I am going to try to answer some questions in general. However, of course, YGWV.
> From: "Joshua Neff" <figaro9_at_...>
> Subject: lunar heroquests
>
> I'm still trying to wrap my head around heroquests. One thing that's
> getting me: it seems as if every example I read has the heroquest
> involving ancient heroes & gods--"Our ancestor, in the Dawn Age,
> fought the Jewelled Dragon of Five Dangers & saved our village." Now,
> the lunar religion isn't nearly that old,
Not so!
The Lunar religion goes all the way back to the start of mythology!
Depending on when you consider myth to have begun, She was there.
>so I'm wondering about a
> hero in the 1620s doing a heroquest based on a Lunar hero or Lunar
> diety. Are all heroquests based on very old deeds,
Standard HeroQuests are generally based on Creation of something.
>or are there more
> recent heroquests, & how do these figure with the Hero Plane and Gods
> War? For example, heroquests involving Yanafal Tarnils, Irippi Ontor,
> & Hwarin Dalthippa (all dieties that a figuring in my game in one way
> or another), or heroes of those dieties--how would those tie in to
> the Gods War?
Their connection to the ancient Gods War are pretty much nonexistant. They performed these deeds within the realm of Time. Hence they are different.
From: "bankuei" <Bankuei_at_...>
> Subject: Re: lunar heroquests
> First, like many new religions, there are always claims to how it ties
> into the ancient
> past.
These are not claims, but in fact, truths. The Goddess has had many lives.
> as the Lunars are concerned, the Red Goddess has "always" existed, and
> simply has
> gone through a cycle from empty (Red goddess who?) to full moon(Empire!)
This is the "official II" view as well.
While I will be among the first to say that there are even people alive in the Lunar Empire today who believe and insist that the Lunar Religion is a cobbled together modern cult (damn Solars!), the external facts as I know them are that She was alive, has gone through those cycles, etc.
I imagine that part of the HeroQuesting of the future will be that people will eventually gather together all the worshippers who believe it is a made-up religion and all those who think otherwise, and then have a tremendous HQ Challenge to prove one or the other.
> Second, her ascent, and the deeds of the 7 mothers are also "recent" but
> still
> incredible HQ opportunities. Their deeds are in fact, "more powerful"
> because they
> happened recently, and prove the power in the Lunar ways(as far as the
> lunar
> followers are concerned, anyway).
It is posible to go to many of the "historical" events and participate as
one of the lesser folk, or even replace the original actor in the HQ.
For instance, the "strange hordes of beings that come from the sky" in so
many descriptions of epic battles include heroquesters coming to
participate.
Of course, the ramifications are tremendous in "replacing" a main actor if
you try to do something different. It is hard to replace a key figure of
course, and impossible for an enemy to do so. It would be impossible for
an anemy to replace Deezola at the Renativity, for instance. And if your
character tried to replce someone, it is possible that he would be
absorbed by the actual entity, and whatever change was initially sought
would be wiped out.
> Finally, and linked into the first concept, you have the Lunars
> syncreticizing other
> religions as they go. "Oh look, see, your god was just a child of our
> Goddess, long
> ago, here's the myth to prove it!" As time passes on, eventually the two
> myth ideas
> become so intertwined that people think that its always been that way.
You can say what you want, but if the HQ doesn't prove it, it's not true. It's just another lie, another of the millions of false myths and misunderstandings that exist in Glorantha.
I can not emphasize that there are thousands of false myths and worthless practices in Glorantha. In general we at Issaries publish what we know to be the truths. But there are thousands of falsehoods that are believed, thousands of cults that return nothing, thousands of con men willing to prey on the gullible.
> So, the questions that can't really be answered for everyone, but is
> interesting for
> groups to consider:
>
> Is the Lunar way actually ancient, and simply forgotten for a while?
As I said, it's a great debate even in the Empire.
And I will emphasize that there are people who believe the same about the
Solars!
There are people who believe that Orlanth is nothing but a perverted
worship of Shargash.
There are people who know that Murharzarm is Yelm, but others who believe
differently, and their practices reflect their beleifs. Not the fact,
always, but their beliefs.
Rememer that HeroQuesting is not a casual thing. It is always a Big Deal to do something other than what is done routinely in the rituals and ceremonies. It is HARD to prove something.
> Fun stuff, and perfect for players to find out, answer, or change on their
> very own Heroquests.
This is of course the point. Play with it! Make up your own mind! Issaries can give our official version, but I fully anticipate that your campaign will vary.
> From: donald_at_...
> Subject: Re: lunar heroquests
> Most of the Lunar Gods are borrowed from another culture and a lot of
> the myths relating to those gods carry over.
I would not agree with this.
YT is not Humakt, though at one point he was a Humakti, sort of...
There are analogues for many of these entities. They are not exact.
> From: Agent Groove <coridan_at_...>
> Subject: Re: Re: lunar heroquests
> While Greg did say to me that he 'wasn't interested in other people's
> Gloranthas' when I met him at Gencon '99,
Of course, this is not precisely my quote. My intrest is not in publishing
them, and I just don't have the time or energy to debate about a Glorantha
where Zeus and Pecos bill live.
But I want YOU to do it.
>I am interested in making my own
> MGF Glorantha. This means exploring some alternatives to canon. This, I
> feel, is in the spirit of what Greg intends for *playing* Glorantha.
You are right.
> I've always thought that Argrath and the other rebel leaders were smart
> types - dynamic, innovative, not conservative Orlanthi at all. While true
> to their old lore. they seem to me to be willing to use any weapon, short
> of
> Chaos (and perhaps Sorcery) to free Sartar and break the power of the Red
> Moon.
You are right.
It will take many more scenario books for this to play out, but it is so.
They in fact are going to adopt many Lunar ways.
Look at the story in KoS. Note where he raises a Temple to the Reaching
Storm. This marks a major moment of change. After tht time you will be ble
to play your ("New") Orlanthi and ("Reformed") Lunar characters together.
> Enough of my ramblings.
All wonderful stuff Chris, and the type of stories that I imagine enliven the best, riskiest and most entertaining campaigns.
--Greg Stafford
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