> --- Mikko Rintasaari <mikrin_at_...> wrote: > >
> > But I like
> > the imagery of the
> > early iron age, and it seems in line with the RQ-2
> > era logic. The common
> > man wears leather and bronze, only heroes get iron.
>
> A point you may be overlooking here is that the metal
> referred to as "bronze" in Glorantha is not as soft as
> its RW namesake, nor as incompetent at holding an
> edge. Nor is it an alloy. It's much more like RW iron,
> except that it doesn't rust.
I never liked that line myself. Feels like such a copout. I use Gloranthan bronze like bronze, but a competent weaponsmith of course knows smithing-songs and the like (enchanting, that is) that makes it possible to exceed the normal limits of bronze weapons.
So a Sartarite smith can indeed create a 2h sword from bronze, but it takes time and skill (and help from Gustbran, for instance)
> The main reason iron is so rarely used in Glorantha is
> because of the unfortunate effects it has on magic if
> not enchanted: and enchanting it is tricky.
Iron is rare and wonderous. The metal of war and death. This is very neat.
> No doubt this is an over-simplification, but thinking
> of Gloranthan bronze and iron as being the same as
> their RW counterparts is an even worse one.
Of course there's more to the metals than that, but I still like the bronze to be bronze. Pure elemental metals are a chapter all to themselves.
But, styles and emphasizes vary...
-Adept
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