> In essence the Magical World of Glorantha is more "Colourful", a more
> intense world that the RW. Higher extremes.
A good summary.
> I certainly don't want to pull players into the boring world of agrarian
> economics (I apologise to the farmers out there) but I am trying to
> understand how 'full' the countryside of Sartar is? Is it 85% virgin forest.
> Can you walk through heavy forest across the whole region. Not so in and
> around the Orlmarth clan.
It's fascinating stuff (see for example Braudel volume 1 http://www.pensee.com/dunham/facts/braudel.html)!
But you are playing a story, and I'd put the needs of the story first. If you need your players to be able to infiltrate via the woods (because they came up with the idea), then they can. In HeroQuest, you can narrate the difficulty depending on the Pass/Fail Cycle. "You get most of the way to Orlmarth lands, but the Varmandi have thinned out Two Pine Woods, and you might need to be extra cautious." / "Your father said it was tricky, but it looks like the Varmandi have let some of their pastures revert to wildlands."
If for some reason you need them not to, then barrens, marshes, fields, etc. make it impossible (or at least crazy difficult).
My inclination without any research is that you could walk through forest across the whole region. Not necessarily thick forest, and parts might be thin.
Clan lands are cleared, and in fact the King of Dragon Pass computer game gives an increased chance of spotting raiders if you have extensive fields and pastures. (You definitely can't get to most spots of interest, like clan halls, sticking to forests.)
> Google Earthing across the UK, south of Leeds, all I see is fenced fields
> and urban.
I don't imagine most parts of Earth today are going to look relevant for Glorantha.
> Sumatra, was surprisingly forested - I presume rice, rain & volcanic soils
> is a significant multiplier to feeding your pop.
Don't they also have a lot of tree crops like coffee?
But Wikipedia says, "The island has lost 48% of its natural forest cover since 1985," so again I wouldn't use them as any kind of model for pre-industrial games.
David Dunham
Glorantha/HQ/RQ page: www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html
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