OK, I'm beginning to get really annoyed. Despite my best efforts to persuade folk to take their prozak and chill out, the great Digest-whine-athon continues. Even worse, nobody has taken me up on my offer to blame it all on the Clinton Administration! Take this for example:
>When I discovered Glorantha in the 80's I was presented to a small region
>in a bigger continent in an even more wider world. The region was Dragon
>Pass. It was very rich and unlike anything I knew. Of course, I could find
>RW similarities, but those were not imediately apparent: I could compare
DP
>to Greeks vs. Persians; to Greeks vs. Romans; to Celts vs. romans; to
>Visigonths and Franks vs. Moors (1). But I could not say that DP was a
>precise RW situation translated to G. In fact it seems that the RW
>inspiration was one I didn't acknowledge: British peoples vs. Romans.
This is absurd. Every one of the analogies that you have made are still valid as sources of inspiration. Do you find it odd that the large number of English Glorantha-philes draw upon the Roman Conquest of Brittania as a source material? Personally, I find that there is no RW situation or culture that is precisely comparable to DP in the 1600s or to Heortling culture. Sure, I've looted extensively from the Icelandic Sagas, from the Tain, from Homer, from Hesiod's Work and Days, from Frazer's Golden Bough and from modern studies of Greek and Roman religious practices - not to mention my old research into the decline of "Hallstatt" trading sites in the 5th Century - but to say that the result is a carbon copy of the various pre-Roman British tribes is absurd (and even arguendo, which British tribes? The Iceni or the Caledonians?)
However, to understand a Gloranthan culture, people tend to make parallels with cultures and histories that they can draw on for ideas, style and, frankly, as a short-cut in trying to organically develop a culture. The rather large number of English Glorantha writers tend to draw on parallels from their own history - as an American, I drew upon the colonization of the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains in the late 18th and early 19th centuries for my Taming of Dragon Pass campaign. If we had a significant number of Russian writers, perhaps they would have drawn upon the colonisation of the lands east of the Urals during the 17th and 18th centuries. As an inhabitant of the Iberian Peninsula, you could also draw upon the Napoleonic occupation for inspiration and analogies to the Lunar occupation. I've compared Fazzur Wideread to General Albrecht von Wallenstein of the Thirty Years Wars. The one analogy that I don't like is the tired attempt to make the Lunar Occupation some sort of Red Dawn, pitting the evils of Lunar Marxist-Leninism with the virtues of Sartarite American capitalist democracy.
As for the rant about lovable non-humans, my only response is what "below-average packs like Elder Wilds"? The only treatment of the Elder Wilds I've ever seen is in Griffin Island which certainly isn't a below-average package.
Scads of different Glorantha campaigns and styles exist, from the classic cosmopolitan "Pavis adventurers" to the Seattle Farmers' "clan feuds and cattle raids". These styles of Glorantha probably cover the range of role-playing styles, from folk who enjoy "problem-solving scenarios" to GMs like me that let the players come up with most of the ideas.
However, since there has been a demand for scenario concepts and more "Digest-like" posts, here is an example of my GM notes from Taming of Dragon Pass.
Storm Season 1355:
Negotiation between Lismelder and Malan is conducted through the
Lawspeaker, Alvar the Humourless. After Humakt's Holy Day, Lismelder
announces the creation of the "Lismelder Humakti" warband and again demands
justice from her father - either by wereguild or by force. The
negotiations go nowhere - Alvar the Humourless suggests that Lismelder
sever herself from her father and her tribe.
Grey Dog: 25 men pledge themselves to Humakt. The Sword of Humakt, Indrodar Grey Dog, severs himself and his followers (including 5 Malani tribal retainers) from Malan. New warband - the Lismelder Humakti (40 weapons-thanes), who claim Lismelder as their patron. Lismelder demands justice and curses Erland.
Two Ridge: Lornar Grey Dog first creates Auld Mutz and convinces Malan to throw the "great feast", which Namold and Orlev attend. 5 tribal retainers leave Malan's service. Upon receiving the news of Lismelder's demands, Malan denounces his daughter and says:
Slain grey dog's proud bitch, a boar's only daughter Betrays her kin when she leads now the grim ring Of the foemen of old, silver-backed boar, A son is the best vengeance beyond the pyre.
Emissary from the Colymar (Barntradus) demands the Orkarl Tribute. King Malan's response is to give Barntradus a few choice pieces of booty that his fyrd took from Borngold's thanes.
Malan makes Erland chief of the Isolting Clan.
Colymar: King Barngradus gains the support of chiefs Yorsar Kagradusson (Ernaldori), Farnan the Old (Konthasos), Manisiki Thundercloud (Orlmathi), Robasart Longsword (Arnorning) and Jonrik Orlgardson (Zethnoring) to attempt to collect the Orkarl Tribute.
Sacred Time 1355:
Lismelder severs herself from Malan and proclaims herself Queen Lismelder,
creating her own tribal war ring. Her Crown Test - to find new lands for
her people.
Sea Season 1356:
Erland leads the Isolting raiders and huscarls on several quick raids into
Grey Dog lands, but avoid battle with the Lismelder Humakti warband.
Fire Season 1356:
Two-Ridge: King Malan will summon the full fyrd of the Malani:
Household retainers: 2 nobles, 20 huscarls
Isolting: 2 nobles, 10 huscarls, 40 raiders, 150 carls
Orleving: 1 noble, 5 huscarls, 45 carls
Tree Brothers: 3 nobles, 12 huscarls, 125 carls
Hyaloring mercenaries (Lonisi): 1 noble, 10 huscarls, 50 fyrd-men
Total Force: 9 nobles, 57 huscarls, 40 raiders, 320 carls
TCV: 260 (426 warriors)
Ormsthane Vale: King Barngradus arrives in Ormsthane Vale with: Household retainers: 3 nobles , 20 huscarls
Ernaldori: 1 noble, 15 huscarls, 50 carls Orlmathi: 2 noble, 12 huscarls, 30 carls Konthasos: 1 noble, 12 huscarls, 40 carlsZethnoring: 1 noble, 10 huscarls, 25 carls Karandoli: 2 nobles, 9 huscarls, 15 carls Varmandi: 3 nobles, 8 huscarls, 20 raiders, 35 carls Orendanae: 3 nobles, 10 huscarls (Babeester Gor Axe maidens) Grey Dog: 2 nobles, 40 huscarls, 50 carls Total Colymar force: 18 nobles, 136 huscarls, 20 raiders, 245 carls TCV: 316 (419 warriors)
The Grey Dog, the Karandoli and the Varmandi all must Orate for their relative position in the line.
The night before the battle, Barngradus and the Colymar perform a ceremony that summons the Black Spear of the Colymar - the protective wyter of the tribe.
Grey Dog: After harvesting the winter crops, the Lismelder burn their fields and their steads. They then will join the Colymar's war-banner.
Malan's Last Battle
Narrative Structure:
The two hosts face off east of Ura's Mound. A summer storm thunders overhead, and Orlanth throws his Lightning Spear into Stael's Hills and the Oakland Back. No rain falls, but the sky is dark with storm clouds. More than four hundred men gather around their clan and tribal banners. Pipes and war-horns sound a great cacophony, as the clans shout war-chants to the gods and their clans' protective wyters. King Malan can be seen, bearing the feared iron sword, Foe Breaker. His face is tattooed with runes (Orlanth Lore -5: Malan has taken new vows from Humakt) and so are the weapons-thanes that surround him like a boar's tusks. King Barngradus also can be seen, riding before his host on his Grazer war-horse, brandishing the Black Spear. Behind both hosts, women urge on their husbands, brothers and sons - shouting that they must kill their foes lest their families suffer.
Commanders
King Malan (Battle = 20)
King Barngradus (Battle = 18)
Both kings are definitely skillful and resourceful tacticians. Malan is
the foremost battle leader of Quiviniland, while Barngradus has grown
skilled fighting Jardanroste Polestar.
Modifiers
Malan:
Has cast Morale +3
Barngradus:
Wields Black Spear +5
Has cast Battle Luck +3
Champions' Skirmish: Once the two armies line up against each other, leading warriors from each side challenge each other in front of the full army. The challengers must be on the same side of the battle and must manage to provoke the other warrior (Orate, then Proud v. Cowardly).
Missile Barrage: After a ranking champion has been defeated badly, the losing side normally launches a missile barrage, followed by a counter-barrage. Each round check Reckless v. Prudent for the Commander (Malan 10 each, Barngradus 13/7).
General Melee: Eventually one of the kings will decide to charge forward. With a great war-cry, four hundred warriors come screaming at their foes. Run six rounds of battle against the players favorite foes (whoever is in front of them).
Combat between the Kings: At the center of the battle, a storm rages. King Malan and his huscarls sing their death song trying to kill King Barngradus. Their fight is terrifying - sylphs, thunderbolts, shrieking spirits and blood-curdling war-cries all compete with the war-companions of the kings.
On the fifth round, King Malan manages to break through Barngradus' shield wall and cry out their paeon to Humakt.
On the sixth round, Barngradus swings the Black Spear through Malan's blue-shield. Accompanied by a great booming thunderbolt, Malan is struck dead by the dread weapon of the Colymar. Malan's hall-thanes throw themselves forward and push back Barngradus and his remaining huscarls, but it is too late - the War-Boar of Two-Ridge Fort, King Mad-Blood Malan, now resides in Humakt's Hall.
After the battle, Illig makes a critical compose and speaks the following poem:
The scream of swords,
The clash of shields,
These are true words
On battlefields:
Man sees his death,
Frozen in dreams.
Storm's center was two kings,
Masters of score warrior thanes,
Takers of life and givers of rings,
Both won undying fame
On that red-trailed day.
With their hammered god-bones,
Malan's boon companions
Clove Colymar heir's shield-wall.
They sang Humakt's death song,
Which brings fear to gods and men all.
As edges swing,
Blades cut men down,
Barngradus and Malan,
Earned their renown.
Break not the spell
But silent be:
To you I'll tell
Their bravery:
At the clash of kings
On carrion-field
The Black Spear swings
At blue-stained shield.
When swords annoint
What man is saved?
Who gets this point
Soul deep engraved:
Like thunder loosened
>From Orlanth's hand
Now only one king
Still stands.
Post battle: There is a feast in Ormsthane Vale the evening after the battle, to celebrate the death of King Malan. Most of the young men are filled with high spirits, drinking and boasting (not to mention looking for local wives), but the thanes and elder carls are subdued. The seven chiefs and the king exchange gifts and pleasantries, though there is a sense of tension and concer.
Casaulties: 2 Varmandi raiders and 4 carls met their wyrd at Malan's Last Battle. Overall, about 10% of the army was killed or mortally wounded (43 men). The Grey Dogs (fighting the Tree Brothers) took very few losses, the Konthasos (fighting the Isolting Clan) took more than their share. It appears the Malani suffered similarly.
The Malani build a great funeral pyre to Malan atop Two-Ridge. The flames of Malan can be seen as far as Ormsthane Vale.
Small group of Varmandi thanes travel to Quivin mountains seeking a dragonnewt klanth.
Earth Season 1356:
Lismelder settles her folk in Grey Vale.
Difficult harvest this year -3 to economic skill rolls (although not as bad as it could have been - the local land goddess is pleased with her blood sacrifice).
During the Harvest Rites, Namold the Treebrother proclaims himself King of the Three Trees tribe and forms a tribal ring. Skeggi Long-Chins is made a tribal thane. Thane Kulbrast Blackmood is killed when he and several clients try to extract Malan's tribute from King Namold (who claims this as his Crown Test).
Darkness Season 1356:
Nasty and bitterly cold winter.
Storm Season 1356:
Erland Malanson and six companion weapon-thanes (Aslandang, Brandig,
Estavos, Kestald, Orendal and Rostandos), all riding on horses and wearing
mail armour, give the Greeting before Varmandshall. Erland announces that
he has come to slay the Wyrm of the Gejay Hills. Erland needs guides to
the Rainbow Mounds.
Priests of Orlanth the Thunderer amongst the Colymar. The Colmyar maintain two sacred sites to Orlanth the Thunderer - the more magically important of these is four large standing stones atop Thunderer's Hill (located in the Thunder Hills above the Konthasos lands). However the cult enjoys a large wooden temple inside Brondagal Fort containing a tall wooden statue of Orlanth sheltered by a high carved roof that is held up by five wooden pillars (Heler, Mastakos and the Thunder Brothers). This shrine is also sacred to Orlanth the Warrior (now using the rites of Regal Varnorl), the Four Weapons, and the Rex cult.
The Colymar cult of Orlanth the Thunderer is dominated by the Storm Voices
of the Cult. Currently, eight storm voices gather at the Thunderer's Hill
each Storm Season. All acknowledge Maniski the Powerful (who is supported
by the Colymar tribe as a whole) as their leader.
Maniski the Powerful - Orlmathing clan, tribal Storm Voice, age 55
Angorri - Ernaldorri clan, age 67
Broyan - Zethnoring clan, age 61
Endalgarn - Arnoring clan, age 43
Harstaglar - Karandoli clan, age 39
Jornatos - Konthasos clan, age 45
Kestaldang - Hiording, age 33
Orlgandi - Orlmathi clan, age 34
At the Colymar High Holy Day ceremony, the young lawspeaker Korlmar, son of Chief Jonrik of the Zethnoring, son of Orlgard, son of Farntarl, who served as Lawspeaker for Chief Colymar, declares himself king and the requisite number of thanes announce that they have formed a Ring with him. Even more surprisingly, the Storm Voice, Maniski the Powerful, recognizes Korlmar as king of the Colymar. Finally, Barntradus acknowledges Korlmar as king and hands him the Black Spear.
End of The Glorantha Digest V5 #300
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