>426 Malani vs 419 Colymar, eh? How long did your battle last?
I think it lasted about 1/2 hour. We very roughly estimate the duration of rune magic. Sometimes, we play that a spirit magic spell only lasts one round of a big battle, and a rune spell three. Other times, we don't worry about it too much - especially if the PC's are very incidental to the main action, as with this battle between the two kings.
We did not envision an SCA-type mega-clash with nobody left standing. Real weapons are heavy, and they hurt, and real farmers loose their stomachs after one or two clashes. Jeff described the battle as small clan-based mobs rushing each other, engaging and disengaging repeatedly. We had to make "Valorous" rolls to keep fighting after the second rush, though we got a bonus if we had done well the previous round.
>1) Were the 10 BG's the only females in the armies? SCA warbands/units
are currently running anywhere from 10 to 20% female, increasing over
time.
All the local clans brought their women, but as auxhilaries. The Malani brought their entire families to inspire them, knowing that if they lost, their wives and children would be directly in danger. (This was a scary tactic to us on the opposing side, as it showed the resolve of the Malani). We Varmandi had some women and older kids behind to provide healing magic, spare weapons, etc. They also allowed the warriors to become inspired by "Love wife/family" passions to fight better. (Yep - shameless Pendragon rules-maxing...)
After the battle, the heralds agreed to stop fighting and allow the women to reclaim the dead and wounded. This is another important reason to bring women to a battle. But as a rule, there were no women fighters. This time, we Varmandi restrained ourselves and did not rush the Orlevings while they were reclaiming their wounded. (We've done it before, desperately looking for a decisive victory. The Orleving think we are complete savages!)
>2) What were the casualties like? In fact, who won?
About 10% on both sides, dead or gravely wounded. King Malan fell, and the Malani forces refused to charge again. But King Barngradus of the Colymar had been fighting Malan and his Humakti huscarls, who had sung their Death Song. There were not many of King Barngradus' household left, and he could not rally them to press another attack.
So it was a draw. Malan died, but Barngradus did not win decisively enough to demand tribute from Malan, so he did not meet his boasts. (ie, "victory conditions") This is going to cause trouble for him back home. As usual, we Varmandi gained little. Now the Malani hate us more, if such a thing is possible. But we did get to kill Orlevings, and that's a Good Thing.
In 1350 proto-Sartar, we pretty much use the old, pre-fuedal Saxons as a model.
But Erik S made some excellent points in that we are probably arguing fine shades of meaning, and that we all explore different aspects of our Gloranthas. All us Digesters agree that Humakt worship varies through time and place in Glorantha. I guess we of the Seattle Farmer Cooperative just have our magic=reality (and clan) blinders on.
Yelm: "Oh, dear. That wasn't the True course at all. I'm afraid you have failed to learn the lessons of Immortality. But fear not, there is a consolation prize. Lokarnos, hand him his complimentary little
package of those sky-chariot peanuts..." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- - ----- -------------------------------------------------------Hey, James -
Put anything in MST 3K terms and _I'll_ go for it! Hooray for Tarantalor! Does he fly with flaming gas-jets, too?
And then, after the troll victory, they sing this song:
Tarantalor is really neat
He is made of spider meat
How we love our T'ran-ta-lor!
So, do they have a special trollkin fork-lift attack unit? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- - ----- --------------------------------------------------------Building a Shrine/Sanctify
The Sanctify spell remains active until the caster prays to regain another use of it, (according to RQ3). So if you cast Sanctify and you want your shrine to be permanent, you can never recast that particular Sanctify spell again. You have to sacrifice for a second spell if you want to make another shrine.
(BTW, sanctified items can be portable - nomads and soldiers often make such shrines, probably called "icons".)
I imagine that temples usually grow from shrines.
It might also be easier to establish a shrine if one has the physical presence of a holy item: a fragment of the True Sword of Humakt, a thread from the original Cloak of Antirius, an eye-tooth of a Mistress Race Troll, the bones of a hero, the ashes of the fallen.
Pam
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