brown Recluse Spider Hsunchen (this is considered the laziest regnal name ever for a steed of the Moonson), suddenly realized, while watching a relay race, that he could create a similar system on a larger scale. Waystations along major roads link the capital to the western, eastern, and southern frontiers. Horse, Deer, and Elk Hsunchen are stationed with True Animal allies at each station. Messenger Scrolls are passed to a new rider at each station. This easily allows messages to move dozens or hundreds of miles a day. Sufficiently wealthy Imperials can also use it to send messages. Several Elmal Horsefriend clans in Sartar have made a lot of money by acting as the Sartarite branch of this system. However, rebel attacks are a constant problem, south of Tarsh.

The Imperial Military The Imperial military can be divided into three groups - the Legions, the Auxillaries, and the War Clans. The Legions are professional soldiers from the farming zones; the Auxillaries are local defense forces, usually organized in traditional local ways, and the War Clans are from the Hsunchen Clans. The Imperial Military is arranged around powers of eight: 8 soldiers form a Fist, commanded by a Palm. 8 Fists form a Squadron, commanded by a Squad Leader 8 Squadrons form a Battle, commanded by a Battle Captain 8 Battles form a Legion, commanded by a Legion Captain. A Legion is commonly composed of 1 Cavalry Battle, 4 Heavy Infantry Battles and 3 Battles of Archers. Squadrons and Battles typically have various kinds of support forces - engineers, magicians, shamans, priests, quartermasters, and so on. Cavalry Battles are lightly armored and mostly function as scouts and skirmishers; they wear leather armor and carry bows and spears. Heavy Infantry wear heavy armor and fight in a mass with pole arms, forming a phalanx. They function best on level terrain. Archers wear leather armor and have powerful bows and axes or short swords if forced into melee. They train to fire over the heavy infantry into charging foes. Auxillaries The most powerful auxillaries are the Dara Happan Phalanxes, which are as good as Imperial Heavy Infantry and are backed by lightly armed skirmishers (Peltasts) and heavy impact cavalry (staffed by the wealthiest Dara Happans). Other auxillaries range from desperate peasants with spears to Carmanian cavalry; they vary depending on what part of the empire you are in. Auxillaries normally only fight in the part of the Empire they live in, but the mess in the South means a lot of auxillaries have been hauled south to help. The War Clans Some Hsunchen Clans support themselves by fighting for the Empire; this can mean long absence from home but they get a lot of loot and bring many special capacities to the Empire. Clans affiliated with the Military receive large subsidies and the pick of the plunder of war. Clans form temporary tribes uniting all the clans in a given army... ideally. Sometimes you end up with several rival war tribes in an army which either leads to competitive excellence or a complete disaster. Everyone remembers how the 1556 Revenge On the Horse Bastards campaign ended in three War Tribes destroying each other, leading to total defeat. An average war clan of 900 people can field 15 full-time warriors and 100 less skilled warriors. The non-combatants stay home while the warriors go to war, though some people come along to act as healers, blacksmiths, and so on. The nature of troops provided varies by the kind of Hsunchen. Deer, Elk, Horse, and Goat Hsunchen provide strong cavalry which the empire especially needs.

Hare Hsunchen of the Blue Moon Empire Teelo Nori had a pet rabbit, Oswalt; they became the first of the returned Hare Hsunchen when she became the vessel of the Blue Moon Goddess and continued to be one once the Blue Moon Goddess ascended, returning her body to her. Hare Hsunchen act as the special servants of the Blue Moon Goddess upon the Blue Moon itself, though some come down to dwell among men, bringing their gifts of luck, love, and fertility. Hare Hsunchen clubs are popular in the major cities of the empire; some are essentially sacred brothels, while others are simply clubs with beautiful attendants but if you want their loving, you'd better earn it. And if you anger them, they have a powerful kick. Hare Hsunchen are vegetarian and able to eat things like bark, leaves and twigs, though they prefer grains, vegetables, and fruit. This leaves them dependent on either trading for food (as they reject farming) or selling services for money; they are usually found in small groups and do not contribute much to the military of the Empire save as healers, though as mentioned before, they can deliver powerful kicks when angry. Hare Hsunchen are noted for making rice cakes with a wide variety of flavors as a travel food. Certain Hare Hsunchen are Tricksters, worshipping Teela Nori in her Trickster aspect, who make it their special task to deflate anyone with pretensions - which is to say anyone of importance in the Empire. Little Sister hates these Tricksters with a burning atomic fury but can't get rid of them because they are beloved of one of the Seven Sailors and the Blue Moon Goddess. Most of them live on the Moon most of the time; the Imperial Capital is their usual method to get back and forth. On the Day of Omens, if you see a rabbit on the moon, you will be lucky in love, tricks, and fertility for the next year. The Day of Omens The last day of Sacred Time is the Day of Omens. Everyone looks to the sky at noon and sees an omen on the moon - seeing one of the Seven Sailors, the face of the Goddess, or your own kind of Hsunchen is the best possible omen. However, seeing other kinds of Hsunchen is often a message, not of doom but of something to come. Some omens are warnings and if you don't heed them, you die. The Killing Moon The period of the Descending Moon, when Yanafal Tarnils is at the peak of his power, is known as the Killing Moon; it is the time when it is most auspicious to start a battle. Often, however, generals aim to start earlier so this will strengthen his men as they would otherwise begin to flag later in the day.

The Blue Moon Empire in Sartar Sartar is currently a thorn in the foot of the Empire. At the heart of the problem is a clash in models of freedom - The Blue Moon Empire regards agriculture as scutwork to be performed by those who haven't come to see the blessings of the Changing Way. From the viewpoint of the Blue Moon Empire, Orlanth was conned by Ernalda into giving up his true self to become a farmer. They see Orlanth as an Alynx Hsunchen; Yinkin is his brother and Companion. Those clans willing to adopt the Changing Way become Alynx Hsunchen (or Horse Hsunchen, since Elmal is seen as such). Ernalda worship, however, is banned in these clans, who adopt other femaie goddesses (many of whom are basically Ernalda's handmaidens normally). Clans which refuse to convert are forced to pay tribute to the Empire and to the clans which do. There is a fundamental problem and that problem is the same one the Empire has long had - the lifestyle of the Changing Way requires far more space per person than does agriculture - Sartar can't support everyone converting. At the same time, many clans have no interest in converting and want to be free of Imperial rule. Sartar is now 'ruled' by Prince Temertain, who has been unable to light the Flame of Sartar and thus can't be properly crowned. The Moonson declared him married to Jar-Eel; this does not seem to have pleased either of them, but it's expected that with time, they will produce a child able to light the flame, one way or another. Assuming he doesn't mysteriously show up dead first. Temertain is not a bad person but he is basically more interested in an odd mix of partying and scholarship than ruling and largely lets Jar-Eel and the military squabble, while he works on Volume III of his history of Dragon Pass (Dealing with the EWF era). There is an ongoing illegal betting pool on whether Beatpot Aelwin or Sartarite rebels will kill him first. There is a strong military presence in Sartar because forces trying to subdue the Holy Country and Prax depend on it. The Elmal Horsefriend Heresy The fall of Tarsh exposed the Elmali of Sartar to the power and grace of the Changing Way. This led to an infiltration of imperial customs into Elmal clans, culminating in a Heroquest by a man named Monrogh that Elmal was really a Horse Hsunchen. This led some Elmal clans to convert to Elmal Horsefriend worship, adopting the Changing Way. However, the EH Heretics remained loyal to the Principality of Sartar, taking over a swathe of land on the southern side of the Kingdom and practicing the Changing way there, but rejecting the authority of the Moonson and the Empire. The Horselords of Sartar have since pledged fealty to the Empire since Sartar's fall but the Empire does not trust them. This has let to problems with converting other Elmali clans. (In this universe, Yelmalio exists - the Sundomers of Prax worship him and some people in Peloria, but he's barely known to exist in Dragon Pass. What few people do know of his existence see him as Elmal's younger brother who remained loyal to Yelm.) The Grazelanders The Grazelanders originally fought the empire but Hon-Eel brought them around to the Changing Way and they have become enthusiastic warriors for the Empire. They are led by Single Matron Woman, an enthusiastic warrior; their treatment of the vendref is how the Empire has tried to treat the recalcitrant clans of Sartar but the Sartarites are rather less easily controlled.

The Blue Moon The Blue Moon rises at the same time as the sun, but rises in the North. It grows brighter as it rises and can be seen in the daytime, though it is never as bright as the sun. It arcs over the empire as it does so, heading up and south towards the center of Glorantha. It then gradually sinks into Magasta's Pool, growing dimmer and setting at the same time as the sun. It passes through the Underworld and then rises again in the north. The Eight Phases of the Blue Moon: New Moon - the Night Moon, which cannot be seen unless you're in the Underworld. Dawn Moon - Barely visible on the northern horizon if you have a clear view. Ascending Moon - The Moon now has half its full brightness. Late Morning Moon (Brunch Moon) - The Moon now is at 3/4ths full brightness and is easily seen anywhere. Brunch Moon is an unofficial nickname and it's unwise to use it in official correspondence. Full Moon - The Moon is at its peak. Some call this the Lunch Moon. Descending Moon - The Moon begins to descend and is at 3/4th brightness Sailor's Moon - The Moon is at half brightness; sailors use this moon to navigate relative to Magasta's Pool. Dusk Moon - 1/4th brightness and you probably struggle to see it even if the Sun is also dimming. Some Imperial Philosophers tie the Seven Sailors to seven of the eight phases: Yanafal Tarnils: Descending Moon Irrippi Ontor : Ascending Moon Jakaleel: The New Moon Danfive Xaron: The Sailor's Moon Deezola: Late Morning Moon Teelo Norri: The Dawn Moon She Who Eats: The Dusk Moon A reasonable person might ask how does the Blue Moon stand out in a blue sky. The answer is that it resembles a giant, glittering sapphire in the sky. However bright or dark it gets, its coloration stands out against the sky. Anyone initiated into the Changing Way can see the Blue Moon more closely with their naked eyes. They can see the eight great oceans and the seven great islands which divide those seas; they can even make out the Imperial Capital, though not any details. Anyone not initiated will need to ask the Dara Happans to let them use a telescope. Each of the islands is named for one of the Seven Sailors, who travelled there and explored it during the rite which brought the Blue Moon Goddess to Genertla to destroy the forces of evil. She Who Eats has the honor of having the Imperial Capital upon her island. Little Sister is known to have a fortress she shares with Jakaleel on her island. Certain heretics assert Little Sister *is* Jakaleel, but that would make her her own grandmother and we leave that sort of insanity to the Nysaloreans. It is known that the Blue Moon goes past the Boat Planet as it sits in the Underworld; imperial teams have made repeated efforts to raise it without success, but this is known to remain an imperial objective.