Sun Dome Background

[Briquelet]

Hi All,

It seems a set of background skills is in order for the Sun Dome folks in Prax and Dragon Pass. Would they be identical? Perhaps not given Sun County in Prax relies on nomads for cavalry support. Any thoughts?

John

Edited July 25, 2018 by Briquelet

[Joerg]

RQ3 Sun County really said all there has to be said about the Praxian Yelmalians, down to their non-Templar militia.

Sun Domers in Dragon Pass have a few additional careers, like light cavalry, archer/skirmisher, and overseer (over their Kitori/Ergeshi slaves that bear a major share of the work in the fields).

Tribal Yelmalians would be predominantly cavalry or mounted infantry, IMO, rather than hoplites. Still a superior shieldwall, but much less adapt in maneuvering as a phalanx.

[David Scott]

5 hours ago, Briquelet said:

Hi All,

It seems a set of background skills is in order for the Sun Dome folks in Prax and Dragon Pass. Would they be identical?

At this stage in RQG publications, yes. Otherwise you need to refer to other possibly oop books. 

5 hours ago, Briquelet said:

Perhaps not given Sun County in Prax relies on nomads for cavalry support. Any thoughts?

Historically, Sun County in Prax has had Yelmalion Nomad support, but it’s not the case now. The Templars and Nomads lead very separate lives. The Nomad Yelmalions have a slightly different form of the cult with only Light Sons and no temple structure. There is another variation of Yelmalio amongst the Zebra Tribe. Nomad Yelmalions have no need for a Sun Dome temple. There is no mounted infantry amongst the Yelmalion Nomads, everyone is cavalry.

[Briquelet]

Joerg and David, say I'm creating a Yelmalian from Prax who is not a nomad but is instead a regular resident of the temple lands. What would you give him as cultural skill bonuses?

[David Scott]

Okay. The Praxian Sun Dome occupants orginated from the Sartar Sun Dome about 750 years ago (in 877). Their culture is Old Pavic/Yelmalio as per page 126. Use the Sartar cultural values from page 60. I wouldn't fiddle with the values as they apply to the Sartar Sun Dome as well and these values can be altered anyway. They speak a Sartarite dialect, so Heortling as a language is still appropriate although it has elements of Praxian and old Pavic.There's certainly an argument for their second language being Praxian or Old Pavic or Tradetalk

Perhaps @MOB would care to comment.

[Joerg]

Looking at the twbles on p.60-63, I guess I would start with the Esrolian rather than the Sartarite table. The Sun Domer culture doesn't strike me as indulging much in male singing or dancing, and while herding may have become somewhat feasible with the arrival of Dorasar, I don't think it would be any more prominent in the river valley than in Esrolia.

Their language might be somewhere between Old Pavic and Pelorian Orlanthi - the Sun Dome Cult originated in Saird, and while they may have adapted  somewhat to the local southern Heortling over time, these guys may have been sufficiently conservative to speak more of a Tarshite than of a Heortling dialect 200 years after establishing the Tharkantus cult at Vanntar. I doubt that they had adopted the Hendriki dialect or the Esrolian one at the time, but then the linguistic divide was much lesser because there was no separation between the populaitions north or south of the Dragonspine.

It isn't clear to me how much Pelorian Sun Dome Templars wander between temples, or whether they stick to the same temple for their entire career. If there used to be regular exchange between Templars whose caravan duties etc. may have ended them up at distant temples, the case for them keeping a Pelorian, Solar-influenced dialect would be even stronger, but this really depends on how the temples recruit templars from communities outside of their own. Even though temple-based, at the end of the battle day they are mercenary companies who will recruit some stray elements to make up for casualties suffered in battle.

Their non-Templar rural folk still remain their main source of recruits, but templars picked up from elsewhere might stay long enough to enjoy a vetaran's plot and maybe a Sun Domer widow for company.

I don't really see a case for exogamy outside of the temple lands when it comes to select wives for their rural population. In "Melisande's Hand" the veiled Sun Dome women did join the female judges, but didn't really mingle with the wives of the Garhound clan or neighboring Pavis County clans, and even less indication for any chance of marriagable youths making contact across the cultural divide. Sacred marriages probably are the only occasions when females from outside of their culture join their ranks. Given the celibacy values implied in Yelmalio's geases, I see a possibility for templars to remain married when joining the force, but not really for them to pick up wives during campaign. That means quite little cultural contamination/cross-pollination with the neighboring Hendrikiland Heortlings, even more so since their cold sun cultists had not been co-religionists that far back.

Maybe replace "Intrigue" by "Meditate", given the slightly mystical leanings of the Praxian Sun Domers.

So: Farm +25, First Aid +5, Spirit Combat +15, Speak Own Language (Old Pavic/Sun Domer Heortling) 50, Speak Other Language +10 - odds are that this may have become New Pelorian in the last decade or so, Intimidate +5, Orate +5, Customs (Sun Domer) 25, possibly Play Instrument rather than Sing +5. Not sure about Dance - this might be the skill for marching in formation, in which case +10 would be rather on the low side. Intrigue or maybe Meditate +5. No ride, boat or swim skill, no chariots. Not much indication for being able to maintain significant herds of anything with the Praxians for most of the Solitude of Testing - possibly using buffalo for plowing rather than Heortling cattle, since those beasts could be kept in marshy bits where Praxian raiders loathe to go.

As for weapons, 1H Spear should be +15, 2H Spear/Pike +10, Short Sword +10, Knife +10, Grapple (wrestling) +10, Self Bow +10, Dart or Javelin +10, Medium Shield +15, Large Shield +15. Sun Domer peasants train as miliitia to form a pool of recruitment for Templar rank and receive some basic training in formation and with the heavy gear.

All of this purely from my impression how the Praxian Sun Domers may have inherited the draconic Yelmalio cult when they accompanied Pavis to their furthest outpost. There may have been some adoption of the Teshnan refugee population with maybe an exotic cult, possibly a weird form of Tolat as the patron deity for swords as sidearm. Given the sparse forestation of the region, the axe may have been less popular, also because it would have been a weapon females might aspire to, and from what emerged out of the Solitude of Testing, the Praxian Sun Domers would have none of that.

The veiling of their women might have come as a consequence of adopting Teshnan refugees - Teshnan women are appealing to Wareran and Praxian males, and putting them under the veil might have hidden that fact from the Praxians plaguing the place, even taking over at times.

Females can get the same expertise at weapons as can male sun domers, as exemplified by Vega Goldbreath, but it is quite possible that females choosing the way of the warrior need to be even more Yelmalian than their male counterparts in the militia. Females should have Sing rather than Orate, and might have some textile craft rather than Meditate. Possibly in exchange for Grapple.

RQG is back to being completely ungendered as far as background skills are presented, but I don't think that that's that appropriate for Prax, whether among the Beast Riders or the strongly patriarchalic Sun Domers. The Vanntar temple may be somewhat less prude, and those tribal Elmali-descended Yelmalians did boost the Praxian population when Dorasar came, but would have remained a minority.

I don't recall seeing any hints in Sun County which families were Solitude of Testing prominent and which were recent Sartarite additions. It might be interesting to dig a little in this family past.

[David Scott]

@Joerg, did you refer to Sun County when writing this?

22 hours ago, Joerg said:

Looking at the twbles on p.60-63, I guess I would start with the Esrolian rather than the Sartarite table. The Sun Domer culture doesn't strike me as indulging much in male singing or dancing, and while herding may have become somewhat feasible with the arrival of Dorasar, I don't think it would be any more prominent in the river valley than in Esrolia.

Although not widespread, Belvani has a respectable Singing skill at 66%. (page 14) Dance wasn't really a common skill in RQ3, but I think singing and dancing certainly form a ritual aspect to the society. Herding, well they are going to need this for their small sheep herds, pigs, ducks, impala and sable herds (page 8-9).

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Their language might be somewhere between Old Pavic and Pelorian Orlanthi

page 6

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They are distinguished further by their language, a dialect recognizably Sartarite, but heavily influenced by Old Pavic and Praxian. Despite these differences, they use the same farming tools and methods, live in similar structures, and raise the same foods as their neighbors and ancestors.

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the Sun Dome Cult originated in Saird, and while they may have adapted  somewhat to the local southern Heortling over time, these guys may have been sufficiently conservative to speak more of a Tarshite than of a Heortling dialect 200 years after establishing the Tharkantus cult at Vanntar. I doubt that they had adopted the Hendriki dialect or the Esrolian one at the time, but then the linguistic divide was much lesser because there was no separation between the populaitions north or south of the Dragonspine.

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In 877, Joraz Kyrem, Lord of the city of Pavis, requested aid from the Sun Dome temple of Dragon Pass. The religious mercenaries complied in return for land, a spot in the sun, and a good price for their horses. After the mercenaries helped free the city, they moved to their new lands and were titled Counts of the Sun Dome lands.

Edited July 26, 2018 by David Scott
Added missing word (refer)

[M Helsdon]

2 hours ago, David Scott said:

Although not widespread, Belvani has a respectable Singing skill at 66%. (page 14) Dance wasn't really a common skill in RQ3, but I think singing and dancing certainly form a ritual aspect to the society. Herding, well they are going to need this for their small sheep herds, pigs, ducks, impala and sable herds (page 8-9).

It's worth noting that in terrestrial hoplite cultures, there were forms of dance intended to practice the moves required in combat. The most famous being the Pyrrhichios.

In the Anabasis, Xenophon describes a number of war dances:

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“After we had poured wine on the ground to honour the gods, and had sung a hymn, first two Thracians stood up and began to dance in full armour to the sound of the pipe, making nimble leaps high into the air as they wielded their sabers. Finally one of them struck the other, and everyone thought the man was mortally wounded. His fall was artfully done, I suppose. The other man stripped him of his armour as the Paphlagonians howled, and made his exit, singing a Thracian war song known as the “Sitacles.” The other Thracians bore the fallen dancer away, as if he were dead. But he had been not at all hurt.

“Next some Aenianians and Magnesians got to their feet and danced the dance called the Karpaia, wearing their armour. The dance was like this: One man is driving his oxen as he sows a field, his arms laid at his side, and he casts frequent glances around him like a person who is afraid. A robber approaches, and when the sower sees him, he grabs his arms and goes to meet him and fights to save his team of oxen. These soldiers did this to the rhythm of the reed pipe. And at last the robber ties up the man and takes off the oxen. But sometimes the owner of the oxen trusses up the robber. When that happens, he yokes him beside his oxen with his hands tied behind his back and drives off.

“Then a Mysian came on with a light leather shield in each hand. And at one moment he danced, pantomiming a battle against two opponents. Then he wielded his shields as if he were fighting a single opponent. Then he would whirl around and do somersaults, still holding his shields. So it was a fine sight to see. Finally he danced the “Persian dance”—clashing his shields together, he would crouch down and then leap up. He did all this keeping time to the music of the pipe. Then the Mantineans and some others from the region of Arcadia came forward, wearing the finest armour they had, and they performed a drill to a tune with a marching tempo played on the pipe, and they sang a warrior hymn. And they danced in the same way as they did in the processions with which they honoured the gods. And as the Paphlagonians looked on, they thought it odd that all the dances were performed wearing arms.

“A Mysian who saw that they were amazed, retorted by persuading one of the Arcadians who had acquired a dancing girl to dress her in the finest costume he could, fit her with a light shield and bring her on to give a graceful performance of the “Pyrrhic” dance. Thereupon there was a roar of applause, and the Paphlagonians asked if the Greek women also fought side by side with their men. The Greeks answered that these were the very women who had routed the king from his camp.”

 

It is therefore very likely that Sun Domers have a number of martial dances performed either as a group or in ones or twos.

 

Edited July 25, 2018 by M Helsdon

[Joerg]

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

@Joerg, did you to Sun County when writing this?

No, after re-arranging my house I can only pinpoint my shrink-wrapped copy of that supplement.

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

Although not widespread, Belvani has a respectable Singing skill at 66%. (page 14)

Belvani is a weirdo with his draconic mysticism revival. I bet he knows how to waltz, too.

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

Dance wasn't really a common skill in RQ3, but I think singing and dancing certainly form a ritual aspect to the society.

True for the Ernaldan side of the cultic activities, but completely out of synch with my picture of "Spartans in the Wild West" and the stoicism displayed in Melisande's Hand.

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

Herding, well they are going to need this for their small sheep herds, pigs, ducks, impala and sable herds (page 8-9).

Herding is far from a core activity of the Sun Domers. Keeping some lifestock in your backyard is completely different from driving herds from pasture to pasture.

Getting enough draft beasts to plow your land is hard in the vicinity of Praxian cattle raiders who don't mind roasting oxen well trained to the plow. Maintaining the horse herds works thanks to the aid of the two clans of the zebra tribe, and the presence in New Pavis. At a guess, I would expect less horses than god talkers in the whole of Sun County.

 

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

page 6

 

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

They are distinguished further by their language, a dialect recognizably Sartarite, but heavily influenced by Old Pavic and Praxian. Despite these differences, they use the same farming tools and methods, live in similar structures, and raise the same foods as their neighbors and ancestors.

Do they have a uniform dialect?

How many of the current Sun Domers are of Elmali Sartarite stock, and how many are survivors of the Solitude of Testing?

And who do you interact with when coming from Pavis County?

I have no stakes in the region, so I will yield this to people who have personal experience playing there, but if my gaming ever went to this part of the Zola Fel valley, I would have at least two thirds of the Sun Domer population of Solitude of Testing stock at the time Dorasar brought the Monrogh former Elmali to end the Solitude of Testing. The Solitude of Testing produced a (probably tiered) melange of old Vanntar Sun Domers, Teshnan refugees from the Grantland area, and Praxian-descended folk who joined the sedentary Sun Domers under the pygmy counts.

My Sun County would have families of stunted growth, with very dark skin, who were "very friendly" with those pygmy counts, occasional bluish or yellowish skin on other families, probably low ranking except for maybe one or two lineages of non-martial sun priests, almost pure Spear Heortling families, and an upper crust with Sartarite male lineage and plenty of native brides to establish a link with the upper crust of the population of the Solitude of testing.

But then I like to add complications to the complexities of Glorantha, and even more in-depth family background than the RQG rules provide.

 

Old Pavic is as close to Tarshite as it is to Heortling - it was the language of the undivided Dragon Pass population. The differences between Pelorian Orlanthi dialects and Kethaelan ones aggravated badly when the communication across the mixed form went missing.

There is a similar phenomenon which probably contributed to the separation of Norse and Low German with the evacuation of Anglia in the 3rd to 5th century, leading to immigration from both from the south and from the north-east with unrelated dialects, over a similar time of almost complete depopulation (and immigration of unrelated groups, like the Frisians and the Wendic Obodrites, creating a zone of little to no direct linguistic exchange between the Danish kingdoms and the remaining continental Saxons, who then got all but dispersed by the Franks under Charlemagne, exacerbating the problem. The Saxons who remained in place spoke a heavily Frankish influenced Low German, not that different from the Ripuarian Franks.

Dragon Pass had of course the Inhuman Occupation, the immigration of the Pure Horse Folk/Grazers, and the Kitori. Pretty much the same situation.

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

Page 4

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

In 877, Joraz Kyrem, Lord of the city of Pavis, requested aid from the Sun Dome temple of Dragon Pass. The religious mercenaries complied in return for land, a spot in the sun, and a good price for their horses. After the mercenaries helped free the city, they moved to their new lands and were titled Counts of the Sun Dome lands.

 

Those were in all likelihood comparatively recent immigrants from Saird, immigrating by the company, mingling with whatever remnants of Palangio's even less Heortling Daysenerus peasant followers may have survived in the Amber Fields. They stayed just outside of the Hendriki lands and their Foreigner Laws by Aventus, and provided a deterrent while the Hendriki kings hid from the Slontan occupied lands of those Heortlanders who had been subject to the Foreigner Laws. After the fall of Locsil, the Hendriki re-instated the Foreigner Laws, and extended them to the Dragon Pass refugees following the 1042 mass utuma, but prior to that, the Vanntar Sun Domers were a welcome disparate population keeping whoever had the power outside of the EWF in check.

This would make the Vanntar dialect and culture of 877 Sairdite, influenced by the dragon craze and central Dragon Pass dialects, but quite different from Hendriki or resident Heortland foreigners.

Compare how the Dinacoli maintained their Pelorian Orlanthi dialect through their membership to the Jonstown city confederation, for a comparable length of time.

At the time of Joraz Kyrem, the Sun Domer horses were little more than an afterthought for the Pure Horse Tribe herds that populated pretty much the same range the Pol Joni did until 1610. The Pavis Zebra riders were of course relying on non-striped horses to breed their (infertile) cavalry zebras, but the Sun Domer stock just added to an already existing huge amount of available horse flesh.

Between Alavan Argay and Derek Pol Joni, the Pavis Survivors had serious problems maintaining their cavalry for lack of breeding stock for cavalry zebras. Every lost war zebra cost them dearly in breeding stock. It is hardly surprising that half of the surviving zebra folk shared their pasture with the Pol Joni after their arrival in Prax. They probably sold cavalry zebras to their cousins that roamed the lands around the Rubble as heralds in exchange for war zebra breeding stock.

 

Unlike Sun County, I do have a personal affinity to the zebra riders through exposure in the 1997 freeform People of Pavis where I got to play Cyrilius Harmonius. Following that experience, preceded by some research before the freeform and a blast promoting and eventually consummating the ritual marriage between the Pavis Cult and the Red Goddess while defending the true interests of the zebra tribe against that bandit chief of Zebra Town, I did write up a bit of background for that (which never got played, though). Strictly urban Pavis, however.

My only experience playing as a beast rider was an experimental multi-party RQ game (also at Tentacles) where I ended up playing a wannabe Waha Khan of the Impala riders.

Who needs ducks when you can play Impala Riders? I guess I would have identified a lot better with a High Llama, Bison or Rhino rider, and possibly even a Morokanth. It was interesting, but not at all what I would play in a campaign.

[Sunwolfe]

16 minutes ago, M Helsdon said:

It's worth noting that in terrestrial hoplite cultures, there were forms of dance intended to practice the moves required in combat. The most famous being the Pyrrhichios.

This was the subject of a wonderful painting by Sir Laurence Alma Tadema: The Pyrrihic Dance. Many Pre-Raphealite and similar styled paintings have inspired more than one of my games. Thanks for the Anabasis quotation M Helsdon!

[M Helsdon]

7 minutes ago, Joerg said:

completely out of synch with my picture of "Spartans in the Wild West"

The Spartans of our world performed various war dances, with the Pyrrhichios remaining their national dance even when they were conquered by Rome.

2 minutes ago, Sunwolfe said:

This was the subject of a wonderful painting by Sir Laurence Alma Tadema: The Pyrrihic Dance. Many Pre-Raphealite and similar styled paintings have inspired more than one of my games.

John Ruskin unfairly described it as 'exactly like a microscopic view of a small detachment of black beetles, in search of a dead rat'...

 

[Joerg]

I appreciate your providing Greek sources, and I already qualified my statement to allow for war choreographies. Parades and katas may be seen as part of the Dance skill.

The Sun County Yelmalians do come across as quite puritanic, though, especially in comparison to the other participants in Melisande's Hand. Rowdy displays of boozed fun appears to be as out of character to devout Yelmalians as it does to Humakti. That said, they will consume beer and wine, but they are expected to keep a modicum of formality even when intoxicated.

Likewise, I imagine the Sun Domers to be stonger in Stasis than in individual Mobility. It is different for the Phalanx as a whole, there the Yelmalian formation is likely to have few equals and hardly any superiors. (Immortal Brithini Horali or organized Luathans aside...)

The Phalanx rules as written disregard the experience of the forces forming the phalanx, abstracting it with the leader's battle rolls. While there are some things a Sun County citizen should succeed at automatically, I would like to see a difference between highly trained Templars or Stonewall phalangists and green Sartarite carls pulling up in a shield wall. But then, stuff like that can be abstracted by the average Battle skill of the phalangists, with cultural boni for hoplite cultures.

 

There will be Yelmalians on constant outlook for the spirits of reprisal, no doubt, but I don't see such outliers as typical of the culture.

On the whole, the impression I got from Melisande's Hand (and Biturian Varosh's visit) confirmed me in wanting to play or GM Sartarites or Pavisites rather than Sun Domers. I did have a (Vanntar) Yelmalian in the Heortland campaign I ran, who very much filled the role of the straight man in the party make-up.

[Briquelet]

All I can say is "Holy crap!" Gentlemen, thank you for the real world and Gloranthan history lessons and the assistance. This end of the Gloranthan pool is pretty deep for me, so I will stick with what David presented. 🙂

[MOB]

13 hours ago, David Scott said:

Okay. The Praxian Sun Dome occupants orginated from the Sartar Sun Dome about 750 years ago (in 877). Their culture is Old Pavic/Yelmalio as per page 126. Use the Sartar cultural values from page 60. I wouldn't fiddle with the values as they apply to the Sartar Sun Dome as well and these values can be altered anyway. They speak a Sartarite dialect, so Heortling as a language is still appropriate although it has elements of Praxian and old Pavic.There's certainly an argument for their second language being Praxian or Old Pavic or Tradetalk

Perhaps @MOB would care to comment.

Yes, this seems like a great approach to take!

[Jeff]

12 hours ago, David Scott said:

@Joerg, did you to Sun County when writing this?

Although not widespread, Belvani has a respectable Singing skill at 66%. (page 14) Dance wasn't really a common skill in RQ3, but I think singing and dancing certainly form a ritual aspect to the society. Herding, well they are going to need this for their small sheep herds, pigs, ducks, impala and sable herds (page 8-9).

page 6

Page 4

David is absolutely right. Frankly, singing and dancing is common to just about every human society in Glorantha. 

[Joerg]

3 hours ago, Jeff said:

David is absolutely right. Frankly, singing and dancing is common to just about every human society in Glorantha. 

In light of the (admittedly extreme) interpretation of the Quran and additional rules by the Taliban and by at least some of the Ayatollahs, I had my doubts for a strict theocracy in a desert environment. Dancing is anathema to certain branches of extreme christianity, too, or there would have been no movie like Footloose. That branch at least is singing hymns, though.

The Ernaldan rites will include dancing, whether in Sun County or places where openly ecstatic rites are celebrated. But there is this impression that Yelmalian males get to refrain from participating in female activities, at least in Praxian Sun County, like the illustration of black bearded, bleached hair count Solanthos.

If the Dance skill also covers marching in step and lining up in a formation or weapon katas and shadow boxing, it is greatly underused in the game.

[styopa]

13 hours ago, Briquelet said:

All I can say is "Holy crap!" Gentlemen, thank you for the real world and Gloranthan history lessons and the assistance. This end of the Gloranthan pool is pretty deep for me, so I will stick with what David presented. 🙂

Take the wonderful and informed comments here for what they're worth - just don't let it intimidate you or let "canon" get in the way of your game.  

There are people in the Gloranthaverse whose epeen is very clearly measured in the "amount of crap I know about an imaginary world made up by a college student in the 1960s" and who only speak in pedantry and condescension.  Use their info where needed of course, but ignore them.  Like any Holy Text, there's been...a bit ... of deviation over the decades in what is the official creed and what is apostasy at any given moment. 

Fortunately for us, we have a resource.  Jeff's sort of played the role of Martin Luther in our current Gloranthan Reformation, except in his case it wasn't so much translating Latin holy texts into the vernacular, he dragged a multitude of obscure sometimes-contradictory sources together to produce the Guide which gives at least a consistent textual approach...with concomitant risking of One True Gloranthaism, but still very much a watershed for the game setting...

Anyway, enjoy Glorantha.

[M Helsdon]

Almost all made up (or derived from terrestrial equivalents), this may be of interest:

[Small subsection from my non-canonical book on warfare in central Genertela]

War Dances

Legend says that after Orlanth was born, he soon set off to challenge the Young God, Yelm, to a dancing contest. Orlanth did a war dance while Yelm performed a ballet.

Skalds and bards often speak of the dance of war, as a metaphor for combat, but this is not just poetic metaphor.

Dance is a form of athletic exercise, and can also teach coordination and balance. Dances bearing arms and armor accustom the fighter to their weight and bulk. This exercise increases their strength, gives them training in the use of their weapons, and will aid them in pursuit or retreat.

War dances are also the basis of contests of one against one, two against two, and teams of ten each, with rules for blows to inflict or avoid to win. Such ritual combat is important in several war cults. Armed march-dances are a part of Yelmalion religious observances. Humakti perform deadly sword-dances to honor their grim god, all the more impressive in that blood is only shed by a failure of skill, and shames the dancer.

Fighters of both Solar and Storm traditions dance, though in different ways. Dances are performed to banish fear, to honor the gods, as part of magic rites to neutralize the enemy's strength, and more practically, to teach and learn the steps and motions required in combat, training young warriors to avoid attacks and to deliver their own. Such dancing is an integral part of war training, reinforcing timing and drill, and providing a spectacle to awe onlookers.

Orlanthi dance to flutes and drums, clashing their swords together; Uroxi stomp their feet, head-butting and bellowing. Pelorian hoplites dance in unison with spear and shield. The Lion-men of Pelanda roar and pounce, emulating their god. There are many other traditions.

In some cultures, variants of these dances are also performed after combat, as part of purification rituals to cleanse the warrior, acting out the trauma of war, and to enable their return to ordinary society.

The advance of a shield-wall or phalanx requires a coordinated pace; some fight to a three-step rhythm expressed in a chant or paean. One step forward is taken on the first two short beats, and on the third longer beat, the other foot and shield are swung forward. When two battle-lines crash together, the beats are used to synchronize the pushing and shoving; often the front ranks have no breath to spare, and rely upon the concerted chanting of the ranks behind them to time their efforts.

Tactics and choral dancing both require the coordinated movement of groups moving in a mass to achieve specified goals.

[MOB]

On 7/26/2018 at 10:48 AM, Briquelet said:

All I can say is "Holy crap!" Gentlemen, thank you for the real world and Gloranthan history lessons and the assistance. This end of the Gloranthan pool is pretty deep for me, so I will stick with what David presented. 🙂

Good move! The elevator pitch for SUN COUNTY is "Spartans in the Wild West". 

16 hours ago, styopa said:

Take the wonderful and informed comments here for what they're worth - just don't let it intimidate you or let "canon" get in the way of your game.  

Anyway, enjoy Glorantha.

Friendly advice for all posters, especially Gloranthan scholars: let's keep threads where curious newcomers to Glorantha are seeking advice approachable, concise and easily digestable. There are plenty of other threads here to do deep diving into the weeds.

Edited July 27, 2018 by MOB

[Jeff]

16 hours ago, styopa said:

Take the wonderful and informed comments here for what they're worth - just don't let it intimidate you or let "canon" get in the way of your game.  

There are people in the Gloranthaverse whose epeen is very clearly measured in the "amount of crap I know about an imaginary world made up by a college student in the 1960s" and who only speak in pedantry and condescension.  Use their info where needed of course, but ignore them.  Like any Holy Text, there's been...a bit ... of deviation over the decades in what is the official creed and what is apostasy at any given moment. 

Fortunately for us, we have a resource.  Jeff's sort of played the role of Martin Luther in our current Gloranthan Reformation, except in his case it wasn't so much translating Latin holy texts into the vernacular, he dragged a multitude of obscure sometimes-contradictory sources together to produce the Guide which gives at least a consistent textual approach...with concomitant risking of One True Gloranthaism, but still very much a watershed for the game setting...

Anyway, enjoy Glorantha.

And folk are certainly welcome to ignore canon in their Glorantha. The books will follow canon but you don't need to.

Edited July 27, 2018 by Jeff