Re: Giant Otters and Ostrich Riders

From: Sandy Petersen <sandyp_at_idgecko.idsoftware.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 96 17:59:55 -0500


David Cake
>Otter Hsunchen in Ralios - I recall that the area known as the New
>Fens of Ralios (just next to Ramalia?) includes giant intelligent
>otters.Perhaps they are either related to the Udari, or this is a
>result of confusion, and the 'giant intelligent otters' are really
>transformed Udari, shy of outsiders?

        The New Fens aren't really in Ralios -- they're in a kind of no-man's-land at the western end of Wenelia. The New Fens drain into the Homeward Ocean, and are separated from Ralios by the thinly-inhabited frontier land of Pralorela. To their east lies the most primitive part of Wenelia. To the west lies the reprehensible land of Ramalia. The city of Handra is the only real port between the Holy Country and Pasos, so the town is pretty cosmopolitan for being built in an inaccessible swamp. .

        The giant otters of the fens are one of Glorantha's many obscure non-human species. I don't think there are any Udari in the New Fens, at least not as an organized tribe of permanent residents. I'm sure that Udari would be friendly to the otters and vice-versa, if they ever found out about each other. I know little about the otters' "culture", except that they are generally friendly to the humans, and not particularly shy.

        I'm sure Ramalians hunt the otters for their pelts. But this is not done by the folk of Handra.

        The city of Handra, as I recall from conversations with Ken R., is purposefully acultural, and attempts to be all things to all people, with varying degrees of failure.

        Their enemies are pirates from Smelch, the black troll ships, and the Ramalians. Their friends and allies are the other intelligent folk of the swamp -- newtlings, ducks, otters, and trachodons.

        A merman civilization inhabits ancient Slontos, but I know not if they've opened negotiations with Handra.

Richard Crawley asks about Ostrich Riders. here is my opinion about this group:

OSTRICH RIDERS
Probably the rarest "real" tribe of all . They're pygmies, and ride big birds. They eat their birds' eggs, which are laid in fairly large clutches. Once a year, the birds sit on their eggs and so for that season (Sea), the tribe is basically immobilized and vulnerable to large-scale raids. Like many small tribes, they primarily worship Foundchild. But they also worship a star-god, and the tribal rulers are required to be Waha-men and Eiritha-women. Mike Dawson identified this star-god as Yelmalio, but I'm not sure that is correct. Foundchild is clearly a sky god, anyway -- he came from the stars, the Arrow medicine bundle is related to him, etc. The Ostrich riders are probably primarily shamanic in nature, without much true theism.

        Their ostriches are nearly identical to Earth's variety.

        I had never suspected a draconic connection, but that might be fun to work with if you were to have a band of Ostrich Riders as your players. Of course, it's unlikely they'd have ever seen or heard of a dragonewt, unless the tiny community of 'newts in Pavis make special trips out to the Riders (certainly possible).

Sandy P.

Sandy P .


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