Backford Aeolian Campaign

[Martin]

12 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

The Whispering Ruins - which was published in the Dragonmeet 2019 brochure is no longer available via the link Mr. Scott posted from the May 23, 2020.

Easy solved...go to this page and scroll down to the red download button at the bottom

https://chaosium.itch.io/the-whispering-ruins

[Erol of Backford]

Would there be even a small chance that a Lunar influenced Tarshite might have learned some basic sorcery (parent was a scribe or something) before joining the ranks of the Bush Children after Grizzly Peaks and then fleeing south to Heortland sometime a few years later or maybe they went to Nochet to work for the Knowledge Temple there? Maybe they are partly illuminated from dealing with the Lunars for a few years, an inquisitive juvenile who asked a lot of questions at the Lunar Knowledge Temple?

Is there ay info on Falling Ruins?

[Joerg]

46 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

Would there be even a small chance that a Lunar influenced Tarshite might have learned some basic sorcery (parent was a scribe or something) before joining the ranks of the Bush Children after Grizzly Peaks and then fleeing south to Heortland sometime a few years later or maybe they went to Nochet to work for the Knowledge Temple there? Maybe they are partly illuminated from dealing with the Lunars for a few years, an inquisitive juvenile who asked a lot of questions at the Lunar Knowledge Temple?

There are always year marriages. Political marriages with the goal of peace-making often land the marriage partners in enemy territory, although protected by the contract nature of those marriages.

46 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

Is there ay info on Falling Ruins?

The name use to be Intan, high up in the pass. IIRC it had a tall tower hovering upside down above it, one that keeps crumbling away, pouring down detritus at unpredictable times.

That info is remembered from the Dragon Pass: Land of Thunder gazetteer of Kerofinela for HeroQuest..

[jajagappa]

2 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Would there be even a small chance that a Lunar influenced Tarshite might have learned some basic sorcery (parent was a scribe or something) before joining the ranks of the Bush Children after Grizzly Peaks and then fleeing south to Heortland sometime a few years later or maybe they went to Nochet to work for the Knowledge Temple there? Maybe they are partly illuminated from dealing with the Lunars for a few years, an inquisitive juvenile who asked a lot of questions at the Lunar Knowledge Temple?

Lunar Tarshites, particularly from the cities such as Furthest, might be part of either Irrippi Ontor or Lhankor Mhy and have learned some sorcery.  Why they joined the Bush Children and then fled south is a question, but maybe they ran afoul of the Lunar King (or even the Red Emperor!) and fled in disgrace.  Quite possible they went to either Nochet (the greatest Temple of Knowledge in the world), or to one of the LM temples in Heortland (Derensev near Whitewall or Jelenkev to the west of Mount Passant).  Maybe they had discovered dire omens about the Hero Wars, and their findings did not suit the Lunar Tarshite king (or the Red Emperor)?  Maybe they went to seek knowledge elsewhere to confirm what they found?  I'm not sure I'd throw in Illumination in any background - that should come out in-game IMO.

[Erol of Backford]

6 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Jelenkev to the west of Mount Passant

Jelenkev fits nicely. The path to illumination at only couple percentage points would be from Irrippi Ontor questioners, assuming there are quite a few in occupied Tarsh after 1555? Or to your point Jaja, it may come out after spending a little time in Nochet? Thanks again.

Edited January 11, 2022 by Erol of Backford

[Joerg]

6 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Lunar Tarshites,[..] Why they joined the Bush Children and then fled south is a question, but maybe they ran afoul of the Lunar King (or even the Red Emperor!) and fled in disgrace. 

Furthest is a Lunar city, which will mean that the nobles there engage in Dart competitions. The one between Pharandros' and Fazzur's households and their respective followers is well known. There may have been other such before, and a political marriage to a bush range clan may be the only reason this individual from the family survived the Dart competition that wiped out his (branch of the) family. The result would be offspring with both a "Hate Rival Tarsh Lunar Family" and the typical Bush Range passions.

If players come up with such additional character background concepts, I am more than willing to work them into the grandparent's or parent's timeline and to give some small benefit like acquisition of another passion and maybe a skill or a heirloom. Those are story hooks, after all.

The education as a sorcerer will most likely take place in a library. There might be the occasional padawan who learned from a Sage with is own personal library away from the major temples, but those would be rather exceptional. (Different cult loyalties than temple-taught sorcerers, to begin with, and possibly access to different additional runes or techniques  from the Philosopher occupation while being met with some mutual distrust by the library temples. LM or IO initiates don't necessarily have to take Sage or Philosopher as their occupation. Quite a few crafts are associated with the knowledge temples, and even soldiers can worship the Sword Sage subcult for its miltary doctrines etc.)

[Erol of Backford]

Just curious, are there maps for central and southern Sartar like in the Starter Set or Trollpack? I really like the look of these and want them for game-room wall decoration if they are available? It would be great to have it for Southern Sartar and Heortland...

[Erol of Backford]

Also are there any Dwarf Ruins in Sartar or Western Prax located in the mountains that are not associated with Dwarf Run, Dwarf Knoll or Sazdorf (there is an abandoned dwarf area connected to Sazdorf as I recall). I am looking to create a scenario that explores an abandoned dwarf cave complex if there is any mention of one? It could be west of Sartar or even up in Tarsh... pretty open to suggestions. If not dwarven maybe any ruins which history isn't know or near troll lands and it was taken over by trolls or something simple like that?

Edited January 14, 2022 by Erol of Backford

[jajagappa]

2 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Just curious, are there maps for central and southern Sartar like in the Starter Set or Trollpack?

Planned for the Sartar set.  Jeff has shared pieces on FB.  I believe it will go down to approximately Whitewall.

2 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

It would be great to have it for Southern Sartar and Heortland...

Heortland would be a future work.

2 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Also are there any Dwarf Ruins in Sartar or Western Prax located in the mountains that are not associated with Dwarf Run, Dwarf Knoll or Sazdorf (there is an abandoned dwarf area connected to Sazdorf as I recall).

Dwarf Cliff (aka Dwarf Ridge).  It's on the northern Sartar map, just SE of Jonstown.  It features in an HQG scenario in the Sartar Companion book (which also ties into the dwarf area in the Sazdorf ruins).

Two Face might also be considered a dwarf ruin (or at least one they have interest in).  On the same map, just south of Alebard's Tower and west of the Quivin Mnts.  It features in another HQG scenario in the same book.

 

[David Scott]

Not for wall decoration, but there are sketch maps of Heortland or try a more general sketch map search.

The map for southern Sartar at a guess will be in the Sartar box, given the tribes and clans sketch maps.

[Erol of Backford]

Mr. Scott, thanks for the links on the maps, I always find more info than I hoped when I go to The Well of Daliath! It's a rabbit hole for reading and often I forget what I was looking for.

Jaja, are these scenarios related to the dwarf locations in the 2010 or 2012 Sartar Companion? Are both worth picking up for the info/reading enjoyment?

Thanks again all!

[Jeff]

Can we confine this thread to questions that would be germane to Aeolians, Heortland, etc. If you want to go further afield, please create a new thread.

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, Erol of Backford said:

Jaja, are these scenarios related to the dwarf locations in the 2010 or 2012 Sartar Companion? Are both worth picking up for the info/reading enjoyment?

They are the same book - the only difference to my knowledge was the cover illustration.

The Gifts of Stone starts at Dwarf Cliff/Ridge and potentially goes to the Sazdorf ruin.

The Treasure of Two Face Hill starts with a dwarf seeking helping to retrieve an item from Two Face Hill.
 

[Erol of Backford]

Aeolian Coming of Age Rites

So what is everyone's opinion as to an Aeolian's coming of age rituals/rites versus that of regular Heortland Orlanthi?

From Mr. Richard's past post: The Aeolians have only three castes: noble (talar); advisor (the priestly families); and free (commoner). These castes are endogamous.  They do not practice caste mobility, but leaders from the noble and advisor castes are chosen by the free commoners.  The priestly caste performs the rites and ceremonies for the community. Although they are called priests, they are in fact sorcerers.

The campaign has PC's as a farmer, craftsman, trader, herder, scribe, sailor, entertainer and healer. What would the rites of passage be for these more civilized folk, several would be Aeolians. Surely an Aeolian craftsman would go kill scorpionman as a way to move into adulthood? Likely there are many many rites of passage information but wat about for very civilized folk?

Thoughts, suggestions and links appreciated!

[metcalph]

1 hour ago, Erol of Backford said:

Surely an Aeolian craftsman would go kill scorpionman as a way to move into adulthood?

Why would they do that?  The idea is to become an adult, not to die horribly!  They would be initiated into whatever commoner's god they worship which would be enough for them.

 

[Erol of Backford]

I was being very sarcastic with the thought of a craftsman going to fight! Sorry if I mislead. Again looking for rites of passage for Civilized Aeolian/Invisible God: farmer, craftsman, trader, herder, scribe, sailor, entertainer and healer. General ideas I have but wondering if there were any posts on this? What if they are using sorcery, again this is RQ3. If not I'll go along the lines of what Metcalph is suggesting, finding an Orlanthi associated god and run with it.

PS is there a cult writeup on Bevara somewhere?

Thanks once again.

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, Erol of Backford said:

Again looking for rites of passage for Civilized Aeolian/Invisible God: farmer, craftsman, trader, herder, scribe, sailor, entertainer and healer.

If you are talking about rites of passage into adulthood, then most of Heortland follows the typical Orlanthi models.  Boys would be taken to the initiation pits and experience the terrors of whichever they were exposed to while girls would be taken into the Earth by the Ernalda cult to face their confrontation with adulthood alone.

Andrew Logan Montgomery's Six Seasons in Sartar has very good presentation of both of these, though they are presented in other works as well.

Even among the Aeolians, these practices will be common.  The folk that you have described are all part of the Commoner caste who follow typical Heortling deities (Orlanth/Barntar, Gustbran or other craft deities, Issaries, Choralinthor/River Gods/Diros, Donandar, Chalana Arroy).  As the Heortlings spread south in earlier ages and assimilated with Aeolian culture, I think the adulthood initiation rites would persist.

Among the talars/nobles, there might be differences in the rites but even there I believe the Orlanth/Ernalda initiation rites probably persist.  What may be different is that these folk are guided or aided by their Ancestors (including, ultimately, Orlanth and Ernalda).  There might be additional tests to prove their nobility and rightness in the face of temptations (e.g. maybe the boys must avoid the temptation to use common weapons).  And there might be rituals of cleanliness to keep themselves pure and noble in the face of temptations by 'the gods'.

Only among the zzaburi are there likely to be differences, and their initiation rituals might be in many ways more similar to the shamanic initiation.  They might have to sit in isolation in a tower or upon a hill and other zzaburi summon Demons (similar to the Bad Man) to challenge them.  In this case, the young zzaburi must show their mastery of the techniques and Rune they have learned to defeat and bind the Demons/spirits.

If you are asking about cult initiations, for the groups noted, then no different than cult initiations throughout Heortland/Sartar.  The farmer initiates into Orlanth/Barntar or the Grain Goddess cult, the crafter into Gustbran, Minlister, or the like, etc.

[Erol of Backford]

Would Barntar also be the patron of Leatherworkers for Aeolians? What if the Leatherworker was leaning towards Armoring? Would they then be more in line with a Humakti Subcult or Gustbran? (I recall there being a Humakti armoring subcult in a issue of ToTRM a long time ago?)

(PS is there a cult writeup on Bevara somewhere, even non offical/canon that would be for an Aeolian healer?)

Thanks once again.

Edited January 24, 2022 by Erol of Backford

[David Scott]

8 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

(PS is there a cult writeup on Bevara somewhere, even non offical/canon that would be for an Aeolian healer?)

https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/gloranthan-documents/prosopaedia/deities/e/ernalda/bevara/

 

[jajagappa]

11 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Would Barntar also be the patron of Leatherworkers for Aeolians?

Waha the Butcher most likely.

11 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

even non offical/canon that would be for an Aeolian healer

The Aeolians heavily favor the Lightbringers.  I'd typically assume an Aeolian healer would be Chalana Arroy.

[Jeff]

10 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Would Barntar also be the patron of Leatherworkers for Aeolians? What if the Leatherworker was leaning towards Armoring? Would they then be more in line with a Humakti Subcult or Gustbran? (I recall there being a Humakti armoring subcult in a issue of ToTRM a long time ago?)

(PS is there a cult writeup on Bevara somewhere, even non offical/canon that would be for an Aeolian healer?)

Thanks once again.

Again, let's think about cult numbers here. There are about 150,000 people in Esvular. That's the area around Mount Passant - the area between the Minthos River and Bandoriland. It is a very settled farming land, the most densely populated in Heortland. Even there, most people - almost 60% - follow Orlanth and Ernalda. 

A little over 21% of the population - about 21,000 adults - in Esvular are properly Aeolian. That's about two-thirds of all the Aeolians in Heortland. 

After the Invisible God, the next biggest cult in Esvular is Choralinthor, followed up by Issaries and Humakt.

Of the minor cults in Esvular, there are of course the other Lightbringers (there is an important temple to Lhankor Mhy west of Mt. Passant), there is Gustbran for potters and bronze workers, and there are more Argan Argar cultists than in all of Sartar.

 

[Jeff]

Just now, Jeff said:

Again, let's think about cult numbers here. There are about 150,000 people in Esvular. That's the area around Mount Passant - the area between the Minthos River and Bandoriland. It is a very settled farming land, the most densely populated in Heortland. Even there, most people - almost 60% - follow Orlanth and Ernalda. 

A little over 21% of the population - about 21,000 adults - in Esvular are properly Aeolian. That's about two-thirds of all the Aeolians in Heortland. 

After the Invisible God, the next biggest cult in Esvular is Choralinthor, followed up by Issaries and Humakt.

Of the minor cults in Esvular, there are of course the other Lightbringers (there is an important temple to Lhankor Mhy west of Mt. Passant), there is Gustbran for potters and bronze workers, and there are more Argan Argar cultists than in all of Sartar.

 

The area around Mt. Passant is very settled and densely populated, possibly some of the most densely settled areas in the Holy County outside of Esrolia at an average of 80 people per square kilometer. That's about half the population density of North Esrolia and 8 times the density of Sartar!

Imagine this area as something like the medieval Low Countries, not in the sense that it is reclaimed from the ocean, but that it is entirely settled. Between the Uncertain Woods and the Cliffs, the land is settled and orderly, with villages about 5 km from each other.  The climate is warmer than Sartar and there are orchards of olives, grapes, and wheat fields. The main threat is the occasional storm that rages down from the Storm Mountains.

 

[Erol of Backford]

Backford ~ Bullpen Scenario Hooks

I am working on ties between Backford and Bullpen. I was very surprised to see that Bullpen wasn’t listed in the GtG.

Are there any details on Bullpen? I have the Kerofinela Gazetter and so I know where it is and that it is a town less than 500. I’d say it’s about 450 with all or most being able to fight but only about 150 are permanent residents IMO?

The idea is that a good majority of the garrison rotates every few months for rest and replenishment and so that would be a sold scenario hook.  Possibly Backford, Jansholm, Durengard and maybe some others all supply garrison forces for periods of 2~3 months so there are always fresh forces there?

What type of fortifications would they have? Has there ever been a sketch plan of Bullpen done?

Additionally I am looking for scenarios people may have run related to Bullpen, Foul Blood Forest and Jab Hills.

Scorpionmen obviously are going to represent a good section of this Backford Campaign encounters near Bullpen, thus the earlier questions in this post on poison resistance…

I may use the Fish Roads and some rafting up river, per 10baseT’s ideas.

RQ Fogey posted, “In my Glorantha, Bullpen is the second largest Storm Bull place, after the Block. It is a temple complex and acts as a garrison. It guards against the chaos that erupts from the Footprint. Every generation or so, some Storm Khan gets the Storm Bullers fired up and they march off to the Footprint to purge it of chaos, with varying results.”

soltakss posted, “I use Bullpen as a staging ground for Storm Bull Cultists. They gather into an army, attack the Footprint, all get killed and then the survivors return to the Bullpen, where they gather an army ...”

(I saw the Heortland/Hendrikiland Publication is done and is with the editors?! Everyone says don’t ask when but could it be that it will be available at the Ann Arbor Gathering in April, is that still happening?)

Thank you all in advance for any thoughts.

[Jeff]

30 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

Backford ~ Bullpen Scenario Hooks

I am working on ties between Backford and Bullpen. I was very surprised to see that Bullpen wasn’t listed in the GtG.

Are there any details on Bullpen? I have the Kerofinela Gazetter and so I know where it is and that it is a town less than 500. I’d say it’s about 450 with all or most being able to fight but only about 150 are permanent residents IMO?

The idea is that a good majority of the garrison rotates every few months for rest and replenishment and so that would be a sold scenario hook.  Possibly Backford, Jansholm, Durengard and maybe some others all supply garrison forces for periods of 2~3 months so there are always fresh forces there?

What type of fortifications would they have? Has there ever been a sketch plan of Bullpen done?

Additionally I am looking for scenarios people may have run related to Bullpen, Foul Blood Forest and Jab Hills.

Scorpionmen obviously are going to represent a good section of this Backford Campaign encounters near Bullpen, thus the earlier questions in this post on poison resistance…

I may use the Fish Roads and some rafting up river, per 10baseT’s ideas.

RQ Fogey posted, “In my Glorantha, Bullpen is the second largest Storm Bull place, after the Block. It is a temple complex and acts as a garrison. It guards against the chaos that erupts from the Footprint. Every generation or so, some Storm Khan gets the Storm Bullers fired up and they march off to the Footprint to purge it of chaos, with varying results.”

soltakss posted, “I use Bullpen as a staging ground for Storm Bull Cultists. They gather into an army, attack the Footprint, all get killed and then the survivors return to the Bullpen, where they gather an army ...”

(I saw the Heortland/Hendrikiland Publication is done and is with the editors?! Everyone says don’t ask when but could it be that it will be available at the Ann Arbor Gathering in April, is that still happening?)

Thank you all in advance for any thoughts.

Bullpen? There is a Bullpen Mountain, but no village or town of Bullpen. 

Bullpen Mountain: This mountain immediately to the south of Stormwalk Mountain rises some 2750 meters above the Choralinthor. Each night Baskelos and his magic hound pen their sky bull herds on the eastern shoulder of the mountain.

[Martin]

5 hours ago, Jeff said:

Bullpen? There is a Bullpen Mountain, but no village or town of Bullpen. 

I think he may mean Bullflood ?