>>We know
>>that when the rivers invaded the land during the Gods War, they were often
>>called Blue Dragons (Oslir/Nestendos etc). And since the Dragonnewts are
>>related to the ordinary riverine newtlings who do indulge in river worship,
>>the origin of the assoication of Dragonewts with the Water Rune should be
>>obviouys.
>Which is pretty strange since dragonewts show no elemental powers associated
>with water whatsoever. Besides, renegade dragonewts never join elemental
>cults.
That was then, I suppose. However there are historical references to Dragons and their kin having elemental powers. Mind of the Golden Dragon who ruled the land of Saird during the Broken Council was said to have studied the myriad solar rites of Dara Happa and Peloria. Then there is the Dragon Sun who ruled Dara Happa. The Grand Dragon was to have the Oslir river as its spine (presumably the origin of the New Blue Dragon depicted in the Fortunate Succession), the Populace of Dara Happa was to be its intellect, the Rockwood Mountains its Wings and the Volcanoes of Caladraland as its erupting Breath. We know of the cult of Orlanth Dragonfriend from KoS so I feel safe in saying that the Draconic Path is not incompatible with the Elements.
My own opinion is that the Inhuman King after it disentangled itself from the pit of corruption that was the EWF Grand Dragon project decided that Elemental Attachments was Not A Good Thing and all subsequent dragonewts (around Central Genertela) have honoured decision to such an extent that moderns think it is impossible. Kralorela may have a different view but IMO they're still trying to get rid of False Dragon Ring 'innovations' to have a uniform answer.
>On the other hand, there is the Kralorelan Blue Dragon who lives in the sea.
As I said before, I am of the opinion that this is merely a title akin to an honorary doctrate for services well done. Otherwise his giving the Cult of the Orca to the Kralori smacks of the Kralori adopting a Hsunchen Cult Which We All Know Cannot Be True. Thus, Trunhin Da gets an honorary title. However I do think the August Dragon is a true dragon.
>>Since Dragonewts don't write
>Is that for certain, or could it not just be that humans don't recognize
>dragonewt writing for what it is?
I refer Nils to G:CotHW Glorantha Book p35 where it is stated that 'Dragonewts do not write, but during the Empire of the Wyrm's Friends a written form of Auld Wyrmish was devised by clever humans'. Dragonewts really have no need of writing as the teachers are practically immortal.
>>(and are incapable of drawing pictures)
>Oh? how come?
King of Sartar p185 'They seem to be incapable of drawing a picture, planting a seed, or binding a companion's wounds'. To my mind, this is akin to the original state of the newtlings before they took the draconic path. By forcing themselves to the new way, they have accepted cultural retardation in some other way. Rather like the magical theory in Ars Magica Faeries that the Faeries are remants of the pre-Iron Age people living in Europe before the invvaders come. They moved into the land of the Faeries with the result that Iron is _unusual_ for them.
>>The EWF in an
>>attempt to bring about the Grand Dragon (which was really an insane pipe
>>dream IMHO) began draconizing all the local spirits they could find.
>That's a compelling theory. However I don't share your view of the plan
>as an insane pipe dream. After all, according to draconic philosophy, the
>world was created from the remains of the self-mutilated Cosmic Dragon.
>The EWF Great Dragon experiment could then be a resurrection/rebuilding
>attempt.
It was explicitly described as a pyramid scheme in the Glorantha book! About the EWF plans, I have in mind those Great Leap Forwards and Cultural Revolutions in which all means are turned towards the draconization of society leaving little else for the material welfare of its subjects. The Picker-uppers lose power because their schedule starts falling behind and is widely acknowleged to be Absurd. The Upper-toppers maintain a more relaxed draconization program with the side-effect that the masses lose their fanatical edge and start revolting.
>>Thus when the Dragonkill war begins, the True Golden Horde are suprised
>>by all the dragons that appear.
>Also, such trivialities as time and space don't really bother a true dragon.
>If it wants to be somewhere some time it just goes there.
Why oh why is it that when the Red Goddess says she has secrets of Time, nobody outside the Lunar Empire (and minority of those inside) believes her and yet when Draconic snake-tongued cultists insist that a True Dragon can travel anywhere it pleases (ie the same line of Bullshit), everybody believes them. For the record, I like to point out that the Kralori War in Heaven which took place in the _same_ year as the Dragonkill War was explicitly acknowleged by the Exarchs to be the result of years and years of magical preparations and summonings!
Jeff Richard:
> 3. Has anybody else run such a campaign and would be willing to give
>some advice (or background material - see Question One)?
David Dunham has, but I've seen nary a peek of it on his WWW page. Perhaps I've been locked out for TildeCrime on a non-unix machine...
End of Glorantha Digest V2 #9
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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