Non-Gloranthan Media That Reminds You Of Glorantha

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, Oracle said:

I interpret this, that I should read these two books again (I really liked them, when I did it several years ago) for getting some hints regarding our current campaign ... 😉

Absolutely! 😉 But watch out for huntsmen riding out of fires...

[Shiningbrow]

On 2/6/2021 at 6:17 PM, Akhôrahil said:

Moana is so Gloranthan that it even has its own Closing of the Seas.

I just watched it for the first time last night.

Surely Maui's moving tattoo(s) is his Allied Spirit???

[AndreJarosch]

John E. Boyles "Queens Heir" and "Ravens Blood" novels: 
The first one was actually written as set in Glorantha, but was later rewritten as taking place in the Hittites area (+ Atlantis etc.), the second one follows the story of the first one (as far as i know there was no gloranthan version of the second book): 

https://www.amazon.de/Queens-Heir-Fantasy-Hittites-Children-ebook/dp/B01GD9GHGM/ref=sr_1_7?__mk_de_DE=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&dchild=1&keywords=john+e+boyle&qid=1613287716&sr=8-7

 

https://www.amazon.de/Ravens-Blood-Adventure-Descendants-Atlantis-ebook/dp/B07MJP8PV8/ref=pd_sim_1?pd_rd_w=ONCFz&pf_rd_p=4c36ee45-3199-45ee-b94f-2cfef399364c&pf_rd_r=ZNSVFB01RPWZPVS1QQW6&pd_rd_r=045e596d-42da-4a2c-a960-e9d80d707dc7&pd_rd_wg=LUDlv&pd_rd_i=B07MJP8PV8&psc=1

Edited February 15 by AndreJarosch

[coffeemancer]

If you listen carefully to the lyrics in the avantasia song 'moonglow' you definetively get a lunar feeling
https://youtu.be/Mk0FTHqmO9o?list=OLAK5uy_kPwjxBpZnTzij4-M6cyEACfzVD1dc5wKA

 

[Shiningbrow]

On 2/6/2021 at 11:31 PM, AndreJarosch said:

"Britannia" TV series
 

Thank you! Somehow I missed it when it came out. Enjoying it now 🙂

[Hijabg]

There is that new viking survival game, Valheim, that is very evocative of Glorantha. It has runes, mythic beasts, standing stones altars on which you can offer sacrifice, a titanic branch spanning the whole sky (from an even larger tree, Yggdrasil), and to add fun to this already winning recipe you can even play in co-op with up to 10 friends. It's on Steam if you want to know more about it. Best game I have played in a long time.

Edited February 23 by Hijabg

[JanPospisil]

I think I've recommended it before:

Warriors of the Rainbow (2011)

- Especially the longer 4 hour version. (it's really two movies) It's a fascinating immersion into a thoroughly foreign feeling culture, with unflinching portrayal of the brutality that goes with it. Also the fact the one side are tattooed headhunters who revere their ancestors, vs the other being a more "advanced" invading empire, that's pretty Gloranthan.

(also don't be fooled by the marketing that's trying to present it as some kind of Taiwanese Braveheart. They had to way downplay the violence and make the Sediq seem like "good guys", while the film itself does not whitewash anything.)

 

Edited February 19 by JanPospisil

[aumshantih]

For inspiration for Kralorela and Vithela, I highly recommend this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havoc_in_Heaven

Really, "Journey to the West" could be a fantastic Gloranthan resource.

 

[skulldixon]

The series Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver.

More european stone age than bronze, but still enjoyable.

 

Stephen Lawhead's Song of Albion series was great when i first read it back in early 2001.

 

Edited March 5 by skulldixon

[soltakss]

7 hours ago, skulldixon said:

The series Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver.

More european stone age than bronze, but still enjoyable.

Yes, I've got 4 of them, very enjoyable. A boy and his wolf have adventurers in the Mesolithic, probably Young Adult without all the gooey love triangles.

[skulldixon]

I don't know how everyone feels about RPG based Novels. But it would be super kool to see Chaosium expand some of their IP with in universe novels. So in this case, Official Glorantha novels or a trilogy. 

 

Just a thought i want to float out there incase someone who has any say picks it up and runs with it. I mean, there is no way there are not a some really good writer's in the community who would like to do something like this.

 

For instance, i would love to read a novelization of the journey that Kellyr Starbrow and her followers took that lead to them waking the brown Dragon and causing the Dragonrise. if it was a Trilogy series, the first book could start with the failure of the first Rebelion.

Edited March 6 by skulldixon
Additional Thought.

[Snugz]

I'm (re)reading the Malazan Book of the Fallen series lately and it has some Gloranthan vibes to it-- not necessarily Iron Age (but alien world), lots of ancient civiilizations/elder races (including a dragonewt-like one), fairly complex gods and magics (some truly epic sorcery etc.), very gritty action.

[JanPospisil]

11 hours ago, Snugz said:

I'm (re)reading the Malazan Book of the Fallen series lately and it has some Gloranthan vibes to it-- not necessarily Iron Age (but alien world), lots of ancient civiilizations/elder races (including a dragonewt-like one), fairly complex gods and magics (some truly epic sorcery etc.), very gritty action.

The world was originally made as a GURPS game the two authors played. (Erikson and Esslemont) And the books are a loose rewrite of their campaign.

[skulldixon]

This just dropped and on the cover image alone makes me think Glorantha

https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/3007-988/Iyanu-Child-of-Wonder-Volume-1-TPB

[Runeblogger]

On 2/7/2021 at 1:56 AM, Ladygolem said:

Speaking of comics, Prophet by, uh, Brandon Graham. I feel weird recommending something by such a nasty dude so I'll just focus on praising the incredible art by many talented artists, especially that by Simon Roy (who's done a ton of illustration for RQ:G and Six Ages, in fact!)

I want to read another of Simon Roy's comics: Tiger Lung

Quote

Thirty-five thousand years ago, the world was ruled by strange beasts and ancient gods! For some Paleolithic tribes, hope lay in the shaman warriors who stood between them and the unknown. Tiger Lung follows the struggle of one of these shamans to keep his people alive in a vast, hostile universe!

 

[Alex]

On 3/6/2021 at 7:00 PM, skulldixon said:

For instance, i would love to read a novelization of the journey that Kellyr Starbrow and her followers took that lead to them waking the brown Dragon and causing the Dragonrise. if it was a Trilogy series, the first book could start with the failure of the first Rebelion.

Thereafter, prequels all the way down!  When we get to 0ST, the debate begins whether with you can even have Prequels and Sequels without Time!

[scott-martin]

[Bren]

The Kaphtu Trilogy by Richard L. Purtill. It's set in the Bronze Age Aegean with actual deities. I used the cover of the Stolen Goddess for my first RQ player character.

[Jape_Vicho]

In The hidden fortress, by Akira Kurosawa, the actors Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara play an excellent role as two unnerving traitorous and stupid scoundrels, and you can really imagine them being tricksters in Glorantha. I can see all the plot happening in Glorantha really, those two as Eurmali, the princess as an aloof Vingan, Mifune being a stoic and intimidating Humakti or Yelmalion... The only thing that's missing is the rune magic.

 

Edited September 23 by Jape_Vicho

[Badder]

I'm going to vote; Gilgamesh (in print, but the comic was okay),

Princess Mononoke (just incredible),

The Mahabharata by Peter Brooks,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhqkRGISQr8  ,

Britannia,

The Raven Banner by Marvel Comics (Charles Vess, did the art), 

and Neil Gaiman's American Gods, and Anansi Boys.

Edited September 23 by Badder

[jajagappa]

12 minutes ago, Badder said:

and Neil Gaiman's American Gods, and Anansi Boys.

There's almost always usable content and ideas in Gaiman's works.

Neverwhere is a great descent into the Underworld.  Ideas such as the Night Bridge, the Floating Market, the Labyrinth and the Beast, are all very good.

Stardust is a great quest in pursuit of a fallen star. 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane provides a lot of imagery about what happens when you're not careful about what you bring back from a quest.

And of course the Sandman, particularly the journeys to Hell, sections of the Dreaming, the City of the Stars, Night's Realm, and Barbie's journey in A Game of You.

[Bren]

The 2014 movie Hercules with Dwayne Johnson is a good example of a hero's warband. In the film, Hercules gets the lion's share of the credit for actions that the whole band is involved in. It's a nice example of how those Dragon Pass counters are named for the hero or superhero, but the counter isn't really a single human.

[Stephen L]

On 2/7/2021 at 9:11 AM, Stephen L said:

Lavinia by Ursula Le Guin

Having finally had time to read this, it is absolutely very Gloranthan for me.

Obviously, there is the bronze age conflict of Aeneas leading the Trojan remnants in settling in Italy, but more for the representation of the Latin people's real piety and their relation with the divine, which is very insightful. 

So very recommended.

[WindSerpent]

The Dodec Duology by Dave Duncan (which consists of Children of Chaos and Mother of Lies) gives me very Gloranthan vibes. The small but interesting pantheon is quite willing to grant their gifts to people, while also imposing their particular prices, and those gifts and prices influence how they fit into society. It doesn't feel unnatural or forced but it weaves its way into everything in a way that feels very gloranthan to me.

For example, the standard mercenary guild contract doesn't require them to even *try* to fight the chosen of the war god. I could totally see a group of fighters in Genertala having a firm 'we don't fight humakti' rule by exactly the same logic. The logic of 'you aint payin me enough to die'.

It's also a great peek at how humans might skirt the edges of the restrictions imposed from above, when necessity or ambition drive them. And how no matter how much your patron favors you, you can still make that into only more rope to hang yourself with if you play it wrong.

Also, the initiates of the Dark Mother would make a good pattern for the more pragmatic, covert variety of chaos cultists. Albeit probably less evil on average than, say, your standard Thanatar-worshipping head-taker. They still have all right-thinking people out for their bloodif they get discovered, and they know it.

[dumuzid]

On 9/23/2021 at 1:19 PM, Badder said:

Britannia,

Seconding this one, so many great portrayals of heroquesting and living in a world where most people really believe in gods and spirits