>In general, how much physical evidence of the past does an average (say)
>Sartarite see? Are they constantly weaving around ruins of EWF and Bright
>Empire cities? Or did the dragons pretty much wipe everything out?
It's also worth remembering that, while finding Lost Objects of Immense Power (tm Unshakable Fate Co.) makes for grand stories, the "interactions with the past" of your average Heorting (or any other Gloranthan, really) are going to be through story, speculation, and myth. Physical encounters are going to tend to be through humble remains -- turning up a spear head while plowing, finding a cave full of broken pots, examining a strangely carved runestone you discover while hunting. If a character finds something more substantial, say a sword in resonable condition, there's the question of what it is. Perhaps it's a Vingkotling relic from the storm age; perhaps it's a "common" magic sword from the West, brought by one of Arkat's last Western followers; it could be a leftover from the Dragonkill or a EWF tool or something else (one of Jaldon's Khans dropped booty he gained raiding Kralorela). Maybe it has power, danger, or both; maybe it doesn't.
How are your characters going to find out? Any local Lhankor Mhy follower is likely to be more of a Lawspeaker than a Professor of Gloranthan Archeology. The local smith (if there is one) might be able to tell you what kind of metal it's made of, what type of magic (if any) has been used on it, and (maybe) an idea of its origins ("My teacher showed me a blade like this once, forged for Hendik Snake-in-the-Eye who served as Clan Champion for Chief Sigrund Dawnwitness"). Other priests or godi might give similar hints. Unless it looks really safe, though, you neighbors might feel nervous that you're messing with this stuff ("Remember Berra Olgersdotter? She messed around with the Yoof ruins on the other side of the ridge and a Wyrm ate her and her family! Put that thing down!"). Certainly a trip to Boldhome (or further) for a better answer would mark any regular Heortling as eccentric and probably doomed ("The clan didn't survive the Darkness, the Light, the Dragons, and the Moon by poking around in the ground after foreign secrets. Orlanth and Ernalda's truths are good enough for you, lad").
Anyway, using KoDP as a starting point, hours of fun can be had by having someone find some relic from an earlier age, and watch the clan get all worked up over it. Remember, just because you found it doesn't mean that it's yours; the Ring will have quite a bit of say. If it looks useful, are you the best person to keep it? If it looks dangerous, you probably will need to get rid of it (Orlanth fixed his mistakes, remember?). If it looks valuable, maybe it should be sold of the good of the clan, and so on. Hours of low-level political fun can be had outside of the question of what the thing is (A EWF spear? Heort's Shield fixture? Uleria's Hatpin, one of Delecti's Acupuncture Needles? Some First Age decoration?). So the clan is arguing what to do with the highly magical item your foolish characters have unearthed, the whole series of adventures is coming to a possibly violent head at a rather fractious moot, when the wandering Grey Sage suddenly says "that's no scepter; that's the lost handle of Eurmal's Toilet Brush!" And there is more arguing....
Peter Larsen
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