Aldryami vs uz

[Richard S.]

17 minutes ago, jeffjerwin said:

On a more serious note, do Aldryami have the problems with sexual/patriarchal violence that define her mission among humans? It seems like she would operate entirely differently. Moral "Wrongness" from an Earth perspective within the forest ecosystem would - I think - be more likely to be disease, chaos, invasive species (including humans and trolls), or other disruptions. Hunting down dryad molesters alone seems awfully limited.

Babeester Gor in Aldryami society is more along the lines of a Gardener than a goddess of vengeance. She protects the forest from invasive species (a la trolls, bugs, and unwanted plants) and trims the overgrown parts to make room for new life.

[g33k]

56 minutes ago, jeffjerwin said:

On a more serious note, do Aldryami have the problems with sexual/patriarchal violence that define her mission among humans? It seems like she would operate entirely differently. Moral "Wrongness" from an Earth perspective within the forest ecosystem would - I think - be more likely to be disease, chaos, invasive species (including humans and trolls), or other disruptions. Hunting down dryad molesters alone seems awfully limited.

I guess it may depend on whether Your Glorantha has a vegetation / animal us-vs-them approach, and whether the varied Aldryami types have a inter-vegetative "Nature Green of Leaf and Tendril" violent competition.

I note that Babeester Gor is about male-vs-female violence & males using their superior strength to enable that violence.  Under Aldrya's aegis, then, B.G. would presumably re-balance the abuse of "superior" height, the shading-out of one plant by another, choking vines, strangling roots, and similar plant-v-plant competition.

As others have said, rather a "gardener" (with an emphasis on pruning/correcting, rather than on fertilizing/growing).  Note that I'm working really hard here not to call her "Aldrya's Topiarist..."   (ok, not that hard).

[DSC1978]

Honesty... that’s what is killing RQ/Glorantha. Carry on on who’s got the biggest one and obscure references. The rest ofthe Gamers will go for what RPG was supposed to be... a good time with mates and a dream. 

[styopa]

2 hours ago, DSC1978 said:

Honesty... that’s what is killing RQ/Glorantha. Carry on on who’s got the biggest one and obscure references. The rest ofthe Gamers will go for what RPG was supposed to be... a good time with mates and a dream. 

Meh.  I used to think that too - hell, that was the entire point of the Glorantha Digest - ceaseless OCD navel-contemplation, with duelling obscure referents.  There's still a fair amount of that.

But it's what you make of it.  The RQG free rpg day adventure was a pretty good, straightforward one, so I'm encouraged that sort of direct, 'here to have fun' play will be strongly supported (or at least not body-blocked).  Sure some people might enjoy more of a mythopoeic Campbellian approach, I hope the game allows that too.

I'm more of a 'swing the sword, kill shit, take their stuff' sort of dm/player - and I still find plenty to enjoy in Glorantha, no matter how many canonic tropes I'm disregarding.  Heck, I generally use D&D adventures as source material (!shock!) and my players LOVE it.  The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan the God Learners was a terrific adventure all around.  

[Runeblogger]

39 minutes ago, styopa said:

I'm more of a 'swing the sword, kill shit, take their stuff' sort of dm/player - and I still find plenty to enjoy in Glorantha, no matter how many canonic tropes I'm disregarding.  Heck, I generally use D&D adventures as source material (!shock!) and my players LOVE it.  The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan the God Learners was a terrific adventure all around.  

OT, I know, but will you please share your conversion notes? 

[styopa]

21 hours ago, Runeblogger said:

OT, I know, but will you please share your conversion notes? 

No problem.  Actually on of my better-documented conversions....

Comments welcome by the way.

Edited January 18, 2018 by styopa

[g33k]

On 1/17/2018 at 11:16 AM, DSC1978 said:

Honesty... that’s what is killing RQ/Glorantha. Carry on on who’s got the biggest one and obscure references. The rest ofthe Gamers will go for what RPG was supposed to be... a good time with mates and a dream. 

Sure, it's still about a good time with mates & a dream.  No reason the "we just wanna roll some dice & kill some Chaos!" crew needs to delve into minutiae of the setting if they don't want to.  It's not like the One True Gloranthan Way Police are gonna raid their table with jackbooted force (*), hmm?

They don't need to come to BRP Central if they don't want to; they CERTAINLY don't need to hit a thread like this one!

OTOH, it's not like the folks who DO like their Glorantha applied with a PhD (Piled higher & Deeper) aren't in THEIR own way, also just having a good time with mates & dreams...

It's all good, even if every last morsel isn't to everyone's taste (personally, I *HATE* the taste of vegetarian Morokanth... ) .

Your Glorantha May Vary.  So may everyone else's.

 

* Of course, we don't know what new products and services Chaosium has in the pipeline, so never say never...  They are not the Orderium, after all!

Edited January 20, 2018 by g33k
Needed to not place needless limits on Chaosium; I just /needed/ to, OK?

[davecake]

All the deep, serious talk about Glorantha that draws on history, anthropology, religion, etc might not be what everyone wants to do or enjoy. Its perfectly fine to just treat Glorantha as a setting to run D&D style hack and slash if you want. 

But the deep, serious, stuff is what makes it such a rich setting so that when you do play in it, its much easier to have games (with your mates and a dream) that lead to really interesting, complex, situations for roleplaying, often without you even having to work to set it up. I love that in Glorantha my players can see the multiple possible approaches to a situation, and actually have to roleplay through working out which one their character thinks is right,  knowing that different PCs will have different answers to the same question. Its a more direct route to the juicy core of RPGs for my personal taste, and makes my creative work as a GM much more satisfying too. But tastes vary, and thats totally fine too. 

[DSC1978]

[reason: not bringing any value]

Edited January 20, 2018 by DSC1978

[soltakss]

On 1/15/2018 at 6:33 PM, Richard S. said:

I think having the man rune just means you're descended from grandfather mortal. 

That's exactly how I see it.

[olskool]

On 1/16/2018 at 1:34 AM, Jeff said:

Note, we don't use the Spirit Rune for corporeal beings. Even though shamans work with the Spirit Rune (ie spirits), they aren't really defined Rune except when the discorporate. I toyed around with including the Spirit Rune on the tree, but it simply didn't work very well in play (and it became clear that it would end up creating problems for future products that I'd like to avoid).

For Aldryami, Man is opposed with Plant instead of Beast. A herdman has 100% Beast, no Man (despite having a hominid form).

Now I gotta say, I wouldn't use the Rune tree and Elemental wheel to describe every NPC (or even most). I usually just write down the two or three most significant Runes. Just like I don't write down every skill a NPC might possess at a base or low rating.

It won't be the first time I've had to "fix" something that [Insert ANY game designer's name here] wrote.  I'm used to it now.  I mean, "vegetarian Morokanth??!!" Seriously?? 

[The God Learner]

Aldryami could also defend their lands with pollen -- vast clouds of choking, blinding, poisonous, burning, sticky pollen. The exact mix would be decided by the gardeners and their skills and powers. Many possibilities here if so desired.

Aldryami looking to extend their territories instead emit vast numbers of fast-growing seedlings that will stubbornly root themselves in the new settlement and generally speaking be a pain to get rid of. In essence superweeds, except they are under Aldryami guidance of course. Again, skills, spells and powers may provide surprising and dismaying effects. 

[davecake]

On 17/02/2018 at 7:38 AM, The God Learner said:

Aldryami could also defend their lands with pollen -- vast clouds of choking, blinding, poisonous, burning, sticky pollen. T

There are examples of pollen clouds in the Erinorru jungles in the Guide. It’s not  a particularly well controlled tactic it seems (notably elves have very little wind control magic compared to humans, and also pollen has its effects on elves too) but I think it’s a thing that happens, especially in the dense jungles of Pamaltela. 

 

On 17/02/2018 at 7:38 AM, The God Learner said:

Aldryami looking to extend their territories instead emit vast numbers of fast-growing seedlings that will stubbornly root themselves in the new settlement and generally speaking be a pain to get rid of. In essence superweeds, except they are under Aldryami guidance of course. Again, skills, spells and powers may provide surprising and dismaying effects. 

Of course this tactic will be very weak against other Aldryami. And of course it can be very effective against those unprepared for it, as in the Hero Wars reforestation project. 

I think most of those who regularly fight elves have tactics that very effectively counter these tactics. Trolls will have insects (or trollkin) that find the seedlings delicious. Mostali will salt the earth if needed, and have created creatures (eg bronze goats) to eat seedlings. Most humans have to rely on a combination of powerful fire magic and military warfare with the elves, and so have much less finesse and less lasting effect. 

[Godhi]

**sings the Tree Chopping Song**

[styopa]

On 2/16/2018 at 5:38 PM, The God Learner said:

Aldryami could also defend their lands with pollen -- vast clouds of choking, blinding, poisonous, burning, sticky pollen. The exact mix would be decided by the gardeners and their skills and powers. Many possibilities here if so desired.

Aldryami looking to extend their territories instead emit vast numbers of fast-growing seedlings that will stubbornly root themselves in the new settlement and generally speaking be a pain to get rid of. In essence superweeds, except they are under Aldryami guidance of course. Again, skills, spells and powers may provide surprising and dismaying effects. 

I personally believe that Aldryami aren't constrained to the vegetable realm when it comes to ... culling ... pestilential or inconvenient animal species.  They have a special connection to the realm of Life and can employ tools that might be extremely dangerous for life forms other than them with little or no fear personally: let's remember that cancer is simply life flourishing aggressively.

(IMG Aldryami are immune to most of the normal sorts of diseases that plague other species in the sames sense that humans have utterly nothing to fear from Dutch Elm Disease or Leaf Rot.)

[g33k]

12 hours ago, davecake said:

I think most of those who regularly fight elves have tactics that very effectively counter these tactics. Trolls will have insects (or trollkin) that find the seedlings delicious. Mostali will salt the earth if needed, and have created creatures (eg bronze goats) to eat seedlings. Most humans have to rely on a combination of powerful fire magic and military warfare with the elves, and so have much less finesse and less lasting effect. 

There will be plants that encompass Fire; that in fact use Fire fir reproduction, spreading better/faster (or only!) when fought with fire.   Similarly, some plants may be deadly (or damaging) for the insects or Trollkin to eat.

The Aldryami will not be helpless, even in the face of dedicated/specialized plant-fighters!

Edited February 19, 2018 by g33k

[The God Learner]

Aldryami heroes can furthermore with some practice 'fruitfully' (as we said in the old days back at the department; oh how we laughed) visit The Green Age, The Garden, and the First, Second, and Third Plantings, to retrieve various interesting seeds, fruits, runners, bulbs, nuts, cuttings, etc. Second Planting is hardy and may be particularly useful to endure disasters. Aldrya is bountiful.

Second, for the purpose of Fire, or Sky, petition Halamdrya, who has some interesting spheres of influence. A secret text tells us:

Quote

The third seed of Falamal’s seeds was lifted up to Halamalao, Halamdrya was born. Halamdrya is the mother of all plants grown upon the Sun, as well as their collective soul. The White Elves are still a part of Halamdrya though they are now gone from the world.

Finally, when it comes to the well-known battle of uz insects pitted against aldryami plants, it remains to explore the great mystery of insect-based pollination.

[davecake]

Yes, using fire against Aldryami is effective, but as I implied not as reliably effective as other methods. We do have plenty of evidence that fire works though - the Skyburn that destroyed the forests of Erigia, most notably. It’s also how the Doraddi cleared the grasslands (though admittedly first age Aldryami internal war was probably as big a factor).

As for White elves - it is unwise to base your defense strategy on something that no longer exists. I don’t think there are any left, or at least not enough to matter. 

Sure, elves can heroquest - but so can everybody. That the elves have not managed to bring the White Elves back implies that it’s difficult. 

Though we are told that Erinorru showed the shamans of Pamalt something that scared them enough to seek peace. One possibility is that he showed them White Elves (fire is really the only effective weapon the Doraddi have against elves).

And perhaps the mysterious new insect that destroyed the House of Erinorru was the result of a troll HeroQuest? The wars between the Elder races are slow, magical, and weird, and fought by many different means between very dedicated and resourceful antagonists. 

[jeffjerwin]

Speaking of weird centuries-long wars involving the Elder Races...

Currently in my daughter's game with me she's trying resurrect the local great tree in alliance with a faction of Kitori opposed to the Zorak Zorani who have her not-quite dead trunk buried in a cave filled with undead... Ah, Voria hero quests...

As it turns out Innocence and Life-bringing is powerful inducement for local spirits to help her.