Tell me more on Telmori

[Minlister]

I have two curiosities about Telmori

How do you envision them when in wolf form? Are they four-legged wolves of the more 'humanoïd" werewolf type? I would go for the first but obviously it has an impact on combat strategies.

My second point concerns the life expectancy difference between man and wolf. The wolf brother should die very early in the life of the brave. Maybe they got some 'life-force sharing" ceremony that allow the man and the wold to harmonize their life expectancy? Or are the shamans able to call back the spirit of the dead wolf and insure its reincarnation in a new pup, in which case there would be an interesting "life-cycle" for the Telmori brave with "off-time" when he grows and trains the new pup.

So what is your opinion on that? Thanks for your help! 

[David Scott]

There's a whole chapter describing the Temori of Sartar in the Coming Storm. When they transform the full moon they become wolves (four leggeds). In the RuneQuest Bestiary they also become wolves (four leggeds). If they use their rune spells in part, they resemble werewolves as they've not completely transformed. RQ2 werewolves were the same.

[Minlister]

Thanks, yes, that was my impression, so "magical" transformations gives anthropoid werewolf and "full moon curse" four-legged furry f(r)iends.

No insights on the second topic?

[Runeblogger]

About your second topic, the life-sharing magic sounds cool. Maybe you can find more info here.

[Minlister]

@Runeblogger

That's incredible!

[Akhôrahil]

As the wolf-brother isn’t a regular wolf, it makes sense that it would be longer-lived even “naturally”.

By the way, I imagine Allied Spirits in animal form also don’t age the same way the regular animal would?

Edited July 27, 2020 by Akhôrahil

[dumuzid]

I'm not sure it's a given that animals have the same lifespans in Glorantha as on Earth, particularly not animals who've undergone some sort of initiation rite, as Telmori wolf-siblings presumably do.  i like the recursive reincarnation idea though 

[Akhôrahil]

1 minute ago, dumuzid said:

I'm not sure it's a given that animals have the same lifespans in Glorantha as on Earth, particularly not animals who've undergone some sort of initiation rite, as Telmori wolf-siblings presumably do.  i like the recursive reincarnation idea though 

Good point - Zola Fel’s intelligent fish clergy should reasonably have extended lifespans.

[Minlister]

@dumuzid Yes, that's a good point, in which case it is a little bit like the first solution I envisioned, special magic to enhance life expectancy. AFAIC, I prefer some ritual repeated on a regular basis, whether to rejuvenate the wolf by harmonizing it to the human brother or reincarnation of the wolf spirit, it enhances what we can describe of the ritual life of the tribes and gives more "food" for scenarios. It also gives something to the wolf in the bargain, the human brother receives magic to be a wolf and the wolf the life expectancy of the human.

@Akhôrahil interesting question about the allied animal spirit, yes, I would see their life as tied to their human "ally", living as long as he does, and dying with him if he dies beyond the animal normal life expectancy.

Big rush on turtle spirit allies!!

 

[soltakss]

On 7/27/2020 at 1:08 PM, Minlister said:

How do you envision them when in wolf form? Are they four-legged wolves of the more 'humanoïd" werewolf type? I would go for the first but obviously it has an impact on combat strategies.

In Secrets of Dorastor, I have introduced the Beastling form, which is basically the "standing up partially transformed" stage. Telmori can be Wolflings, more like the "classic" wolman.

On 7/27/2020 at 1:08 PM, Minlister said:

My second point concerns the life expectancy difference between man and wolf. The wolf brother should die very early in the life of the brave. Maybe they got some 'life-force sharing" ceremony that allow the man and the wold to harmonize their life expectancy? Or are the shamans able to call back the spirit of the dead wolf and insure its reincarnation in a new pup, in which case there would be an interesting "life-cycle" for the Telmori brave with "off-time" when he grows and trains the new pup.

Yes, I always play that the wolf companion has the same life expectancy as the human. 

Of course, in Dorastor that might only be a theoretical life expectancy.