Globe of Authority Campaign

[Fedman Kassad]

Hi, long time listener, first time caller...

I was thinking of running a campaign based in the Zola Fel valley that has the ultimate goal of locating, obtaining, and then returning the original, true "Globe of Authority" to the Sun Dome Temple in Sun County.

Quotes from Sun County:

"Though the true, original Globe was lost before the fall of the Old Sun Dome, the rulers of the County refuse to be without such important symbols of office..."

"The fate of the original Globe of Authority and Scepter of Order is a Mystery..."

I was wondering what this relic actually is (lore-wise):

• Is the Globe of Authority the "Orb of Sovereignty" mentioned in Pavis: Gateway to Adventure?
• Is the Globe just a pale copy of said Orb?
• Is there a "real" Globe of Authority in every Sun Dome Temple?
• Is there a source to these items/possible copies?
• Is there a one, true "Globe of Authority" to rule them all?
• Is “Globe of Authority” related to/the same as/a copy of the “Orb of the Eye” often mentioned with the Hill of Gold?
• What is the relation of the Yelmalio relic to the “Orb of Authority” that is depicted on Gods Wall?
• Is it true that if one had this relic, one could potentially unite the various temples under one rule?

I await your insight, oh knowledgeable ones…

[John Biles]

I don't think there's an official answer.

I incline to think the Globe of Authority and the Orb of Sovereignty are probably the same thing.  Given they're both connected to unifying Yelmalions.

I would suggest that it's hidden in the puzzle canal in Pavis.  

It is probably an earthly reflection of the Orb of Authority on the Gods' Wall; someone likely Heroquested for that orb and brought it back.

Where does any version of the Hill of Gold mention 'the Orb of the Eye'?  It's not in Arcane Lore or versions online I've seen.

 

 

[Fedman Kassad]

52 minutes ago, John Biles said:

Where does any version of the Hill of Gold mention 'the Orb of the Eye'?  It's not in Arcane Lore or versions online I've seen.

 

Apparently in The Glorious ReAscent of Yelm (which I do not have) but I did find reference to that Orb on the Glorantha Wiki which claims that ReAscent is the source.

[John Biles]

Looking at the Glorious Reascent of Yelm:

 

The Orb of Authority and the Scepter of Order were part of the original Imperial regalia.

Quoting Page 44:

Orb of Authority
The Orb of Authority is the great shining orb which hovers over the head of all true emperors and gods. It gives protection and insight, as well as power to rule. The Orb had been lost at the Hill of Gold. The Emperor lost it to the Cruel God, who gave it to the digijelm for safe keeping. Darvedeskorgos, the cousin of Khordavu who was the son of the Captain, regained it. He went to the Hill of Gold and gambled his soul for a chance to regain this. he won, and brought it to the Ten Princes.

Scepter of Order
This artifact is made of pure gold, and it allows the Emperor to direct the divine regard upon whatever he desires, thereby illuminating it and laying aside all falsehood which deny the Order of Yelm. It had been hidden in Yuthuppa before the city was abandoned. The new settlers did not know it was there. It was not discovered for centuries, and then kept secret. At last this was taken from Yuthuppa by Urvairadatu, who was aided by his wife, Jesentera the daughter of Khormesha, who was a priestess of Naveria.

 

The Hill of Gold seems to be where Emperors go to get their ass kicked.  Vanyoramet gets whipped, is forced to eat fungus and rotten food, then gets a mortal wound, despite having Antirius *with him*.  The Orb of the Eye had been stolen from him and he tried to get it back - fail.  This is page 28.

The Orb of the Eye and the Orb of Authority appear to be the same thing.

 

[jajagappa]

4 hours ago, Fedman Kassad said:

• Is the Globe of Authority the "Orb of Sovereignty" mentioned in Pavis: Gateway to Adventure?
• Is the Globe just a pale copy of said Orb?
• Is there a "real" Globe of Authority in every Sun Dome Temple?
• Is there a source to these items/possible copies?
• Is there a one, true "Globe of Authority" to rule them all?
• Is “Globe of Authority” related to/the same as/a copy of the “Orb of the Eye” often mentioned with the Hill of Gold?
• What is the relation of the Yelmalio relic to the “Orb of Authority” that is depicted on Gods Wall?
• Is it true that if one had this relic, one could potentially unite the various temples under one rule?

 

Yes. 

Yes. 

Yes. 

They are undoubtedly made of gold and enchanted.  Then taken on a HeroQuest to be blessed with the powers of Authority and Sovereignty by Yelm himself, who is the source of such power as the Divine Emperor.

Yes.  It's up in the sky each and every day - Yelm is protected by it and it lights the world [i.e. it's the Sun].  See GRoY p. 7: "The Imperial Orb of Authority took its place over the emperor’s head to protect him." - i.e. it's the bright light that is above his head.  Also GRoY p.44: "The Orb of Authority is the great shining orb which hovers over the head of all true emperors and gods. It gives protection and insight, as well as power to rule. The Orb had been lost at the Hill of Gold. The Emperor lost it to the Cruel God [i.e Zorak Zoran], who gave it to the digijelm for safe keeping. Darvedeskorgos, the cousin of Khordavu who was the son of the Captain, regained it. He went to the Hill of Gold and gambled his soul for a chance to regain this. he won, and brought it to the Ten Princes."

Yes, I believe so.

After Yelm died, Yelmalio (aka Antirius) took up the Orb of Authority to help maintain order and justice in the world.  GRoY p.27: "they saw that the Orb of the Eye, which always hovered over the head of Antirius…"  Of course, it was subsequently lost or stolen.

Maybe, except that each of the Sun Dome Temples has an Orb of Authority.  Would the one in Sun County really be the "right" one?  I'd guess that most from southern Peloria were lost when the True Golden Horde was destroyed in the Dragonkill.  So the original Sun County one might be the oldest in existence.... Or it might not....  (Also see GRoY p. 29: "The Orb of the Eye was held at the Hill of Gold, in Vanch. The Cruel God, ruler of a great domain, lived there with his friends, hostages, prisoners, and slaves." - so maybe to gain it for the temple, one has to quest to the Hill of Gold and regain it from the Cruel God.  A very dangerous quest I suspect.)  It's also quite possible that no matter what Orb of Authority the Sun Dome gains, it's never anything but a pale copy [i.e. Light Rune, not Fire Rune].  The real Orb of Authority, of course, is held by the Red Emperor - he wouldn't be the Emperor if he didn't have it!

 

[jajagappa]

2 hours ago, John Biles said:

Where does any version of the Hill of Gold mention 'the Orb of the Eye'?  It's not in Arcane Lore or versions online I've seen.

It's in GRoY.  Antirius had it (it was over him), but when they domed over DH, they couldn't get it inside before the monsters came.  So it was lost to DH.  Later it was in the hands of the Cruel God at the Hill of Gold, and Antirius and Vanyoramet quest to recover it.  

[GAZZA]

On a purely gaming level, River of Cradles has the PCs potentially come across a 2nd age God Learner "beacon" and I believe some plans for a weird machine; you could incorporate either or both of those into such a quest (RoC simply drops them in as "GM can do whatever they wish with these" maguffins).

[Akhôrahil]

Shouldn't Gloranthan monarchs have a cube of authority rather than an orb?

[jajagappa]

2 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

Shouldn't Gloranthan monarchs have a cube of authority rather than an orb?

Only if they gain authority from the Earth.

[soltakss]

16 hours ago, Fedman Kassad said:

I was wondering what this relic actually is (lore-wise):

• Is the Globe of Authority the "Orb of Sovereignty" mentioned in Pavis: Gateway to Adventure? Yes, but probably a local copy. Each Sun Dome Temple would have its own version.
• Is the Globe just a pale copy of said Orb? Yes, just a copy for that Sun Dome.
• Is there a "real" Globe of Authority in every Sun Dome Temple? Yes
• Is there a source to these items/possible copies? They are ritual items, created when investing a new Sun Dome Temple.
• Is there a one, true "Globe of Authority" to rule them all? Yes, but it is lost, as has been mentioned.
• Is “Globe of Authority” related to/the same as/a copy of the “Orb of the Eye” often mentioned with the Hill of Gold? Probably, yes, I would think so.
• What is the relation of the Yelmalio relic to the “Orb of Authority” that is depicted on Gods Wall? The Yelmalian ones are copies.
• Is it true that if one had this relic, one could potentially unite the various temples under one rule? Probably, but the Temples are already united under the rule of Yelm, whihc is why they don't appreciate Yelm worshippers coming around telling them what to do.

In our last Gloranthan campaign, the PCs found the regalia in the Old Sun Dome, which were older than the current ones, but not the ones used to found the Sun Dome Temple. They had to HeroQuest to find those and return them.

 

17 hours ago, Fedman Kassad said:

Quotes from Sun County:

"Though the true, original Globe was lost before the fall of the Old Sun Dome, the rulers of the County refuse to be without such important symbols of office..."

"The fate of the original Globe of Authority and Scepter of Order is a Mystery..."

I think this refers to the Regalia used to found the Sun Dome Temple in Prax, not the original ones held by Yelm.

[Akhôrahil]

4 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Only if they gain authority from the Earth.

Shouldn’t that over the Earth?

[g33k]

6 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

Shouldn't Gloranthan monarchs have a cube of authority rather than an orb?

I think the Outer Atomic Explorers used that for propulsion; they called it the "Alcubierre Drive."

[Leingod]

1 hour ago, Akhôrahil said:

Shouldn’t that over the Earth?

Why should the regalia have to mean the same thing as it does IRL? The Orb of Authority represents the sun/Yelm, which in the Yelmic view is the ultimate source of sovereignty and dominion.

[Fedman Kassad]

So let me outline a tale…

Yelmalio and the Orb of Sovereignty

Yelm sat upon his throne as the ruler of the celestial court and above him shone the “Orb of Authority” - a manifestation of Yelm’s divine power visible to all other entities as his Sun aspect - and because of the Orb’s position in the sky, the Orb of Authority provided Yelm vision over his vast domain, hence “Orb of the Eye” – the orb that was Yelm’s eye-in-the-sky.

But malevolent gods turned upon Yelm and used the dark power of Death to strike him down. Yelm fell from the sky and was made prisoner in the realm of Hell. The “Orb of Authority” fell to the earth, its divine power gone, no longer a living sphere of fire and light, now just an inert chunk of matter.

Yelmalio, faithful son of Yelm, took up the “Orb of Authority” to preserve this divine symbol of his father’s reign, and in Yelmalio’s hands the Orb changed from inert rock to precious gold, and from this new “Orb of Sovereignty” flowed the manifestation of Yelmalio’s power…  Not the fire and heat of his father, but a cold light.  As a true and loyal son, Yelmalio did not try to usurp his father’s place, but only provided leadership and hope for the peoples of his father’s empire.  The Orb hovered over the head of Yelm’s loyal son and was a beacon in the darkness.

It was on the Hill of Gold that the Orb of Sovereignty was lost…  Maybe in the battle with the kin-slayer Orlanth, maybe in the cowardly ambush of Zorak Zoran, maybe during the cruelty of the White Princess.

The light of Yelmalio was dimmed, the power of the son of the Sun was diminished, but still loyal Yelmalio fought against the darkness and the creeping Chaos.  Shamed by Yelmalio’s courage, the Lightbringers realized that the death of Yelm was a true crime that needed undoing, and so they crept into Hell and returned Yelm to his rightful place in the sky.

Many where those that saw the honor and courage that Yelmalio embodied during the darkness, and so they gathered to worship him, and to build the Sun Dome Temples in his name.  For each of these temples the followers created a “Globe of Authority” as a symbol of Yelmalio’s power and reminders of the lost, true Orb.  But each of these temple Globes are but a pale copy of the original lost Orb of Sovereignty, as the Orb of Sovereignty was but a pale copy of the first, true Orb of Authority.

But the return of the true "Orb of Sovereignty" to the world, and if placed into the hands of a true Yelmalio hero, would bring about the resurgence of Yelmalio's power and glory, and lead the true peoples to once again bring all of creation under Yelm's benevolent reign...

Would that inspire hero's to quest for the true Orb?

 

Edited June 15, 2020 by Fedman Kassad
Bad plurals

[g33k]

2 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

Shouldn’t that over the Earth?

Only if you're suggesting the priests gain authority over the Sun ...

[jajagappa]

2 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

Shouldn’t that over the Earth?

No, I specifically meant "from" the Earth, i.e. an object granted by the powers of the Earth.

[John Biles]

4 hours ago, Fedman Kassad said:

So let me outline a tale…

Yelmalio and the Orb of Sovereignty

Yelm sat upon his throne as the ruler of the celestial court and above him shone the “Orb of Authority” - a manifestation of Yelm’s divine power visible to all other entities as his Sun aspect - and because of the Orb’s position in the sky, the Orb of Authority provided Yelm vision over his vast domain, hence “Orb of the Eye” – the orb that was Yelm’s eye-in-the-sky.

But malevolent gods turned upon Yelm and used the dark power of Death to strike him down. Yelm fell from the sky and was made prisoner in the realm of Hell. The “Orb of Authority” fell to the earth, its divine power gone, no longer a living sphere of fire and light, now just an inert chunk of matter.

Yelmalio, faithful son of Yelm, took up the “Orb of Authority” to preserve this divine symbol of his father’s reign, and in Yelmalio’s hands the Orb changed from inert rock to precious gold, and from this new “Orb of Sovereignty” flowed the manifestation of Yelmalio’s power…  Not the fire and heat of his father, but a cold light.  As a true and loyal son, Yelmalio did not try to usurp his father’s place, but only provided leadership and hope for the peoples of his father’s empire.  The Orb hovered over the head of Yelm’s loyal son and was a beacon in the darkness.

It was on the Hill of Gold that the Orb of Sovereignty was lost…  Maybe in the battle with the kin-slayer Orlanth, maybe in the cowardly ambush of Zorak Zoran, maybe during the cruelty of the White Princess.

The light of Yelmalio was dimmed, the power of the son of the Sun was diminished, but still loyal Yelmalio fought against the darkness and the creeping Chaos.  Shamed by Yelmalio’s courage, the Lightbringers realized that the death of Yelm was a true crime that needed undoing, and so they crept into Hell and returned Yelm to his rightful place in the sky.

Many where those that saw the honor and courage that Yelmalio embodied during the darkness, and so they gathered to worship him, and to build the Sun Dome Temples in his name.  For each of these temples the followers created a “Globes of Authority” as a symbol of Yelmalio’s power and reminders of the lost, true Orb.  But each of these temple “Globe of Authority”s are but a pale copy of the original lost Orb of Sovereignty, as the Orb of Sovereignty was but a pale copy of the first, true Orb of Authority.

But the return of the true "Orb of Sovereignty" to the world, and if placed into the hands of a true Yelmalio hero, would bring about the resurgence of Yelmalio's power and glory, and lead the true peoples to once again bring all of creation under Yelm's benevolent reign...

Would that inspire hero's to quest for the true Orb?

 

 

That seems like a good mythic origin.  Creating a new Orb probably requires some kind of quest against and victory over Darkness.  

 

[Eagle Talon]

On 6/14/2020 at 3:17 PM, Fedman Kassad said:

So let me outline a tale…

Yelmalio and the Orb of Sovereignty

Yelm sat upon his throne as the ruler of the celestial court and above him shone the “Orb of Authority” - a manifestation of Yelm’s divine power visible to all other entities as his Sun aspect - and because of the Orb’s position in the sky, the Orb of Authority provided Yelm vision over his vast domain, hence “Orb of the Eye” – the orb that was Yelm’s eye-in-the-sky.

But malevolent gods turned upon Yelm and used the dark power of Death to strike him down. Yelm fell from the sky and was made prisoner in the realm of Hell. The “Orb of Authority” fell to the earth, its divine power gone, no longer a living sphere of fire and light, now just an inert chunk of matter.

Yelmalio, faithful son of Yelm, took up the “Orb of Authority” to preserve this divine symbol of his father’s reign, and in Yelmalio’s hands the Orb changed from inert rock to precious gold, and from this new “Orb of Sovereignty” flowed the manifestation of Yelmalio’s power…  Not the fire and heat of his father, but a cold light.  As a true and loyal son, Yelmalio did not try to usurp his father’s place, but only provided leadership and hope for the peoples of his father’s empire.  The Orb hovered over the head of Yelm’s loyal son and was a beacon in the darkness.

It was on the Hill of Gold that the Orb of Sovereignty was lost…  Maybe in the battle with the kin-slayer Orlanth, maybe in the cowardly ambush of Zorak Zoran, maybe during the cruelty of the White Princess.

The light of Yelmalio was dimmed, the power of the son of the Sun was diminished, but still loyal Yelmalio fought against the darkness and the creeping Chaos.  Shamed by Yelmalio’s courage, the Lightbringers realized that the death of Yelm was a true crime that needed undoing, and so they crept into Hell and returned Yelm to his rightful place in the sky.

Many where those that saw the honor and courage that Yelmalio embodied during the darkness, and so they gathered to worship him, and to build the Sun Dome Temples in his name.  For each of these temples the followers created a “Globe of Authority” as a symbol of Yelmalio’s power and reminders of the lost, true Orb.  But each of these temple Globes are but a pale copy of the original lost Orb of Sovereignty, as the Orb of Sovereignty was but a pale copy of the first, true Orb of Authority.

But the return of the true "Orb of Sovereignty" to the world, and if placed into the hands of a true Yelmalio hero, would bring about the resurgence of Yelmalio's power and glory, and lead the true peoples to once again bring all of creation under Yelm's benevolent reign...

Would that inspire hero's to quest for the true Orb?

 

The Yelmalio hero could be Rurik Runespear. Leader of the Sun Dome Spears in the hero wars and companion to Argrath.