Since the digest seems to go very quiet for the moment I thought that a posting which is perhaps gameable, albeit at the same time very narrow, could be appropriate. Maybe it's not the right forum for this, but what the heck, use the "page down" button if not interested.
This is notes from my own Culbrea campaign. I put them on paper for Martin Laurie who is also doing some gaming among the Culbrea, but I thought it could be of interest to a more general audience as well.
For a quick refresher on the background of the tribe, steer your browsers to http://home5.swipnet.se/~w-59453/ . I think my campaign have been going on in about the same mode and mood as the "Lismelder campaign" presented in "Tentacles...", so consider this a variant of that one.
Apart from NPCs described on my home pages our PCs have been:
*Madrak the Stickpicker: A beggar wandering between the clans as
a sort of slander monger. He died on a sea voyage in 1616.
*Farkal Thunderfoot: One of the many sons of HOfstaring
Treeleaper (a man alive that many years would produce a lot of
kids I suppose), Farkal was counted as a thane and sat on the
Culbri clan Ring. He died a heroic death in the Big Rubble after
having challenged Count Julan of the Red Coders to a duel after
Count Julan had gone down with his Wyvern. (C.f. "One High
Priest too many"). This was in 1619.
*Danbrim Blacksmith: The blacksmith of the Martehiording clan.
He has also become acolyte of Orlanth. Currently (1622) many
members of his clan want to see him become the new Chieftain.
*Rastoron Smoothtounge: From the Culbri clan. High Entertainer,
or Scald, at the Tribal King's Hall. He knows a lot of stories
and legends and is able to read!
*Arngar Ashface: A Humakti who once belonged to the Gwandor
clan. He has also been a mercenary in Heortland.
*Gir the Kolating: A strange figure who has had a lot of
dealings with Aul King Owl, the Sartarite owl spirit who can be
contacted at Owlflight Crest.
*Odain the Young: A young hunter from the Martehiording clan.
During Sea Season the Rindebarg clan from the Aranwyth tribe attacks three steads of the Martehiroding clan. There are not enough young men in the Martehiording clan to make a reprisal raid. The Marthiord's have lost land to the Aranwiyth as well. All due to the failed Starbrow uprising.
Heavy Lunar Infantry sets camp at the King's Hall. As a result most of the nearby clans stays home when Orlanth's Holy Day comes along. ONly Martehiording clan makes the journey to the Hill of Orlanth Victorious. The Holy Day ritual produces a lot of fearful omens: the sky becomes black, Lunar minted coins are tarnished by stinging winds, two thanes stumble, fall and break their magic spears.
This is also the year when the first of four mysterious figures
appear,
in the years to come followed by another three. The first appear
at Top
Stead. It is a young, dizzy, confused girl. She can hardly
speak, she don't respond to questions, she only says "listen to
my tale, this is my tale...I have lost my tale: this is my tale,
listen to my tale..." She is quite beautiful and has long brown
hair. Her right arm is covered by ornamental, slingering
tattooes in light blue. She wears a blood-red earth rune on her
naked back. And she has six toes on each foot. She is taken into
the house of Lightning-Lartemal for study. Rumours has it that
the old goat is more interested in her appearance than her
mystery though. In four years time her Earth rune gradually
transforms into a filled Earth Rune, i.e. a Malign Earth rune.
Earth-season: Elk clan suffers from roving bands of starving trollkins. Much of the harvests are destroyed. On the behest of king Ranulf other clans assist the Elk, so that they will not have to starve during winter. Young hot-heads want to raid other tribes to compensate for the losses.
Dark-season. Much snow covers the land. Icy storms blows down from the Quivin tops for many weeks. The PCs have to travel to the King's Hall to settle a marrige problem. When arriving at the King's Hall they witness a malign spirit attack on the sacred shed kept on the King's land. A Hollri demon renders and tears the Sacred White Ox of the tribe. It survives, but is spiritually wounded and ill. Lightning-Lartemal throws sacred knuckle-bones inscribed with runes. Result: the tribe's wyter have been wounded as a result of the attack on White Ox Sacred. Dire times await the tribe if the King cannot regain the life-force stolen by the Hollri. (He have to best him in personal combat.) To prepare for this Heroquest Lightning-Lartemal propose an "Arming of Orlanth"-variant effected by the PCs. One hundred years before a king had done a similar "Combat against darkness" and the Sacred Regalia he used was later dispersed among the clans. As a component of the "Arming" the PCs are sent to collect the stuff.
They are tested in various ways at the different clans as this is a sort of symbolic re-enactment of the different clan's oaths of loyalty towards the current tribal King.
Greenhaf:
Sacred Item: Holy Runecarved Wooden Logs. To burn in a sacred
voyage ritual to get signs about road, target, goal, direction
and speed.
Problem: No logs left. They lost their power in a failed
Northfaring Ritual against the traitorous Dinacoli in 1613. The
Greenhaf Chief's daughter knows the Carving Craft, but she has
dissapeared due to a complicated love affair. Her bethroded have
been mesmerized and transformed by a Woodland spirit. Madrak the
Stickpicker succeeds in seducing the Woodland spirit who
realeases the daughter's young lover.
Gwandor:
Sacred Item: Gwandor's Scale. This protects against the fury of
the Elements.
Problem: One of fat, jovial, Chief Kulbrast's housecarl has a
feud with Farkal. The housecarl is backed by Orgumleide the
Sinew. They make insinuations of both King's and PCs competence
and bravery. Farkal explodes in wrath and with a mighty magic
Hofstaring-inspired leap smoothes down the Chief's Housecarl
right in the Hall. Horror - broken Hospitality. Rastoron offers
compensation. A shining Lawspeak and Orate saves the day.
Barlamani:
The Heart of Fire. Fire that preserves. The last hope of light
in Darkness. Deep in Earthcradle an ever-burning fire is kept. A
spark from that one collected in a small jar.
Problem: To negotiate the Dark Hag - a crazy old Ty Kora
Tek-woman. She weaves dire omens around the PCs. On their way
towards Marthiording they are attacked by Sazdorf trolls. Do the
trolls intend to steal the fire?
Marthiording:
Sacred Item: The Owlhood. Gives the power of piercing awareness.
To see through the fury of the Elements: Darkness, Cold, and
Blizzard.
Problem: The clan of PCs. Here they can rest and regain
strength. They get a chance to socialize. Learn about tradition.
Elk:
Sacred Item: A Ring of Healing. Rune-inscribed to be used with
the left hand, the healing hand of the King after the Hollri
have been defeated. To heal the Sacred White Ox.
Problem: The chieftain's wife doesn't like the wife of the chief
of Stirlgon. She tries to stir the PCs' suspicions vs her. False
whisperings in the ear of the PCs.
Varnding:
Sacred Item: The Windstaff. Many magic Runes with Wind spells of
high power. To use against the winter's wrath.
Problem: The PCs have to assist dour and easily-provoked Chief
Skamkel Headsplitter in a winter-hunt for the
Crimson-Eye-Wakboth-Bear. A bear which has ravaged a full barn.
Assisting in the hunt makes Skamkel to give up the Windstaff.
Stirlgon:
Sacred Item: The Holy Slaying Song. The Lawspeaker of the clan
knows this song about Orlanth's slaying of Thryk the Winter
Giant. The King's Shieldbearer have to learn the song by heart.
Problem: The wife of chief Orlgandi 20-beard. She arouses
suspicions as she is very sneaky and intrigue-hungry. She
doesn't like the "chieftainess" of the Elk and wants to hear the
PCs opinions. danger of breaking hospitality here.
Culbri:
sacred item: The Spike of Flint. Long, sharp piece of flint.
When heated it gives the wielder the power of a very mighty
Fireblade.
After having collected the items the PCs arm the King and accompany him on a wintery journey up among the Quivin Peaks. They fight winter elementals and watch the King wound and steal back the power from the Hollri. Upon return the Sacred White Ox is healed, and great danger thereby averted.
A second mysterious earth-figure is discovered by Farkal
Thunderfoot at the
beach of the Lorthing river close by the Moot of the Culbri
clan. It is a young dazed and confused girl. She doesn't know
her name. She only says that she is searching for a mask she has
lost. -The mask is her tale. When discovered she is collecting
pieces of driftwood - pathetically trying to build a raft. She
is beautiful in short black hair, has a right arm covered with
tattooes much like the first figure
Now the tribal council discusses
what to do with these figures. They must god-sent! But what is
the
purpose. Divinations to Orlanth and Ernalda yield very little.
Apart from the one taken into the house of Lightning-Lartemal,
the other one is given hospitality at the tribe's Earth temple:
Earthcradle. They don't seem to be able to take care of
themselves. Helpless as small children.
Later that year a third figure is also discovered. The tribal council and the Ernalda priestesses decides that more must be learnt about this. The Most Sacred Earth Priestess of the Tribe, Grysten Earthmother will study riutals, sacred writings and oracles at the Boldhome temple to Ernalda. She will talk to Benava Chan, highest priestess in Sartar about this. The PCs escort Grysten to Boldhome.
Fragments of the knowledge gained in Boldhome:
Fire-Season: Rastoron Smoothtounge wants to marry the daughter of the Marthiording Chief. The latter's wife sets a test for the young scald. She wants her daughter to marry a brave and steadfast man. She demands Rastoron to ride against Chief Farad Oakhand and put an insult on him. Rastoron rides to the stead of Chief Farad and defames him. Farad is furious and sends his housecarls against Rastoron. Rastoron fires a magic arrow he has been given by his future mother-in-law, an arrow bursting into flame as it pierces the heart of chief Farad. Rastoron flees. "Good boy, good boy", says Ernaldesta, the chieftain's wife. "Now you may marry my daughter."
But Farad is resurrected and a personal feud of great proportions have started.
Storm Season: Many outlying steads of the Marthiording clan suffers from raids carried out by Aski the Bandit and his Gagarthi gang.
Farad Oakhand, chief of the Rindebarg clan, comes to the tribal Hall searching for Rastoron. Rastoron has dissapeared on a magic quest together with the other PCs and cannot be found in this world. Farad threatens that he will strike a deal with the evil and much feared shaman from Balkoth territory: Tork-Tork Black. That shaman can find Rastoron on any plane, says Farad.
A fourth mysterious figure is discovered. A very beautiful hermaphrodite, he is as mindless as the others, and has spent the last two years in the company of Eonia Two-fist, the un-crowned beggar-queen of the tribe. He/she has given her pleasure by continually smoothing her womb in the decaying sedan chair/litter she is carried in by her train of beggar followers. Everyone is very upset that she has withhold the fourth figure for so long. The fourth figure is found by Gir the Kolating, who has not been seen in the tribe for seven long years. Everyone thought him lost. But he has studied with an older master in the quivin mts.
Storm Season: The feud between Rastoron Smoothtounge and Farad Oakhand, chief of Rindebarg, have escalated and threatens to evolve into a fullscale feud between the Culbri clan and the Rindebarg clan. The Lawspeakers cannot find any solution. Rastoron's bedridden father is one morning strapped to his horse and rides with Rastoron, Gir, Danbrim and Farkal towards Moaning valley, were they have heard that Farad have been spotted. In Moaning valley there comes to a mighty clash with thunder and ligtning and swords and shields. Rastoron's father falls in battle, the PCs have to retreat from overwhelming odds. Afterwards a Lawspeaker succeds in getting Farad accept the father's life as recompensation for Rastoron's dishonorable death-arrow. The feud is buried for the time being. And Rastoron's father can smile in Orlanth's Hall, having died a battle death instead of slowly fading away in bed. Some ill-mannered people even suggests that the old fox even planned this scenario all along. ;-)
The SLBHQ of Sacred time is aimed towards King Ranulf finding an enlightening answer on the mysterious earth-figures the tribe has become involved with. The Hell-part is placed among the broken stones and crags and caves of Vengecairn Walls to the south of Owlflight Crest. There lives an oracle - a crazy old woman, a knower of deep Orendanae mysteries. (Note, that originally I made this phase of the campaign before I had ever learned about Orendanae. And how well doesn't it fit with Enc's descripton: "its followers claim that Ernalda is simply a mask for the Great Tripartite Goddess" - albeit my "Goddess" is Four-part, like the Earth-rune.)
King Ranulf returns to the surface with her answers: Just like King Rastagar of old, at the end of his world, ignored the sending of the Earth-power, the hope for a better world, the last raft on a wind-swept dark ocean, just like that. King Rastagar received "the Naked woman and the speaking Blood Rune" who told him about the balance and the cooperation. But the fool ignored her, as he had turned from all the gods. Later King Rastagar died in the Last Royal Betrayal, and afterwards the Vingkotling Grandmothers adopt the ways of Esrolia. Ga-Woman was there, she blessed the Esrolvuli. She blessed the rite of the sacrifical king. She is the giver of "Anogorlrogona" or she may be "Anogorlrogona".
during the first seasons of this year, the priestesses at Earthcradle notice that the Blood-red earth-rune on the back of three of the four figures grows with an alarming rate. Steadily they transforms into a Malign Earth Rune. Unbeknown to them the rune on the back of the girl guested by Lightning-Lartemal is all but filled. She turns into an aggressive mode, and one day she tries to rip the old Storm Voice into shreds with claws and daggers as sharp as needles. A shocked Lighning-Lartemal turns her over to Earthcradle.
During fire-season Rastoron discovers hidden old Lhankor Mhy documents at the King's Hall. These reveal that the tribe is affected by an unfulfilled ritual dating back to Grandfather Culbri's days in Kethaela. The things left undone returns to haunt the tribal Kings (and the tribe) every three, sixth, ninth, or 124th year. This year - 1618 - is such a year. "Anogorlrogona" is a very old arcane word in Earthspeech with multiple meanings: Return, Place, Prayer, Tale, Direction, Curse, Rite. Many kings of the Culbrea have been afflicted by "Anogorlrogona", and seemingly died of it. Worse yet, if visited in Orlanth's Hall, they can only be discerned as fleeting, mute, shadows.
The tribal ring decides to send the four figures southward. Together with a small expeditionary force they are to travel to Nochet to try to seek a solution on the problems, and, if possible, avert the prophesy and the curse. Of course, the PCs are part of the expedition.
Here is some parts of what important ring-members said during
the meeting (we played this as a variant of the Sartar High
Council scenario from Wyrms Footprints):
Lightning-Lartemal: "Everything would be O.K. if these figures
could only find themselves, their names, their language and
their lost tale. But why have they appeared now? And why in our
tribe? If the Culbrea tribe in any way is bonded to solve this
riddle of the four figures, we must do it, otherwise our whole
future as a tribe could be at stake.
They must be taken away! Othwerwise, Culbrea could be the tribe
ruled by women and a women's council. Just like among the
Esrolvuli where Orlanth serve and women rule! Horrible,
unthinkable.
My Orlanth divinations: *A city with a harbour with thousands of
ships. *A black, heavy, covered wagon with a menacing aura
slowly rolls through a city gate. One of the wheels grind a
small butterfly into the muddy ground and crushes the poor sod.
*A name: Pelfer, who has the fingers of Minlister. *A hand
traces the outline of a sort of map on a face.
Jormgorm the Hot-brain (Lhankor Mhy): "Every sacred _tale_ is in
a way the tale of a _return_. Just take a look at our
Lightbringer cycle, where our gods return with the sun to the
center of the world - the same center where the tale took its
beginning. To us, this _tale_ is almost like a _prayer_ for the
sun to come up and walk its course every day (and not stop as it
did in the Dawn Age), but to the forces of Chaos our prayer is
of course seen as a _curse_. Therefore, the sacred tale is a
double-edged weapon. Like a sword without a handle. And in this
way the boundaries between our language and our magic is
floating, and during the Gods Age they were even more floating,
some doubt that the boundary even existed then."
Anyway, in Earth Season the PCs arrive in Nochet City and
investigate the mystery of the four Earth figures. They land in
a
tumultous city where factions and mighty Matriarchs vie for
power. to control a future Ga-Woman is certainly a high stake in
the game. The PCs have to tread carefully. (Basically I ran this
part of the campaign as a cross-over between Carlos Fuentes'
"Terra Nostra" and the Shanghai chapter of Mask of Nyarlathotep,
the factions in the latter being replaced by the different
Matriarchal families of Esrolia, and a hefty dose of my own
speculations on Earth mysteries. Michael Moorcock's "The Four
who are One" also came into play.)
The PCs learns that the four figures are manifestations of one powerful Silver Age Heroine: Ga-Woman, who in turn is a sort of primal holder of the power of Ga, the mindless Earth. She holds both fertile and destructive powers when "called forth". Grandfather Culbri, in his youth in Kethaela had been in love with a strange girl with tattooed lips (butterfly pattern), named Clerina. They had been given the task of acting out the ritual bringing the four figures together to melt into one: Ga-Woman. This was an answer to the spiritual crisis the land was passing through with the arrival of Belintar and his struggles against the OOO. However, Culbri failed in his task and yielded to the strong passions one of the four figures evoked on everyone (Love-aspect of Earth). He escaped with her and deserted Clerina, the butterfly-lips-girl. Left with Clerina was a strange mask. A mask make up of wood, feathers, leafs, carving-lines and many colors. In fact this mask was also a map, with the Earth-rune mouth indicating the Necropolis in Esrolia. By bringing the four figures together with the mask at the sanctum of Necropolis under the right magic conditions and rituals they would transform into Ga-Woman. Aftter having traced the descendent of Clerina in Nochet (She looked just the same and had the same name as her predecsessors) the PCs listened to her tale and learnt that they must fulfill Grandfather Culbris unfulfilled promise to save their tribe. They allied with one of the matriarch factions (not Queen Hendira's! that's for sure) and performed the ritual. A great success. The PCs returned as hailed heroes to the Culbrea tribe. In my campaign, the reason why the Old Earth Alliance manage to withstand the Red Earth and the Lunars siege of Nochet is due to Ga-Woman. The Old Earth have a powerful weapon in this mighty Silver Age warrior incarnation of Ga.
(If you want, I could send you Clerina's tale, as told to the PCs, explaining what everything was about, in a separate mail.)
Dark Season: Count Julan and Princess Anderida of the Red Coders visit the tribe. They exert subtle pressures. Sombre and depressed Chief Roharlont Croodednose of Marthiording clan gets an offer he can't refuse. His son, taken hostage after 1613, can be returned if he convinces King Ranulf to make some "small" changes in the tribal council ring: Replace the Issaries representative with one Josaran the Humble, Sartarite Etyries convertite and brother of Farkal Thunderfoot (thereby also one of the many sons of Hofstaring Treeleaper). Josaran has been gone for many years. He has been a merchant working the Grazeland trading line between Holy Country and Tarsh. In Tarsh he saw the light and became an Etyries priestess (he still revers Issaries, though).
Princess Anderida negotiates a solution together with tribal King Ranulf and Chief Roharlont. Farkal and Danbrim are furious but can do little. (This is my Culbrea version of SiP's past history for the Red Coders: "they aided in the pacification program that followed, when friendly rulers were appointed to rule over the tribes.") Result: the workings of the tribal ring is hampered: no one dares to discuss things loud there any more. (In fact Josaran is no "spy", he is only interested in making his tribe living in peace with a force which he deems has a destiny to conquer the world.)
The PCs come into possession of Lunar battle documents written in strange Pelorian cursive script. The Stealhy Ring of Yinkin gets together a stormy, dark night at Talking Woodmen to perform a Divination. Thunder strikes and suddenly an electric cat (made of living lightning) lands among the company. It dances and at the same time the Woodmen's mouthes can be seen talking: "Go forth to the fort of the White Walls. I am beset at my stead."
Secret meetings and visits among various steads of the Culbrea tribe gets as a result that many Stealthy Ring of Yinkin members, as well as other tribesmen, heads south for the Volsaxi wars. Some noteworthy participants: Brandig Bull (Wind Lord from Elk clan and tribal council member), Orlgandi 20-beard (chief of Stirlgon clan) together with his trusty housecarls.
All these Culbrea folks are gone for two years, being besieged in Whitewall, and some of them never returns to the tribe. Brandig Bull dies against the Crimson Bat in 1619, for example.
The Stirlgon clan have to choose a new chief for the Sacred Time rituals in 1619 as Orlgandi 20-beard is still gone. Do you know who the Stirlgon Ring accepts as new chief? Kagmor the Young! His nickname is due to a magical blessing which keeps aging rolls from affecting his high APP of 18. "Oh, isn't he gorgeous." (A true fave for the women.) "And he is a good hunter, and a good speaker as well."
This year a growing dissatisfaction with Chief Roharlont can be noticed among the Marthiording clansmen. They think Roharlont is too passive. He just sits on his stead. If he was wise that could be tolerated, but that is not the case. If he leaves Top Stead it is to go to the market and get the first choice of all the wares. He is often seen as a guest of Josaran the Humble at the King's Hall as well. Rumours abound that Roharlont's wife Ernaldesta is planning for a divorce case. She has been known to plan something together with Unlen, the wife of the dissapeared blacksmith Danbrim of the Marthiording clan.
The only person happy with the current situation is the Wind Lord Yorsar Swordsong who can be seen as the ruler in all but name of the Marthiording clan. He is influential at King Ranulf's council as well.
The Gwandor clan suffers from repeted Telmori raids this year.
This year sees the conversion to the Seven Mothers among many households of north-western Elken Vale. Thereby they re-knit their marriage contacts with the households at Moon Stead of the Greenhaf Clan, a bond lost when Greehaf was taken over by Cinsina. Of course, these converts don't have to pay all the heavy extra taxes the Empire collects this Extra Full Moon Year (to celebrate the fall of Whitewall - remember KoS talks about "starvation along the frontiers" during this year). Chief Borlkar Otkesson in anger and frustration grinds his teeth. But not much can be done. Those households are still Ernalda and Barntar worshippers after all. And the Lawspeaker of the clan - Ranna Ringwoman - warns of the danger and risk of splitting the clan, which could result in the founding of a new "Moon Clan".
Gir the Kolating, Rastoron Smoothtounge, Arngar Ashface and Orlgandi 20-beard return to the tribe after being gone for two years. They are quiet about what they have done. Orlgandi 20-beard makes a demand for returned chieftain-ship. A conflict is brewing in the Stirlgon clan.
A foreign Wind Lord, Balaron the Ironbucket, from distant Ralios leads a quest into the Caves of Giniji. He is accompanied by Gir the Kolating, Odain the Young, Arngar Ashface, and Rastoron Smoothtounge. They return with a statue of the God-child Baroshi. This they give to the Ernalda temple in Boldhome, and thereby they get the mighty Earth cults assistance in ease the starvation otherwise threatening the entire tribe.
Early Sea: Three clans of the Cinsina attacks the Gwandor clan. Gwandor gets help from all the other Culbrea clans and succeeds in beating off the assault. In a speculative battle Humakti fights Humakti and the sky darkens. Chief Kulbrast Offirsson guests everyone at his hall.
That's about it. You could also add the things that Ingo came up with in HoW. But that should be a small matter. I have chosen to ignore Gaudyr Longsword in my campaign.
Cheers,
Patrik Sandberg
kaselov.sandberg_at_swipnet.se
End of The Glorantha Digest V6 #24
Powered by hypermail