I am still however not happy with the western knights. I can accept that the west is technologically more advanced, sorcerers being more logical or scientific etc. but is the knights armour made from the more easily worked Gloranthan bronze or are we to assume that the jointed plate armour of the illustrations is Iron armour. IMO the later is more feasible.
This raises a different point,
Greg Sez
I'd say that 95% of all mankind's iron in Glorantha came from the aptly
named Iron Mountains, where mostali still hold to their prehistoric trading
deals.
But!
Genertela Book says of the Laurmal ruin: The ruin is still important because the dwarfs, ever conservative, still go there to trade their iron, as they did in the first age.
Now assuming that Gloranthan iron, with the possible exception of enchanted iron, rusts, in order for iron to be found all over Gloranthan in any quantity this would have to be a sizable trade setup. In the RW whole cities were founded to support the ancient Mediterranean metal trade. As the metal has only a single reliable source and with the trade problems associated with the syndics ban and the closing, the supply to places such as Carmania and Dragon Pass, let alone Kralorela, would be virtually impossible to maintain.
To compound this problem the next line in the Genertela book says: For centuries following the destruction of Old Seshnela[1049 ST] no one ventured here to trade.
'Centuries' implies that for at least 200 and possibly 4-500 years their was no trade in iron with the Iron Mountains, source of 95% of mankind's iron. So how with no regular supply of raw materials did the blacksmiths pass on their traditions and skills. The dwarfs are hardly likely to have started sharing their secrets with the humans again if the humans had been stupid enough to forget them. Also with supply cut to only a twentieth iron would be even more rare and valuable. During this time any iron in the world would either be enchanted, rust or be from an alternate source.
Greg also Sez
Discoveries such as those in the Von Mountains (in the Redlands) are of
tremendous value, until they play out, as have all other iron mines in the
world.
IMO this implies a sort of gold rush mentality to the new source, with the mines running out in a relatively short time. Certainly too short a time for anyone to deduce iron smelting techniques from scratch or from old texts.
These points aren't themselves a problem, after all for the dwarfs finished goods are lighter and more valuable but I fail to see how a tradition of iron working was maintained in Peloria, Maniria or Kralorela.
Okay lets say that the iron trade is resurrected about 200-300 years after 1049 ST, so sometime around 1300 ST. Tierre of Caskall now find himself in control of a virtual monopoly of one of the most valuable substances known. For 300 years he and his descendents hold off all of their vastly more powerful neighbors and maintain control of this trade, not!
Genertela book says Rhis castle "is important because it controls the iron trade" how much of an understatement is that.
IMO iron should be extremely rare, particularly outside Seshnela with the only iron items found being either enchanted or of mostali manufacture. Would not the knights armour styles have changed if their chosen raw material was gone.
>The inquisitive, intelligent or(?) well educated in the RW have
>tended towards the study of magic and religion until modern times.
>Technological progress did not suffer for it did take place
No offense intended Peter but you're surely not trying to suggest that intelligence and education are somehow inexorably linked. I do get your point though, I just meant that the more tangible benefits of studying magic in a world where it actually works would intrude on the inventor's agenda somewhat.
One last point does anyone else think it sounds more likely that the lunars built a trading port in a marsh, on the most inhospitable frontier of their empire, to trade iron with Seshnela than Grain with Esrolia.
Trev
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