From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RQ Digest Maintainer)
To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Daily automated RQ-Digest)
Reply-To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RuneQuest Daily)
Subject: RuneQuest Daily, Mon, 31 Jan 1994, part 2
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From: MOBTOTRM@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au
Subject: Mercenary Contract of Leonidas the Short, Wind Voice
Message-ID: <01H89WRR6F4C9D66ED@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au>
Date: 30 Jan 94 11:58:56 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 2935
This document, based on Duke Raus's mercenary contract in Borderlands, was
used in play during my favourite RQ campaign, GMed by Gary James in 1984-86.
Although it closely resembles Raus's document, a close reading indicates
that those stupid enough sign get very little at all. This was the intent
of Trevor Ackerly, who played the priest Leonidas, and he actually managed to
dupe several other PCs into signing up!
Take particular note of clauses d, e, g, j and k, and comapre with the
original!
(XXIX.14-16.a) Mercenary Contract of Leonidas the Short, Wind Voice of
Orlanth Adventurous: Each hired person will give his complete and utter
loyalty in all matters, whether they lead unto life or death to me and me
only, Leonidas the Short, Wind Voice of Orlanth, vessel for the magics
of Orlanth to come into this world, to sworn in person by the oath of
my choice.
(XXIX.14-16.b) Each warrior agrees to obey all officers appointed by me,
as if they were me, except in matters which countermand orders given by
me.
(XXIX.14-16.c) Each warrior agrees and understands that he places complete
trust in my wisdom, and that my interests include the well-being and trust
of each individual in my employ, and that I will not abuse or needlessly
risk anyone's life, and that risks are taken only for the call of
adventure, the killing of chaos, the meeting of Lightbringer's
obligations, or as it aids and serves to protect every loyal
member of my group.
(XXIX.14-16.d) Each hired warrior will be given adequate time to
provision himself at the nearest marketplace with whatever victuals
are desired; likewise for the care of mounts. Further, I recognize
the obligations of members of the Foundchild Hunter cult to support
themselves, and will allow them one day a week to accomplish this.
(XXIX.14-16.e) I will inform all of my followers one day in advance
of anticipated changes of weather, so that they may provide themselves
with adequate shelter when necessary.
(XXIX.14-16.f) I am an honourable man, and anyone in my employ may have
his own items reviewed by myself or my captain, establishing true and
absolute ownership, which I guarantee not to violate.
(XXIX.14-16.g) I am a just man, so that I will deal harshly with any
who would steal from me, whether they be in my employ or not; such shall
forfeit their life, limbs, soul and goods to my mercy. More, on my word,
I vow to waste no time in supporting the cause of anyone among my ranks
against whom a similar injustice has been committed.
(XXIX.14-16.h) All warriors agree and understand that protection for each
is guaranteed by the strength of the contingent, with the understanding
that the warriors obey instructions to the letter, and that they in no
way behave purposefully with neglect or intent to harm me or my
reputation.
(XXIX.14-16.i) I am Leonidas the Short, Wind Voice of Orlanth
Adventurous and vessel for the magics of Orlanth to come into this world,
and I speak for my God, Orlanth, among whose entourage is Aiolos, a
powerful spirit of the winds whom I have been intimately associated,
and who has the ear of Orlanth; and I speak also for the Runes that
I have mastered. The powers of my gods protect me and mine from
foul broos and krarshtkids, as well as evil sorcery and wicked shamans'
magics. Once, I went to the spirit world where I fought enemy spirits,
those that dared oppose me, and I imprisoned the greatest one to prove
my power...
[In other words, he bound a spirit]
...Another time I bested the four spiritual foes sent against
me by cult enemies, and plundered their power for the glory of Orlanth...
[In other words there was some spirit combat in one adventure]
...Know that am I touched by the Luck Rune, a gift of the gods, and have
spells and enchantments which are fearsome to my enemies...
[Leonidas survived the Plague in the Borderlands Muriah's Revenge scenario,
but ended up with a CON of 2. As he survived the rest of the campaign, which
included the rest of Borderlands, cleaning out Snakepipe Hollow and other
nasty places, as an invalid with only ONE HIT POINT, I think he can claim
Luck's touch!]
In my household lives a Priestess and two nurses of the White Goddess, who
know many spells, prayers and potions, who will keep you hale and hearty.
In repayment for mighty aid given, the Priestess once granted me the power
to once restore a departed soul to its body...
[This is the Healer Errissa Marn from Snakepipe Hollow, whom Leonidas rescued
with a successful cast of a Divine Intervention x1 spell (RQ2). As reward,
he got a one use ressurect spell, and the services of two CA initiates]
...All these will help keep you healthy from enemy gods and devils who are
sent against you for being in my service.
(XXIX.14-16.j) I am a generous man, so that I will allow my employees
to purchase and wear what clothing they wish, as long as it does not
clash with my personal taste, and I will repair and make whole any
weapon or piece of armour damaged while on duty. I will guarantee
the collection or debt of at least five gold wheels worth of spell
training per season, and once per year will place my spell-teaching
abilities at the desires of my employees for one week each. Collection
is made at my pleasure and and is limited to a spell I know. Debt is
cumulative until collected, or it may be paid in cash if it cannot be
otherwise redeemed for the length of one full year. I am a Master of
diverse weapons, skills and arts and alternatively, expert tuition may
be offered in lieu of spell training, at my sole discretion. Each
warrior will also receive a fair share of any loot garnered on a
mission according to the Orlanthi method, and leave of one week is
given between missions.
(XXIX.14-16.k) I am a courageous man, and I often venture into situations
of great danger with my followers for their benefit. Thus I will
assist Lightbringer initiates to bind spirits to prove their power
and increase mine, but only by mutual agreement between both parties.
I understand well the dangers involved, so that I forbid any warrior
to undertake this journey to the spirit plane without my consent. In
exchange, each warrior agrees to recognize me as their heir. In the
event of my own demise, my goods shall become the property of the
Orlanth Adventurous Temple, with my heir being the first of my
followers to attain the status of Wind Lord of Orlanth.
(XXIX.14-16.l) Finally, I am a wise and pious man, and I ask that
none but the faithful attend my weekly services to Orlanth, but those
that do shall recognize me as their priest and make proper tithe. The
White Goddess had given me the power to bestow the gift of life once,
and members of my congregation become eligible for this blessing,
especially if they die in my service. I will not misuse this ability
on unbelievers, nor without the recommendation of my captain.
You may count, however, that I will balance well the worthiness of
the brave and the unlucky for I know well the curse of death. I will
double the pay of any Orlanth initiate; but I will not allow those
without the cult to have or use swords, nor will I repair such; for
the sword is the Air's weapon. Air Rune cultists may petition me for
exemption to this rule, which I may or may not grant, as I see
fitting. However, I promise to act as sponsor for any suitable
person in my employ, should they wish to join the ranks of those who
worship the Winds.
(XXIX.14-16.m) Now I demand oath and seal of you, by the recitation
of the following: By all that is truth and honour I swear by the lungs
that give me life, my legs that give me movement, my mind that gives me
magic, and by my hands that give me mastery that I will give faith and
fealty to Leonidas the Short, Wind Voice of Orlanth and vessel for the
magics of Orlanth into this world , until I am honourably released from
this service, or death take me, or the world shall end.
(XXIX.14-16.n) Signature, Oath or Sign of the Mercenary.
[copied from Book XXIX of the Nochet Collectanea]
MOB
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From: ddunham@radiomail.net (David Dunham)
Subject: Yu-Kargzant; Shargash
Message-ID: <199401291957.AA04699@radiomail.net>
Date: 29 Jan 94 19:57:21 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 2937
>From: carlf@panix.com (Carl Fink)
>However, Kargzant is still worshipped as
>"Yu-Kargzant" by the Grazelanders, and (I deduce) the Pentans.
I'm pretty sure the Grazers worship differently than the Pentans (who are
after all the False Sun-Horses). The Pentans were probably polluted by
their contact to the Dara Happan sun gods, and would have adopted their
ways (since Yu-Kargzant is described as being a less powerful sun god).
I've heard that the Yelm cult as written up is pretty much a Pentan
variety. We know the Grazers don't worship Yelm by that name, and have
separate deities for different age groups, not merely different
aspects/subcults of Yelm. (Of course, Dastal, Jardan, Henird, and Josad
correspond closely to the Pentan subcults of Yelm the Rider, Yelm the
Warrior, Yelm the Leader, and Yelm the Elder. A Jrusteli God-Learner might
try to call them the same, but this would horrify Grazers or Pentans.)
In Glorious ReAscent of Yelm, it's apparent that Kargzant is a separate
celestial body (not nearly as bright as Yelm). Kargzant doesn't seem to be
visible any longer (not mentioned in Elder Secrets, at least). There are
three explanations: 1) it no longer exists; 2) it still shines, but Yelm is
so much brighter you can never see Kargzant; 3) the pitiful (but shiny)
portion of Yelm that went to Hell was reunited with Kargzant after Orlanth
made atonement. The reunited deity is now known as Yu-Kargzant. The Grazers
obviously believe #3, and point out that before the bright sun was emodied
in Yu-Kargzant, it didn't move across the sky dome.
Of course, unlike the Dara Happans, the Grazers don't consider Kargzant the
Nomad to be a rebel deity.
> Does anyone else think that Shargash is Umath and/or Orlanth? After
>all, Umath is a child of the Sky.
Shargash is a son of Yelm and Dendara; are you being taken in by "Shargash
the Thunderer?" "Shargash met Umatum [Umath, most likely] in battle and
sent him crashing to the earth." "When Umatum came to fight ... Shargash
turned the Destroyer away without the rebel even knowing what occurred.
Since then, no rebel of the Umatum family can stand still or go in a
straight line." This sounds like an explanation of how Air gods are the way
they are. Shargash appears more to be elemental War (runes are probably
Death, Disorder, and Fire).
>From: jacobus@sonata.cc.purdue.edu (Bryan J. Maloney)
>What a proper Humakti is depends entirely on WHERE that Humakti is (or more,
>accurately, where that Humakti came from and joined the cult).
Yes.
David Dunham * Software Designer * Pensee Corporation
Voice/Fax: 206 783 7404 * AppleLink: DDUNHAM * Internet: ddunham@radiomail.net
"I say we should listen to the customers and give them what they want."
"What they want is better products for free." --Scott Adams
---------------------
From: okamoto@hpcc101.corp.hp.com (Jeff Okamoto)
Subject: Re: RuneQuest Daily, Sat, 29 Jan 1994, part 1
Message-ID: <9401292042.AA17229@hpcc101.corp.hp.com>
Date: 29 Jan 94 20:42:05 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 2938
> From: devinc@aol.com
> Subject: Re: Missing RQ Dailies and Illumination
>
> 1) Can illumination be reversed?
I would say not easily. Once you know that Darth Vader is Luke's father,
it's hard to watch Star Wars again and thinking of him as "evil incarnate",
rather than victim of the Dark Side.
> 2) Do people know that they have been asked a riddle right away?
I highly doubt it. In CoT, Oddi didn't know it, and he was Storm Bull.
I think of a Nysalor Riddle kind of like one of Larry Niven's stories,
"What Good is a Chocolate-Covered Manhole?", in which the antagonist asks
thought-provoking questions in order to determine if the answerer is truly
intelligent or not. In this case, it's to see if the answerer is totally
closed to the concept of Chaos and Order being similar.
Another idea from the story: strap blocks of ice to your feet and skate on
a rink of knife-sharp blades. Or, was the Garden of Eden just another
civilization's way of hastening human evolution?
Personal question: what OTHER shape besides
a circle will not fall into a hole of its own shape? For instance, a
square-shaped manhole cover would fall into the hole if it was turned
diagonally. So will a triangle. A circle will not, but there's at least
one more shape that will not.
> 3) If illumination cannot be reversed, and if it is the goal of riddlers to
> "infect" other with their riddles, then won't it be true that soon all of
> Glorantha will become illuminated?
Who said their goal was to Illuminate all Glorantha?
And don't forget about the Arkati.... In some ways, they're like fascists,
attempting to keep "foreign thoughts" from the general populace. Taking this
idea further, the Arkati are arrogantly decadent, keeping Illumination only
to themselves.
> So, until trollkin become Death Lords......
Now this would be an interesting HeroQuest....
Jeff
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From: jjm@zycor.lgc.com (johnjmedway)
Subject: Stirrups, HotB, Dara Happa and Humakt
Message-ID: <9401300055.AA27516@hp0.zycor.lgc.com>
Date: 30 Jan 94 00:55:49 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 2939
Sandy Petersen in X-RQ-ID: 2915
>>
>> johnjmedway asks:
>> >Do they have stirrups? Who does have stirrups?
>>
>> Greg and I both concur that stirrups are available everywhere in
>> Genertela in the Third Age. My own belief is that stirrups were
Fair enough. The art ( all there has been to go on ) has varied, though:
Foes, p.83 shows stirrups used by the zebra and rhino riders, and shows
the impala, bolo lizard and unicorn riders without. The altecamelus, sable
and bison riders are partially obscured, and make it impossible to tell.
RQ Companion, cover shows a bison rider with stirrups.
Genertela book shows the Pentan without.
MOB in X-RQ-ID: 2913
>> Subject: Back in the land Down Under (where women glow and men chunder...)
Another "divided by a common language" bit: "chunder"?
>> Well Su and I are safely returned from our 6 week US odyssey, and reeling
>> with shock at the antipodean heatwave we are now experiencing. Using
>> the Fahrenheit scale, yesterday it was exactly *one hundred degrees* warmer
>> here than it was in New Jersey just over two weeks ago, when we were
This is a good thing, yes?
>> fellow!" (As he *failed* to light the flame, why bother upsetting
>> Gordius's Grand Design which was progressing so nicely at that
>> stage?)
Which was?
>> *My wife Su, a resolute non-gamer, enjoying herself in Home of the Bold as
>> the Lunar Tax Collector.
Maybe we can convert her the rest of the way.
>> also finishing up Gordius's defense speech at the Lunar
>> Inquisitorial Commission, held to work out who to blame for the events
Ah, you *were* apprehended in Casino Town! Err, I mean rescued.
Good that you made it out. Hmm, maybe we should coordinate our stories.
Keep us all in decent condition ( un-crucified, not in a Danfive Xaron
Penal regiment, ... ).
>> at Boldhome. I'm confident Gordius will get out of this unharmed,and
>> maybe even with a promotion (it's a shame the only priest with Truth
The heat wave has made you delerious, my good man. Sit down and drink
something cool.
Paul Anderson in X-RQ-ID: 2917
>>
>> 2. Many proper names are formed with suffixes -ela (like Genertela) and -i,
>> like Kralori, Basmoli. What Gloranthan language are they from? if they are, as
>> I suspect, Jrusteli, what was the contemporary name of the High council of
>> Genertela? what is the native name of Kralorela (Hsi-hia?) etc. etc.
There was a little bit of discussion on this a while back. The -i of Genertela,
and the -o of Pamaltela were assumed to be from the form Tradetalk took in those
regions. Which one was the Godlearner's original form? I'd guess -i.
I'd say the Holy Country should use -im ( per Nick ? ), and the Ygg Islanders
use -inga ( per Joerg ), and other languages and cultures should have their
own forms.
As for -ela, and -ite, and -an, I don't know.
alex@dcs.gla.ac.uk in X-RQ-ID: 2928
>>
>> > guess ), the original 10 cities of Dara Happa were quite Solar.
>>
>> That makes sense: but what, for reference, are said cities? All the big
>> 'uns apart from Glamour and Red Fish?
Probably not. I'm afraid I was out of cash when the GRoY went around at the
Con, but I know that the other seven ( other than Alkoth, Yuthuppa & Raibanth )
were destroyed. Some may have been rebuilt, but whether the names or locations
changed, I don't know.
Damn, need to call up Wizard's Attic, I suppose.
>> > Antirius has been accused of being a Dara Happan analog of Yelmalio.
>> > There *are* some myth patterns in common, but there are as certainly
>> > many which are not.
>>
>> I've just /'d through my mailbox for references to Antirius, and I can't
>> say they help a lot. Anyone care to give us a run-down on this cult?
What I remember from what I read last summer, and what I've heard since then:
Antirus was a son of Yelm, but had no mother. He ruled over the Dara Happan
empire until he was wounded at the Hill of Gold. Unlike Yelmalio, he died of
his wounds, and the empire passed on to ___. ( Sorry, it's been a few months. )
Not a frontier god, like (Y)elmal(io) is normally considered.
Bryan J. Maloney in X-RQ-ID: 2933
>>
>> The following summarizes my opinions on Humakt/Humakti. It also explains the
>> fact that Yanafal Tarnils is more popular than is Humakt among the Lunars
>> (other than his Seven Mothers status, of course).
>>
>> In Dorastor, Humakt took a different aspect. There he is DEATH first and
>> foremost, death with honor but DEATH, nonetheless. He is the inescapable
>> and terrible TRUTH of DEATH that haunts all beings and claims all things.
>> I am of the opinion that this aspect is not just Dorastor's but is the more
>> commonly known aspect of Humakt throughout Carmania (Dara Happa). I allow
This sounds about the same as the way Greg described Humakt in Sartar,
when we spoke back at Origins. These guys are respected, but they are
*feared* as well.
I would still have problems fearing a duck, though.
Until he sliced me up, that is.
>> All of a sudden, they find these barbarians running around making Humakt the
>> epitome of loyalty, honor, courage, justice, etc. Furthermore, Humakti
>> doctrine in the south was a good deal more similar to Yanafal Tarnils doctrine
>> than was the northern Humakt's. The result: Duke Sor-Eel is attempting to
>> recruit Humakti, not necessarily to Yanafal Tarnils, but to the Lunar cause.
I like.
Niggling detail, though: it's Count Sor-Eel, unless things have gone better
for him in your campaign, than in the official history.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| john_medway@zycor.lgc.com | Landmark Graphics Corp | 512.292.2325 |
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From: katic@ICD.Teradyne.COM (Jim Katic)
Subject: Re: RuneQuest Daily, Fri, 28 Jan 1994, part 2
Message-ID: <9401300134.AA16849@attain.ICD.Teradyne.COM>
Date: 30 Jan 94 01:34:23 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 2940
Your subject line:
RuneQuest Daily, Fri, 28 Jan 1994, part 2
is NEVER the same because of the "part x" stuff. Would you PLEASE put
that in the body of the item so that I could kill the entire thread
easier??
Jim Katic
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From: carlf@panix.com (Carl Fink)
Subject: Blueskins
Message-ID: <199401300926.AA19826@panix.com>
Date: 29 Jan 94 23:26:02 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 2941
ngl28@rz.uni-kiel.d400.de (ngl28) () writes:
R>There seem to be three major and a few minor variants of the Man Rune
>(human races): The Wareran, Agimori and Eastern types each spawned a number
>of Hsunchen races, the minor ones (Veldang, Vadeli [who are listed as
>Warerans in Genertela Player Book if I remember correctly]) apparently did
>not.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS KNOWN ONLY TO GOD-LEARNERS
AND THE BRITHINI
The Vadeli and Veldang are the same race -- note that the "missing"
caste of the Vadeli are blueskinned. Greg's unpublished "Lunar Book"
mentions the conquest of Peloria by blueskins in the God Time.