Gloranthan Riddles

[Stephen L]

Good morning all,

I’ve finally reaching the point where the players will be participating in Kallyr’s failed light bringers quest, and I’ve decided that, for one episode that involves them, will be riddle based (nothing illuminating).  For the main mythic reason that I think my players will enjoy it.

The last time I used riddles in roleplaying was a *very* long time ago, when I ended up making them up myself, which, though satisfying, is quite time consuming.  Any one any ideas for a good source?  If they have a Gloranthan bent, so much the better.  

Stephen.
 

[Stephen L]

I realise I should have started the ball rolling, so a quick homebrew, that needs polish:

Hooves, four have I,
my head is racked with my pride,
the drum of ardour sounds my name,
but for wife I take she who is ever last,
Who am I?

Hart (or stag, deer)

Edited September 22, 2020 by Stephen L
Supply answer

[Stephen L]

A couple with Runes as answers (not original, the second is from JJR Tolkien):

A spirited jig dancing bright,
Banishing even darkest night.
With food and I wax and thrive,
With drink and I wither and die.

Fire

It cannot be seen, it cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt,
Lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills.
Comes first follows after,
Ends life kills laughter.
What am I? 

Darkness

Another "creature" one, which will do for the younger players in my group:

I have a tail but no mouse am I,
I have scales but no fish am I,
I have wings but no bird am I,
I have a tongue that's forked, but no snake am I.

Dragon

Edited September 22, 2020 by Stephen L
Add answers

[Brootse]

8 hours ago, Stephen L said:

I realise I should have started the ball rolling, so a quick homebrew, that needs polish:

Hooves, four have I,
my head is racked with my pride,
the drum of ardour sounds my name,
but for wife I take she who is ever last,
Who am I?

Chair

[Stephen L]

2 minutes ago, Brootse said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Chair

 

Nope - but if you let me know how to add spoilers, I'll add the answers!

[Brootse]

18 minutes ago, Stephen L said:

A couple with Runes as answers (not original, the second is from JJR Tolkien):

A spirited jig dancing bright,
Banishing even darkest night.
With food and I wax and thrive,
With drink and I wither and die.

It cannot be seen, it cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt,
Lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills.
Comes first follows after,
Ends life kills laughter.
What am I? 

Another "creature" one, which will do for the younger players in my group:

I have a tail but no mouse am I,
I have scales but no fish am I,
I have wings but no bird am I,
I have a tongue that's forked, but no snake am I.

Fire, Darkness, Dragon

[Nozbat]

I share a common fate with the sea,

Spinning the months around in alternate cycles.

When the glory of my light-forming form wanes,

so, too, the sea loses its swollen flood tides

 

No-one can see me or catch me in their palms

I spread the noisy sound of my voice 

through the world; I can break to pieces the strong oak with my loud

crashing voice, as I beat against the high poles of

the sky and traverse the fields

 

Formed in a marvellous way, born without seed

I loan my sweet great with treasure from flowers;

By my art the golden platters of Kings grow yellow;

always I bear the small, sharp spears of cruel war

And though I lack hands, my spear stings more cruelly

than weapons forged by smiths

 

[Stephen L]

1 minute ago, Brootse said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Fire, Darkness, Dragon

 

Yup - they're quite easy.

[Brootse]

3 minutes ago, Stephen L said:

Nope - but if you let me know how to add spoilers, I'll add the answers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 22, 2020 by Brootse

[Brootse]

Eh, it's hard to write it on this forum.

[tag] the text you want to spoiler [/tag]

replace 'tag' with 'spoiler'

[Brootse]

You can find some decent ones with search engines, 'poetry riddles' gives good hits, eg. https://solveordie.com/poems-riddles/

[Stephen L]

1 hour ago, Nozbat said:

I share a common fate with the sea,

Spinning the months around in alternate cycles.

When the glory of my light-forming form wanes,

so, too, the sea loses its swollen flood tides

 

Moon

 

1 hour ago, Nozbat said:

No-one can see me or catch me in their palms

I spread the noisy sound of my voice 

through the world; I can break to pieces the strong oak with my loud

crashing voice, as I beat against the high poles of

the sky and traverse the fields

 

Thunder Wind

 

1 hour ago, Nozbat said:

Formed in a marvellous way, born without seed

I loan my sweet great with treasure from flowers;

By my art the golden platters of Kings grow yellow;

always I bear the small, sharp spears of cruel war

And though I lack hands, my spear stings more cruelly

than weapons forged by smiths

 

Bee

Edited September 22, 2020 by Stephen L
Another try

[Nozbat]

26 minutes ago, Stephen L said:

 

  Hide contents

Moon

 

 

 

  Hide contents

Thunder

 

 

 

  Hide contents

Bee

 

Two out of three... 

[jajagappa]

Three fairly simple ones that the Riddling Raven of the Crossroads used in my HQG game.

I run through hills; I veer around mountains.

I leap over rivers and crawl through the forests.

Step out your door to find me. What am I?

A road. Though wind also works.

I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space.

I am essential to Ernalda, and I surround every place. What am I?

The letter 'E'

I bind you tight yet have no body
Eyes cannot see me
Knife cannot cut me
Hammer cannot break me
Still you may slip away
For the price of your word.
What am I?"

An oath

And one more.

Born in fire, yet cannot breathe;
Anointed in blood, yet cannot bleed;
No feet of my own and another's hand;
Yet I still I yearn to kill and maim.
What am I?"

a Sword

[Stephen L]

50 minutes ago, Nozbat said:

Two out of three

Had Another go at the second

[Bill the barbarian]

Record a good riddle contest, and put it in the now postponed Glorantha Has Talent? With the new deadline, you still have just under 2 weeks.

Edited September 22, 2020 by Bill the barbarian

[Ali the Helering]

Try the Exeter Riddle Book.  Especially the obscene ones. 

[Nozbat]

3 hours ago, Stephen L said:

Had Another go at the second

Correct

[Stephen L]

Many thanks, Jajagappa, very nice riddles, not too difficult, that you don't have a clue (which is no fun), nor too easy, so that you feel clever when you do guess.  I'd have needed a clue for the 2nd, but I peeked!

For the first, I guessed the second answer you gave, but thought the guess poor.  I suggest 2 lines that make it more Gloranthan, and making the first answer as the only possible.

I run through hills; I veer around mountains,
I leap over rivers and crawl through the forests.
Sometimes I'm royal, ordained by Princes,
Ofttimes I'm poor, at the behest of tinkers.
Step out your door to find me. What am I?

I’m not sure about this one, I’ve made up…

Mark I storm's passing,
quivering, shafts I speed,
inclining, I mark my assent,
yet to yield and submit, also am I.
What am I?

One I found (not original) that might suit my needs:

Only one colour, but not one size,
Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies.
Present in sun, but not in rain,
Doing no harm, and feeling no pain.
What is it?

 

20 hours ago, Bill the barbarian said:

Record a good riddle contest, and put it in the now postponed Glorantha Has Talent?

There's an idea.  But I’ve posted a Glorantha folk song instead.  How difficult can one of those be!

Edited September 23, 2020 by Stephen L
error with spoiler tag - given up. Answers on a post card...

[Bill the barbarian]

 

10 minutes ago, Stephen L said:

There's an idea.  But I’ve posted a Glorantha folk song instead.  How difficult can one of those be!

Not too, obviously. Thanks for the entry, Stephen!

[Stephen L]

18 hours ago, Ali the Helering said:

Try the Exeter Riddle Book.  Especially the obscene ones. 

Ah yes, I know those - obviously Anglo Saxon bishops (if I remember the compiler correctly) were perhaps less straight laced than nowadays.

However, my youngest player is 7, so they might not be age appropriate. 

[Stephen L]

5 minutes ago, Bill the barbarian said:

Not too, obviously

The art is setting the bar really low.  Then it's no effort at all.  Now why aren't my spoiler tags working...

[Ali the Helering]

41 minutes ago, Stephen L said:

Ah yes, I know those - obviously Anglo Saxon bishops (if I remember the compiler correctly) were perhaps less straight laced than nowadays.

However, my youngest player is 7, so they might not be age appropriate. 

Thankfully they have 'straight' answers as well.  

[Bill the barbarian]

1 hour ago, Stephen L said:

The art is setting the bar really low.  Then it's no effort at all.  Now why aren't my spoiler tags working...

[spoiler]don’t know![/spoiler]

Cheers

[Bill the barbarian]

 

1 hour ago, Stephen L said:

Now why aren't my spoiler tags working...

Hmm, says I.

[spoiler]

don’t know!

[/spoiler]

Nor does edit work... But I suppose we should move this to Allistor’s Inn. Thanks for letting me Hi-Jack your thread for my advertising.