Re: Digest Number 270

From: Martin Dick <martin.dick_at_...>
Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2001 00:26:09 +1100


Hi,

I've moved my detailed replies to Peter
across to the Glorantha Digest as it's
way too heavy for here. Just a couple of points for here.

  1. Greg has spoken, he's not a Superhero, just a Hero, but a pretty damn impressive hero in my books still. And I would still say he is extraordinary in terms of Glorantha as apart from the Eastern islanders, a pacifistic hero is extraordinary.
  2. After going back and re-reading Sartar's role in King of Sartar, I'm more convinced that he couldn't have not had a major and permanent afect on the culture of the Dragon Pass Orlanthi.
  3. Having the worship of Sartar as a significant element in 1620s, with people still placing the nation first to my mind adds a layer of interest to the whole rebel saga. If mistrust and enemity between clans and tribes is the norm everywhere, you miss out on a point of conflict in your games.

Clans are not monolithic, if there is a faction in your clan open to approaches based upon the restoration of the princes of Sartar, then this opens up possibilities for roleplaying.

If there's a bunch of the Black Oaks who are willing to join up with you to kill the Lunar general who desecrated the tribal temple and neither group is powerful enough to do it alone, you have to think

Are they betraying us, of course they're Black Oaks you can never trust them, but wait that's old Gunnar who served in the Prince's Guard when he was young and still observes day 88, maybe we can trust him, after all as much as we hate the Black Oaks, the Lunars are worse.

or maybe old Gunnar, your great-uncle who used to be a guard for the prince years ago, is now too sick and begs you to continue the Day 88 rituals to maintain the clan's link with Sartar. But the clan chief doesn't want to risk being caught by the Lunars, so tells you not to do it. What do you do?

Or your clan is responsible for maintaining part of the roads of Sartar, the Lunars have ordered that you maintain the road, but without the magics of Sartar, the effort required will mean that you can't get the crops planted properly. Do you revert to the banned worship of Sartar to maintain the roads, possibly starve in winter or let the road degenerate and get in trouble with the Lunars.

Maybe it's only 15 or 20% of the Sartarites who think along these lines, but by making this a part of your campaign, it adds another dimension to the stories about your clan, along with the clan feuds and backstabbing and treachery that other people have been talking about.

Martin

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