was one of many who complained that the current focus on the battlefield tactics of the Kingdom of War ignored its reason for existance...
>However I think that with some wrk it could
>be made into a passable Mordor. It is this that would be fun, developing
>a Gloranthan (or sinisterly non-Gloranthan) rationale on which to hang
>the true dark horror of the KoW, Lord Death and Pookums.
>What do people say. Is it time to dot the libraries of the West with
>forbidden tomes that talk of just such a dark deceiver, of a black
>shadow leading the Void of unknowable chaos krjalki into the heart
>of the world as we know it? It'd take some work, but I think that
>this interpretaion of the KoW has some mileage in the build up to
>the Hero Wars that is a little more OTT than discussing infantry types..
I would toss out Chaos Krjalki for starters as it is a bit passe for me. It seems a bit overused in Glorantha as we already have the archfiend Ralzalkark working wonders with raw slime.
However there are some hints in Fronelan history which could make a passable guess as to the Power behind Lord Death on a Horse.
First of is 375 ST. The Fronelan Malkioni defeated a powerful heathen god at the Sun Stop. Little else is mentioned. Talor wars against the Varganthyr the Unconquerable Knight 'who was allied with terrible powers'. This is presumed to be the Bright Empire of Nysalor.
Next is Hralf the Black Weasal who called himself 'Son of the Devil' and who appears to have similar characteristics with Lord Death on a Horse. His reign of terror appears to be contemporary with the White Bear Empire. The latter is mentioned in the Lunar Wane chronicles as forcing out the Lunars from Fronela. Sandy has revealed on this digest that the Polar Bear God was used by the Rathori to avoid hibernation so that they could surprise their foes with Winter Raids.
Now Fral Angor (a notable Rathori mentioned in the Fronelan Writeup) is mentioned as having fought against Black Hralf the Weasal. So it appears to me that Black Hralf the Weasel and the Fronelan Lunars were allies and opposed by the White Bear Empire and the Kingdom of Loskalm.
Okay, so far? Now for some weird stuff. Talor is mentioned as fighting against Arinsor, 'a chaos wizard in Gbaji the Deciever's Empire' who opened the Gate of Banir that was somewhere in Timms. So Nysalor's Empire extended into Fronela? Nope. According to recently uncovered documents (The Fortunate Succession and the Broken Council Guidebook), Fronela was ruled by the Kingdom of Beasts which was _not_ part of the Bright Empire nor the Second Council.
Now turning to Lords of Terror, we find that the Nidan records state that Gbaji entered the world after the Sunstop. We can also find that Gbaji's war against the surviving mortal races was halted by the Mostali who then threw him out of the universe. Now look at a map: Nida is South of Fronela.
My interpretation: Gbaji was defeated during the Great Darkness in Fronela by the Nidan Decamony and their allies. I'll ignore Lords of Terror saying that he was responsible for Genert's death as a God Learner Interpolation. The Nidan Decamony captured him and kicked him out of the universe and sent a divine guard over the gate through which he came. This guardian was the God the Fronelan Wizards had maimed. Because of this Gbaji was allowed to reenter the world. Through his malign influence, he corrupted the Dari Kingdom and Bright Empire of Nysalor. I get this impression of Gbaji sending missionaries to spread lies all over the place - the missionaries claim to be from some other place than Fronela. Gbaji was finally halted out through the aid of Talor. I think that Gbaji talked through the Gate of Banir and sent through monsters for his worshipers' benefit.
Fast forward a few centuries: Black Hralf blessed with Lunar Secrets managed to gain access to Gbaji and forms an unholy Empire which wars against Loskalm, the Jonatings and the Rathori. The Rathori in desperation were forced to invoke the Polar Bear God in a struggle to survive. Their stunning success forced many of lunars to flee Fronela for Peloria. This weakened Black Hralf to such an extent that Snodal with some Altinae magic was able to bushwack and kill him.
Now to Lord Death on a Horse. I think that once the ban covered over the Black forest, the Woodsmen there were forced into a ritual conflict to keep their numbers down during the ban (Malthusian economics and all that). Lord Death on a Horse in attempting to survive an oncoming contest, HeroQuests and meets with Gbaji. You can figure out what happens next.
I really see Lord Death on a Horse as a Psychotic High Priest to a Malign, Cunning Diety (Gbaji, Nyarlathotep, Pookums). His followers are butchers and madmen because that is how Lord Death sees as the best Way to achieve his intermediate goals. When the use for them runs out (ie when the potential for easy conquests has been exhausted), I expect Lord Death will effect some dramatic change in the Kingdom of War to further his masters plans.
My guess is that (stealing heavily from Morgoth's Ring) Lord Death on a Horse will turn his state's focus from War into Massive Magic Rituals to slowly embed his Master in the Earth. That way, it can never be cast out of Glorantha without forming a great big Chaos Void in Loskalm's Backyard.
How does that sound? All IMO of course.
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