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What is canon?


Beorne

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The Orlanthi are <take any naval raiding culture engaging in cattle herding and non-irrigation farming> without ships. Mycenean, Sea People, Saxon, Viking, Slav, Baltic, Barbary Corsair, Kilikians, Scoti, Veneti...

Or you could take any transhumant cattle-herding and plow-farming agricultural culture from highlands or near highlands, with a history of cattle-raiding, and have your parallel without the need to explain away the crucial role the ships take in the cultures above.

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Telling how it is excessive verbis

 

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On 8/24/2020 at 3:03 PM, Ian Absentia said:

I'm trying to recall when I first began to read about "Orlanthi" as opposed to "Sartarites"

It first appears in 1979 in RuneQuest 2nd ed as a singular "non-orlanthi", it's not until Cults of Terror in 1981, that Orlanthi is properly used in the text. After that it's used throughout the RQ2 era and beyond.

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6 minutes ago, David Scott said:

It first appears in 1979 in RuneQuest 2nd ed as a singular "non-orlanthi", it's not until Cults of Terror in 1981, that Orlanthi is properly used in the text. After that it's used throughout the RQ2 era and beyond.

Yes, but in RuneQuest Classic books it's used in contexts where the meaning is "worshippers of Orlanth" (i.e. Orlanth cult members) rather than "members of a culture where Orlanth is the chief god."

(I checked, so you don't have to).

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3 hours ago, Joerg said:

The Orlanthi are <take any naval raiding culture engaging in cattle herding and non-irrigation farming> without ships. Mycenean, Sea People, Saxon, Viking, Slav, Baltic, Barbary Corsair, Kilikians, Scoti, Veneti...

 

Yes, I see yer point Joerg, Orlanthi do not have ships, Ever, none, don’t even live near water. Got it :) 

You did mean Sartarites right? I mean, Sartarites that do not live near water. 

Edited by Bill the barbarian
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5 hours ago, David Scott said:

It first appears in 1979 in RuneQuest 2nd ed as a singular "non-orlanthi", it's not until Cults of Terror in 1981, that Orlanthi is properly used in the text. After that it's used throughout the RQ2 era and beyond.

...as opposed to "Sartarites."  Orlanthi as a religious group, Sartarites as a cultural group.

!i!

[Edit:  Never mind -- I see @Nick Brooke made that distinction. Thanks!]
[Re-Edit:  Wait, no, I see what I did there.  Sorry, @David Scott.  What I meant to ask originally was, "When did the term Orlanthi begin to supplant the term Sartarite in reference to a cultural group?"  And after digging through some of my books, I think my estimate of early- to mid-80s was a little generous, and that mid- to late-80s is more on the mark.  And then there's the term "Theyalan" -- a racial rubric -- to throw into the mix.  We clearly need a good Wenn diagram.]

Edited by Ian Absentia
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10 hours ago, Joerg said:

The Orlanthi are <take any naval raiding culture engaging in cattle herding and non-irrigation farming> without ships.

Well, the Esrolians are Orlanthi: they have ships, some of the largest humans have before the Waertagi come back.

Some of the Janube valley Orlanthi probably have ships.

The Orlanthi of southern Peloria have ships, on the Oslir.

The Orlanthi of Ralios have ships on the Upper Tanier.

The Umathelans have ships.

Some of those use ships for trading, war, and probably raiding.

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Sooner or later, the <take any naval raiding culture engaging in cattle herding and non-irrigation farming> have to move inland where timber is more plentiful.  So, yeah, Orlanthi!  Or Sartarites.  Or Theyalan Manirians of Dragon Pass.

!i!

[Edit:  Honestly, I'm going to push the popularised use of "Orlanthi" out well past the late-80s.  Even in the AH sources, I'm seeing "Sartarite" used as the prevalent cultural term well into the '90s.]

Edited by Ian Absentia

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On 8/21/2020 at 1:48 AM, Jeff said:

And who can forget this depiction of Prince Argrath from the RuneQuest Companion. Looks very German-Celt to me.
 

 

GD007.jpg

That was supposed to be Argrath? I saw it outside the context of the Companion, tbf, but I thought it was a Grazer priest of some sort, probably because of the elaborate headgear and stars. Honestly though, looking it as Argrath, I could see that being some old ceremonial EWF armor he uses to enhance his dragon powers.

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17 minutes ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

I get why the umbrella terms are used. It makes the world more readable, which, while perhaps not as necessary to grognards, is IMMENSELY useful to newcomers.

Terminology has, understandably, become more sophisticated over time.  This is generally a Good Thing.

!i!

Edited by Ian Absentia
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2 hours ago, Ian Absentia said:

I'm going to push the popularised use of "Orlanthi" out well past the late-80s.

I'd guess King of Sartar as the point where that is first heavily used (The Book of the Orlanthi) and then Thunder Rebels where it becomes the prominently used term.

8 minutes ago, Richard S. said:

That was supposed to be Argrath?

Yes!  I always figured it is the ritual ceremony when he became Prince of Sartar.

Edited by jajagappa
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38 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

I'd guess King of Sartar as the point where that is first heavily used (The Book of the Orlanthi) and then Thunder Rebels where it becomes the prominently used term.

Yes!  I always figured it is the ritual ceremony when he became Prince of Sartar.

Presumably, the pantslessness is to remind everyone that the Ducks are an integral part of Sartar.

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Though a Lunar through and through, she is also a human being.

"I just read an article in The Economist by a guy who was riding around with the Sartar rebels, I mean Taliban," -Greg Stafford, January 7th, 2010

Eight Arms and the Mask

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12 hours ago, Eff said:

Presumably, the pantslessness is to remind everyone that the Ducks are an integral part of Sartar.

Either that or Argrath is undergoing apotheosis into a GOD Of PROG ROCK!  Which, for my lights, would be completely worth it. Now, where did I put those King Crimson albums?

From a forest by the sea and silliness,

J Kyer

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On 8/21/2020 at 9:46 AM, Jeff said:

The Orlanthi were originally presented as being very "Ancient World". 

p167.jpg

RQ18.jpg

RQ46.jpg

With all due respect, we've come a long way. I mean that sincerely too, and recognize that for many of the folks out here there's lots of nostalgia, but for me the journey to find out about Glorantha involved a look into Runequest during the olden days.. but I bounced hard off the aesthetics. Ultimately I came to see the creation for the brilliant thing that it was and now here we are hooked.  

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On 8/27/2020 at 7:36 AM, Voriof said:

Either that or Argrath is undergoing apotheosis into a GOD Of PROG ROCK!  Which, for my lights, would be completely worth it. Now, where did I put those King Crimson albums?

 

Err, Glam rock... Although that suit might be some kind of hologram projector that a prog rocking nerd could appreciate... or some kind of crazy worn musical instrument!

Edited by Bill the barbarian

... remember, with a TARDIS, one is never late for breakfast!

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44 minutes ago, Bill the barbarian said:

Err, Glam rock... Although that suit might be some kind of hologram projector that a prog rocking nerd could appreciate... or some kind of crazy worn musical instrument!

Well, he could be just wearing that loincloth and the armor is forming around him as he becomes... GUITAR GOD.  I'd go with Prog Rock. Have you seen a Captain Beefheart cover? Or listened to Rush? :)  (though I would consider glam rock along the lines of Spinal Tap... er... say... Isn't that mountain range a spine?  (Where did I put those those 14" trilithons anyway?)

From a forest overlooking the sea... of silliness

J Kyer

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5 hours ago, Grievous said:

With all due respect, we've come a long way. I mean that sincerely too...

Too true.  Back in the day, I generally accepted Luise Perrin's art c.1978 as inspirational of a loosely-defined gaming background, rather than anything defining "canon".  Gene Day's work, on the other hand, was some trippy exposition of campaign events viewed through what seemed to be a very personal lens of early-70s apocalyptic Sci-Fi* -- again, highly inspirational, but hardly canon.

I like where we're at with art direction and world-building -- distinctiveness and congruity are the order of the day.  This is canon.  But I still like a lot of what's gone before, and from personal experience I expect things to change in the future.  This was and will be canon.

!i!

[*Guys -- pantsless, helmeted Argrath?  That's clearly a reference to Zardoz.  If you've never seen it before, you will not be able to un-see it.]

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  • 1 year later...
On 8/24/2020 at 12:13 PM, Nick Brooke said:

RuneQuest is set in the Bronze Age fantasy world of Glorantha. Our protagonists, the Orlanthi barbarians, are lusty tribes who worship at hilltop standing stones and paint themselves blue with woad so they can fight naked from their chariots against the invading Imperial legions they head-hunt for trophies.  [etc, etc]

Forum feature bugfix request!  Oddly, I can only give this one reaction, when it very clearly needs all of them at once!

<checks to see how many times it's been posted, just in case...>

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