A Question About Broo

[Kim]

In an old Glorantha game I was part of, we had an NPC healer/occasional PC sh*t-stirrer who was a Lunar Broo, a penitent, a devotee of Osentalka, a meek and life-loving little goatly thing that wept ginormous tears out its square-centered eyes when people hit each other, and fled and shuddered at any token of sexual feeling. We all still lived in dread of that moment when 'Maidenly' freaked out, let go of Her Grace, and systematically and brutally face-f***ed all our PCs into Chaos-motherhood.

[Evilroddy]

Perhaps we are putting the broo before the goat, so to speak. If there is a default morphology for a broo, what says it must be goat-like? If goats are plentiful in a region and are easy rape-prey for broos then a goat-like archetype might be established for that region. The goat-form results from the preponderance of reproductive outcomes with goats but is not a predetermined archetype. If however wild pigs dominate the region might we not expect to see a local archetype of horned-pig-form broo? Thus in the Prax might we expect to see lots of antelope-form and sable-form broo and fewer goat-form broo, except around the upper Zola Fel where goat, sheep and zebras might be more common. Of course laminated on top of this is the mutability caused by chaos, so distortions of archetypes should be common place one would think. Is there really a goat-form ur-morphology which tends toward goat-kin? The horns seem to be the only universal phenotype.

What are the limits to broo reproductive capacity? Can broo mate with anything capable of receiving the parasitic larvae? Could broo mate successfully with reptiles, large insects, dinosaurs, morokanth, fish, birds, mythical beasts, demons or plants? Is their ability to successfully implant larvae limited to mammals and proto-mammals? The possibilities from broo reproduction seem manifold and this may be their inherent strength. Perhaps we walk past broo trees and bushes and never know it!

Finally, how do broo larvae come about? Do all broo of all sexes reproduce their own larvae by asexual parthenogenesis and then implant them on their own? If so, why are there two sexes of broo? Or are the broo sexual creatures who mate within their own 'species', and then the females transfer the developing larvae to the males after fertilization and a short period of gestation, like many types of Earth's sea-horses do; these to be implanted in rape-prey victims later on by mobile and marauding males? This might give the female broo a more important role in broo reproduction than has previously been suspected and thus explains the need for females in the species. 

Cheers. 

Evilroddy.

[Joerg]

1 hour ago, Evilroddy said:

Perhaps we are putting the broo before the goat, so to speak. If there is a default morphology for a broo, what says it must be goat-like?

Their descent from Ragnaglar and Thed is what gives them the goat shape default. While the victimized parent will provide much of the body shape of an individual broo, its offspring doesn't necessarily share their victimized grandparent's traits.

The goat features are prominent e.g. when the parent is human or herd man.

1 hour ago, Evilroddy said:

What are the limits to broo reproductive capacity? Can broo mate with anything capable of receiving the parasitic larvae? Could broo mate successfully with reptiles, large insects, dinosaurs, morokanth, fish, birds, mythical beasts, demons or plants? Is their ability to successfully implant larvae limited to mammals and proto-mammals? The possibilities from broo reproduction seem manifold and this may be their inherent strength. Perhaps we walk past broo trees and bushes and never know it!

All reported broo, even the most extreme ones like the stove one and the allosaurus one, were bipedal and mobile. I know of no reports of broo having functional wings. The scorpion-armed broo fighting Harrek on the cover of Genertela Book may have gotten that appendage either from scorpionman parentage or from a Chaos feature.

1 hour ago, Evilroddy said:

Finally, how do broo larvae come about? 

Broo semen intrudes into the donor body, transforming part of the donor body into the larva. Alternatively, the "males" really perform parthenogenesis and just implant a previously formed larva. (In that case finding a rape victim would be a survival strategy, or the larva might consume the father.)

1 hour ago, Evilroddy said:

Do all broo of all sexes reproduce their own larvae by asexual parthenogenesis and then implant them on their own? If so, why are there two sexes of broo?

Broo females appear to be aberrations. Perhaps some weird form of punishment game towards Thed.

1 hour ago, Evilroddy said:

Or are the broo sexual creatures who mate within their own 'species', and then the females transfer the developing larvae to the males after fertilization and a short period of gestation, like many types of Earth's sea-horses do; these to be implanted in rape-prey victims later on by mobile and marauding males? This might give the female broo a more important role in broo reproduction than has previously been suspected and thus explains the need for females in the species.

The concept of the broo is that their normal breeding doesn't require females of their own species. They are the equivalent of Satyrs, Minotaurs and Unicorns.

 

[Evilroddy]

Jeorg:

Regarding the appearance of Ragnaglar and Thed: My research is in no way comprehensive or complete but I cannot recall a clear goat-related description of Ragnaglar or Thed. So how did goat form get into the equation?

From Glorantha.com

Neither of these two members of the Unholy Trio has a goat-like morphology it would seem so where does the 'goatness' come from? The only feature which remains a constant throughout the years of description has been the presence of horns (or the late development of horns) on Broo-kind.

Quote

[rag-NAG-lahr]

Chaos pantheon — the Mad God, leader of the Unholy Trio

Ragnaglar is sometimes called the kinsman of Storm Bull, driven to hatred and dishonorable acts by jealousy. His spouse wasThed, his mistress was Mallia. Together the three formed the Unholy Trio. As proof of Ragnaglar’s madness they brought chaos, the final catastrophe, into the world.

In recent times Ragnaglar survives as only a nursery tale, for he was slain by Storm Bull. Thed and Mallia survive, but since the demise of their horrid master their outrages have not risen to such a magnitude as to threaten the existence of the universe.

In many troll and barbarian ceremonies a surrogate Ragnaglar is created for ritual combat. Ragnaglar’s stand-in wears a mask with four different horns and two mouths, and the legs of many different animals are draped from his neck.

[THED]

Chaos pantheon — chaos source of the broos, goddess of rape, one of the Unholy Trio

Prior to the Lesser Darkness Thed was an important goddess. She was the wife of Ragnaglar and, with her husband and Mallia, schemed to introduce chaos into the world. By Ragnaglar, Thed had many children — the broos, scourges of the world.

The Praxians know Thed as a gigantic, slim figure with a long, tufted tail and two deformed clawed arms. Her head has four curved horns, ropy hair, and five antennae or tentacles arrayed about her mouth.

Cheers.

Evilroddy.

[Joerg]

59 minutes ago, Evilroddy said:

Regarding the appearance of Ragnaglar and Thed: My research is in no way comprehensive or complete but I cannot recall a clear goat-related description of Ragnaglar or Thed. So how did goat form get into the equation?

From way early in the sons of Umath. You get different herd beasts for the storm clans. Orlanth gets the ram, Urox the bull, Ragnaglar the billy goat. (Urox fathers the Minotaur, Ragnaglar fathers the Broo - there is no record of Orlanth fathering a race of all-male, ram-headed beast folk, but then he never managed to capture the Lady of the Wild.)
 If Humakt ever had a herd beast, he gave it up. It isn't made clear what kind of beast the southern storm lord brought with him into Pamaltela, all we know is that the herds couldn't last there. In western Peloria, Varnaval may have been the storm god of the Andam Horde. Whether Vadrus had goats isn't stated anywhere - worshippers of his sons and grandsons herd goats, Anaxial's Roster assigns huge woolly beasts to Vadrus and Valind.

And except in the Initiation of Orlanth, I know of no single myth that features both Vadrus and Ragnaglar. Vadrus, the rapist and brutal brother of Orlanth, is lost to Chaos, and while we don't know if he was insane, he sure got mad at the slightest irritation. We cannot know for sure whether these two deceased brothers of Orlanth are separate individuals.

What depictions we get of the Unholy Trio after their conspiracy are terribly warped, only held alive by the Chaos they embraced.

 

[David Scott]

The concept art of Thed for the gods war has his horned and sort of goat headed (I'll add the link later).

[soltakss]

6 hours ago, Joerg said:

All reported broo, even the most extreme ones like the stove one and the allosaurus one, were bipedal and mobile. I know of no reports of broo having functional wings. The scorpion-armed broo fighting Harrek on the cover of Genertela Book may have gotten that appendage either from scorpionman parentage or from a Chaos feature.

 

There are other ways of becoming a broo:

• A Broo undergoing Bagogi Rebirth will come out as a Scorpion-Broo.
• Curse of Thed could turn the recipient into a broo, perhaps retaining the original bodily form.

 

6 hours ago, Joerg said:

Broo semen intrudes into the donor body, transforming part of the donor body into the larva. Alternatively, the "males" really perform parthenogenesis and just implant a previously formed larva. (In that case finding a rape victim would be a survival strategy, or the larva might consume the father.)

When mating with a male, I can see larval implant being an answer, but it still has characteristics of the host, so there must be some form of hybridisation.

[Evilroddy]

Hmmm! Much to think about here! Thanks!

Cheers.

Evilroddy.

[TRose]

 Would a Broo that live in Valind waste be called a Cold Broo?

[TRose]

13 hours ago, Joerg said:

 

All reported broo, even the most extreme ones like the stove one and the allosaurus one, were bipedal and mobile. I know of no reports of broo having functional wings. The scorpion-armed broo fighting Harrek on the cover of Genertela Book may have gotten that appendage either from scorpionman parentage or from a Chaos feature.

 

 

 As far as flying Broo go, there are  the Broobats in Doraster which are Harpy Broo Hybrids. I really don't want to know how they breed.

B

[TRose]

On ‎6‎/‎29‎/‎2016 at 11:23 AM, GamingGlen said:

I've wondered about this particular female broo, found in GW's version of the RQ3 Monster book.  Since I have several male broo miniatures, I checked around and got the Warmachine Cryx character Pirate Queen Skarre (PIP 34068) to be their leader.  Now to get to putting it together (ugh) and painting it.

 

 

 

 Chaos feature must be increased charisma

[GamingGlen]

8 hours ago, TRose said:

 Chaos feature must be increased charisma

In fantasy art lingo, that means "increased chest proportions".

[Evilroddy]

GamingGlen:

Are you talking about big broobies? :-)

I'm so ashamed to have sunk to the level of bad puns so quickly. I blame TRose's "Cold Broo" pun for setting me off. Curse you, sir!

Cheers and apologies.

Evilroddy.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Evilroddy

[Kim]

The creatures we're talking about here who enjoy Lunar comradeship are, I suppose, Brooskis?

I'm not disputing any mythological arguments about broo morphology, but it does seem to be that on a practical level, given 'chaos features' as a thing, a thing that looks like anything could actually be a broo. Regardless of their cosmological nature, and even if many or most have goatish qualities.

That fine kilt which your heroquesting stormlord is strapping on could indeed be a lucky broo. Lucky, lucky broo...

[soltakss]

On 6/26/2016 at 2:29 AM, TRose said:

 And we know Broo raise goats. So how come a Broo  shepherd does to rape and destroy his flock in a few weeks?

In pastoral communities, male goats and sheep are usually slaughtered for meat, leaving the females as breeding stock.

With broos, the same thing probably happens, where female goats are bred to produce more female goats and non-breeding male goats are corralled for broo mating. This has several advantages:

• The females are left alone to replenish the goats
• Males are set aside in a corral for the other broos to mate with as often as they want
• When the broos eat their way out of the males, they can easily be captured and become part of the clan, the dead goats then become food for the clan
• Goats can live almost anywhere, eat almost anything and need little in the way of tending, so are perfect for broo husbandry

[TRose]

On ‎7‎/‎5‎/‎2016 at 8:23 PM, Evilroddy said:

GamingGlen:

Are you talking about big broobies? :-)

I'm so ashamed to have sunk to the level of bad puns so quickly. I blame TRose's "Cold Broo" pun for setting me off. Curse you, sir!

Cheers and apologies.

Evilroddy.

 I accept your curses and will honor them

[TRose]

1 hour ago, soltakss said:

In pastoral communities, male goats and sheep are usually slaughtered for meat, leaving the females as breeding stock.

With broos, the same thing probably happens, where female goats are bred to produce more female goats and non-breeding male goats are corralled for broo mating. This has several advantages:

• The females are left alone to replenish the goats
• Males are set aside in a corral for the other broos to mate with as often as they want
• When the broos eat their way out of the males, they can easily be captured and become part of the clan, the dead goats then become food for the clan
• Goats can live almost anywhere, eat almost anything and need little in the way of tending, so are perfect for broo husbandry

 I have  always felt that Animals that the Broo get their hands on would be Butchered after Broo  birth. Don't think they wait for the Goat or other animal to finish dying before they start their feast though.

[dougiepunk]

I always thought that Orlanthi shunned goats because of their Broo connection. If true, this means that:

1) Broo are associated with the goat form, and

2) Since goats are not common in Orlanthi lands, but are associated with goats, that goatiness must be a common or inherent feature of Broos - even when goats do make up much of their breeding stock...

[David Scott]

2 hours ago, dougiepunk said:

but are associated with goats, that goatiness must be a common or inherent feature of Broos - even when goats do make up much of their breeding stock

I've often wondered about the origin of goats in Glorantha, considering we know the ancestry of most animals. From Anaxial's Rooster:

Quote

The longhaired gray goats of Maniria were at first storm animals that leapt between the high mountaintops and contested with each other among the clouds. They were the children of Ragnaglar, but that storm god consorted with the evil goddess Thed to create the race of broo. Abused by the broo, and brought low by the wickedness of their creator, the goats became mere mundane creatures, unclean and filthy.

 

Edited July 11, 2016 by David Scott

[Sayerson]

Right! Shaddap! Siddown! Lissen up you larvae pukes!

All Right, who threw that?!? I see’z yah maggot-brain! Get ‘im boys!”

“So, mister funny-horns thinks he’s above the law, huh? Let’s see what a week in the nursing pens does for yah!” 

Right!”

“Now, the rest of youse puss-bags payz attenshun! This here meat-puppet next to me ain’t to be touched or breeded with”

Cuz I sez so, that’s why! Yah wanna join mister funny-nuts in the pens? Do yah? Huh, do yah? Right, then! Now siddown and no funny bizness.”

Awright! Lissen up! I presents to youse, Boss Ralzakark!

“Thank you gentlemen for that heartfelt welcome.”

“It has long been on my mind, that for centuries our race has been misunderstood by the world at large. Specifically, the world has laboured under the false impression that Brookind, as a whole, are no better than animals with nonexistent armory skills, wielding fire-hardened sticks.”

“In order to set the record straight, I have compiled a treatise on our race that the Lhankor Mhy sage, to my left, has enthusiastically volunteered to scribe and carry back to his little temple near our border.”

“Apparently the standing knowledge, to date, of our race has been meager in its entirety. While the humancentric view of Brookind has served our race well, there comes a time when the ill-informed adventurer type become, not a useful blessing, but, instead, an unwanted irritant.”

“Yes, I am aware that our little home in Doraster is, thankfully, off the beaten path of these typical adventuring parties I speak of.”

“And yes, I’m sure you could ‘bugger’ a few more of them.”

“Yes. Until their eyes cross. Very droll.”

“Now then, it has…. Ah…Yes, yes! And their sisters too, I understood you the first time.”

“Oh, Lieutenant? Will you kindly see to that?”

Right, Boss! C’mere youse dumbass!

“Thank you. Now then, let us kindly ignore the screaming and… Ah good. It’s stopped.”

“Ahem. Unfortunately these ‘adventurers’ have been operating under a mistaken belief that has been perpetuated by certain limited texts. What has been known of our race, I will not repeat

Suffice it to say, the descriptive text is so laughably incorrect that it’s apparent that it was written, and compiled, by some neophyte sage that never had the opportunity, or willingness, to leave his library. In fact, many of the entries for other Nonhuman races bear these same negligent errors. Today’s reading of my work will now correct that.”

“Gentlemen, for your edification and review, I give to you the following…”

Add in your favorite information/definition on Broos here

 

Edited August 7, 2016 by Sayerson
formatting

[Tindalos]

Presumably somewhere in the Lunar Empire there lies the great Brootopia a city where broo of every animal type lives in peace and harmony with each other.

[TRose]

2 hours ago, Tindalos said:

Presumably somewhere in the Lunar Empire there lies the great Brootopia a city where broo of every animal type lives in peace and harmony with each other.

 If I remember correctly Brootopia some where in Valind Glacier.. At least according to Tales of the Reaching Moon.

[davecake]

In Heortlng myth, Eurmal is also associated with goats (which is why the scapegoat is a goat). Plus there is Uryarda, a perfectly non-chaotic reasonable goat goddess. And there is, of course, a whole Pelorian mythology about the goat people, also not associated with goats at all. 

So only some goats are associated with chaos. Possibly only goats are strongly associated with broo in Heortling lands, and even then not all goats. In The Wastes any herd beat, etc. In Pamaltelan plains probably associated with antelopes more than any other creature (though Pamaltela has goats). Etc. 

Eurmal associated Disorder goats seem a pretty likely thing, wandering around eating everything. 

[Noita]

How long does it take for a Broo larvae to come to term? Months, weeks?

[jajagappa]

52 minutes ago, Iskallor said:

How long does it take for a Broo larvae to come to term? Months, weeks?

It's chaos - so, whatever fits your story. ;-)