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Topography
See first the part called "Kethaela" in the map of Glorantha, the area south of Dragon Pass is strong in commerce and trade facing Mirror Sea bay. Around there, direct your attention to the east side area High Plateau 300 meters above sea level. The area is separated from Prax area by the Stormwalk Mountains. This area is called Heortland. (Once, more wider area was named by it.) Most of the inhabitants of it are almost all Storm Worshippers and named after their important hero, King Heort. Moreover, this highland is divided to several sub-areas like peninsulas by Five Rivers that keep gaps into the bay. In this area, 500,000 people live. (For a reference, the population of Sartar is 180,000 and that of Tarsh is 360,000 in the Early 1620th.)
The Five Rivers are from north to south, Marzeel, Solthi, Evil Syphon, Bullflood, and Minthos River joined with Minthof River. Western Malkionism has taken long influential role to native orlanthi culture. The people ruled by Brithini and atheists of south God Forgot, the influence from God Learners in Imperial Age, recent Manirian Merchant Princes and Seshenelan Quinpolic Alliance activity have made complicated situation in the land. The way of farming (Western-style plow, etc) and Caste System cannot be found in other Theyalan Cultures. And in the south area, Aeolian Church which mixes Monotheistic Wizardly culture and that Orlanthi Theism thrives.
Complicating the matter, the Great Political Cataclysm when Pharaoh killed Only Old One and turned his Kingdom of Night into Holy Country, Glorantha Experts and authors don't agree about other's opinion about it. But at least I can write some of their consent here, from Ancient Time, the Land has been ruled by One Sacred King who was selected from wandering priests called Larnsti Brotherhood, (though I don't know whether the position was a sort of mere religious figurehead or held control.) and he ruled tribes or clans under him. And Pharaoh reformed the system into Four Earldoms and many Baronies. From North, these Earldoms are Volsaxi, Jondalar, Hurlant and Esvular. (Confusing, these Earldoms were called "Tribes" in Thunder Rebels, if you literally grasp its meaning, the composition of Barbarian Adventure makes that there are Volsaxi "clans" and Volsaxi "tribes" within the Volsaxi "tribe". It seems that Sartari mistakely called Earldoms "tribes" in the text!)
Tradetalk #4 p. 17, Thunder Rebels p.52-53, Orlanth is Dead! p.18 Question21, (Volsaxi Land) Barbarian Adventures p.8-9 Karse: Tradecenter Don Capratis of Pasos & Du Tumerine of Nolos
*Marzeel River
Volsaxar Earldom (TR) : (Whitewall: Anti-Pharaoh Marzeel R.) (Smithstone:
Pro-, Marzeel R.)
*Solthi River
Jondalar Earldom, Karhend Area (TR): Jansholm (Solthi R.)
*Syphon River
Hurlant Earldom, Gardufar Area (TR): Durengard (Bullflood R.)
*Bullflood River
*Minthof River & Minthos River
Esvular Earldom (TR): Mt Passant (New), Bensval (Old, Minthos R.)
Mt Passant & Border March (Gwandorling Saga: Dragonfriend)
*Bandori River
God Forgot Refuge, Casino Town & Machine Ruin
The area most focused on point in the book "Orlanth is Dead", north Volsaxi "Earldom" I should mention here which (most?) part of it rebelled against Pharaoh's rule and allied with Sartar Kingdom for it. East of their domain under the foot of Stormwalk Mountain, the Trollwood spread, and there was a community of trolls and humans called Kitori living peacefully together since ancient times, and have long opposed with neighbor Orlanthi. And recently, it is more confusing that a Sartar King Tarkalor permitted Yelmalion Monrogh who converted from Elmali built his own Sun Dome Temple and independence. King Bryan insists his right to rule as the High King of All Heortland, but it is not accepted except his own domain around Volsaxi.
It seems that Volsaxi think that other area Orlanthi as heretics, and believe they have most traditional Orlanthi Worship. Thus, recently, as Lunars conquered Heortland as the Palangio's Army of Light in the 1st Age, though I don't know enough about the style of Orlanth worship goes generally in surrounding area, at least Lunars thinks that they can damage greatly the worship of Orlanth by conquering Whitewall and hidden Old Wind Temple as the center of the Worshio since Ancient Time. Currently, King Bryan and his small number of Larnsti Brotherhood are besieged in Whitewall, and Baron Sanuel, the manirian adventurer grasped the authority of the area under the permission of Lunars.
Volsaxi Tribe (Confederation of Whitewall?): Volsaxi Clan (Anti Lunar), Sylangi Clan (Pro-), Curtali Clan (Anti-), Bacofi Clan (Pro-)
In the middle area of the Syphon River valley, Chaotic Goddess Krashit bitting the foot of elder god Larnste in Gods Age, which created Foulblood Tree forest, and Void Hall. Syphon is a river still going to upper reaches as other rivers did in Gods Age, and as other water gods, preventing Chaos from engulfing the World. In this area, there has always been conflict with Chaos from Foulblood Tree, and in Modern Age, Scorpion Queen Gagax Twobarbs united many nests of Bagogi Scorpions, and damaged greatly surrounding areas of Jondalar and Hurlant Earldom. In lowland part of the Forest, Stonewood shows weird stoned animals and plants by Ancient Battle against Chaos. Recently, the area was conquered by Seshnelan Adventurer named Richard (Rikard) Tigerhearted and he temporally insisted the whole of the Heortland as his liege domain.
The buffer area against the power of South God Forgot, Lefthand Isles has stronger Aeolianism Influence since Ancient Times, and many Knight Forts and Border March Baronies are founded for the defence against Praxians ravaging beyond the border and "Evil" Sorcerers. There King Richard temporally built his domain and called it "New Malkonwal" Kingdom with the support of his Seshnelan Mercenaries. In Esvular Earldom, there are many Aeolians and the center of it, Mt. Passant is the capital where High King Andrin following Pharaoh came here as his capital.
Places of Interest
*Foulblood Forest
The Chaos Forest inside Larnste Footprint. There are many huge Scorpion man
Nests.
*Karse, the City of Vice
The city of the mouth of Marjeel River on the Mirror Sea bay. In the Second
Age, already it was called "the City of Vice", greatest city of Heortland. I
suppose the change of river flow course that was made by Pharaoh killing the
Darkness Monster of Only Old One has influenced the rivalry against Nochet
of Esrolia.
*Larnste Footprint
Literally, the Gigantic "Footprint" of Ancient God Larnste, by the Attack of
Krashit, the Void Hole and Foulblood Tree was made.
*Mt. Passant
The Center of Aeolian Worship in the south of Heortland. There Arch
Bishopric exists. (In old Unofficial Setting, it exists in Durengard, the
setting might be also changed.)
*Old Wind Temple
The inside valley of Stormwalk Mountains, the Great Sanctuary of Orlanthi
Worship at the border of Heortland and Kingdom of Sartar. With great magic
invisible buildings are, and wind daimons rage and spin windmills.
(According to Japanese Dragon Atlas illustration.) And disciples of Orlanth
Thunderous, Storm Lords live here only. Once Dundealos Tribe occupies the
open of the valley east. Currently, pro-Lunar tribe Enstalos possess this
land.
*Stormwalk Mountain
The Sacred Place of the Brutal God Urox. There he killed Giant. Over the
Mountain, the son of the god Baskelos shepherd the herds of Sky Bulls, there
is a legend that if someone can share it, it means Great Magical Power and
authority.
*Troll Wood
Kitori (Mix tribes of Human and Troll) live in the east side Forest of
Volsaxar, it rivalled with Sun Dome Templers.
*Vaantar, Sun Dome Temple
Independent Domain of Yelmalio Cult which was founded by Monrogh under the
permission of King Tarkalor, the inhabitants live as a band of mercenary.
The land was once a Battle field of Gbaji War.
*Wasp's Nest
The Weird community of small humans riding over Hugh Wasps to the northwest
of Stormwalk Mountain.
*Whitewall
A Fortress City. Another Orlanth Sacred Place. It was worshipped as a
rebellus place against evil authority oppressive to rightful Orlanth worship
since Ancient Time. Once it supposed to be the place of Hendreiki against
the General of Light, Iron Vrok Palangio. For the inconvenience of the
traffic, the capital of Highking moved from here. It was also the place of
King Hardrard Green Resistance against Pharaoh, later it became the capital
of Volsaxar. Today (1621), King Bryan defends the city as the last fort
against the Invasion of Lunar.
>>
The names and introduction of Heortland heroes will be next post, and I'm now in the process of translating Martin's Sheng Stories.....
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End of Glorantha Digest
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