The Hero Wars, New Gods, Praxian Renaissance?

[dumuzid]

4 minutes ago, French Desperate WindChild said:

Who can believe it ?

that's only a legend created by some weak but smart baboon to become a leader of its clan without having to defeat the boss. When priests take power and subdue warriors 😛

Oh it's true.  It's all true...

[Erol of Backford]

Is that Herder's Ruins?

Hender’s Ruins (ruin): These partly-buried, broken crystalline structures are visible for miles in sunlight. Jaldon Toothmaker once made this his camp for the aid it gave his teeth. Nomads normally avoid it as the weird plants there attract monsters.

Monkey's on acid dancing in the moonlight with edible nuts falling from the sky... some party, I think that was from the Travels of Biturian Varosh...

Curious where anyone has located the secret cave where the hyena skins are being stitched together?

Edited May 3, 2023 by Erol of Backford

[mfbrandi]

6 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Curious where anyone has located the secret cave where the hyena skins are being stitched together?

Ithaca …

Spoiler

She has devised cunning tricks to delay the suitors, one of which is to pretend to be weaving a burial shroud for Odysseus's elderly father Laertes and claiming that she will choose a suitor when she has finished. Every night for three years, she undoes part of the shroud

… because no one would be foolish enough to finish the job.

[jajagappa]

8 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Is that Herder's Ruins?

Hender’s Ruins (ruin)

It should be the Monkey Ruins. "These are the ruins of the City of the Monkey. When Oakfed fell to earth, he landed on the city, destroying most of the inhabitants. The ruins are the center of the Praxian cult of Oakfed. Here any shaman can attempt to contact that great spirit with the proper sacrifices. No Oasis Folk live here, and the ruins are sacred to the intelligent baboons of Prax."

[Erol of Backford]

5 hours ago, jajagappa said:

It should be the Monkey Ruins.

For sure, I was hasty!

I didn't see the statue head...

 

[soltakss]

On 5/2/2023 at 2:52 AM, Erol of Backford said:

On 5/1/2023 at 10:51 AM, soltakss said:

They were going to replicate the Thousand Souls Ritual at the Block to enliven Wakboth.

Is there a source for this? Would like to read up...

That was all part of the Arganauts/River Voices/Earth Children Campaign.

On 5/2/2023 at 2:52 AM, Erol of Backford said:

On 5/1/2023 at 10:58 AM, soltakss said:

Orlanth was fine, as he was still King of the Gods and Ernalda was still Queen of the Gods, just that Genert was Earth King in the same way that Yelm was Emperor.

It's a nice "everyone gets along" scenario but I bet Orlanth Mr. fighting is always an option, doesn't like it and if Genert wants a bit more what happens? 

We didn't reach that point, as the Adventurers brokered an agreement. Obviously, as Genert flexed his muscles he might have broken that agreement but the campaign stopped before then.

On 5/2/2023 at 2:52 AM, Erol of Backford said:

On 5/1/2023 at 10:58 AM, soltakss said:

The people at the Growing Ground have been trying for centuries.

Also a source would be nice here. Will check Well and Wiki... so much new material for me.

Again, part of my Campaign, but I based the Growing Ground on various mentions here and there.

On 5/2/2023 at 2:52 AM, Erol of Backford said:

On 5/1/2023 at 10:58 AM, soltakss said:

I am sure that the Ernalda cult actively sabotaged attempts to resurrect Genert.

To be disagreeable for discussion, why would she do that, maybe she actually wants to get rid of Orlanth, bored with him, smelly, bad breath, obnoxious, crude and always lecherous whereas Genert is the gentleman, loving, kind, a creator not a destroyer? I bet she'd dump him after centuries of his nonsense?

Because she is the Earth Queen and has no desire to be replaced by the Earth King.

Don't forget that Genert is only distantly related to Ernalda, a Great Uncle, so she is not invested in him at all, and neither are her worshippers.

On 5/2/2023 at 7:19 AM, Manunancy said:

What gets me wondering is the 'one thousand peoples acrificed' - were the yvolunteers ? maybe in keeping wit the amreindian themes in prax whorhsippers working themselves to death in somethign liek a Ghost Dance big ritual. Or were they unwilling - ennemies and undesirable gathered at swordpoint and mass executed ?

Don't forget that this was entirely a creation in our campaign.

Most of the people were not volunteers, but some of the elderly Oasis Folk did volunteer. The unwilling had no idea what was happening until they were slaughtered and sacrificed. It fitted nicely into the idea of the Dark Earth.

On 5/2/2023 at 7:19 AM, Manunancy said:

The first option may work without too much trouble or taint, but if it was the second, the odds for something going wrong would raise up. Human (or other sentients) sacrifices in Glorantha are a risky business, and very few non-chaotic cultures do it regularly. (the somewhat disallowed Corn Rites, the Black sun cult in Ignorance and that's about it - though sorcerous tapping might count, but isn't more common)

Human sacrifice exists in Glorantha, in several cultures. Sure, it could have ramifications, but it was necessary at the time.

It is, perhaps, one of the reasons that nobody managed to bring back Genert, if they balked at the idea of sacrificing a thousand people.

On 5/2/2023 at 11:04 AM, Shiningbrow said:

What about herd-men? (how many are there???)

In the campaign they had to be sentient sacrifices.

 

[soltakss]

On 5/3/2023 at 3:31 AM, Erol of Backford said:

Curious where anyone has located the secret cave where the hyena skins are being stitched together?

I had it in a Short World in the Wastes, in an Oasis that was hidden by a permanent sandstorm.

[Erol of Backford]

5 hours ago, soltakss said:

Dark Earth

Not liking the sound of this brutal as it is but I see it and current world Earth when I think about it... sad either way.

5 hours ago, soltakss said:

Human sacrifice exists in Glorantha, in several cultures. Sure, it could have ramifications, but it was necessary at the time.

Understood but I'd rather gather the snakes and use them!

[Manunancy]

I forgot one sort of peoples when i thought about who might qualify : broos.

Perfect sacrifice fodder, nobody's going to miss them. And don't worry, the chaos taint is under control and won't affect the end result 🙂
 

Back on topic, my impression is that in Glorantha mas unvoluntary sacrifices is something that tends to backfire and/or bring troubles. Well, maybe not when it's dragons who do the deed -  because it's lunch time rather than sacrifice...

 

But I wonder what would happen should the sacrifices come to a ressurected Genert demanding justice for their deads ?because no matter how you wrap it up in necessity, there were still lies, treachery and mass murder going around.

Edited May 7, 2023 by Manunancy

[Erol of Backford]

On 5/6/2023 at 4:43 PM, Manunancy said:

because no matter how you wrap it up in necessity, there were still lies, treachery and mass murder going around.

I'd go with hyena skins and snakes versus the mass sacrifice. The broo are tainted and you'll likely get sick even being near them let alone herding them to a place with a big stone that has a glue matrix on it for holding them in place before axing them? Yes a dirty business indeed.

Spoiler

In Hell Hound there is a sacrificial pit but its to a death god...

I wonder what numbers you are talking about when looking at hyena skins or snakes to make up Genert's body?

Still wondering about the hidden cave being somewhere in or near the  Bog or the Sands?

So anyone with silver thread from those special sheep (are they held by a chaos cyclops giant near or in the Tunneled Hills? (sounds fun) and some skill at sewing could actually help restich Genert's skin? It may end up looking like this Artic fur coat on top with snake print leggings.

Was Genert a fashionista? Could be his head is earth, rock and plants for hair?

   

[soltakss]

On 5/6/2023 at 4:43 PM, Manunancy said:

I forgot one sort of peoples when i thought about who might qualify : broos.

Perfect sacrifice fodder, nobody's going to miss them. And don't worry, the chaos taint is under control and won't affect the end result 🙂

The players discounted that immediately, as they didn't want to give Genert a Chaos Taint.

On 5/6/2023 at 4:43 PM, Manunancy said:

But I wonder what would happen should the sacrifices come to a ressurected Genert demanding justice for their deads ?because no matter how you wrap it up in necessity, there were still lies, treachery and mass murder going around.

Yes there was. 

It was something that the Adventurers justified very quickly, as being for the Greater Good.

On 5/7/2023 at 1:17 AM, Erol of Backford said:

I'd go with hyena skins and snakes versus the mass sacrifice.

Whatever works at your gaming table.