RE: JarEel and the Pharoah.

From: Jane Williams <janewilliams20_at_yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2005 08:18:36 -0000

Victor:
> I had long suspected that the Lunars had something to do with
> the Pharaohs death. This was the first I've heard it actually
> said, though.
> Where is this written? It sounds like a fun story to read and
> maybe base a game around.

I've got no idea where this is in HW/HQ publications, but on the Genertela Book (Glorantha boxed set) p 34 it says "In 1616 she arranged the capture and spiritual dismemberment of the Pharoah and his household."

P46,48 describe the same event from the other PoV: first the general principle of the Pharoah's reign, then how it went wrong.

"In 1336 the Pharoah "used up" his body the first time and the first of the Tournament of the Masters of Luck and Death was held. In this event, certain individuals, chosen by a means known only to the Pharoah, awake between dawn and day in a throughly magical Holy Country and compete upon the magic plane. The winner gives his body to the Pharoah, who inhabits it for a number of years* before requiring a new one. The winner's soul is liberated with consciousness and full powers to an angelic existence."

"1616 was a bad year for the Holy Country.... (examples snipped)... The Pharoah disappeared, and the Masters of Luck and Death failed to provide a new body."

• There has been speculation about the number of years in question. All I note here is that he swam ashore in 1313, so it took a min. of 23 years to "use up" his body the first time. Theories of seven-year cycles therefore have holes in.

Quite what JarEel did has also been the subject of speculation, but I'm not aware of any definitive answer.

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