> The FHQ seems to have only limited control over the Grazers.
Correct. I thought we were pretty clear in Hero Wars: "The Feathered Horse Queen speaks for the entire tribe in matters concerning magic." Most day-to-day governance does not concern magic.
> There's also the question of whether the death of the FHQ
> "dethrones" the reigning King
I don't believe so. The Luminous Stallion King and the FHQ aren't linked in this way.
> and whether it's immediate or the power fades without a partner for the
> rituals.
There probably is some ritual connection.
In my game (set in 1621), the Luminous Stallion King is Jarsandron Tenherds, who has ruled the tribe with an iron bit for 15 years. He was on good terms with Moirades, the king of Tarsh, and now his son Pharandros. He is also friendly with the Lunar Empire (the current name of the River Kingdom), and has led the Grazers into battle at the side of their Emperor.
The Feathered Horse Queen "Single Matron Woman" died during the fighting in Esrolia last year. She has been replaced by "Bearer of the Head."
> I have failed to find any Grazer candidates for KoDP; are they
> disqualified? Seems unfair for the first human resettlers, but
> maybe it counts as incest or something similar.
This has seemed a bit odd, though it's probably outside their agenda. Doing this would make them back into Emperors of Dara Happa (well, of Dragon Pass), and that won't get them back to the Sky World. In fact, it might be a dangerous step, since we all know that all peoples banded together to throw them out of Peloria -- and the horse folk are less numerous this time.
> Or Estal Donge was lying about her origins, or
> she was raised in the Empire. KoS only says she was "from the city of
> Durnsa" (p147).
I've yet to see Durnsa on a map, though I figured it was in the Empire.
Alain Rameau
> As I understand it, HW decided to drop all "Speak own language"
> kind of skills,
> because a Hero should be capable of speaking fluently his own
> tongue. OK for me.
> However, is "Read/write" still a valid skill, for the same reason : I guess a
> Hero should be able to read/write his mother tongue, except if the player
> decides to take a flaw ?
Not in a non-literate culture! And I can't think of any Gloranthan culture where literacy is rampant. (It's possible that the Empire of the Middle Sea had a fairly high literacy rate, since they have a holy book and prolific universities.)
> To say it another way, is the RW distinction between
> speak and read/write still a valid distinction in a world like
> Glorantha where
> magic is everywhere and can help learning languages easily ?
Yes. Lots of real world languages have no form of writing.
> In the same idea, I think the "Culture" skill should include the
> relevant speak
> language (and read/write ?) ability as well, as a culture is defined by a
> language (not only, but it is a major element IMO), and knowing
> the language is
> essential to understand well a culture ?
I'd let this be used to speak with a "Culturian" with an improvisational modifier.
David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_pensee.com> Glorantha/HW/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html> Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein
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