How Utopian is Loskalm Really?

[Patrick]

Of course, these are just ideas if you need villains for the righteous to overcome.

Should you want more tragedy, I'd look into the seeds of a future failure of Idealism.

For instance, I doubt the sons of Talar/nobles remain Dronar/peasants for long. At first, it may be smooth - just grant them a quick promotion, it's only natural that the son of such a great man will soon prove his worth. And it wouldn't be wise to expose him unnecessarily to the dangerous charms of ambitious farm girls... ;-)

Time passing, it may be semi-institutional: the examiners know they are expected to agree on this young lad to pass. In fact, being an examiner is a proof of the Lords' trust, a sign that they, in turn, will soon be positively examined...

More time passing, the corruption among examiners calls for strong measures: let's make sure they all come from fine and proven families, who won't be tempted by greed, because they only look forward to greater rewards from the Perfect State.

Later still, nobody will be surprised that examiners and rulers form a single close-knit group, where the passing of grades becomes a ceremonial ordination of the young into adult stages. "Bon sang ne saurait mentir!"

 

At that point, any of the aforementioned villains will no doubt target these promising youngsters as potential recruits, or foolish victims. Isn't that the safest way to work around tests, thorough examinations, and inquisitive spells?

(Mordred was the son of a gifted enchantress, and a blameless noble...)

 

By the time the Red Emperor washes his blade in the Ozur Bay, who knows what kingdom will face him...

Did your PCs repell the threats one after the other? Did the King tighten the rope on his fellow aristocrats, and all their beloved children? Did constant battle againt the Kingdom of War provoke Loskalm's fall - or its transformation into a ruthless meritocracy where only the strong survive?

YGWV - this is the Hero War.

Edited November 16, 2016 by Patrick

[MOB]

On 11/2/2016 at 9:47 AM, Evilroddy said:

And with the Ban preventing them from exiling the unassimilatable.

You can still be "exiled"/forcibly disappeared under the Ban, you just don't come back.

And that could be an evil secret at the heart of the so-called perfect Loskalmi society under the Ban...

On 11/5/2016 at 0:07 PM, Evilroddy said:

The Kingdom of War was most likely a feature, not a bug, of the Syndic's Ban.

The Loskalmi senior leadership is gravely perturbed by confidential intelligence reports from the front lines against the Kingdom of War—some fighters seen in the opposite ranks appear to be from among those who were secretly cast into the grey fog during the Ban. Some of these should be long dead, or elderly by now. Knights have been dispatched to try take some of these returned exiles as prisoners (or at least bring back heads), so they can be properly identified, either by relatives or magical means. 

Edited November 16, 2016 by MOB

[Evilroddy]

 

3 hours ago, MOB said:

You can still be "exiled"/forcibly disappeared under the Ban, you just don't come back.

And that could be an evil secret at the heart of the so-called perfect Loskalmi society under the Ban...

The Loskalmi senior leadership is gravely perturbed by confidential intelligence reports from the front lines against the Kingdom of War—some fighters seen in the opposite ranks appear to from among those who were secretly cast into the grey fog during the Ban. Some of these should be long dead, or elderly by now. Knights have been dispatched to try take some of these returned exiles as prisoners (or at least bring back heads), so they can be properly identified, either by relatives or magical means. 

 

Loskalmi head-hunting Knights? Yikes, that's an image I had never envisioned before! Does Loskalm have sorcery/necromancy that can compel the dead to speak? 

If the Syndics Ban is powerful enough to temporally displace some of the exiled of Loskalm forward in time, could it also be powerful enough to rarely (maybe just once?) break the Covenant of Time and throw an exile backwards in time? Say, a maverick and powerful knight of mixed human and aldryami lineage whose accidental illumination created an all-consuming hatred for Nysalor, which unbalanced him and made him so driven and thus dangerous to Loskalmi order and good governance to have caused his exile? Perhaps he did return only to be cast back to his origins! Prophesy fulfilled and thwarted simultaneously. Hmmm, I'm feeling like I'm channeling a Mel Gibson role somehow.

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.

Edited November 16, 2016 by Evilroddy

[Evilroddy]

9 hours ago, MJ Sadique said:

What still interest me is what will happen to all sociopaths in place of power and influence after the end of the Utopia Era of Loskalm ? When the Grandiose Magic of Harmony, which act like a straitjacket to these people simply vanish at the end of the ban.... Will they side with the numerous-young or with the few-elite ? Will their greed protect Loskalm from the outside or try to sell it to the best ones ? As a French, I think a "femme fatale" or a "éminence grise" will try to use the war to seize the more power they can but they will still protect simple-minded-idealist Loskalm ! (In the Kingdom of blinds, One-eyes are kings)

Well said, an intriguing future lies ahead for our PC's/hapless would-be heroes as the maelstrom churns faster and faster in the sea of humanity ( and others)!

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.

 

[Jeff]

It is best to think of the human societies under the Ban as somewhere between the God Time and Time. Human societies were separated from each other based on some eldritch criteria. Time progressed but also Golden Age patters were reimposed, sometimes beneficially (for Loskalm) and sometimes detrimentally (such as for several Janube city-states). For some human communities (such as Loskalm), harmony and community became easier to achieve, a dream-like ease where there was perfect correspondence of signifier and signified. For other communities, it was a nightmare, where the most basic of tasks were a struggle, like walking through molasses.   

Edited November 16, 2016 by Jeff

[MOB]

32 minutes ago, Evilroddy said:

If the Syndics Ban is powerful enough to temporally displace some of the exiled of Loskalm forward in time,

I guess I am suggesting that (if true - Knights have been despatched to find out) some exiles wandered in the fog, and Time passed differently for them, and they emerged at the advent of the Kingdom of War, seeking vengeance on those who drove them away.

As it says in the Guide (p.145):

"The barriers which formed between lands were usually visible as a pale grey haze which thickened to a dense fog. Sometimes people went in and never came out. One bold Loskalmi expedition marched east through the haze upon a bleak plain for five weeks. They bore food for two and a half weeks, marking the time with a special device. Exhausted and starving survivors turned about to struggle home and found themselves at their starting point in hours."

[Darius West]

16 hours ago, Patrick said:

Perfect Loskalm has destroyed, banned or bound all local spirits. All they could find, for sure.

What kind of spirits could escape the spells of the Church, lurking in unexpected places? I don't know.

C'mon, that's easy... the tough ones, the stealthy ones, the cunning ones.  Those with good hiding places.  Those who had friends hidden in high places.  Those small enough to be overlooked, oh, and those introduced covertly later.

I read that Lord Death on a Horse is a head hunter.  (Spit) Thanatari or just a hateful version of a Humakti ?  Perhaps he will build a citadel covered with the ivory from the teeth of his enemies?  It is so deliciously decadent and wasteful of sentient life.  Pyramids of Skulls are so passe.

[JonL]

Reading the "Western Culture" section of the Guide, I was struck by the fact that while most Westerners have skin tones that correspond to the castes..

Quote

Westerner skin tones ranges from dark, muddy brown to light, pale green, red, or blue. Brown hues are the most common, although dark skin is prevalent in the southeastern provinces of Seshnela. Hair color is typically bluish-black, yellow, red, or greenish in hue.

 ...when it comes to the Loksamli, it says "They tend to be pale of skin and fair of hair." Is that perhaps a physical expression of their transcendence? I wonder if a Rokarist were to embrace Hrestolism, would the convert's hereditary caste-tone fade as well?

Interestingly, Meriatan's skin is described as "pale-reddish." Is his skin trending red (that is to say, Horali-colored) as he dedicates himself so completely to warfare?

[M Helsdon]

2 hours ago, JonL said:

Reading the "Western Culture" section of the Guide, I was struck by the fact that while most Westerners have skin tones that correspond to the castes..

The Vadeli certainly do, though they are the antithesis of Western culture. Brown Vadeli are the commoners; Red Vadeli are soldiers; Blue Vadeli (hopefully extinct) were sorcerers; Yellow Vadeli (extinct) seem to have been the rulers.

The immortal Brithini have much the same coloration. Other Westerners seem to have lost to a greater or lesser degree their caste coloration; the Brithini would probably say this denotes their spiritual corruption as most are mortal, and only a few have longer lifespans than the humans descended from the animal peoples...

[MJ Sadique]

 

On 29/11/2016 at 10:30 PM, M Helsdon said:

The Vadeli certainly do, though they are the antithesis of Western culture. Brown Vadeli are the commoners; Red Vadeli are soldiers; Blue Vadeli (hopefully extinct, nope, just more well hidden) were sorcerers; Yellow Vadeli (extinct) seem to have been the rulers.

Like my quote mod say : Blue Vadeli are not hopefully extinct, but  just more well hidden because they are from the same castes as Zzabur and this old' fellow won't let any corrupted sorcerers walk freely in Glorantha. They are as feared as Jrusteli and surely as hated and hunted by all Inquisitions. Brown vadeli absolutely can't make war or use great magic which made them "not so dangerous to acceptable" neighbours. But any sane rulers will want all Vadeli killed if a red or blue is seen; they may have some mostali skills and secrets but they became too dangerous when Red or Blue castes members are around.
A Blue Vadeli may stay hidden in any Kingdom who want a powerfull sorcerer as a hidden Joker without being directly linked to chaotics cults. Somewhere in ralios Ralios of as main plotter of a salfestran Intrigue, even trying to hide as an Arkat cabale leader...

On 29/11/2016 at 10:30 PM, M Helsdon said:

The immortal Brithini have much the same coloration. Other Westerners seem to have lost to a greater or lesser degree their caste coloration; the Brithini would probably say this denotes their spiritual corruption as most are mortal, and only a few have longer lifespans than the humans descended from the animal peoples...

I always belive Colouration are just some traditional codes for stating out your role in Malkioni society. All Wareran have fair to olive skins and if I recall well, the Vadeli may have get their skin-colored after the Zzabur Blast or Enclosure to (perhaps) hide themselves from Zzabur Magic (Immortal seems to keep long grudge XD).

-Waertagi are blue skins because they are sirens' offspring (blue - water) and some are green toned skins because of their take after their fathers (earthly being).
-Arkat was a Brithini warrior didn't have red skin but worst than that he was "a red hair" guy (Lot of people may have try killing this rookie just for this... but they all failed XD).
-Aronalit (Seshnela immortal brithini) aren't colored, they look like normal wareran.

Jrusteli have wide spread the color-code naming of their ancestor to almost all their discoveries. Remembers that Aldryami are called Brown or green elves in occidentals languages but i'ts not their true color nor true name but just a way of to describe them from a wareran perspective.

Malkioni with New Hrestolism mostly won't be strict about clothes color code in daily activities but they will still have to use their traditional colors in officials meetings with others conutries & in magic rituals. I personally think Gaiseron the Mystical sometimes wear a great pure white dress in is tower and he won't be against having a red silk scarf as gift because the Invisible God is not so strict; As Doctor Strange, he certainly have some Magical Blue Cape clearly stating he is on the mystic path.

[JonL]

1 hour ago, MJ Sadique said:

I always belive Colouration are just some traditional codes for stating out your role in Malkioni society. All Wareran have fair to olive skins and if I recall well, the Vadeli may have get their skin-colored after the Zzabur Blast or Enclosure to (perhaps) hide themselves from Zzabur Magic (Immortal seems to keep long grudge XD).

-Waertagi are blue skins because they are sirens' offspring (blue - water) and some are green toned skins because of their take after their fathers (earthly being).
-Arkat was a Brithini warrior didn't have red skin but worst than that he was "a red hair" guy (Lot of people may have try killing this rookie just for this... but they all failed XD).
-Aronalit (Seshnela immortal brithini) aren't colored, they look like normal wareran.

The Western Culture section of the Guide I quoted above seems to contradict this. I do wonder about Arkat though. If my theory about the Loksalmi above is correct, he may have arrived from Brithos with red skin, and had it fade when he embraced Hrestolism. 

[Jeff]

Arkat is alwyas depicted by the Westerners as having red skin and red hair. The Orlanthi depict him as having black skin and red hair and a third eye.

[Patrick]

14 minutes ago, Jeff said:

Arkat is alwyas depicted by the Westerners as having red skin and red hair. The Orlanthi depict him as having black skin and red hair and a third eye.

Interesting...

Does my memory fail me, or was Arkat mistakenly assigned to the Warrior caste (Horali), whereas, based on natural birth order, he should have been a Wizard (Zzaburi)?

If birth rank determines caste, and color skin is based on caste, do Brithini babies get the "right skin" not upon birth, but frex after a peoper ceremony/ritual officially grants them the appropriate caste?

And Brithini brothers may look oddly familiar, but in different shades...

[MJ Sadique]

Personally, I don't eve recall any skin colouration for Malkioni apart from Waertagi but as half-merfolks, they could easily inherit the water rune influence of their ancestor and the blue skin along. The reason for waertagi are sirens and Water Rune...

I don't have read (yet) Reveleated Mythologies, Middle Sea Empire and all HeroQuest books and can't tell I know eveything about Malkioni but apart from a spell, I don't see any reasons that Malkioni should have different colors skins. Some could say it's a Rune influence but anyone who get a strong rune affinity should change color... Any Wind RuneLord should have a whiter skin, Ernalda priestess should turn green and Moonies like Jar-eel should be a white skin or black depending on the moon changes. I still can't fully accept it !

The Malkioni have the three painting primarly color (Red, Yellow, Blue) for the main castes and brown (a mix of all color) for the commoners. If I follow this, commoners is not a caste but just a trash bin for the three main genocratic castes. Which could explicit why Loskalmi state that commoners could become more... Let's just say Red is Strength Rune, Yellow 's Mastery and Blue is Magic Rune. Malkion should be Full-Black, full White or even a Rainbow skinned man ... and New Hrestoli's men-of-all returned to Danmalastan within Time should change colors during their evolution from commoners to Noble (A true epidermic problem XD).

 

24 minutes ago, Patrick said:

Does my memory fail me, or was Arkat mistakenly assigned to the Warrior caste (Horali), whereas, based on natural birth order, he should have been a Wizard (Zzaburi)?

If birth rank determines caste, and color skin is based on caste, do Brithini babies get the "right skin" not upon birth, but fixed after a proper ceremony/ritual officially grants them the appropriate caste?

So the First Age get a god killer because some noobs put Arkat in the wrong color caldron ? I truly love to know How Obelix Arkat Fell into the Magic Potion When he was a Little Boy ?  Thank you a lot Patrick...my 10 min laugh of the day is checked ! XD

return to main culprits of all this mess : Vadeli are chaotics scums but still stick to their castes to keep their immortality... or maybe they are just colouring themselves and use tapping to maintain their immortal body (one of the reason their destroy the Tadeni tribes). Who say, they are still immortal ? Themselves !? not the most trustful folks. Moreover, any blue vadeli will better know a "change color" spell because not being a waertagi and still having a blue skin in middle of any country will make you a perfect target : If you're a brithini out of brithos, what are you doing here ! If you're not a brithini... then you're a already-marked-for-death scum vadeli.

I Hope the change colors is not some new add-on to give Glorantha a bit more exotic taste nor We will get an "It's one of the great mystery of Glorantha"... These answers will be the most boring and ridiculous....