Firstly, magic. Glorantha is inherently magical, it always has been, it
always will be and it is one of the things that makes it different from
TSR's oddles of self replicating monoverses. Probabley once a year a local
acolyte of the Earth Goddesses, or priestess if they're short handed, will
come by and cast Bless Crops and a few other ceremonies. It's part of their
duties, and also part of the reason people worship the appropiate goddess.
When the weather is so bad that the entire country is struck by a drought
the Orlanthi priests will convene and combine their Cloud Call spell. Magic
is everywhere in Society. A person will understand what magic *is* by
virtue of the fact that we know what electricity is, or radio waves (or the
internet).
Due to broo incursions and marauding beasties I doubt a farm would last
long without a combination of offensive magic and defensive magic, but the
pointage is unlikely to be more than two or three. (Note: I once had an
atheistic character (non-malkioni, but believed in the fact the gods were
merely big spirits) and had no magic -- I've never seen an unarmed character
beat a Hoplite to death with his bare fists before!)
Magic in central Peloria and Kralorela is subtly differnt. In central
Peloria you don't *need* magic. If you get attacked, call the guard to solve
the problem with their magic, if you get hurt then *you* aren't responsible
for healing, the state is. That's why the rest of the Empire pays taxes, to
keep you in good health, just go to the Deezola/Chalana Arroy/Malia (oops,
another subject entirely) temple and ask them to solve it. The East is ruled
by mysticism and magic. They know what it is, it interweaves their world.
They probabley send their best canidates to some form of university in the
capital. Mind you, so do the Pelorians.
Secondly, Aldryami do grow just about everything they could ever want.
Simply because that's what makes them Aldryami and not humans with pointy
ears. Their entire lives and existence orientates around plants, growth,
vegetation and other stuff like that. The idea of "elf darts" is excellent,
and I'd love to see an article on Aldryami poisons. Aldryami haven't been
given enough coverage, Elder Secrets is the only *major* source that gives
you an insight on their culture, whereas Uz have Trollpak, Trollgods, Troll
Realms, Troll Cola etc... and the differnce between Mostali and the other
races is as plain as the cog on your sprocket.
Also, my gamesmaster rules that an elf is inexorably linked to a tree, the
older the tree, the longer lived the elf (we already know they have
lifespans in the centuries range). Whether this is official, what would
happen if the tree was destroyed or contracted a disease, I'm not quite
sure. Maybe the noble houses are all connected to long lived trees, or
magical trees (and perhaps gain additional powers through this link)?
Finally, Simon Hibbs -- I hope you're on medication (but hail the Bat
anyway :) )
- -------------------------------------------------
Nick Effingham E-Mail:wal_at_eff.u-net.com
<None so gaudy, nor as bloody,
as the sword that would,
crash and bash, an' swing with a flash,
and spill thine enemies blood>
- -------------------------------------------------
End of Glorantha Digest V2 #484
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html