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From: john.hughes@anu.edu.au (John P Hughes)
Subject: Alda-Chur Festival 1 of 3
Message-ID: <9406140216.AA00517@cscgpo.anu.edu.au>
Date: 14 Jun 94 22:12:53 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 4559
I originally posted this a month or so ago, as part of the games
discussion. It got lost in the aether, so here we go again...
GAMES II: THE FESTIVAL
Just as on our own globe, many of the
old Lozenge's games take place within the special atmosphere of a
festival. The following notes give some theory on designing festivals,
and then provide some examples from the Alda-churi New Flame
Festival, based on my long running (though intermittent) Ironspike
campaign. A history of the region is included. It's as much part of my
interest in giving substance to Gloranthan religion as to the games. Still,
a few plot ideas in this one I hope.
PART ONE: HANDS-ON FESTIVAL THEORY - DESIGN YOUR OWN
On Glorantha, most festivals are directly connected with religious
worship or have devolved from what was originally a religious event.
Game playing of various sorts is at the centre of most festival activities.
While the next few paragraphs are theory, I hope that they are practical
enough to enable MLDs (Masters of Luck and Death) to design their
own religious festivals, either Gloranthan or Terran. The main
characteristics of festivals are the INVERSION of everyday life (the
Rule of Fools, temporary abolition of moral rules, men dressing as
women etc) as well as SACRALISING (making holy) of those same
everyday activities. At a festival, people will do things they normally do
not, they abstain from something they normally do, they carry to
extremes behaviour normally regulated by measure and custom, they
invert the practice of normal social life. It is the Rule of Disorder, the
Kingdom of the Trickster.
The 'building blocks' that an MLD might use (in whole or in part) to
construct a festival are:
CONSECRATION. The framing ritual that begins a festival will
consecrate a space (field, temple, city...), modify its daily function and
remove the normal meaning of time and space. An area is cleared,
marked, blessed, adorned and forbidden to normal activity. In effect,
the area becomes an Axis Mundi, with stronger links to the spirit and
god planes. At larger festivals, this may mean that spirits can manifest
or take 'solid' form, gods walk the streets etc. Time becomes 'time out
of time' a sacred time, the most obvious example being Sacred Time
itself.
Consecration often involves RITES OF PURIFICATION or cleansing
centred on the elements of fire, water or air, or on the ritual expulsion
of some sort of scapegoat carrying the 'evil' and 'guilt' out of the
community. The same rites may seek to protect the boundary to keep
evil out, usually by a procession of some sacred object or person
around the perimeter.
RITES OF PASSAGE mark a transition from one life stage or state of
consciousness to the next. They may be given special relevance by
being included in the festival event. They include initiation, marriage,
the taking of occupational, military or religious vows, heroquest
beginnings, and the public execution of criminals (sometimes as
sacrifices).
RITES OF REVERSAL simultaneously invert the social order ('Hey I
can dress up as a man and give orders!') and prop it up by allowing
disaffected elements to let off steam in a controlled fashion. Symbols of
every kind are inverted - men dressing as women, women behaving as
men, children ordering adults, stickpickers ordering feasts and being
carried about by thanes. Even sacred and profane spaces (temples,
abattoirs) may be used in reverse.
RITES OF CONSPICUOUS DISPLAY permit a community's most
sacred objects to be seen and touched and worshipped. Shrines are
opened, relics and magic objects are displayed, often provoking
pilgrimages from neighbouring communities. Ruling sections of the
community show off their symbols of wealth and power in public
processions accompanied by music, decorations and banners, thereby
propping up their authority and might.
RITES OF CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION & EXCESS involve
food, drink and sometimes sex. Special and exotic foods prepared to
excess are a wonderful way to represent and enjoy abundance, fertility
and prosperity. (Unless you're a herd beast). Ritual foods may invoke
cultic secrets and communication with the ancestors. Orgies and ritual
love feasts break down the imposed barriers of hierarchy and law. In
certain circumstances items of great material and symbolic value are
ritually consumed, wasted or destroyed. Slaves or prisoners might also
be sacrificed for the same reason.
RITUAL DRAMAS are the public recreation of myths, and often lead to
ritual heroquests to ensure the prosperity of the community (e.g. the
Sacred Time rituals against darkness). Their subject matter is often a
creation, foundation or survival myth of the host community.
Sometimes, the spirits of heroic ancestors may materialise to join in the
ritual recreation of their feats.
RITES OF EXCHANGE express the ritual equality of community
members. At a fair, money, spells and goods are exchanged. At a more
abstract and symbolic level, information, gifts or hospitality may be
exchanged. Public forgiveness of crimes, release from debts, or
thanksgiving for prosperity may take place in various forms of
redistribution sponsored by a public institution or private individual.
RITES OF COMPETITION typically constitute the cathartic element of
a festival in the form of its organised games. They take many forms and
encourage many skills, from athletics and dancing and storytelling and
theatre to beauty contests and lotteries, agricultural and livestock
displays. Games show how equality can be turned into hierarchy -
'winners' and 'losers'. RITUAL COMBATS, either individual or mock
battle, form a special subset of this group. They may be fixed to a
certain dramatic form and obligatory ending, or may take a more
powerful though unpredictable turn when equals or near equals take
various cultic roles to play out the struggles of cosmogony (Light vs
Dark, Sun vs Storm) or community (Uz vs Human, Law vs Chaos,
City vs Wilderness, Man vs Woman). They symbolise the re-
establishment of power from the 'anarchy' of equality, so the most
important contests always occur near the end of the festival, just prior to
the re-establishment of normal life.
THE RITE OF RETURN closes the festival and re-establishes normal
conditions. it is very similar to (though the reverse of) the opening Rites
of Consecration and Purification. The sacred boundaries are abolished
and the community returns to mundane reality.
REFERENCES ON THE FESTIVAL - 'Homo Ludens: A study of the Play Element in
Culture' by Johann Huizinga (1955): 'Man Play and Games' by Roger
Caillois (1961): 'Time out of Time - Essays on the Festival' edited by
Alessandro Falassi (1987). My morphology of the festival has been
adapted from Alessandro's introductory essay.
CONTINUED...
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From: john.hughes@anu.edu.au (John P Hughes)
Subject: Alda-Chur Festival 2 of 3
Message-ID: <9406140228.AA00919@cscgpo.anu.edu.au>
Date: 14 Jun 94 22:24:42 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 4560
PART 2 OF 3...
PART TWO:
HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND
THE TRIBES OF ALDA-CHUR, CIRCA 1620 S.T.
(Sources: KOS, GOG, Rough Guide to Boldhome, RQ-Con Booklet).
Note: Helena Truespear is a personality from my own campaign and the
Ironspike series of convention modules. All other persons mentioned
are real and official until they get gregged :-).
Alda-chur was once part of Tarsh, and joined Sartar quite recently
(1583), after Lunar influences and Lunar-aligned kings split the
northern kingdom. The tribes of Far Point are tough and single-minded.
Former Tarsh Exiles, they have regularly faced Tarshite and Lunar
armies, Sartarite raiders, the Chaos out of SnakePipe Hollow, Uz from
Dagori Inkarth, Tusk Riders from the Stinking Forest and the occasional giant.
More recently, political intrigues centring on Alda-chur itself have also
claimed many lives.
The dominant tribe of the Alda-chur Confederation is the Vantaros, led
by the Yelmalio Prince Havar Ironfist. His followers are pro-Lunar,
with a core of traditional (and conservative) Yelmalio sun worshippers.
Gargarth the Hunter is the tribal God. Helena Truespear, Scimitar of
Yanafal Tarnils, is the popular young leader of the more progressive
pro-Lunar faction, and is a favourite of Fazzur Wideread. Note: Ironfist
is becoming increasingly conservative in his Solar ways, and aspires to
the cult of Yelm. He has alienated most of the Lunar authorities. The
Vantaros' traditional allies are the Yelmalio-dominated Princeros.
The Tovtaros tribe are more traditional Orlanthi, though depleted in both
strength and numbers since the unsuccessful Righteous Wind Revolt of
1611. Like most Orlanthi in the North, they have become 'Earth'
worshippers (Ernalda or Barntar), and so the Flame Festival has
become a hotbed of sedition and intrigue.
The traditionally Sartarite Dinacoli tribe joined with Ironfist during
Starbrow's Rebellion in 1613, and have since joined the Alda-chur
Confederation. They are minor players, and do not share the Tarshite
language. While popularly dismissed as ignorant outsiders, the Dinacoli
provide important support to pro-Orlanthi elements among the northern
tribes.
Other tribes of the Confederation are the Tres and the Amad, based
around Alone. They include a strong Orlanthi element, but intrude little
into Alda-chur politics.
HISTORY OF THE ALDA-CHURI
(Page references refer to King of Sartar. G = Genertela book from
GCHW. R = RQII Timeline).
Some slight contradictions occurred -
not all sources are equal! I have preferred more recent over older
material, and in KOS, the Composite History over Argrath's Saga. I've
also had to correct Chaosium's own mistranslations of Lunar calendar
dates!
1330 Arim the Pauper enters Dragon Pass after Holay defeated
by the Conquering Daughter. Courts Sorana Tor, founds Tarsh tribe.
(117). First human reoccupation of Far Point.
1395 Yarandros conquers dissenting Orlanthi, founds Kingdom of Tarsh. (118).
1448-55 Tarsh civil war. Tarkalor of the Princeros, Prince of Alda-chur,
unsuccessfully declares himself king of Tarsh. (121).
1455 Illaro Blacktooth becomes king of Tarsh: negotiates with the Alda-churi
- together they plunder the Quivini. (122).
1490 Hon Eel the Artess seduces and marries King Pyjeemsab of Tarsh.
Pyjeemsab disappears during honeymoon, Hon Eel declares herself regent.
Alda-churi and Kerofini rebel, slaughter Lunar inhabitants, seize property
to hire mercenaries. Battle of Dancing Sisters. Lunar victory. Kingdom
fractured. Anti-Lunar tribes become Tarsh Exiles. (124).
1496-1535 Reign of Phoronestes of Tarsh. Exile power weakens considerably.
1510+ Sartar's roads help Alda-chur become an important trading
city.
1520 Apotheosis of Sartar.
1538 King Philigos of Tarsh leads army to battle against Exiles.
Earthquake Temple destroys his army,
and city of Furthest, and uncompleted temple of the Reaching Moon.
Palashee Long Axe, leader of the Exiles, claims throne of Tarsh and
rules from Furthest (125). He is assisted by King Jarolor of Sartar
(139).
1539-40 Dragonewt's Dream. Palashee befriends dragonewts.
Philigos waits.
1551 Reaching Moon Temple consecrated. Glowline
extended. (G41).
1555 Sons of Philigos return with Lunar army.
Battle of Karnge Farm. Lunars defeated. However Phargentes slays
Palashee and regains throne for his line. (126).
1555-79 Phargentees continually battles Exiles and Sartar (127).
1565 Jarolor killed defending the Alda-churi against Tarsh/Lunar army
at Battle of Dwarf Ford (139).
1582 King Moriades of Tarsh (with Lunar aid) confronts
exiles at Battle of Grizzly Peak. Exiles defeated. Death there of
Tarkalor, King of Sartar. Fall of Bagnot. Seige of Alda-chur. (127,
140).
1583 King Terasin lifts seige of Alda-chur and convinces them
to join Kingdom of Sartar. His son weds a Tovtaros chieftain. Terasin
becomes WarLord of the Alda- churi, and designs new wall and towers
for his city. Completes Road from Dangerford to Alda-chur. Builds city
of Alone for Tarsh survivors of Grizzly Peak. (42-44, 140).
1585+ Alda-chur thrives as the trade crosspoint between Boldhome, Tarsh,
and Prax.
1588 Birth of Jar-eel the Razoress (G34).
1602 Lunar invasion. Household of Death leads Alda-churi army against
Tarsh. Attacked by Uz and Tusk riders. Destroyed at the Glowline by Lunar
magics. (141).
1606 Orlanth priests agitate for violent expulsion of
Lunar missionaries.
1611 Many tribal moots break up in dispute.
Righteous Wind Rebellion. Storm Season - Alda-chur torn apart by
rioting. Harvar Ironfist destroys Orlanthi at their holy site - becomes
Prince of the Alda-churi. Purges Orlanthi elements. Refugees swarm
southwards. (144).
1613 Starbrow's Rebellion. Fazzur Wideread
takes command of Lunar forces as General of Provincial Army (145).
Northern Sartar places itself under Kingdom of Tarsh (128).
1621 Fazzur removed from Sartar, takes command of Tarsh army (128).
1625 Clayday, Harmony, Earth. Dragon destroys Temple of
Reaching Moon. Argrath invades from Prax, Broyan from the
south. Boldhome rebellion. Lunar garrisons slain.
Pharandros sends army to seize Alda-chur. Sympathisers open gates, and
many join his army.
Freezeday, Illusion, Earth. The Harrowing of Hel.
Tarsh army proceeds south, where they are defeated by Starbrow at
Dangerford. Fazzur withdraws as Pharandros moves against him: Tarsh
split: Fazzurites versus Phangartites.
Boldhome convocation. Starbrow named queen and warlord of Sartar. (155).
1626 Starbrow attempts Short Lightbringer's Quest.
Battle of the Queens (Old Top),
where the Creek meets the Upland Marsh. Starbrow killed. Conversion
of Helena Truespear. Lunar bivouacs in Alda-chur enrage citizens and
kill chief guildsman Tarkalor Vandarlsson. In Dark season, Argrath
leads makeshift bands into Alda-churi lands, enlisting clans on the way.
Tarsh bivouacs desert. Lunar regulars destroyed by Argrath (Sword
Hill). Alda-churi raise Argrath on their sacred shield - king asks him to
rekindle flame of Sartar. (155-6).
1627 Day 88 - Argrath rekindles flame. Alda-churi tribes among those to
acknowledge him Prince of
Sartar and Warlord of the Sartari.
1630 Fazzurites request Argrath's
help. Temple of Reaching Moon in Furthest destroyed.
CONTINUED...
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From: ddunham@radiomail.net (David Dunham)
Subject: afterlife; O.Rex; troll passes
Message-ID: <199406140501.AA18499@radiomail.net>
Date: 14 Jun 94 05:01:35 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 4562
Alex said
>It's demonstrable that some form of
>spirit survives death (at least in such cults), and is contactable a la
>Daka Fal worship, but this doesn't seem like a cast iron guarantee of
>survival of the individual soul, or personality, to me. Could be just a
>form of psychic residue of the individual
You can concoct weird theories if you like, but I use Ockham's Razor.
Survival of the spirit w/o change is the simplest explanation.
>Lunar plans would indeed destroy
>the Rex cult, but only because it's not known elsewhere
Orlanth Rex was originated by Alakoring Dragonbreaker who came from Ralios,
and I believe it's still practiced there. (As elsewhere, only thanes are
members, the difference being that only clan chieftains are thanes in East
Ralios.)
Joerg said
>the secret troll passes from Halikiv into
>Aggar (Or how did the Halikiv trolls raid in Aggar in the 2nd Age?).
Trolls, who worship Himile, can use passes that humans can't (remember that
Lunars don't like the cold). Or, the trolls have secret tunnels they've
eaten through the mountains.
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From: lindsell@rschp1.anu.edu.au (Graeme Lindsell)
Subject: Loskalm, mainly
Message-ID: <9406140519.AA01010@Sun.COM>
Date: 14 Jun 94 20:17:32 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 4563
Sandy Petersen writes:
>Soon we'll see defenses of the heroic Brithini point of view.
Who needs them? The Talars can provide excellent ones of their own,
starting by explaining how long lived their society has been, and how
obviously the immortality proves their society is the correct way to live.
>in the Middle Ages, Jews were often considered to
>be under the protection of civil authorities, and had license to
>disbelieve in Christ, say bad things about Him, etc., and no
>ecclesiastical action could be taken.
However, official tolerance of Jews was usually a result of those secular
authorities wanting their cash. When those authorities decided they
didn't need or want them anymore, the Jews were often killed or expelled
quite rapidly.
>Loskalm probably supports no more than 150,000 or so (if we grant them 5%
>full-time soldier population, which is a hefty number to support for
>a civilized land that doesn't enslave and Tap its peasants or live
>off plunder).
Loskalm has a standing _peacetime_ army of 55 000 (11 armies of 5000 each).
Given it's level of organization (much greater than any medieval army -
more similar to Roman organization or Cromwell's New Model) I suspect
they had this army during the Ban, when they were under no threat at all.
Not enslaving and Tapping its peasants means that Loskalm has something
else: a reserve to draw upon to make up it's losses. With the KoW, what
they have now seems to be all there is, they'll have to recruit from outside.
>For one thing, the Hrestoli social system is actually quite rigid,
>and makes it hard to, say, suddenly recruit more knights.
The requirement to enter knighthood is rather easy: I wouldn't be surprised
if most of the adult male peasants haven't already reached it. Also, we've
just been hearing about how the Hrestoli system bends to allows the sons
of knights and wizards an easy time - under threat I don't doubt they'll
be able to recruit a lot more soldiers.
> The average KoW soldier I believe to be more competent and
>fierce than the average Loskalmi Knight, who has only been training
>hard at knightly skills since he was 20-25 or so.
In war this is a lot less relevant than size of the armies and discipline.
The average Gaul was more competant and fierce than the Roman legionary.
I think that in this war, as in most, God will reveal himself to the big
battalions.
I think that the KoW will put up a vicious fight, but in the end I think
they will lose.
> Loskalm may be more advanced magically, but why do you say
>technically?
It's just a feeling really. The Loskalmi do seem to have developed full
plate armour. What they don't seem to be using is the longbow, which comes
from Fronela, so like the French they could be in trouble. However, there's
no sign the KoW use it either - they seem to be mainly cavalry.
>(which, to work
>perfectly, would seem to require lifespans far beyond the human
>norm)
Do the Loskalmi have the Immortality spell? I ask this because the king
must be at least 135 years old right now. (He was a squire to Snodal, who
vanished in 1500). Meriatan must be fairly old too, I recall.
Klaus O K writes:
>I am quite certain that the Rokari refer to what we call "the
>Peter principle" as "the Hrestoli principle".
While I'm certain this is a problem I think the Hrestoli have a better
system than the Rokari. Choosing your leaders by birth has been shown IMO
to be a really stupid idea, and I think most of recorded history would back
me up on this. At least in Loskalm, ambition and talent can get you places.
It's in organisation that the Loskalmi will win.
> I quote: "Don't make the mistake of assuming that
>[Gloranthan] societies are less sophisticated or complex than our own
>modern, technological societies." To continue, "We hope you will ...
>not oversimplify Gloranthan societies by imposing Earthly points of
>view."
Well I don't have the books here but I remember a section were it
was said that most Glorantha societies were Neolithic or Bronze age, with
a few of of medieval sophistication or beyond.
BTW, I don't think I'm oversimplifying the Lunars when I say they haven't
developed an idea (creating a new language and imposing it upon the populace
in order to manipulate their personalities to desired ends) that has only
been developed in 20th century speculative fiction. I honestly do not
think that they are that advanced - neither are we, since no one on earth
has ever tried or succeeded at it. I don't think a culture without printing,
universal education, broadcast commuication and rapid travel would be able
to maintain such a language for very long, as dialects would soon start to
change it. I don't even think heroqests would be able to do this, though
they would help. It'd probably be just as easy to change the human beings
directly rather than by this indirect method, and it'd be what people think
of first.
Bryan J. Maloney writes:
>Gee, this is pretty much how nearly ALL human societies work, no?
I even said so in my original post. There are differences of degree
between societies, and one which doesn't allow _any_ dissent is at one
extreme. Like Loskalm IMO.
>By this definition, the Brithini don't have a caste system, which is hokey.
More like "true" IMO. By this definition, the Brithini have an extremely
strict strict class system.
>Hang on, is "Talar" only a Brithini title?
I've only ever seen it used for Brithini.
>since any other caste terminology couldn't
>have been invented yet, his own (if any) being the earliest alternative.
You mean Malkion's, don't you? These caste/class titles seem to predate
Hrestol.
--
Graeme Lindsell a.k.a lindsell@rschp1.anu.edu.au
Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra.
"I was 17 miles from Greybridge before I was caught by the school leopard"
Ripping Yarns - Tomkinson's Schooldays.
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