Sleeping Heroes

[PhilHibbs]

I've been watching a YouTube series about the "King Beneath The Mountain" trope (in relation to Game of Thrones, as it happens, but that's by the by).

What examples of this are there in Glorantha? It seems somewhat absent given how common it is in RW mythology. I mean there are some - Jaldon Goldentooth is one example of a "sleeping hero" that can be called upon in a time of dire need.

I suppose you could class Baroshi and Orgovale Summer as this, but those are gods, rather than heroes.

[Joerg]

31 minutes ago, PhilHibbs said:

I've been watching a YouTube series about the "King Beneath The Mountain" trope (in relation to Game of Thrones, as it happens, but that's by the by).

What examples of this are there in Glorantha? It seems somewhat absent given how common it is in RW mythology. I mean there are some - Jaldon Goldentooth is one example of a "sleeping hero" that can be called upon in a time of dire need.

Arkat might be an expression of this trope, and Belintar quite likely was, too. The Silver Age heroes summoned by Belintar are another such application of the trope.

King of Sartar had a report of Broyan frozen in the ice high in the Storm Mountains.

The Tarsh Twins appear to return for the Hero Wars, as leaders of the Exiles. Ironhoof is another. In a way, Sheng Seleris qualifies.

[M Helsdon]

Kaxtor.

[PhilHibbs]

More to the point: if you wanted to set up some kind of bring-back-the-sleeping-hero scenario, either as a player or as a GM, how would you set it up?

If it was a real-world-with-magic RPG, you could say "lets go dig under Stonehenge and look for Arthur", or "lets explore the Giant's Causeway and look for caves where Fionn mac Cumhaill might be sleeping". Whilst we have some examples where this has already happened in Glorantha, I can't think of any ready-made waiting to happen. Other than Arkat, as you said, but we have this generation's Arkat-analogy already around.

Edited August 17 by PhilHibbs

[metcalph]

Tada. 

[Cassius]

13 hours ago, metcalph said:

Tada. 

Who has a very appropriate name.

[Joerg]

1 hour ago, Cassius said:

14 hours ago, metcalph said:

Tada. 

Who has a very appropriate name.

Needs some assembly, though.

[Sir_Godspeed]

On 8/17/2024 at 10:15 PM, PhilHibbs said:

More to the point: if you wanted to set up some kind of bring-back-the-sleeping-hero scenario, either as a player or as a GM, how would you set it up?

If it was a real-world-with-magic RPG, you could say "lets go dig under Stonehenge and look for Arthur", or "lets explore the Giant's Causeway and look for caves where Fionn mac Cumhaill might be sleeping". Whilst we have some examples where this has already happened in Glorantha, I can't think of any ready-made waiting to happen. Other than Arkat, as you said, but we have this generation's Arkat-analogy already around.

I'd look up some Silver Age demigods (although other "formative" eras are applicable). IMHO, not rulers (because I'm guessing that would absolutely nuke current-time politics, I think?) but characters who performed great deals and then didn't go around establishing their own dynasty or something. I think my ideal example would be someone like Vogarth the Strong Man or something.

[jajagappa]

20 hours ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

I'd look up some Silver Age demigods

The thing with the Silver Age demigods is that most of them have been out-and-about during Belintar's reign in the Holy Country (i.e. not sleeping). Whether at the City of Wonders, during the Tournaments of Luck and Death, or during Sacred Time or High Holy Day events, for much of 300 years you could encounter Panaxles or Vogarth or Merngala or others. Now it's quite feasible that with Belintar's demise, they've gone back to sleep, but not quite sure if that's what original OP was thinking of.

[French Desperate WindChild]

On 8/17/2024 at 10:15 PM, PhilHibbs said:

If it was a real-world-with-magic RPG, you could say "lets go dig under Stonehenge and look for Arthur", or "lets explore the Giant's Causeway and look for caves where Fionn mac Cumhaill might be sleeping".

so you have your answer 🙂

in my opinion, you don't need more than your own hero.

I think that many canon names are too many canon names (note that few years ago, I would say the opposite 😛 )

so, for me, if a player defines a hero (family, or not) the GM may integrate it (with many changes to have some surprises) or if a GM wants a hero, he just has to do it.

 

So my matrix would be :

why the hero should be "there" ? (a desperate fight ?, a tomb ?, any disaster ? a fumble - oops the rolling stone haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah - ?)

where the hero is located ? (in a mundane cave, in a ruin, in a hidden place under some inhabited area / temple / city / fort / ...  or in the hero plane ? )

how is now the hero ?

- a frozen body ?,

- a sleeping body ?

- an active ghost ?

- a sleeping ghost, emerging from nowhere when the pc do something (like the one who can provide some anti dragon weapons )?

a vampire ?

just a skeleton - a "regular" dead skeleton - ?

dust ?

nothing here ? After all legends / rumors should not be always real, even in Glorantha

 

 

why / who the hero is in this state ? a curse ? a divine intervention ? a willing decision of the hero ? ...

and then you just have to determine what the pc may meet, what they may plunder / learn / obtain , how those who did something should react : well Jojo the god decided to frozen our hero centuries , will Jojo accepts that these pc will break his decision ?

 

 

[EricW]

What about the sleeping hero vanquished by the angry storm, who when he awakens will usher in an age of freedom, liberating followers from the very laws which bind Glorantha, granting vengeance to the oppressed, and bringing to an end the tyranny of law?

[metcalph]

53 minutes ago, EricW said:

What about the sleeping hero vanquished by the angry storm, who when he awakens will usher in an age of freedom, liberating followers from the very laws which bind Glorantha, granting vengeance to the oppressed, and bringing to an end the tyranny of law?

And at the moment of his birth, the Sun stopped in the sky to stare in wonder...

[Ali the Helering]

Greg (sob!)

[Sir_Godspeed]

23 hours ago, jajagappa said:

The thing with the Silver Age demigods is that most of them have been out-and-about during Belintar's reign in the Holy Country (i.e. not sleeping). Whether at the City of Wonders, during the Tournaments of Luck and Death, or during Sacred Time or High Holy Day events, for much of 300 years you could encounter Panaxles or Vogarth or Merngala or others. Now it's quite feasible that with Belintar's demise, they've gone back to sleep, but not quite sure if that's what original OP was thinking of.

That's a very good point.

[davecake]

 

 

19 hours ago, French Desperate WindChild said:

where the hero is located ? (in a mundane cave, in a ruin, in a hidden place under some inhabited area / temple / city / fort / ...  or in the hero plane ? )

If you go to where the hero is sleeping, you have entered the otherworld. Or a place of such deep magic it is equivalent. But it could be any those places before the hero (and then you) entered. 

19 hours ago, French Desperate WindChild said:

how is now the hero ?

It depends on the circumstances that they entered under any why are they sleeping. Did Aurelia bid him sleep in her cave? Was he interred in a barrow? Taken by nymphs? Frozen by Valind? There will be a story. 

[jajagappa]

On 8/17/2024 at 3:13 PM, PhilHibbs said:

What examples of this are there in Glorantha? It seems somewhat absent given how common it is in RW mythology. I mean there are some - Jaldon Goldentooth is one example of a "sleeping hero" that can be called upon in a time of dire need.

A good example is probably Balastor, son and champion of Pavis. Definitely a hero, but his spirit (or part of it) is bound into his Axe. 

Finding the Axe (and allying Balastor's spirit) is probably the first step in awakening this sleeping hero. But it feels like there easily could be more.

Pavis, too, might be another although he's moved more fully into the Gods World.

Other possible heroes to awaken might include Heort and Ivarne (likely sleeping in the Godi Hills of Heortland) and the children of Vingkot. Of those, we've already got Orgorvale in the Thunder Hills. Koroltes is probably buried beneath the Smoking Ruins (aka Koroltesstead) and once you've vanquished the smoke and its source, you might begin trying to awaken him. Kodig is buried in Nochet - Storm Hill there is his former stead and later his burial mound. Beren was probably buried at Berensstead somewhere south of Mirin's Cross - though it would not surprise me if Lokaymadon stole the body in his effort to wipe out the Berenethtelli.