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, Mon, 04 Apr 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: paul@phyast.pitt.edu Subject: Annelinde's Travels Message-ID: <9404022346.AA02563@bondi.phyast.pitt.edu> Date: 2 Apr 94 23:46:13 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3501 ---------- X-Sun-Data-Type: text X-Sun-Data-Description: text X-Sun-Data-Name: text X-Sun-Content-Lines: 15 Paul Reilly here. This is a portion of a work-in-progress by Finula McCaul, based on Paul Reilly's version of Glorantha (world copyright Greg Stafford, countless other contributors here gratefully but namelessly acknowledged). People were asking for Gloranthan narratives, so I am posting this one. Some parts are supposed to be in italics. There are two Gloranthan authors here; one is Annelinde herself, and the other is Sartorius Toadflax, who collated and published her notes years after she made them. --------- ---------- X-Sun-Data-Type: default X-Sun-Data-Description: default X-Sun-Data-Name: ANNELINDE X-Sun-Content-Lines: 331 Annelinde's History [abri Forward Annelinde Vassiliev, later called Whitehair, was born to a peasant family in Northern Carmania. Her potential was noticed while she was still a child, and she was adopted by { NAME?,}a member of a major banking and mercantile family from the city of Harandash. She was devoted to hard work and to the study {OR 'SERVICE'?} of her goddess, Etyries, so it was not suprising that she became a Master Trader by the age of 30. It was shortly after this that the Syndics Ban rose and this record of her travels begins. I was 31 when the Ban rose(1) and the world suddenly became full of potential. As an Illuminate I won the contract to be the first major contact to a primitive people to the North, who lived out their existence fishing upon the Sweet Sea. The military had expressed interest in recruiting Peoples who had skill with boats, and making a positive initial contact was vital. I travelled into the wooded Northern Country with only some basic trade goods. My younger daughter Lauralinde accompanied me; as did my Partner Ambrosia, who was a mule and sister in Etyries. The people in this region lived huddled in small villages scattered throughout the forest, with larger towns along the sea cost. They had no centralized authority; indeed the very idea was anathema to them. Their charistmatic leaders were Tree Choppers- Members of a cult resembling Zorak Zoran, but also serving the useful function of cutting wood and burning charcoal; and the Master Fishers, who had an ancestor cult centered around an individual named Jan and his fish-wife Mari. They were a suspicious people, and it was necessary that I prove myself both harmless and valuable before they would trade with me. I bought a small house in one of the larger villages and kept the widowed owner on as help. This house I used as a trading post, and it was my base when I travelled about the region, healing the sick and establishing good will. One of my more successful actions was to regenerate the leg of a Senior member of the Tree Chopper cult. These people lacked even this basic skill and the man had been incapacitated for years. His families' gratitude was strong, and it spread to become good will and trust among the rest of the Harangvat People. Some of the Goods they had to Trade- 1)First and Best were the furs of all types of northern animals, including Seal and Ermine, Fox and Mink, Sable and Polar Bear. Their Hunters spend most of the year in solitary trapping and then come to town with a single enormous load of furs. I established an unusual contract with their Master Hunters, offering them advance payment of rare goods for their future season's catch. This enabled them to dowry off daughters earlier and appealed to their primitive honor in such a way as to inspire them to even greater than usual efforts. I gave them glass and metal, fine cloth and spices, alcohol and bits of iron. 2)Next best were various items garnered from around the region- Ivory from Mammoth and Walrus, Amber, Musk, Hard Cheeses and Northern Berries made into Preseves. 3)Last were the Cottage Industries I established among them to build up the income and trade base. I gave them Silk Threads and taught them Lace Making, I established a better quality of tanning for the furs and hides I was purchasing. Also I encouraged their native handicrafts of Scrimshaw and Wood Carving. These things always bring a good price in Glamour. These things established, Annelinde explored the Region in greater depth. The natives had a great fear of the uncharted forest and bespoke dire fates of anyone who dared stray from the protected paths. Annelinde investigated and discoved the second population group of the Region; those who lived off the Paths, in the forest. These people were indeed dangerous, and some were monstrous; but some presented interestingJopportunities to an intrepid trader. She made contact with the native Ogres and payed them to guard her from their unsavoury neighbors, the Broo and the Tusk Riders. She gave them Iron weapons to use against the Elves and the Ice Trolls. What she got from them were magical items, unique handicrafts, and futures on whole Mammoth pelts and tusks. With the assistance of these people she established Trade contacts with the Peoples who lived in the Tundra itself, the Giants and the Ice Trolls. They were hungry, but Annelinde avoided being eaten, and deemed it a good beginning. She eventually established trade for gold, furs, and crystals. What she brought them were Hardwood, Lead and Sound Sculptures, brightly colored cloth in small and large pieces. The giants also had an absurd interest in custom knitted Clothing for their 3 meter tall infants. AFTER the long winter had ended I gathered my purchases together and prepared to journey back to Carmania. I had commisioned a large boat but it would not be done for some time yet, and thus I must depend upon my mule train and hired guards. Some of the local youths wished to travel with me to Harandash to broaden their horizons. I took them on as extra security. Most useful were the Char-Un I met. They were in temporary exile and seeking allies. I arranged that they would guard my train and I would make introductions for them in Carmania. I was most glad of their presence as we were attacked both by Elves and Tusk Riders. I suffered no losses and learned somewhat of the Char-Un style of riding. It almost resembles telepathy, the signals are so subtle. I bought one of their ugly little horses as my own mount after seeing how they did thrive on scrub grass and stand steady during attacks. They creature was as vain as it was ugly, and bit anyone who commented on its appearance. I returned to Harandash in time for the preliminaries of the Dart Wars. I was contacted by a noted darkness sorceror concerning the possibility of hiring a number of the Harangvat youths for next years' Dart War. He presented me a compelling case to the effect that the continued success of the Ice Breaker cult in pushing back the winter was having vast and dangerous reprecussions. He convinced me that unless the forces of Cold were allowed to win occasionally, there would soon be a catastrophic backlash which would be likely to glaciate all of Carmania. His reason for wanting the Harangva was that it was needful to have individuals who deeply believed in the strength and power of Cold and Winter. The Harangva qualify admirably. He commissioned me to convince and hire as many suitable individuals as possible; and to deliver them to his training area in the Grey Mountains as soon as possible. This I did, and developed trade contacts with the trolls of that region. They were the backbone of the sorceror Vor's army. I made purchases from the Argari cultists for my trade with the Ice Trolls. The Sound Sculpture Erotic Art was spectacularly successful with those solitary individuals. I also decided to do something permanent to flesh out my security and bought some trollkin; two Values and eight who were priced as foods but had potential. I had them all trained to spear and sling and shield. The ones with intelligence I also trained in some basic magics and accounting. At first they were all terribly wretched and pathetic, sure that this was all an elaborate plan to fatten them up and eat them. Eventually I persuaded them that this was not the case and they became slightly less wreched. OF NOTE The Grey Mountains were the site of an ancient battle between Troll armies and the Mostali. The trolls sacrificed so many of their number that Subere Herself intervened and squashed the Mostali flat; leaving the mountains open for her own children. To this day there is a valley in the Grey Mountains shrouded in perpetual Darkness and Despair. There is a spirit cult to this bit of Subere which is referred to as the Naughrim. Brave members of the spirit cult may venture into this valley and search for bits of the shattered Mostali. Many never return and all but the depths have been thoroughly picked over. When Annelinde went to the Grey Mountains she learned of this and was unable to resist the opportunity. She attuned herself to the Naughrim and prospected for Iron. She was successful; and with what she found she was able to recapitalize and pay Vor for a darkness spirit ally. What she got was a broken spirit that had been trapped by Iron since its death. She mended it and bound it into her service, learning much about the nature of Darkness. Not much is known about the entity. Annelinde referred to it as Ixl, and it was able to confer on her some extensive Darkness powers. After the Dart war she bound it into the body of a warhorse, but it is known that two years later it was no longer in her possession. She did not care to explain why she gave up control of such a powerful entity, except to say that it had been needed more elsewhere. To help assimilate the Harangva (mainly Tree Choppers) to the trolls, I sponsored a Troll Ball team, encouraging the Humans to play against the Trolls. They were persuaded to use wild animals instead of a trollkin in the game and the violence of it made fast friends of both groups. I left them to their training and returned North with my Trollkin entourage to develop my trade. While travelling my circuit I met a Rathori youth who had been living amongst the migratory Polar Bears. I persuaded him to join me as a guide to take me into the Rathori forests. I could not bring my Trollkin into an area that was inhabited by Elves so I left them with Ambrosia and Lauralinde (Lauralinde had just been promoted to Journeyman) to help with Business. We met the Elves before the Rathori. Fortunately I recalled the Covetousness Green Elves have towards Maple Syrup and had brought a jug full. They took this and agreed I could pass through their territory so long as I always brought them more. They travelled with us to the edge of their territory and pointed us in the appropriate direction. Eventually my companion became hungry and decided to fish. While he was eating his catch, he was attacked and possessed by a Rathori Guardian Spirit. The creature picked me up and lugged me to a simple village. There it sat on me with Derek's large body, and proceeded to argue with the village shaman. Apparently the spirit felt we were a dangerous threat; and that as a reward it should be freed from all further services and given my body ! The shaman did not agree but the spirit was persistent. Eventually I butted in and offered to negotiate. What the spirit really wanted was to be freed, so I offered to perform a service for the shaman in the spirit's stead. They both agreed with this and the spirit left. After Derek calmed down I learned what I had gotten myself into. There was a rogue member of their tribe who was killing them off one by one. I was to attempt to defeat it in single combat. In addition it was a Grizzly rather than a Brown or Black Bear. On top of everything else it was a shapechanger ! I was not happy but thought that with the help of Ixl and Derek I might just survive to conduct a profitable trade relationship at a decided moral advantage; so I agreed. Derek tracked the Grizzly and managed to wound him with his spear before being struck down. This left me with my inadequate magic. Fortunately for me the Grizzly (his name was Rathamund) made the strategic error of biting off my foot. This allowed Ixl, through the contact of my blood, to flow directly into his stomach and attack him from the inside. Ixl defeated Rathamund and bound him in ropes of darkness. The gratitude of the locals was boundless and they offered me free trade and open exchange of secrets. They had been amazed to find that Derek and I had survived and were in awe when they learned we had captured their menace. I so no point in killing the man, who was actually the victim of a curse and not in control of his actions. so I arranged to come back and trade later; first taking Rathamund far enough away that he would not trouble them. We know from numerous inquiries that what actually happened to Annelinde among the Rathori was rather heroic. She went first alone to Rathamund, (who was notorious for carrying of women) and talked to him. She determined that his situation was not his fault and his curse was the act of unfair gods. He lived only for revenge and to protect his small son. He was tortured by the knowledge that his dead wife was cursed and out of his reach. Annelinde, with Ixl's help, told him about the levels of Hell where damned souls were kept. She told him of a way to get there, and that he could at least suffer with his wife, and possibly be reborn with her. He agreed that if they could beat him in combat with Ixl's aid he would believe them, and she agreed to be guardian of his child while he was in hell. I took him to Vor at the Grey Mountains and Vor in turn sent him on a quest to Hell to remove his curse. I hurried to get back to Harandash with my new goods before the Dart Wars started and placed considerable bets at good odds. I also took this opportunity to buy land options to the far South, in an area that would become more fruitful with colder weather. The idea being that grain futures would become a highly profitable investment. What Annelinde did not know at the time was that the area she was investing in so extensively was at the heart of Dragon Pass, the most dangerous and magical area in all Genertela. It was not what she had had in mind for a quiet retirement spot. She eventually accepted the reality of it with good graces, and dug herself in with a vengence. The Dart War was bloodly far beyond the expectations of most, and the populous was appalled. The forces of Light were reluctant to admit to defeat, despite the sudden temperature change. Likewise with the Bookies. However I was eager to collect first so I made them an offer they couldn't refuse and collected on speculation. One Bookmaker had overreached himself and was being sold to pay off his debt. He was a good accountant so I bought him out and kept him for a period of indentature. I then equipped myself with all the items likely to be desired after a multi-racial bloodbath, had my constitution enhanced, and went back to the Grey Mountains for some furious trading. With me came my newly-wed husband, Hodge, a Carmanian knight of some fame and much respect.I enjoyed his company, and he mine, so we made a merger and signed a marriage contract. I bought the booty the warriors were unsatisfied with and sold it back to their owners. I negotiated ransoms and spoke for individuals who were forbidded to communicate with each other. I sold food and healing and medical supplies, particularly those things to sooth the skin made raw from the volcanic eruption. I changed money and sold trinkets to the barbarians. Only one individual was more successful than I, and I know that her methods were irresponsible and unethical. I also made two trips into the Naughrim to prospect for capital. The first ran into unforseen difficulties and we were forced to withdraw. On the second attempt I had some small success, though not as much as one might hope. Hodge had come with me on this trip to ease communications with the Darra Happan nobles. He was happy with a find of a magical bridle useful for training horses. Among the latecomers to the War was a herd of Storm Bulls from the North West who were on pilgrimmage to The Block. There leader was among those who had gone with Vor into deepest Hell as part of his tactics. The Storm Bull and his companions had not returned and Vor stated that they would require lengthy summoning if anyone wanted to see them again. He had the necessary materials at his estate in Harandash so the entire herd followed him to the city and waited for their leader. Since I desired to visit and consolidate my newly acquired lands I was elected to arrange their guidance past Lunar hot spots on the trip South. I made an agreement with them that I would represent them in trade in exchange for safe escort to my destination. It is moot as to whether or not one can ever be considered safe with Storm Bulls, even one's as atypical as these. They were from an isolated region that had developed some unique ideas during the Syndics Ban. Their leader, Bruce believed completely in his God. If he did not detect something as chaotic, then it was not. Storm Bull could not be fooled in this matter. By his reasoning, Illuminated are not chaotic. If a creature was chaotic before Illumination, the Illumination took the Chaos away. This attitude was one which the Empire wished to encourage; so Bruce's troop was safely and conveniently led through Lunar territory. When attacked outside of Dorastor they were even assisted by the Lunar army. I myself was not able to remain function in the face of such chaos as came from Dorastor, and it was some time before I recovered. What actually occured at Dorastor is not known in detail. What we do know was that there was a multi-pronged, concerted attack against this group of Storm Bulls by the forces of Thanatar and some Gbaji Illuminates. It was meant to be a fatal trap, and the chaos fighters did not turn away from it. They actually entered the psychotic forests of Dorastor and Annelinde went along to use her Pathwatch in their aid. The things she saw broke her mind and she spent five weeks in a lead lined sack with her XIola Umbar trollkin. Both Annelinde and the trollkin had been pregnant at the time and gave birth after they were removed from the Heali ng Trance. Thus we see a rather unique phenomenon whereby children are born after a gestation which is simultaneously seven weeks and ten months. The oddity of it does not stop there, for the trollkin had a single birth which resembled a great troll more than a trollkin and it had great tolerance of the sunlight and blue eyes. In fact, the eyes were the color that Annelinde's had been before the Healing Trance. She herself came out completely lacking in pigmentation. Her hair and skin were dead white, her eyes were colorless. She lost her tolorance to the sun and some weeks later her incisors fell out and regrew as fangs. Sorcerous Analysis suggested that she had suffered a psychotic break during which she lost control of her sorcerous powers, allowing uncontrolled occurences. When a shaman was asked, however, she said that her fetch had broken free of its unnatural restraints and now she was healthy. As for the physical changes, the shaman said that her spirit was now that of a troll. (1) [I'll look up the date] At this point the Ban had been slowly lifting for many years and the Empire had had contact with Riverjoin since{}. Annelinde is referring to the lifting of the Ban from the region north of the Sweet Sea, thus opening up new trade routes. --------------------- From: MOBTOTRM@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au Subject: A BROO of MOBs Message-ID: <01HAPJGFHL7M91W8DV@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au> Date: 3 Apr 94 04:25:32 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3493 ____________________________ What to call a group of Broo Bryan J. Maloney suggests: >Well, one thing does sort of leap to mind on this: >A MOB of Broo. Though I am of course deeply (dis?)honoured at the suggestion, MOB is already the collective noun for a group of kangaroos. Me, I think the "Rapine" of Broos already suggested is the most evocative (urrghh). ____________________________ Sandy suggests other sports: eg, Mostali human-tossing, Bab Gor's Kickball (ouch), Uleria's SUBMARINE RACES... Love these, how's about: The Invisible God: Hide 'n seek Kyger Litor: Blind Man's Bluff _____________________________ --------------------- From: 100116.2616@CompuServe.COM (David Hall) Subject: Has the all clear sounded yet? Message-ID: <940402103651_100116.2616_BHJ50-1@CompuServe.COM> Date: 2 Apr 94 10:36:52 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3494 Is it safe to come out from behind my parapet? Wexten. From an unpublished map I have this located between Sentanos and Belstos. Sorta almost snuggled up to the left bank of the Doskior River. >A WF issue with the Sartar High Council, where Storm Bull was >clearly an Orlanth subcult. IMHO this is certainly still true in Sartar - how else can Storm Bullys fit into Orlanthi society? Don't let those Praxians tell you any different - they have a totally different ecology! Sandy, please tell us about how an Orlanthi learns to tame his Bullish brother! Megacorp News. We're about to start major work on Wyrms Footnotes. Steve Thomas is taking a whole month off work (unpaid) to get it done. I therefore hope to see it in print June or July time. Otherwise, all of our efforts are now going into writing the Convulsion '94 freeform "How the West was One", based around the events at the 7th Malkioni Ecclesiastical Council in Sog City. This game will be rerun at RQ-Con '95. Someday I'll take a look at issue #12. By the way, where is Strangers in Prax? I'll now duck back into cover. Let me know when RQ wars are over. David Hall --------------------- From: f6ri@midway.uchicago.edu (charles gregory fried) Subject: pomo Message-ID:Date: 2 Apr 94 11:06:32 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3495 Bryan, I second your "MOB of broos"! Martin, Thanks for the reassuring update on that disturbing poll. However, to say that 'postmodern' refers to an architectural movement is like saying that 'American' refers to a type of cheese. Both are true, but hardly capture the whole phenomenon. Postmodern architecture, as a concept, is entirely derivative upon postmodernism as a theoretical movement. Perhaps this discussion should move off this list, but, finally, while I agree that revisionists and there ilk aren't likely to be subjectivists (although keep in mind the Nazi's self-conscious use of propaganda!), I would still argue that the broad dissemination of subjectivism and relativism makes it much harder to resist such peoples' propaganda. I'd be glad to discuss this in private correspondence. On the other hand, since so much of Glorantha is about the interpreting and reconstituting of stories, this stuff isn't TOO far off point....I hope..... -- Greg Fried