Rainbow Mounds: darktongue scrolls?

From: Jane Williams <jane_at_...>
Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2001 13:35:25 -0000

Having finished finding lost sheep (Club-foot got away), I'm considering sending the players off to the Rainbow Mounds. Never played it myself, or even read it thoroughly in its RQ form, but it looks like fun.

Reading through the scenario, I see that quite a lot of the rewards are in the form of scrolls in Darktongue.

Given that most Gloranthans are illiterate, who on earthXXXXXlozenge is literate in Darktongue? Even in troll society?

I have one PC and one "follower" (sometimes also a PC) who speak Darktongue: the follower is in fact a trollkin. Is there any correlation between speaking Darktongue and reading it?

The only way I can see this working is if the written form of Darktongue is effectively a recording: you run a needle across it and listen to the sounds. Or something. This might explain why a written language intended to be felt rather than seen is on a scroll rather than carved into a rock.

Or is it taste-related? You eat the scroll, and the range of flavours conveys the message? Very much a one-use item, then.

Presumably other people have run this scenario: what did you do with the scrolls?