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, 04 Apr 1994, part 2 Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM Content-Return: Prohibited Precedence: junk --------------------- From: erjablow@cais.com (Eric Robert Jablow) Subject: Glorantha, Baseball, Tennis, and Chess Message-ID:Date: 2 Apr 94 03:50:32 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3496 I've been looking at the recent discussion on Gloranthan sports and games, and their similarities to Terran sports. For example, I've tentatively placed baseball in an unusual place; in my vision of Glorantha, it's called Trollkin Ball. After all, who else parries thrown rocks with small clubs? I assume that it spread across troll lands through the value trollkin of Argan Argar traders and Gorakiki herders. Trolls ignore the sport; after all, it couldn't have any effect upon them, right? However, the sport is still half-primitive. You can retire a runner by hitting him with a thrown ball, as in the 1850's "soak" rule. No DH's! Dara Happans don't play lawn tennis. They play royal tennis; there's at least one court in every major city. That way, they don't have to play on dirt, clay, or grass, so they don't get their manicured hands dirty. I was also thinking about chess. We know it's played in Glorantha; it's mentioned in Apple Lane, Orlanth and Yelm played in at least one legend, and Dendara plays Gorgorma every night. I asked Greg at RQ-Con whether each culture had its own favorite openings; for example, do they use the Queen's Gambit in Esrolia, or the Sicilian Defense in Ralios, or the Ruy Lopez in Dara Happa. He said something to the effect of "Good question. You probably know more than I do." Do you think Gloranthan chess is the same as modern Terran chess, or is it chess with the old 1-space diagonal move of the queen, or what? Also, how do you simulate chess in RQ? How do you get the right probability of a draw? Perhaps you can run it like ordinary combat; each player has Attack and Parry skills equal to Chess skill, HP equal to average of INT and POW, and a 1D3 impaling weapon. No SRs; players attack simultaneously each round, and the player down below zero HP first loses. If both go under at the same time, or if the players agree, it's a draw. What do you think, sirs? Eric Robert Jablow "We'll send him cheezy programs, Reston, VA the worst we can find, la-la-la." --------------------- From: MOBTOTRM@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au Subject: Dictionaries? Message-ID: <01HAPXW4LLI091W9AB@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au> Date: 3 Apr 94 11:21:50 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3497 G'day Everyone, To take your minds off the RQAiG fiasco, here's a very old, slightly silly article I dredged out of my files: The Nochet Lhankor Mhy Library Collection Listed below are some of the dictionaries in the Nochet library collection. Sadly, many are now incomplete - factional hoarding, decay and of course the disastrous fire of 1618 have all contributed to their current shabby state. Dictionaries may consulted by members of the Lhankor Mhy or Irrippi Ontor cults free of charge, though this does not mean that the particular work sought will be available when required! Outsiders will either have to pay a sage the usual research costs, or may consult the dictionary requested in the reading room at a base rate of 2 s. per hour. Anias, the deputy chief librarian and head of the Exclusivist Faction makes a critical comment about each work. 1. OLD PAVIC LEXICON Main Language: Pavic Part Extant: All Benefit: Read Old Pavic at 1/2 Read Pavic Author: Anias Anias's Comment: This is an excellent and definitive work, worthy of my scholarly brilliance. 2. AN ESROLIAN-SARTARITE DICTIONARY Main Language: Esrolian Part Extant: All Benefit: Read Esrolian at 1/4 Sartarite and vice versa Author: Anias Anias's Comment: Still unsurpassed, it is a must for any would-be heroquester looking to organize a temple in Sartar. 3. THE ESSENCE OF MODERN MOSTALI Main Language: Esrolian Part Extant: All Benefit: Read Esrolian Author: Anias Anias's Comment: A quick browse is more stimulating than "Erotocomatose Lucidity". 4. THEYALAN IDIOM Main Language: Esrolian Part Extant: Vol.3 missing Benefit: Read other Theyalan dialects at 1/3 skill in own. Author: Anias and others Anias's Comment: A disappointment. 5. FIRESPEECH CODEX Main Language: Dara Happan Part Extant: J-N Benefit: +15% Read Dara Happan; +05% Yelm Cult Lore Author: Pious Goldbreath Anias's Comment: A massive and pompous tome, compiled before the advent of organized documentation and mostly incomplete, with a tendency to stray from the subject; yet grammatically sound. 6. SURVEY OF THE WESTERN TONG UES Main Language: Esrolian Part Extant: "Vadeli" vol. lost Benefit: +25% Read Brithini; +15% most other Western Languages. Author: Vasil of Brithos Anias's Comment: This work begins with a fallacy (that the written languages of the West predate Brithos) and ends with an untruth (that, as a logical consequence of the author's argument, sorcerous magic is at its most potent when uttered in the Brithini tongue.) 7. THE RED EMPEROR'S NEW PELORIAN Main Language: New Pelorian Part Extant: All BENEFIT: +20% Read New Pelorian. Author: Imperial University of Glamour Anias's Comment: A bold attempt to standardize speech across the Empire, this work is now in urgent need of revision. 8. FROM SARTARITE TO NEW PELORIAN: A GUIDEBOOK FOR THE NEOPHYTE Main Language: Sartarite/New Pelorian Part Extant: All Benefit: +25% Read, Write and Speak New Pelorian; +05% Seven Mothers Cult Lore. Author: Sacred Consistory of the Provincial Church Anias's Comment: A valuable aid, once one sifts out the propaganda 9. GREETNGS OF THE PELORIAN LOWLANDS Main Language: Tradetalk? Part Extant: All Benefit: Say "Hello" in the various dialects of Peloria Author: Unknown Anias's Comment: Obviously pitched at traders, this work is excellent within its narrowly defined limits. 10. CARMANIAN AS SHE IS SPOKE Main Language: Dara Happan Part Extant: A-Q,V,Y-Z Benefit: Read Carmanian at 1/3 Read Dara Happan. Author: Paulis Longvale Anias's Comment: Vapid and prolix. 11. ESROLIAN PRONOUNCIATION GUIDE Main language: New Pelorian Part Extant: A, L, P-Z Benefit: +30% Speak Esrolian Author: Eudoxus of Nochet, priest of this temple Anias's Comment: Uninspired foppism. 12. SARTARITE COMMON USEAGE Main Language: Sartarite Part Extant: Bat - Revolt Benefit: read Sartarite +25% Author: Claymore Stormsong, associate sage of this temple. Anias's Comment: A guttural piece of unscholarly writing, it is a subversive pamphlet without redeeming literary value. 13. HOW TO WRITE YOUR OWN NAME Main Language: Tradetalk? Part Extant: All Benefit: +75% Write Own Name. Author: Grey Sage Quintus Namdarian (head of the "Free Educationist" faction) Anias's Comment: A waste of good parchment. 14. BEASTSPEECH Main Language: Tradetalk? Part Extant: Owhh-Ughh Benefit: +30% Speak Baboon. Author: Sword Savant Rastus Pinkeye, late of this temple. Anias's Comment: An unnecessary attempt to understand and imitate the barbarous shrieks of the Baboons; rightly banned ever since a junior acolyte mispronounced a phrase and accidentally summoned a malignant baboon ancestor-spirit. 15. ALCHEMICAL NOMENCLATURE MADE EASY Main Language: Pavic Part Extant: Vol.2 Benefit: May be poisoned by Black Fang Author: Phlogiston, master of natural philosophy at this temple. Anias's Comment: Adequate. 16. THE 10000 PICTOGRAMS OF VAYOBI Main Language: Esrolian Part Extant: 813 Benefit: +05% Read Kralorelan; +25% Kralorelan Calligraphy. Author: Thredbo the Wild Sage, once of this temple, currently on his travels. Anias's Comment: Technically and pedagogically brilliant, but of little practical use. 17. THE SIBLIANT TONGUE OF OUROBOROS Main language: Auld Wyrmish Part Extant: Dip-Yaah Benefit: +10% Read Auld Wyrmish, if at least 11% is known. Author: Procopius, Temple Procurer Anias's Comment: Of interest only to pedants. 18. PAVIC FOR THE PRAXIAN ANIMAL NOMAD Language: Praxian (knots)/Pavic Part Extant: All Benefit: Speak Pavic at 1/3 Read Praxian knots. Author: Karin Kareetha, initiate of this temple. Anias's Comment: A valiant but inevitably futile attempt to educate ignorant savages in the ways of civilized speech. 19. MY DARKTONGUE DICTIONARY Language: Esrolian Part Extant: All Benefit: Read Darktongue +30%. Author: Theodopulos Pandarus, Temple Collator. Anias's Comment: Mediocre 20. DARKTONGUE ENLIGHTENED Language: Esrolian Part Extant: Fire damaged Benefit: Read Darktongue +15%. Author: Capybarus the Thinker, recently joined the Exclusivist faction. Anias's Comment: A contemporary masterpiece that excels in clarity and completeness. Highly acclaimed. By Michael O'Brien - input from Trevor Ackerly hey, know of any more dictionaries hidden away in the various factional hoards? MOB --------------------- From: MOBTOTRM@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au Subject: Glorantha Goes to the Movies Message-ID: <01HAPY9P0AU691W9AB@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au> Date: 3 Apr 94 11:28:51 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3498 Some more things to keep everyone amused in these dark and troubled times (forgive if you've seen some before): Some Gloranthan Films we'd like to see... The Unbearable Lightness of YELM Seven Brides for Seven Mothers The Wizard of Uz Room with a Broo For a Few Clacks More plus the sequel, A Fistfull of Clacks AMAZON WOMEN OF THE (Red) MOON A t y a r i s B o r n The Ogre Sanction Mad Prax - Beyond Sun Dome ...Got any more anyone? Cheers MOB --------------------- From: 100270.337@CompuServe.COM (Nick Brooke) Subject: World Changing Message-ID: <940402164247_100270.337_BHL26-2@CompuServe.COM> Date: 2 Apr 94 16:42:48 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3499 Colin Watson said: > If I may, I'll tenuously link this to what Sandy said: >> I resort to one of three techniques when I am changing an old rule or >> introducing a new one, and the players don't like the alteration to >> their game. [...] > A fourth technique would be to induct the characters into a mini Hero- > quest and then tell the players afterwards that the rule-change was a > side-effect of shifting to another reality. Something like this happened to us after we went on Old Hare's Riddle Quest (Tales #7): David took the opportunity of our having reenacted deeds by the founder of our stead to change its name, and introduced a more detailed and slightly different map of the Greydog Clan lands. Of course, we're the only people who think it was ever any different... ==== Nick ==== --------------------- From: ROBERTSON@delphi.intel.com (Roderick Robertson, SC1-5, x52936) Subject: Games... Message-ID: <97353F8D4000A866@delphi.intel.com> Date: 2 Apr 94 17:57:00 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3500 Roderick Here, Harald Smith writes: > Since most of the world's population does not live in cities, but > in small villages, you are unlikely to have enough people to play > sports that require large teams. Most games such as soccer or > baseball are urban developments of the early modern to modern > world. Far more likely in the villages are wrestling matches > (certainly popular in my development of Imther and also IMO in > any Orlanthi based culture) or games involving a limited number > of teens or young adults utilizing the cultural weapons be they > javelins, spears, bows, etc. And in the nomadic areas where most > people spend their time looking after the herds or hunting (just > surviving day-to-day), you are unlikely to have any sports except > at major tribal gatherings (again picturing games or competitions > which emphasize the cultural weapons or skills). Not particularly true. The Scots, have a version of field hockey (Shinty/Camanach) that can be played by almost any number of people. In Scotland, the games was literally played between villages (One goal is the corner of that house in that village, the other goal is that oaktree in that other village). Games could last all day, with all able-bodied men joining in. Teams of 10-20 in *any* culture are not large, even if that is the total game-playing population of the village. As far as not allowing Golf to the sartarites, Shinty was the precursor to it, when we try to explain Shinty, we call it full-contact or combat golf... James Polk: >Additionally, in any society which spends 90+% of its time trying to >keep themselves alive (Nomads in the Wastes, the RQ 2 Balazarlings), >these contests would occur only during special events, such as Sacred Time >celebrations. When one spends all one's time trying to get enough to >eat, games don't seem very important. Those Hunter/Gatering or Nomadic societies usually prove to have *more* free time than civilized folk. They are not trying to build up reserves of useless things (Money, furniture, books...), instead, as soon as they have enough food (whether for a day or a week, it depends on what they consider "enough"), they stop working. Without the impedimetiae of 'civilization', they can spend more time on what they consider recreation. This is not to say that games based on war (football) or hunting (hide and seek) are not considered recreational. Various and sundry items... The game played in Afghanistan with the headless calf is Bouzkashi (sp?), and is another violent sport (not only do you worry about your opponents, you've got to stay on the horse!). There are Broo ecology writeups in Borderlands and River of Cradles A Fester of Broos? Postule of Broos? DANCING IN GLORANTHAN CULTURES Something I've though on was the style of Folk dancing in various Gloranthan cultures: Orlanthi prefer Line dances (Like Greek/Israeli), or Circle dances Earth Cults like Square Dances (not necessarily the 'called' American Square Dances, there are squares in other cultures: Irish and Scottish for instance) Dara Happans - five or ten couple facing-line dances like many set dances (for instance the Virginia Reel). They'd be slow and courtly with a lot of posturing and intricate steps. Lunars - Goddess knows... (Mosh-pit insanity?) I assume they haven't actually developed "Lunar" dances, they do whatever dances they acquired from the cultures in the Empire. One possibilty for the lunars is a medieval dance called the Bransle (pronounced Brawl). It starts as a sedate circle dance, with a moment of insanity. It speeds up as you go. Sun Domers - Don't dance (Just kidding). Most likely segregated Circle dances, possibly with a central dancer showing off (Sun Rune) in the men's circle. (Why don't Sun Domers make love standing up? They don't want anyone to think they are dancing...) Nomads - Based on American Indians, they'd do Circle dances. I don't know enough about mongol dances. All cultures tend to have dances done by individuals, those in mountainous regions on Earth all have a lot of leaping and vertical movement (lack of flat ground for dance floors? or well-developed legs from climbing hills, who knows?) Couple dancing (Hambo, Waltz, Polka, etc) happen in many cultures (I'd keep them away from the up-tight Solars), the spinning seems natural for Orlanthi. Remember that dances can be used for many social outlets - Showing off finery, showing off prowess or strength, flirting, snubbing, and other forms of courtship. I have also only focused on Folk dances, not religious ones. Roderick Robertson --------------------- From: ddunham@radiomail.net (David Dunham) Subject: Hunters vs Farmers Message-ID: <199404030127.AA16876@radiomail.net> Date: 3 Apr 94 01:27:59 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3502 James Polk wrote >in any society which spends 90+% of its time trying to >keep themselves alive (Nomads in the Wastes, the RQ 2 Balazarlings) On Earth, hunter-gatherers currently live only on marginal land (e.g. Arctic or Kalahari Desert). Nonetheless, they spend fewer hours per week on economic activities than do non-industrialized agriculturalists. Furthermore, I see no evidence from a quick look at Griffin Mountain that the Balazarings have a hard life. Agriculture is a lousy lifestyle that nobody enters into willingly -- you adopt it because you're so densely populated you have no other choice. On the plus side, you do sometimes end up with surpluses that hunter-gatherers don't. On the minus side, if there's a localized drought, you generally can't just follow the game (or grazing). On the plus side, you can aspire to lead many men. On the minus side, you almost certainly end up getting led (hunter-gatherers are almost egalitarian). --------------------- From: eco0kkn@cabell.vcu.edu (Kirsten K. Niemann) Subject: A What of Broos? Message-ID: <9404040050.AA09838@cabell.vcu.edu> Date: 4 Apr 94 00:50:26 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3503 Mike Dawson here, not Kirsten Niemann. Gee guys, it seems really obvious to me. We came up with this one around 10 years ago, if memory serves. A PLAGUE of broos. Mike -- ------------ Gloranthophiles need to contact me at codexzine@aol.com for information about Codex Magazine. UK Gloranthophiles write to cphillips@blue.demon.co.uk "Inquiries into the nature and secrets of Glorantha" . ------------------------------------------------------/_\ ---------------------