From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RQ Digest Maintainer) To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Daily automated RQ-Digest) Reply-To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RuneQuest Daily) Subject: RuneQuest Daily, Thu, 24 Mar 1994, part 1 Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM Content-Return: Prohibited Precedence: junk X-RQ-ID: Intro This is the RuneQuest Daily Bulletin, a mailing list on the subjects of Avalon Hill's RPG and Greg Stafford's world of Glorantha. It is sent out once per day in digest format. More details on the RuneQuest Daily and Digest can be found after the last message in this digest. --------------------- From: davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au (David Cake) Subject: Re: Source material availability Message-ID: <199403231139.TAA11317@cs.uwa.oz.au> Date: 24 Mar 94 03:45:58 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3386 >Subject: source material availablity >Message-ID: <9403171842.AAwhqo08801@relay1.UU.NET> >I want to express concern over the availabliity of source material. > >I just got off the phone with AH and they claim there is NO definate relase >date >for _CoT_. How can so many of you quote from an unprinted source? Actually, we quote from the out of print RQ2 supplement Cults of Terror. I had no idea that the RQ3 chaos cults book (long overdue) was called that, I thought that it was called Cults of Dorastor. >To top it off, RQ Cities & Griffin Island are now out of print as well(or at >least none in stock at AH) and NO plans as of this morning to reprint. > Personally, I don't think that you are missing out on much. RQ Cities was a generic cities with about a dozen words changed in the entire book to make it a RQ supplement, and Griffon Island is non-Gloranthan, though based on the Gloranthan Griffon Mountain. >I have bought all that I can get my hands on in print to weave the fabric of >Glorantha and bring it to life for my players. So far it has been wonderful >fun >but now I am running into walls. What about, where can I get more on Sartar?, >The Rubble? who are the GreyDog Clan or Lismelder? Pavis is reasonably well >documented but where can I get more on the Rubble? Is Nochet really Sanctuary? > The Greydog clan comes from the TOTRM house campaign, Nochet is not Sanctuary (the small nearby city of Haven is - I guessed this from the name, but someone (Sandy?) confirmed it), the Rubble is well documented only in the much loved but long out of print Big Rubble boxed set, and we would all like more information about Sartar. The very dodgy availability of source material is one of the worst problems with RQ/ Glorantha. Part of it is that the RQ3/RQ2 change meant many good supplements disappeared and have never been released (I guess because the number of players is not big enough to support a brisk reissue schedule and new stuf), and partly I blame Greg and Chaosium for having a very disorganised and haphazard approach to the whole thing. Since Wyrms Footnotes folded RQ info has appeared scattered across half a dozen magazines, all on an ocassional and irregular basis and mixed in with lots of non-RQ stuff. TOTRM looks like it has stopped that - and replaced it with the other problem that the main source of info is now a semi-pro magazine available only on mail order. This would all not be so bad if not for the fact that much of this source material is actually really important stuff that really should be in supplements and rulesbooks, not magazines at all. There are enough long form cult writeups to fill a cults book, so why hasn't it been produced? Not to mention the loads of stuff that Greg writes but does not polish up for publication (or publishes only in obscurity like GRoY). And of course AH have had their share of the problem too. So, in short, I agree, you are getting a bad deal. I would definately advise increasing your efforts to subscribe to TOTRM, but you really should be able to go down to your store and buy source material. As a consolation, I am sure that asking here would produce a response in some detail. For example, I have stuff produced for my campaign that I would be happy to post here, like a summary of all the notable of Pavis, for example. Cheers Dave Cake >I don't mind making it up as I go (in fact it's a speciality of mine) but I >hate to be contradicted later and I'm starting to see a lot of that. Some is >from my lack of Knowlege and while I am dilegently pursuing my studies at the >Knowledge Temple but it's reference shevles appaently have some gapeing holes >and no way to get copies. Any help would be greatly appreciated! > >Speaking of help, can more then one spirit engage a single being? If so, how? > >Thanks, >-- > > /> Chris Cooke > // > (//////[O]>=====================================- > \\ > \> cookec@mml.mmc.com > > > >-- --------------------- From: davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au (David Cake) Subject: Re: Humakt Message-ID: <199403231139.TAA11320@cs.uwa.oz.au> Date: 24 Mar 94 03:46:13 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3387 I loved Jespers story, though I have to admit to having a very different slant on Humakt in Sog City, Fronela myself. You see, a sizable percentage of the Kingdom of War worship Humakt, so the cult is generally identified as a god of savage killers and slavers, also religious fanatics. The reaction from the populous is not so much like Krarsht, but more like Zorak Zoran in Sartar - but with the added complication of being politically identified with the bad guys, overtones of Nazism would be appropriate. This is not how everyone feels about them - the barbarians from nearby Oranor worship Humakt, and there is some fairly pro-Humakt Arkati feeling among some emigres from Ralios (Sog is a real melting pot) but that is how most people see them. And of course, the real challenge for the Humakti is that by and large the populous are right - most of the Humakti in Fronela are Kingdom of War sympathisers who despise non-warriors and kill for pleasure, and worse, the extreme factionalisation and power struggles of the KoW have proved a very fertile bredding ground for heresy and schisms. Such hideous (to a Theyalan Humakti) heresies such as the Lead Cross HeroQuest path (who kill healers for the crime of resurrection, and gain special powers over undead), and the Humcti (stolen from Paul Reilly's campaign via his notes in a long ago RQ-Digest, who worship death in all its forms including poison and disease, and are associated with Mallia as well) are just some some of them. Humakt is only sometimes about honour. Cheers Dave --------------------- From: yfcw29@castle.edinburgh.ac.uk Subject: Thieves World in Glorantha. Message-ID: <9403231139.aa14542@uk.ac.ed.castle> Date: 23 Mar 94 11:39:48 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3388 Thieves World in Glorantha : Someone asked about this recently. Sorry, I can't remember who, I deleted my copy of that daily by mistake. I have used Thives World as the city of Karse, south of Dragon Pass, next to the Shadow Plateau. I remember reading somewhere (either in the pack itself or in a copy of Wyrm's Footprints) that Chaosium sugested using the city of Refuge in Heortland. However, we now know a bit more about Refuge and it does not fit. Karse seems to me to be an excellent place to set a game. Kadakithis became a Trashite prince appointed by Fazzur Wideread, along with a contingent of Lunar and Tarshite troops enforcing his rule. This lot were involved in a lot of political infighting when Fazzur came out of favour. Karse is the seaward gateway for trade to Sartar, Tarsh and the Empire, so I played it as a cosmopolitan hotbed of intrigue. The game only lasted a few months, but we played every week and got quite a lot done. The players were Tarshites working for Kadakithis (or Caerlan as he was called in my campaign). Thus they had a nominaly Theyalan culture, with Pelorian influences. They all worshiped Seven Mothers in various aspects. They were all members of the Fazzurite faction and were destined to throw in their lot with Argrath in the end. Unfortunately we never got that far. If I run that campaign again I might start with the players participating in the seaborn assault on the city, staged from Corflu. The fact that Heortland has strong western influences meant I could legitemately have a lot of sorcerers in Korflu. There was even an expatriate community of Kralorelans. The proximity of the Shadow Plateau meant that Downwind became a troll gheto called darkside. It all worked very well. I hope these ideas are useful. Simon Hibbs yfcw29@castle.ed.ac.uk --------------------- From: pmichaels@aol.com Subject: Thoughts to share Message-ID: <9403231023.tn50076@aol.com> Date: 23 Mar 94 15:23:42 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3389 Hi all! I had a few thoughts which I thought I'd share. First, all this talk about elves got me thinking about the primal elf concept of the Grower. This, of course, got me thinking about the primal dwarf concept of the Maker. I thought I'd share some of what I came up with so far: Growing requires only one, the Grower. Making requires two, the Maker and the Made. Growing is a process done by the Grower. Making is a process done to the Made by the Maker. Growing is done for the implicit purpose of the Grower. Making is done for the explicit purpose of the Maker, not the Made. Growing is to create by increasing, expanding, or intensifying a source already within the Grower. Making is to create by forming, combining, or altering materials to become all of or part of the Made. Growing is a realization of potentials already existant in the Grower. Making is a creation of new form or function, which did not exist before it was Made. Growing implies constant change, of varying degrees and rate. Making implies a sudden change, then there is stasis in the Made. Growing can only happen in certain directions, to certain degrees, and, at certain times. Growing is limited in the Grower by both internal and external constraints. The Grower cannot ungrow, but can have parts die and grow in a different direction. Making can happen in any direction, to any degree, at any time. Making is limited only by the external Maker. The Maker is limited by the materials available. The Made can be remade or unmade by the Maker. I 'd be interested to hear what implications for elves and dwarves others make from this. Som eone asked about Gloranthan slang. Here is something I wrote a while ago. In the area of Dragon Pass surrounding the Druulz homeland, many humans use the phrase that something is "like a Duck Tower" or that someone is looking for something "like a duck for a tower." It is used in a sarcastic satiracle sense, meaning that something is an absurd or suicidal attempt to regain a thing lost by time such as youth, beauty, fame, or fortune. Most ducks, and many humans close to ducks, have heard stories that there once was a place called Duck Tower. Some tales claim that Duck Tower was or is a place of safety and refuge. Some stories even state that ducks could learn to fly again there. It is clear that the human phrase originates from one of these stories. Other tales claim that Duck Tower was a great temple of duckish pride and power during the First Age. Some stories place Duck Tower's origins during the Gods Age, saying that it was the greatest building in Ganderland, the long lost duckish empire. Still other stories claim that Duck Tower was a place of terrible evil and death. At least one of the stories links Duck Tower with the duckish race's loss of Ganderland and of flight. Another tale says Duck Tower was t he home of a powerful duck vampire somewhere in Prax. Greg's comment about magic users developing a spiritual organ in a certain direction reminded me of this sorcerous spell varient I adapted a while ago from the _Land of Ninja_ spell Create Mandala. I like it as it gives sorcery more of the traditional European fantasy feel. If used, this varient would probably popular among the Brithini since any familiar they might create would not be immortal without the use of further magic. (Besides, why would they use that magic on such an inferior life form anyway? If the Invisible Creator ment for animals to live forever, they would.) Create Wizard's Staff (INT or POW) / Ritual (Enchanting) These spells are varients of the Create Familiar spells. With this spell, an inanimate object is made into a type of familiar, but it is not transformed into a complete creature as per Create Familiar. The outward form is an object with a series of mystical symbols upon it. The object may be of any material, executed in any medium. Wooden staves and ivory or metal wands are the most common forms for sorcerers, but wizards have also been known to put this power into scroll work or carvings within their wor kshops. A sorcerer may use an object created by a craftsman, but he must then sacrifice an additional point of POW to attune it to himself. The staff is created in an enchanting ritual, but the 1d100 roll must be successful for whatever Craft skill the sorcerer uses to create the staff as well as for his Enchant skill. The sorcerer may transfer a desired number of points of INT and POW into the staff. Both forms of the spell must be cast at once, using the Multispell skill, as additional enchantments for the same object are not possible later. For each point of INT so transferred, the staff gains 1d10 INT. For each point of POW transferred, the staff gains 1 POW. Hence, if a sorcerer puts 1 point of INT and 3 points of POW into his staff, it would have an INT of 1d10 and a POW of 3. Each chara cteristic point taken from the sorcerer requires spending one hour in the Enchantment ritual. The sorcerer may use the staff's INT to store spells, it's magic points to cast spells, and it's POW to add to his own in resisting spells cast at him. In order to do this, he must be touching the staff or have it clearly in the line of sight. A staff is automatically created with the condition that i t is only usable by the creator. The staff may not cast spells of its own volition (it has none) but may be ordered to cast a spell stored in it at a given time or under given circumstances. The staff will do this even if the sorcerer is not present when the conditions are satisfied. Only a minor telepathic link exists between the sorcerer and his staff. He will know its relat ive direction from him as long as it is within 10 kilometers from him. Spells affecting emotions will not affect the staff nor be transmitted through it to the sorcerer. Only spells actually directed at destroying the staff can affect it and it can resist such spells using its own magic points. A sorcerer may have only one staff at a time. If he wishes to create a new one, he must first destroy the old one. All resources stored in the old staff are lost. Lastly, I ran into a nice quote which struck a chord in me. It seems to me to speak to both Glorantha and to those of us who tell stories ab out Glorantha. It is from _Crow and Weasel_ by Barry Lopez (1990). " 'Remember only th is one thing,' said Badger. 'The stories people tell have a way of taking care of them. If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive. That is why we put these stories in each other' s memory. This is how people care for themselves.' " (I also think this quote speaks to the stories people tell themselves about themselves and others in everyday life on Earth, but that's another story.) ;-) Peace, Peter --------------------- From: sandyp@idcube.idsoftware.com (Sandy Petersen) Subject: re: RQ Daily Message-ID: <9403231705.AA10638@idcube.idsoftware.com> Date: 23 Mar 94 05:05:10 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3390 Dave Dunham says: >Looking at the map of Genertela, I'm struck by the fact that Krjalki >Bog must be a source of water in the Wastes. I've assumed it to be so. On my nomad adventures in the Wastes, The players had to visit the Krjalki Bog several times. Once they got so desperate they went looking for one of the Hidden Greens for water (with success). During the rainy season, of course, there is water in the Serpents (dry river bottoms), which mostly drain into the Bog anyway. I expect that in the Wastes, like in the American western desert, if you dig deep enough down in a river bottom, you'll always find water. Maybe not enough for a whole herd, but enough for a lone rider. No one was tempted to go down to the coastal marshes, though. I suppose they're brackish anyway. --------------------- From: 100116.2616@CompuServe.COM (David Hall) Subject: Convulsion '94 Message-ID: <940323220057_100116.2616_BHJ82-1@CompuServe.COM> Date: 23 Mar 94 22:00:57 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3391 The convention is now completely full. I already have 12 people on the residential waiting list and 3 on the non-residential waiting list. We'll just have to find somewhere bigger next time. For those who are attending, PR2 is being printed up now and should be out to you in the next couple of weeks. David Hall --------------------- From: jacobus@sonata.cc.purdue.edu (Bryan J. Maloney) Subject: Dahfee and Dahnald Message-ID: <9403240327.AA20040@sonata.cc.purdue.edu> Date: 23 Mar 94 17:27:28 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3392 I had heard of a cult of "Dahfee and Dahnald" for Ducks. Does anyone out there have a copy of it? --------------------- From: robmh@aol.com Subject: Dangerous Snails and Fishing with Kelp Message-ID: <9403232255.tn71052@aol.com> Date: 24 Mar 94 03:55:30 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3393 Hi y'all, Thought I'd post three paragraphs from notes about a trip to the tidepools of the Salt Creek estuary on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. The snails mentioned in the first paragraph aren't local; given some growth hormones and a shot of Chaos they'd make fine Dragon Snails, wouldn't they? I beg pardon for the real-world chemistry mentioned in the second paragraph, I wouldn't mean to include it in Glorantha, only the effects. I'd be curious to hear nominees for the people most likely to use the fishing technique mentioned in the final paragraph. Frank told us about predaceous snails. Dangerous critters. I especially liked the cone snails, twenty types, not in this area. They grow little cones inside of themselves, each with a small hole in its sharp tip. They reach back with their tongue to get a a cone on the tip of their tongue. When a fish swims by the snail's tongue shoots out using the cone as an armor-piercing tip into the fish's belly. As the cone snail withdraws it's tongue it squirts venom through the hole in the cone. The fish veers squiggles and dies. The snail oozes over to consume the corpse. I didn't know that bull kelp's flotation gas was carbon monoxide! I picture an ancient indian saying about a person who has despaired of life: "She has gone to suck upon the bull kelp." The bull kelp fishing lines employed by the indians were also cool. Coiled when wet, they dried into their coils. When wet again they extended to their natural length and strength. Strong fishing lines that never got tangled! --Rob Heinsoo --------------------- From: jacobus@sonata.cc.purdue.edu (Bryan J. Maloney) Subject: Godlearners and species Message-ID: <9403240359.AA20506@sonata.cc.purdue.edu> Date: 23 Mar 94 17:59:32 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3394 >What I meant was not that Gloranthans didn't know that they were baddies, >but that they didn't know much about the details, and certainly wouldn't be >quick to accuse anyone of God Learner tendencies since they'd have no idea >what those tendencies were. If only human nature were as pleasent and intelligent as that. Are you familiar with the McCarthyist era? People who had no idea what Communism was were accusing other people of being Communists willy-nilly. Are you familiar with Nazis? They made a great deal of press out of false and convenient accusation. Are you familiar with the eras of the witch trials in Europe and the Americas? People who had no idea what a witch "really was" were accusing each other often enough for too many people to be executed for my taste. The Godlearners are the "Godlesss Commies" of Glorantha. Nobody really knows what or who they were, but they were evil, and they did strange things and asked too many questions and made too many strange things. Thus, anybody who is "too wierd" just might be a Godlearner. Better cut his head off just to be sure about it. After all, when those Godless Commies start infiltrating your home town, you may never know who is and who isn't one of Them. Remember, the Godlearners are insidious and wicked, and they tempt the unwary with promises of unholy knowledge and power. Your own family and village-mates are probably not godlearners, but that wierdo from Pavis who wears a grey robe might be one. He SAYS he's a Lankhor Mhy Grey Sage, but you'd better keep an eye on him, just in case. After all, the Godlearners can cite Scripture to suit their evil purposes... No, this way of looking at the world isn't rational, nor is it very civil nor very nice, but it is all too common, today, and in our past. It may just be a part of that nebulous thing called "human nature". Now, as to species. The only species I know of that can interbreed and produce viable offspring are plants, and they have to resort to poloyploidy to do so, and their offspring do NOT breed true but very often revert to one or both parental types. Thus, the hybrid is still a dead-end so far as species mixing is concerned. Ernst Mayr's gneral rule still holds. As for species that cannot breed within themselves, I'd like to see specific examples of this. --------------------- From: JF18974@academia.swt.edu Subject: Trolls and Cruelty Message-ID: <01HABTE6KSXU99DV2L@academia.swt.edu> Date: 23 Mar 94 16:45:19 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3395 First, my apologies to Mike Dawson if I misconstrue any points he made; I've already deleted that particular digest (my disk is getting *way* too full), but I must take issue with one or two points: It seems he states that cruelty is akin to a virtue among the Uz. That I don't particularly disagree with, although the connotations that "cruelty" has among humans probably doesn't hold in Darktongue. However, I believe Mike says something about Uz consuming children, both human and their own. Trollpak clearly states that Uz do not eat other Uz for food, excepting funeral ceremonies (and Kin, but they don't count). It also states that most will not kill other sentient races for food, unless particularly hungry, or in the case of Mostali and Aldryami, who are children of food gods anyway (according to Uz). The Uzko that I play would probably not eat the child of a human under normal circumstances, preferring to ransom it, or even raise it as a slave. I do worship Argan Argar though, which might account for a more "human" (for lack of a better term) outlook. Again, I apologize if I misunderstood what Mike wrote. Also, if I'm misquoting Trollpak, I'd appreciate correction, but I *think* I've got it right. Jim Flammang ---------------------