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, 15 Aug 1994, part 1
Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM
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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.
---------------------
From: david_baur@cl_63smtp_gw.chinalake.navy.mil (David Baur)
Subject: Varied responces
Message-ID: <9408140745.AA23949@Sun.COM>
Date: 13 Aug 94 14:03:30 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5688
Varied responces 8/13/94 10:01
PM
Greetings again from David Baur
Paul Reilly & A Question of Totems
============================
> Has anyone else done much with totems? Wolverine and White Bear have
> been important in our campaigns.
Yes. Wolf is a particular totem being used, though A couple others have
been touched on by the party. One of my players is a hunter selected based
on a "calling" to become a young Shaman of Wolf who does not yet fully
understand his aspect (though he will as the story unfolds). I can't go into
much detail on the daily as the player subscribes, which I'm sure you can
appreciate.
This comes from several of my dilettante studies and beliefs of the
spirit world. I would be happy to post some if you desire.
John Strauss & Wife GMs
====================
In posting X-RQ-ID: 5671, John replies to Alison Place:
> On the whole, I have found female gamers to be rare in number but
> of the highest caliber. They tend to emphasize role-playing over
> combat, which is my preferred style. All things appearing equal, I
> would accept a new unknown female into a game over a new unknown
> male, simply based on my positive experiences with female gamers.
I also have found few female gamers and a smaller number of female GMs.
Those I have shared sessions with have been interesting. Unfortunately, I
haven't had your "luck" with female gamers. I find that, like guys, there
are good and bad players. I have found that they are usually more focused on
Roleplaying, but with different expectations (possibly similar to your GM's
girl example).
> I doubt that the category is gender-specific; but I have never had
> the opportunity to play with a female GM. Having seen some kick-ass
> female gamers, I would relish such an opportunity. If I ever get
> that lucky, I will let you know if she plays favorites on her
> husband/boy friend.
I have played with two different female GMs. One was after my character
(I swear I'm not just being paranoid, I just don't have the space to explain
it here) and the other ranked high in ability (the first was a beginner, but
with potential). Both were married and had their husbands in the campaign as
well. The second one's husband's character did a "stupid" and paid the
ultimate price. She showed not an ounce of favoritism to any character.
This is just one datapoint.
I agree that the more time or leverage you have with the GM, the greater
the influence (possibly only perceived) you have with the GM (after all, you
both have to live with each other). I also find in a group with multiple GMs
you find the non-GMs getting passed over a little. It's just human
psychology.
---------------------
From: rowe@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU (Eric Rowe)
Subject: Re: RuneQuest Daily, Sun, 14 Aug 1994, part 1
Message-ID: <199408140945.CAA11224@soda.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 13 Aug 94 19:45:25 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5689
>Subject: Various ramblings from the Blue Wizard.
>Seriously enough, David does raise a valid question about the I
>fought we won with a valid quotation. My only defense is that the
>source I quote was written after Cults of Terror and Greg may have
>changed his mind. Certainly as it says in eleven troll battles
>when talking of the war, it gives the location as north of Dragon
>Pass and says the survivors later formed the First Council. As
>Zzabur was not part of the First Council (Eric Rowe can correct me on
>this: Is Zzabur a particpant in "the broken council LARP"?), It
>follows that Zzabur was not a particpant of the I fought we won
>battle. How to explain the discrepancy inside Glorantha ?
Zzabur is not a participant. It does not follow that he was not a
participant of the I fought we won battle. I (personally) think the
First council is highly over-rated in terms of who it actually
represented. Most of its claims are grandiose and unsubstatiated.
>1) The God Learners were confused (again!). They recognized a moment in the
>cosmos which they called the Final Battle of Mortality (which can be located i
>n
Fronela/Brithos - High Kings Elf's stronghold is Winterwood) and confused
>theyalan tales of the I fought we won with this. As the God Learners were the
>most learned (and leats wise) this raises the question of how well the EWF and
>Errinoru's Empire understood the Cosmos! Scary!
I believe that your Final Battle of Mortality occurred everywhere, not just
in one place.
Then Michael C. Morrison writes...
>I've seen "Greg" used as a verb lately, and thought I'd try to define it.
>
>Comments?
Welcome to our world.
eric
---------------------
From: DevinC@aol.com
Subject: DH Marriage Customs, KoS Intro, 3rd Try
Message-ID: <9408140709.tn1076693@aol.com>
Date: 14 Aug 94 11:09:52 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5690
Devin Cutler here:
Just got GRoY and began rereading KoS. Need answer to the following:
1) The Wedding contest from GRoY made me wonder what the marriage customs are
like in Darra Happa. Anyone have any ideas.
I would have imagined, given that women are, in many ways, viewed as
completely inferior, that it would be suitable for a man to have many wives.
Yet, Yelm only accepts one wife, Dendara.
While he accepts only one wife, it seems he keeps concubines (e.g.
Galgarenge). It also seems there is some precedence for DH wives having many
husbands (e.g. Esvenratha...."For I have many husbands already"). This seems
very un Darra Happan.....is it possible they go by this?
Finally, I wonder how, if the concept of marriage was being created for Yelm,
how Esvenratha could already have husbands. This seems strange, since as I
read GRoY, Lodril invented marriage and sold it to Yelm as a novel new idea.
Also, with regard to the First People, it states that Man and Woman were
alone as people and were naked. Yelm telles them toi go into their quarters
and take some tools from Lodril and Dendara and await orders. He then says:
"You six shall be the first Aristocrats. Others will follow, and you will
instruct them and lead them"
Question: Who are these six? They cannot be humans, since they number only to
(Man and Woman).
2) KoS in the Introduction:
a) Anyone notice how Doranda the Quill and the Dorandans are a good
anagram of Donandar? This might make sense, since Donandar is probably the
best keeper of oral tradition, Lhankor Mhy being for of a literate chap and
having lost all of that in the Illiteracy Era.
b) The Evil Empire mentioned is obviously the Lunar Empire. But it states
that the Lunar Empire was one that "had withstood the sun fallign down from
the sky, and invasion of monsters, and an ice age".
I can't seem to tie these three items with the Lunar Empire. Can anyone tell
me what these three events are?
3) A have asked twice now if anyone can reconcile the contradictory dates of
the Syndics Ban/Closing as given in the Fornela section of GCotHW. Can anyone
help me out by emailing me off line and discuss this? I would think this
would be an important point to sort out. Esp if trying to run a Western
Campaign.
BTW: Ran the TOTRM scenario with the Cyclops, King Nekeros, and the Pom
Fliud. Worked well, the Players were mystified and enhtralled by the GL
stuff.
Also ran the Cameo from the same TOTRm re: the Waertagi in Prax. Again,
worked very well.The players enjoyed seeing the pompous Lunar official in
Moonbroth get his!
Regards,
Devin Cutler
devinc@aol.com
---------------------
From: Akira19893@aol.com
Subject: Unsubscribe
Message-ID: <9408140803.tn1077012@aol.com>
Date: 14 Aug 94 12:03:16 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5691
Henk,
Please unsubscribe me from Aug 14 to Aug 29 as I will be on vacation until
then.
---------------------
From: CHEN190@csc.canterbury.ac.nz (Peter Metcalfe, CAPE Canty)
Subject: The Blue Wizard goes forth
Message-ID: <01HFX1XSE336ECYZS4@csc.canterbury.ac.nz>
Date: 15 Aug 94 12:26:17 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5692
To Greg or not to greg?
-----------------------
I would add to mike morrison's excellent description of the verb greg. I add
the phrase 'to pseudogreg' which is of course the claiming of such and such
based on unpublished sources and reported conversations only to find out they
were wrong.
GRAoY: 95% correct?
-------------------
Joe writes that he still maintains that Antirius is no longer Yelmalio on the
grounds that
>The myths don't really fit - most of all Antirius dies during the Darrkness
and never had close connections to the Earth. Antirius is a ruling God.
He then concedes
>the identification is possible, but not enough to make them the one and the
>same diety.
I do not doubt this. Antirius never had strong connections to the earth in
Dara Happa because the Earth Goddess there was Dendara whereas Ernalda is
Elmal's Wife. I believe that after Antirius left Dara Happa (perhaps Shargash
bushwhacked him? After all there is a strong indication they fought) he was
somehow revived and made peace with Orlanth to become Elmal. (for the record,
IMO, Elmal is worshipped in the place of Orlanth in Orlanths clan system in
the Elmali clans - something which stated in the Yelmalio Writeup whereas
Antirius is worshipped in the manner of Sun County).
The answer I suspect lies in the Winterwood Forest of Fronela where the Elves
under High King Elf made their last stand and Yelmalio is reported as being
there.
Extreme Glorantha spoiler alert!
--------------------------------
Questions have arisen in the past about Moonson's ability to remember his
previous incarnations. Now the creature known as MOB has stirred the ashes
with his mention of the story "The Lord Awakens" and I present my theory on the
whole kit and kaboodle.
In 1506 ST, the battle for the Night of Horrors occured. In the History of the
Lunar Empire, Moonson and the Seven of Orathorn cast spells which in synergy
act to call upon the curse of infinite worlds upon the place. The Red Emperor
is not stated to have died in this battle but reappears in Glamour and
proclaims the Inward Path. This increases the gulf between the rich and poor
in the Lunar Empire but brings peace. The Battle is stated as occuring after
the Lunar Army marches up the Arcos River.
The earliest mention of the appearance of the Great Sister who is not
answerable to Moonson is 1506 ST (the Genertela Book; GoG).
In the Argrath's Saga, Sheng Seleris and Prince Argrath after defeating the
Good Empire at the battle of Dantofol travel to Molari Slor city. There Prince
Argrath defeats the Red Emperor who then is eaten by Sheng Seleris and his
cronies. We are not given the date of this battle but it occured after 1680
ST. We are further told that 'afterwards there was a red emperor but it was
not the same red emperor' and ends with the comment the the Empire begins to
devour itself. Molari Slor is shown at what is the extreme end of the Oraya
Sultanate (or Satrapy - how and why did the name get changed?)
It is my hypothesis (based on comments by Greg in the ToTRM #7: heroquest
Issue) that what Prince Argrath and Sheng Seleris did was travel back in time
to kill the Red Emperor. This disrupted the matrix of the Lunar Way so that a
different Red Emperor was created and the Great Sister appeared. When this red
emperor died, another reappeared.
I'm on shakier ground, but I feel the original Moonson comes back presumably
after Harrek killed the previous one before 1602 ST. He remembers Prince
Argrath killing him and knows that Sheng Seleris has somehow escaped the Pits
of Perdition. This explains the current Lunar desire to destroy Orlanth and
the Red Emperor's feud with Argrath in the Argrath Saga.
Well that's enough Brainstorming from me
Yours
Peter Metcalfe
---------------------
From: 100102.3001@compuserve.com (Peter J. Whitelaw)
Subject: Communal Rune-magic
Message-ID: <940814122955_100102.3001_BHJ45-1@CompuServe.COM>
Date: 14 Aug 94 12:29:56 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5693
Hi all,
Peter Metcalfe makes a proposal:
>Colin watson wrote
>
>>What we need is a new magic system for non-personal communal divine magic.
>
>I like this idea and have a proposeal which should keep changes minimal.
>
>My idea is this:
[fine idea follows]
>Comments?
>
>Peter Metcalfe
Since Peter Metcalfe and I are, in fact, the same person, I obviously like this
idea.
I would think that some gearing ought to be introduced for non-reusable spells,
though. Perhaps they might cost twice or three times as many of the pool
points.
And would you number Associated Cult spells as being amongst those available? I
suggest that they should not be.
All the best,
Peter Whitelaw/Metcalfe/Whoever...
---------------------
From: Urox@aol.com
Subject: Soloquest
Message-ID: <9408141731.tn1090861@aol.com>
Date: 14 Aug 94 21:31:28 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5694
Chris Cooke,
For some reason my email will not reach you, it keeps getting bounce back. I
did receive the check for Soloquest. Thanks.
Mark Foster
---------------------
From: davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au (David Cake)
Subject: Re: I Fought We Won
Message-ID: <199408150316.LAA01259@cs.uwa.oz.au>
Date: 15 Aug 94 19:27:59 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5695
>
>I fought We Won
>===============
>David Cake contradicts me in my debate with Joerg about Zzabur and whether he
>fought I fought we won.
>
>
>
>Seriously enough, David does raise a valid question about the I fought we won
>with a valid quotation. My only defense is that the source I quote was written
>after Cults of Terror and Greg may have changed his mind. Certainly as it says
>in eleven troll battles when talking of the war, it gives the location as north
>of Dragon Pass and says the survivors later formed the First Council. As
>Zzabur was not part of the First Council (Eric Rowe can correct me on this: Is
>Zzabur a particpant in "the broken council LARP"?), It follows that Zzabur was
>not a particpant of the I fought we won battle. How to explain the discrepancy
>inside Glorantha ?
>
>1) The God Learners were confused (again!). They recognized a moment in the
>cosmos which they called the Final Battle of Mortality (which can be located
>in
>Fronela/Brithos - High Kings Elf's stronghold is Winterwood) and confused
>theyalan tales of the I fought we won with this. As the God Learners were the
>most learned (and leats wise) this raises the question of how well the EWF and
>Errinoru's Empire understood the Cosmos! Scary!
>
I suspect that there may be some confusion here - it could be that the
confusion is between the great mystic I Fought We Won battle, which was a
mystic event where the forces of mortality made their last stand, and
particular battlegrounds where parts of the battle were fought, including
Fronela and Snake Pipe Hollow. But it could also be that Zzabur was acually
fighting alongside the trolls at at Dragon Pass - he receives direct aid
from Kygor Litor, who certainly was not fighting in Fronela. High King Elf
I think of as being an elven culture hero, part of green and brown (at
least) Aldryami world wide. Now the elves of Winterwood revere him more
than usual, and he is most commonly linked with that forest, but that
doesn't mean that he can't fight with elves anywhere.
>2) Zzabur was bragging as usual.
>
Certainly about reinventing reality with his mighty spell, he may have been
going a bit overboard (though it was one of the most important events in
Gloranthan mythic history - he could even be right), but when it comes to
more practical issues, like freeing High King Elf of a gorp plague, he is
probably more truthful. He may not have recreated the universe single
handed, but he probably did help fight.
>Gark the Calm
>=============
>
>Rich asks about Gark the Calm Cult Writeup. I know there was an official
>written up for a french magazine called Broos which is now out of print.
>I do not have a copy and would also add my voice for a copy.
Well, I too would like to see a copy?
> An added
>inducement is that I promise to debate with you a gloranthan topic of your
>choice in the digest (subject to limitation of course: I will not debate
>Joerg's many suns hypothesis (to please henk) nor will I revisit the OOO
>debate).
I am not sure that this is an inducement, however! :-)
>
>I suspect that Ompalam and Jraktal may never be written up as a difficulty with
>these cults is trying to find some mechanism to prevent Fonritian PC's from
>joining what is a mainstream cult. Any ideas, Sandy?
>
Jraktal does not seem particularly mainstream - tolerated, but not well
liked. Ompalam, on the other hand, is another matter. If PCs really want to
become professional slavers, then I have no deep problem with that.
Cheers
Dave Cake
---------------------
From: davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au (David Cake)
Subject: Re: Martial arts
Message-ID: <199408150345.LAA01616@cs.uwa.oz.au>
Date: 15 Aug 94 19:56:44 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5696
>I'm a bit confused about your Analogues here: from the G:G illos, I'd have
>said Dragon style was something (ever so vaguely) like aikido, while
>Centipede was faintly shotokan-ish.
>
Both are standard karate stances, not restricted to shotokan, but probably
not used in aikido. I used to know their names.
>> Styles are generally patterned after insects and draconic types, as
>> hsunchen animals are verboten.
>
>Or if not, the MA styles could be resort of the Poor Repressed Peasants,
>clinging to their disapproved-off hsunchen roots...
>
Well, I kind of like the idea that hsunchen ideas are still secretly spread
by many martial arts schools, but I also like the idea that many schools
are named after non-hsuchen animals to demonstrate their purity. Perhaps
the hsunchen schools are secret underground organisations in most places?
Maybe they live on oppenly in the Kingdom of Ignorance?
Cheers
Dave
>Alex.
---------------------