Bell Digest vol07p02.txt

Subject:  A Rune with a View,  Volume 7,  Number 2

RQDIGESTV07N02

First Distribution:  September 22, 1991

This issue:
	Reality-Based Societies for RuneQuest		Martin Crim
	RQ Combat Additions				Bruce Mason
	Eurmal Shrines and the Things They Do!		Maurice Beyke
	Best Creatures for Familiars			Martin Crim
	Personalities of Glorantha			MOB and Trevor Ackerly

======================================================================

From: Martin Crim 

Subject: REALITY-BASED SOCIETIES FOR RUNEQUEST

	The Domesday Book presents a surprisingly clear view of
English culture in 1086.  In Domesday: A Search for the Roots of
England, Michael Wood has written an accessible overview of
Domesday and the scholarship which has interpreted it.  This
gives us a realistic historical model for so-called civilized
cultures in RuneQuest.  With some modification, this model will
fit societies on the border between civilized and barbarian
cultures.  
	Domesday surveyed a society that was still coping with the
effect of a devastating conquest.  At the same time, it had an
established bureaucracy that could collect enormous tax revenues
efficiently.  Tax revenues, in fact, motivated the compilation of
Domesday.
	The table below gives a mixture of actual and projected
population figures.  The figures for rural laymen are actual; the
numbers for the others are scholarly estimates.  Each percentage
point counts approximately 3250 men.  Because Domesday only
counted men, the numbers should be applied to total population
figures with care.  Scholars have suggested an average family
size of 4.68, based on a survey from around A.D. 1200.
	The discussion after the table provides some interpretation
to the meaning of the various social class terms, and sets forth
possible bases for land tenure in a magical landscape.

Class/City	Percent		D100	Comment
villeins	  33		01-33	unfree peasant landholders
bordars		  25		34-58	like villeins, with less land
cottars		   2		59-60	ditto, with even less
slaves		   9		61-69	chattel property of landlords
freemen		   4		70-73	relatively free landholders
sokemen		   7		74-80	similar to freemen
noblemen	   2		81-82	baronial and knightly classes
clergy		   5		83-87	priests and monks
miscellaneous
 rural workers	   2		88-89	craftsmen, day laborers, etc.

London		   2		90-91	population about 25,000*
Winchester/York    1		92	population about 6000* each
4 next cities	   1		93	population 4000-5000* each
20 next cities     4		94-97	population 2000-4000* each
25 towns	   1		98	population 500-2000* each
80 villages	   2		99-00	population less than 500* each

*counts men, women, and children

	Land is much more than property.  That was true in the
middle ages, and is still true today.  Land in the middle ages
defined social class, living conditions, and almost every other
aspect of life.  An understanding of land customs deepens any
depiction of medieval or pseudo-medieval culture.
	Villeins, bordars, and cottars owned land, but owed rent in
some combination of kind, money, and labor.  The usual pattern
involved duties of "boon-work" on the lord's land a given number
of days per week: usually two or three.  The distinctions between
the unfree classes were based on amount of land held.  Villeins
normally held between 30 and 100 acres of plow land.  (At the
time of the Conquest, an acre was a fairly loose measure of land,
equal to a day's plowing.)  Bordars held between 4 and 30 acres
of plow land.  Cottars held 4 acres or less, sometimes as little
as a garden plot.  All peasants kept sheep, and many kept pigs
and cattle.  Pairs of oxen provided the energy for plowing.
	Unfree peasants could not sell their land without their
lord's permission.  In practice, unfree peasants could not sell
their land at all.  However, they still owned it, that is, had
property rights in it.  If his landlord or a stranger
dispossessed him, a peasant could seek redress in court. 
England's jury system ensured a relatively fair hearing.
	Freemen and sokemen differed from unfree peasants in being
able to sell or give away their land if they wished.  They led
much the same way of life as unfree peasants: performing duties
for a landlord, including plowing, herding, and cutting wood. 
Being a freeholder or sokeman implied nothing about the size of
one's holding.  Some freeholders held less than an acre.
	Noblemen and clergy formed the landlord classes.  The
greatest noblemen of William's time were almost all Normans, but
many of the lower noblemen were Saxons or Scandinavian English. 
Eleven hundred "chief tenants" held large grants of land directly
from the king.  These included dukes, earls, barons, and royal
office holders.  They owed feudal duties directly to the king,
the most important being loyalty and knight-service (sixty days
military service per year).  Six thousand "sub-tenants" held land
from the chief tenants.  Sub-tenants held at least enough land
for a manor.  They owed loyalty and knight-service to their
lords.  Slaves and unfree peasants worked the landlords' lands.
	Under William's laws, every man had to have a lord.  Thus,
all the peasants held their lands from a chief tenant, sub-
tenant, or some church or monastery.  This feudal hierarchy
ensured that every man could be brought to justice, and every man
paid his share of the taxes.
	Bishops and abbots administered most of the church's lands. 
They collected rents and administered justice over about a third
of the land in England.
	The closest modern parallel to feudal land customs arises in
certain planned communities.  When you buy a new house or
condominium, you incur both positive and negative obligations. 
Negative obligations include complying with restrictions on the
height of your house, the placement of fences, and so on. 
Positive obligations often include paying a certain amount of
money each year to your property owner's association.  When you
sell your land, the buyer has to pay the annual dues and comply
with all the restrictions contained in your deed. 
	Similarly, one who inherited land from a villein held it in
villenage (that is, owed villein duties to the landlord).  If the
villein managed to grow rich enough to buy a freehold, he was a
freeholder only as to that land and its lord, and remained a
villein as to his original land.  The obligations stayed with the
land until a cataclysm like the Black Death remolded society.
	Anyone convicted of felony forfeited his lands to his lord. 
The lord could thus hold lands in villenage, but he would hold
them from himself, and thus not owe any villein duties.  When the
lord transfered the land to someone else, that person would owe
villein duties to the lord.
	Note that the above table does not break down society by
trade or profession.  Tradesmen were rare.  Cottage industry
produced most worked goods.  Lowland peasants did not specialize
in plowing, herding, or fishing, but practiced a little of each. 
In the highlands, some specialized in herding because farming was
impossible.  The only professionals were the clergy, who
monopolized all the learning available.
	Unfortunately, little historical evidence guides us to an
understanding of city dwellers of the time.  Domesday did not
record city dwellers.

	To adapt these concepts to a fantasy setting, one needs to
imagine a society molded by all the forces that make ours, with
the additional factor of demonstrable magic.  Let us start with
the lowest level of daily life and move up.
	The peasant still has to work his land to make it bear. 
Magical blessings may eliminate some of the risks, but the vast
majority of laborers must plow their fields using oxen.  By what
units would Gloranthans measure land?
	The acre is a natural measurement of land.  However, the
amount of land a man can plow in one day varies with the type of
plow and condition of the soil.  Furthermore, the Romans used a
standard measure different from the acre, and we can expect Roman
analogues in fantasy worlds to use standard measures also.  
	The most obvious standard measure of land requires only the
possession of a spell like Light, which can create an effect
anywhere.  A square 50 meters on a side--the range of a spirit
spell--contains approximately .62 standard acre or 1/4 hectare. 
If you have visible spell effects in your game, you can use any
spell to measure off a spell square.  If you do not, appropriate
spells include Darkwall, Detect Magic, Detect (Substance),
Ignite, Lantern, Light, Lightwall, and Second Sight.  With the
darkness and light spells, the caster simply throws the spell as
far as he can.  With the detects and Second Sight, a confederate
starts well beyond spell range and walks forward until the user
can see his aura.  
	Nearly all farmer women belong to Ernalda, Dendara, or a
Grain Goddess cult.  Thus, they have access to Second Sight.  The
square is the sacred Earth symbol, so square fields 50 x 50
meters must predominate at least in Esrolia.  We will call this
unit an earth square.  
	The Lodril spell Earthwarm affects one earth square.  Thus,
Pelorians usually lay out their frost-sensitive crops, like
orchards and vineyards, in earth squares.
	The Bless Crops spell obliquely refers to the acre ("an area
of ground equivalent to that which a farmer can plow in a day"). 
If we assume that farmers cheat a little when the priestess gives
them a Bless Crops, they should be able to plow two earth squares
in a day.  Techniques of cheating include casting Endurance,
Strength, or Vigor on the oxen, with Endurance being the most
effective.  Mobility does not work, because it does not affect
the plow.  Perhaps the Barntar cult teaches Endurance.  Lodril,
another male farmer cult, teaches it.  Thus, a Gloranthan
standard acre would equal two earth squares.
	In Yelmic lands, another measure of land is the Sunripen
circle.  This is a variable area, because the spell affects a
circle with radius of 10 meters per point of spell.  Each circle
must have a different priest cast the spell.  Old priests who
have specialized in this spell might have a 100 meter radius
circle.  Most priests will have only a 10 or 20 meter radius
circle.  Because this spell affects a relatively small area,
priests would probably cast it on only the most valuable crops,
like fruit trees or grape vines.  It thus conflicts with, or at
least overlaps in purpose with, the Lodrili earth squares.
	Malkioni, with their sorcery, have a greater flexibility
than polytheists in measuring land.  Their spells have the
potential for greater ranges, but only apprentices and higher can
use these greater ranges.  Common folk can only cast 10 meter
range spells.  They could cast five successive 10 meters spells
to trace out one side of an earth square.  A specialist, however,
could more simply delineate a field using a higher range spell. 
A field 160 meters by 20 meters (or 320 x 10) contains .82
standard acre, and could serve as a unit of measurement in the
densely-populated West.  Spells with visible effects include
Animate (Substance), Fly, Form/Set (Substance), Glow, Mystic
Vision (used much like Second Sight), Phantom (Sight, Touch),
Sight Projection, and Sense (Substance).  Note that Malkioni
cities, towns, and castles tend to be circular, to take advantage
of the Protective Circle spell.
	Anyone running a Kralorelan campaign should research Chinese
geomancy, an art and science readily transferable to Glorantha.

	Magic affects landholders' duties in pagan society by
strengthening the policy toward religious involvement.  Societies
in general, and noblemen and priests in particular, will pressure
peasants to maintain good standing in their temples.  Good
standing maintains the temple size, which governs spell
availability.  Some lords might require membership in their
favored cult as a duty incident to holding land.  Temple
landlords could also require membership.  
	Malkioni lords would care less about such matters, being
content so long as they receive their feudal dues.  This enables
the lower classes to persist in paganism.
	Magical rituals bind and unbind men from the soil.  To
transfer a plot, the giver and receiver must travel to it. 
There, the giver symbolically presents the land to the receiver
by handing over a clod of earth and a tree branch or stalk of
grain.  By properly evoking the right gods, spirits, or saints,
they can create or end rights and duties in the land.  (The two
most common transfers are subinfeudation, where the receiver
becomes the vassal of the giver, and a simple land sale.) 
Someone must make a successful Ceremony roll, so priests often
officiate.  A failed roll forces the participants to wait for
another auspicious date.  Fumbles and Criticals have no special
effect.  Modifiers for the magical influence of a date follow the
table below.

	TYPE OF DAY						MODIFIER
	Extremely auspicious (e.g., Clayday/Mobility/Earth)	+25
	Auspicious (e.g., Clayday/any/Earth)			+10
	Normal							none
	Inauspicious (e.g., Windsday, or Storm Season)	 	-10
	Extremely inauspicious (e.g., Windsday/any/Storm)	-25

	Anyone who takes land without a ceremony is a mere tenant at
will, subject to dispossession by anyone.  However, someone who
takes previously unowned land can establish his rights by proper
sacrifices to the guardian spirit or saint.

======================================================================

From: Bruce Mason 

Subject: R.Q. Combat additions

At the risk of getting too involved with rules-lawyering here's something I
wrote a couple of months ago for no very good reason.  Somebody might
find it useful or interesting.

This is my attempt at muddying the RQ combat waters.  They form part 
of a whole raft of changes that I've made since I first started 
playing RQ3 backing in 1984 --- when it cost L38.  The basic 
premise of the changes is not to make the system more realistic but to 
make it more dramatic.  Combat systems tend to enforce certain 
strategies on characters out of sheer survival instinct.  Rather than 
base my ideas on the findings of medieval re-enactment societies I 
base them on films and books.  Obviously no combat system  will ever 
be able to handle fights from  _Princess Bride_ to  
_Excalibur_ equally well and be playable with just a few dice.  However 
it should be able to enforce certain motifs, cliches if you like.  You 
want to be able to play a quicksilver swordsman, a foaming barbarian or a 
knight in white plate and feel like you're doing so.  These are some 
of the rules that I use to add to that feel.


   * Encumberance and Strike Rank.  The basic premise is that 
people in lots of armour carrying 3 months worth of trail possessions 
on their back (ie.\ with high enc.) have to overcome more inertia.  So 
a rule of thumb is:  For each multiple of ENC in excess of STR a 
character is carrying they must add one to their DEX SRM.  So, 
someone who is STR 10 can carry up to 10 ENC without penalty.  11--20 
ENC adds 1 to DEX SRM, 21--30 adds 2 and so on.

   * Fatigue and Strike Rank.  Someone who is tired, knackered 
shagged out, dead, whatever also takes a long time to muster the energy 
for an attack.   So, for each amount of negative FPs equal or less to 
a multiple of their STR a character must add 1 to their DEX SRM.  
Example, someone who is STR 10: on -1 to -10FPs adds 1 to their DEX 
SRM, -11 to -20 adds 2 and so on.

These two rules add penalties to wearing excessive amounts of armour.  
An average human being (STR 10, 21FPs) wearing a suit of plate (30 
ENC) is going to be suffering a -4 adjustment to his DEX SRM.  This 
does have the counterintuitive effect of meaning that he can attack 
with a 2H long spear (DEX 3 SIZ 2 Weapon 1 adjustment +4) but not 
 a dagger --- not enough strike ranks in the melee round.
  The alternative is to have ENC effect skill levels which I don't 
personally like.  This way, if you stick two identical characters 
against each other: one lightly armoured and relying on dodge, the other 
heavily armoured and going for brute force you give the lightly 
armoured the benefit of first strike and the armoured one the benefit 
of 6 points of armour.  Seems fair to me.  This method also gives you 
the chance to get rid of the fall asleep when you reach your negative 
fatigue points level.  Instead you get slower and slower and 
slower...

Why not just use a flat rate figure (say 10) rather than STR to 
simplify above calculations?  It would be easier but the system above 
pro-rates for larger characters.  Trolls have enough problems already.

To slightly counterbalance the above rules and to add a couple of more 
combat options I also propose the following.  Storm Bull cultists will 
love them.  

   * Rush attack.  For those occasions when you really  *can't* 
afford to wait for your normal strike rank this is just what you have 
been waiting for.   With this type of attack you SR is based on SIZ SRM 
plus Weapon SRM and your DEX SRM is ignored.  The penalty --- well a 
rush attack, like an attack on the run, counts as two actions.  Fools 
rush in but don't get to parry.  

Basically this is an attack based around brute force rather than 
finesse.  Damned useful for those times when your DEX SRM modifier is 
through the roof due to encumberance and fatigue.  

   * Overwhelming rush attack.  For when you really want to  
*hurt* that 10ft scorpion man with +8pt skin.  Basically just like a 
rush attack (SR = SIZ SRM + Weapon SRM) but you get to step your 
damage bonus up one, ie.\ zilch becomes +d4, +d4 becomes +d6 and so 
on.  The disadvantages?  Well like rush, it'll be your only action 
that round plus, you lose an extra FP for each ORA you perform above 
and beyond the normal assessment for the round.

I'm thinking in terms of the various _Excalibur_ fight scenes 
here where two armoured behemoths hammer at each other beyond all 
normal limits of endurance and sanity.

What about 100%+?  Yes, you can split rush attacks (both types).  I 
would say that all opponents have to be within the move rating of the 
attacker, ie. within 3m for a human.  I would also say 1 SR separates 
each attack.  And don't forget for an ORA you lose an extra FP for 
*each* attack you make.

Of course, if you're Beserk why worry about FPs and you weren't going 
to parry anyway were you?  And if you're Beserk you really want to hit 
first and make sure they stay down.

Some notes on splitting attacks generally.  Rules say, you have to 
attack different targets --- can't hit the same man twice.
  This is one way to feint in RQ: you attack the air near a person 
once and the person himself once.  That is to say one attack is a 
feint.  Of course the enemy doesn't know that and is liable to throw 
that precious parry away, leaving himself wide open.  How do you 
defend against a feint?  You can hope.  You can guess which one to 
parry.  One games system possibility is to try to ``read'' the attack.  
This adds a SR to your normal attack rank and you then should try to 
do a POW vs POW roll to try to figure it out.  (Or other mechanic 
which may seem appropriate).  Or you can always split your parry if 
you're good enough.

These four additions are ways which I have used to add a bit of 
variety to RQ combat.  Some of them work better than others and mostly 
they're only  really useful in grandstand fight scenes against major 
villains.  I find it's always useful to pull a feint against players 
--- it pisses them off, rarely kills the character and it makes them 
think.  What I like about RQ combat is not its amazing realism 
(chortles mightily) but the tension it builds.  RQ fights are bloody, 
chaotic and great fun.  I think the stuff above helps.

--Bruce
bmason@kean.ucs.mun.ca

======================================================================

From:  Maurice Beyke 

Subject:  Eurmal Shrines and the Things They Do!

  I don't know about other campaigns, but Eurmal is one of the more
popular cults in mine.  Which, given the amount of material presented
about the Father of Jokes in both second and third edition RuneQuest,
usually gives me some work to to.  One of the more enjoyable parts of
this however is thinking up all kinds of devious things to make those
Eurmalis do to get divine spells from various shrines.

  Since his cult is nowhere very popular (in Glorantha, anyway) I
figured that there are few if any temples to Eurmal larger than
shrines.  Therefore few places would offer more than one or two divine
spells, not counting Worship Eurmal.  This keeps the PC cultists busy
traipsing from town to town, trying to find the cult, and then doing
whatever devious task the priest (i.e. me) has for them.  Listed below
(cutting finally to the chase) are various Eurmal shrines, I've come
up with, with spells they offer and deeds they require to learn them.
Needless to say, all of this should be roleplayed.

  Trickster's Appetite shrine, teaches Swallow.  The initiate must
crash a banquet or some other function to which they are not invited,
make a total ass of themselves there (of course), and then throw up on
the host or hostess.

  Trickster's Clothes shrine, teaches Become Dung, Make Fine Clothes.
Must find a some named object in the sewers, or buried in a dung heap,
etc.

  Trickster Destroys shrine, teaches Crack, Illusion Substance.  The
initiate must break the town bell.

  Trickster Dreams shrine, teaches Hallucinate.  Requires the initiate
to dye the skin and/or hair of some prominant citizen some strange
color.  Preferably one who is vain, and must be done at a time when
they _have_ to appear in public (or be done in public).

  Trickster Escapes, teaches Conceal.  Requires the initiate to help a
slave escape, preferably from a highly placed and well known figure.

  Trickster's Lust shrine.  Teaches Charisma.  Requires the initiate
to seduce some prominent married citizen of the town.

  Trickster Lightbringer shrine, located near Sun County, teaches Hold
Fire, Illusion Sight.  The initiate must enter the nearest Fire/Sky
temple, light a torch from the holy fire inside, put out said holy
fire and bring the lit torch back to the shrine.

  Trickster Scares shrine, teaches Panic.  Requires the initiate to
scare a veteran warrior into backing down from them.

  Trickster's Shadow shrine, located near troll lands, teaches Change
Mace to Bladder$.  Requires the initiate to steal the mace, maul, or
club from a troll warrior and bring it to the shrine.

  Trickster Slays shrine, teaches Strike, Turn Shield to Clay*.
Requires the initiate to kill someone with one blow.

  Trickster Steals shrine, teaches Change Cow's Color.  Requires the
initiate to steal some town treasure or artifact from some
inaccessable place.

  Trickster's Wealth shrine, teaches Turn Gold into Straw.  Requires
the initiate to steal an expensive item and destroy it.

  Trickster Werewolf shrine, located near Telmori lands, teaches Become
Wolf.  Requires initiate to eat, and also get someone else to eat, human
flesh.  The other person must be informed of what they have done, but
not necessarily before the fact.

  Trickster's Words shrine, teaches Lie.  Must convince a city
official or guard of something patently absurd, the mayor is really a
spy in disguise, arrest him.

  *Turn Shield to Clay         Divine Illusion Spell
                               One Point, Stackable, Ranged, Temporal
  As the name says, this spell turns a shield to clay for the
duration.  It looks and feels the same, but it has _no_ armor points,
and when struck, will shatter (surprise).  One point will affect a
buckler, two points a medium shield, or 3 points a large.  More points
can be stacked to change a shield which is iron or has armoring
enchantment on it, at one point per 5 extra armor points.  (One option
is to make the spell ineffective against enchanted shields, but I
like to see my PCs spending more money).  After the spell ends, the
pieces of the shield return to their original material, so it can be
repaired.

   $Turn Mace to Bladder       Divine Illusion Spell
                               One Point, Stackable, Ranged, Temporal
  This spell will turn a mace into an air filled bladder on the end of
a stick, which makes a lot of noise when struck against someone but
does no damage (and you thought a berserk Zorak Zorani couldn't get
any madder!).  One point will affect a one handed mace or club, two
will affect a two handed mace or large club, and three will affect a
troll maul.  Additional points may be stacked if the weapon is
enchanted to do extra damage, at one point per 3 points of extra damage
or per extra die.  After the spell is over, the mace returns to
normal, even if it was damaged while a bladder.

======================================================================

From:  Martin Crim 

Subject:  So you think you want to make a wraith or chair your familiar?

                  BEST CREATURES FOR FAMILIARS
	PC Sorcerers often have difficulty picking an appropriate
subject to be a familiar.  GMs often have difficulty in quickly
assigning reasonable familiars for NPC's.  Therefore, I have
grouped the various possibilities into five categories, from best
to worst.  Within a category, the creatures are listed
alphabetically and the names of the most common familiars are
capitalized.  An asterisk marks creatures with INT usually 7 or
greater.
	All creatures listed need only the addition of INT, except
as noted.  The notes are keyed by number and listed below.
	Other things being equal, a sorcerer should choose a
creature from the highest category in which any creature is
available.  This listing assumes that the sorcerer is land-based,
and either a human from a horse-riding culture or a troll.
	If your character's society uses animals other than horses
as mounts, that animal would replace Horse in category C.
	If your sorcerer is a dwarf, then he probably will take some
dwarven construct as a familiar.
	If your sorcerer is a seafarer, then his preferences should
run as follows (with notes explained below): Nereid* (2),
Succubus* (1), Sea Serpent, Plesiosaur, Undine (6), Sylph (6),
Whale* (12), Sea Hawk, Ghost* (7), Bat, Crocodilian, Shade (6),
Wraith* (10), Magic Spirit* (7), Walktapus (1), Shark, Octopus,
Intellect Spirit (7), other spirit (11), Manatee.

A List (the very best, but rarely obtainable): Charnjibber* (1),
Crimson Bat* (1, 2, 13, 20), Dream Dragon*, Headhanger* (1),
Jolanti/intelligent* (5), Nymph* (2), Succubus* (1, 18), Vampire*
(1, 3); also, a human, morokanth, or awakened herd animal with
Fix Intelligence cast on it*

B List: Baboon/unintelligent, Bandersnatch (4), Basilisk (1),
Chimpanzee*, Cockatrice (1), Gorilla*, Gulper (13), Herd Man,
Hoon*, Jolanti/normal (17), Roc (13, 20), SHADOW CAT, Stoorworm*
(1)

C List: Amphisboena (16), BAT, Brown Bear, Bull, Catoblepas (1),
Chonchon* (9), DOG, Elemental (6), Fox, Ghost* (7), Ghoul* (1,
3), most Giant Arthropods (especially BEES and WASPS), Griffin*
(12, 13, 14), HAWK, Hellion* (8), Hippogriff* (13, 14), HORSE,
Hydra/lesser (1, 16), Lamia* (1, 3), Lion (13), Magic Spirit*
(7), Manticore* (12), Mummy* (3), Panther, Polar Bear (4),
Python, Redcap* (1, 5), Rubble Runner, Sabretooth (13), Skybull
(13, 14), Tiger (13), Two-Headed Dragonsnail (1, 16), Wolf,
Wraith* (10), Zebra

D List: Alticamelus (14), Baluchithere (13), Behemoth (4, 13),
Bison (14), Bolo Lizard (14), Cliff Toad, Crocodilian, Deer,
Demi-bird (14), Dinosaurs (13), Dragonsnail (1), Elephant (13,
14), Impala (14), Intellect Spirit (7), Lesser Hydra (1), Ostrich
(14), Rhino (14), Rock Lizard, Sable Deer (14), Skeleton (17),
Titanothere (13), Tusker (14, 19), Walktapus (1), Zombie (17);
any small, inoffensive creature, such as a BIRD or CAT

E List: Gorp (1, 15), any spirit not named above (11), any plant
or inanimate object (needs six characteristics)

1: creature tainted with chaos--available only to Boristi
(maybe), Galvosti (maybe), Brithini, Lunars, and chaotics; NOTE:
a chaos feature beneficial to the sorcerer will bump the creature
up to a higher level of desirability (POW x 1 chance for Ghoul,
Gorp, Hydra, or Headhanger; POW x 3 for Stoorworm; 1D3 features
for Dragonsnail)

2: needs STR, CON, and SIZ only (no permanent body)

3: needs POW only (no soul)

4: non-Gloranthan

5: needs CON only

6: needs CON, INT, & DEX

7: needs STR, CON, SIZ, & DEX

8: needs STR, CON, POW, & DEX

9: needs STR, CON, SIZ, & POW

10: needs STR, SIZ, POW, & DEX

11: needs STR, CON, SIZ, INT, & DEX

12: only available if this creature is unintelligent in your
world

13: warning: extremely large appetite

14: requires specialized Ride skill to be used as a mount

15: needs STR, INT, & DEX (arguably, though, a gorp only needs
INT, since it has STR and DEX of zero--if so, it should be in
category D), but how does the sorcerer touch it?

16: it is arguable that each heads' INT must be increased

17: needs CON, INT, & POW

18: needs SIZ only

19: only friendly to Tusk Riders

20: get real!  You could also include the Mother of Monsters and
several other monsters and terrors in this category.  As with the
recipe for Bear Stew (first kill a bear), the first problem is
getting the spell Dominate Roc/ Dominate Crimson Bat/ Dominate
Mother of Monsters.

======================================================================

From:  MOB and Trevor Ackerly

Subject:  Personalities of Glorantha

PERSONALITIES OF GLORANTHA	 Some Character Assassinations by MOB
and Trevor Ackerly (with apologies to the authors of CULTS OF PRAX and
CULTS OF TERROR)

Both Cults of Prax and Cults of Terror contained narrative sequences
which helped characterize the accompanying text.  Cults of Prax used
the journal of one Biturian Varosh, a wandering Issaries priest who
made an eventful journey through Prax in the winter of 1614-15 S.T.
Cults of Terror quoted from the memoirs of Lunar bureaucrat Paulis
Longvale, who as a youth witnessed a protracted campaign against the
forces of chaos in the Lunar client-kingdom of Bilini.  It is said in
Cults of Terror of Paulis that although he was a "bright, humorous
young man, he grew colder and more sardonic as the years passed"
(CofT, p.22).

This obscure reference to Paulis's later character prompted us to
imagine what he would have been like in his "cold and sardonic"
period.  As you will read, we took the "cold and sardonic" bit to the
extreme.  If it's any consolation, Cults of Terror goes on to state
that upon his retirement, Paulis's personality mellowed.  The
misfortunes of his comrade Biturian Varosh follow.



PAULIS LONGVALE

Paulis is in his cold and sardonic stage.  With a reputation of being
incorruptible, dispassionate and inflexible, Paulis has served in a
number of undesirable posts on behalf of the interior Lunar
bureaucracy.  Tasks given to him in recent years include Collector of
Back-Taxes for the famine-wracked province of Saird, Inquistor-General
during the heresy hunts at Ulifilas; Comptroller of Forced
Resettlement in the newly-won provinces of Sartar and Heortland, and
Lunar Ambassador to Tork.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, he has been
assassinated and resurrected seven times (something of an Imperial
record), and has even been visited once by the Tax Demons.  As a final
blow, his vast estates in the Heartlands were sequestered by the
state, as a punishment for not recovering the revenues sought in
Saird.  These persistent catastrophes have taken their toll on him,
both physically and mentally.

Physically, he lost an eye to the dagger of a treacherous friend,
after Paulis denounced him as a heretic before the mob at Ulifilas
(his friend had the final word: soon after this episode, Paulis too
was murdered by the zealous fanatics of that city).  Because of the
numerous resurrections, Paulis's physical characteristics have
suffered, as has his flute playing.  Yet Paulis loves to play, and
anyone complaining of the cacophony will incur his wrath.

Mentally, Paulis has acquired a distrust of all Lunars and a contempt
for all non-Lunars.  This mental imbalance has led him to some
eccentricities, such as when he recently shaved his head as a protest
against the rampant political instabilities of his age.

Paulis has tried to overcome his setbacks: his most recent task of
Debaser of Coinage in Vanch has somewhat restored his fortune, and he
has bound a spirit (some say that of his treacherous friend) into a
tiny *spit snake* .  This snake Paulis has hidden in a cavity in his
glass eye.  The snake helps him to keep a rather distorted distance
vision.  It can also spit out its acrid venom through a tiny hole in
the center of the eye.  Paulis delights in spitting his snake at
unaware passers-by.

The prospect of death annoys Paulis rather than evoking fear in him.
Thus he wears no armour, yet carries a wide range of weapons in order
to inflict as much pain as possible on his assailants.

Paulis is tall but stooped, with a permanent scowl on his face.  His
skull is covered with extremely short bristles of dark hair, just
beginning to grow back after he shaved it all off.  Though he wears no
armour, Paulis carries a wide array of weaponry and a flute of solid
silver.  His dress is expensive but shabby, though he wears the silver
crescent brooch of his high office prominently at his throat.  His
most arresting feature is his right eye.  It stares blankly forward or
jerks unnaturally about independent of his left.  Only when
concentrating do the eyes work together.  Paulis flaunts his
left-handedness in all greetings.



Paulis Longvale Human male, 43.  Initiate of Irrippi Ontor.

STR 09	 CON 09 SIZ 15	 INT 17	 POW 18	 DEX 09	 APP 08
	

19-20 Head	 20	 0/4	 16-18	L.A.	 18-19	0/3
13-15	R.A.	 16-17	0/3	 12	 Chest	 11-15	0/5
09-11	Abdm	 07-10 0/4	 05-08	L.L	 04-06 0/4
01-04	R.L	 01-03 0/4	 Weapon	SR	Attk%	Damage	Parr%
A.P.  Scimitar	8	 76	 1d6+2	 69	 10 Sickle
9	 60	 1d6	 32	 6 Rapier	 8	 59
1d6+1	 31	 8 Dagger	 9	 41	 1d4+2	 38	 6
Kick	 9	 50	 1d6	 29	 3 Fist	 9	 81
1d3	 58	 3
				

Fatigue: 18 - 4 ENC = 14	 Dodge: 66 - 4 ENC = 62% Hit Points:
12 Move: 3

Spirit Magic (44%): Mindspeech-1; Demoralize (2); Disrupt; Glamour-1;
Countermagic-3; Detect Silver; Detect Parchment; Detect Vellum; Detect
Ink; Detect Enemies; Detect Detection; Detection Blank-3.  Divine
Magic (one-use): Spirit Block I.  Skills: Evaluate 91%; Orate 57%;
Negotiate 40%; Fast Talk 45%; Human Lore 68%; Gloranthan Lore 73%;
Scan 69%; Listen 54%; Devise 44%; Play Flute 05%; Issue Cruel Decrees
80%; Be Unpopular 95%.  Languages: New Pelorian 67/57; Old Pelorian
87/87; Tradetalk 51/36.  Magic Items: Crystal storing 6 MP set into
brooch.  Treasure: Silver flute worth 800L; Glass eye worth 305L;
Ransom estimated at 5000L.  Spirit: A cult spirit is bound into a tiny
spit snake which inhabits a hollow cavity in Paulis's glass eye.  INT
13 POW 09 Spit 95%.

*****

BITURIAN VAROSH

A former Issaries Goldentongue, Biturian suffered several personal
misfortunes which precipitated him leaving the cult.  Firstly, his
wife Norayeep, a former slave whom he had purchased several years
before (along with her strange younger brother), deserted him.  She
ran off with a Sable Rider, taking many of his valuable trade goods.
In seeking to recover these items, Biturian inadvertently received
stolen goods himself and was visited by the Issaries Spirit of
Retribution *Raw Greed Eed*.  Since then he has been compelled to
covet and possess one item of the stolen hoard, a silver salt cellar
which he will not part with for any price.  The stigma of having
tasted Raw Greed brought scorn and ridicule from his cult peers,
finally driving him to insanity and drink.  Though still an inactive
priest, Biturian sought solace in a Danfive Xaron monastery, seeking
to cure his addiction.

Biturian spent five years in the monastery, a fact exploited by the
Lunar propaganda machine.  Eventually, he was excommunicated from the
Issaries cult.  Unfortunately, this meant he was no longer of any
value to the Lunar propagandists and so was evicted from his refuge.

Almost cured of his drinking problem, Biturian became a wine dealer in
the Etyries cult and began to make a new start in life.  Soon,
however, he was beset by further misfortune.  Morak, the brother of
his estranged wife, had turned out to in fact be a minotaur.  During
the five years of Biturian's confinement Morak grew up, and, when
reunited with his sister, heard an exaggerated account of her
mistreatment at the hands of the merchant.  Morak bellowed with rage,
swore revenge, and set about seeking Biturian out.  Upon finding him
at the market in Furthest, Morak slew him.  Several days later
Biturian found himself resurrected.  He was mistaken at the Lunar
morgue for Paulis Longvale, an important Lunar bureaucrat also killed
that day.  This unlikely coincidence impressed Paulis when he too was
revived, and he co-opted Biturian onto his staff.

Unsurprisingly, Biturian became very uneasy when he realized that
Morak was after him.  This uneasiness grew into a pervading paranoia
after Morak attacked and slew him again, several months later.  Being
the only person who was willing to work closely with him, Paulis
asserted his authority and enabled Biturian to again be resurrected
(albeit three days after he was killed).  Upon awakening, Biturian
promptly sacrificed much of his personal POW on one-use spells to help
defend himself against future attacks by the maddened bull-man.  Since
then, Morak has made at least two unsuccessful attempts on his life.

Biturian's once strong features have been ruined by his addiction to
wine and his exposure to catastrophe.  He affects a limp, though this
is known to change feet from time to time.  Continuously fearful,
Biturian has difficulty sleeping and if possible will stand with his
back to a wall.  His general nervousness has brought on a stutter,
which has destroyed his once formidable skill as a bargainer.  He is
often seen mumbling to himself and will occasionally shout obscenities
aloud to no-one in particular.

(In actual fact, Biturian is speaking to Eye-Whisper, his former
allied spirit.  Eye Whisper, whom you will recall from Cults of Prax
spent most of its POW to save by divine intervention Biturian's life
during a Yelmalio ritual combat at the Sun Dome, has been given
permission by Issaries to convince the wayward priest back into the
fold.  Eye Whisper continually hovers about its former master, but,
being so low on POW, can do little to assist him.  Biturian considers
the spirit to be a great nuisance.)

Biturian is by no means a Lunar patriot, and secretly despises his
master Paulis.  However, while Morak is at large, he sees his best
chances of survival staying where he is.



Biturian Varosh Human male, 53.  Initiate of Etyries (ex-Goldentongue
priest)

STR 06	 CON 08 SIZ 17	 INT 15	 POW 06	 DEX 12	 APP 09
	

19-20 Head	 20	 0/5	 16-18	L.A.	 18-19	0/4
13-15	R.A.	 16-17	0/4	 12	 Chest	 11-15	0/6
09-11	Abdm	 07-10 0/5	 05-08	L.L	 04-06 0/5
01-04	R.L	 01-03 0/5	 Weapon	SR	Attk%	Damage	Parr%
A.P.  Q. Staff 	5	 82	 1d8 	 76	 8
Scimitar	6	 29	 1d6+2 26	 10
				

Fatigue: 14 - 4 ENC = 10	 Dodge: 43 - 4 ENC = 39% Hit Points:
13 Move: 3

Spirit Magic: None.  Divine Magic (all one-use): Madness IV; Mind
Blast I; Shield II; Path Watch III.  Skills: Bargain 15%; Evaluate
78%; Raw Greed (for salt cellar) 125%.  Languages: Tradetalk 65/- (has
forgotten all others).  Magic Items: Silver salt cellar is enchanted
to store 24 MPs, however every time MP are drawn from it, the user
must attune the item again.  Treasure: The salt cellar is of heirloom
value.  Special: Biturian is continuously watched over by Eye-Whisper,
his former allied spirit.  INT 11 POW 02.  Spirit Magic: Mindspeech-1.

======================================================================
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