<<What is the state of play with glass in Glorantha?>>
I don't think there's been much officially said on this topic, so I guess it's up to the GM. I see no reason to assume that glass-making technology among humans has followed a radically different path that it did in reality, so at best we're talking Renaissance equivalent, and that only in limited 'civilised' areas, such as Safelster, Kralorela and maybe Dara Happa.
For a summary of RW glass-making technology from around the 10th-16th centuries, see my web-site at members.aol.com/ttrotsky, which also contains stuff on other medieval/renaissance technologies as well as the specifically Gloranthan (etc.) pieces.
<<The earth parallel, BTW, was that flat clear glass did not appear until 1670 or so, the first sextants (sp?) were 1740.>>
Sextants are rather older than that, actually. German astronomer Johannes Hevelius is said to have built an observatory containing a wopping 6 foot sextant in 1641. I believe your date is about right for the portable kind, though.
<< Are dwarves interested in glass?>>
Lead dwarves specialise in glassmaking as well as plumbing, and even have a 'Stabilise Glass' spell which can render glass shatter-proof for the duration of the magic. (Well, actually, with 6 armour points, you could shatter it if you really went it it with a big hammer, but it would be difficult to break accidentally).
I would expect the dwarves to be able to do pretty sophisticated things with glass if they really wanted to. I should think they can make large sheets of flat glass, but not in large enough quantities to bother selling it to anyone else, even at their inflated prices.
Forward the glorious Red Army!
Trotsky
Powered by hypermail