The Boat Planet Sky World Quest

[Zodgrod]

Hi all!

Our 11L RQG campaign has us in Earth Season 1623: the Culbrea are being annoying and the Lunars are starting to catch on about the Three Stars.  So the PCs are cleverly looking to find Kallyr again to see if she can help with either.

Given all that, I'd like to know peoples' take on what, when, how and with whom Kallyr performs the Boat Planet quest.  I'm guessing she and Minartyth are actively hunkering down to get ready to perform it but wondering who else is involved so that the PCs also can't find them (thinking of her Iron Ring and maybe some of the other rebel heroes like Venharl and Thundercape).

That said, its also possible the PCs reach her in time to join or at least help in the quest!  

So with that, would love to know what people think happened in Your Glorantha (or at least what you imagine she did to raise the Boat Planet).

 

Thanks!

[jajagappa]

4 hours ago, Zodgrod said:

what, when, how and with whom Kallyr performs the Boat Planet quest. 

The HW/HQ book Gathering Thunder has one take on PC's joining Kallyr's quest and is the only published material on that.  For timing, it takes place in Seaseason 1624 shortly before the Battle of Pennel Ford.  (Timing aligns with the return of Harrek and Argrath from their circumnavigation of the Seas.)  Nominally, Orngerin, Minaryth, and Orstalor Spearlord join Kallyr in the Grazelands at the start of the quest.  Also Orlaront Dragonfriend, who helps with the later Dragonrise.  And a character named Danar Orelos is from DH and has the sky lore needed to help Kallyr get into the Sky.  

[Akhôrahil]

As described in GT, it's a Sky World heroquest that has some similarities to the Sky part of t11L heroquest. 

Edited February 5, 2021 by Akhôrahil

[jajagappa]

4 hours ago, Zodgrod said:

would love to know what people think happened in Your Glorantha (or at least what you imagine she did to raise the Boat Planet).

One thing to think about is what the Sky Ship is or means to the different groups.  The planet was known as:

• Anaxial or Anaxial's Ark in Dara Happa
• Diros among the Orlanthi and Pelaskites
• Waertag by the Malkioni
• The Lucky Star by High Llama Tribe
• Tsankth by the Vormaino
• The Sky Ship to Kallyr/Danar 

For the trolls, it may be connected to Jeset the Ferryman (and a way to retrieve the souls of those who have died under the light of the Sun).

Each of these groups likely have their own Stations/events associated with the Boat Planet's quest and journey.

As for actions to raise the Boat Planet, I liked the imagery in Gathering Thunder of a vast group of folk (of all the different groups trying to restore it) all pulling upon great ropes to right the ship at the Sky Port (being somewhere near the Gates of Dawn).  

There are parallels subsequently to the adventure in 11L as the ship begins its journey up the Celestial River.  Hostile beings and creatures oppose it, particularly Shargash but also the River Hippo and other Sky folk.  The Gathering Thunder adventure breaks off at the Dragon Isles, but the Sky Ship clearly has to journey on through the Sky Desert and then through the Gates of Dusk and then all the way across the River Styx and Hell in order to rise again.  

[soltakss]

In my recent Gloranthan campaign, the PCs were River Voices and HeroQuestors. They found a great Dragonship in Hell that had been pierced by a Golden Barge, belonging to a previous set of River Voices. They gathered an alliance of people to restore the Dragonship, rescued Dormal from the Endless Sea and pulled the soul of an Inhuman King trapped in the Dragonkill. Then they sailed it into the Sky, jumped off at Orlanth's Ring and awakened their Inner Dragons. It probably took 6 months play at a session per week, although they did other things as well. Kallyr did not get a look-in, but it was a River Voice Campaign not a Kallyr/Argrath Campaign.

[Zodgrod]

Awesome, thanks for this!! Tonnes of inspiration. Definitely a chance I'll give them an opportunity to help on the quest now. 

To your point @jajagappa I'm not actually that clear what the boat raising achieves for Kallyr. Some implication that it impacts The Closing but does that have anything to do with Pennell or the Dragonrise in your mind(s). 

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, Zodgrod said:

I'm not actually that clear what the boat raising achieves for Kallyr.

In Gathering Thunder, the implication is that it allows her to reach the Dragon Isles in the Celestial River, presumably contributing to the Dragonrise.  But if, as Jeff has suggested, the Dragonrise was not something Kallyr expected then that does not make sense.  I'd probably connect it to Kallyr's relationship to the Pole Star.  The Boat Planet is one of the ancient planets, therefore should be part of the Sky.  Perhaps there is some Sky Lore prophecy that encompasses the Boat Planet, which Kallyr interprets to mean should must aid its resurrection.  

1 hour ago, Zodgrod said:

Some implication that it impacts The Closing

Another prophecy-type implication could be something along the lines of:  "When the Boat Planet sails again upon the Celestial River, then shall the Heir of the Flame be revealed."  Kallyr would of course interpret such to mean her.  But this ties in as well to the Battle of Pennel Ford, as the return of the Boat Planet marks the return to the Holy Country of Harrek and Argrath. 

[Orlanthi]

There's some good material in the Guide on this.

Tosti Runfriend's account (p732) says that "While [in the Sky realm], Kallyr and her companions befriended the Star Dragon so that she could defeat the Empire and free her people. This was all in preparation for a far more dangerous magical ritual Kallyr had planned." IIRC, Gathering Thunder's story line has this occur as well, though off-stage from the PCs, and after they leave the Sky realm. Later the same account says that "even Orlaront Dragonfriend did not know [the dragon]. So he was new, brought there for that moment by the magic of Orlanth."

Interestingly, the sidebar (not Tosti) says: "The green beam was the manifestation of the Dragon’s Head. It was more than the conjunction of stars, for the Orlanthi had plotted for years to cause this moment. They had sailed on the maiden voyage of the new Boat Planet and negotiated with the Star Dragon so that it would manifest at that moment in five places: in the sky, where Stella Draconis took a bite out of Shargash; in the Middle Air, where the green star of the Ring appeared; in the earth, which devoured the nascent temple and people; in the deepest seas, where a coupling occurred; and in the Otherworld, where a monster was formed."

If Kallyr was unaware of this then perhaps there was some deeper and more mysterious plot and purpose. Awesome stuff either way!!!

 

[Stephen L]

12 hours ago, jajagappa said:

But if, as Jeff has suggested, the Dragonrise was not something Kallyr expected then that does not make sense.

Not necessarily.  Kallyr might have been raising a Star Dragon to disrupt the Lunar ceremony in the heavens.

Perhaps it collided with Tatius's powerful 'As in Heaven above, so on Earth below' magic with some very unintended effects by everyone present.

[Pentallion]

In our campaign, the PCs had to go down to the Boat Planet and release the anchor.  It was trapped between life and death and those at the harbor were singing the song of life, while forces from the deep were trying to pull it down.

[soltakss]

5 hours ago, Pentallion said:

In our campaign, the PCs had to go down to the Boat Planet and release the anchor.  It was trapped between life and death and those at the harbor were singing the song of life, while forces from the deep were trying to pull it down.

Ooh, I like that. Can I use that in Secrets of the River Voices when I start writing it?