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, Tue, 05 Apr 1994, part 1
Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM
Content-Return: Prohibited
Precedence: junk
X-RQ-ID: Intro
This is the RuneQuest Daily Bulletin, a mailing list on
the subjects of Avalon Hill's RPG and Greg Stafford's
world of Glorantha. It is sent out once per day in digest
format.
More details on the RuneQuest Daily and Digest can be found
after the last message in this digest.
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From: 100270.337@CompuServe.COM (Nick Brooke)
Subject: Dervishes
Message-ID: <940404080801_100270.337_BHL32-1@CompuServe.COM>
Date: 4 Apr 94 08:08:01 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 3504
Enjoyed Roderick's piece on dances. Several big grins raised.
He wrote:
> Lunars - Goddess knows...
I asked Her, and She told me that some sects of Lunar Dervishes dance in a
wildly whirling spiral dance. This is the path on which the Goddess Herself
trod when She "danced her last dream upon the face of the earth". When they
finish spinning around and inwards, they're in a state of Balance or Lunar
Consciousness (it only *looks* like frothing insanity), and you can get
oracular answers from them. If you're ever in the marketplace and see the
spiral-dancers starting inwards, make sure you're not caught in the middle:
it can sometimes get pretty confusing and frightening. But it's worth
hanging around to hear what they say when the frenzy is on them at the end.
You're still most likely to find dervishes in the East, out towards Torang
where the old ways of Lunar Mysticism are still strongest. It's known that
the Emperor's servants dislike giving oracular accesses to the people --
just think about the way the Moonbroth Whispers have been sealed away! But
it's in their nature to travel, and I hear groups and individuals have been
seen as far away as Prax and Carmania. In the Redlands, the dervishes are
one of the main sacred traditions to be found: they easily survive without
the state-cult support that most Lunar religion requires within the Empire.
Once, I saw a dervish at the centre of her spin sink down below the ground,
then levitate ten feet into the air, before starting to prophesy in a quite
serene manner. She was speaking about how the Lunar Way is the New Way of
Rebellion: that the Storm Way was the Old Rebellion, whose time had passed.
She talked about the Empire as an eggshell, protecting the people. It all
made perfect sense when she spoke to us. That was the day I learned to stop
worrying, and love the Bat. Of course, she died when the fit was over...
====
Nick
====
Goats are Chaos Sheep!
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From: joe@sartar.toppoint.de (Joerg Baumgartner)
Subject: Barbarian Yelmalian tactics?
Message-ID:
Date: 4 Apr 94 11:23:36 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 3505
A question about Yelmalian tactics:
Ever since Sun County came out, we tend to think of Yelmalians as
hoplites or at least peltasts marching in orderly columns and forming
phalanxes in fights.
This, however, does not concur too well with the cult fighting skills
(Kuschile Archery, Ride Horse, Bow Attack), nor with the likely combat
style the Aldachuri or the numerous other Sartarite Sun worshippers
would use.
Looking at the skills, I get the following picture of barbarian
Yelmalians (or Elmal cultist warriors):
Guarding: Elmal was the thane guarding Orlanth's stead during the
darkness. This doesn't mean that he stood guard before the gates all
day/night long, but that he stood ready to defend the stead, and
patroled the outlying area, presumably on horseback.
GRoY even has Elmalus as the leader of Vingkotling raids, so that the
guarding probably had more in common with forechecking.
So the typical barbarian Elmalite/Yelmalian warrior would ride out in
small groups (about 5?) on horseback, armed with bow, warspear and a
few javelins. When encountering raiders or intruders, the primary
tactic is to harrass them with archery from horseback, allowing one
patrol member to alarm the stead.
When the enemy comes to close quarters, the riders might continue one
charge with the spear used as a lance (more likely they'd throw a few
javelins), but then dismount and form a shield wall to finish the
opponent. By this time, they ought to have summoned sufficient numbers
to form a stable circle, semi-circle or line as tactical unit, to
provide a solid base against mobile forces, or the spear-head formation
as shock troups against massed enemies. One part of them will act as
light cavalry covering the flanks, and continue to hail missiles over
the enemy.
Being hill barbarians at heart, neither shield wall nor spear-head
should be viewed as regular infantry. Like their sword-swinging,
storm-worshipping brethren they will have champions stepping out of the
line to challenge enemies to single combat (the only incident when the
lines will hold even for Orlanthi warriors). The spear-head is a
half-mad charge with slung shield and two-handed use of the spear,
which is quick to dissolve once the enemy ranks are pierced. The shield
wall is a means to break a charge, be it by mounted or infantry
opponents, nothing more. Once the opponents shock action has been
neutralized, individual hand to hand combat results.
What do you miniature wargamers say? Is this reasonable?
How would a meeting say in 1611, between Harvar Ironfists Yelmalian
lunar sympathizers and staunch anti-lunar storm worshippers (Orlanth,
Humakt, Urox worshippers) in the hills between Alda-chur and Alone,
have looked? Light cavalry vs. chariots, and sword/axeswinging open
lines against set spears?
BTW, isn't Kuschile an Elmal cult hero as well? In the Colymar Book,
one of the clans traces its ancestry back to this hero.
--
-- Joerg Baumgartner joe@sartar.toppoint.de
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From: carlf@panix.com (Carl Fink)
Subject: ban on alcohol
Message-ID: <199404030717.AA20784@panix.com>
Date: 2 Apr 94 23:17:32 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 3506
R>From: argrath@aol.com
R>Even at the level of generalization you're using ("orthodox
>muslim," whatever that is), this is less than accurate. The
>Prophet forbade alcohol. This prohibition was extended in
>various historic times to various other substances by various
>groups, but your blanket statement obscures more than it reveals.
>But hey, it's an interesting argument. Now let's switch sides.
>;-)
Actually he forbade "date wine". Even the ban on all forms of alcohol
is an extension of his actual (recorded) words. I think it's a
reasonable extension, but I'm no theologian.
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From: sandyp@idcube.idsoftware.com (Sandy Petersen)
Subject: re: a plurality of broos
Message-ID: <9404030323.AA00827@idcube.idsoftware.com>
Date: 2 Apr 94 15:23:24 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 3507
re: a plurality of broos
IMHO, the only acceptable term is a Plague of Broos. And I'm
stickin' by it.
Harald Smith sez:
>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.
This seems like a non-sequitur to me. So what if most people
are rural? There's plenty of large cities, and people to play sports
in them. In addition, villages can have periodic contests, possibly
near the time of holy days. At least tug-o-war is gonna be common.
James Polk sez:
>Additionally, in any society which spends 90+% of its time trying to
>keep themselves alive (Nomads in the Wastes, the RQ 2 Balazarings),
>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.
Come now, every culture known on Earth has organized games
and sports. Children everywhere play games, as training for adult
activities and exercise. Adults play games, too, ranging from
sophisticated stuff like Mah Johnng to as seemingly dumb as the Camel
Stand game played in Pakistan (see how many guys can fit on the back
of a camel and still allow the camel to stand up).
Martin sez:
>The fact that Zorak Zoran was the major war cult of the First
>Theyalan Council. Unlikely if Humakt had been around, but it
>explains why a later-emerging Humakt cult is so anti-ZZ.
It is also possible that the early Humakt cult was not
anti-ZZ. I find it easier to believe that cult attitudes changed over
the years than that the cults themselves altered.
>When the Humakt cult was casting around for its history ("we know we
>left it here someplace"), it naturally seized upon Arkat as
>prestigious member.
But Arkat betrayed it and stole its secrets. Surely they
aren't happy with that aspect of Arkat. Also certain features of
Arkat's story (like the Unbreakable Sword stuff) are quite
Humakti-specific.
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From: marc@netcom.com (Marc Willner)
Subject: Sports in Glorantha
Message-ID: <199404041556.IAA13363@netcom10.netcom.com>
Date: 4 Apr 94 01:56:46 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 3508
For those who can get it, the American cable sports channel, ESPN, has (or had,
I haven't seen it for a while) a show called something like "Games of the
World" where they do a survey of sports from different countries. Many are
based on very old games. The ones I remember are:
Camel Wrestling from Turkey: Possibly done by Bison, Rhino, or Alticamelus
riders from Prax.
Also from Turkey, a Team throw the javelin from horseback at other people
game (padded javelins): Any animal nomad that uses missles, Pentians,
Grazelanders.
Cumberland Wrestling from England: Various types of wrestling may be found
all over Glorantha.
A game from England involving tapping a small wooden shape into the air, then
jitting it for distance: The small villages of the Holy Country, or any
other small village area.
A Rugby/football/soccer-like game played in one of the Italian cities between
parishes, dating from the Rennaisance. The same type of game can be played
between villages.
If I ever see the show again, I will take better notes.
MARC WILLNER
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From: drcheng@sales.stern.nyu.edu (David Cheng)
Subject: Gloranthan Chess
Message-ID:
Date: 5 Apr 94 03:08:34 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 3509
Charles Morehouse (the guy who ran his MoLaD game at RQ-Con) has a
pretty good idea for Gloranthan Chess.
Each pantheon is represented by a set of pieces. Each set has
different movement rules associated with it. So, not only do players deal
with the complexity of the turn-by-turn moves, they also agonize over their
original choice of pantheon to play. Natrually, some pantheons are said to
have advantage over others.
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From: Ana@fenix.fipnet.fi (Antti_Heiskanen)
Subject: Broos
Message-ID: <9404041912.12jz@fenix.fipnet.fi>
Date: 5 Apr 94 07:12:56 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 3510
Sandy says
>>Of course, if some of the "mother" animal's spirit goes over to
>>broos, these sheep broos would form the lowest echelons of broo
>>society.
>I picture sheep broos as behaving like old mean rams. Remember the
>broos are all male, and a ram is not necessarily a pathetic mild
>mammal.
All males? In RoC p.31 "Broos are predominatly male (only 15% female),
with fairly common mutation (05% of population) of hermaphroditism
among them."
Cheers,
Antti Heiskanen
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From: guy.hoyle@chrysalis.org
Subject: BROOS
Message-ID: <9404042313.A1480wk@chrysalis.org>
Date: 4 Apr 94 21:13:36 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 3511
What do I call a group of broos? Too damn many broos
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From: guy.hoyle@chrysalis.org
Subject: INVISO GOD
Message-ID: <9404042358.A1489wk@chrysalis.org>
Date: 4 Apr 94 21:58:05 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 3512
I may have heard this here on the Daily, or on the RQ$ list, or even have
ivented it myself (fat chance!) but I believe that the Invisible God is
probably just an invention. Malkion or Zzabur just dreamed up the whole
shebang, to give the Malkioni folk a reason to live in the Darkness. Isn't it
suspicious that they worship a god who can't be contacted, doesn't interact
with his followers (except for the Saints), and whose teachings are conveyed
second-hand through sorcerors, not priests? I mean, really, just what kind of
basis for a religion is that?
guy.hoyle@chrysalis.org
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