Re: Junora kingdoms

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_...>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 19:51:30 +1200


At 10:34 15/08/01 +0000, you wrote:

>just wondering if there is any material(fan or official) of the petty
>kingdoms/counties of Junora. I'm running a campaign there, and the
>players are just getting out to explore the Big World. In my campaign
>the year is 1614. I've tried the digest archives, read all my
>materials but couldn't find anything.

There's not much known. Even in much of the fronelan material that ended up on the cutting room floor for the Glorantha: Intro, Junora was given scant attention (although Defin Anostos did receive a bio that concentrated on recent political events).

Junora was once part of Loskalm but a bit of a wild borderlands such that when the Ban fell, the various localities in Junora were isolated from Loskalm and each other.

The Glorantha Book lists three cities: Molene, Einpor and Salisor.

Einpor is governed by the Order of the Red Garter which can be considered a teutonic order state. Defin is Count because he's head (or chief-equal) of the Order. They have a fairly decent army (it attempts to relieve Perfe against the siege by the Kingdom of War) that is all but eliminated at the battle of Hendoros (a small recent ruin within the county of Perfe) for further details - see Glorantha: Intro p75. A dropped line added the detail that the Order of the Red Garter had been instrumental in kicking the God Learners out of Loskalm.

Sog City guidebook mentions a highway from Einpor to Sog and that the Red Garter's chapter house dates back from the First Age. The Hostel of the Chief-Equal is an "old-fashioned inn" (you have to order your drinks in archaic brithini?) on the premises. Also mounted knights have absolute right of way in the King's Road (the aforementioned highway).

Molene is noted as being the site of a County. For this reason, I think that aristocratic government still holds sway here (as it did throughout much of Loskalm before the Ban). The Count can either be an enlightened despot ("I aim to make my subjects, whether they like it or not, into free, opulent and law-abiding citizens") or a diehard reactionary. Either way, his name is mud in Loskalm.

Sog City guidebook mentions an Orlanthi temple there which indicates that Orlanthi are prominent in Molene (but mostly as peasants). The best inn in town is the Thunderclap Inn, where they serve fine seagull pastries.

Salisor OTOH is stated as being a city. Hence I'd run it as a city run by the town burghers with a fairly weak aristocracy. Salisor has only recently emerged from the Ban (the Sog City guidebook credits this to one Notslor, a holy monk from Jonatela. Think of a crazed russian monk and you can't go far wrong).

I should point out that despite the map's appearances, many parts of Fronela are still under the Ban. In fragmented Junora, it's a big hassle trying to keep track of the places that are known so that nobody has much time trying to figure out what places are still under the ban.

Thus your heroes should have plenty of opportunity to find an a manorhouse inhabited by unclean spirits, a village of ogres, a vampire's castle etc.

--Peter Metcalfe

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