I LOVE the table on page 66 in MoLaD. Not that i use it very much as game mechanik, but it is very usable if you need a quick reference for fanatic *element of your choice* worshippers.
I donīt know if the Text of Hepherones (Dawn Age Peloria) in MoLaD or the text of King Bertalor (first Age Seshnela) commented by Tojarinor, a second Age God Learner, in Elder Secrets.
The Elder Secrets list on page 33 and subsequent informations of pages 34, and the article on page 35 differ on one important fact.
In the ELDER SECRETS text it is stated that:
Lead is Na-Metal. Na is Nakala = Darkness
Quicksilver/ Mercury is Sa-Metal. Sa is Sramak = Water
Copper is Ga-Metal. Ga is Gata = Earth
Gold is El-Metal. El is Ehilm (western Yelm) = Fire
Tin is Ze-Metal. Ze is Zrethus (western Dayzatar) = Sky
Silver is Ul-Metal. Ul is Uleria = Life/Love/Fertility
Bronze is Hu-Metal. Hu is Humakt / Umath = Storm
Iron is Ur-Metal. Ur is Urtiam (western for Mostal) = Stasis
The text on page 33 to 34 says that Quicksilver/Mercury and Aluminium are the same; on hard and the other one liquid. Quicksilver is Sa-Metal and Aluminum is Lo-Metal.
The text on page 35 tells us almost the same thing. With one big difference:
Lo-Metal is described, anbd for me it sounds more like BRASS than Aluminium.
So I say:
1.) Quicksilver/Mercury AND Aluminium are the same, AND are BOTH Sa-Metal.
Brass is Lo-Metal. Lo is Lodril = Fire within the Earth
(Isnīt Lodril very much popular in the Brass-Mountains?)
2.) Each element has ONE Metal (Darkness = lead; Water = Mercury/Aluminium; Earth = Copper) but FIRE has three (Gold = Yelm; Tin = Dayzatar; Brass = Lodril), and Storm has "only" bronze.
The fact that Silver is Ulerias metal as well as the metal of the Lunars is okay for me, because the Lunar way is the way of balance and love and unity... which is IMHO also associated with the goddess of love, Uleria.
Cheers
André
This is one of my pet subjects (and irritates some people to no end, sorry)
The elemental assosiations tend to wobble around a bit in every new published version of Glorantha. Here's the aggregate that I think fits best.
[Main elements]
Gold = Fire / Solar Tin = Air (from RQ-1) Copper = Earth Quicksilver = Water Lead = Darkness
[Additional]
Silver = Moon / Stars Iron = Death / Severance
The above avoids having bronze as an elemental metal, and doesn't require the minsing of words by calling it brass (argh!). Bronze still ends up being the metal of the young Storm-Gods, since they are a mixture of Storm-God Umath (tin), and Earth Goddesses (Copper).
We also do away with having two elemental metals for fire/sky, which doesn't feel right to me, and wastes gaming potential.
There are also cool effects and assosiations with the pure runic metals, beyond the stated enchanting effects in RQ:
Fire (gold) = Intelligence Storm (tin) = Strength Earth (copper) = Resilience (constitution) Water (q.silver) = quickness (dexterity) Darkness (lead) = Soul/spirit/fear Moon (silver) = Glamour, illusion(?) Death (iron) = Death, antimagic
***
And so forth.
I think that just works. Some people get upset because this doesn't attempt to remain true to _every_ contradictary canon sourse _at_the_ same_time_. But I think clarity and playability trumps obscure chapter and verse every time.
Make of it what you will friends,
-Adept: Finland, EU
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