Starting My First Game

[Alex]

3 minutes ago, Anlúan said:

Oh I do intend to get these if my group is coming down from Alda-Chur to Esrolia! But at the moment I am just trying to get my bearings on the basics those characters will know.

Have you seen the What My Father Says/HeroQuest Voices-style handouts?  The religious ones are being reworked into the CoRQ series, but there were quite a few others.  If you're feeling industrious, you could hand-craft one for Alda-Chur.  I think the style of them -- nano-detail for the no-good family next door, increasingly broad sweeps the further away you get -- are a very good model.  And a very manageable length for players, famously a cowardly and superstitious lot when asked to do too much homework! 😄

[Anlúan]

2 minutes ago, Alex said:

Have you seen the What My Father Says/HeroQuest Voices-style handouts?  The religious ones are being reworked into the CoRQ series, but there were quite a few others.  If you're feeling industrious, you could hand-craft one for Alda-Chur.  I think the style of them -- nano-detail for the no-good family next door, increasingly broad sweeps the further away you get -- are a very good model.  And a very manageable length for players, famously a cowardly and superstitious lot when asked to do too much homework! 😄

Those darn players, I'm doing so much homework! 😒

Seriously, though, where are these handouts?

[Joerg]

1 minute ago, Anlúan said:

Those darn players, I'm doing so much homework! 😒

Seriously, though, where are these handouts?

No idea where the "What my Father Told Me" is lingering.

My partner-in-crime at the God Learners podcast (yes, that still is a thing, and not eternally sleeping) @Lordabdul has been gaming in Alone for quite a while and might have ideas and stuff to share.

[Alex]

11 minutes ago, Anlúan said:

Those darn players, I'm doing so much homework! 😒

Seriously, though, where are these handouts?

Download link from WoD still seems to be working.  https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/catalogue/publishers/issaries/fiction-reference/what-the-priests-say-and-what-my-father-told-me/

[jajagappa]

48 minutes ago, Anlúan said:

Oh I do intend to get these if my group is coming down from Alda-Chur to Esrolia! But at the moment I am just trying to get my bearings on the basics those characters will know.

Generally I'd keep it fairly minimal unless the PC's have actually been there.

The following are provided in my Nochet: Adventurer's Guide as in-world statements from a caravan master who's been there (and perhaps getting ready to return there).

What the Caravan Master Says General Information on Nochet:

Nochet: “Biggest city in the world. You ever see Boldhome or Furthest? Well, Nochet’s bigger than either, bigger than both put together, and still bigger than that! So don’t be surprised when you get there, and don’t stand around gawking like some Bison Rider new to a town.”

Queens and Nobles: “All Esrolia is ruled by Queens, each and every city, and Nochet is no exception. Same goes for the so-called Enfranchised Houses – what they call noble clans and families there – all ruled by Blessed Mothers and their Grandmothers. Best not to cross them. If they want something done, best do it, and hope you get a decent reward for doing so.”

The Holy Country & the God-king: “A Holy Country indeed! Yes, when Belintar the God-king lived there was always magic and wonder in the land. And the City of Wonders! Why I went there once – a marvel it was with its Rainbow Bridges, and you might meet a goddess walking the streets! But the God-king is gone and the wonders now fade from our world."

[g33k]

50 minutes ago, Alex said:

Download link from WoD still seems to be working.  https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/catalogue/publishers/issaries/fiction-reference/what-the-priests-say-and-what-my-father-told-me/

I think that reference-page doesn't have all the relevant downloads.  Specifically, they have the 1998 collected-essays:
https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/What-the-Priest-says-Chaosium.com-1998.zip

But (so far as I could find) not the 2003 "HeroQuest Voices" (ISS3001) doc -- only listing the TOC for it...?

Edited November 14, 2024 by g33k

[Alex]

2 hours ago, g33k said:

I think that reference-page doesn't have all the relevant downloads.  Specifically, they have the 1998 collected-essays:
https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/What-the-Priest-says-Chaosium.com-1998.zip

But (so far as I could find) not the 2003 "HeroQuest Voices" (ISS3001) doc -- only listing the TOC for it...?

Seems that way.  TBH you may or may not be able to find them wild on the internet, but if Chaosium have deliberately unpublished them, whether for post-canonicity or trademarkig reasons, I'd hesitate to link to some dodgy repository.

But in any case it does have versions of the ones closest to the OP's apparent use-case, so hopefully at least somewhat handy as models.

Edited November 14, 2024 by Alex

[g33k]

1 hour ago, Alex said:

... but if Chaosium have deliberately unpublished them, whether for post-canonicity or trademarkigg reasons...

Trademark, I think.

They sold the HQ(tm), and the HQV doc ISS3001 is (I think) absolutely stonkers with the HQ mark.

 

1 hour ago, Alex said:

... I'd hesitate to link to some dodgy repository.

Dodgy repositories are a great way to inadvertently pick up malware, even if you have no ethical concerns.

[soltakss]

On 11/14/2024 at 9:14 AM, Alex said:

Gasp, the LBGT+ Agenda!  😄  I'd say the normcore version of this idea is to add various Lunar cults as Husband-Protectors. 

Or just have the Red Emperor become Ernalda's Husband Protector, as he is just the masculine version of the Red Goddess. I'd have the Red Goddess and Ernalda marry anyway, as in my Glorantha that's what the Red Earth faction was doing.

[Alex]

2 minutes ago, soltakss said:

Or just have the Red Emperor become Ernalda's Husband Protector, as he is just the masculine version of the Red Goddess.

Well sure, that'd fall under both categories really.  Can stick a shrine to the RE anyplace you fancy as a Lunar entryist, and if he turns up in person it could equally well be as a proxy/avatar of Yelm, an established protractor.

 

[soltakss]

On 11/14/2024 at 2:11 PM, mfbrandi said:

Do the Esrolians consider the “husband-protectors”° to be in charge, or are they serious about matriarchy — and as below, so above?

I play in CJ's glorious Esrolian game at Continuum, and he is definitely of the opinion that Esrolian women treat men as "useful at times", which works really well. In Esrolia, the husband protectors are not in charge at all. They may have varying levels of influence but that's about it. Of course, Orlanth is the biggest of the husband protectors and Orlanthi might think that the are in charge. Similarly, Yelm worshippers might think that they are in charge. They would both be wrong.

I read an article by a journalist who said that he and his wife have an understanding in that he is in charge of important things, such as world peace and finding the cure for cancer, but his wife is in charge of unimportant things, such as running the household and keeping the family going. It is a refreshing attitude that would suit worshippers of Yelm and Orlanth.

[Alex]

3 minutes ago, soltakss said:

I play in CJ's glorious Esrolian game at Continuum, and he is definitely of the opinion that Esrolian women treat men as "useful at times", which works really well. In Esrolia, the husband protectors are not in charge at all. They may have varying levels of influence but that's about it. Of course, Orlanth is the biggest of the husband protectors and Orlanthi might think that the are in charge. Similarly, Yelm worshippers might think that they are in charge. They would both be wrong.

I think the clue's in the grammatical number.  Are the protractors in charge?  Sure, anytime they all agree on something  i.e. never.  And if you have a swiss-army-knife collection of them, then if each of them is 'useful at times', then a certain amount of equal-wear both increases their total utility, and keeps them from getting too many Notions about themselves.

3 minutes ago, soltakss said:

I read an article by a journalist who said that he and his wife have an understanding in that he is in charge of important things, such as world peace and finding the cure for cancer, but his wife is in charge of unimportant things, such as running the household and keeping the family going. It is a refreshing attitude that would suit worshippers of Yelm and Orlanth.

That's either a very old article, or a very second-generation line!  But yes, quite.  Yelm's the emperor of the universe.  Orlanth's the king of the gods.  You however, are doing what gramma tells ya.