>>> Aren't the Waertagi coming back? Following the Firebergs? Once >>> they regroup, the Vadeli are in for real trouble. =
>> If only. What looks likely to happen is that the Waertagi and >> the Vadeli join forces!
> But why? Aren't they interested in re-asserting their maritime
> dominance? Why let the Vadeli just sail around without permission/
> tribute/etc. These guys have been sailing through Hell for centuries,
> surely they've acquired some pretty ugly abilities during that time?
Why did the Waertagi spend the Third Age in Hell? Because Zzabur sent them there. Who are Zzabur's worst enemies? The Vadeli. Who might the Waertagi choose to ally with on their return from Hell, to get back at the guy who sent them there...?
I fully expect the Waertagi to double-cross the Vadeli, and be doublecrossed in turn. But the reasons for alliance ("We *both* hate those Brithini bastards!") are very cogent in the shorter term, whatever the two equally-despicable forces plan for their allies in the long run.
My Conspiracy Theory, generated when Greg told me privately that he didn't think Brithos was coming back, is that the Vadeli raiders who devastate the coasts of Seshnela claim to be the returning Brithini. Any publicity is bad publicity...
> Esrolia is an Orlanthi society but matriarchal, right?
Matriarchal, civilised, settled, and worshipping different deities (Orlanth relegated to a shared, minor role in the pantheon), not to mention dominated by Trolls for two Ages of history and more recently by the Pharaoh.
> What does this do to the "standard" makeup of the Orlanthi ring?
I would suggest that extrapolating from "stock Orlanthi" to try to understand Esrolite society is absurd. My own preferred model for the Esrolians would be something nice and archaic: Mesopotamia before Kings, Minoan Crete without Minos, the pre-Hellenic Pelasgians, and dashes of Egypt for extra flavour. Naturally, other "Land of Women" ideas will creep in -- from stock Celtic "Tribes of the Goddess" (I suppose this would be the "Orlanthi" view of Esrolia, though it doesn't square well with urbanisation) through Maria Gimbutas' fine collection of thunder-thighed Venuses of Willendorf (etc.).
Esrolia is ruled by a matriarchal council of Queens, territorial rulers who are also sacred priestesses of the goddess Esrola. They used to have temporary, disposable sacrificial Kings (the Year Sons, cf. Wyrms Footprints and/or Mary Renault's "The King Must Die"), but Belintar took over this role, turned it into a "dying and rising" god, and occupied it for three centuries, destroying the old rites. Which is one reason the Great Famine is coming -- and one reason for the Esrolite Civil War (nobody agrees on how to bring back the Good Old Days, because the Year King Rites were so successfully purged).
My money's on the Lunar faction -- arrange a "Caesar and Cleopatra" wedding between Moonson and the dominant Esrolian Queen (that's her with the eye makeup and the distinctive nose), because we *know* the Red Emperor is a "dying and rising" god. Others have other views...
> TT #4 - the Holy Country issue - will get published soon after TT #4.
Hmm.
___
MOB writes:
> A disgraced 79 year old Light Priest who farted in the temple or
> something. When Rich, the guy playing him asked what geases his
> character had, we all replied, "All of them!" It made for some
> very amusing roleplaying...
The first bit came from the extreme scriptural literalness of the Yelmalion priests. They were going to "throw the book" at this guy for farting on the High Holy Day", and began reading the list of Every Yelmalion Geas at him. And the first entry on that list is:
Favoured by Yelmalio, no geas.
If he'd had a better lawyer, he'd have got off there and then!
> Great Mother (KL)
> Kind Sister (XU)
> Angry Brother (ZZ)
> Smiling Liar (AA)
Thanks, Dan, especially for that last one!
> They are now, of course, being manipulated Fu Manchu-like by the
> current Exarch of Bliss in Ignorance to furthur his nefarious
> plans of world domination, Mwahahahaha!
And, of course, the fact that Fu Manchu bases himself in the KoI guarantees that nobody will take him seriously until it's too late. Darned cunning, those heathen Kraloree...
>> Early reconquista Spain (the age of El Cid) probably is as good >> a parallel for Ralios as is earliest Renaissance Italy, with two >> different creeds rivalling for supremacy.
> Nitpicking. El Cid is at the start of the Middle portion of the
> Reconquista, when the unified muslims fragmented in many bicker-
> ing states, to be conquered one by one.
Which is how the "Frankish" Seshnegi are picking off the "fragmented, Mediterranean" Safelstrans, no?
> The muslim and christian armies in Spain, after centuries of war,
> were very similar. The muslims had slightly better skirmishers and
> the christians slightly heavier cavalry. And both used mercenaries
> of the other faith.
That sounds like a perfect description of what's going on in Ralios: heavier Seshnegi/Rokari cavalry (though not the superchargers of modern Loskalm), vs. light native Safelstran scouts and raiders.
> The battles in Safelster will resemble those in Condottieri Italy
Yep, 100% true. Right down to loonies like Machiavelli saying, "Why don't we fight our battles ourselves??"
> That is why they detest the Orlanthi (wild savages without restraint)
Ain't necessarily so. When the Orlanthi migrate or invade, they're Bad News. But Safelstrans would be happy to employ Orlanthi as mercs: also, think of the "Thracian Archers" used as police in classical Athens. (Or were they Scythians: I forget. Anyway, the parallel's good). The "What the Wizard Says" piece from GoG criticises the Orlanthi for being, not barbaric, but *unreliable* -- you can't ever depend on them to turn up when you need them most.
> The Kingdom of Seshnela (no respect for "proper" war, or following
> the Rules of War).
Agreed. The Seshnegi haven't understood (or choose not to follow) the traditional Safelstran way of war. Which is one reason they're winning.
::::
Nick
::::
End of The Glorantha Digest V5 #445
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