> Given the low skills of characters/normal NPC's.
> What happens when a roll for peaceful cut fails?
I guess you eat, and you irritate that animal's spirit, and your Khan, Shaman or Herd Mother eventually clears it up next time you worship. Sac an extra MP in the Eiritha HD ritual, or something? (How much damage can one pissed-off Impala Ghost cause?). But if you don't even *try* the Peaceful Cut, you have an Enemy Impala Ghost going out of its way to cause you harm, to tip off Eiritha and the Protectresses that you're an enemy, etc. Like the difference between a "1" and an "0" on the old Cult Compatibility Chart.
I wouldn't want to propose any hard and fast rules for this, but maybe you could tweak Critical and Special (and/or Fumble?) chances -- say, your next Special becomes a normal Success after a failed Peaceful Cut ("What's that... oops! Sorry, I thought I heard a stuck Impala squealing in my ear."). Something minor and one-off like that. More fun than a Ghost Attack in Spirit Combat, anyway -- think of it as a minor Spirit of Reprisal job.
I imagine nomads would not eat deliberately defiled meat (tortured animals; tusk rider victims; etc.) -- that's a certain way to attract hostile spirit-plane attention.
> Since you actually put POW into the ritual I'm thinking
> that it always works.
You put Magic Points, not POW, into the spell. Since it's normal Spirit Magic, I'm thinking that whether or not it works depends on the caster's die roll (like other spirit magics). The description does explicitly state that there's a die roll to succeed, too. And, if you're having a big Tribal Feast or something, you get your master butchers and Khans to do the butchering; or, if you're not that confident, Ceremony your chances up. Don't get the whole clan to eat something shoddy...
> Eiritha and peaceful cut: why does Eiritha get this?
Although Herd Sisters and Herd Mothers don't normally kill herd beasts, if they did have to (e.g. Buffy the Bison breaks his leg while the braves are all off raiding), they'd do it pretty damn' well (IMO). As the spell of Peaceful Cut and skill of Butchery are associate cult powers from Waha, I don't see this as a problem, any more than "Why does Issaries get Regrow Limb?" or "Why does Ernalda get Blast Earth?" IMG, when you cast an Associate spell, you're getting it from the god's associate -- not from the god himself. (E.g. the Eiritha priestess who casts Peaceful Cut is praying to Waha (or to Eiritha and Waha), not just to Eiritha).
> Tada: Do the animal nomads see Tada as one of them?
As a great powerful ruler of their Sacred Land in ancient times. Not as a beast-riding nomad. He's not an ancestor -- the nomads are descended from the Sons of the Storm Bull (IIRC), while Tada is one of the Earth Giants of the Golden Age.
> It seems from the current sources (Tales, Drastic) that the real
> Golden Age people are the Oasis folk and the animal nomads
> (slightly) newer immigrants.
Agreed.
> If someone quested for Tada to return, would Tada help the oasis
> folk throw out their nomad oppressors?
Nice idea for a scenario. Whyever not? NB: the ancient warriors that can be summoned at Tada's High Tumulus in "Nomad Gods" are the Aldryami Lords, the Copper People, the Earth Knights and the Longears. Summoning Tada himself -- equivalent to a Superhero like Harrek or Jar-eel -- was to be introduced in the boardgame "Shadows Dance": I believe the plan was that you reunite all his Grisly Portions and get the Big Fella himself. Tada's known Grisly Portions are the Cloak, Cudgel, Mask and Sandals; there may be others.
> Perhaps the 'experts' could compile a FAQ for each of their
> areas of knowledge and put them on the Glorantha web page :-)
There isn't a designated "Praxian Expert", so that won't help. But for the meantime, how's about this:
> Who was Tada?
See "Tales of the Reaching Moon" issue #13 p.49 ("Prehistory - The Golden Age"), by Greg Stafford, still available from the Reaching Moon Megacorp and other distributors.
> Do Praxians use metal weapons?
Yes, when they can get them. More common are weapons of bone, horn, stone, and other substances indigenous to Prax. Praxian metalworking is not on a par with that of more settled and civilised peoples, so the best metal swords in Prax are carried by wandering Humakti from Dragon Pass; by Praxian Sword Brothers (perhaps originally obtained from outside Prax); and by the Lunar Army and their allies in the Sable Tribe (outfitted with Fifth Wane army surplus gear before the Battle of Moonbroth).
> What are all the tribes?
The Five Great Tribes:
Bison, High Llama, Impala, Morokanth, Sable.
The Ten Independents:
Baboon Troop, Basmoli Berserkers, Bolo Lizard Folk, Cannibal Cult, Men-and-a-Half, Newtling Renegades, Ostrich Clan, Pavis Survivors, Rhino Riders, Unicorn Maidens. Other Tribes: Ghost Darters, Hidden Tribes. Magical Societies (non-tribal): Red School of Masks, Serpent Dancers, Sunset Society, Star Witches, Wind Singers. Other Herds (not tribes): Long-Nose, Nose-Horn, Plains Elk; plus Rhino and Zebra herds can also be encountered on the Plaines of Prax.
Paragraph descriptions of all the above can be found in the "Nomad Gods" rulebook, a hefty and valuable tome that's still available from Wizard's Attic. NB: "High Llama" AKA Alticamelus; "Men-and-a-Half" AKA Agimori; "Pavis Survivors" AKA Zebra Tribe. The Secret Societies of Dragon Pass may also count -- these are the Bullocks, Twin Spears and Sword Brothers, allies of Argrath. There's also the Bastard Tribe of the Pol-Joni (who ride horses but herd cows). And Sandy is the source of persistent rumours that there's maybe an Elephant Clan, Kangaroo Clan and Hippo Clan somewhere out in the Wastelands.
The Independents are *much* smaller than the Tribes; the Other Tribes are also small, and keep a *very* low profile, such that many Praxians don't know anything about them. Persistent rumour says that at the Dawning the Rhino Tribe were a Great Nation and the Impalas were a poxy little Independent, but herd demographics have seen the pesky Impala pygmies grow into a major power in Prax as the clunky Rhinos decline through history.
> Are herdmen human?
Yes, but not homo sapiens. See "An Analysis of Some Herdman Bones from Cam's Well", by Max Fuller, Tales #15 p.42 (still available from usual sources), for an interesting look at the care and feeding of this troublesome species.
> etc, etc....
Go on: ask away! This is surely the best place to find answers.
Cheers, Nick
End of The Glorantha Digest V6 #451
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