Nonhumans and their ilk

From: Vesa Lehtinen <akuleh_at_sci.fi>
Date: Sun Jan 18 17:50:35 1998

Earlier Panu Pasanen wrote
> > Why there are no Elder Races that compete with humans of 'lebensraum'
> > directly and in same environment, I wonder.. The beings of 'myth' are
> > hidden from the Joe Everyman, sort of.
and Stephen Martin answered
> There used to be. However, at the end of the First Age they started a
> number of wars (dwarfs versus trolls, elves versus dwarfs, trolls versu=
s
> everyone), and by the end of the Second Age the three greatest Elder
> Races were so reduced in population and strength that they were relegat=
ed
> to secondary roles in Glorantha.

        To note, in my campaign some groups of elder races do live beside humans in certain population centers but, following the usual human customs, they are usually living in separate areas, ghettoes - not really neighbors. In Hira there are refugee ducks and newtlings in their over-the-water village, for example.

        Otherwise, the major nonhuman population centers are dominated by the species in question - just like humans control their own areas. Usually their interest are different enough to avoid colliding= - -

        In the third age of Glorantha, humans are the dominant species

• or at least they think they are. Elder races do have significant local influence (Neighboring Shadow Plateau, both Esrolia and Heortland are affected). and it is specifically said in the Genertela box that the information therein is *human-oriented*. And nonhumans do compete with humans - border skirmishes between Orlanthi of Dragon Pass and Trolls of Dagori Inkarth, for example= - - And what do you think Huan To are trying in Kralorela. Althought I do dislike the idea in KoS, where Greg hints that - following the lead of Tolkien and Moorcock - nonhumans are either exterminated or driven away. No thank you.

Passo goes on
> Good point. It somehow bothers me, that although Gloranthan history
> etc. is unique, most common cultural and historical themes are
> so blatantly regognizable from even here.

        Majority of Gloranthan history is modeled on Earth's historical events and the answer is obvious - we do not have other world histories to model them on. On the other hand, the variation is sufficient to be different. (Althought I have no idea of letting Malkionism to rule Genert= ela
the way Christianity nowadays rule the world)

>Why there are no elder races that
> would still affect everyday life (of humans), so Gloranthans would not
> life their lives in a human-community.
But there are. See above.

Vesa "Aku" Lehtinen

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