> >I don't think the Basmoli of the Grey Age who
> >dominated parts of Seshnela and Ralios were much like the defeated Basmoli
> >of today. It's quite likely they at one time practiced sorcery, and only
> >devolved into "cave men" after suffering numerous defeats.
> To wit: One fort called "Old Wolf Fort" and the "City of Wolves" mentioned
> in Cults of Terror. But meeting places do not a civilization make as
> the Rathori and the Uncolings have similar meeting places and nobody
> describes them as civilized.
Right, and this is from the publishing era when the RQ2 map showed Sartar dottied with cities that are really more properly towns, so "City of Wolves" could simply be a colloquial term.
But it could well be some pre-Dawn kingdom.
> I really think this notion of people degenerating into "cavemen"
> after they had been defeated is patently ridiculous. The welsh,
> for example, are not cavemen despite having been seemingly expelled
> from much of England by the anglo-saxons. There would be stronger
> similarities between the cultures above and beyond the fact that
> they worship wolves, then you would suggest.
I wasn't terribly clear. Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs, and Steel" (highly recommended) has several examples of people who lost what seems like very basic technology, when it was no longer practical in a new environment. The Basmoli used to have an extensive range over what must be food producing areas (since civilized folk live there now). They now live up in the mountains, for the most part, and would no longer have plows (or slash & burn or whatever). As hunter-gatherers, they would no longer be able to produce the surpluses needed to support their original kingdoms. "Cavemen" may be a bit strong, but I've seen the term used for the Seshnegi-Ralian Basmoli. I remain convinced they have lost much of the technology they used to have -- not that it's a big deal. What use would they have for (for example) wheeled carts if they now live in the woods and hunt? It's not like this loss of technology is a bad thing.
Likewise, their magic may well be different now -- they used to be able to combine in much larger groups for worship. Again, having lost the technology to run a temple is meaningless, since they don't have the population density to use a temple.
Isn't it more true that the Welsh have contracted their range, rather than being expelled to a new and entirely different place?
Chris Bell wondered
> the Introduction to Glorantha Book that's supposed to be part of the
> Hero Wars line...that's coming out this Xmas?
Not according to the latest updates on the Issaries site (it may be buried in the "Issaries Inc." link).
Stephen Martin advertised Book of Drastic Resolutions, Volume Darkness.
I haven't had an opportunity to read it, but it has a fine Dan Barker cover, and 117 pages about trolls. As a bonus, the Cult of Kyger Litor comes already separated, in case you don't want a fourth copy... (Actually it's a revised version.)
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
Powered by hypermail