Plummeting barbarian out of HQ

From: Rex Bean <rexabean_at_ozemail.com.au>
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 10:33:01 +1100 (EST)


G'day all,

The anecdote of "the barbarian plummeting out of the sky" reminded me of some ideas I have had knocking around. Given Glorantha is much more mythic than RQ describes I think that people accidently exiting heroquests the "hard way" probably happens quite often. After all not every one succeeds every time.

You may not realise what it was, but something strange happens in the forest next door every couple of years: strange lights, the sound of an explosion, a long drawn out scream and yet no body is found and no one is missing from your village. A crater appears in the valley next door as someone drops out of the skydome, etc. Because you can't find a cause it gives you even more reasons to pray to your god.

Of course the GM knows it just happens to be part of the Heroplane that certain quests have to go through and defeat a certain horrible guardian monster in. After all the villagers never have tried to chop any wood there, although it may not be a conscious prohibition. Or they may gather windfallen wood there and leave the occasional offerings to the spirit.

Also I have noticed lately that certain luminaries seem to think that the lunar heroquester who appeared in Kallyr's LBQ did so as part of a Lunar plan to screw Kallyr over. However my reading suggests it was all just bloody bad luck. It seemed to me that the Lunar heroquester was drawn in as an enemy because they were mythically nearby on a heroquest for their own reasons and got sucked in. After all the Lunar died, so he/she was not too happy about the outcome of her/his lunar heroquest failing.

I have always wanted to write a module for some simple Orlanthi in Aggar/Saird who one night see flashing lights and strange noises from the ring of stones (actually Dragonnewt plinths) near the village. Investigating next morning they find a beatiful silver clad red-haired warrioress with near mortal wounds. In their efforts to go and fetch a healer (undoubtedly the wise woman of the village has been having premonitions of the danger of keeping this silver warrior nearby) they find the forests haunted by strange demonic beasts hunting for someone but not averse to munching on passersby. The question becomes who do they find first ? The good rescuers or the bad rescuers (and source of demonic hounds). Think of it as a cross between Morgaine and many of David Gemmell's novels (yes he is formulaic but hell it is a good pulp formula if you don't want to use your brain much and space his books out, or am I thinking of Morwood ?)

[spoiler: of course the warrior is a yound Hon-Eel and this module is early in the Third Age. She has just been starting her T&Jing into the mythic landscape of the area as part of her eventual colonisation plan. She is of course a wonderfully nice person, but was ambushed by Lunar/Carmanian enemies and had to hit the eject button near one of the exit points on the heroplane. The good rescuers are her Lunar friends. The bad guys are keen to finish off the job. The Orlanthi are backwood hicks who know nothing about the new Empire to the north (after all Sun or Moon Empire what do they care?) and will just be reacting to having a stranger appear in their midst. And unlike the Justin Akkerman's and even perhaps Jeff Richard's of this world I don't think all Orlanthi immediately reach for the sword as soon as they meet a single stranger needing help (groups sure, as they are probably raiders).

Opinions anyone ? I have been hoping for a serious discussion about heroquesting for the past 3 years I have been on the Digest, because trying to use any words of Greg's as gospel truth in this area is doomed to failure. (No ranters and ravers - you know who you are) Of course the SFC's words have been received as the rays of sunshine they always are on any topic ;-). Go get Enclosure, it is great.

Cheers, Andrew


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