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Hrelar Amali - The Physical Site in the 1620s


dumuzid

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So, my long-running RuneQuest game is about to enter a new region.  We started in Pavis and have since traveled to Esrolia, Maniria, Seshnela, Fronela, Pelanda, and Peloria.  Our next step is to travel by Magic Road from the bank of the Oslir to the shore of Lake Felster, in the dog days of Fire '28.  In examining the region, I'm able answer or work out most questions presented by the Guide myself, but I'm curious about one famous holy site that is certain to play a role in things: Hrelar Amali, City of the Gods.

I know that by the Third Age it's a ruin only occasionally visited by people intending to perform rites no longer favored by the dominant Malkioni religious strains in the region, but I'm curious regarding anything written about what's still there in the terminal Third Age all the same.  I've got to figure there's a stump Flamal's great tree there, since that's where he's supposed to have died (in one version of that story), plus the remains of temples to the greater gods of Ralios/pre-Malkioni Western Genertela, but what other remarkable sites, or their remains, ought to be there?

Before my next point, a little context.  In my campaign's Glorantha, the Kingdom of Seshnela's Army of the Tanier, based at Dangk after the overthrow of that realm's local rulership years ago, has begun the invasion of Safelster intended to establish King Guilmarn as High Talar of the West, once and for all.  Tarasdal fell easily, but their advance was stopped at Heswal, at great cost, by the hastily assembled armies of a defensive league of the Safelstran cities, currently headed by Kustria.  My question, as it relates to Hrelar Amali, is: with multiple Arkat-candidates gathered on the Safelstran side, plus a Fronelan army led in-person by King Congern among other allies, how might High Watcher Theoblanc and his wizards try to make use of Hrelar Amali's vicinity to the martial campaign?  What sorts of rituals and ceremonies might he try to enact there to curse and confound the Safelstrans?  And the converse: what might the Safelstrans and their allies do with the site, should they be able to seize it back even temporarily?

Edited by dumuzid
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I think that even since its destruction, it's been used as a tapping point for magical energies by whomever controls that area (Autarchy, God Learners) etc. Any worship of the Gods honored at Hrelar Amali can be syphoned here.  There are successive ruined towers  dotted throughout the ruins named after the Wizard or King that ordered them built (ie Paslac's Tower, Jorst's Tower) .  The current is the Tower of Ulianus which is inhabited by a conclave of Wizards who maintain the energy flow to the Nlue Temple at Leplain.  

Enemies have attacked Hrelar Amali repeatedly over the years to disrupt the outflow of magic.  They include the Safelstrans, Guhan, Arolanit, Nida and the Elves.  Hardly a day goes by without a magical attack of some sort of the other while spectacular attacks occur seasonally.  The Wizards have had long experiences with these disturbances and complete cessation of the magic supply is a rare occurrence.

Hreolar Amali is also used as a starting place for various heroquests.  These are hardly a threat to Rokari control over the ruins and are prohibited mainly becvause it's too much work to avoid interference with the supply of magic.  From time to time, the Kings of Seshnela have visited Hrelar Amali to honor their ancestors and the Wizards take great care to see these events are quickly done with minimal fuss and don't happen very often (with such tactics like fake omens "the time is not yet right" etc)

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