Stephen L Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 (edited) My Balazaring campaign might be shortly winding up at Elkoi, and I wondered about good images for both the citadel and also for personalities. I’ve the original Griffin Mountain (with generally rather good artwork, but very sparse) and the Gloranthan Classics reprint (which has more art, but the additions are of varying quality). Elkoi is obviously based on the ancient Mycenaean citadel of Tiryns, so good images on the web. So far I’ve found these: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/396387204699687861/ https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/1050675788052494226/ And for the Magaron (which might fit Elkoi, with it pretence at civilisation, Trilus and Dykene would be more rustic): https://blog.stephens.edu/arh101glossary/?glossary=megaron https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/611715561859426457/ For characters, there are the excellent one of Hacyon Var Encorth in the original, and a not bad Queen Jocestis in the reprint. If the party opt for the grand entrance, there might be a feast with the royals, in which case I imagined Hecis might be persuaded by her father to dance, a la 7 veils: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/523613894170933848/ If anyone has any links for any other characters, or an ancient feast with the royals, that would be amazing! Perhaps for Euryptus the bold: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/aR1APL As an aside, as a kid, when Griffin Mountain first came out (yes I’m that old), I had a fascination with floor plans of historical sites, so I realised that Elkoi was Tiryns. I had assumed that Dykene was one of the Troys (which isn’t such a good match, now plans are easier to come by, with the invention of the web: squinting and not looking too closely it’s a tiny bit like Troy IV). The young me was convinced Trilus was Mycenae, but now, looking at it, the plan of Trilus bears no resemblance to Mycenae. Was the young me just fooled by the similarity of the Lion gate? Or had I found a real-world source and I have just forgotten with the passage of so much time. After all, it’s not so many years now before it will be the 50th anniversary of its first publication. And wouldn’t some fan generated art be a fantastic way of celebrating such an anniversary… Edited January 2 by Stephen L Add images to post 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Brooke Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 I know some people have created and are working on Balazar supplements for the Jonstown Compendium. Hopefully they’ll have some neat new art and cartography. 2 1 1 Quote Community Ambassador - Jonstown Compendium, Chaosium, Inc. Email: nick.brooke@chaosium.com for community content queries Jonstown Compendium ⧖ Facebook Ф Twitter † old website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen L Posted December 27, 2023 Author Share Posted December 27, 2023 (edited) Ah yes thanks - there's a bit on the Jonstown compendium that's worth investigating (should have looked first...) I see also the Back To Balazar might be releasing a 1625 update soon... https://www.backtobalazar.com/balazar-1625/ Edited December 27, 2023 by Stephen L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajagappa Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 18 hours ago, Stephen L said: I had a fascination with floor plans of historical sites, so I realised that Elkoi was Tiryns. I had assumed that Dykene was one of the Troys (which isn’t such a good match, now plans are easier to come by, with the invention of the web: squinting and not looking too closely it’s a tiny bit like Troy IV). The young me was convinced Trilus was Mycenae, but now, looking at it, the plan of Trilus bears no resemblance to Mycenae. Was the young me just fooled by the similarity of the Lion gate? Or had I found a real-world source and I have just forgotten with the passage of so much time. It was my belief or understanding that all three citadel plans came from ancient Greek sites, but I don't recall which. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlHazred Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 21 hours ago, Stephen L said: As an aside, as a kid, when Griffin Mountain first came out (yes I’m that old), I had a fascination with floor plans of historical sites, so I realised that Elkoi was Tiryns. I had assumed that Dykene was one of the Troys (which isn’t such a good match, now plans are easier to come by, with the invention of the web: squinting and not looking too closely it’s a tiny bit like Troy IV). The young me was convinced Trilus was Mycenae, but now, looking at it, the plan of Trilus bears no resemblance to Mycenae. Was the young me just fooled by the similarity of the Lion gate? Or had I found a real-world source and I have just forgotten with the passage of so much time. After all, it’s not so many years now before it will be the 50th anniversary of its first publication. It might be worth reaching out to Jennell Jaquays to see if she remembers her influences. She's pretty responsive on her official Facebook page. 1 1 Quote ROLAND VOLZ Running: nothing | Playing: Battletech Hero, CoC 7th Edition, Blades in the Dark | Planning: D&D 5E Home Game, Operation: Sprechenhaltestelle, HeroQuest 1E Sartarite Campaign D&D is an elf from Tolkien, a barbarian from Howard, and a mage from Vance fighting monsters from Lovecraft in a room that looks like it might have been designed by Wells and Giger. - TiaNadiezja Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen L Posted December 28, 2023 Author Share Posted December 28, 2023 2 hours ago, AlHazred said: It might be worth reaching out to Jennell Jaquays Many thanks for the suggestion, though I did see on RPGgeek that she is unwell, and there is an appeal... https://rpggeek.com/thread/3178435/gofundme-jennell-guillain-barre-syndrome 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erol of Backford Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 On 12/27/2023 at 1:35 PM, Stephen L said: Balazaring Campaign I looked at your Namara NPC on line and like her being linked to Blueface. I'll use her as part of the Nochet episodes with Valka Runewolf and Gerard de Montanmpein trying to spoil Halcyon's nefarious plots there. She'd be just falling in love with Blueface at this time coser to 1600... I'll need to set all this up using the Nochet Queen of Cities book for reference. The Jalance Castle in Spain might be a good setting for Dykene as it seems to be in a hilly area. The Wartburg Castle, in plan may have influenced that of Trilus though the actual castle is way to Medieval for Trilus... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen L Posted January 2 Author Share Posted January 2 On 12/31/2023 at 5:52 PM, Erol of Backford said: The Jalance Castle in Spain might be a good setting for Dykene Although I'm pretty sure that's a photo of Xivert castle in Alcala de Chivert of Castellon Templarios of Spain: https://megaconstrucciones.net/en/xivert-castle/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erol of Backford Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 (edited) 6 hours ago, Stephen L said: Jalance Castle in Spain Sorry, my mistake, I've not been there but would like to go, to both, just looking at old castles. Both are somewhat coastal... Good catch Stephan. Was looking at Jalance (hopefully below is correct) must have been mislabeled and or included as "castle". Similar but the outer wall of Xivert seems closer to Dykene (in the earlier photo)? Thanks! Edited January 2 by Erol of Backford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darius West Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 Great pictures, but you seem to have ignored the fact that the streets of Dykene, Trilus and Elkoi run thick with pig poop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joerg Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 1 hour ago, Darius West said: Great pictures, but you seem to have ignored the fact that the streets of Dykene, Trilus and Elkoi run thick with pig poop. Not of Trilus - no pigs allowed in the citadel proper (any more). But there is a reason why these citadels were built on rocks overlooking the surrounding lands, allowing flow-off to leave the citadels, agreed. 1 Quote Telling how it is excessive verbis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali the Helering Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 We don't pay enough attention to Yalaring's purification of Trilus. The citadel now runs thick with Balazaring poop, as nature intended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soltakss Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 On 1/3/2024 at 2:01 PM, Joerg said: On 1/3/2024 at 12:23 PM, Darius West said: Great pictures, but you seem to have ignored the fact that the streets of Dykene, Trilus and Elkoi run thick with pig poop. Not of Trilus - no pigs allowed in the citadel proper (any more). But there is a reason why these citadels were built on rocks overlooking the surrounding lands, allowing flow-off to leave the citadels, agreed. A friend of ours used to go backpacking around the world every winter in the 80s and 90s. He went to rural Thailand and Vietnam, and spent a couple of nights in a mud hut village on stilts. The local pigs used to root around the houses, looking for goodies. The toilets were just holes in a small room in the hut, with the waste falling on the ground below the huts. Sometimes, the pigs got a bit eager. "What is the weirdest sexual experience you have ever had?" "Well, I was having a crap and this big, long tongue comes through the hole and ..." After hearing that story, the Player of the King of Balazar banned all pigs from Dykene, Elkoi and Trilus. 1 5 Quote Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. www.soltakss.com/index.html Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali the Helering Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 57 minutes ago, soltakss said: The local pigs used to root around the houses, looking for goodies. The toilets were just holes in a small room in the hut, with the waste falling on the ground below the huts. Sometimes, the pigs got a bit eager. "What is the weirdest sexual experience you have ever had?" "Well, I was having a crap and this big, long tongue comes through the hole and ..." My parents were missionaries back in the 60s in Myanmar. He described one missionary who was sent back to the UK because he couldn't cope with fighting off wild pigs eager for food while his trousers were round his ankles.🤣 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darius West Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 On 1/6/2024 at 4:03 AM, soltakss said: A friend of ours used to go backpacking around the world every winter in the 80s and 90s. He went to rural Thailand and Vietnam, and spent a couple of nights in a mud hut village on stilts. The local pigs used to root around the houses, looking for goodies. The toilets were just holes in a small room in the hut, with the waste falling on the ground below the huts. Sometimes, the pigs got a bit eager. "What is the weirdest sexual experience you have ever had?" "Well, I was having a crap and this big, long tongue comes through the hole and ..." After hearing that story, the Player of the King of Balazar banned all pigs from Dykene, Elkoi and Trilus. I have a similar story about a family friend who went to a toilet in Calcutta on a hill. Huge squealing and excited pigs slammed into the cyclone wire fence as he passed. When he got to the top, he realized it was a long drop, and the pigs were down there leaping and snapping below him for the "prize". Suffice to say, he "feared for his sporrin". Not quite the same as your friend's "glory hole" experience. Some say that the Aldryami have a similar outlook... But those who speak such are tricksters, surely? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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