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, 20 Sep 1994, part 2
Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM
Content-Return: Prohibited
Precedence: junk
---------------------
From: joe@sartar.toppoint.de (Joerg Baumgartner)
Subject: Gloranthan Geology
Message-ID:
Date: 19 Sep 94 09:32:19 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 6269
After long discussions about mooses, suns and other high-flying stuff
now down to the ground, and right into it.
These ideas have been derived from the published Glorantha info on
Gloranthan geology and have been expanded by me, partly for use as
background info for my Heortland campaign. With an alchemist and an as
yet landless knight looking for opportunities among the player
characters, an essay on geology of the land can become essential.
All this copyrighted by Joerg Baumgartner, September 1994.
General assumptions:
[Sources: RQC-16f, KoS-53, 55, 57, RoC-177, SPH-14f, TG-17f, WF13-5]
The Glorantha Book from G:CotHW gives a very short statement on the
geology and physics of Glorantha on p.8. The magical geology is
detailed in Elder Secrets. More detail facts on Gloranthan geology are
given in Snake Pipe Hollow, River of Cradles and the projected "Beneath
the Salt" by MOB.
A fact that is a bit hard to explain is the abundance of massive layers
limestone and other sediment on the surface of Glorantha. The best
explanation I can give is that the Earth rose through the sea, and
pushed a part of the water upwards which left its (in that phase of the
creation low) mineral content on its surface when it slowly evaporated.
Later actions of geology and climate resulted in partial resurfacing of
the primal cold earth.
The prime shapers of the surface of the earth were Larnste, God of
Change, Lodril, god of volcanoes, and his children, Maran Gor, the
Earth Shaker, Valind and Inora, gods of glaciers, and the Storm, Sea
and Chaos gods with their (mostly erosive) activities. Minor influences
were falling stars and moons, plus the dead or sleeping bodies of gods,
dragons and giants. Actual geology was initiated when Umath pushed
Earth and Sky apart - the ensuing deformation of the Earth, and the
invasion of Togaro and his followers and their fights with the sons of
Umath during the Golden Age initiated somewhat conventional geology.
Really conventional became the geology of Glorantha only with the
reversal of the river flow and the start of rainfall, variously dated,
but generally occurring when the Spike imploded and the remaining earth
was broken in three separate parts (see Tales 10 for maps of the
fissures).
To illustrate a sophisticated Gloranthan view of the geology I provide
an excerpt from:
An Analysis of the origin and nature of the Storm Mountains.
Duchamp Collectanea DC:1615.JSq.12-5
Duchamp, Truth/Stasis/Dark 1615
My Liege, King Owain of Heortland, and my esteemed colleague, Flindil
Lambscraper, Royal Librarian,
I humbly submit these results of my research on the mountains your
majesty's ancestor Hendrik made famous in his fight against the minions
of Gbaji. This analysis combines research in written accounts,
transcripts of oral tradition of the native populace, and reports on
field work.
May St. Lhankor Mhy, Patron of Sages, bless this document with his
Light of Truth, and shrivel those who profane it!
Jereginos Steelquill, Senior Teacher at the Aeolian College of Duchamp
[I might publish other excerpts of Jereginos' comments and quotes on
this and other topics later.]
Geology:
The Storm Mountains comprise actually several chains of mountains of
different origin. The oldest parts come from the seeds Larnste
scattered around Dragon Pass when he met the dragons at their nesting
ground, just off the slope of the Spike. They were made of the cold
earth of the earliest age of the Earth. The rock from this period is of
a light grey with occasional spots and inclusions of darker material,
and viewed thoroughly will show small crystallites intergrated with
each other. Estimated period of origin is the Earth Age, still before
the Green Age.
The next oldest rock found here comes from Lodril's invasion to the
earth, which rose the Vent and the other volcanoes along the south of
the Holy Country. Lodril's children spread into the east as far as the
Wens of Corflu, and into the north as far as the Quivin Mountains. Some
say that the Three Step Isles in the farther south were raised as
mountains in this time. In the centre of this rising stood the Vent in
Caladraland, and like the Vent these mountains show obsidian,
basalteous rock, and layered ash and lava deposits. These rocks were
scorched by the deep fire and generally have a darker colour than the
rest. Estimated period of origin is the late Green Age, when this son
of Aether invaded Earth.
However, most of the mountains were raised in the later Golden Age.
When Umath was born and pushed apart Earth and Sky, the Waters invaded
the surface of Earth. Raging Sea had separated Genertela from the
Spike, and Faralinthor covered large parts of Esrola's land and
neighbouring territory. After Umath had chanced upon the lovers and had
slain Faralinthor, the waters in this region retreated to what now is
Mirrorsea Bay, then hiding-place of Choralinthor. However, the intimate
relationship between Esrola and Faralinthor had left its traces on the
surface now again in contact with Air: chalky sediments, the ground
bones of the children of Molakka, covered wide parts of the land. These
sediments formed a white rock, sometimes permeated with darker bands of
red, black or green, which Tarban the Plow showed to be remnants of
conflicts between various deities in his treatise on the White Cliffs
of Heortland (Lylket Knowledge Temple #103.573.A, copied as Duchamp
Collectanea DC:878.Lyl:TtP.35-3).
The rising of the Storm Mountains occured in two steps. The first was
the famous incident when Larnste had left the Spike to oversee Yelm's
stewardship of the world, and found it wanting, for a chaos thing had
wormed its way into the world and nested there. In his anger, Larnste
stamped on it with his foot, which caused the depression known as the
Footprint. Even though the thing bit the Greater God of the Celestial
Court, its underground lair was smashed and its tunnels collapsed. From
the force of the stamping the earth folded up. However, the thing
remained, and only by the force of Lodril's spear, found left lying
where Lodril had entered the Earth in the huge Obsidian mountain
southeast of the tip of the Skyreach Mountains, which later was
flattened by Argan Argar and made into the Shadow Plateau, and pierced
the thing writhing inside the debris. Lodril had been tricked by Eurmal
into his favourite weapon, the mighty spear of deep fire, in a drunken
wager, and was trapped therein, unable to escape until returning to his
chosen home. Exultantly, Lodril burst forth from his underground home,
spewing out molten earth, rocks, and a huge pall of ash and dust. Kolat
was angered at this pollution of his realm and summoned Bingista, the
Good Wind, who blew this cloud back to where it originated, and covered
the slime of chaos. As a result, the forest there was petrified.
However, part of the dust still fell on the ground, and is found by
miners just above the chalk layers left by Faralinthor.
The folds made by the stamp of Larnste now are the two outer chains of
mountains, creases of chalky limestone, light grey on the surface, but
white in the interior. Sometimes the petrified bones of dragonkind can
be found there, buried before this incident, and highly priced by the
Inhuman King who is said even to have taught draconic magic in exchange
for good specimen of these. Other findings can include giant seashells
and even the occasional giant pearl, like the six used for the
councillors' thrones in the City of Wonders.
The final raising of the Storm Mountains was effected at Orlanth's
commands by his half brothers, sons of of Kero Fin and Lodril, in
gratitude for the aid Orlanth had given to Quivin, one of their number,
against the rage of Vadrus. Orlanth wanted to please his mountain
mother by reestablishing her connections towards the Spike, and the
mountains reached far into the Raging Sea. The sons of Lodril, always
the workers, brought up all the buried rock in praise of their and
Orlanth's mother, so that all kinds of rock can be found in this
middle, and highest, range of the mountains. However, their handicraft
was no mettle against the occasional rage of the storm gods. Once Storm
Bull wrestled with the chief of them, and twisted off his head. The
twisted remains of his body form Stormwalk Mountain, in the southern
part of the range.
During the Storm Age and Darkness these peaks were battered by battles,
and the debris rolled off to form the foothills. Large boulders dot
this region, and treacherously smooth grassy slopes reveal themselves
as piles of rubble gliding of the real slope, sometimes causing
rockslides if trespassed. Another large amount of these peaks was
carried onto the plains when Inora commanded her icy minions to fight
the chaos oozing from the hole the imploding Spike had left. Their
glaciers carried or pushed down finely ground material which forms the
clay hills of the flat plateau. The scraping of the ice tongues still
marks the upper valleys, and they retreated only in a series of
battles, still discernible by the morraine ridges they left in the
landscape. The vast amounts of water melting off the beaten glaciers
cut the deep gorges of the five rivers into the plateau, and spread
wide fans of muddy soil into Choralinthor's hiding place, still visible
when the Blue Streak has plunged downwards. The upper riverbeds
sometimes have ore deposits inside their gravel: silvery remains of the
love between Esrola and Faralinthor, coppery fragments of the bones of
the earth, mixtures of tin and lead from Argan Argar's attempts to
conquer these mountains, where he lost several sons, minuscule
fragments of crystallized gods' blood, splattered up there in unceasing
fights, mostly too small to hold powers except as component for
alchemists' potions. In some places deep wells yield pitch and tar,
remnants of Murthdryas children covered by shells of Molakka's
offspring, used for lighting and building. A few sulfurous and mineral
springs give witness of the ongoing fight of Faralinthor's scattered
fragments with Lodril and his children who imprisoned the dismembered
god.
The interior of these mountains has remained largely untouched by the
children of Mostal. In the Age of Gbaji once they invaded circular
tunnels opening from these mountains, and found them unoccupied, until
they were ambushed by either minions of Krarsht from the Footprint or
troll guards from the Troll Woods, and were either eaten or forced to
flee. The Iron Vrok did not repeat this attempt. For this reason the
treasures of the earth supposedly still are there to be found by
enterprising miners. The royal silver mines, founded during King
Hendrik's Exile among the mountain tribes, give ample proof for this.
Further to the north, the Kitori run mines crewed by hordes of worker
and food trollkin which literally eat their way into the mountains.
Their ore can sometimes be traded from Argan Argar traders, but a
considerable part of the yield is used to outfit the Silver Spears, an
elite unit of dark troll and trollkin spearmen trained to fight the
magical monsters of the Foulblood Woods. The tarnishing powers of Tien
require constant replacement of this metal, which has proven its
effectivity against some chaotic features.
I append copies of the reports of Tarban the Plow on the White Cliffs,
DC:878.Lyl:TtP.35-3, Arinstor Yellowbeard the Taxman's evaluation of
the silver mines of the Martofsaetan, DC:1607.AYb.7-12, a letter from
Mikhil Baron, private Gray Sage from Alda-Chur, on a dating method
based on fossiles in and of limestone, archived as DC:L,1614.AC:MB.1-1,
an excerpt of an alleged partial copy of Zzabur's Blue Book, a gift to
the Duchamp College by King Hendrik the Fourth after his conquest of
Refuge, DC:1254.Ref:Zz.22537-1269, an expertise by Scholar Wyrm on some
fossils found near the Martof Headwaters before trading them to the
Inhuman King, DC:1492.SW:134-5, interviews Korlmarl the Listener led
with various inhabitants of the Mountains, DC:1595.KtL:24-13-*22. Not
included, since ready to your perusal at the Royal Library, were
Agricola's 13 books on the art of mining and the creatures of the Deep,
the Flintnail Dialogues by Herendikos of Pavis, "The Junior Alchemists'
Guide" by the infamous Delecti of Remakerela, Baranwolf's misguided
treatise on metals and crystals, and Stein Meadcalfe's "Metallurgy"
quoting an obscure Loskalmi dabbler in metallurgy. The "Annotations to
Agricola" by Daran Bonehunter will give valuable cross-indexing to
further treatises on this subject.
--
-- Joerg Baumgartner joe@sartar.toppoint.de
---------------------
From: SMITHH@A1.MGH.HARVARD.EDU (Harald Smith 617 724-9843)
Subject: 2nd hearthmother story
Message-ID: <01HHAXFDV8ASS5W770@MR.MGH.HARVARD.EDU>
Date: 19 Sep 94 11:34:00 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 6277
(This story logically follows the story of the original hearthmother's
death and is known throughout Imther.)
The Burden of Ralaska
by Harald Smith and Peter Michaels
Ralaska is the daughter of Lahksar, the Celestial Servant and brother
of Arahar, and Queliska, daughter of Uleria and poet of love. She is
said to have been a favorite child of the heavens, wandering amidst
the celestial hosts. Even the death of Yelem and the withdrawal of
the heavens did little to affect her, though there were fewer to visit
than before.
Eventually, Lagavar the Before Light came to court her. He sent her
gifts of nectar and dewfire. She sent him gifts of jewelled words and
chiming globes. He offered her a place within the Crystal Hall. She
accepted and asked Lokarma to lend her a cart of glowing alabaster.
When she arrived at the Crystal Hall, she found Arahar there and not
his son. Arahar told her that Lagavar was sent upon a mighty quest to
find and restore Yelem to the world. But his love for her was strong
and would endure the quest. He left a fiery circlet for her to wear
upon her head, symbol of his mighty feelings.
Ralaska took the circlet and wore it proudly. She returned to her own
hall to await her beloved. As she composed an epic poem from words of
love eternal, Arahar came to her. Ralaska asked him if Lagavar had
returned. Arahar told her sadly that he had not, announcing that
Ratslaff had come to beg an audience with her. Ralaska refused,
saying that she would attend to no business until Lagavar's return.
Ralaska continued to wait for Lagavar in her hall. As she sang a
wonderous melody from tones of eternal love, Arahar came to her again.
This time his spouse Teliska, Mother of Dance, accompanied him.
Ralaska asked them if Lagavar had returned. They told her sadly that
he had not, announcing that again Ratslaff had come to beg an audience
with her. Ralaska refused, saying that she would still attend to no
business until Lagavar's return.
Ralaska continued to wait for Lagavar in her hall. As she burned a
brilliant brightness from flames of eternal love, Arahar and Teliska
came to her a third time. For a third time Ralaska asked them if
Lagavar had returned. For a third time they told her sadly that he
had not. Ralaska was about to dismiss them again when she caught
sight of a pitiful creature waiting outside her hall. Ralaska's heart
was touched by the way the creature ached to be warmed by her
presence. Ralaska asked Arahar and Teliska who was outside her hall,
and was told that the sorry thing was Ratslaff.
At first, Ralaska could not believe what she was told. The pitiful
creature was nothing like Yelem's Jester, whose jokes and antics could
ignite the holy Light of Joy in the heart of gods and men alike!
Shocked to her core, she agreed to hear the words of Arahar and
Teliska.
They told her of the terrible violence which had befallen the world
below since the Storm gods had come to power, which not even the Clown
could use humor to prevent. They told her of the great despair which
had befallen the world below since the Earth Mother's slumber, which
not even the Clown could bring hope to. They told her of the numbing
cold which gripped the hearts and minds of the world below since
Enveria's death, to which not even the Clown could bring the warmth of
laughter to. They told her of the horrifying nothingness which spread
across the world below since the Children of the Void had ceased non-existing, which not even the Clown could make fun of. Lastly,
Ratslaff himself told Ralaska of the darkness which covered the world
below, which not even Khelmal could bring light to, and that he had
been sent by Khelmal to beg audience with her.
Arahar and Teliska told her of the sleep of the Earth Mother and the
death of the Hearth Mother. They told her that without the warmth of
the hearth fire, the men below would surely fall to the powers of the
evil Storm gods or even the minions of the mighty Void. They asked
that she descend to the earth below and make a hall there for herself
and Lagavar when he returned.
As a child of the Celestial Servant, Ralaska understood. She agreed
to descend to the earth below and become the Hearth Mother, filling
the homes and hearths of the people. She agreed to this only with the
understanding that Lagavar would join her on the earth when he
returned from his quest.
Though she was unsure of this task, she acceeded to it. Like a great
streak, she plunged down from the heavens to the world below. Khelmal
greeted her properly and she offered her aid to him and the people.
She gave to them her fiery circlet, her very gift from Lagavar, asking
only in return that her name be honored along with that of her love,
Lagavar. The people agreed. Khelmal showed them how to take up the
circlet then, and the people lived.
But Lagavar could not return to her. Instead, he was bound by the
cycles of time to ever lead the way for Yelem and to guard the sun's
path from its foes. Though they loved each other greatly, they could
not meet. Grieving, the hearth fire dwindled into ash and part of
Ralaska fled to find Lagavar, though she could not go entirely without
abandoning all the people. Lagavar then sent the cats to her, a gift
to keep that part of her still on earth company, so she would not be
lonely and fall entirely to grief.
---------------------