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Is Trollball only a game ?


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5 minutes ago, Qizilbashwoman said:

you can do the Arkat thing and be reborn as an Uz-Uz

I took it that:

  • to survive the vivisection and re-assembly you had to be pretty tough already
  • Arkat still looked like a (very scary) human after the rebirth

If those points are right — a very big if, I know — then if you are up to the ritual, (a) you probably wouldn’t need to be transformed into a troll to play trollball, and (b) you wouldn’t make a very convincing infiltrator. But I usually have things upside down or inside out; maybe that is because I am in the process of being reassembled into a troll — or an oversized trollkin, anyway. Help!

NOTORIOUS VØID CULTIST

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1 hour ago, mfbrandi said:

I took it that:

  • to survive the vivisection and re-assembly you had to be pretty tough already
  • Arkat still looked like a (very scary) human after the rebirth

If those points are right — a very big if, I know — then if you are up to the ritual, (a) you probably wouldn’t need to be transformed into a troll to play trollball, and (b) you wouldn’t make a very convincing infiltrator. But I usually have things upside down or inside out; maybe that is because I am in the process of being reassembled into a troll — or an oversized trollkin, anyway. Help!

Arkat was literally turned into an Uz-Uz, and did not appear human again until after the Gbaji fight.

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4 hours ago, jean said:

As I understand it, trollball like football is obviously much more than a game. For the fans it is akin to a religion. They wait for the next match, talk endlessly about the referee's decisions (insert various football fans behaviours ...)

 

 

  And by the way though the similarity of Trollball to American football is unmistakable, the enthusiasm of the fans spans games and cultures.  As someone else said in another thread, the Uz are the most human of the elder races.

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/01/1126439213/indonesia-soccer-riot-fans-dead?sc=18&f=1001

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Makes me think of TotRM 13 p.37.

Erekanst, member of the Kobakuruum - must be a Black Arkati (I know its not recognized as canon but think its cool to shape change to a troll!)

Maybe the human and Agmori players learn this spell and then play as equals?

Would they need to relearn skills in a troll body!?

Can young giants be shape changed to a great troll in order to play trollball!?

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1) A trollkin - A stuffed toy with its head velcroed to the torso, for easy dismemberment by quarrelling troll players. Early experiments using a small human as our fill-in trollkin proved unsatisfactory. Humans proved difficult to dismember and it became difficult to recruit further volunteers. The trollkin is considered 'alive' as long as the head remains attached to the body, and this is the portion you play for touchdown. If the trollkin 'dies' then the referee puts it back together and begins a new play. A point is only scored if the whole trollkin crosses the opponents goal line. This is harder than it sounds.

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9 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

1) A trollkin - A stuffed toy with its head velcroed to the torso, for easy dismemberment by quarrelling troll players. Early experiments using a small human as our fill-in trollkin proved unsatisfactory. Humans proved difficult to dismember and it became difficult to recruit further volunteers. The trollkin is considered 'alive' as long as the head remains attached to the body, and this is the portion you play for touchdown. If the trollkin 'dies' then the referee puts it back together and begins a new play. A point is only scored if the whole trollkin crosses the opponents goal line. This is harder than it sounds.

Actual testing (with @Dogboyvolunteering at Stahleck, years ago) showed that a human able to shed the limbs symbolically (using loosely tied or better velcroed textiles on the limbs, and wearing a hat) provides quite satisfactory games with experienced teams. The "ball" is still wearing down quickly.

European style Australian troll ball is (supposed to be) played in slow motion for the trolls. Players taking advantage of the giant referees being distracted are supposedly using forbidden magic and may be rewarded by referee kicks. There have been occasions when the kick delivered a ball-bearing player directly in front of the opponents' goal, with a huge amount of food accidentally dumping into the referee's rest zone. Accusations of bribery fell flat and had to be scraped off the playing field after the accused giant put down his foot in the face of such accusations. Or was it in the face of accusers? Who cares.

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Telling how it is excessive verbis

 

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  • 2 months later...

I have to ask, would there not be a Trollball team affiliated with the Black Arkati who could transform to trolls per a sorcery spell? Seeing the noncanon HQ in Jansholm (TT12 P.22) they'd have to have a Trollball pitch there.

Where is the map of Jansholm!?

If so would the spell not also add some size as part of the transformation?

If this spell could be taught to any non-troll players they could more easily be assimilated.

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37 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

I have to ask, would there not be a Trollball team affiliated with the Black Arkati who could transform to trolls per a sorcery spell? Seeing the noncanon HQ in Jansholm (TT12 P.22) they'd have to have a Trollball pitch there.

Why Black Arkati and Sorcery?  There's an actual canonical Argan Argar Runespell - Become Other (Red Book of Magic p16) that does pretty much the same thing with much less effort.

 

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51 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

ToTRM 12 - Kobakuruum is only mentioned here but could be really cool to develop? I assume Argan Argar members don't like them as they would be like Meldik's for Orlanthi? But then again, trolls don't dislike sorcery...

Neither do Orlanthi (c.f. Lhankor Mhy).  The problem with learning sorcery for a kewl effect is that it's the equivalent of getting a university degree to do anything useful.  Most gloranthans simply don't have the time or effort.  

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3 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

It seemed in RQ3 you didn't have to be a rune lord of Lhankor Mhy to get some sorcery. I like that, being brought into the game for PC's without living in a library or monetary

I'll have to weigh that idea versus the new rules.

Thanks.

In RQG you also don't have to be a rune lord to get some sorcery.  Sorcery is one of the tracks a Lhankor Mhy initiate can take at initiation and before age 21.  Per RQG page 298: With a list of sorceery spells which can be taken in character generation.

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4 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

It seemed in RQ3 you didn't have to be a rune lord of Lhankor Mhy to get some sorcery. I like that, being brought into the game for PC's without living in a library or monastery

I'll have to weigh that idea versus the new rules.

Thanks.

Sorcery, though, is  supposed to be  a bit more slow in casting, overwhelmingly more academic & studious in both theory & application.

You don't have to be a Rune Level to get sorcery, but it  IS  the magic of academics & deep study.

If you want sorcery in quick-and-dirty hands, you likely want a sorcerous-origin magic-item, rather than a sorceror...  😉

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9 hours ago, metcalph said:

Neither do Orlanthi (c.f. Lhankor Mhy).

I'd argue that to the average Orlanthi:

LM sorcery is "that weird-ass LM knowledge-magic"

while

"Sorcery" is "that evil EWF & Godlearner stuff"

Outside of the LM cult itself, I expect mostly only some nobles (and not even "most of" them) know that LM uses sorcery, and that such knowledge is common as hens' teeth among the Thanes and Freemen.

But then again, My Glorantha has Been Known to Vary, so <here> is a kg of salt to take with it...

Edited by g33k

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6 minutes ago, g33k said:

I'd argue that to the average Orlanthi:

LM sorcery is "that weird-ass LM knowledge-magic"

while

"Sorcery" is "that evil EWF & Godlearner stuff"

Outside of the LM cult itself, I expect mostly only some nobles (and not even "most of" them) know that LM uses sorcery, and that such knowledge is common as hens' teeth among the Thanes and Freemen.

But then again, My Glorantha has Been Known to Vary, so here's a kg of salt to take with it...

I agree with you.  It is also unlikely that the average freeman can define sorcery, let alone explain its advantages, disadvantages, and requirements.  

I even question whether the majority of LM initiates can explain those things  though if they haven't taken Sorcery 101 they may still have gotten a basic briefing before they chose which track to study upon initiation.   Of course it is also possible that those with INT below 15 did not get the briefing. It all depends on how much testing and evaluation the lay members get, and how closely the cult guards its knowledge.  

Edited by Squaredeal Sten
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