Bell Digest v940531p6

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, 31 May 1994, part 6
Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM
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From: 100270.337@CompuServe.COM (Nick Brooke)
Subject: Wenelians
Message-ID: <940530151714_100270.337_BHL63-1@CompuServe.COM>
Date: 30 May 94 15:17:14 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 4257

_____________
Graeme wrote:

> Dorastor mentions a "cat people" of Dragon Pass, but doesn't say whether
> these are Hsunchen or the Orlanthi.

Harmast Barefoot was from the Alynx clan. Probably.

Me, I think a lot of Orlanthi have Hsunchen ancestors: just think of those 
Bulls and Sheep and Cats worshipped all over the place. This tendency comes 
closer to the surface in Wenelia than in other places I've seen -- not in 
traditional Hsunchen one-animal clans, but tribes where Fox and Lion and 
Boar and Stag people all work together, and intermarry, and worship gods as 
well as totem beasts (like they do in Rathorela these days).

Chief gods of the Wenelians include Vorlan, the raging storm-god who lashes 
the forest with rain and strikes down its tallest trees with his Lightning 
Spears; Oak Woman, worshipped by the mysterious Council of Tree Speakers 
(women who keep peace with the elves, and are rumoured to become dryads); 
and Wendel, ancestral firebringer and culture hero. There's also the fat, 
truffle-hunting Sow Mother, and humble Mani, who I see more as goddess of 
kitchen gardens than a Grain Goddess, a muddy-kneed peasant girl when seen 
beside her sister Queens of the Land. Some of the Wenelian warbands also 
worship Sword, a god of death and war, but as worshippers must own a sword 
to follow this path, the cult has limited potential for growth.

[re: Tsarist Safelster]
> Whereupon we get _another_ load of freedom loving Orlanthi fighting
> evil oppressive foreigners.

"Another"? Where's the first? 

If you want "bad guy" Orlanthi nearer to home, look at what the Wenelians 
are doing to Esrolia. The bastards.

___________
Paul asked:

> Nick, where did the Lunars pick up this charming custom [crucifixion]?
> I would guess that it comes in via the Carmanian Empire, as opposed to
> the Dara Happan.

Yeah, I'd agree. And the Carmanians get it from an ancient Western custom. 
Without any supporting evidence other than the old name of the city, I've 
come to believe Hrestol was crucified on Zzabur's orders at Sog City. It 
would explain a lot of things, probably too intricate to go into here.

> Do people want Harangvat info?

Yes, please.

> Do Dara Happans burn criminals? ... Do Pelandans use impalement?

Dara Happans impale criminals, I've heard (and written). I don't know about 
what used to happen in West Peloria; the Bad Old Spolites used to sacrifice 
victims by burning them in vast brazen ovens shaped like bulls, but that's 
an abominable variant and not typical for the region. As the Pelandans look 
like reasonable folk, maybe they did nothing worse than the Greeks: poison 
(anyone for Hemlock?), or casting into deep ravines followed by stoning...

In the Stygian Empire, criminals were fed to Trolls (they do say).

____________________
Steven Barnes wrote:

> Some time ago, people promised to post info on Carmania, which I am still
> hoping to see.

OK: I'm checking with Paul, Loren and Finula to see what we have ready to 
send out, and with Henk to see if he'll take it. Light/Dark is a separate 
division from True/False, in my version: Gbaji was a Bright, Shining Lie.

___________
Paul again:

Me:
>> I have a Harrek-theory, too. We know he was asleep for a century or so.

Him:
> What do you mean "we", Englishman? Harrek is the WHITE BEAR that does
> not sleep in winter. He could have been AWAKE.

I mean "those of us who believe Greg," Colonial. In the Genertela Book we 
find:

> Harrek was a Rathori Hsunchen youth, born in 1484. Like all Rathori he
> went to sleep in 1499. He was among the First Wakeup in 1594...

And became the White Bear later, in 1609. Of course, the dates are rather 
spurious/suspicious in this section, as we all know.

====
Nick
====

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From: 100102.3001@CompuServe.COM (Peter J. Whitelaw)
Subject: Miscellaneous.
Message-ID: <940530153018_100102.3001_BHJ55-2@CompuServe.COM>
Date: 30 May 94 15:30:18 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 4258

Hi all,

Charles Gregory Fried offered his scenario 'Atek's Ghost' to those who are
interested.

Charles, I tried to private e-mail you to ask for a copy but the message got
kicked back to me.  May I have a copy please?

*****

A thought on NPC's.  When my 'ad-lib' reserves are running low during a session,
or I am preparing some 'background' NPC's I sometimes use the GDW Twilight
2000/2300 AD random motivation method by drawing a couple of cards from a deck.
Any one else do this?  I find it a useful little timesaver.

*****

Chris, re the Gagarthi.

Yep. I somehow missed all the replies to your query and by doing so drew some
flak which, it seems, was deserved in that respect.  I have to say, though, that
I am sure that I would have seen the Gagarth cult if it had been posted.

If anyone took offence at my observations (they were not criticisms) about the
Daily, Sorry!  I wouldn't be without the Daily now (not sure my wife would
agree, though ).

*****

WARNING: The following section is GL'ism...

Has anyone every wrankled at the neat little packages that Strike Ranks are
grouped into?  By this I mean Melee rounds.  In my group we tend to make/bend
the mechanics to fit the gameplay but I wondered whether there was any
percentage ('scuse the pun) in adopting the continuous flow of SR used in the
Chaosium Ringworld RPG (which, BTW had great cover art).  

Has anyone tried this?

The alternative (I guess) is to play PenDragon Pass rules which I am seriously
considering for a non-Gloranthan campaign.

*****

Which brings me smoothly into this next question...

Praxian Religious Virtues.

What Virtues do PenDragon GMs out there assign to the following Gods:
Waha	- (Energetic, Generous, Just, Proud, Valorous ?)
Daka Fal	- (Honest, Just, Proud, Pious, Prudent ?)

*****

Loren, you may want to whizz through this bit, it's a Magic Item.

CRIMSON TEARS

DESCRIPTION
	Deep Crimson ovoidal crystals containing a flaw that never looks the same
twice.  They are about the same size as an eyeball and have many facets.

CULTS
	ASSOCIATED:  The Crimson Bat.
	ENEMY:  All anti-Chaos religions.
	FRIENDLY:  Primal Chaos, Seven Mothers, The Red Goddess

KNOWLEDGE
	Cult Secret; Few

HISTORY
	Halyparchon Red-Eye was a Second Wane High Priest of the Crimson Bat cult
who sought to preserve the magic-stripping properties of the Crimson Bat's Eye
Spit.  He Heroquested in order to learn how this might be achieved and was
successful in doing so.  His own enthusiasm for the project was not matched by
many cultists who lacked his singular devotion and many of the Crimson tears
created were not properly activated and have since become widely, if extremely,
sparsely, distributed.  Most often they are collected as curios but some have
been used.

PROCEDURE
	In the Glowspot created by the Crimson Bat (or that created as a result
of the Glow Spot spell) one must gather a small amount of unspent Eye Spit and
then bind a Summoned 'Little Bat' Spirit (CoT p.75 Int 2d6+1 Pow 3d6+6) into it.
To achieve this latter task one must defeat the Little Bat in Spirit Combat and
then cast the Divine Magic spell 'Create Crimson Tear'
	To activate the Crimson Tear one must firstly overcome the MP of the
crystal (same as those of the spirit devoured in its creation) then pluck out
one's eye (Con x 2 to perform this act, -1d2 Con, -(1d3-1) Dex) and place the
Tear in the empty socket whereupon it will glow slightly and function as a
normal eye in addition to providing additional powers.
	Note, Tears may be used by others than he/she who created it
 
POWERS
	Once 'installed' the Crimson Tear confers the ability to Eye Spit in a
similar fashion to the Crimson Bat.  The Eye Spit has accuracy of Dex x 5 to hit
targets up to 3m away [adjacent targets roll Pow x 5 to avoid being splashed]).
For every 3MP of the crystal that the owner employs in such an attack 1 point of
Divine magic will be stripped from the target (starting with cast Divine Magic).
The tear's MP regenerate in the normal fashion.

VALUE
	As a curio, 1500-2000L.  To a cult member, 250L / MP.

CREATE CRIMSON TEAR
1 Point
Ritual (Enchant), Nonstackable, Reusable

This obscure spell is available to Priests of the Crimson Bat.  The 'Little Bat'
spirit used in the ritual is devoured by the congealed Eye Spit which the Priest
must have to hand.  The Eye Spit then crystallises into a rock hard, deep
Crimson, flawed living crystal.  The Crimson Tear so created has the MP of the
spirit used in its creation and which may be used solely for using the powers
with which the crystal is imbued.

There you have it;  Like it or loathe it.

*****

All the best,

Peter :-%


---------------------

From: 100102.3001@CompuServe.COM (Peter J. Whitelaw)
Subject: non-Gloranthan notes.  Batch Three
Message-ID: <940530153046_100102.3001_BHJ55-5@CompuServe.COM>
Date: 30 May 94 15:30:47 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 4259

THE TASKAN EMPIRE
==================

Neighbouring Peoples
---------------------------

The Escars
The Escars are a wide-ranging tribe of horse people whose homeland is the
Tamsopor plain.  In the course of their wanderings Escar clans might be found on
the Northern fringes of Camtri or competing with the Soribisi for grazing on the
borders of Morkesh and the Korazoon desert.  As mercenaries with the Taskan army
Escars may be found in Yegusai and in the Jekkarid.  The Escars have some
permanent settlements, their capital being at Mandaknar near the Bolg river.
This was once the seat of a powerful Khanate which frequently made war upon
nearby settled peoples.  Although the Escars are officially pacified and
incorporated into the empire, many clans have as yet refused to become Taskan
citizens, and have taken up a life of brigandage or else moved out of range of
the Taskan army. 

The fame of the Escars is in their horsemanship.  They breed horses for sale to
the Taskans and others, and they sell their skills as horse-archers and lancers
to the Taskan army.   

The Escars have their own language, but many who have served in the Taskan army
or who are settled near to civilised lands speak Tarsenian as well.  Their
ancestral religion is led by shamans although they pray to an array of Gods and
many are members of the Taskan imperial cult.


The Tengirs
These horsemen of the Tengissian plateau are an aggressive breed, as yet
unconquered by Taskan force of arms.  They herd not only horses, of a smaller
breed than those of the Escars, but also cattle, goats and sheep.  They have no
permanent settlements, but live out of horse-drawn wagons in which everything
not easily carried on a mount is kept.

There are certain sites which each Tengir tribe returns to every year, where
they have their burial ground and where the various clans gather to arrange
marriages, settle disputes and observe religious festivals.  Occasionally a
brave or foolhardy foreign trader might make the rounds of these tribal
gatherings, selling manufactured goods and agricultural produce.

The Tengirs are feared by their settled neighbours because they frequently
venture down from the plateau to loot and pillage, although they rarely if ever
wait around for long enough to fight a pitched battle once a defence force has
been mobilised.  The Taskans have responded to the cross border raids by
fortifying the Tengissian Gates, the main pass between the plateau and the
Tamsopor plain, and by recruiting greater numbers of Escars to quickly reach the
area of an incursion and pursue the retreating Tengirs on horseback.


Yegusai
The Kingdom of Yegusai was conquered early on in Taskan history in the time of
the Marble Simulacrum.  Although the royal dynasty was left in place, a college
of the imperial cult was put in place to advise the monarch and approve his
edicts.  Taskan citizenship has never been widespread outside the Kingdom's two
cities, as the landowning classes have discouraged the peasants from attempting
to liberate themselves from feudal subjection.  

Yegusai is a hot and dry place compared with the imperial heartlands, but more
pleasant and fertile than the Kingdom of Zagr to the East and Djesmirket to the
south.  It is famous for its vines, olives and figs.

The Yegusans are also known for their sorcery, and several strains of sorcery
which are frowned upon in other parts of the empire are practised with little or
no restrictions here.  Tapping is common, although it is illegal to tap Taskan
citizens, and slaves or condemned criminals are the usual victims.


The Thennalts
The Thennalts are barbarian farmers who live inhabit a vast expanse of territory
to the North of the imperial heartland.  Their society is based on
clan-membership, but most clans owe allegiance to a monarch, or at least
recognise membership of a larger tribal entity.  One Thennalt kingdom, that of
Camtri, has already been incorporated into the Empire.  As a result the Empire
now borders two others, Brotomagia and Gumathena, and the tribal lands of the
Marangians.  There is a great deal of cross-border trade, however from time to
time Thennalts cross into imperial lands in numbers and attempt to settle or in
smaller groups intent on plunder.  Less than 50 years ago Ramlyrra was sacked by
raiders from Gumathena, and almost a quarter of the population was put to the
sword.

The Thennalts are quite loosely related - their several languages and dialects
are not all mutually intelligible, and they have a remarkably diverse array of
Gods, many of whom are only of local influence.  They spend a lot of time
fighting amongst themselves.  What makes them a people is a common way of life
based on small farmsteads and a belief in a common ancestry in the mythological
past.

In Camtri the process of incorporation into the Empire is continuing apace.
Following the conquest, only those clans whose menfolk have sacrificed to the
emperor are confirmed in their holdings.  The rest can find at any time that
their lands have been reallocated to settlers from the Taskan heartlands,
resulting in large numbers of dispossessed drifting towards the towns, or
removing themselves to less desirable farmland.


Royal Osrolia
When Zygas Taga was marching to the Tarsenian wars at the head of his outlaw
army, he stopped at the river Bolg to invest the city of Sorandib, seat of the
kings of Osrolia.  King Shamtaveg the Two-Faced struck a deal with the warlord
by which he would raise the siege, and guarantee the current dynasty in
perpetuity - in return for which Shamtaveg made known to Zygas Taga certain
arcane secrets which revealed his remarkable destiny, and put at his disposal
the services of the Guild of Artificiers.

To this day the Taskan Empire has never annexed that part of Osrolia around
Sorandib, and a monarch of Shamtaveg's house rules there still.  Nevertheless
Royal Osrolia has been in decline for centuries, and its countryside is plagued
with brigands while Sorandib itself is the scene of constant feuding between the
nobility and battles fought in the streets between their armed henchmen.
Despite constant inducements from the imperial administration, the Guild of
Artificiers has remained in Sorandib to this day, housed in the precincts of the
King's Palace.  At present they are chiefly employed in the design and
construction of engines of war for the Taskan army.


The Jekkarenes
The Jekkarene civilisation is said to be the oldest in existence.  Since the
Solar Emperor Soribos II abdicated his throne at the beginning of the current
era and removed himself to Korantis, the Jekkarenes have been ruled by their
queens, high priestesses of the Moon. 

 Zygas Taga was himself the son of a Jekkarene priestess, and the Taskans look
upon the land of his birth as a Holy Country.  Now  Zygas Taga is the
husband-protector of the Jekkarene Moon-goddess, and a variant version of his
cult is popular among men of noble birth, providing a military caste from which
consorts are chosen for the chief priestesses, and who are charged with the
exercise of military command and civil administration.

The Jekkarid is the source many cults imported to the empire.  Since the ruling
priestesses of the land declared Zygas Taga the husband protector of their
Goddess Jekkara in 1052, Jekkarene cults have found a role in both private and
state religious observances.  

Although the Jekkarid is not actually incorporated into the Empire it is a
protectorate, and the Taskan army maintains forts along the border with
Brotomagia.


Morkesh
Morkesh lies to the south of the Empire across dry and difficult terrain.  The
Onislik River, which rises from the Osrolian hills and empties into the Sea of
Morkesh, cuts a path through for merchants and travellers to the country's
capital of Ashkmohar, thence on to its seaport of Largil.  The ruler of the
country, Tursiba the Lioness, is the most powerful of six princes ruling over
the coastlands to the south of the Korazoon desert.  All the other five pay her
tribute, and she in turn is counted an ally of the Taskans.  

The whole region is hot and dry, and tracts of desert separate the areas made
habitable by the presence of a perennial river or oasis.  Wherever possible
complex systems of irrigation have been dug to bring extra land into production.

Morkesh is a feudal society in which each prince, or 'Bey', lords it over a
landed nobility who are titled 'Uprama'.  The Uprama are maintained by a
peasantry.  The cities are home to a class of free, generally landless people
engaged in crafts, trade, civil administration, religious vocations or service
to the aristocracy, and an underclass of landless people with no employment.  

Morkesh is famous for the papyrus harvested in the Onislik estuary and
manufactured in Largil workshops.  

The language is a dialect of Djesmiri and the religion is a polytheistic one
although many of the ruling classes sacrifice to the Emperor and the teachings
of the monotheist Sanekites are gaining ground among the common folk.


The Soribisi
The Soribisi are a nomad tribe of the Korazoon desert.  They are often hostile
to settled folk, and their predatory habits make overland travel between the
settled parts of Morkesh a hazardous affair.  They have been gradually squeezed
out of all the productive land in the region, and only the fringes of the desert
and a few jealously guarded oases are left to them.  In the process the camel
has become the favoured beast for all but those few fortunate enough to have
sufficient pasture to keep horses.  They are occasionally hired as scouts,
guides and caravan guards for journeys across the wastes, often as a way of
paying tribute to the local chieftain and thereby averting his hostility.

Soribisi are very patriarchal and hold their women in common until such time as
one becomes pregnant when she is given by the chief to one of his warriors who
will protect her and be responsible for the upbringing of any male offspring.
Many Soribisi have become Sanekites, and they are often among the most fanatical
of converts, rejecting all other religion as false and perverse.  Nevertheless
it is often said that there are Soribisi who follow older beliefs whose holy men
are said to be able to raise the demons of the desert and command their
obedience.