> "Bronze" is not really bronze as real world bronze is copper and
> tin. It is mined from the bones of dead gods, and its properties as
> far as strength, flexibility and weight are in someways comparable
> to terristrial bronze, and in other ways totally different. The
> cultural developments, the physics, everything is different.
> And so too I imagine with ships.
Indeed. Some of the naval technology of Glorantha is strange indeed.
Take for instance the notion that the Waertagi don't row their dinghies - the story "Aftal the Waertagi" has them paddle their ships.
Evidently the Waertagi were used to having their ships propelled by other means - water beings, or tamed currents - so they did not bother to investigate any other technology.
Errinoru's Elf Gallega is a sailing ship that bears no similarity with the local human ships (Maslo catamarans), but that seems to have borrowed from Artmali or East Islander "look and feel" (I hesitate to say ship-building technology in this context).
The Mostali design could be an imitation of the Waertagi dugouts, eliminating the nasty "Growth" component by using concrete rather than sea dragon carcasses. The paddle wheel might be taken as evidence, too.
> Further, with magic and the gods,
> etc. mucking about, the world will be full of things seemingly
> anachronistic, but are just the way they are in Glorantha (such as
> flintlocks and bronze age cuirasses).
That's why I make a stand for multisailed masts for the ships of the late Storm Age navies (Helerings and Artmali). Look at the clouds billowing out in more places than one, and that's the impression I expect the Helering ships to make. Similarly, I see lots of extra tack on the masts of the Artmali yachts.
> It all works, as long as you
> play with the spirit of fun and "realism" that makes the world work
> for you.
> No one should have galleons shoved down their throa, but, on the
> other hand, no one should feel shamed out of them if they work in
> their Glorantha. Frankly, like everythinging in this detailed and
> elaborate world, it sometimes feels more like a PhD project in a
> combined major of history/anthropology/political science and
> comparative religion than a game,
That's part of the fun in these discussions - there is a lot you can learn when someone peeps up who is a professional. These discussions are irrelevant for most peoples' games, unless they provide some hooks for events or challenges.
I guess that more readers and referees will be familiar with terms like "jibe" and "tack" than with trireme maneuvers like "diekplous". If you really want to learn about this, you might start in the links section of this group (an alternative to tinyurl): http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldofGlorantha/links/
> Speaking for myself, I am pretty much stuck with
> what I know from having seen several Sinbad movies, a slew of pirate
> movies with Errol Flynn et al, and the ocean battle in Ben Hur. Not
> exactly graduate seminar background.
What, no Viking movies?
> And then the world oceans in
> Glorantha just are not like the oceans that faced our best know
> bronze and early iron age analogs (Greeks, Egyptians, Phoneacians,
> Romas, Cathagenians etc.) No protected Middle Sea for Glorantha,
> but the coasts and then the vast expanse between continents or
> among the islands.
American conditions, really, without the land bridge since the implosion of the Spike. Adding the magical dangers of the Closing (still only bypassed by the ritual of Opening), this makes blue sea sailing difficult even with suitable ships. Going out on the Atlantic with a trireme is nothing Thor Heyerdahl would have attempted, IMO.
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