Hi, Andrew:
> I have a bunch of questions about Seshnela, and if you wish you could answer
> them on the Digest so everyone benefits and they make it into the archive.
Generally, I'd prefer this. Apart from anything else, you will get more and better answers, and we'll *all* learn something new.
> Do you have any better maps? I would like info (basically names and sizes)
> of forts, cities, villages, etc.
I'm not aware of any maps of Seshnela which go into that much detail. That includes all the maps I've seen out at Chaosium. The maps in the Genertela Book are the best available, although I feel rather attached to our Second Age Seshnela map from the "University of Sog City Guidebook" (the HtWwO players' guide to the West).
> It looks like you ran a campaign there so I figure you probably have a lot of
> that info.
Wrong, I'm afraid.
> Couldn't figure out from the articles how feudal Seshnela is. Is there
> constant battling of knights from neighboring counties (over whatever), or
> do they only fight against the east?
Seshnela is the land of Brutal Feudalism: like the early Arthurian period in T.H. White's "The Once and Future King", or indeed in Pendragon's "The Boy King". Knights from neighbouring lands have long-outstanding grudges against each other, which (when the King isn't looking) they happily indulge in. Seshnela is *not* a very united kingdom; many knights and barons would regard the King's wars in the East as an unwelcome distraction from their own selfish activities back home. (Which may be one of the reasons for the King's wars, of course: he doesn't *want* to give his nobles the time to strengthen their own positions).
> How strict is the general population towards Rokarism. Are there closet
> Orlanthi? Are there closet anything else? In TotRM it describes sins and
> taboos but culturally what happens if they are broken. Do people just say
> "You're going to burn in hell," or do they burn them at the stake? Are
> most sins overlooked?
The Holy Rokari Church is a harsh institution, much given to Inquisitions and witch-trials. It's also hugely corrupt, so a blind eye is often turned towards its own decadence and the sins of the nobility. This has, of course, failed to impress the peasants, who see plainly that it's "One Law for us, another for them." The lords of the Church are carried around in palanquins, wear robes of purple, sit on velvet cushions, and dine on exotic foodstuffs: their pudgy fingers swell around their golden rings, and their jowls shake with wine-fuelled revelry...
There are, of course, some good, pious Rokari: humble God-fearing Peasants, chivalrous Knights, charitable Priests and virtuous Lords. There is a clerical "reform" movement, known as the White Wyzards, who think the Church should divest itself of its worldly wealth and work for the good of everyone. There are ascetic hermits in the wilderness who are genuinely holy. And all these people are Rokari, too. As are the Flagellants, not yet condemned as heretics by Holy Church for their excess of zeal...
The populace as a whole are not religious fanatics (few peoples are). There would, of course, be widespread shock if Demon-worship (worship of any other deity) were discovered in the community, and that could hardly be overlooked. On the other hand, there would be similar dismay if the village priest were to denounce the maypole (or whatever local festival) as a pagan ritual. I'm sure there is "closet worship" of some pagan deities, and that others have been assimilated as local "Saints" -- also, of course, that some of the Bad Guys in Seshnela worship *real* Demons. Whether a sin is overlooked or not depends on who commits it, who catches them at it, and what their position in the community might be.
People do vary. Some will be refreshingly cynical, some will be frighteningly pious, some will be simple folk who follow their religion's teachings without trying to understand them, and others still will spend little thought upon the matter, merely paying lip-service to Holy Church. I'd like playing among Rokari to feel like playing in the RW Middle Ages: the spectrum of belief is dizzyingly wide, ranging from Saint Francis, through Robin Hood and Richard the Lionheart, to Tomas de Torquemada. All Christians, in their way...
Seshnela is meant to be the archetypally "feudal mediaeval" part of Glorantha, so feel free to use it that way. Something like Norman England or pre-Chivalric France; a time when life was nasty, brutish and short, and Knights were nasty, brutish and tall (for the most part). There are various Ideals of ancient Malkionism, Hrestolism, Piety and Chivalry which certain people feel impelled to live by: but for the most part, Rokari are "realists" -- their religion works because it accepts human nature as what it is, warts and all. Unlike the cant of the hypocritical Hrestoli Idealists, always prattling on about Truth and Virtue and Honour with their noses too high in the air to see what's going on right under their eyes...
Must dash, my fiancee's just come home!
Toodle-pip,
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