Guide to Glorantha Group Read Week 11 - Deep Discussion

[jajagappa]

As I noted in the G+ forum for reference:

To my knowledge, none of the Queen-Priestesses of Ezel are named. I do know that of the great Nochet Houses, House Oranaeo is the one most closely associated with Ezel. I also know that one of Great Queen Bruvala's daughters (currently unnamed) ended up as a Queen-Priestess there. And the Grandmothers' Council is based there.

Also to consider:  Samastina goes there after returning from her mission to Cragspider, and before staging her coup in Nochet (i.e. during the Great Winter).  She gains the Queen-Priestess as an ally.  The Queen-Priestess is still allied to Samastina as of 1625-6.  Likely the Queen-Priestess is a supporter of the Old Earth Alliance.

What we don't know is when the varied Queen-Priestesses have been succeeded by others. They are the highest representative of Ernalda in at least Esrolia.  Therefore, they are:  of an Enfranchised House (noble), magically powerful, of blessed descent (likely all in the last 100 years have some connection to Queen Bruvala), and are mothers.  They continue until they retire (when they are no longer fertile), or they are removed via assassination or magical disaster.  Figure 10-20 years is typical rule for a given Queen-Priestess.

[Joerg]

9 hours ago, jajagappa said:

What we don't know is when the varied Queen-Priestesses have been succeeded by others. They are the highest representative of Ernalda in at least Esrolia.  Therefore, they are:  of an Enfranchised House (noble), magically powerful, of blessed descent (likely all in the last 100 years have some connection to Queen Bruvala), and are mothers.  They continue until they retire (when they are no longer fertile), or they are removed via assassination or magical disaster.  Figure 10-20 years is typical rule for a given Queen-Priestess.

I wonder whether another way into retirement might be mystical union with Great Ernalda (or Imarja), leaving the concerns of this world behind.

The Ezel queen is not a political leader. Houses dealing with her will have learned this truth the hard way.

One former Queen of Nochet, Bruvalaina was disposed off at Ezel at age 37, which gives her quite a few remaining fertile years to populate Ezel with granddaughters of Bruvala, and out of control of House Norinel.

I wonder how much Bruvala spread her sons among Enfranchised Houses outside of Nochet (a single son could have left offspring in several temporary marriages all over the place), and how much such paternal lineage to her might be counted as blessed. She only had seven daughters, three of whom became queens of Nochet.

If you compare the list of Feathered Horse Queens, they all seem to be descended from Yoristina, daughter of the first FHQ and Sartar, by direct matrilineal descent. That's how a blessed lineage works in an Earth temple.

I wonder whether this model can be applied to Ezel, though, with about 100 enfranchised House Grandmothers (and many more non-enfranchised but deeply pious houses) eager to place some of their (grand-) daughters or nieces in the Ezel hierarchy to have an inside voice, and how much the priestesshood will fill positions with their own offspring from sacred procreation.

I also wonder how much non-Queen matrilineal granddaughters of Bruvala would be considered "blessed" compared to granddaughters and great-granddaughters from an unbroken line of Queens. Do the Esrolian Grandmothers put value in the concept of "purple-born" heiresses? And where does that leave any House Norinel daughters of Bruvalaina or possibly even Bruva while they were queens? Before they were queens?