Re: Physical locations and heroquests

From: KYER, JEFFREY <jeff.kyer_at_...>
Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 13:26:28 -0400

Ian Cooper wrote:
>
> This may be a rules question but...
>
> Would there be any advantages to travelling to a physical location to
> perform a heroquest. For example the Jarani stones are at Arrowmound

Oh Yes!!! Very much so. It would do a few things -- it would be an 'auspicious location' and would quite likely be a Thin Spot. Both of these will reduce the difficulty of the Mythology test required to enter the Hero Plane and hence will leave more points for carry over and bonus skills. Indeed, they could be so useful that one can split off a group of worshippers to help with the more critical states of the quest, now that getting in the front door is assured.

> whish is in the Skyreach Mountains (around edge of Esrolia Grazelnds
> by the look of it) and seem to be the location of the Lawstaff path
> quest performed by Heort. If a quester physically travels to Mt.
> Arrowmound does he gain advantages - for example breaking through the
> barrier to the other side.

The place could be thinner. A few Heroquests seem to indicate that if you go there in the Middle World, one might get stronger benifits of the quest as less time and energy is expended getting you there.

In some cases the Midworld location is not known or has been destroyed. And in many cases, a local mythological feature has become the center of the Hero Quest, rather than the other. I seem to recall something about Thunder Mountain near Dorastor being used for some quests rather than Kero Fin.  

> On a related note HW implies (perhaps I have misread it) that trips
> to the other side cannot be used for physical world travel; but in
> Dragons Past in WF I seem to remember people using trips to the other

Times change and so has the games we play in Glorantha. There IS a way to do what you want by using Magic Roads. These are not heroquests but are magical pathways through the Otherworld. Sort of like taking a highway rather than driving through town.

But using a heroquest to travel seems like a dodgy use of one.

> side as travel short cuts (to reach the Holy country I think). Does
> a quester always snap back to the location they started the quest

Usuially. Unless they screw up. Or they leave the Quest while still in the Hero Plane (which is a remarkably bad idea)

> from, or can they somehow break out. In other words could you travel
> from Sartar to Esrolia by performing the Lawstaff Path and then
> crossing the barrier at ArrowMound back into the physical world.
>
> Ian

Possibly. It would depend on the situation. But unless otherwise stated, one just returns to one's starting point.

Jeff

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