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Out Now in Print: New Pavis - City on the Edge of Forever!


Ian A. Thomson

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On 3/14/2023 at 5:29 PM, Ian A. Thomson said:

... The Rough Guide to Pavis City is now Vol. 05 in the series ...

IIRC it was 4 vol's originally...
New text, new art, new layout; growth is not unexpected!

Now up to 5 vol's?
Does that seem pretty solid?  Or (given that you got an extra volume getting the 1st two into production) might you add another volume?

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/17/2023 at 7:03 AM, g33k said:

IIRC it was 4 vol's originally...
New text, new art, new layout; growth is not unexpected!

Now up to 5 vol's?
Does that seem pretty solid?  Or (given that you got an extra volume getting the 1st two into production) might you add another volume?

Just saw this post now for some reason

Referring to the drivethru blurbs, a series of 8-10 is about right

There were 7.5 books originally, or pretty much 8 equivalent with the extra pieces I did in other publications

They varied in page count of course

I am also taking the opportunity this time around to add a lot more introductory material, plus the two grand finales were never published because Greg and I were talking about the possibility of an official arc, so there's a whole book's worth of material that was never published

Let me take a moment to extrapolate what is likely:

Vol 01 - Intro to New Pavis (plus scenarios) [done]

Vol 02 - Intro to Old Pavis (plus scenarios) [done]

Vol. 03 - Additional Info on Old and New Pavis (plus scenarios) [well underway]

Vol. 04 - Pavis County & the Zola Fel River Valley (plus scenarios) [underway]

Vol. 05 - Rough Guide to Pavis City [90% done]

Vol. 06 - Adventures in Pavis City (new material) [50% done]

Vol. 07 - Part 01 of the main revised Grey Company arc from the original series [largely expansions and revisions of the original material]

Vol. 08 - Part 02 of the main revised Grey Company arc from the original series [largely expansions and revisions of the original material]

Vol. 09 - The Grand Finale adventures [done only in note form]

 

Edited by Ian A. Thomson
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I am currently editing in the last of the colour images for the upgrade of the pdf copy of Vol. 01

Dario Corallo is an absolute machine of an artist

They look wonderful!!! :)

This is in preparation for the hardcopy print version

The hardcopy print version might not be available until July, partly because the cover will be updated too, and our artists are busy with other things

However, we will put the color version pdf of Vol. 01 up in a couple of days (between 31st March and 2nd April) retaining the current cover

This will be accompanied by a slight price increase, so if you were thinking about buying once it hits color, you'll save yourself a whole dollar to buy it asap and then wait for the update :)

Edited by Ian A. Thomson
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Former Issaries Inc. 'Pavis Expert'

Some of my creations and co-creations: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?keyword=Ian Thomson 

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OMG!!! Who would be a writer/editor??!!!

The amount of work to upgrade Vol. 01's layout into a colour version!!! Jaysus! :)

(Not just a case of pasting the images on top, but resizing/trimming, and also in many cases adjusting/revising the text/layout so that the images can be showcased to maximum advantage.)

 

Positive points:

- it's done and looks wonderful

- a feeling of satisfaction, gratitude and completion as an artist (author-type artist I mean)

- the chance to work with Dario again as an active collaborator (previously his role was the valuable generous donator of old images)

- During this process I caught two errors of content that were definitely worth correcting

 

So, I just sent off the finished version to Fabian, to see if he can upload it by 2nd April

Those of you who already own it check your drivethru accounts on 2nd or 3rd

Shout out to Simon Bray, as we had two of his images in the book, and it took Dario to point that out. Full credits now included to Simon, who generously was happy for us to continue using them :)

Edited by Ian A. Thomson
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Former Issaries Inc. 'Pavis Expert'

Some of my creations and co-creations: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?keyword=Ian Thomson 

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3 hours ago, svensson said:

😁

Shut Up Frye.jpg

<ahem>
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/413853/New-Pavis-City-on-the-Edge-of-Forever-RuneQuest

As best I can tell, he's entirely-ready to take your money... and has been for quite some time!

That your money is still in your hand (and not his) is entirely on you, sir.  P'raps with some influence from the Minister of Finance.
😁

 

All that remains then is for him "to shut up;" I for one very much hope he does NOT!!!
(I suspect you don't want that, either 😉 )

 

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4 hours ago, svensson said:

😁

I read this entirely as a bold statement of faith in, and appreciation for, the series, couched in humorous style

Thank you :)

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Former Issaries Inc. 'Pavis Expert'

Some of my creations and co-creations: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?keyword=Ian Thomson 

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45 minutes ago, Ian A. Thomson said:

 

I read this entirely as a bold statement of faith in, and appreciation for, the series, couched in humorous style

Thank you 🙂

Ok, I'll use words...

I appreciate and look forward to further work. I had expected this to be a relatively short series, a trilogy or maybe 4 volumes. Ten was wholly unexpected!

To everyone involved with the project, my congratulations on delivering yet another way to see Glorantha... a way in which the boundaries of magical definition are a lot blurrier and cults do not always match casual definition.

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7 hours ago, Ian A. Thomson said:

(Not just a case of pasting the images on top, but resizing/trimming, and also in many cases adjusting/revising the text/layout so that the images can be showcased to maximum advantage.)

If it's for print, also changing the colourspace and colour profile of the images to avoid weird shit happening in the print process. I'm sure Nick can advise on that if necessary!

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--

The Voralans presents Glorantha's magical mushroom humanoids, the black elves. "Absolutely phenomenal" - Austin C. "Seriously weird-ass shit" - John D. "A great piece of work" - Leon K. The Electrum best-selling The Children of Hykim documents Glorantha's shape-changing totemic animal people, the Hsunchen. "Magisterial ... highly recommended" - Nick Brooke. "Lovingly detailed and scholarly, and fun to read" - John H. "Absolutely wonderful!" - Morgan C.

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13 minutes ago, Brian Duguid said:

If it's for print, also changing the colourspace and colour profile of the images to avoid weird shit happening in the print process. I'm sure Nick can advise on that if necessary!

Ah yes, another round of checks to do at some point

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Former Issaries Inc. 'Pavis Expert'

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Yes, the coloured-image version of Vol. 01 was uploaded on April 2nd

So next time you go to drivethru, if you already have Vol. 01 you can find the latest version, with another cpl of errors corrected too :)

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Former Issaries Inc. 'Pavis Expert'

Some of my creations and co-creations: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?keyword=Ian Thomson 

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51 minutes ago, Simulacrum said:

Sorry if very dumb question, but do these books automatically become available in POD once they hit a sales threshold, or does that require a lot of work to make them print ready? 

The latter, I'm afraid. Some folk -- including me -- prepare "print-ready" versions of their books in the first place, making it easier to hit the print spec when the time comes; that isn't always an option. Chaosium is happy to help first-time print creators through the process, and smooth the way for subsequent releases: just get in touch.

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On 4/4/2023 at 2:43 AM, Simulacrum said:

Sorry if very dumb question, but do these books automatically become available in POD once they hit a sales threshold, or does that require a lot of work to make them print ready? 

Nick has very generously already offered to help me get Vol. 01 print ready

There are a few technicalities to iron out (my end, not his), especially on updating the book again, and getting the cover revised, but I imagine that July at the absolute latest for the release of the POD

OK, am writing this in a motel. Hitting the road now for a week-long well-deserved camp-out in the Aussie bush with no reception or electricity (except for my little solar panel, which won't run a laptop even if there was wireless there)

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Former Issaries Inc. 'Pavis Expert'

Some of my creations and co-creations: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?keyword=Ian Thomson 

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  • 3 weeks later...

VOLS. 1&2 of the P&BR Companion Director's Cut just got updated on Drivethrurpg.com!! :)

VOL. 01 - A few corrections, added snippets of new and revised information, replacement of 3 or 4 images with better quality or colored versions, one credit added in the general acknowledgments that was missed.

VOL. 02 - MANY new colored images replacing the b&w ones, thanks to Dario Corallo being back on the team! Yay! Plus a handful of corrections and revisions of small pieces of the text to match the unfolding material in Vol. 03

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Former Issaries Inc. 'Pavis Expert'

Some of my creations and co-creations: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?keyword=Ian Thomson 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I seem to recall learning that in RQG only about 10% of people are full initiates or higher in a cult of any kind. Is that correct?

Those with the first two books will likely have seen that I subverted/adapted this idea for city gods in general (and Pavis in particular), creating a low level of initiation to replace communal worship for most people. The in-game logic being that duties are minimal, and social advantages very worthwhile, for just sacrificing at major ceremonies. A big win for the city god in terms of what they gain from these sacrifices, and minimal requirements to give back. (Since the social advantages are organised by the worshippers themselves, its really just a few specialist spells that the city god provides.

Anyway in general I'm wanting to stay with the new canon for Glorantha in general (with the hungry city gods being an exception), and am just seeking a confirmation on the %s.

On a distantly related note, is there a list of named major cities in the EWF in which a criminal cult similar to the Peaky Blinders may have arisen? I would like to add a named origin city to a cult that ended up in Pavis City and began to be worshipped again (albeit by only a small group and a handful of individuals) once Thieves Town was founded

Cheers

Edited by Ian A. Thomson

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Former Issaries Inc. 'Pavis Expert'

Some of my creations and co-creations: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?keyword=Ian Thomson 

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1 hour ago, Ian A. Thomson said:

Anyway in general I'm wanting to stay with the new canon for Glorantha in general (with the hungry city gods being an exception), and am just seeking a confirmation on the %s.

Jeff said last year:

Quote

A general rule of thumb is that most adults are initiated into a cult. That's a very fuzzy rule admittedly, but generally true.

Other things he has posted more recently (numbers of members of specific cults) seem to line up with that.

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--

The Voralans presents Glorantha's magical mushroom humanoids, the black elves. "Absolutely phenomenal" - Austin C. "Seriously weird-ass shit" - John D. "A great piece of work" - Leon K. The Electrum best-selling The Children of Hykim documents Glorantha's shape-changing totemic animal people, the Hsunchen. "Magisterial ... highly recommended" - Nick Brooke. "Lovingly detailed and scholarly, and fun to read" - John H. "Absolutely wonderful!" - Morgan C.

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2 hours ago, Ian A. Thomson said:

I seem to recall learning that in RQG only about 10% of people are full initiates or higher in a cult of any kind. Is that correct?

I don't think so, maybe 10% of Initiates are Rune Levels (God-Talkers, Rune Lords or Rune Priests).

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8 hours ago, soltakss said:

I don't think so, maybe 10% of Initiates are Rune Levels (God-Talkers, Rune Lords or Rune Priests).

I’d go with 1%, myself. It’s easier, it gives you more manageable numbers, and a Sword of Humakt expects to have 100 initiates in his company. Player character parties, of course, are Rune-level-heavy.

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Previously, I think @Jeff has stated things to the effect that "Orlanthi have an unusually-high percentage of Initiates" -- that a Lunar patrol can never safely presume the shepherd on the hill cannot suddenly summon storms & lightning; that most Lunars, in contrast, were NOT Initiates.  It helped to explain why a relatively-tiny place like Sartar could give such unusual levels of resistance, for such a long time, to the Lunar assimilation.

Others criticized this as seeming like a holdover from the 70s / early-80s "Heroic Orlanthi, steeped in exceptionalism, sprinkled with hypercomptence" tropes.

I don't recall Jeff's response to this (nor the conversation in general well enough to find it again).  Hence my @summoning Jeff, to hopefully speak authoritatively to the issue of %-Lay vs %-Initiated and whether that differs much cult-to-cult, or culture-to-culture.

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4 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

I’d go with 1%, myself. It’s easier, it gives you more manageable numbers, and a Sword of Humakt expects to have 100 initiates in his company. Player character parties, of course, are Rune-level-heavy.

That's a little less than my usual rule of thumb. Most all adults are initiates, regardless of culture, and around 2% of initiates are Rune levels. So we've got about 1.2 million Lunar initiates (all cults) in the Heartlands, around 20-24,000 Rune levels, with around 10,000 Red Goddess initiates at max.

These are not hard numbers of course. Thanks to war, pressure, desperation, or whatever, with some cults the number might be over 2% and in others it might be closer to 1%.

So Sartar we have 34,000 initiates of Orlanth, but might have somewhere around a 1000 rune levels. 

 

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7 hours ago, g33k said:

Others criticized this as seeming like a holdover from the 70s / early-80s "Heroic Orlanthi, steeped in exceptionalism, sprinkled with hypercomptence" tropes.

No, it was a Hero Wars era thing: barbaric Sartarite superhumans vs. weak and weedy civilised Pelorians. Not an edifying period for the game.

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  • 1 month later...

As mentioned before, we seem on track for the end of July jamboree:

Vol. 03 pdf release, Vol. 01 pdf final update and (hopefully) Vol. 01 POD release

As part of that, it looks highly likely that Vol. 01 is going to get an additional final section added that covers some commonly used New Pavis landmarks (map & index for each). A small price increase will accompany this (probably from 18.50 to 19.75)

So if anyone is poised to buy Vol. 01, you can take advantage of the small saving by buying it in the next couple of weeks, as it will take a minimum of 3 weeks before this all happens

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Former Issaries Inc. 'Pavis Expert'

Some of my creations and co-creations: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?keyword=Ian Thomson 

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