> I've noticed that the EWF planned for the entire population of Dara
> Happa to be split among five cults. Any idea of what those cults
> are? The Golden Dragon is undoubtedly one whereas the New Blue
> Dragon also depicted in the Fortunate Succession.
Pure speculation: the five elements. You've named Fire and Water.
> What we really need is a plausible strategy to take out Dragons
> on the Battlefield. It can't be archery IMO because Alakoring
> was killed because he refused to believe in the power of Bows.
He was killed because he underestimated the range of *Aldryami* bows (and because he assumed that he could apply his own cultural norms to the Aldrya; probably he was the sort who just talks louder when foreigners don't understand him).
> Savvy members of the EWF especially the
> Here-and-nows would have gotten wind of Alakoring and said 'guest-right
> be damned' and committed secret murder if he went into their borders.
I can't imagine they would have committed secret murder. The Orlanthi crime occurs when you kill somebody and *don't tell anybody.* That's why it's a secret. Surely the EWF would have gloated publicly at Alakoring's death.
> the Raibanth army
> that had been frightened to death by a Great Big Huge Dragon had
> prior experience in fighting dragons
As I recall it, this incident happened after the Dragonkill, which by definition was a time when nobody had experience in fighting dragons.
Steve Lucek wrote
> I have a real problem with the vast majority of Orlanthi being initiates.
> My main qualm about it is that this would be a very strong force towards a
> theocratic society.
No more than Iceland suddenly became a theocracy after the decision to become Christian. Or the Merovingian Franks were a theocracy (despite being Christian, venerating St Martin, etc.).
> The strong ties of an
> initiate would surely erode the clan and tribal ties
This was apparently true in the Second Age; Alakoring Dragonbreaker put an end to that.
> Since everyone
> has to do a little of everything, they are probably lay members of a general
> Orlanthi cult, worshipping the members of the whole pantheon. For the
>Task in
> hand, they pray to the appropriate member of that pantheon for a blessing
Exactly as I view it, except that everyone is an initiate of an Orlanth cult, which gives them access to other members of the pantheon as appropriate.
I believe a heroquest game similar to Mythos would be a much more interesting game, because deck building would become an actual game! Your character couldn't just pick any 52 cards to quest with, he'd have to have earned them somehow. For example, each point of rune magic sacrificed to Orlanth might entitle you to a Storm Magic card. You might have to negotiate with the clan ring to get the Support of the Clan card. Etc. (Greg and I had a discussion on these lines last year.)
On the other hand, a heroquest game might be obnoxious, in that (to be true to heroquesting) you might really have to ante up cards as stakes, which could be won by the other player (and kept, like Orlanth's Sandals of Darkness).
David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_pensee.com> Glorantha/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html> Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein
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