Backford Aeolian Campaign

[Erol of Backford]

So eventually this campaign (again starting in 1600) interacts with the Temple of the Wooden Sword, they go on the Arcane Lore detailed Alebard's Quest the Wounding of Arroin and somehow get a bit of Arroin's Blood.

What would happen to a disease priestess touched by Arroin's Blood, who is cured of all diseases, any chaos taints, features, have immunity to disease (in case spirits of reprisal attacked)? Would this not be like a Storm Bull Khan getting a chaos feature?

Spoiler

The idea is they now go cure/cleanse a certain Mallia Priestess in Prax. Could this disease priestess, now purified somehow come back into mainstream society, marry the Duke even?

Who would like to throw out some interesting plot twists, say in lieu of killing her once any protective enchantments have been destroyed, knowing she is no longer disease ridden and possibly even become "excommunicated" (forgot the term for being kicked out of a cult in Glorantha?) from Mallia?

Granted, she is illuminated and a few PC's may be at this time (who knows) but could she potentially become a healer like that wandering Broo? Also if she is illuminated wouldn't she be free of extreme hatred and the desire to simply taint all non chaotics?

Curious and than you all. 

 She is kind of cute isn't she?

Edited June 26, 2022 by Erol of Backford

[Erol of Backford]

So back to the merchant and caravan trade ideas for plot links with the Sun Dome County. The year is 1607~1609 and the PC's are beginning to venture out into Dragon pass a bit more and have developed a good relationship with Sun Dome County.

So there is an Issaries Goldentongue who has become very close to one of the top officials in Sun Dome Country. Over the years they have helped grow the economy of the Yelmalians quite nicely and the personal wealth of this official especially. This merchant may have even become an initiate of Yelmalio like Sora Goodseller? As part of a self-enriching deal this high level official agrees to do spell trading for a sunspear. Maybe the merchant found an ancient artifact that greatly boosts the spirituality of the Sun Dome or that will put them in a position of even higher authority (if possible)?

• What could this artifact be?
• Where could the merchant quest for it?

What happens when the Sun Dome County official fumbles during the spell trading and the merchant has reflection active on themselves (as a secret precaution) and the sunspear kills the official by mistake, the merchant has may more magic points than the official, of course. Again this is a somewhat shady deal done in an out of the way place and the said official is travelling secretly with only a retinue of 2~3 persons?

Again my Glorantha will very (greatly) but the official's retinue assume foul play on the merchants part and attacks the PC's...

Where would this frowned upon/shady deal take place, (no Sun Dome County officials are not pure at heart) somewhere like Pleasant Grass (southeast of the Sun Dome Temple) perhaps, out back of the mill in a barn of shed wherein a sunbright was cast (for me sunbright will allow sunspear at night, in a cave, in the underworld... yes my Glorantha varies). The miller sees this and the official is burnt to cinders via the sunspear and their 2~3 person retinue fight to the death as they only see blindly that the official was murdered?

• How does the merchant ever come back into good graces with the Yelmalians, looking for a quest or something, ideas?
• Are there Hero Quests the merchant could go on to clear their name? Besides the Hill of Gold.
• What sort of blessing could be bestowed upon the merchant as a result of said hero quest by Yelmelio to show the remaining Sun Dome County officials the merchant is in fact innocent?
• Does anyone have ideas on how the Sun Wheel Dancers - Sun Wheel Ruins could be linked with this scenario? I am thinking along the line of the RQ Adventures Issue 5, Kagradus Fort or along those lines where somehow part of the Sun Wheel Ruins was protected from destruction or hidden somehow.
• Is there something related to the True Golden Horde which could be brought into this, something lost that didn't melt which could be recovered? Possibly a group took refuge in the Sun Wheel Ruins but perished therein?
• Are there any Sun Dome Ruins in the Heortland, just curios? I realize there are not many Yelmalians down there...

I am thinking there is enough going on here for a few fun sessions of game paly but am looking for ideas and or embellishments which are greatly appreciated!

Oh, the time setting for this would be about 1607-1609 and the PC's are mostly from Heortland, I am using RQ3 with a bite of RQ2 for now.

[Manunancy]

The botched sunspear deals feels artficial and contrived. Fumbles happens, but happening at the worst moment and with a witness conveniently around to make the mess worse, that fees like a constructed 'you get screwed no matter what you do' situation that I think many players will take as heavy railroading.

When it comes to clearing their names, i'd think having a meeting on a neutra lground (say an Issaries market) and having someone the sun domers trusts casting detect truth or Truespeak and swear to Issaries that an unprovoked sunspear in the face got reflected in the official's face - and no he hasn't got hte faintest idea of why that sunspear was cast like that - should be enough to cleared of that particular wrongdoing.

Though if as i understand there were previous dodgy deals that go against Yelmalio's ideals I doubt a Yelmalio-based heroquest would bring rewards - and even work at all.

Edited July 11, 2022 by Manunancy

[Erol of Backford]

Fair point on the railroading. I'll rethink it. Maybe the sunspear is traded as a gift for conducting a quest for an artifact?

No need to clear their name in that case. Still leaves several questions:

• What could a lost Yelmalian artifact be?
• Where could the merchant quest for it?
• Are there Hero Quests the merchant could go on to locate an artifact? Besides the Hill of Gold.
• What sort of blessing could be bestowed upon the merchant as a result of said hero quest by Yelmalio to show the remaining Sun Dome County officials the merchant is worthy of a sunspear trade if any found Yelmalio artifact is lacking?
• Does anyone have ideas on how the Sun Wheel Dancers - Sun Wheel Ruins could be linked with this scenario? I am thinking along the line of the RQ Adventures Issue 5, Kagradus Fort or along those lines where somehow part of the Sun Wheel Ruins was protected from destruction or hidden somehow.
• Is there something related to the True Golden Horde which could be brought into this, something lost that didn't melt which could be recovered? Possibly a group took refuge in the Sun Wheel Ruins but perished therein?
• Are there any Sun Dome Ruins in the Heortland, just curios? I realize there are not many Yelmalians down there...

Edited July 11, 2022 by Erol of Backford

[Joerg]

 

5 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

No need to clear their name in that case. Still leaves several questions:

• What could a lost Yelmalian artifact be?

Something as lame as a rune spell matrix in a golden or gold plated object.

The statue of a hawk. Or a (Maltese) Falcon. Might be a magic item, might be a ritual object for special rites.

 

5 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

• Where could the merchant quest for it?

How deadly do you want this to be?

E.g. below the Shadow Plateau, enter through Styx Grotto.

The ruins of Genert's palace (for something linked to Yamsur, lost since Earthfall)

A Kitori chieftain's trophy collection

The imperial palace in Glamour, or the vaults of the Imperial College of Magic

The Mirin's Cross Sun Dome

Dykene

Or, if quest as in heroquest: Hill of Gold

Erenplose (carried by Palangio on his visit)

5 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

• Are there Hero Quests the merchant could go on to locate an artifact? Besides the Hill of Gold.

Palangio's Iron Vrok quest in the western Mislari Mountains

Sun Hawk, in the Three Feathered Rivals myths

 

5 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

• What sort of blessing could be bestowed upon the merchant as a result of said hero quest by Yelmalio to show the remaining Sun Dome County officials the merchant is worthy of a sunspear trade if any found Yelmalio artifact is lacking?

A prophecy?

 

5 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

• Does anyone have ideas on how the Sun Wheel Dancers - Sun Wheel Ruins could be linked with this scenario? I am thinking along the line of the RQ Adventures Issue 5, Kagradus Fort or along those lines where somehow part of the Sun Wheel Ruins was protected from destruction or hidden somehow.

The Gold Wheel Dancers were mainly active with the First Council, and had mostly disappeared by the time the Second Council took over. Heortland was largely unsettled then - Pelaskite fisherfolk from Karse on the estuaries, Esvulari on the Vulari peninsula in the south, and Garanvuli around Whitewall were the main human population, with possibly a few Kitori (and fewer of those human) around the Shadow Plateau. The other foreigners addressed in the 5th century laws of Aventus would have immigrated during the time of the Second Council. But there may have been immigrants from near the Sun Wheel Ruins, and possibly some heirloom pointing there.

Yelmalio Daysenerus arrived in force only after the Battle of Night and Day. Most may have followed Palangio westward as he took over Slontos for the Bright Empire, but a garrison and priesthood would have been left at Vanntar. I find it hard to link Palangio or his men with the Gold Wheel Dancers or their ruins, though.

 

5 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

• Is there something related to the True Golden Horde which could be brought into this, something lost that didn't melt which could be recovered? Possibly a group took refuge in the Sun Wheel Ruins but perished therein?

If any invader would have made it to the Sun Wheel Ruins, they would have escaped the Dragonkill. Any of the EWF era ruins would do, not limited to the urban ones. But if you want a ruin already detailed, the Smoking Ruins.

 

5 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

• Are there any Sun Dome Ruins in the Heortland, just curios? I realize there are not many Yelmalians down there...

None. When Palangio established the one in Vanntar the rest of Heortland wasn't that densely populated. During the EWF the Sun Domers were dragon allies and not really that welcome. After the dragonkill, no sun dome in sight until Monrogh reestablished the one in Vanntar.

[Erol of Backford]

The scenario is writing itself... a lost standard from the Golden Horde maybe, thank you Mr. Baumgartner!

[Manunancy]

As a forewarning of things to come later, you may have a bit of relic mixup with EWF relics associated with the Sun Dragon - maybe even some itms from whatever imperial regalia he used to win Dara Happa's throne. How genuuine/faked/dragon -tainted can have heavy reperucssions later on.

[Erol of Backford]

Manun, wouldn't some sort of divination tell the questers or at least hint at it really being the standard of the Sun Hawk (for example) or Yamsur in lieu of something else to avoid repercussions, maybe that in itself would make it more interesting actually as a plot twist... will need to think on that a bit more but would like ideas on that twist. They recover the wrong standard?

Why is the Sun Hawk associated with the Sun Dome and only in Prax? Is there a subcult of some sort? I noticed under the Hungry Sable Tribe thread the Sun Hawk spirit being able to be located at the Praxian Sun Dome? Could the Sun Hawk have been associated with older extinct Sun Domes or even have been able to be contacted at a shrine at the Sun Wheel Ruins?

Possibly an Acolyte of Yelmalio based in Backford (MGWV) is looking to advance in the greater cult and is tasked with recovering the standard from where it was lost (Sun Wheel Ruins) as a test. Again I am working at linking 

What powers would said standard have? Would there be a cult spirit in it? Divine matrices possibly? Any thoughts?

Possibly it would have bonus powers for those who completed the Three Feathered Rivals quest (I have to review that yet) associated with or as the Sun Hawk?

Recall there is a file or two of Yelmalians in Backford in this campaign a the "small chivalrous order of St. Ehilm" its only a shrine and barracks but looks to become a temple.

[Manunancy]

That's why I left hte question open ended - it may range from be a complete dragon-tainted fake that makes divination react as 'red alert, destroy that ASAP' to 'genuine stuff that needs only a bit of mythical cleanup to be as good a new'.

One campaign i played in included the assumption that the Sun Dragon, before being a EWF mystic, had been a Dara Happen emperor (I don't remember the name, but he basicially decided to go haring off in adventure with a limited entourage and disappeared some time brefore the EWF) - making him a true empreor and whatever reagalia he used the real deal - probably tainted but still genuine.

[Erol of Backford]

Maybe the relic they are questing for is a remnant of the Eurmal statue, the minature version of the Sun.

Mr. Richard's post:

In the Second Age, the Lodril worshipers welcomed the reunion of Aurelion, Caladra's twin, and allied with the God Learner province of Slontos against the Shadowlands and their EWF allies.

The magnificent golden statue of Eurmal Lightbringer holding aloft a miniature version of the Sun was built by the God Learners at the Lighthouse. But Lodril aided the Old Powers in destroying the God Learners.

What would its powers be, is it tainted? Maybe it looks like a hawk or the sun dragon? Anyone have ideas?

Is anyone able to locate where the lighthouse was? There are some great scenarios brewing up here.

Thanks yet again!

[metcalph]

8 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

Is anyone able to locate where the lighthouse was? There are some great scenarios brewing up here.

Thanks yet again!

The Lighthouse is a mountain south of the Low Temple.  It can be seen on the map in the Guide p252 which also has the following information:

Quote

Lighthouse Volcano: This dead volcano was
used as a navigational beacon by the Waertagi
and their Jrusteli successors. It died as a result
of the magical wars of the Second Age.

Guide p255
 

 

[Erol of Backford]

I see it now, thank you!

[Erol of Backford]

"Every Volcano is a Holy Place to Lodril and would have a Temple of some sort. Similarly, Caladra & Aurelian would have temples at most Volcanoes.

Beneath the Shadow Plateau is another Holy Place for the Lodril Cult, and the Trolls would have a Temple to Lodril the Servant, or Lodril in Chains, but it probably isn't a Great Temple.

The Footprint is another Holy Place to Lodril, being where the Sky Spear thrust itself into Krarsht. I doubt if there is a Temple there, though."

Possibly there IS a temple in the Footprint but it has been abandoned, taken over by Chaos similar to the temple in Snake Pipe Hollow? Maybe its in the lake in the footprint, a volcanic island, kept clean by the Syphon River? It could be half submerged or taken over by the krarshtkids? What if the temple was the actual hole and originally lava came up through the place where the spear stuck but as it couldn't contain the void/chaos blood of Larnste, whatever, then the Syphon tried to wash it down? I'll have to research more. Jaja had a good bit on this with the wind and the ash earlier in this thread as I recall.

Thank you again Soltakss!

[jajagappa]

On 7/16/2022 at 8:24 AM, Erol of Backford said:

Possibly there IS a temple in the Footprint but it has been abandoned, taken over by Chaos similar to the temple in Snake Pipe Hollow? Maybe its in the lake in the footprint, a volcanic island, kept clean by the Syphon River? It could be half submerged or taken over by the krarshtkids? What if the temple was the actual hole and originally lava came up through the place where the spear stuck but as it couldn't contain the void/chaos blood of Larnste, whatever, then the Syphon tried to wash it down? I'll have to research more. Jaja had a good bit on this with the wind and the ash earlier in this thread as I recall.

Generally I would steer away from a temple in the Footprint for two reasons:

1) not every Chaos Nest needs to be part of an ancient temple site

2) the story of the Footprint is that Larnste saw an unholy creature here (generally Krarsht) and stomped on it to destroy it, but it bit and poisoned him instead.  I think unlikely that Larnste would have stomped on and crushed some other god's temple, but would have directed that god to do something about Krarsht.

The lake in the Footprint is the Toe Hole where Larnste's big toe landed, and is the place Larnste was bitten.  The area around is the most chaotic area.  It's also where the Blood of Larnste burned its way all the way to Hell, so the lake effectively 'hides' the hole.  Later the Syphon River followed that path, filling the lake before then plunging into the Underworld.

 

[Squaredeal Sten]

1 hour ago, jajagappa said:

........The lake in the Footprint is the Toe Hole where Larnste's big toe landed, and is the place Larnste was bitten.  The area around is the most chaotic area.  It's also where the Blood of Larnste burned its way all the way to Hell, so the lake effectively 'hides' the hole.  Later the Syphon River followed that path, filling the lake before then plunging into the Underworld.

So then if you want to reach the underworld all you have to do is take a raft to the most chaos infested place in the footprint.  Possibly by going up the Syphon River, assumng there are neither rapids nor waterfalls.

Sounds like an adventure for a water cultist.

 

Edited July 17, 2022 by Squaredeal Sten
Took out irrelevant material. Spelling.

[jajagappa]

12 minutes ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

So then if you want to reach the underworld all you have to do is take a raft to the most chaos infested place in the footprint.  Possibly by going up the Syphon River, assumng there are neither rapids nor waterfalls.

Sounds like an adventure fir a water cultists.

Yep.  That's one way down.  There is one big waterfall of course - the one down to Hell.

[soltakss]

1 hour ago, jajagappa said:

2) the story of the Footprint is that Larnste saw an unholy creature here (generally Krarsht) and stomped on it to destroy it, but it bit and poisoned him instead.  I think unlikely that Larnste would have stomped on and crushed some other god's temple, but would have directed that god to do something about Krarsht.

Any Lodril Temp[le would have been built on the holy site after the Sky Spear was hurled at Krarsht, not before.

Otherwise we are in "Luckily the asteroid strike just missed the nearby gift shop" territory.

 

[Erol of Backford]

The idea was that any temple in the toe print would have been built after the print was made and spear was thrown.

Who knows (can speculate) where the spear actually hit. I was thinking that possibly some seismic/lava activity in the print was a result of Lodri and his spear... maybe the "spear" was actually made of lava? (Some how it made me think of the old B52's song... innuendos of course in that and in Gloranthian lore)

Did the spear strike in the toe hole or close to it as that would have been near the creature that bit Larnste or so I assume?

[Joerg]

On 7/16/2022 at 2:24 PM, Erol of Backford said:

Possibly there IS a temple in the Footprint but it has been abandoned, taken over by Chaos similar to the temple in Snake Pipe Hollow?

IMO not. A holy place will often be a natural feature, in this case the caldera left where the spear of Lodril pierced the squirming thing and where the Syphon descends upon its remnants on its way to the Underworld. There was no occasion when the ichor of Larnste's wound did not fester since that spear struck, hence no oopportunity to build a place of worship. Without an active volcano in place (let me remind you of the Syphon washing down there again), there is no way a construction similar to the Obsidian Castle could have been wrought there, either.

Except maybe a temple in the Fish Road zone of the Syphon, which could be reached from the Backford terminus or the Grand Exchange below Loon Island. Belintar could theoretically have had such a construction erected there. But a river-bottom Lodril temple? Doesn't sound likely.

2 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

The idea was that any temple in the toe print would have been built after the print was made and spear was thrown.

Who knows (can speculate) where the spear actually hit. I was thinking that possibly some seismic/lava activity in the print was a result of Lodri and his spear... maybe the "spear" was actually made of lava? (Some how it made me think of the old B52's song... innuendos of course in that and in Gloranthian lore)

Did the spear strike in the toe hole or close to it as that would have been near the creature that bit Larnste or so I assume?

The logical assumption is that the spear that pierced the creature that had been stomped underground created the opening through which the Syphon enters the Underworld. Given the acidic properties of Krarsht, I wouldn't look for any remnants of the spear in that wound.

There might be some thermal reaction where the brine of the Syphon hits the acid of Krarsht or the festering ichor from Larnste's wound. Not enough for lava, though.

The main seismic event I have always associated with the Footprint was the Stormwalk range folding up. Yes, sone brothers of Quivin rose up amidst that folding line, with a slight potential for one or two fiery peaks, but most mountains never were volcanoes.

[Erol of Backford]

There were notes in Trade Talk 05 as to a barracks of Yelmalians at Holy Town/High Temple. It may be a interesting post for a acolyte candidate to lead a half file there for a few seasons. The Lighthouse and its subterranean labyrinth may be interesting, say some chaos has taken that over? Also Skull Field could have some possessed dwarf fire/lava construct plaguing the area tied to Gemborg?  Any of this would be 1600-1605 as part of or an extension of the trade relations between Heortland and Nochet.

Any ideas or printed material, scenerios, etc. beyond the GtG and Trade Talk 05 is appreciated.

[Erol of Backford]

Mr. Richard, I was reading in Enclosure #1 where the Hyaloring have a funny dialect and took horses of magnificence to Clearwine to trade but this was in the 1350's? Did they get absorbed by or turn into part of the Colymar Tribe and now reside in or near Horse Town? The reason I ask is this may be a good alternative mount resource for the atypical Agmori PC in this campaign if they chose to ride one... of course a larger than normal horse.

Understand the probability of this being noncanonical but wondering nevertheless as the PC's based in Backford will be back and forth to Clearwine a good bit and maybe the horse trader Benstbel in Pegasus Plateau is from Horse Town?

Spoiler

Also why are there hippogriffs on Pegasus Plateau? I didn't see this discussed before... again just curious if there is a source.

[AndrewTBP]

The Hyaloring become the Triarchy of Runegate. The Narri clan at Horse Town, the Enhyli clan at Ostor Colymar, the Lonisi clan (destroyed & replaced by the Taraling clan). 
I’d agree that Benstbel is probably from Horse Town and the Narri clan. 
(Why, yes, I run games out of Runegate and the Narri clan all the time.) 

😉

Edited August 2, 2022 by AndrewTBP

[Erol of Backford]

Curious Andrew, did you ever run the adventure series involving the sword Wrath and if so how did it go? Any tips via spoiler? Since you are running games near the Upland Marsh... Either way thank you!

[AndrewTBP]

The games I've run were HeroQuest PnP games on RPGnet. The sword Wrath did not appear during the run of the game. I'm not suited to PbP games, so I've stopped. 

[David Scott]

6 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

again just curious if there is a source.

It's in the first paragraph of the eponymous adventure.