With perfect access to all Gloranthan material, I'd
still go with the accumulated stuff in the River of
Cradles. (Announcement of bias - I've spent about
fifteen years in this area, and am still gaming
there.)
- Lots of different human and non-human peoples and
cultures, which gives the GM heaps to use in
scenarios, and which the players can learn about the
hard way, if necessary. Let's see - uz, aldryami,
mostali, newtling, morokanth, baboons, tuskriders,
broo, humans... Then there's Lunar, Sartari,
Yelmalion, oasis-dweller, fisherfolk, Old Pavisite,
nomad...
- There are plenty of good-quality scenarios, many
suitable for low-skilled, recent initiates.
- If you feel like allowing PC's from weird
backgrounds, it's pretty easy to justify a large range
of strangeness. The xenophobic reactions of many of
the locals will make for good roleplaying
opportunities.
- It's an area in flux, with a new, powerful empire
bent on civilizing and controlling it to their specs.
So, built-in conflict with the locals who want to keep
on living the way they've always lived, and those who
are willing to go with the flow.
- One can use handy RW analogies in letting the
players visualize the country. Lunar settlers vs
Praxian nomads - American 19thC West; Lunars vs
Sartari - Romans vs Celts, etc. This makes it easier
for the GM and the players to take some things for
granted (if they know their RW history), but still
allow the GM to use the individual differences in
Glorantha to bite the players on the butt if they take
the analogies too much for Gloranthan actualities.
This is useful to bring home to the players that their
characters would make mistakes in dealing with
different peoples and cultures that they encounter.
- There's plenty of wild areas that are mostly
blank, and therefore suitable for the GM to insert his
or her own features. That Vulture's country is great!
- You have the choice of playing on the grand or
small scale always in front of you. The players can
choose to try to really affect the flow of history
(wipe out a Lunar regiment with Oakfed!), or if they
want can play very small scale (rivals courting the
same love object).
- There is reasonable (but not instant) access to
other lands. Corflu, for sea voyages; up into the
mountains for encounters with giants, etc.; back into
the west for the Tarsh, Sartar, Lunar Heartlands (OK,
that's a good trek, I know); east to Kralorela if you
really want to get weird.
- Finally, a great deal of well-written, detailed
material on the major characters, peoples, geography,
history, cults, climate - all the background needed
for a GM to use or abuse as he or she chooses.
So, another vote for the valley of the Zola Fel!
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