Architecural analogues for ILH1 from PATRIK SANDBERG on 2003-04-21 (Glorantha Digest Vol 09)

From: PATRIK SANDBERG <patrik.sandberg_at_mbox309.swipnet.se>
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 17:42:31 +0200

Hi all,

I continue my relentless questions concerning ILH1. It's such an insirational piece of work, that one wants more and more.

Terrestial analogues for Glorantha is always a tricky thing. One can always argue that Glorantha should be fantasy and not some history class, but when it comes to visual images the pictures in the supplements are often not enough for me trying to portray the world to my players. I think the analogues are of most use when it comes to clothes and architecture.

I think it was Simon Bray or Nick Brooke who once said that they always try to take at least three terrestial cultures and then mix them together to create
one Gloranthan one. I find this to be a very nice move. Especially if one can also spice the mixture up with one or two 'generic fantasy' splashes.

So, what's your opinions on the architecural styles of the cultures of the Lunar Empire? Is there even some sort of semi-official guidelines?

Guessing from different sources my own suggestion would be:

LUNAR

1. Roman
2. Byzans
3. Caliphatic Bagdad

DARA HAPPAN

1. Persian
2. Mesopotamia
3. Caliphatic Bagdad

RINLIDDI

1. Caliphatic Bagdad
2. Samarkand
3. ??

SYLILANS
(Urban)

1. Roman
2. Classic Greece
3. ??

(for rural Sylila: mix Urban with Orlanthi)

DARJINI
(Manimati cities)

1. Ancient "organic growth" cities like Catal Huyuk, Ur and Jericho
2. ??
3. ??

(Surenslibic march villages)

1. Whichever "floating village" from real-life you can find pictures of

CARMANIAN

1. Sassanid
2. Ottoman
3. Late Byzans fortresses
4. Splashes of Gothic medieval

PELANDAN

1. Classic greece
2. Minoan greece
3. ??

DARSEN
???

The anologues should never stifle our imagination, though. If I find a cool mayan sun-wheel I would never hesitate to drop it in the middle of Raibanth and turn it into a gigantic plaza. but I should also take some effort to replace the mayan bird images, etc with Persian or Mesopotamian ones, thus get a more consistent image.

Looking forward to suggestions or answers.

Cheers,

Patrik Sandberg

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