> I guess it's the very nature of Sacred Time that seems to be the crux
> of my failure to understand. I was working under the assumption that th=
is
> season held importance for Lhankor Mhy and Issaries and in a minor way
> Orlanth... What's the deal?
Sacred Time is when the world is reborn. Cults of Prax says:
"Activities halt at this time and the world sets aside its faily life to suffer the death and rebirth of the cosmos in the ritual and real reenactment of the Lightbringers' Journey. This is necessary to replenish the world, for incorporating the entropy of Chaos into the living world structure is agreed to in the Great Compromise. To live, one must descend=
into death and be reborn. Enlightenment, even for the cosmos, lies in its=
rebirth. The necessity of all persons to participate in these annual cere=
- -
monies and their commitment to them greater integrates the participants i=
n
the world, and with it comes an unconscious understanding of the mythic
cosmic balance. This is a major factor in the high level of mana generation
and usage in Glorantha."
> The underpassages of Horn Gate ... Chaos? Krarsht? Some sort of Eiritha=
> temple (since I assume it may in some way be connected to the Paps to
> the north since the whole area is part of the Eiritha Hills?) Please,
> please, elaborate.
Most likely Ancient Ruins from the time of the Giants, who ruled Prax in the Golden Age. Not chaotic themselves, though like everything from that era (and everything in Prax), there's always the risk of Chaos seeping in=
to corrupt and destroy. Any threat here is more likely to be an Ancient Evil or something warped by the strangeness of the setting, than room upon room of broos or orcs or whatever...
> With your statement that the Praxian tribes would gather together at
> sacred time, are you implying that it is more of a "safety in numbers"
> requirement for protection from spirits on the loose around this time
> rather than shelter from physical elements?
It is more a magical than a physical threat. If you miss out the Sacred Time rituals, you are not participating in and affirming the continuing life and health of Glorantha. This is a silly thing to do. =
> Do a majority of HQ's start [in Sacred Time] to secure a good next year=
?
There is a lot of heroquesting in Sacred Time, 'tis true. There's a full description of the Orlanthi Lightbringers Quest ritual in "King of Sartar= ".
> The LBQ is in part about rescuing Ernalda, so she probably doesn't have=
> a starring role in the ceremonies.
Certainly not among the ceremonies us men get to see. But there are rumou=
rs
that while we're busy doing the Lightbringery stuff, the women of the cla=
n
get together and perform their own Ernaldan (or should that be Ur-naldan?=
)
rituals; and we *never* get to learn what they're doing.
"There is always another way".
NB: Sacred Time is celebrated around the Spring Equinox, a very "visible"=
and constant moment in Glorantha, so that even peoples who don't use the five-season Theyalan Calendar are likely to have coinciding rituals then.=
> Do Dragon's Pass Orlanthi use crossbows, and if so are they a clan
> specialized weapon, or strictly personal preferance?
Crossbows are a bit "modern", technological and effeminate for the
Orlanthi,
who (as Real Men) prefer real (short) bows, and who probably don't and
can't
manufacture crossbows. A clan might have got some from the Mostali, I
suppose.
The best place to find crossbows seems to be the city of Pavis, with its
close
links to dwarfdom. And the mediaeval West, of course.
=
> What is the current Durulz population of Dragon's Pass and how are
> they distributed?
Around 10,000, but dwindling fast on account of the Lunar purge that bega=
n
after Starbrow's Rebellion. They scatter and hide; there's a few bunches =
of
them in the southern parts of Delecti's Marsh. (A Duck's head pays your t=
ax
for the year, if you hand it in to the Lunar authorities).
> Where can I find the writeup for the Eurmal cult?
In the Australian zine for RQCon Down Under, "Questlines". The full
Chaosium
cult writeup of the Trickster is there, along with assorted other goodies=
=2E
You can try to order "Questlines" from either Wizard's Attic or David Hal=
l;
see recent Dailies for contact details.
::::
Nick
::::
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