I'll try to tackle one of his complaints through giving an example, hence the length. I hope the example is useful...
>Sufficiency
I'm afraid, Richard, that what you want is a world where all the facts are already known, only not yet published. Most of Glorantha is not yet developed, and any additional information is going to change your impromptu descriptions. "What if I had a different file leader in Black Rock, what about the ogre children now?"
>GM-friendly modules don't hide important things from me.
I don't know any module which intentionally hides important things. You're redoing the RQ2-grognard argument "There were no sorcerers in RQ2, sorcerers aren't Gloranthan."
There were no sorcerers in RQ2 because RQ2 was a first step towards roleplaying in Glorantha, and the West had not been included in that step. Its impact on Dragon Pass had been included in the White Bear & Red Moon boardgame earlier, though...
>They tell me about all the major personalities and locations in their area.
At which date? What about people who remain obscure or hidden until stepping (or being dragged) into prominence?
Or do you want to have provisional mentions of oodles of people, either with name or function, without any substance, or worse, without any originality behind them? "Clan X can't have a leader, there's none in Da Book"
>If the campaign includes a time-line then they tell me about the
>major events that have happened there in the past, ones that are about
>to happen, and how the major personalities / locations were affected and
>are likely to be affected. I dont expect lots of detail, just the key facts.
Take my chosen region in Heortland. Campaign date 1617, recent events:
1615 Lunar spies (low-level heroquesters) map the mythic landscape of the Holy Country for Jar-eel
1615/1616 The cousin of the king of Heortland is killed in a parody of a duel. The duelist escapes, a bounty is offered for his head.
1616 Pharaonic army defeated in Ditaliland, many Hendriki knights die there, including the uncle and last direct relative of the King of Heortland.
1616 Wolf Pirates raid Mirrorsea Bay in strength, sink Pharaonic fleet
1616 Pharaoh disappears (now, how much information can this module give about this?)
1616/1617 King of Heortland attempts to bring back the Pharaoh (or at least his sovereignty) with a fleshed-up Short LBQ during Sacred Season, is wounded and possessed by a crimson demon manifesting like a poisoned wound (and madness).
1617 King of Heortland dies 8 weeks after having impregnated a dozen girls of noble birth in a frenzy during the Vorian fires. The pregnancies are well recognized by then, and the crown council keeps regency for the firstborn of the king. Alas, one by one all thes pregnancies abort.
1617 Civil war is about to break out after the last "continued pregnancy" is revealed to be a sham. Several contenders muster their support and forces. In northern Heortland Laird Korlaman of the Orshanti, Warden of the Footprint Marches, emerges as the sole candidate after the Duke of Jansholm repeated his refusal to contend. Korlaman has the support of Brian of the Volsaxi, most of the warriors guarding the Footprint, and numerous local nobles. He also has distant blood ties to the Hendriki royal family (not a requirement but a bonus when succeeding the Hendriki line of kings, who are thought to be more willing to support a descendant than a stranger).
In the capital Durengard, the crown council (the chancellor and other members of the king's ring of councillors, including mercenary captain Richard the Tigerhearted) decide not to support any claimant until the land is united. The Seshnegi knights of Richard, recently reinforced by other companies leaving Ralios in the course of the Seshnegi kingdom's expansion into Dangim and the end of the Chaos Monk campaign, serve as the military arm of the council, regarded as impartial in the native conflict.
1617 Volsaxi supporters of Korlaman perceive an insult in the words of the Sehsnegi embassy (including Mularik Ironeye, a lieutenant of Richard), and honour-bind Korlaman to strike prematurely against the Seshnegi, putting forth his claim for the capital. The Seshnegi chivalry meets Korlaman's forces at a ford across the Syphon River east of Backford (which had been closed to either force), and for a day the battle wages without any decision. Just before nightfall a relief force from Durengard led by Richard the Tigerhearted joins the fray and pushes back Korlaman's bridgehead across the river. After a day or two of occasional skirmishes across the river, Korlaman has to acknowledge that he will not be able to reach Durengard, and steps back from his claim. After this, the civil war continues in southern Heortland, but the north is out of the picture.
1617 After only two native contenders are left, Richard the Tigerhearted puts forth his own claim for the throne, based on achievements as defender of the throne. The two native forces join up against him and are defeated in a field battle. Richard is crowned king of the Hendriki by his own bishop, Vancelain du Tumerine of the see of Nochet. He installs his lieutenants as sheriffs of the ducal seats of Jansholm and Mt. Passant to quell the residual unrest.
1617 Richard proclaims his kingdom to be Malkonwal, the new holy kingdom of Malkionism. Orlanthi and many Aeolians protest.
1618 Mularik Ironeye, Sheriff of Jansholm, starts a strong campaign of iconoclasm against Orlanth symbolry in the Aeolian temples, transforming them into austere white Rokari temples as propagated by the White Wyzards movement. The valuable ornaments disappear into the bishop's and the sheriff's coffers. Pagan worship of Orlanth is prohibited in the shared temples. Protesting nobles are tried for treason. This way, Mularik succeeds Duke Karlman of Jansholm. Korlaman of the Orshanti takes refuge first at estates of Brian of the Volsaxi (just outside the Kingdom of Malkonwal), but after a military strike of Mularik against the Volsaxi he hides in the Troll Woods with a band of followers outlawed with him (and no longbows in Glorantha, <sob>).
1619 The Lunar Empire conquers the Volsaxi lands, besieges Whitewall, and assaults the city of Karse. No refugees from Volsaxi lands filter into Heortland because of the religious suppression of the Orlanthi faith.
1619 Dark Season: the annual outbreak of scorpionman brood is a lot worse for neglect of this pest during the last two years and destroys several steads and villages before checked by local levies. The ducal troops of Jansholm were held back to deal with rebellious tax-payers.
1620 Earth Season: The Lunar Empire invades the Kingdom of Malkonwal. King Richard summons whatever support he can get from his subjects and meets Fazzur in an open battle. He is betrayed by Mularik Ironeye, who captures and sells his king and former captain for a considerable sum plus all of his plunder from Jansholm. Mularik sets sail from the Lunar-controlled port of Karse for the Three-Step Isles with a small flottilla manned with his followers and joins the Wolf Pirates.
1620 The Talars and Horali of God Forgot invade southern Heortland and capture Mt. Passant, as agreed upon in a secret treaty with the Lunars who lay claim to Refuge and the access to Prax from the south, though. The Marcher Barons submit to Lunar supremacy, faced with being cut from essential support.
1620 The Lunar administration installed by Fazzur re-opens the temples for worship of Barntar and Ernalda, and is greeted as liberators. Recently landed Seshnegi knights are forced from their estates. Many return to their former lives as mercenaries, whereas others linger in the land hoping to regain their estates, meanwhile robbing the native farmers.
1621 Mostly minor domestic troubles, the Lunar officials taken from Fazzur's Tarshites offer little troubles for the natives.
1621 Fall of Whitewall, the defenders disappear.
1621 Stormgull Rock scenario (a "forgotten holy spot" crawl I published a few years ago in German language).
1621/1622 Sacred Season: Fazzur is relieved from his office as Gouvernor-General, succeeded by the Dara Happan Tatius the Bright. Many of Fazzur's officers take their leave and accompany him to his lands in Tarsh rather than take second rank to Tatius' Dara Happan preteges placed over them. the new Dara Happan administration is effective in offending Orlanthi sensitivities, and the climate of goodwill towards the Lunar liberators soon fades away. Brian of the Volsaxi emerges among the Hendriki, gathering support.
1622 Hendriki rebellion crushed with the help of the Scorpionman Queendom of Jab released by Tatius' magicians from the Footprint. Brian and his followers leave Heortland rather than endanger their supporters in a guerilla warfare and join forces with the anti-Lunar faction in Esrolia.
1622 Archbishop Gwydion and a mix of Aeolian and converted Seshnegi followers liberate Mt. Passant from the God Forgot occupation. The Lunars don't push after them, being occupied in eastern Sartar. The Tarshite prince-gouvernor in Refuge collects what Lunar troops are left to him, and declares his city an independent province of Tarsh.
1623 The Hendriki followers of Brian defeat the Grazer mercenary army in Esrolia, which is replaced by Provincial forces and more Grazers mercenaries.
1623 The Queendom of Jab continues to lay waste to the foothill clans along the Storm Mountains; local forces are led by rebels sought by the Lunars and suffer from lack of equipment and provisions. The Lunar forces are mostly withdrawn from the countryside and offer no aid, except for single (mostly Tarshite) garrison commanders (some of which even accept the rebels as their equals for the duration of the conflict).
1624 The anti-Lunar forces in Esrolia led by Brian defeat the Lunar and Grazer occupation forces at Pennel Ford. Brian takes his followers and Argrath the Wolf Pirate over to Heortland, lands at Milran and defeats the local Lunar forces with the help of Argrath's firespear warriors (Dragontooth Runners?). Argrath continues through the Border Marches and Prax to Corflu.
This doesn't include regularly recurring events, like the financial fair of Karse, harvest festivals, cattle fairs, craft fairs, religious processions and larger pilgrimages, etc. - mostly because such traditions have to be invented from scratch. Not even the excellent publications Pavis -Threshold to Adventure, Carse, Sun County, or Griffin Mountain covered _all_ of this. Couldn't cover all of this. And maybe shouldn't, really -after all, you'll place a major horse fair where it aids your campaign plot.
>Omissions don't tend to "come out" until some later publication appears.
>It causes problems and embarrassments.
Your examples have a very simple remedy: don't publish any new information on the region. Sorry, that isn't the way Glorantha works... if you want scenarios, NPCs, and information about the future of the region, you will have to face developments in the region which might differ from your own interpretation. My solution for this dilemma: place your campaign in the past of the published timeline, say four to five years, and you will be sure about the near future of the campaign.
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