Valind myths/heroquests

[Harrek]

Has anybody written Valind myths or heroquests? I'd appreciate any ideas...

Edited March 11, 2017 by Harrek

[Joerg]

There are a number of short references to mythical activities of Valind.

As one of the most important sons of Vadrus, Valind was involved in many Vadrudi activities - stories of plunder and bloodshed, "forced consent" sexual relations just short of triggering the Thed myth and its consequences, conflicts with the other Storm Tribe groups (e.g. Storm Bull's descendants, and of course Orlanth's over-civilized followers) and everyone else near Valind's range of activity. (When following Vadrus, all of surface Glorantha can be used.)

A key myth is Valind's alliance with Himile - I don't know about any detailed write-up of that beyond what is mentioned in Troll Gods in the Himile entry.

The series "Gods and Goddesses of Glorantha" in Wyrm's Footnotes, reprinted in Wyrm's Footnotes, mentions that Valind was especially devastating to the waters of the north. Unlike Vadrus, Gagarth or Molanni there is no separate description of Valind's activities though. His son Thryk the Ice Giant gets almost as much spotlight. (Speaking of sons, Ygg Seastorm has also seen almost as much spotlight as his sire.)

Valind is the primary storm foe of Brithos in the Darkness, with his (almost) unstoppable glacier slowly eating up the northern portions of Brithos. Quite possibly being used as a basis for viking style raids of his stormy minions (the ice giants) into Zzabur's land, creating lesser conflict beneath the interest threshold of the sorcerer supreme, but with enough opportunity for conflicts that may be made into quests. There is no account of this from the Valind perspective, but the Brithini perspective is in Revealed Mythologies.

The glacial conquest hits Dara Happa, too. The emperor Manarlarvus hides himself and his most valued followers under a dome, which probably was attacked by Valind or his minions in other ways than just the glacier trying to crush it, but the Dara Happans have enslaved the Iron Ram (a form of Orlanth) to protect the northern end against the pressure of the glacier. In the end, the iron ram gets overcome or freed, and the dome gets crushed. The Dara Happan side of the story is told in Glorious ReAscent of Yelm.

If you like them, you could pursue the myths mentioning Valind in Anaxial's Roster. While considered post-canonical, there are still useful ideas there to be exploited. Check the Woolly Rhino and the Hrimthurs write-ups.

There are a couple of mentions of the interactions between Orlanth and Valind, spread over Heortling Mythology. Few of these appear to give good food for quests from the Valind side of things, though. There is a myth about Vinga defending against Valind. The four paragraphs about Valind on p.161f are rather free of specific myths. There is a single sentence about his defeat against Chaos and how Valind escaped destruction in the shape of a stone snowflake.

The core Heortling myth about Valind appears to be his submission to the superior force of Orlanth, leading to a mass defection of Vadrus' followers, in "How to Solve Kinstrife". It tells how Orlanth declares Valind the heir of Vadrus, and how the other sons of Vadrus disagree with that ruling, proceeding to attack Valind. I suppose there is material for a myth in here telling Valind's pact with Orlanth and how Orlanth failed to support him after they succeeded in subduing his abusive and too mindless father. Details should vary from the Heortling version, possibly to the point where Orlanth seeks Valind's help for subduing Vadrus, promising much more than he finally kept. Heortling Mythology p.86-87

While the Hero Wars publication Storm Tribe has dedicated two pages to the Cult of Valind, all the info about Valind myths there is also found in Heortling Mythology.

The HQ1 era scenario booklet "Orlanth is Dead" mentions how worshippers of Valind come to prominence in the Fimbulwinter since their winds still work. There might be something there to expand into heroquests.

Edited March 11, 2017 by Joerg
added source: Storm Tribe - mainly duplicating Heortling Mythology info

[Harrek]

Thanks for the extensive answer. I think I have all the references you mentioned and stilI, after many years, I don't remember reading half of what's in your post Sometimes it's really hard to have a comprehensive picture, because there's a lot of little snippets of information about Glorantha (especially before GtG) scattered to dozens of books/fanzines. The story about Valind's efforts against Dara Happa might come very handy: the PC is trying to bring real winter in Prax and obviously, Sun County will be maybe the fiercest fighter against it. I appreciate all the information, thanks!

[jajagappa]

If you think about Valind and the Glacier, there have to be a number of core stories:

• Valind is sometimes dismissed as a minor or weaker son of Vadrus.  Yet he is the primary surviving power of that lineage who buried DH and threatened Brithos.  What allows him to become such a power?  Is he the outcast from the Vadrudi who retreats/withdraws in cold, brooding anger, slowly working his revenge upon his kin?
• The Glacier starts in the far northwest and expands from there.  That's clearly the center of his power and likely where the story begins.  What or who does Valind find there?  Does he take a haughty Earth Queen, angry at being cast out to the far corner of the world, for a bride? 
• The Glacier is Cold and it also represents the freezing of Water.  Perhaps the Earth Queen asks Valind to defeat the power of the sea when it tries to invade the earth?  And he befriends Himile to gain Cold to do so? 
• Valind defeats those who come against him with water, wind, or rain.  He imprisons these foes repeatedly and then advances at the front of the Glacier and even buries DH (though he does not dim the Cold Sun).  He is one of the great victors of the Storm Age, though does not defeat Orlanth or the Vingkotlings.  What drives Valind?  Revenge? Conquest? Power? These would figure in his myths from this period.  Likely any myth associated with Thryk or Ygg could also be considered a Valind myth.
• But, the Glacier is broken several times in the Great Darkness most notably by Chaos (when it slithers onto the ice in DH) and then by Zzabur.  Also it is said in GRoY that Shargash/Jagrekriand breaks the world, so he may also break part of the Glacier.  It may be in this period when Kalikos is active - perhaps the red rock of Kalikos is a piece of the Red Planet?

Hopefully those thoughts are useful.

[jajagappa]

A few additional bits:

• GtG p683:  Umath crashed upon the White Camp of Wisdom.  We know "The White Camp was destroyed when Umath was killed and crashed into the earth, forming a great crater. Umath’s sons came to this place to retrieve his powers and weapons." - quite likely there is a story of Valind gaining something there - maybe the Cold Eye of the White God?
• GtG p684: the map shows "Vadrus' Frozen Land" in the far northwest.  "The Storm God Vadrus and his sons rule this frozen place from where they raid weaker lands." This looks to be Valind's original home.  It is surrounded by water, so clearly Hudaro and the other seas invade the land  around it.  But the Vadrudi seem to have protected it.  After Vadrus dies, Valind rules here.  What's the relationship between Vadrus and Valind?  Is there a classic Son destroys Father myth here?
• By the Middle Storm Age, GtG p688: Valind's Glacier has spread across the north.  "This huge and growing ice sheet is home to the wildest Storm Gods, ruled by Valind. Ice demons and snow trolls live here."  Valind has likely conquered, perhaps enslaved, Hudaro to advance the glacier.  He's allied the trolls by this point.  Also notes that the White Sea "north of Genertela is slowly conquered by the ever-growing Glacier."  
• GtG p690: "This [Late Storm] Age begins with the invasion of Valind. His Glacier grows to cover much of the world in ice."  His myths in this time are of conquest over the lands.  The map on p691 shows the advance into Danmalastan, Brithos, up to the Rockwoods, and into Pent.  The dwarf stronghold of Nida is one place that resists successfully.  
• GtG p693: "Top of the World Mountain: Valind sought to supplant Orlanth as king of the gods, but was defeated by the Thunderer who did not even bother to leave his throne to drive the Winter King back."  This is clearly the battle to see who will lead the gods.  Perhaps Valind has the opportunity to become King of the North (succeeding Genert) if he wins.  But he does not.  Does he fail to gain some necessary item?  Was he tricked by the dwarfs?  Did he advance against Orlanth too soon?   

[Pentallion]

4 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

• GtG p693: "Top of the World Mountain: Valind sought to supplant Orlanth as king of the gods, but was defeated by the Thunderer who did not even bother to leave his throne to drive the Winter King back."  This is clearly the battle to see who will lead the gods.  Perhaps Valind has the opportunity to become King of the North (succeeding Genert) if he wins.  But he does not.  Does he fail to gain some necessary item?  Was he tricked by the dwarfs?  Did he advance against Orlanth too soon?   

He got cold feet.