Bell Digest v940614p4

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, 14 Jun 1994, part 4
Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM
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From: john.hughes@anu.edu.au (John P Hughes)
Subject: Aldachur Festival 3 of 3
Message-ID: <9406140241.AA01308@cscgpo.anu.edu.au>
Date: 14 Jun 94 22:37:04 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 4561

PART THREE: 
THE NEW FLAME FERTILITY FESTIVAL

Here are my campaign notes for the Festival. I hope one day to turn it 
into a scenario or short story, possibly as a tie-in to a 'Holiday 
Glorantha' article. Additional ideas and feedback most welcome! Be 
sure to have a look at MOB's Garhound Harvest Festival in Sun 
County for more ideas and inspiration, and for rules for races and 
contests.

THE NEW FLAME FERTILITY FESTIVAL

The New Flame Festival begins on Freezeday, Fertility Week, Earth 
Season and lasts seven days. It is a celebration of the harvest dedicated 
to Ernalda, and a powerful ritual to ensure the Land's fertility in the 
coming year. Lodril has become increasingly prominent in recent years, 
doubtless as a result of the stronger Pelorian presence.

The festival originated as a joint celebration between the Vantaros and 
Tovtaros tribes. It has always been strongly influenced by Tarshite 
practice and belief. More recently, it has become a barely-restrained 
'ritual' battleground between the Solar and Lunar-inclined Vantaros and 
the more traditional Tovtaros Orlanthi; a heady mix of family and cult 
intrigue against a background of tribal, cultural & religious clash. As 
you can imagine, the tumult and disorder of the festival provide a 
perfect opportunity for murder, vengeance, intrigue... and possible 
rebellion.

The festival was cancelled for three years in the wake of the Righteous 
Wind (1611). The resulting bad harvests led to its reinstatement, though 
Harvar Ironfist looks every year for an excuse to change the festival to a 
more 'sedate' Solar Tarsh-style harvest festival.

Tribesmen from all over Far Point and Alone pack the city. Merchants 
and shysters also flood into the town. Mreli Axe Maidens rub shoulders 
with Furthest society matrons and Argan Argar merchants. Lunar spies 
observe Orlanthi rebels. Wild bush shamans and kolating come together 
to engage in magical contests.  

Extra troops are always on duty for the 
festival. For the most part they are Lunar irregulars from Tarsh, easily 
caught up in the spirit of celebration. However, there is also an elite all-
female cavalry squad from Thrice Blessed (whose sole weakness is the 
participation of their champion in the horse race), and a largish squad of 
Sun County mercenaries who do their uttermost to intervene and spoil 
the 'filthy decadence'. Of course, their are always plenty of off-duty
Lunars from the Cow Burn Camp and the Quarter-master General's warehouses.
The Lunars will turn a blind eye to all but the 
worst offences, relying on the crowds themselves to administer 
'justice'. However, rebel-inspired activity is dealt with swiftly and 
harshly.

Of course, some spilt blood is expected during any festival, and this 
becomes sacred to the Earth. As it aids in the continuing fertility of the 
land, anyone who has blood spilt is considered lucky (if they survive).

In addition to Runes and statues, several Goddess symbols have a 
special significance during the festival, and feature conspicuously in 
display and ornamentation. These are the triangle, breast, vulture-
breast, vulture, bull, bee, boar, sow, butterfly and axe. They are largely 
Tarshite in origin.

The TRIANGLE represents the Goddess' pubic area, the regenerative 
womb. The BREAST represents her life- and nourishment- or wealth-
giving aspect. The VULTURE- BREAST, a pair of breasts in which 
red vulture beaks emerge from the open nipples, symbolise the 
connection between life and death - regeneration, the eternal cycle. The 
VULTURE is an epiphany of the Goddess in her Death and 
Regeneration aspect. The BULL is a sacrificial animal associated with 
fertility and life energy. In particular the symbol of the BULL'S HEAD 
or BUCRANIUM closely resembles the female uterus and fallopian 
tubes, and hence is strongly associated with the Goddess. The BEE is 
believed to generate from the corpse of a bull, and is seen with the bull 
as a symbol of regeneration. The BOAR is a scavenger of corpses, and 
so associated with death and regeneration, while the SOW is fruitful, 
the sacred animal of the Pregnant Goddess (Earth Mother). The 
BUTTERFLY is a symbol of transformation, death into life, and its 
symbol is the same as that of the DOUBLE-HEADED AXE, sacred 
weapon of the earth powers (a double triangle).  

THE FESTIVAL

Alda-chur is a sprawling, ramshackle city with more recently 
constructed, well-designed walls and temples. There are large 
differences between the haves and the have-nots. It is seriously 
overcrowded during the festival - tents and campfires spring up 
everywhere!

Money and commercial exchange play only a very small part in festival 
proceedings. Elite events cost dearly, but this is just a way of keeping 
stickpickers out, and the funds go into temple coffers. The festival is 
ritual and social rather than commercial in motivation.

The dirty streets of Alda-chur are transformed by decorations and 
torches. Beggars are forced to clean and weed the worst of the ruins 
and tenements. Tiny clay human figurines adorn windows and walls. 
Trays of grain are placed out to attract birds ('spirits'). Family and 
temple tapestries are hung from balconies. Cultic & clan statues are 
taken from their temples and placed on the street. The Goddess symbols 
mentioned above are everywhere prominent. Many Lunar statues are 
also displayed. The latter may be defaced as the festival progresses, 
though some have spirits inside. Fertility bundles are placed over every 
doorway - 'a kiss for luck'. Rough stalls and tables crowd the market 
square.

Anyone attending the festival must bring an apple and a dyed red egg in 
their pockets. They must enter the city by crawling on hands and knees 
through the vulvic eastern gate.

'A gift for the Goddess 
 A tumble for luck 
 Lodril with his fire 
 The whole earth gives suck.'

The noise is incredible. Boys blowing into trumpets and shells, street 
minstrels, snakepipers, bagpipers (walkti-pipers!), whistlers, hawkers, 
a cacophony of impromptu recitals and concerts. So many people - 
more than some villagers have seen in their entire lives! And so few of 
them kin! Everyone wears some sort of mask or hood: from silver and 
gold temple pieces to stinking oddments of discarded cloth.

The less said about the smell the better.

Thanes push through the crowds on horseback, while priestesses, 
priests and local beauties parade on rough carts, some of them 
transformed into 'floats' and drawn by sacred oxen or giant sows. 
Recently, incredibly ornate 'Goddess carts' sponsored by the Lunar 
temples have begun to appear. The procession of Goddess carts 
between the temples have become increasingly violent, for desperate 
Orlanthi seek to spoil the ritual. Some will even attempt to 'desecrate' 
the cart carrying the Moon-sickle with their own blood by jumping 
under its wheels.

There is no denying that everyone must be careful in what they do and 
say. A casual 'By Elmal's loyal spear' will get you arrested or mobbed 
in certain parts of the city. However, an equally casual 'Yelmalio's 
Cold Light!' will get you a knife in the back in other parts, especially 
after dark. Beware!

As the festival progresses, ghosts and spirits begin to walk the streets. 
Temple statues will animate - some for brief moments, some to immerse 
themselves completely (if a little stiffly) into the celebrations.

Each day at midday, a bell announces that festivities have begun, and 
that participants are free to engage in full license. This lasts until the 
following dawn. During this time, most normal modes of behaviour are 
ignored or reversed.

Each evening the formal activities are closed by a parade of horses in 
main market, and public rituals outside the temples. This is usually 
interpreted as a sign for the serious partying to begin.

The normal greeting becomes "to death", or "Death to you soon". The 
meaning is related to the death/rebirth cycle of the earth. Death means 
new life to come. (Humakt alone knows what the sword-brothers say to 
each other.)

Women may bother and even attack men, harass them, boldly and 
publicly initiate seductions etc. Bad husbands, known adulterers, 
drunkards etc. can expect a rough time from the women of the city.

Most people try and reverse their appearance in some way - men dress 
as women, rich as poor, warriors as merchants etc. Masks are worn by 
nearly everyone. The normally decorous and conservative Orlanthi 
dress codes are overturned - certainly after the children are put to bed. 
Outrageous phallic codpieces are favoured by women, and are sacred to 
the Goddess. Both men and women dress 'indecently' or wear only a 
cloak or 'bear sark', or dress as hermaphrodites (what's the Gloranthan 
equivalent? Ulerals?). Not too lightly though - it's getting damned cold!

Many people 'beg' - for a sweet, a kiss, or something more personal. 
Professional beggars become tax collectors, and to refuse the tax demon 
is very bad luck!

All meals should begin with eggs and end with apples. Beans should be 
included in every meal because of their links with regeneration. The 
drink of the festival is a honeyed sweet red wine called 'haoma' or 
'Blood of the Goddess'. Liberal libations should be sprinkled upon the 
ground when drinking.  

ENTERTAINMENT

For the most part, people do not attend to be passively entertained but to 
participate and let off steam. PCs should do their share of performing 
and entertaining! Most of the Sartarite games mentioned in my first 
games post will be in evidence.

Raucous and hysterical 'battles' are incessantly fought with buckets of 
water, mock agricultural tools, 'axes' of sugared pasteboard, or (most 
commonly) 'missiles' of congealed beet sugar and almonds. The sweet 
sellers make a fortune! (And of course, occasionally something heavier 
or deadlier gets thrown).  The crowded streets play host to impromptu 
dramatic farces related to fertility - 'women' giving birth, couples being 
married and having sex, 'ploughing the street', ale dances etc.  Other 
forms of street theatre relate to mythological events and political satires. 
These are mainly to do with the Yelmalio warlord Prince Harvar 
Ironfist: Fazzur Wideread and his alleged affair with Helena Truespear: 
Truespear's Yana Ararnis faction: and the subscriptions and delayed 
construction of the Lunar war temple as Ironfist attempts to have some 
of the money diverted to his own Yelm temple project.

Trickster-inspired mock murders and robberies entertain the crowds 
with hilarious chase scenes - and doubtless some real ones as well!  
Spontaneous dancing, including fertility dances with Hurling sticks (a 
dangerous weapon) are common. Wind dancing is illegal but popular - 
it's cheaper than alcohol! 'Dancers' spin themselves round and round 
till giddy . It is frowned upon not only for its Orlanthi connection but 
also because it often leads to ecstatic trances and 'prophecies' of a 
seditious nature. Rope dancing and Antic Heys also occur. 'Hey nonny 
nonny, hey derry down'.

Street 'moots' occur where 'Grey Sages' and 'lawspeakers' charge and 
condemn all and sundry for bizarre crimes (much of it seditious and 
politically charged, though highly humorous). Men are charged for 
impotence, young women for the number of their lovers. Some highly 
charged political and personal accusations are also delivered 'in jest'.

Exotic or magical beasts may be publically displayed. Animal fighting 
occurs in certain parts of the town - rubble runners, red vultures, 
cockerels, and occasional bear or Uz baiting. Bear baiting is technically 
illegal, for the animal is the sacred emblem of the Tovtaros tribe. 
However, Tovtaros tribespeople attempting to stop such activities have 
themselves been thrown to the dogs.  

FORMAL EVENTS

DAY ONE - FREEZEDAY

City Gods parade the boundaries and 'seal' the city. Criminals 
(preferably high-ranking Orlanthi) are executed/sacrificed at each of the 
city gates on burning wheels. The cry goes up 'Out with hunger, in 
with health and wealth. Goddess take us, evil is no more.' A marriage 
ceremony is enacted between Yelmalio (as god of the city) and Ernalda. 
The High Earth Priestess publicly takes the sacred bath that restores her 
youth and virginity. Cherries (normally taboo) are distributed to 
onlookers.

At sunset, race horses parade through the streets, which are carpeted in 
sheaves of grain. The Grand Temple Rituals begin in the market square. 
At midnight, the Trickster King and Queen are crowned (King may be 
female etc.). Spirits begin to appear.  

DAY TWO - WATERDAY

The Dark Man is harried from the city after a ritual combat, and a 
wooden statue in his likeness is up-ended and burned. Combats occur 
to select the new City Champion (who may be a female from the 
fighting earth cults). Public Divination to select Earth Queen (a godi 
role). (Surprisingly, if the Champion is female, the Earth Queen 
selected is usually male).  "This woman is the altar of Heaven."

At sunset, there is the annual horse race through the twisting and 
crowded streets of the city. This sacred event is very dangerous for 
horse, rider & spectators. Afterwards, there is the Grand Parade of 
temple images and sacred objects, including the Sacred Phallus taken 
from its place beneath the altar of the Earth Temple. The parade is led 
by statues of the Earth Goddesses and their spouses. This is followed 
by the Love Feast.

Following the Grand Parade, by ancient law the entire temple quarter is 
sealed off to males on pain of death. Doors and windows of that quarter 
are sealed with sacred knots. Armed Babeester Gor Axe-Sisters patrol 
the streets, assisted by female Lunar cavalry. In the Sacred Grove by 
the Earth Temple, selected female virgins of a certain age perform a 
secret and holy ritual. It is said that they descend a hole in the earth 
wearing white flaxen tunics and cloaks, and carrying on their heads 
something given them by the Earth Priestess. It is whispered that 
neither the virgins nor the Priestess know what it is they carry, for it is 
covered. It is also whispered that the mysteries revealed there are of 
great power and profoundly erotic, but who can tell? Certainly no 
woman of the city will talk of it.

In the hours before dawn, the virgins robe public statues of the 
Goddess in specially- knitted robes of many colours. Anyone who sees 
them in this duty should avert their eyes. On occasion, male corpses 
will be found on the Earth Temple steps - perhaps sacrilegious fools 
who have attempted to spy on the mysteries.

DAY THREE - CLAYDAY

Crowning of City Champion. Triumph of Prize Rider, followed by 
auction of horses. Harvest sacrifices. 'Receive Oh Mother what was 
taken from your body'. The Feast of Thanks - householders 
traditionally invite a stranger. Parade of new Earth Queen, and her ritual 
'marriage' with City Champion. 'The black Earth for my wife I took'.

DAY FOUR - WINDSDAY

A day of relative calm, though great tension. The public Orlanthi rituals 
that once dominated this day are no longer held. Orlanthi will secretly 
enact the 'Wooing of Ernalda' ritual in their households, and attempt to 
bring a storm. Spirits are at their strongest today, and commonly appear 
'in the flesh' to mix with the crowds.  

DAY FIVE - FIREDAY

Lighting of Lodril's Fires. Worker's Festival of Games, sponsored by 
the city Guilds. The Ale Blessing and Opening of the Jars. Thanes meet 
for Solar Ceremonies of Leadership. Family activities during day, 
festivities and gift-giving at sundown, Ulerian excess as the night 
progresses.  

DAY SIX - WILDDAY

Minor earthquake at dawn. Fighting earth priestesses (Maran and 
Babeester) defend the land in ritual combats. The Sacred Bull (adorned 
with sacred symbols and objects) and some giant boars (Tuskers) are 
released to run wild through the city streets. The Tuskers must be 
killed; the bull is shepherded to the main square by unarmed bull-
runners. There, after bull-dancer rituals, it is sacrificed in combat with 
the City Champion. (Sometimes the bull wins). The Bull (or the 
Champion) is then elaborately entombed.

DAY SEVEN - GODDAY

In the Earth Temple, the Great Sow gives miraculous birth to the totems 
of the year - a sow, a bull-calf, and the egg of either a hawk (Solar) or a 
thunderbird (Wind). The sow and bull will partake in future festivals: 
the bird, which will hatch in sacred time, will be released. Lodril's 
Banquet of Red Meats. Mock Battle in main square. Ritual combats 
between city champion and 'enemy' gods (including Orlanth). Blessing 
by the various priestesses and closing boundary parade.

FINIS - COMMENTS WELCOME!



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From: DevinC@aol.com
Subject: Re: RuneQuest Daily, Mon, 13 Jun 1994, part 2
Message-ID: <9406130423.tn1122353@aol.com>
Date: 13 Jun 94 08:23:24 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 4531

Devin Cutler here:

" Certainly it's nice if
characters are played to have the beliefs they "`historically'" should
have. "

My point has often been that "historical" comparisons are bunk, since
Glorantha is so different from Earth.

" But it's been done, what, three times?
in Time, none of which were to resurrect some long-dead individual.  (I
think?  Or was Talor a dead chap?)"

Resurrection is done every day in Glorantha, implying that, at the very
least, one's soul does not fall into oblivion as an Atheist might believe on
Earth. The mere fact that there is some sort of provable afterlife is enough
to separate Gloranthan belief from Terran faith.

"It's a sign that Babeester Gor temple guards have Sharp Axes."

Obviously, but even were the guards to be gone, the man off of the street
still could not kneel down and say "Hey, I want an Axe Trance". Babs has
something (nay, everything) to say about it.

Regards

Devin Cutler
devinc@aol.com


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From: davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au (David Cake)
Subject: Hrestoli Theology
Message-ID: <199406130903.RAA02678@quenda.cs.uwa.oz.au>
Date: 13 Jun 94 09:04:39 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 4532

	For a synergy between the current discussions about the beginnings
of Malkionism, and the earlier discussions about the differences in various
Malkioni creeds, how does this appeal (God-Learner version): In the beginning,
the Brithini who inhabited the Kingdom of Logic did everything perfectly and
lived for ever. Then Chaos came. Because Chaos was not part of the world,
some of the Brithini had to behave in ways that where not perfect in  order
to fight it, and became flawed and no longer lived forever (the spell 
forbidden by Urostio is cast). The Brithini say that all who are not Brithini
are flawed. Then came the prophet Hrestol - he claimed that there is a way to
return to the perfection of the Kingdom of Logic, by striving for personal
perfection, and sometimes this even leads to Immortality again (or rather,
skilled wizards can learn to cast the immortality spell).
	How do people feel about this basic scenario?
	Of course the various schisms would interpret things differently.
The Hrestoli feel that we strive for individual perfection, the Rokari for
perfection as a society, the Galvosti feel that we strive for perfection as
a race (ie wipe out the imperfect humans), etc. Essentially the various
Malkioni churches are striving to be like the Brithini. However they also 
feel that the Brithini, by not being willing to give their all to fight
chaos, and save the world, are guilty of moral weakness, so the Brithini are
not given any great reverence.
	Any comments? I quite like the idea of a Malkioni version of the myth
of the Fall from Grace, but one that is quite different from the earthly 
version. 
	Cheers
		Dave Cake

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From: henkl@aft-ms (Henk Langeveld - Sun Nederland)
Subject: Re: Pictures
Message-ID: <9406130909.AA09343@yelm.Holland.Sun.COM>
Date: 13 Jun 94 10:09:17 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 4533

Ana@fenix.fipnet.fi (Antti_Heiskanen):
>p.s. Henk, how many subscribers Daily/Digest has?

Around four hundred.

In Feb/March we passed the 400 boundary, but
around Easter, a lot of people unsubscribed.

The Digest list consists of about 40 people
(in addition to the Daily distribution...)

-- 
Henk	|	Henk.Langeveld@Sun.COM - Disclaimer: I don't speak for Sun.
oK[]	|	My first law of computing: "NEVER make assumptions"

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From: davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au (David Cake)
Subject: Barely restrained laughter
Message-ID: <199406130913.RAA02693@quenda.cs.uwa.oz.au>
Date: 13 Jun 94 09:14:41 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 4534

	MOB writes
> Despite his obvious talent in the medium, the artist, Rogan
> Josh, has vowed never to work in vivisculpture again.
	Didn't notice that one when I read it in Tales the first time, but
since then someone else has used the identical joke (the comic Rogan Gosh
by Pete Milligan - well worth reading, an absurdist metaphysical journey
through the Vale of Maia, and down to the local curry-house). Rogan Josh is
a type of curry!
	Cheers
		Dave Cake