Is Glorantha Bronze Age? from Trevor Browne on 1998-09-11 (Glorantha Digest Vol 06)

From: Trevor Browne <trevor.browne_at_easynet.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 17:33:18 +0100

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_01BDDDAA.43E805A0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Hello to all, this is my first posting so please be kind.

By way of background I am a late but devout convert to Glorantha (1990ish) and an initiate of MOB's cult of MGF. I have only recently acquired a modem and while I have scanned the archives their are a lot of them, so if this was all hashed out years ago somebody set me straight and I'll shut up.

GoG says:
"The 'standard metal' of Glorantha is called bronze, for it is red-gold in
color and can be made by mixing the equivalent of Gloranthan tin and copper. However, bronze ore can also be mined, and is more capable of being stretched or extended than is terrestrial bronze."

Introduction to Glorantha says:
"Untempered iron has the same physical qualities as bronze."

Does this mean Gloranthan bronze is more analogous to RW iron than to RW bronze?

Greg Sez in Q & A:
"No metal is mined anyplace in Prax. Nor is any mined or collected by them
[the Praxians] from such resources as the huge deposit of the Copper Sands. The Praxians simply have absolutely no way to process ore, shape metal, or perform other such civilized skills."

"Metal is generally scarce in Glorantha, especially compared to our modern
standards."

"Iron is much more scarce that any set of game rules has ever stated."

The Glorantha Book says:
"For most of her human inhabitants, Glorantha is a simple and
unsophisticated world. In earthly terms, most of mankind is still at a Neolithic or Bronze Age stage of civilization (limited agriculture, primitive tools, simple governments). Certain areas have attained a medieval level of sophistication, due to the magic that pervades the world, or the legacies of the past ages."

By 'certain areas' I am assuming the west here. This means that in order for most of mankind to be Neolithic or Bronze Age the majority of Pelorian and Theylan cultures will have to be Bronze Age, albeit sophisticated late Bronze Age, societies. And if Prax has no metal working of any kind that sounds pretty Neolithic to me.

So what are the technological limits of Gloranthan cultures?

Virtually all aspects of a society are significantly effected by that cultures technological level. Features such as stirrups, jointed plate armour, crossbows, rapiers, halberds and large literate populations all seem IMHO to be too advanced for a Bronze Age society. I also feel that in a world where the inquisitive, intelligent or well educated naturally tend towards the study of magic and religion, technological progress is bound to suffer. For this reason and because of the deeply superstitions and traditional nature of Gloranthan cultures, I would suggest that fewer technological advances would have been made since the Dawn than in a comparable period of RW history.

Okay that's my two lunars worth what does every one else think?

Cheers,

Trev.

PS Sorry to Bob for calling you Peter in my auction bids recently must be going senile.

------=_NextPart_000_01BDDDAA.43E805A0 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<html><head></head><BODY bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF">Hello to all, this is my = first posting so please be kind. By way of background I am a late = but devout convert to Glorantha (1990ish) and an initiate of MOB's cult = of MGF.  I have only recently acquired a modem and while I have = scanned the archives their are a lot of them, so if this was all hashed = out years ago somebody set me straight and I'll shut up. GoG = says: "The 'standard metal' of Glorantha is called bronze, for = it is red-gold in color and can be made by mixing the equivalent of = Gloranthan tin and copper. However, bronze ore can also be mined, and is = more capable of being stretched or extended than is terrestrial = bronze." Introduction to Glorantha says: "Untempered = iron has the same physical qualities as bronze." Does this = mean Gloranthan bronze is more analogous to RW iron than to RW = bronze? Greg Sez in Q & A: "No metal is mined = anyplace in Prax. Nor is any mined or collected by them [the Praxians] = from such resources as the huge deposit of the Copper Sands. The = Praxians simply have absolutely no way to process ore, shape metal, or = perform other such civilized skills." "Metal is = generally scarce in Glorantha, especially compared to our modern = standards." "Iron is much more scarce that any set of = game rules has ever stated." The Glorantha Book = says: "For most of her human inhabitants, Glorantha is a simple = and unsophisticated world.  In earthly terms, most of mankind is = still at a Neolithic or Bronze Age stage of civilization (limited = agriculture, primitive tools, simple governments). Certain areas have = attained a medieval level of sophistication, due to the magic that = pervades the world, or the legacies of the past ages." By = 'certain areas' I am assuming the west here.  This means that in = order for most of mankind to be Neolithic or Bronze Age the = majority of Pelorian and Theylan cultures will have to be Bronze Age, = albeit sophisticated late Bronze Age, societies.  And if Prax has = no metal working of any kind that sounds pretty Neolithic to = me. So what are the technological limits of Gloranthan = cultures? Virtually all aspects of a society are significantly = effected by that cultures technological level.  Features such as = stirrups, jointed plate armour, crossbows, rapiers, halberds and large = literate populations all seem IMHO to be too advanced for a Bronze Age = society.  I also feel that in a world where the inquisitive, = intelligent or well educated naturally tend towards the study of magic = and religion, technological progress is bound to suffer.  For this = reason and because of the deeply superstitions and traditional nature of = Gloranthan cultures, I would suggest that fewer technological advances = would have been made since the Dawn than in a comparable period of RW = history. Okay that's my two lunars worth what does every one else = think? Cheers, Trev. PS Sorry to Bob for calling = you Peter in my auction bids recently must be going senile. 
</body></html>
- ------=_NextPart_000_01BDDDAA.43E805A0--

End of The Glorantha Digest V6 #184