CARMANIAN SORCERY
My players don't normally mix with sorcerers, I think they've met 2;
they fought one. He petrified one's leg and paralysed
another, ie he was a Stasis specialist. Other ideas I've mulled over for the
Carmanian college are that, because of their ties to the Red Goddess, they
might have some chaotic spells: Dominate Gorp / Dragonsnail / Walktapus, etc.
If you want to carry the Stasis theme further, what about Create Vampire?
Every Great Family could have one to act as a Wise Patriarch (or Matriarch)!
As you're asking about religious / noble data, I assume your PC's are all
going to be nobles etc? Remember the strict etiquette that will need to be
observed between them. And how the Wizard will despise the Lords, and vice-
- -versa. Also, despite the Lunarisation of the area, it should be very
difficult for Farmer-class PC's to learn sorcery, weaponcraft etc unless they
swear allegiance to a patron.
I have a whole heap of stuff, including a Dart War scenario I ran at Convulsion and loads of handouts on the social background and 'what you know' for my players. If you let me know your address I'd be happy to send you photocopies - unfortunately there's far too much to retype here, and most is so specific to our campaign that you're best just skimming it for ideas. The first thing you'll notice is that it's very European-feudal in nature, which is the impression I got from the Glorantha boxed set when I started the campaign. Almost immediately, it seemed, it turned out that the consensus on the Digest is that Carmania is pseudo-Persian, but as I know nothing of Persia I just ignored that. Then I decided to create a semi-mysterious race of humans, the original inhabitants of Carmania (since oppressed by the Carmanians and then the Lunars). They are into obscure nature magics, elfy things and suchlike, and serve as a plot device when I need some mystics or shamen or other inexplicable goings-on in the background. Lo! No sooner had the PC's met 'em than I begin hearing of the Pelandans, who are the Official First Race of Carmania, and have about as much personality as damp blotting paper.
The lesson of all this, of course, is not to adhere too slavishly to what you hear about Carmania from your fellow Digesters or the published Gloranthan sources. You'll spend months stitching inconsistencies together into a whole, only to be Gregged again. Decide on the "flavour" you want, head off in the direction you like, and just use those ideas that you like. I even changed the shape of a couple of countries to make the politics more interesting.
Want any more on our campaign background?
A short list of Secret Societies for Carmania -
Karmanos cult; Krarsht; Nobles' spy networks; Provincial Governer's / Imperial Secret Police; Blue Moon cult; Sorcerers who don't wish their church to be controlled by Yolanela's son; Droods / Pelandans; Haranglat fisherfolk liberation front; Vivamort (currently being Gregged!); KoW spies; merchant guilds; smugglers (very important now Ban has dissolved); your local Arch Villain(s); Lodril's Spear subcult... anyone care to add to this?
Paul Honigmann
Oxfnord, UK
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