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, 15 Aug 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: david_baur@cl_63smtp_gw.chinalake.navy.mil (David Baur) Subject: Varied responces Message-ID: <9408140745.AA23949@Sun.COM> Date: 13 Aug 94 14:03:30 GMT X-RQ-ID: 5688 Varied responces 8/13/94 10:01 PM Greetings again from David Baur Paul Reilly & A Question of Totems ============================ > Has anyone else done much with totems? Wolverine and White Bear have > been important in our campaigns. Yes. Wolf is a particular totem being used, though A couple others have been touched on by the party. One of my players is a hunter selected based on a "calling" to become a young Shaman of Wolf who does not yet fully understand his aspect (though he will as the story unfolds). I can't go into much detail on the daily as the player subscribes, which I'm sure you can appreciate. This comes from several of my dilettante studies and beliefs of the spirit world. I would be happy to post some if you desire. John Strauss & Wife GMs ==================== In posting X-RQ-ID: 5671, John replies to Alison Place: > On the whole, I have found female gamers to be rare in number but > of the highest caliber. They tend to emphasize role-playing over > combat, which is my preferred style. All things appearing equal, I > would accept a new unknown female into a game over a new unknown > male, simply based on my positive experiences with female gamers. I also have found few female gamers and a smaller number of female GMs. Those I have shared sessions with have been interesting. Unfortunately, I haven't had your "luck" with female gamers. I find that, like guys, there are good and bad players. I have found that they are usually more focused on Roleplaying, but with different expectations (possibly similar to your GM's girl example). > I doubt that the category is gender-specific; but I have never had > the opportunity to play with a female GM. Having seen some kick-ass > female gamers, I would relish such an opportunity. If I ever get > that lucky, I will let you know if she plays favorites on her > husband/boy friend. I have played with two different female GMs. One was after my character (I swear I'm not just being paranoid, I just don't have the space to explain it here) and the other ranked high in ability (the first was a beginner, but with potential). Both were married and had their husbands in the campaign as well. The second one's husband's character did a "stupid" and paid the ultimate price. She showed not an ounce of favoritism to any character. This is just one datapoint. I agree that the more time or leverage you have with the GM, the greater the influence (possibly only perceived) you have with the GM (after all, you both have to live with each other). I also find in a group with multiple GMs you find the non-GMs getting passed over a little. It's just human psychology. --------------------- From: rowe@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU (Eric Rowe) Subject: Re: RuneQuest Daily, Sun, 14 Aug 1994, part 1 Message-ID: <199408140945.CAA11224@soda.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU> Date: 13 Aug 94 19:45:25 GMT X-RQ-ID: 5689 >Subject: Various ramblings from the Blue Wizard. >Seriously enough, David does raise a valid question about the I >fought we won with a valid quotation. My only defense is that the >source I quote was written after Cults of Terror and Greg may have >changed his mind. Certainly as it says in eleven troll battles >when talking of the war, it gives the location as north of Dragon >Pass and says the survivors later formed the First Council. As >Zzabur was not part of the First Council (Eric Rowe can correct me on >this: Is Zzabur a particpant in "the broken council LARP"?), It >follows that Zzabur was not a particpant of the I fought we won >battle. How to explain the discrepancy inside Glorantha ? Zzabur is not a participant. It does not follow that he was not a participant of the I fought we won battle. I (personally) think the First council is highly over-rated in terms of who it actually represented. Most of its claims are grandiose and unsubstatiated. >1) The God Learners were confused (again!). They recognized a moment in the >cosmos which they called the Final Battle of Mortality (which can be located i >n Fronela/Brithos - High Kings Elf's stronghold is Winterwood) and confused >theyalan tales of the I fought we won with this. As the God Learners were the >most learned (and leats wise) this raises the question of how well the EWF and >Errinoru's Empire understood the Cosmos! Scary! I believe that your Final Battle of Mortality occurred everywhere, not just in one place. Then Michael C. Morrison writes... >I've seen "Greg" used as a verb lately, and thought I'd try to define it. > >Comments? Welcome to our world. eric --------------------- From: DevinC@aol.com Subject: DH Marriage Customs, KoS Intro, 3rd Try Message-ID: <9408140709.tn1076693@aol.com> Date: 14 Aug 94 11:09:52 GMT X-RQ-ID: 5690 Devin Cutler here: Just got GRoY and began rereading KoS. Need answer to the following: 1) The Wedding contest from GRoY made me wonder what the marriage customs are like in Darra Happa. Anyone have any ideas. I would have imagined, given that women are, in many ways, viewed as completely inferior, that it would be suitable for a man to have many wives. Yet, Yelm only accepts one wife, Dendara. While he accepts only one wife, it seems he keeps concubines (e.g. Galgarenge). It also seems there is some precedence for DH wives having many husbands (e.g. Esvenratha...."For I have many husbands already"). This seems very un Darra Happan.....is it possible they go by this? Finally, I wonder how, if the concept of marriage was being created for Yelm, how Esvenratha could already have husbands. This seems strange, since as I read GRoY, Lodril invented marriage and sold it to Yelm as a novel new idea. Also, with regard to the First People, it states that Man and Woman were alone as people and were naked. Yelm telles them toi go into their quarters and take some tools from Lodril and Dendara and await orders. He then says: "You six shall be the first Aristocrats. Others will follow, and you will instruct them and lead them" Question: Who are these six? They cannot be humans, since they number only to (Man and Woman). 2) KoS in the Introduction: a) Anyone notice how Doranda the Quill and the Dorandans are a good anagram of Donandar? This might make sense, since Donandar is probably the best keeper of oral tradition, Lhankor Mhy being for of a literate chap and having lost all of that in the Illiteracy Era. b) The Evil Empire mentioned is obviously the Lunar Empire. But it states that the Lunar Empire was one that "had withstood the sun fallign down from the sky, and invasion of monsters, and an ice age". I can't seem to tie these three items with the Lunar Empire. Can anyone tell me what these three events are? 3) A have asked twice now if anyone can reconcile the contradictory dates of the Syndics Ban/Closing as given in the Fornela section of GCotHW. Can anyone help me out by emailing me off line and discuss this? I would think this would be an important point to sort out. Esp if trying to run a Western Campaign. BTW: Ran the TOTRM scenario with the Cyclops, King Nekeros, and the Pom Fliud. Worked well, the Players were mystified and enhtralled by the GL stuff. Also ran the Cameo from the same TOTRm re: the Waertagi in Prax. Again, worked very well.The players enjoyed seeing the pompous Lunar official in Moonbroth get his! Regards, Devin Cutler devinc@aol.com --------------------- From: Akira19893@aol.com Subject: Unsubscribe Message-ID: <9408140803.tn1077012@aol.com> Date: 14 Aug 94 12:03:16 GMT X-RQ-ID: 5691 Henk, Please unsubscribe me from Aug 14 to Aug 29 as I will be on vacation until then. --------------------- From: CHEN190@csc.canterbury.ac.nz (Peter Metcalfe, CAPE Canty) Subject: The Blue Wizard goes forth Message-ID: <01HFX1XSE336ECYZS4@csc.canterbury.ac.nz> Date: 15 Aug 94 12:26:17 GMT X-RQ-ID: 5692 To Greg or not to greg? ----------------------- I would add to mike morrison's excellent description of the verb greg. I add the phrase 'to pseudogreg' which is of course the claiming of such and such based on unpublished sources and reported conversations only to find out they were wrong. GRAoY: 95% correct? ------------------- Joe writes that he still maintains that Antirius is no longer Yelmalio on the grounds that >The myths don't really fit - most of all Antirius dies during the Darrkness and never had close connections to the Earth. Antirius is a ruling God. He then concedes >the identification is possible, but not enough to make them the one and the >same diety. I do not doubt this. Antirius never had strong connections to the earth in Dara Happa because the Earth Goddess there was Dendara whereas Ernalda is Elmal's Wife. I believe that after Antirius left Dara Happa (perhaps Shargash bushwhacked him? After all there is a strong indication they fought) he was somehow revived and made peace with Orlanth to become Elmal. (for the record, IMO, Elmal is worshipped in the place of Orlanth in Orlanths clan system in the Elmali clans - something which stated in the Yelmalio Writeup whereas Antirius is worshipped in the manner of Sun County). The answer I suspect lies in the Winterwood Forest of Fronela where the Elves under High King Elf made their last stand and Yelmalio is reported as being there. Extreme Glorantha spoiler alert! -------------------------------- Questions have arisen in the past about Moonson's ability to remember his previous incarnations. Now the creature known as MOB has stirred the ashes with his mention of the story "The Lord Awakens" and I present my theory on the whole kit and kaboodle. In 1506 ST, the battle for the Night of Horrors occured. In the History of the Lunar Empire, Moonson and the Seven of Orathorn cast spells which in synergy act to call upon the curse of infinite worlds upon the place. The Red Emperor is not stated to have died in this battle but reappears in Glamour and proclaims the Inward Path. This increases the gulf between the rich and poor in the Lunar Empire but brings peace. The Battle is stated as occuring after the Lunar Army marches up the Arcos River. The earliest mention of the appearance of the Great Sister who is not answerable to Moonson is 1506 ST (the Genertela Book; GoG). In the Argrath's Saga, Sheng Seleris and Prince Argrath after defeating the Good Empire at the battle of Dantofol travel to Molari Slor city. There Prince Argrath defeats the Red Emperor who then is eaten by Sheng Seleris and his cronies. We are not given the date of this battle but it occured after 1680 ST. We are further told that 'afterwards there was a red emperor but it was not the same red emperor' and ends with the comment the the Empire begins to devour itself. Molari Slor is shown at what is the extreme end of the Oraya Sultanate (or Satrapy - how and why did the name get changed?) It is my hypothesis (based on comments by Greg in the ToTRM #7: heroquest Issue) that what Prince Argrath and Sheng Seleris did was travel back in time to kill the Red Emperor. This disrupted the matrix of the Lunar Way so that a different Red Emperor was created and the Great Sister appeared. When this red emperor died, another reappeared. I'm on shakier ground, but I feel the original Moonson comes back presumably after Harrek killed the previous one before 1602 ST. He remembers Prince Argrath killing him and knows that Sheng Seleris has somehow escaped the Pits of Perdition. This explains the current Lunar desire to destroy Orlanth and the Red Emperor's feud with Argrath in the Argrath Saga. Well that's enough Brainstorming from me Yours Peter Metcalfe --------------------- From: 100102.3001@compuserve.com (Peter J. Whitelaw) Subject: Communal Rune-magic Message-ID: <940814122955_100102.3001_BHJ45-1@CompuServe.COM> Date: 14 Aug 94 12:29:56 GMT X-RQ-ID: 5693 Hi all, Peter Metcalfe makes a proposal: >Colin watson wrote > >>What we need is a new magic system for non-personal communal divine magic. > >I like this idea and have a proposeal which should keep changes minimal. > >My idea is this: [fine idea follows] >Comments? > >Peter Metcalfe Since Peter Metcalfe and I are, in fact, the same person, I obviously like this idea. I would think that some gearing ought to be introduced for non-reusable spells, though. Perhaps they might cost twice or three times as many of the pool points. And would you number Associated Cult spells as being amongst those available? I suggest that they should not be. All the best, Peter Whitelaw/Metcalfe/Whoever... --------------------- From: Urox@aol.com Subject: Soloquest Message-ID: <9408141731.tn1090861@aol.com> Date: 14 Aug 94 21:31:28 GMT X-RQ-ID: 5694 Chris Cooke, For some reason my email will not reach you, it keeps getting bounce back. I did receive the check for Soloquest. Thanks. Mark Foster --------------------- From: davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au (David Cake) Subject: Re: I Fought We Won Message-ID: <199408150316.LAA01259@cs.uwa.oz.au> Date: 15 Aug 94 19:27:59 GMT X-RQ-ID: 5695 > >I fought We Won >=============== >David Cake contradicts me in my debate with Joerg about Zzabur and whether he >fought I fought we won. > > > >Seriously enough, David does raise a valid question about the I fought we won >with a valid quotation. My only defense is that the source I quote was written >after Cults of Terror and Greg may have changed his mind. Certainly as it says >in eleven troll battles when talking of the war, it gives the location as north >of Dragon Pass and says the survivors later formed the First Council. As >Zzabur was not part of the First Council (Eric Rowe can correct me on this: Is >Zzabur a particpant in "the broken council LARP"?), It follows that Zzabur was >not a particpant of the I fought we won battle. How to explain the discrepancy >inside Glorantha ? > >1) The God Learners were confused (again!). They recognized a moment in the >cosmos which they called the Final Battle of Mortality (which can be located >in >Fronela/Brithos - High Kings Elf's stronghold is Winterwood) and confused >theyalan tales of the I fought we won with this. As the God Learners were the >most learned (and leats wise) this raises the question of how well the EWF and >Errinoru's Empire understood the Cosmos! Scary! > I suspect that there may be some confusion here - it could be that the confusion is between the great mystic I Fought We Won battle, which was a mystic event where the forces of mortality made their last stand, and particular battlegrounds where parts of the battle were fought, including Fronela and Snake Pipe Hollow. But it could also be that Zzabur was acually fighting alongside the trolls at at Dragon Pass - he receives direct aid from Kygor Litor, who certainly was not fighting in Fronela. High King Elf I think of as being an elven culture hero, part of green and brown (at least) Aldryami world wide. Now the elves of Winterwood revere him more than usual, and he is most commonly linked with that forest, but that doesn't mean that he can't fight with elves anywhere. >2) Zzabur was bragging as usual. > Certainly about reinventing reality with his mighty spell, he may have been going a bit overboard (though it was one of the most important events in Gloranthan mythic history - he could even be right), but when it comes to more practical issues, like freeing High King Elf of a gorp plague, he is probably more truthful. He may not have recreated the universe single handed, but he probably did help fight. >Gark the Calm >============= > >Rich asks about Gark the Calm Cult Writeup. I know there was an official >written up for a french magazine called Broos which is now out of print. >I do not have a copy and would also add my voice for a copy. Well, I too would like to see a copy? > An added >inducement is that I promise to debate with you a gloranthan topic of your >choice in the digest (subject to limitation of course: I will not debate >Joerg's many suns hypothesis (to please henk) nor will I revisit the OOO >debate). I am not sure that this is an inducement, however! :-) > >I suspect that Ompalam and Jraktal may never be written up as a difficulty with >these cults is trying to find some mechanism to prevent Fonritian PC's from >joining what is a mainstream cult. Any ideas, Sandy? > Jraktal does not seem particularly mainstream - tolerated, but not well liked. Ompalam, on the other hand, is another matter. If PCs really want to become professional slavers, then I have no deep problem with that. Cheers Dave Cake --------------------- From: davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au (David Cake) Subject: Re: Martial arts Message-ID: <199408150345.LAA01616@cs.uwa.oz.au> Date: 15 Aug 94 19:56:44 GMT X-RQ-ID: 5696 >I'm a bit confused about your Analogues here: from the G:G illos, I'd have >said Dragon style was something (ever so vaguely) like aikido, while >Centipede was faintly shotokan-ish. > Both are standard karate stances, not restricted to shotokan, but probably not used in aikido. I used to know their names. >> Styles are generally patterned after insects and draconic types, as >> hsunchen animals are verboten. > >Or if not, the MA styles could be resort of the Poor Repressed Peasants, >clinging to their disapproved-off hsunchen roots... > Well, I kind of like the idea that hsunchen ideas are still secretly spread by many martial arts schools, but I also like the idea that many schools are named after non-hsuchen animals to demonstrate their purity. Perhaps the hsunchen schools are secret underground organisations in most places? Maybe they live on oppenly in the Kingdom of Ignorance? Cheers Dave >Alex. ---------------------