Joerg here, again:
>
> Greg Stafford <Greg_at_...> wrote:
>
> Reading "Esrolia - 10,000" that connection is self-evident. Before
> that it was only known that some humans led by Varzor Kitor took up
> residence with the Only Old One, worshipped darkness and gained some
> powers. So all we knew was that the OOO was the friendly patron for
> the Kitori. We didn't know that he shaped a race in his own image.
OK, it is public knowledge now.
>
> >>> but the differences go farther than that, such as in reproductive
> >>> activities. A troll mating with a kitori spawns a troll, etc.
>
> >>Are Kitori matings subject to the Trollkin curse?
> > No. They are not uz, nor descended from Kyger Litor.
>
> Let me clarify that question: are Kitori-Troll-hybrids subject to the
> Trollkin curse? Say a Kitori male in dark troll shape mates with an
> uzko woman. The children would be descended from Kyger Litor through
> the mother. How likely will the curse strike?
None. They are not uz, nor descended from Kyger Litor.
>
> Opposite pairing: uzko father, kitori mother. Will she risk bearing
> trollkin?
No.
>
> What uz shapes do the Kitori master, by the way? Dark troll, or also
> the variants (Great Troll, Trollkin, Mistress Race, even more exotic
> like Cave Troll or Sea Troll)?
I imagine that it could be any of those, but normally the Mistress Uzuz
early on, and uzko later.
> >>And do they "breed true" among themselves, or is there an initiation
> >>required to make their descendants (or anyone else who qualifies) a
> >>true Kitori (master of Darkness)?
>
> > Those who are not hybrids breed true, if they breed at all.
>
> That gives rise to the next question: under what conditions and at
> which rates do they age? Depending on their shape?
I do not know of any who have died of old age.
> >>Basically, this makes them a superior darkness race (or magical
> >>order) compared to dark trolls, and possibly even in comparison to
> >>mistress race trolls.
>
> > According to some opinions, they are "superior," though such
> > judgments are quite superficial.
>
> They appear to be both more adapted to darkness (not as scarred as the
> Uzko) and less daunted by the Surface World.
Appearances may be deceptive.
> >>The Night Jumpers appear to know a secret that defines their
> >>opponents, making them vulnerable to magic that usually would not work.
>
> > Reference?
>
> Mainly the fact that they (of all the subject people of the Kitori)
> regularly raided the Kitori and usually got away with it.
OK. The Nightjumpers had special magic to oppose the Kitori, specifically.
> > But I imagine they might do this for kicks (if they have any sense
> > of humor, of which there is no evidence.)
>
> I rather thought of approaching the same neighbour in different
> functions - e.g. as trader, tax-collector, as friendly raiding
> neighbour, or as defender against raiding neighbours.
Quite possible. We don't know many details about individual Kitori.
> >>> The above is a "secret," or "higher
> >>> knowledge," or some such. [It is always difficult to present
> >>> information of this nature in a manner to differentiate "in world"
> >>> or "out of world" knowledge.]
>
> >>Maybe some kind of "what the troll tribe elders hesitate to whisper"
> >>document for uz in-world experiences with Kitori matings, a report
> >>how the Kitori collect the Shadow Tribute against Hendriki (even
> >>Larnsting?) resistance, an Arkat experience, intelligence reports by
> >>Palangio or Machine City warriors, tossed together similar to the
> >>troll material from the Jonstown library in Troll Gods?
>
> > The amount of popular misconceptions for any race is more vast
> > than any true information.
>
> This isn't limited to the Kitori, but to mundane things like cities,
> roads, or taxes as well, I suppose.
Ignorance about most things is widespread, and replaced with speculation, etc.
> > Something like "Minaryth Purple's Report on the Uz"
> > which has more true information than false is actually quite rare.
>
> Viewing Glorantha through the eyes of an apprentice sword sage, I
> expect some data like Marco Polo's journeys (e.g. Biturian, but more
> likely Tosti Runewolf's travelogue or some companion of Tarkalor's) to
> keep such information.
>
> Lhankor Mhy libraries hoard all kinds of scraps of knowledge, and it
> is quite likely that a lot of those scraps are documentations of
> common believes.
Correct.
> > Most people act on misinformation, and so rub themselves with fern
> > spores to protect them from curses,
>
> <snip impressive list of superstitions>
>
> Much like the Glorantha community chasing wrong leads, then...
Joerg, you are wise. J
> Not so much a question, rather a suggestion how to clothe this into
> in-world information rather than making definite observations from the
> outside.
>
> "... so we jumped those Kitori - what looked like four humans and two
So we jumped the Kitori. There were four humans and two
> dark trolls, all of them wearing those leaden masks and cloaks -- from
Uz, I think, judging from their size and the way they fought. Of course, they were all disguised, as usual.
> among the trees, all fourteen of us, yelling our warband's battle cry.
> Half a purse of tribute they carried from the Dunlaingings, across
> the hills. Well, even before our first javelins could strike any of
> them, they dissolved into liquid shadows. Not just getting fuzzy to
> the eyes, as you do using the Sandals of Darkness, but tangible clouds
> of shadow, still able to deal mighty blows with cloudy fists - I was
> lifted off my feet and hauled into a stand of trees some fifteen feet
> away, and that's why I can tell you this tale. Needless to say that
> our blades and points did little more but inconvenience these demons.
> Four of our band died of fright when they were engulfed, and three
> more from wounds received by would-be rescuers. Darndrev used up two
> years supply of Thunderstones just to keep them at bay, so we could
> collect our fallen. And when the taxmen came next season..."
Nice!
--
> Greg Stafford
> President, Issaries. Inc.
>
> Love without reserve,
> Enjoy without restraint,
> Live without dead time.
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