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To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Daily automated RQ-Digest)
Reply-To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RuneQuest Daily)
Subject: RuneQuest Daily, Mon, 18 Apr 1994, part 1
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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
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---------------------
From: joe@sartar.toppoint.de (Joerg Baumgartner)
Subject: There' more to Glorantha than different cults
Message-ID:
Date: 17 Apr 94 17:24:08 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 3685
Brent Krupp in X-RQ-ID: 3665
> I think the issue may also involve telling apart two characters from the
> Orlanth PANTHEON. In my Dragon Pass and Prax campaigns there were only
> rarely several Orlanthi to tell apart, as people could be Humakti,
> Issaries, whatever, and non-humans *kinda* fit-in. There were lots of
> different, but *compatible* traditions for the characters to follow and
> the players to role-play. In the West, all the wariors in a group seem
> like they will be very similar, essentially all in the same 'cult'. Sure
> there's heresies, but do adventurers of different heresies really hang out
> together as well as Orlanthi and Humakti do (for instance)? Plus, in the
> West, all non-humans are Krjalki, removing that source of difference. I
> did run a Ralian campaign, and this is exactly the problem we had. All
> humans, all Stygian heretics (some sorcery and some spirit magic)... kinda
> hard to tell them apart. Yes, there *was* role-playing to do that, but it
> is nice when there is more than JUST that...
Did you forget to add a smiley? I hope so.
I think that RQ played on Glorantha is prone to fall into stereotypes.
I catch myself now and then speaking of "the Storm Bull" instead of "Hrut
the Thirsty". Even if said Hrut is a danger to chaos and alcohol storages
alike, this is not the end of it. He still may be hopelessly in love with
that Eiritha acolyte from the Paps who wants only a man who is her mettle
in social practises, like dancing or etiquette, and in his clear moments
he might even try to compose Golden Age style poetry like that stuff some
Grey Sage translated to his Bull guards below Ex. He might also have a
very soft spot for that daughter of his whose mother (an ex-unicorn rider)
raises her on the eastern border of Sun County. Did I mention that Hrut
belongs to the Pol Joni? That his sister ran away with that Tarshite
centurio twelve years ago? That Hrut hates all trolls ever since a bunch of
Gorakiki Fly worshippers wanted to feed their grubs on him, after they
had consumed his steed? That he is honorary member of the Baboons since he
defended a birthing baboon against a Basmoli hunting party including a lion?
This much for an imaginary character who might show up as NPC should my
party move from Heortland into Prax.
Non-humans don't really fit into any non-generic party of adventurers.
Ok, Lismelder war parties might include a duck or two, and Kitori may
have trollkin teams as spear fodder and a dark troll member. Apart
from these, non-humans would be extremely unlikely. Orlanth-worshipping
dwarves, while possible, smack more of AD&D than knights or wizards
in Glorantha. Any party including a non-human would be treated like
people traveling around with lepers, even in cosmopolitan places like
Boldhome or Pavis. Remember the usual reaction of people to Griselda's
friendly manners toward trolls and trollkin?
>> Are the barbarians stagnant for roleplaying because every
>> Storm Bull is exactly the same? I think there's as much roleplaying
>> opportunity in the west as anywhere.
> Maybe part of the problem is just that we know so much more about the
> different tribes of Prax, and thus it is easy to imagine lots of
> different Storm Bullies (and Uroxi... a difference within 'one' cult
> right there). Over in Ralios,m the ref is left to his own devices. Not
> all of us are as endlessly creative as some of the people on this list,
> and I at least have not had the TIME to be that creative for years. So
> Western campaigns remain much more difficult.
Among Ralian "Stygians" the differences may even run deeper. The Invisible
God unites Arkan Argar chain members, Black Arkat worshippers, Galinin St
Ehilm devotees, Basim Ancestral Lion worshippers and even bland St Worlath
followers into one party. All of these could be part of one sub-unit of
mercenaries, led by a sour (because disinherited) Tanisoran knight and
spiritually cared for by a runaway Borist wizard (with a bag full of
SIZ 1, CON 1 gorps for tapping POW).
Now imagine group dynamics on how to react to any group of foreigners.
Yelmalians? A friendly hug from St Ehilm followers, and spittle from
chainers.
Now to the roleplaying potential of one-cult, one-tribe only parties.
It seems to be acceptable to play a party of say Praxian bison riders.
There is a great likelyhood that all of them worship Waha. Yet one of
them could be the party healer because he has conquered a Heal 5 matrix
from a sable Eiritha acolyte, another could be the best tracker, another
the man to do the talking. All other function would be provided by NPCs.
Isn't this the typical NPC bison party one expects to meet?
Now lets move into the West, and into the region allegedly most difficult
to develop differences apart from roleplaying, Rokari Seshnela.
Let's imagine a hamlet inhabited by serf members only, apart from Mikael,
an elderly failed wizard's apprentice who cares for the local place of
worship (a stele with a niche for a faded icon of Xemela placed on
a hilltop amid the fields). The party consists of all the hamlet's
able-bodied males between 18 and 32:
Tomas, 25 year-old farmer, widower and father of 5 children. His 17
year-old sister Sue cares for the children, but she is going to
wed Gavin soon, so he has to look out for another wife.
Gus, 22 year-old farmer, first son of old Gus, and the best carpenter
within three days of travel. His wife Elin comes from a neighbouring shire!
Gavin, 18 year-old farmer, second son of old Gus, the robust, if a bit slow
real worker on old Gus' fields. A bull of a man with a friendly smile,
there is no real competition for pretty Sue, were there not the noble boys
from the keep with their flashing clothes. Yet, under the maypole...
Jarvis, 32 year-old universal crafter and spokesman of the hamlet. He runs
the crude smithy, is in charge of the road and bridge duties to Sir
Marcel, and has a half-stretch of field to grow some of the food his 7
family members (mother, wife, 4 boys and a girl between 5 and 16) need.
Norman, 27 year-old farmer, best know for his proficiency at singing,
story-telling, and brewing, has a wife and five daughters. His greatest
wish, a son to inherit his farm, hasn't been fulfilled ever since
his infant son died shortly after birth 2 years ago.
His brother, 21 year-old Marcus, still works on his farm, and hasn't
taken a wife yet. Without the farm, he cannot afford the bridal gifts, nor
could he expect a reasonable dowry. He has been one reason why Mikael's
younger daughter took the veil...
Silent Rodolphe is the hamlet's herdsman and prime poacher. The 29
year-old's wife is the best seamstress in the hamlet, and somehow
her clothes tend to have fur linings.
Rudegar, his 19 year-old brother, helps with the herding, and is tending
the nets in the village's creek and pond as well. He is called to butcher
beasts whenever there is something to slaughter in the neighbourhood, and
they say he can trim poached deer to look like goat.
Ken, 24 year-old son of the hamlet's minister, Mikael, and his
constant source of worry because he makes common with the
hamlet's girls and boys. Ok, would he not plow the stretch
of church land given to Mikael, this worthy's fare would be
considerably worse, but Mikael had hopes for Ken's career in the church.
maybe his younger brother Simon, currently assisting minister at the keep,
will fulfil these hopes. Of his two sisters, one has married a minister
five days of travel from here, while the other has taken the veil and
has left the family.
Magically, only Ken has specialised a bit during his short time serving
as junior minister at the keep. The others had to learn their spells during
the two fairs at the keep held in the last 5 years. Their magic consists
of simple blessings for their tools. Only Ken and Rodolphe know a little
healing magic (Ken: Neutralize Damage, Rodolphe: Treat Wounds).
All men have served in Sir Marcel's levy now and then, such as three
years ago when krjalki raiders from Guhan penetrated deeply into the shire,
or when Sir Jerome came in force to claim the milling rights for Woodford
last summer.
Scenarios for the villagers:
- Rodolphe finds several goats missing. The man gather to hunt the predator
(a lone wolf)
- Flood! The creek threatens to destroy the bridge Sir Marcel lets the
villagers maintain four miles away, on the duke's road. During night and
thunderstorm the men try to reinforce the bridge, else they will have to
rebuild it during harvest season.
- Raising the communal barn: a joyous occasion with helpers from all the
neighbouring villages, and plenty social interaction. Too much, actually,
since one of the wives is found with a visitor...
- While poaching, Rodolphe shoots a roving bear in self defense. The bear
stays around with a gangrenous wound, and slays a lumberjack in service of
Sir Marcel. Will the villagers stop the bear's rampage before Rodolphe's
arrowhead will be found by Sir Marcel's gamekeeper?
- A band of gypsies moves through the countryside and takes camp in a copse
close to the bridge. Several pieces of fowl and a piglet go missing. How
will the villagers react?
- Bride-Quest: both Tomas and Ken are in need of a wife. Tomas' case is
somewhat easier to solve because of his caste there is rich choice, but
even so he will need his friends' help. Ken even needs to travel further
abroad to find a girl of his own caste- the accompanying villagers might
even visit a town!
- Fire! A barn is hit by lightning. Will the villagers be able to rescue
their food stores?
- A hungry winter: How do the villagers replace the stored food lost in
the fire?
- Levy: the men are called to fight for Sir Marcel. While at the keep, one
evening a boy comes running and tells the of a raid on their village. Will
they be able to save their families from the brigands? Will they return
to the keep before Sir Marcel will miss them?
- Witch hunt: Strange diseases spread in the holdings of Sir Marcel. Several
women have been found guilty and burned, now the investigating monks approach
this hamlet. Will the villagers find the Malliant before Elin is tortured?
- Strangers visiting: A peddlar, a wandering monk (wizard), a spy from Sir
Jerome disguised as a messenger, a travelling noblewoman with small
entourage, a King's Messenger, a wandering player with family, a Vampire
appearing as a knight (only passing through), a heretic preacher, beastmen
abroad, priests from Hrelar Amali, the King's army marching through and
foraging
- Crime: A traveller stagers into Mikael's hut and collapses. His last
words tell about brigands at the bridge. Sir Marcel suspects men of one
of his villages to have done the evil deed. Can the villagers wash
themselves free from suspicion?
- Ius Primae Noctu: Gavin and Sue marry at last. Sir Marcel's son Mortimer
intends to usurp his father's right, but on a doubtful pretense only. Will
the villagers play along? Will they oppose Mortimer?
- A spirit plague: Woodland entities from the forest hamper village life.
The villagers have to find out how to propitiate them (at an ancient
shrine to Seshna Likita), and how to keep this from the knowledge of
church authorities. (They might as well call upon the church first, get
a wizard to banish those spirits present, only to get retribution as soon
as the wizard has left again. The key might be an old woman from a
neighbouring village, maybe the grandmother of one of the wives, who knows
the old ways of the Earth. Interesting combinations with witch hunt and
heresy possible.)
- Heresy: a preacher from Castle Coast spreads spiritual unrest by teaching
Hrestoli virtues and magic. Will the villagers fall prey to his heresy?
Will they denunciate him, or will they protect him when church officials
search for him?
- Tax: the old theme of hiding one's wealth
- Hunt: Sir Marcel has highborn guests and arranges a great hunt. The
villagers help out as beast drivers, servants etc.
- Feudal duties: The river needs to be dammed so that Sir Marcel's horse
meadows stay dry (and can be enlarged). The villagers have to leave
domestic work and live in a camp full of "voluntary" helpers.
- Spiritual duties: The church at the keep is going to be rebuilt in proper
Rokari style, replacing the current 500 year old building. The villagers are
called in for serice in manpower and goods. Interaction with city-born
crafters, church officials and the local nobility.
--
-- Joerg Baumgartner joe@sartar.toppoint.de