Life and Traditions Under the Sun Dome

[Malin]

So, August 4th 2023 I did a little asking around about courtesy in publications, which made me finally register on this fair forum.

And now, I sent off our 214 000  words manuscript for layout... About twice the size originally planned. Hope y'all will enjoy our deep dive into everything that makes Sun County the most special place on Glorantha.

Or, as some would put it:

Come foreigner, visit Sun County, the only nation in Glorantha that passed The Solitude of Testing. See the living light of Sun Dome, travel the easily accessible road network, enjoy our surplus of food, our stoic unity, and our fully adequate culture. Come for the holy days, witness our drill parades, leave when we tell you to! Sun County - the safest, hardest working and most envied nation in Glorantha. You wish you were us!

- Sun County Travel Bureau

I'm not sure why I made this post, except that it's a milestone for me, and felt the need to thank everyone here for making me and my friend feel enthusiastic enough about this to finish the project this fast despite other work! Here is a general overview of the main headlines, if anybody has any questions, feel free to ask them. I am just going to lay down and stare at the ceiling and then go back to writing interactive fiction until next project.

 

 

[scott-martin]

This is easily one of the five most exciting things I've heard in the past five months. Thanks for keeping us in the loop.

[David Scott]

Which Sun County is this Prax, Sartar, etc?

[Joerg]

10 minutes ago, David Scott said:

Which Sun County is this Prax, Sartar, etc?

Solitude of Testing places this firmly in Prax.

[Malin]

Yep, this is in Prax alright 

[Geoff R Evil]

Love it as a concept, all you need to know to set the scene and create the cultural feel

[Malin]

Starting to look sweet...

 

[Erol of Backford]

On 5/14/2024 at 9:08 AM, Malin said:

I'm not sure why I made this post

I am glad you did and can't wait to hold the hard copy!

On 5/14/2024 at 9:08 AM, Malin said:

if anybody has any questions

Rambling thoughts follow:

Did you converse with Jane Williams or MOB, I don't know them but they did a lot on Sun County. Who was the player for Melo Yelo back in the day?

With all your thought on these fine upstanding men (and they will over time be more accepting of women), I thought you might have some opinions as to the use of horses and numbers of them or other beasts of burden in Sun County.

Curious as to your thoughts on any influence of Sartar Emali mounted infantry or cavalry and how many mounted troops (if any) would actually be in Sun County. I assumed someone like Belvani would ride but the skill isn't listed but Invictus rides at 75%... and none of the other named characters in Sun County have the ride skill.

What do you think?

I noted that only 2 of the 8 pre-generated characters in the old Sun County book had a ride skill and they are both nomads...

Working on how to integrate 8 mounted Heortlander PC's into all the great Sun County scenarios. Sun County (following Troubled Waters) does have Kuschile Horse Archery but how much is it used? In Sartar it would be but I'd imagine a lot of the Emali's in Sartar would already have a good riding skill?

What is the thought as to time frame, when will it be available!?

[Malin]

4 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

Did you converse with Jane Williams or MOB, I don't know them but they did a lot on Sun County. Who was the player for Melo Yelo back in the day?

Well, I have not conversed directly, but parts are based on some MOB stuff under official oversight, and I have read everything I've managed to find published on Sun County, both from way back to current Jonstown Compendium stuff. My goal was to be as compliant with already (and some to be) published material as I could. That's what made me fall in love with the place after all. @Nick Brooke's been by go-to guide for that.

6 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

With all your thought on these fine upstanding men (and they will over time be more accepting of women), I thought you might have some opinions as to the use of horses and numbers of them or other beasts of burden in Sun County.

So far, Rogar's Riders are the only "official" horse riders in Sun County, most riding beasts would be either Sable Antelopes or Bison for people more open-minded to the Praxian way of life, while Oxen or occasionally mules pulls the wagons. Most people are used to walking places, Sun County is not that large, and the river and other waterways are useful for transporting heavy burdens.

12 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

Curious as to your thoughts on any influence of Sartar Emali mounted infantry or cavalry and how many mounted troops (if any) would actually be in Sun County. I assumed someone like Belvani would ride but the skill isn't listed but Invictus rides at 75%... and none of the other named characters in Sun County have the ride skill.

The only mounted troops are the above mentioned Rogar's Riders. Sun County's strength always lay in its infantry. I suspect that any light cavalry would be hired mercenaries, just like they occasionally hire Basmoli mercenaries as skirmishers. I suspect that any Ride skill gained would be more from personal interest and family background than regular training. Take Belvani for example, at the time of the original Sun County book I doubt he would have had much use for long trips on horse/animal back.

But let's move to 1625 and the time of two counts, then I suspect all the campaigning and hanging around with Argrath's nomads have left him with a pretty solid ride skill.

18 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

Working on how to integrate 8 mounted Heortlander PC's into all the great Sun County scenarios. Sun County (following Troubled Waters) does have Kuschile Horse Archery but how much is it used? In Sartar it would be but I'd imagine a lot of the Emali's in Sartar would already have a good riding skill?

At this point in time I think Kushile Horse Archery is a lost art in Sun County. So much of their self-image is tied to the marching phalanx. I don't touch on the Sartar Elmali vs Sun County Yelmalio in the book, how that is handled will be up to the individual. But I imagine there might be many who would be happy to see a return to the glorious horse-days of old, and just as many that would be nervous about making the nomads upset... I think any visiting horseman would be subject to both curiosity, envy and nervousness.

22 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

What is the thought as to time frame, when will it be available!?

Depends on how long the layout takes and when the cover is finished. My cover artist promised the end of the month, but there's a lot more in the production process after finishing the text. I can't give you a clear date here!

 

[Erol of Backford]

39 minutes ago, Malin said:

My goal was to be as compliant with already (and some to be) published material as I could.

LOL, you are a much better Gloranthian than I am!

41 minutes ago, Malin said:

Rogar's Riders

Forgot about them. The XII militia file... will review but gives a good basis for a link to Satar rider influences after 1600 (at least for me)... When do you think Rogar took to horseback, 1610, maybe after Moonbroth or might it have been before then?

45 minutes ago, Malin said:

Take Belvani for example, at the time of the original Sun County book I doubt he would have had much use for long trips on horse/animal back.

But he is a man of the world and has surely travelled extensively, Sartar and maybe even to the East? Would have guessed he rode a good bit? Easy enough to say they rode but dismounted whenever there was trouble? Agree that after the old Sun County book, the skills, ride in particular may have been given a nice skill boost.

48 minutes ago, Malin said:

I imagine there might be many who would be happy to see a return to the glorious horse-days of old

Here-here, the future of the Light Brigade! I'll run with this as so much happens in Sun County from 1610-1630... 

Looking forward to the published work. Good on you Malin and thanks for the responces.

[Malin]

21 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

But he is a man of the world and has surely travelled extensively, Sartar and maybe even to the East? Would have guessed he rode a good bit? Easy enough to say they rode but dismounted whenever there was trouble?

Perhaps, or perhaps he had mostly been to Pavis at that time? He is a man of mystery that one, hard to tell how much is bragging and how much is the truth. Regardless, I imagine that people with no ride skill (you always have a base level) would probably travel safely with caravans. As long as nothing bad happens, the most you have to fear would be chafing and aching muscles. The Ride skill really comes into play when you need to control your animal under stressful circumstances, or make it go on it's own rather than follow the flock.

[Nick Brooke]

In my non-canonical account, Belvani served as Sun County’s ambassador to Lunar Tarsh (“a meeting of the Great Powers,” as he alone styled it). Hints and tips in Sandheart 1 & Black Spear. That’s a lot further than Pavis…

[Malin]

Just now, Nick Brooke said:

In my non-canonical account, Belvani served as Sun County’s ambassador to Lunar Tarsh (“a meeting of the Great Powers,” as he alone styled it). Hints and tips in Sandheart 1 & Black Spear. That’s a lot further than Pavis…

Gooood to know! I've yet to decide what role he will play in my campaign, nice to know I have tempting options....

[Nick Brooke]

Some years before First Moonbroth (in my account), the Temple of the Reaching Moon in Lunar Tarsh “hired” a company of mercenary Sun Dome Templars from the Praxian temple to serve as guards. They didn’t need guards, but they were happy to make local contacts and allies, as they developed their future plans…

More details in a footnote to that handy table in my Sun County Backgrounds article showing that Sun Dome Templars will march anywhere to fight trolls, and it’s the backstory to the correspondence between Belvani and Enerian Scarlet found in Black Spear.

(As with the question of whether Fazzur Wideread had a relationship with Queen Hendira: once you notice these beautiful possibilities, what kind of monster would work to disprove them?)

[Nick Brooke]

I think the kindest thing to do with “Elmal” in a book about Sun County in Prax is to dismiss it in passing as a barbaric mispronunciation of the divine name of Yelmalio. And I already did that.

[g33k]

3 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

... I thought you might have some opinions as to the use of horses and numbers of them or other beasts of burden in Sun County.

Curious as to your thoughts on any influence of Sartar Emali mounted infantry or cavalry and how many mounted troops (if any) would actually be in Sun County. I assumed someone like Belvani would ride but the skill isn't listed but Invictus rides at 75%... and none of the other named characters in Sun County have the ride skill.

What do you think?

I noted that only 2 of the 8 pre-generated characters in the old Sun County book had a ride skill and they are both nomads...

I would expect horses to be quite rare, as the region is surrounded by Praxian Beast-Riders (plus the ubiquitous availability of those self-same Praxian Beasts).

As I recall, Prax's SunDome is unusual in its heavy reliance on infantry, and lack of much (Solar-aligned) cavalry.

Belvani, and other top leaders, might well be able to support & protect a few elite mounts; but not, I think, the herds that would be needed for substantive presence for generations of mounted troops.

YGWV, of course!

Edited May 18 by g33k

[Erol of Backford]

I am one of those who likes the rider Emali versus the uptight Yelmalio's. Well, what if maybe Rogar or his father is actually from Runegate or Horse Town... and migrated to Sun County after 1602 as they didn't really wish to rebuild under Lunar suppression? This might be a fun twist. Rogar and his file could be made up of various Sartarites who a few are Emali/Yelmalians and the others lay members possibly.

Runegate (town): This fortified town is so
called because of the magical stone lintel the
city founders brought from the Holy Country.
The lintel forms the Luck Rune over the east
gate. The town has a large temple to Elmal the
Sun God and Hyalor Horsebreaker.

3 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

Temple of the Reaching Moon in Lunar Tarsh “hired” a company of mercenary Sun Dome Templars

Maybe Belvani was the company commander? I do like the idea he was in Sartar and Tarsh earlier in his career and that he still goes there to visit Vanntar, even Nochet. He may have helped convinced different groups of Emalians to move to Sun County after the Sartar invasion.

Is there any thing noted that there was not some movement of Emali's east to Sun County or south to the Heortlands after 1602, guessing there were 1000's who were displaced and migrated in several directions? We see some Sartarites moving to pavis County after 1602 correct?

3 hours ago, g33k said:

I would expect horses to be quite rare

I think you are correct but I like the idea of playing around with the Sun DOmers learning that in order to protect themselves better from nomad raiders is to have a force to strike back with and of course they would not lower themselves to Praxian standards, must be horses for them just because.

4 hours ago, Malin said:

man of mystery

Not sure how I feel about him 70% for me, he a slimy elitist, a male chauvinist and resents Vega, holds her in contempt... or 30%, he just doesn't like Vega because she is a (lots of derogatory words about women). If he just hates Vega because she's his rival than so be it, he does have a female bodyguard so can't be all bad? Sure lots of other reasons could be presented as to why she travels with him.

Fun stuff, again sign be up for the hardcover version.

[Geoff R Evil]

Yeh no horses in Sun County, and never heard of Rogar’s Riders. In my campaign the Pol Joni have made friends with Pavis and been invited to help integrate and protect Sun County. I foresee a future where maybe the opportunity for them to complement the sun down infantry could happen…or just as likely compete and become antagonistic, as Pol Joni are basically Orlanthi with some Eirithan connections.

[soltakss]

On 5/14/2024 at 3:08 PM, Malin said:

So, August 4th 2023 I did a little asking around about courtesy in publications, which made me finally register on this fair forum.

And now, I sent off our 214 000  words manuscript for layout... About twice the size originally planned. Hope y'all will enjoy our deep dive into everything that makes Sun County the most special place on Glorantha.

Congratulations!

[Malin]

Not a finished cover yet (lacking text) but the illustration is finally done!

 

[Malin]

Just because it is starting to look so good (thank you Nick) some low resolution screenshots to give a teaser...

 

[Jason Farrell]

Definitely looking forward to this!