Firstly Peter I'd like to express my outrage at your open discussion of Harreks baldness. I feel this was in bad taste in the extreme. To point out the mans obvious attempts to cover his problem, when most of the world knows this was caused by Lunar Hair Eating Demons serves only to bring a sensitive matter out into the public view. Result: Harrek gets even more annoyed than usual. In fact, if you'd had a deeper understanding of the issue, you'd have known that Harreks beserke fury is caused by opponents yelling "hey baldy - get a life!" on the battlefield. Well I've said my piece, now on to less serious stuff.
Kingdom of War: You said they were too savage to have a staff or other forms of higher military structure. This seems a bit unlikely to me, given their love of war in all its aspects. It would seem probable that their war gods include the likes of Pole Star to Zorak Zoran because they embody all war, from beserk attack to structured discipline. I think this would make them truly terrifying in battle. Depending on which combination of cult regiments you get, their army could be a barbaric horde or a serried force of iron discipline or a combination. Very difficult to plan against. At the same time I think that all the Gods worshipped, would be worshipped only for their military aspect. Eg Pole Star would not be worshipped for dance but purely for drill.
I think the Loskalmi will have a real bad time with these fellows.
Safelester: They do seem to be similar to Italian city states during the renaissance in military terms but they also have the warping effect of a considerable barbarian prescence and the huge amounts of esoteric magics and cults kicking aout the area. The description of their military in GcoHW seems to indicate that they've been fighting each other in that desultry fashion for some time. The mercenaries they use to boost their city state forces (very Machiavelli this) have close parallels to the Condottieri of the period in Italy you (and Sandy?) mentioned.
If the city states get stomped by militaristic Tanisor etc then the prescence of the Orlanthi and their Henotheist church may save them, they could contribute a considerable force of warlike peoples that would match Seshnelan experience in many ways. Of course, such aid would not be without price......
Harrek again:
Harrek can plainly manipulate the power flows around him to a large degree, hence the boomerang effect on the magicians with the Sunspear. However partial control is what he can acheive rather than full control, or else he (and his companions) wouldn't have taken any damage at all.
Maybe the infinity rune gives him control over possibilities so he can see a possibility where your magic fails, then he forces that probability into existence. Plainly some changes are impossible and that is why he is sometimes affected by some magics such as the Sunspear.
Added to this, I tink if you cast an offensive magic at him, he can see the path the spell takes to him and then using his own massive power reserves, he can force the spell back at you or just block it easily.
I would still be interested to know what happens to him during the bulk of the Hero Wars and where does he go? I can't believe he would just kill himself or be killed without a chronicler somewhere knowing. After all he was written about by everyone according to KoS. Any ideas anybody?
Did anyone see my write up of Urain? Comments would be appreciated if you did. I've had some feedback but would like more perspectives on it, if possible.
Martin Laurie
End of Glorantha Digest V2 #159
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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