Halfbird Quest – ions

[Erol of Backford]

Halfbird Quest – ions:

I am wondering as to more information on the Eye of the Halfbird, associated topics and how to integrate it into a line of scenarios.

Not sure about the spoilers but just in case:

Spoiler

These will not only thwart the efforts of the Lunar Empire to obtain the Eye of the Halfbird and no Erianda will not obtain it but actually the PC's will eliminate the Lunar's ability to obtain it permanently by assisting the Halfbird to restore life to its dead half. (My Glorantha will surely very.)

“I got this from one of the Masters of Luck and Death many years ago. He said it was the mortal eye of the immortal Halfbird – a strange creature born before the Emperor. Half of it proved mortal and is little more than a skeleton, the other half seeks to restore the dead half to life.” (Sartar Companion p.176)

Blind Bird's Tree: in the Underworld – Martin – “Blind Bird's Tree in the Underworld, where the dwarves beat the trolls in the gods age? Do we think this maybe the roost of the immortal part of the Halfbird? or could it be the dead mate of the Halfbird?”

Why are the Dwarves all over anything to do with the Halfbird is it related/could it be or is it just the Blind Bird's Tree? – Scott Martin “Looking at the Halfbird again it looks more like a proto-gloranthan document roughly as old as Snodalsaga . . . I do not know how the dwarves fit in but they are all over this.” They defeated the Trolls at Blind Bird's Tree – is there more info on this?

Jaja – “The Tree likely died in the Gods War, and departed for the Underworld. But I'd suggest that's not the only place it could be found.” Where else might it be found? At a tree line way up a nearly impassible mountain or even above the tree line as its magical?

Swiftbriar Woods – where are they? (Wyrms Footprints p.83)

Unfinished Mountains – where are they? (Wyrms Footprints p.83)

Does possession of the Eye of the Halfbird allow one to move across the borders between the mundane world and the HeroPlane more easily? Charles – “Some magical tools change the strength or nature of a barrier, e.g. the Eye of the Halfbird.” Charles – “Eye of the Halfbird (from S:KoH) might even allow the veil of the otherworld to be pierced to see exactly who an enemy is.” I didn’t find any info on these items in Sartar Kingdom of Heroes?

Where else in the voluminous World of Glorantha are there references on the Unfinished Mountains, Swiftbriar Woods, Blind Bird’s Tree and the Halfbird?

Spoiler

What wing, floor, section and shelf might PC’s find information on these items, in which Lhankor Mhy Library, after they are given the Eye of the Halfbird by Mr. Goodsell. Possibly Jonstown? If there are no sewers there maybe they need to go to Nochet or even back to Heortland and the library at Derensev near Whitewall or Jelenkev to the west of Mount Passant if either of these have sewers? The lunars are in hot pursuit as spies/agents depending on the year this all pans out… before Dragon-Rise but after the fall of Sartar of course?

Could they not make haste to a city to research the Eye, escape the via the underground sewer system (Does Jonstown have a sewer system?) trek to the Swiftbriar Woods, some sort of Lhankor Mhy magic/divination shows how to get to the Halfbird? They go up the mountain and meet the Bear (whatever it is) and then move to the HeroPlane and the tree and the Halfbird is restored?

Thank you all.

[David Scott]

Have look in the Return to Apple Lane demo game, page 8, box - Narrator’s Information. It details what it does.

There's also an article in Wyrms Footprints (1995) - if you can find a copy, called The Half bird - a fragment, unpublished elsewhere.

[Erol of Backford]

Thank you Mr. Scott, I have both those sources. In Wyrms it talks about Thumbless Talcon and in the Yellow Bear. In Return to Apple Lane we get: The Eye of the Halfbird The Eye of the Halfbird is part of the mortal remnants of that remarkable bird. It allows the possessor to look into the Otherworld when he is in this World and into the Middle World when he is in the Otherworld. The Halfbird greatly desires his mortal eye and would offer much for its return.

I was hoping for more and some ideas for a quest series, input anyone? (please use spoilers just in case)

Thanks again!

[jajagappa]

5 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

the Yellow Bear

This is likely one of two entities.
 

Spoiler

Guide p.228 in Northern Fronela: Yellow Bear Hills: These wooded hills are named after the Yellow Bear, a petty god who accompanied the First Age Hero Beobard into exile among the barbarians and was later enslaved by the magic of Jonat Big Bear. The Yellow Bear ceaselessly toils at his task of building upon these hills; as a result, the hills are growing higher each year.

Glorantha Sourcebook p.209 re: Androgeus.  Her children are too many to name, but five are wellknown: the Preserver, the Twisted Horse, Goldtooth, Wily Joker, and Yellow Bear.

 

[jajagappa]

11 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Jaja – “The Tree likely died in the Gods War, and departed for the Underworld. But I'd suggest that's not the only place it could be found.” Where else might it be found? At a tree line way up a nearly impassible mountain or even above the tree line as its magical?

In the God Time before it died.  On the slope of the Spike is a likely option, but you could postulate any number of locations.  Where would you most likely find a Blind Bird?  High up on the Spike where it has been staring too long at the Sun?  In Rinliddi where it challenged Yelm and was blinded by a curse?

11 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Swiftbriar Woods – where are they? (Wyrms Footprints p.83)

Unfinished Mountains – where are they? (Wyrms Footprints p.83)

Both unknown as far as I know.  These were likely one-off references.

[Erol of Backford]

It makes sense to me that the Unfinished Mountain is actually in the Yellow Bear Hills, he keeps working on them and some day the hills will eventually be transformed physically into the Unfinished Mountain. I would just make the semi-impassible Swiftbriar Woods the perimeter of the Unfinished Mountain where Yellow Bear lives. There must be some forest spirits dwelling there. I see Elves on the other side of the Nidan Mountains but not the northern side?

Why would the Halfbird need Yellow Bear's help? Maybe its something related to the Yellow Bear's task or how he goes about it? The Halfbird needs to be reborn or made new again via missing parts?

No matter, its a hell of a long way from Backford!? Like 1200 miles... and the lowest pass looks to be over 8000' up. Better not cross in Dark Season?

I was thinking on using something like the Hut of Darkness from TotRM 09 to get up a river towards the Nidan mountains but 1200 miles would take the better part of three seasons minimum unless hippogriffs or air elementals, something like that could be used? (Do air elementals get tired?)

Edited February 1, 2022 by Erol of Backford

[davecake]

20 hours ago, jajagappa said:

This is likely one of two entities

Or, of course, it is both of those entities, and the Yellow Bear God in Fronela is also a child of Androgeus. And was later befriended by Jonat. 
I really like the idea that the Yellow Bear is building the Unfinished Mountain. 
How this ties into the already considerable world of magical bears in Fronela is another question (we already have black, brown, magical blues, and extinct Polar bears, what’s another colour.)

anyone with access to Jonats saga got anything to add? 

Edited February 1, 2022 by davecake

[jajagappa]

3 hours ago, davecake said:

we already have black, brown, magical blues, and extinct Polar bears, what’s another colour.

Red Moon Bear! 😉

[Erol of Backford]

1613 NOCHET - Redbird arrived at his 'favorite' temple and briefly visited the Half Bird, which was safe. Here he received word from his friend that he could carry a
peace treaty to Temertain. Urged on by the mission he set quickly off for Seapolis. So the Halfbird was in Nochet? Seems would be a bit strange struggling to walk down the streets there?

Related should we assume Redbird's favorite temple is the knowledge temple?

The Stafford House Campaign

[jajagappa]

12 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

So the Halfbird was in Nochet? Seems would be a bit strange struggling to walk down the streets there?

It was likely settled in at some temple or residence.  Remember that the Half-bird is half in the Otherworld, so whether it walks mundane streets, the paths of dreams, or crosses places via ancient Gods Age trails is open to interpretation.

My PC's encountered it by the Wild Temple and had to help it walk from the outer stones to the center.  They crossed into the Otherworld while doing so and ended up at the World Tree in Cragspider's presence when they arrived at the center (having encountered a Storm God and Zorak Zoran along the way).  Don't assume anything about the Half-bird is ordinary!

Redbird was supposedly a western sorcerer (I think he was originally a transposed D&D character?), so maybe his favorite temple is that of the Invisible God?  

[Erol of Backford]

So in between worlds... Halfbird/translucent. I like it.

[Erol of Backford]

Would being with the Halfbird allow you to move back from the Underworld more easily or is the benefit only between the Hero Plane and not Hell? How id Hero Questing to Hell or the Hero Plane different if it is at all?

[EricW]

7 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Would being with the Halfbird allow you to move back from the Underworld more easily or is the benefit only between the Hero Plane and not Hell? How id Hero Questing to Hell or the Hero Plane different if it is at all?

You could have some fun with a power like that - like if the eye allowed you to see and potentially enter the realms you see, then the moment you start looking other things have a chance of seeing you, and can attempt to drag you into their realm. So an artefact which grants significant power, the price of which is some interesting encounter rolls. 

[Erol of Backford]

So when you get the eye and you need to travel the the Yellow Bear Hills to deliver it you have a good bit of time to engage otherworldly beings.. both possibly benign and nefarious!

[Erol of Backford]

1613 - 7/5/2 - REDBIRD LEAVES: Having received word of his mission to the south Redbird immediately packs up and leaves town. Right on his tail are Lunar troops, intercepted the message and sent after him. Unknown to him he just misses the Humakti party heading for Snake Pipe Hollow. (House Campaign)

What town would he have been in, Alda-Chur or maybe Alone? He was next in Crabtown... just curious.

Also as also wondering if the Halfbird managed to get its eye back (becoming more powerful spiritually I imagine) and had befriended the PC's how much of the mundane plane would actually be on the hero plane as to possessions, buildings, living animals, plants and whatnot? Would the movement back and forth be made a bit easier or somewhat translucent if you were in close proximity to the Halfbird and it was willing to share its etherealness with you?

Would you be shielded from enemies at all if you were on the other-side physically?

[jajagappa]

42 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

Also as also wondering if the Halfbird managed to get its eye back (becoming more powerful spiritually I imagine) and had befriended the PC's how much of the mundane plane would actually be on the hero plane as to possessions, buildings, living animals, plants and whatnot? Would the movement back and forth be made a bit easier or somewhat translucent if you were in close proximity to the Halfbird and it was willing to share its etherealness with you?

Well, I think that's for your campaign to decide. When the PC's in my campaign met the Halfbird in late 1626 (on their way to the Smoking Ruin), it did not have it. However, they does not necessarily preclude an Otherworldliness to any encounter with it. My PC's found it holding on to one of the plinths at the outer ring of the Wild Temple. It needed help to reach the center of the Wild Temple (can't walk in a straight line by itself). A couple of my PC's (a Humakti and our shaman) helped out, and that simple process put them into an in-world Heroquest where the PC's somewhat recreated a Hill of Gold sequence: a Thunder Brother descended from the suddenly dark, looming rain clouds to challenge them; once past the Thunder Brother, they came to a Troll Bridge where Zorak Zoran waited (ZZ and the Humakti each crippled the other; and rather than trying to kill ZZ, the Humakti crawled the rest of the way across the bridge to prove his Honor); beyond that, at the center of the web was the Axis Mundi, the World Tree that connects all in the Web of Time - naturally, Cragspider was waiting there and expecting the Halfbird; the PC's left the Halfbird in her "hands" as she could aid the Halfbird ascend into the Otherworld. (Our shaman has a strong connection to Grandmother Spider, and his fetch is a spider, hence no concern about leaving the Halfbird with her.)

[Erol of Backford]

3 hours ago, jajagappa said:

A couple of my PC's (a Humakti and our shaman) helped out, and that simple process put them into an in-world Heroquest where the PC's somewhat recreated a Hill of Gold sequence:

That's what I was looking for, just being near it could trigger a Hero Quest. Suspecting if the eye was regained it would be even more so on the other side...

Thanks again Jaja.

[Erol of Backford]

I was eating part of a smaller rotesry chicken yesterday and noticed almost half the bird was just a carcass - a skeleton. It was half a bird...

Halfbird.

Actually I only ate the half the breast and part of the thigh...

So if you were to go get some muscles, tendons and what not from say an ostrich or other large birds, and stick it on Halfbird's dead side and cast heal wound, remove curse and then resurrection wound its missing body grow back/come back to life or would you have to take the Halfbird to Hell and try to heal it there or something? 

How big is the Halfbird anyway? Guessing bigger than an ostrich but no by much if the human Thumbless Talcon was able to carry the Halfbird.

I did note from Wyrm's Footprints p.83 the feet of the Halfbird seem to be similar to that of a seagull maybe so however that helps us I have no idea...

[mfbrandi]

11 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

How big is the Halfbird anyway? Guessing bigger than an ostrich but not by much if the human Thumbless Talcon was able to carry the Halfbird.

Well …

• Comparative sizes of Quetzalcoatlus northropi (2.5 m tall at shoulder; 250 kg estimated mass);
  the author (1.75 m total height, 65 kg measured mass) and
  Giraffa camelopardalis (2.75 m tall at shoulder; measured mass 636–1395 kg).
  Scale bar represents 2 m.
  — Mark Witton, A new approach to determining pterosaur body mass and its implications for pterosaur flight

Roughly speaking, the pterosaur is one quarter the mass of the giraffe — with no magic and fully fleshed, so “half” a flying-type creature might be quite light, even if fairly tall.

[Erol of Backford]

11 hours ago, mfbrandi said:

Roughly speaking, the pterosaur is one quarter the mass of the giraffe

That is a huge bird!

Recall Thumbless Talcon was able to carry the Halfbird... so it might not be that large or possibly Mr. Talcon is really really strong, possibly even a Bearwalker if they were near Yellow Bear Hills?

Either way now I am thinking a PC heals/resurrects the Halfbird and as a reward the Halfbird decides to befriend the PC and the eye from Gringle is somehow placed into the PC's head and the Halfbird becomes an allied spirit to said PC.

Maybe the PC's eye which is plucked out goes into the Halfbird... you can't make up stuff more messed up than this.

It becomes their mount and friend. This is going to be way cool.

Will need to sort out stats for sure.

WIll need to figure out the whole magical spirit ethereal nature of the Halfbird...

More game fun!

[Erol of Backford]

This is one hell of a rabbit hole but I like it.

Is Halfbird ancient?

Does Halfbird have a tail and can it hang from tree branches?

 

Edited November 5, 2023 by Erol of Backford

[jajagappa]

19 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

Either way now I am thinking a PC heals/resurrects the Halfbird

I would not make this simple though - if it could have been done that easily already, it would have been done.

The dead part is clearly in the Otherworld (because the Eye of the Halfbird would seem to be from that side as that's what it sees). In keeping with classic tales, you'll need to recover 3 parts of the Halfbird's dead side, bring them together with the Halfbird, and then use the Heal Body and perhaps Regrow Limb spells to put him back together. The Eye of course is one of those parts - and there are sinister people who want it for their own purposes. Livers are often used to interpret omens, so perhaps the Liver is the 2nd part. The Halfbird's Foot, or perhaps the Wing? And who knows where they are... 

[jajagappa]

15 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

Is Halfbird ancient?

Yes! It's from the Godtime after all (knows Androgeus' children from when they were spawned). Maybe Androgeus is the one who cursed the Halfbird??? That could make things interesting if you then heal the Halfbird.

 

[Erol of Backford]

46 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

I would not make this simple though - if it could have been done that easily already, it would have been done.

Of course not, it'd be part of a 20 year saga, back and forth across Central Genertela.

The PC with the Halfbird's eye will be looking into another plane, will need a patch over that eye for sure.

47 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

Maybe Androgeus is the one who cursed the Halfbird??? That could make things interesting if you then heal the Halfbird.

What if the PC that heals the Halfbird is Androgeus's grandson and why wouldn't they be as they happen to be a Bearwalker from the Yellow Bear Hills... somehow drawn to Apple Lane of all places.

Who wouldn't have the urge to pluck their own eye out and replace it with a fossilized bird's eye.

Wait a minute, isn't Androgeus the mother of Yellow Bear?

This is turning out to be some sort of sick long term plot where a PC goes insane slowly as they look to often into the God's Plane? Imagine the Lhankor Mhy people wanting to interview this Bearwalker who is almost naked all the time and half mad to boot.

[mfbrandi]

11 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

so it might not be that large

Of course — just trying to put an upper limit on it. 😉