Gloranthan Background [2/2] from Neil Smith on 1996-02-05 (Glorantha Digest Vol 02)

From: Neil Smith <NSMITH_at_dmu.ac.uk>
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 1996 13:35:25 GMT

[Background part 2 of 2]
Races
HUMAN Humans are by far the most commonplace people in Prax and have spawned many cultures.
TROLL Creatures of the night, trolls are voracious eaters and cunning hunters. A colony of trolls lives in the south of the Big Rubble. Trolls are cursed with trollkin, premature troll babies that haven't the decency to die. Trollkin are often used as food for trolls.
DUCK In the Godtime, some normal ducks were cursed by Yelm with intelligence and flightlessness. They are good swimmers and are often found in fishing communities. They have been declared outlaw by the Lunars.
AGAMOR Descended from Fire, Agamori (also known as Men-and-a-Half) are very tall and strong. They form one of the minor tribes of Prax.
NEWTLING These child-sized amphibian creatures are common in the Zola Fel. They carry out much trade and fishing. Newtling tail is considered a great delicacy in some circles. MOROKANTH A race of intelligent beasts, looking a bit like tapirs, that herd beast-men as food animals.
BROO A race of chaos, they spread destruction and pestilence wherever they go. The Lunars have put a bounty on broo heads. BABOON These are giant monkeys that have captured the Man Rune. They are dirty, disorganised and a major nuisance in the wilder parts of Prax and the Big Rubble
ELF Dwellers of forests, they kill anything and anyone venturing into their forests without permission. They have little contact with the outside world apart from this. A group of elves lives in the Garden in the south of the Big Rubble. DWARF Also called Mostali, they are very secretive. They are great inventors (the crossbow is a dwarven invention). A group of dwarves lives in tunnels under the Big Rubble and New Pavis. OGRE A race of chaotic, cannibalistic humans, they often pass unnoticed among us, until they murder.

Gods and religions

"Most religions (often called cults) have several stages of
membership. The first stage is Lay membership. Lay worshippers have little commitment to the god and receive little in the way of benefit. However, most people are Initiates; they have given part of their soul to the god, and generally give 1/10 of their time and income (often in kind) to the temple. They must worship once a week, give Power to the god on holy days and keep the cult strictures. In return, they are taught spirit magic by the priests, can sacrifice for divine magic and often receive mundane training as well. Initiates also have the ability to call for Divine Intervention. Priests are the spiritual leaders of the people. They live for the god and receive great magical powers. Many cults (especially the warlike ones) also have Rune Lords. These are people that have achieved great skill, often in arms, and devote themselves to working for their god."

Orlanthi Gods (Lightbringers)
ORLANTH King of Gods, God of Storms, Orlanth is loud, violent, changeable and loyal to his worshippers. Chief god of the Satarite pantheon, he is being challenged by the Red Goddess. ERNALDA Wife of Orlanth, Earth Mother and Grain Goddess, she is worshipped my most farmer women.
ISSARIES God of Trade and Communication, he is worshipped by most merchants and traders. Non-violent, Issaries prefers to build trust between peoples (more profits that way!). Inventor of Tradetalk. LHANKOR MHY God of Knowledge and Lawspeaker. Lhankor Mhy priests (also called Sages) seek knowledge, which they may sell. Sages act as adjudicators in legal matters, as well as being sought after as scribes, translators, and experts in various fields. CHALANA ARROY Goddess of Healing, she will cure anyone of their ills--for a price. Once she has extended her protection over someone, no-one may harm them else they will be cursed to not receive the services of a healer again. Her followers wear a white sash, do not carry weapons and may not harm any living being.

Praxian Gods
WAHA Father of Beasts, he is the hunter and butcher that taught people to eat beasts. The majority of Praxian men worship him. He teaches the Peaceful Cut, a ritual butchery skill, but prevents his followers knowing healing magic.
ERITHRA The Herd Mother, she is responsible for life and growth in the Praxian herds.
STORM BULL Berserk god of Death and Rage, followers of Urox are crass, loud, violent and are pledged to destroy chaos wherever it may be found.
DAKA FAL The god of the dead. Followers of Daka Fal summon their ancestors for wisdom, guidance and power.

Other Gods
YELMALIO Son of Yelm the Sun, Yelmalion people are stoic, taciturn and insular. Their communities are very strict and their contact with the rest of the world is often limited to the large mercenary forces they hire out. Yelmalions specialise in the use of Sky weapons: spear, javelin and bow.
HUMAKT Discoverer of Death, Humakt was the first to kill. Humakti worship death; once killed, they cannot be resurrected. They are also honourable to the extreme and Humakt often places geasa on his followers to make them better Humakti. Humakti favour the sword. SEVEN MOTHERS The Lunar missionary cult, the Seven Mothers are the seven Heroes that brought the Red Goddess to godhood. They include Yanafal Tanlis, the Lunar death god; Etyries, the Lunar god of trade; and Irrippi Ontor, the Lunar god of knowledge. These gods are taking over from the Lightbringers associated with Orlanth. PAVIS The god that was Pavis Half-Elven and now is the spirit of the city of Pavis.
FLINTNAIL Half-dwarven friend of Pavis, Flintnail is a god of dwarves and stonemasons.

Non-Human Gods
ZOLA FEL Goddess of the River of Cradles, she is worshipped by fish, newtlings and some fishermen.

KYGER LITOR	Goddess of Darkness and Mother of all Trolls.
ZORAK ZORAN	Troll god of Death and Destruction.  Zorak Zorani often
fight on after death as zombies or ghosts.
ARGAN ARGAR	Troll God of Commerce and Surface Darkness
ALDRYA	Goddess of Elves and forests, she is very protective and few
intruders return from elven woods.
MOSTAL	Father of the dwarven race.  Dwarfs refuse to discuss him,
like most other things.
THE GOD OF FIVE THOUSAND EYES	Newtling god.  Nothing is known of

this god by humans.

Chaos Gods

MALIA	Goddess of Disease, her agents are the hated Broos.
THANATAR	God of the Severed Head, Stealer of Knowledge and Souls.
KRARSHT	The Maw Beneath, cult of hideous burrowing and tunnelling
creatures.
WAKBOTH	The Devil, trapped by the Storm Bull under the Block in
Prax.
PRIMAL CHAOS	The Ooze; the slime of primeval Chaos.

Pavic attitudes to Lunars


	"The Lunars have embraced the world-destroying Chaos, and are

engaged in a battle of annihilation with Orlanth, our god. They have invaded our home and defiled our temples. But they are strong, and swiftly crush any dissent. On the other hand, they have brought some law to the plains of Prax, and their army needs supplies, for which they pay generously in silver and jobs."

Praxian attitudes to Lunars and all farmers

"Lunars are horse-riding wimps that live in immobile stone tents. As
such, they are beneath contempt. Their caravans are good to raid, though, providing they are not too strong. The farmers settle and grow food which is good for taking. They can also be traded with, so that we may have the metal weapons needed to show our bravery."

Lunar attitudes to Pavisites/Praxians

"The Red Goddess, in her benevolence, has sent us here to this
barren and goddess-forsaken land to pacify it with the true words and thoughts of the Lunar Way. The barbarians here need to be educated and civilised, that they might become good, upstanding citizens of the Lunar Empire. All Hail the Reaching Moon!"

[End part 2 of 2]