Re: Re: Barbarian Adventures

From: Benedict Adamson <badamson_at_...>
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 18:11:56 +0000

contracycle wrote:
...
> From my perspective, I find it hard even to conceptualise
> characters.

Start with a rough approximation, then successively refine it.

Approximation 1 for Heortlings: like vikings/ Anglo Saxons/Celtic/Germanic barbarians.

> I wanted a character who had seen Tarsh in his youth -
> nowhere could I find how plausible it would be for an Orlanthi youth
> to have visited Tarsh.

> I don't have enough recent history in HW to
> guess the "roam range" of Orlanthi or to guess the circumstances at
> the time, so its hard to judge (although I believe there are Orlanthi
> in Pent). I know that for Gloranthans there is a notable difference

Well bloody hell Garreth. Do you REALLY expect an explicit statement of the 'roam range'? Are you saying that you find it IMPOSSIBLE to play HW without that information? 'A fool can ask more questions than a wise man can answer'. Why not make an educated guess based on what is provided, real world analogies and then MAKE IT UP. It's what everyone who plays any RPG has to do ALL THE TIME. But since you ask, I'll try to spell out how I would approach the problem:

• There is a map with a scale. From that I can tell whether it is physically possible for a Heortling (I assume that's what you really mean by 'Orlanthi') to get there. That suggests the answer is yes.
• The Heortling keyword gives Dragonpass Geography as an ability. Not Sartar Geography or Genertela Geography. That suggests the answer is yes.
• Tarsh and Sartar are both part of one empire (the Lunar Empire), and those regions have (under different names) been part of one empire at several times in their history. That suggests the answer is yes.
• Tarsh and Sartar are both inhabited by closely related Orlanthi peoples (Alakoring and Heortling). That suggests the answer is yes.
• You wanted to create a character with that background. That suggests the answer is yes.

Conclusion: YES.

...
> I know that for Gloranthans there is a notable difference
> between the different types of entities from different modes of
> worship, but I don't know how that appears to said Gloranthans,
> despite having asked on this list, so I could not describe the
> distinction to players In Character.

Who cares about these 'different modes'! I think you would do better to quit the hand wringing and just play the game. You don't need to know ANYTHING about the cultural differences within Glorantha to play a campaign set in only one Gloranthan culture. Cut that Gordian knot!

Exercise 1:
> I understand iron is acquired
> only from dwarves, and thus I do not know how it actually arrived in
> my stead - or if it did.

Exercise 2:
> any cultures with distributed power
> systems like the Orlanthi might have an annual or semi-annual mass
> meeting to discuss various politics in the broad; does such a multi
> tribal meeting occur at all, or tribal-level meetings? Are there
> festivals at these events, and what are the regional power centres at
> which they occur?

...