Babsi
==
(Rules)
A "mea culpa" on the parry rules issue (a result of never having fully transitioned from RQ2 to 3, and indeed having later dropped some RQ3 in favour of RQ2). A perception of "what's wrong with high level RQ combat" came from the analysis by Bill Keyes in A&E61, matching two Runelords with 120% attack and parry, 20% defense, d4 damage add, and bladesharp 4; minimally armoured (1pt) plus a large iron shield gave an expected time to first blood of over 20 rounds (i.e. you needed to extend or renew the Bladesharp). The proposal to fix was the rule which in RQ3 was adopted for the dodge skill only (as I find by digging the RQ3 books out of the loft).
Against that sort of opponent, Great Parry is still of only minimal marginal utility (most of the time, the first blood will be due to a 96+ on the parry, rather than the doubled damage getting through the 24 points of shield). Things that get through that much shield will be decidedly unhealthy in the same circumstances.
(Customs)
It may just be my mind, but the idea of Babeester Gor cultists "jerking penises" strikes me as, uh, linguistically infelicitous. And while I am sure there is a sound anthropological justification for such a custom in cthonic practise, I'm afraid the first association I make is to the notorious Arduinian brigand, Shardra the Castrator (Arduin Grimoire vol 3, picture page 1, stats page 84). She was a mad axe murderess with similar dietary habits; and I'm not sure I want to bring Arduinian memes into consciousness while dealing with Glorantha.
One custom developed in our campaign has been the "Face of Death" - when on a specific mission of vengeance, drawing - ideally in ochre, but in any mud that will stick - the death rune from hairline to chin, and across the eyes. This is something that not having a beard makes easier.
Urban Sartar
==
Two important points from the digests I've skimmed
1) the citadel vs city distinction
2) the Romanisation of some German tribes.
It would be possible - but rather stretching the envelope of what is urban (and the economic potential of only about 120 years) - to scatter a few score Mycenean-style citadels (as appropriated for Balazar) with a hundred odd folk providing logistic support to the palace to make up the 14,000 urban population.
Even then, I would consider the more likely style of citadel for the Orlanthi to be more like Iron Age hill forts (e.g. Maiden Castle).
There is likely to be a significant change between Sartar in 1600 ST and (abortive rebellion in the middle aside) in 1625 due to Lunarization - and it might be possible to pump up the urban fraction by planting a number of Lunar colonia, though we have no real evidence of such. How far the occupation has made the transition of Boldhome from palace, other public/religious structures, and minimal logistic support (servants, associated cultivation), to a centre of specialised manufacture and service sectors of the economy in a generation of occupation, it's hard to tell. Faster than the example of Athens between 700BC and a couple of hundred years later at its zenith (though I likened Jonstown to Athens more on the Academy <==> Lankhor Mhy temple analogy).
It's worth noting for a RW example that Charlemagne's capital at Aix had about 2-3000 citizens - under 1% the population of Byzantium at the same time. The former feels more like Sartar, the latter like any of the long established civilisations : the latter feels much more highly urbanised than the former.
The depiction of Boldhome in the _Rough Guide_ didn't manage to suspend my disbelief (and let's not get started on that early, and canon-by-tradition anomaly, Apple Lane....)
The Red Menace
==
Nick Brooke adduced a number of singalongs at conventions as evidence of the Lunars as Communists theory. Perhaps I should wait until late one evening at Convulsion next year, and start up a rousing chorus of "Roll out Red Barrel" to prove that they also drink filthy keg "beer". [Note for those not around and noticing such things in c1970 Britain - Watney's Red Barrel was one of the first national brand beers, homogenised by design, pasteurised by construction, stored under gas pressure, and intended to require minimal cellaring skills. It was quickly demonised by folk who cared what they drank.]
Actually, I don't really have any clear idea of what the Lunar Empire is from the material I have read (which excludes the Entekosiad and similar recent material). It appears to have elements of the pagan Roman Empire, in terms of nomenclature, in terms of the attitude of religious incorporation (with the notable exceptions of Druidism and Christianity, the motives for suppresion of which were as much political as religious). It has elements of Oriental absolute monarchy (especially in the more decadent elements it is depicted as having). It is also like the Roman empire in the context - including the overrun of (the Western Empire) by barbarian migrations.
In addition it seems to have accreted a number of personal hate figures (the gin drinking habit reads to me as a jibe at the chinless wonders of the upper classes; but also things like tax demons), and a few outright bad puns (the Red Tapeworm, for crying out loud).
If it were a Soviet Communist analogue, then there would be suppression of everything but the state religion (dialectic materialism in the RW case); collectivisation of agriculture; mass relocation of population; systematic destruction of the original aristocracy; socialist-realist art; titles that have not accreted the connotation of heredity.
The story Duke Raus of Rone's exile reads more like the loss of one aristocrat in political infighting with another, not a (centuries past) exile of the family. In the Lunars as Commies take, he would either be a Yelm-worshipper, staunchly anti-Lunar, and be several generations down the line from exile from Dara Happa - or he would be Commissar Comrade Raus, a highly advanced Party (i.e. Red Goddess cult) member who had lost out in a purge.
Oh yes, the use of "egregious" from amongst competing synonyms was due to its extra punning quality in the circumstances.
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