Picture of a Waertagi

[Robin "RoM" Mitra]

I am looking for a picture of a Waertagi.

So far I could only find one in the Anaxial's Roster. I know the book is not canon anymore, but is the picture still considered accurate?

If no picture is available a more detailed description would be interesting. The Guide p. 465 describes them only in one sentence. Do they have "normal" skin texture? What do their faces look like? And also: would they wear clothes or rather go naked? Do they have tattoos?

[AndrewTBP]

Sandy talks about them in More Forgotten Secrets of Glorantha, p.13

 

[Robin "RoM" Mitra]

Thank you. Although it's only a small paragraph it's actually quite helpful.

[Richard S.]

I think the only picture we have of them is from Anaxial's Roster. Personally I think they'd be a little more human, without as much fins and scales, but probably still pretty hairless and with webbed digits.

[Robin "RoM" Mitra]

Yes, I meant that picture, although I didn't post it here, because I think it is still copyrighted. 

From what I read in More Forgotten Secrets fins seem to be easily possible. I imagine them now a bit like the crew of the Flying Dutchman in Pirates of the Caribbean, showing all degrees between "almost completely human" to "almost completely mer-creature".

I still wonder what kind of clothes they would wear. I reckon it would be rather rudimentary, without boots, belts or other heavy leather objects, probably always prepared to dive into the sea.

[Joerg]

There are varying degrees of alienness to the Waertagi. Some are indistinguishable from other humans with bluish or greenish skin color.

 

There are Waertagi born from unions with merfolk that have gills and can remain under water indeterminately.

 

The story in Missing Lands does suggest at least some details about the Waertagi who weathered out the Closing on artificial islands.

[Nevermet]

I'm also assuming 1st Age Weartagi look more human than the Weartagi of the 3rd Age Hero Wars.  Sailing around the underworld for a few generations may do something.

[M Helsdon]

A sketch. Most Third Age Waertagi don't have gills or fins, but they do have webbed hands and feet.

Additional: added tattoos.

Edited May 27, 2020 by M Helsdon

[Brootse]

On 5/22/2020 at 8:26 PM, Robin "RoM" Mitra said:

I am looking for a picture of a Waertagi.

So far I could only find one in the Anaxial's Roster. I know the book is not canon anymore, but is the picture still considered accurate?

If no picture is available a more detailed description would be interesting. The Guide p. 465 describes them only in one sentence. Do they have "normal" skin texture? What do their faces look like? And also: would they wear clothes or rather go naked? Do they have tattoos?

Here's one from the Finnish edition of the Elder Races:

[pachristian]

I don't know about pictures, but I'd use Idoneth Deepkin miniatures from Games Workshop to represent Waertagi on the table.

[Sir_Godspeed]

Found a Waertagi sword: 

(from the Dresdner Rüstkammer, actual efficacy dubious).

[Robin "RoM" Mitra]

Thanks to everybody for these insights and suggestions. I guess in my Glorantha Waertagi are a bit less human and a bit more mermen, following the descriptions of Forgotten Secrets and More Forgotten Secrets. I like the idea they look like Deep Ones from the Cthulhu Mythos.

[dumuzid]

On 5/30/2020 at 7:06 PM, Sir_Godspeed said:

actual efficacy dubious

When the Liquify Metal sorcery bound into the teeth is active it's plenty efficacious.  and better at wounding than killing, which ensures fresh bribes for the Malasp and shark spirits at battle's end.

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, Robin "RoM" Mitra said:

I guess in my Glorantha Waertagi are a bit less human and a bit more mermen, following the descriptions of Forgotten Secrets and More Forgotten Secrets. I like the idea they look like Deep Ones from the Cthulhu Mythos.

That's my preference as well. 

[Lordabdul]

6 hours ago, jajagappa said:

That's my preference as well. 

Me too -- weirder is always better. It's a bit ridiculous and disappointing to me that the Waertagi might look like a glorified Patrick Duffy from Man From Atlantis:

But hey, I haven't had any Waertagis in my games yet anyway...

[Snugz]

The Guide to Glorantha's Seshnela "wallpaper" image shows what is called a worker/Dronari caste in the caption, but I think of more as a halfblood Waertagi, in the background (green skinned).

IMG the Waertagi vary in how "fishy" they look. Those that have drifted further from the main current of Waertagi ancestry, via interbreeding, look more normal. Like this poor chap in the pic; perhaps just a sickly green sheen to the skin and nothing more. Those that have rode high on the waves of that proud heritage and kept to the old ways are more mer-person-y. 

[Joerg]

If the Waertagi are indeed the descendants of Malkion and a Ludoch (which I really doubt, Ludoch appear to be natives of the Eastern Sea currents like Sshorg) they should bear some similarity to the Ludoch, who in turn are the least alien of the Triolini in appearance. Personally, I think that Malkion's mother and his sea wife were Niiads rather than mortal merfolk, and "Wareran" would be the shape at least Malkion's mother chose for that mating and her offspring. Waertag's mother may have had a different agenda.

Personally, I am not fond of the Deep One parallel, although I do work with the "scaly and discolored" part of the Innsmouth Look for humans with  Waertagi ancestry. Some Gnydron features or features loaned from the Ysabbau merged with the Wareran looks is what I am going for at least the water-breathing purely aquatic Waertagi.

[Borygon]

I like to think that there are two kinds in Waertegi, light green skinned ones that stayed on land during the closing and are pretty much fish hobbits, and the dark green skinned ones that went through literal hell and look demonic.

[Brootse]

Perhaps the Deep Waertagi could look like reverse Ludochs: