> Where can I find the Trollkin Value abilities list?
It was by Martin Crim <argrath_at_aol.com>, if that helps.
> I have been thinking about starting a new campaign. To me it does
> not matter so much, where on Glorantha it would locate to, but
> rather that what would go on over there. I have few environmental
> requirements, which would be the basis of the campaign:
To me, a Fronelan city-state in Junora or along the Janube which has been occupied by the Kingdom of War meets most of your criteria. The city would be garrisoned by evil militaristic soldiers who oppress everyone and have no regard for the normal forms of government, instead following their own military chain of command. The place would be under martial law, and ruthlessly exploited. Janubian cities are known to have complex guild structures, which could survive under such an occupation and form the social core for any survival or resistance (or collaborationist Vichy-style government?).
> I have already considered Glamour, but it lacks the necessary
> government.
Also lacks the overt oppression. The Lunar Way is actually *popular* in the capital city of the Lunar Empire, believe it or not: great crowds cheer the troops of the Imperial Bodyguard when they parade magnificently through the triumphal avenues, and the secret police (the Black Army) work in secret, under cover of night and fog (the latter is presumably obtained by special arrangement with the local weather cults).
> Although orlanthi are peppered with arrows very quickly indeed...
Not So! If you were an Orlanthi visiting Glamour, you'd be treated well enough. Unless you thought roaming the streets in full armour (or woad), waving an Iron greatsword and threatening innocent passers-by, was a sensible way to carry on. Think how Asterix and Obelix are treated in Rome: the Empire has loyal and obedient barbarian subjects (and citizens, and hard-working slaves), and *can't* randomly pick on every passing barbarian, even if the Lunars wanted to do so (which they don't). The Empire is a civilised state, after all, at least when it wants to be.
> Nochet would also do, but who would be opressed?
Nochet under Lunar rule might, but you'd have to exaggerate how unpleasant the Lunars are in the streets, and perhaps play down the fact that the Red Earth faction (ruling part of Esrolia) actually invited the Lunars in to help them in their civil war against the Old Earth, Warm Earth, etc. Obviously, members of rival factions would be oppressed, if they declared themselves, as would emigre Sartarites settling down in the Holy Country. NB: a Lunar-held city in Heortland also offers much of what you need, with the additional benefit of a familiar background and factionalism in the populace (Aeolian, Sartarite, Rokari and other elements).
> What Ralian city-states have the elements 1) and 2)?
Almost all the civilised Ralian city-states have guilds (2); those in western Safelster could be occupied by totalitarian militaristic unsympathetic Seshnelan feudal forces (1).
Couple of names? The city of Perfe (in Fronela) is known to be occupied by the Kingdom of War, but may be too "small" (by the book, easily changed) for your purposes. OTOH, the KoW will be controlling the likes of Einpor, Molene, etc. before too long...
In Safelster, the city of Dangk was recently conquered and occupied by the King of Seshnela; Tarasdal could be (at any time), though that city makes a habit of changing oppressors and may be too "used to it" for best effect.
> In Tales #12, the Cult of Granite Phalanx is assosiated with Red
> Emperor and provided the spell Moonspear (I think it is too power-
> ful a spell for such a minor cult, though)...
The same could be said of Yelmalio receiving Sunspear from Yelm. The Moon Spear spell is only ever available to the High Priest and Chief Priest of the Granite Phalanx: that's the officer commanding the 1,000-man regiment and its permanent regimental sergeant major. I don't think that's too unbalancing: the High Priest could probably get the spell by being a member of the Red Emperor's cult in his own right, in any case.
> Red Emperor is provided no spell from Granite Phalanx. Does it mean
> there are a lot of cults associated with Emperor and are omitted?
Obviously, yes. The list says that those shown are "the most important associated cults". Generally, though, if you wanted to get associate Rune spells from another Lunar cult, you'd have to be dedicated to it above and beyond the norm, probably to the extent of being an initiate (eligible to obtain its Rune spells) in any case. That's how I'd run it. There *isn't* a shrine to every god of the Lunar pantheon in each and every temple of the Red Emperor.
Another thing: the Granite Phalanx (and other regimental cults of the Empire) have an "unusual" associate relationship with Yanafal Tarnils, the imperial war god. Through association, officers (Rune Lords) of the regimental cult can learn Yanafal's special cult spell of Morale (cf. the Humakt write-up); however, this spell will work on members of an associate cult as well as on Yanafali, whether it's cast by a Yanafali or a Granite Phalanx (or whoever) officer. So Yanafal gifts Granite Phalanx with Morale, and Granite Phalanx can be inspired by Yanafali officers. The Phalanx *doesn't* pass its special Rune spells on to its associated cults: it gives them its unconditional loyalty and obedience instead. (If the Granite Phalanx were an independent mercenary phalanx, it wouldn't receive any associate magics and wouldn't follow any outsiders' commands. It isn't, and obeys the Lunar Empire and the Cult of Yanafal Tarnils' directions).
> Moonripen (Deezola)
> Road Watch (Hwarin Dalthippa)
> Excoriation (Ikadz)
We name otherwise unknown Rune spells to tickle the tonsils of our public. But I'll have a shot at answering your questions: what's below are my guesses as to how the spells would work. If anyone has a better version, please submit it!
> Moonripen
Like Sunripen, but using moonlight rather than sunlight. Probably gets a +10% yield from Maize. Also probably incompatible with Sunripen (you can't use both on the same crop unless you want weird results). Works best within the Glowline.
> Road Watch
This may be different from Path Watch in that it only works if you're travelling along a recognised Imperial highway: the Empire doesn't want to encourage trespass.
> Excoriation =
Inflicts monstrous and prolonged incapacitating agony for the duration of the spell (which can be extended). This is probably a 3-point spell from the torture-god...
Essentially, it's a hardy perennial of the Gloranthan Digest, which gets stamped on every time it appears. There are essentially two major camps:
One group believe (in defiance of observed Gloranthan phenomena) that the Gloranthan gods are the same everywhere across the world, communicate clearly and can be understood accurately by their worshippers, and have rational agendas of their own, towards which they direct their worshippers through Divination and the like. These are called "objectivists".
The other group believes (in compliance with observed Gloranthan phenomena) that the worship of Gloranthan deities and other powers is affected by cultural and temporal factors, that opposing groups can worship the same deity (albeit perhaps under different names and possessing different attributes or attitudes), and that the Gods do not attempt to clear up the resulting confusions, being greater than and beyond the perfect comprehension of mortals. These are called "subjectivists".
Subjectivists can be libelled by pretending they say "All Gloranthan cultures deliberately make up the gods they want to worship; anything imagined by anyone on Glorantha becomes a real and potent force in the otherworld; no myths can be 'True' as it's all made up anyway." This is a straw man, as can be observed by the lack of objectivist arguments against the "real" subjectivist position.
Objectivists can be embarrassed by asking how their story explains the wars between and heresies within even the centrally-controlled religions of Glorantha (e.g: Yelmic Dara Happa vs. Yelmic Pentan Nomads; mutually-excommunicating Malkioni heresies; even the Dwarf heresies); asking how the Cosmology from "Cults of Terror" (with its Four Ways of perceiving the world, each equally valid) can reconcile to a One-True-Myth approach; and asking them to define which myth is True (and, therefore, which cultures of Glorantha are founded upon intrinsically false and misleading beliefs).
There's *much* more in the archives; late May would be a good time to dip in. But the argument never gets anywhere, as most participants have already made up their minds, and resolved not to budge an inch (or listen to opposing arguments). Do what fits your campaign, and try not to sully or destroy Glorantha for the sake of a philosophical preference with no impact on gaming: that's my advice.
> Forcing initiation is akin to spiritual rape: [non-Chaotic cults]
> wouldn't do it.
Maybe not: but look at what happened to Biturian Varosh at the Sun Dome Temple. He was deliberately forced into an inappropriate and intentionally-fatal role as an Orlanth-representative by the (non- cult of Yelmalio. Normal cults often *portray* their enemies as filling "evil" mythological roles, in order to better kick them in during heroquest rituals; this is, it seems to me, at best one step removed from "forcing initiation". When I am a powerful quester on the Hero Plane, confronting my rival and treating him as Gagarth, or Vadrus, or Wakboth, or the Maggot Liege, I am forcing him into an evil and destructive template, and doing so to further the cause of my god (and myself). Pretty nasty, when you think about it.
> Of these three theories, the elemental one seems to me to be un-
> likely to be used by Gloranthans where their society is tied to
> one element: Air, Sun, etc. The idea of balance between the ele-
> ments being desirable just doesn't fit.
It would for Chalana Arroy, mind: like Lhankor Mhy's, her cult is studiously neutral and *not* affiliated to any elemental pantheon (in public, at least). They would have no problem with such a theory, which might explain why they're better Healers than anyone else (who is shackled with an elementally-exclusive ideology).
Note that the common Genertelan myth of human origins says that Grandfather Mortal was created by all the gods, co-operating: cf. Daka Fal's myths and the GoG Prosopaedia. Thus it could well be appropriate for even a Solar worshipper to adjust the balance of Water in his body to a desirable level (though probably not Air, which they prefer not to recognise).
NB: magical healing leaves scars in "orthodox" Glorantha: cf. Ken Rolston's story in the Convulsion 3D programme book.
> IMO a male that comits rape does not necessarily become a broo or an
> initiate of Thed but there should be a chance of acquiring a chaos
> feature.
Stop this NOW before an immature power-gamer reads it! Rape should give a Chaos Taint, or unpleasant side-effect, not a Chaos Feature.
NB: with all this arguing about rapes and broos and succubi, perhaps it's worth remembering that Chaos is NOT consistent in its worldly manifestations. There's no reason to assume something will always "work" the way it did last time. (And Pavis is NOT Helsinki!).
> In Cults of Prax it is said that barbarians introduced the cult
> of Humakt in Prax in 35 ST.
Translated: "The first sword-carrying army marched out of Dragon Pass to make war in Prax possibly as early as 35 ST." There's no reason the Praxian secret society of the Sword Brothers shouldn't be older than the modern form of the Cult of Humakt, and remember different events.
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Nick
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