Re: HW Ancient Greece?

From: Andrew Solovay <asolovay_at_...>
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 14:08:00 -0800

It occurs to me that Ancient Greece is very Gloranthan in the way that the mythologies kept shifting to accommodate cultural clashes. Weirdoes show up from the east worshipping a god of wine and madness--why, that's actually Zeus's son Dionysus! (You've never heard of him? Well, that's because he had a mortal mother and was born this way...) People in such and such a valley worship a horned god named "Everything" ('Pan')... well, he plays the flute, right? Sure, we'll make him the God of Running Around Playing the Flute. Um, still named "Everything", I guess.

God-learners explain that the gods "Sun" and "Moon" (Helios & Selene) are actually just faces of the more versatile gods Apollo and Artemis--but the common folk don't buy it. (Shades of Elmal/Yelmalio?) Those savages out west worship Jove and Mars... well, now that you mention it, Jove and Mars are more than a little like Zeus and Ares, right? Sure, gotta be the same. (Seriously--I wonder if that kind of thing was an inspiration for Greg?)

So while the magic may not quite match Glorantha's, lots of the atmosphere is kind of close. Lots of fruitful adventuring possibilities there--e.g. figuring out just which god those savages are "really" worshipping, and how to propitiate them. It all boils down to heroquesting.

Just some thoughts, is all...

--AMS