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, Tue, 05 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: 100270.337@CompuServe.COM (Nick Brooke) Subject: Dervishes Message-ID: <940404080801_100270.337_BHL32-1@CompuServe.COM> Date: 4 Apr 94 08:08:01 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3504 Enjoyed Roderick's piece on dances. Several big grins raised. He wrote: > Lunars - Goddess knows... I asked Her, and She told me that some sects of Lunar Dervishes dance in a wildly whirling spiral dance. This is the path on which the Goddess Herself trod when She "danced her last dream upon the face of the earth". When they finish spinning around and inwards, they're in a state of Balance or Lunar Consciousness (it only *looks* like frothing insanity), and you can get oracular answers from them. If you're ever in the marketplace and see the spiral-dancers starting inwards, make sure you're not caught in the middle: it can sometimes get pretty confusing and frightening. But it's worth hanging around to hear what they say when the frenzy is on them at the end. You're still most likely to find dervishes in the East, out towards Torang where the old ways of Lunar Mysticism are still strongest. It's known that the Emperor's servants dislike giving oracular accesses to the people -- just think about the way the Moonbroth Whispers have been sealed away! But it's in their nature to travel, and I hear groups and individuals have been seen as far away as Prax and Carmania. In the Redlands, the dervishes are one of the main sacred traditions to be found: they easily survive without the state-cult support that most Lunar religion requires within the Empire. Once, I saw a dervish at the centre of her spin sink down below the ground, then levitate ten feet into the air, before starting to prophesy in a quite serene manner. She was speaking about how the Lunar Way is the New Way of Rebellion: that the Storm Way was the Old Rebellion, whose time had passed. She talked about the Empire as an eggshell, protecting the people. It all made perfect sense when she spoke to us. That was the day I learned to stop worrying, and love the Bat. Of course, she died when the fit was over... ==== Nick ==== Goats are Chaos Sheep! --------------------- From: joe@sartar.toppoint.de (Joerg Baumgartner) Subject: Barbarian Yelmalian tactics? Message-ID:Date: 4 Apr 94 11:23:36 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3505 A question about Yelmalian tactics: Ever since Sun County came out, we tend to think of Yelmalians as hoplites or at least peltasts marching in orderly columns and forming phalanxes in fights. This, however, does not concur too well with the cult fighting skills (Kuschile Archery, Ride Horse, Bow Attack), nor with the likely combat style the Aldachuri or the numerous other Sartarite Sun worshippers would use. Looking at the skills, I get the following picture of barbarian Yelmalians (or Elmal cultist warriors): Guarding: Elmal was the thane guarding Orlanth's stead during the darkness. This doesn't mean that he stood guard before the gates all day/night long, but that he stood ready to defend the stead, and patroled the outlying area, presumably on horseback. GRoY even has Elmalus as the leader of Vingkotling raids, so that the guarding probably had more in common with forechecking. So the typical barbarian Elmalite/Yelmalian warrior would ride out in small groups (about 5?) on horseback, armed with bow, warspear and a few javelins. When encountering raiders or intruders, the primary tactic is to harrass them with archery from horseback, allowing one patrol member to alarm the stead. When the enemy comes to close quarters, the riders might continue one charge with the spear used as a lance (more likely they'd throw a few javelins), but then dismount and form a shield wall to finish the opponent. By this time, they ought to have summoned sufficient numbers to form a stable circle, semi-circle or line as tactical unit, to provide a solid base against mobile forces, or the spear-head formation as shock troups against massed enemies. One part of them will act as light cavalry covering the flanks, and continue to hail missiles over the enemy. Being hill barbarians at heart, neither shield wall nor spear-head should be viewed as regular infantry. Like their sword-swinging, storm-worshipping brethren they will have champions stepping out of the line to challenge enemies to single combat (the only incident when the lines will hold even for Orlanthi warriors). The spear-head is a half-mad charge with slung shield and two-handed use of the spear, which is quick to dissolve once the enemy ranks are pierced. The shield wall is a means to break a charge, be it by mounted or infantry opponents, nothing more. Once the opponents shock action has been neutralized, individual hand to hand combat results. What do you miniature wargamers say? Is this reasonable? How would a meeting say in 1611, between Harvar Ironfists Yelmalian lunar sympathizers and staunch anti-lunar storm worshippers (Orlanth, Humakt, Urox worshippers) in the hills between Alda-chur and Alone, have looked? Light cavalry vs. chariots, and sword/axeswinging open lines against set spears? BTW, isn't Kuschile an Elmal cult hero as well? In the Colymar Book, one of the clans traces its ancestry back to this hero. -- -- Joerg Baumgartner joe@sartar.toppoint.de --------------------- From: carlf@panix.com (Carl Fink) Subject: ban on alcohol Message-ID: <199404030717.AA20784@panix.com> Date: 2 Apr 94 23:17:32 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3506 R>From: argrath@aol.com R>Even at the level of generalization you're using ("orthodox >muslim," whatever that is), this is less than accurate. The >Prophet forbade alcohol. This prohibition was extended in >various historic times to various other substances by various >groups, but your blanket statement obscures more than it reveals. >But hey, it's an interesting argument. Now let's switch sides. >;-) Actually he forbade "date wine". Even the ban on all forms of alcohol is an extension of his actual (recorded) words. I think it's a reasonable extension, but I'm no theologian. --------------------- From: sandyp@idcube.idsoftware.com (Sandy Petersen) Subject: re: a plurality of broos Message-ID: <9404030323.AA00827@idcube.idsoftware.com> Date: 2 Apr 94 15:23:24 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3507 re: a plurality of broos IMHO, the only acceptable term is a Plague of Broos. And I'm stickin' by it. Harald Smith sez: >Since most of the world's population does not live in cities, but >in small villages, you are unlikely to have enough people to play >sports that require large teams. This seems like a non-sequitur to me. So what if most people are rural? There's plenty of large cities, and people to play sports in them. In addition, villages can have periodic contests, possibly near the time of holy days. At least tug-o-war is gonna be common. James Polk sez: >Additionally, in any society which spends 90+% of its time trying to >keep themselves alive (Nomads in the Wastes, the RQ 2 Balazarings), >these contests would occur only during special events, such as >Sacred Time celebrations. When one spends all one's time trying to >get enough to eat, games don't seem very important. Come now, every culture known on Earth has organized games and sports. Children everywhere play games, as training for adult activities and exercise. Adults play games, too, ranging from sophisticated stuff like Mah Johnng to as seemingly dumb as the Camel Stand game played in Pakistan (see how many guys can fit on the back of a camel and still allow the camel to stand up). Martin sez: >The fact that Zorak Zoran was the major war cult of the First >Theyalan Council. Unlikely if Humakt had been around, but it >explains why a later-emerging Humakt cult is so anti-ZZ. It is also possible that the early Humakt cult was not anti-ZZ. I find it easier to believe that cult attitudes changed over the years than that the cults themselves altered. >When the Humakt cult was casting around for its history ("we know we >left it here someplace"), it naturally seized upon Arkat as >prestigious member. But Arkat betrayed it and stole its secrets. Surely they aren't happy with that aspect of Arkat. Also certain features of Arkat's story (like the Unbreakable Sword stuff) are quite Humakti-specific. --------------------- From: marc@netcom.com (Marc Willner) Subject: Sports in Glorantha Message-ID: <199404041556.IAA13363@netcom10.netcom.com> Date: 4 Apr 94 01:56:46 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3508 For those who can get it, the American cable sports channel, ESPN, has (or had, I haven't seen it for a while) a show called something like "Games of the World" where they do a survey of sports from different countries. Many are based on very old games. The ones I remember are: Camel Wrestling from Turkey: Possibly done by Bison, Rhino, or Alticamelus riders from Prax. Also from Turkey, a Team throw the javelin from horseback at other people game (padded javelins): Any animal nomad that uses missles, Pentians, Grazelanders. Cumberland Wrestling from England: Various types of wrestling may be found all over Glorantha. A game from England involving tapping a small wooden shape into the air, then jitting it for distance: The small villages of the Holy Country, or any other small village area. A Rugby/football/soccer-like game played in one of the Italian cities between parishes, dating from the Rennaisance. The same type of game can be played between villages. If I ever see the show again, I will take better notes. MARC WILLNER --------------------- From: drcheng@sales.stern.nyu.edu (David Cheng) Subject: Gloranthan Chess Message-ID: Date: 5 Apr 94 03:08:34 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3509 Charles Morehouse (the guy who ran his MoLaD game at RQ-Con) has a pretty good idea for Gloranthan Chess. Each pantheon is represented by a set of pieces. Each set has different movement rules associated with it. So, not only do players deal with the complexity of the turn-by-turn moves, they also agonize over their original choice of pantheon to play. Natrually, some pantheons are said to have advantage over others. --------------------- From: Ana@fenix.fipnet.fi (Antti_Heiskanen) Subject: Broos Message-ID: <9404041912.12jz@fenix.fipnet.fi> Date: 5 Apr 94 07:12:56 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3510 Sandy says >>Of course, if some of the "mother" animal's spirit goes over to >>broos, these sheep broos would form the lowest echelons of broo >>society. >I picture sheep broos as behaving like old mean rams. Remember the >broos are all male, and a ram is not necessarily a pathetic mild >mammal. All males? In RoC p.31 "Broos are predominatly male (only 15% female), with fairly common mutation (05% of population) of hermaphroditism among them." Cheers, Antti Heiskanen --------------------- From: guy.hoyle@chrysalis.org Subject: BROOS Message-ID: <9404042313.A1480wk@chrysalis.org> Date: 4 Apr 94 21:13:36 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3511 What do I call a group of broos? Too damn many broos --------------------- From: guy.hoyle@chrysalis.org Subject: INVISO GOD Message-ID: <9404042358.A1489wk@chrysalis.org> Date: 4 Apr 94 21:58:05 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3512 I may have heard this here on the Daily, or on the RQ$ list, or even have ivented it myself (fat chance!) but I believe that the Invisible God is probably just an invention. Malkion or Zzabur just dreamed up the whole shebang, to give the Malkioni folk a reason to live in the Darkness. Isn't it suspicious that they worship a god who can't be contacted, doesn't interact with his followers (except for the Saints), and whose teachings are conveyed second-hand through sorcerors, not priests? I mean, really, just what kind of basis for a religion is that? guy.hoyle@chrysalis.org ---------------------