Diamond Mountain from Peter Metcalfe on 1995-12-01 (Glorantha Digest Vol 02)

From: Peter Metcalfe <P.Metcalfe_at_student.canterbury.ac.nz>
Date: Fri, 01 Dec 1995 14:00:48 +1300

Erik Sieurin:

Eric>> Diamond Mountain - A hole full of Octomonists. Of course, they 
Eric>> have a council of 8, ruled by one representative from each of 
Eric>> the 8 true metals.

Erik> Interestingly enough, these hyper-conservatives sits next to the

Erik> hyper-conservative human Kralorelans. Is their Stasis in the air in Erik> this part of the world, or what?

I think not. These Dwarves were badly beaten by the Kralori before the God Learners came (this is mentioned in Trollpak). I think the Kralori anihilated all the Iron Dwarves in battle, thus gaining the secret of ironworking and leaving the others to hide out in a Hole in the Ground. An interesting thing is that these Octamonists reject both Iron and _Diamond_ and yet they are called Diamond Mountain. This has probably heaps to do with the fact that Banajasab is known as the Keeper of Crystal Wisdom. Methinks that the Diamondwarfs engaged in an experiment to try and transform the Dwarves into Diamondwarfs for the next battle against the Kralori and it backfired spectacularly shattering them into zillions of pieces and leaving a whole lot of magic crystals which the Dwarfs do not want lying around the place. The local Teshnans find all these magic crystals lying and managed to make something useful with them. Suggestions?

Accordingly I think the Octomonists try and transmute the body of the Clay Dwarf into that of the metal caste from whence it came (ie into a crude approximation of the original mostali). Thus the rulers of Diamond Mountain look like dwarves crudely scuplted from metal. Many Dwarves of the conclave have some metallic appearance about them and the older the dwarf is the more metallic he seems. As always the Process is not yet Perfected and there is always a hazard in undergoing the treatment.

As for the Kralori, I don't think they are hyperconservative either. They make a great show and pretence of doing so but Godunya and the Exarchs are IMO radical reformers like the Loskalmi in implementing major 'reforms' (read 'innovations') to 'return' (read 'propel') Kralori Society to the Great Days of Old (or what Godunya and the Exarchs feel those days _should_ have been like).

All IMO.

--Peter Metcalfe