From: Nick
Date: Sun 08 Sep 1996 - 19:53:00 EEST
RE: Copy of: Re: Seshnela
Hi, Andrew:
> I have a bunch of questions about Seshnela, and if you wish you could answer
> them on the Digest so everyone benefits and they make it into the archive.
Generally, I'd prefer this. Apart from anything else, you will get more and
better answers, and we'll *all* learn something new.
> Do you have any better maps? I would like info (basically names and sizes)
> of forts, cities, villages, etc.
I'm not aware of any maps of Seshnela which go into that much detail. That
includes all the maps I've seen out at Chaosium. The maps in the Genertela Book
are the best available, although I feel rather attached to our Second Age
Seshnela map from the "University of Sog City Guidebook" (the HtWwO players'
guide to the West).
> It looks like you ran a campaign there so I figure you probably have a lot of
> that info.
Wrong, I'm afraid.
> Couldn't figure out from the articles how feudal Seshnela is. Is there
> constant battling of knights from neighboring counties (over whatever), or
> do they only fight against the east?
Seshnela is the land of Brutal Feudalism: like the early Arthurian period in
> How strict is the general population towards Rokarism. Are there closet
T.H. White's "The Once and Future King", or indeed in Pendragon's "The Boy
King". Knights from neighbouring lands have long-outstanding grudges against
each other, which (when the King isn't looking) they happily indulge in.
Seshnela is *not* a very united kingdom; many knights and barons would regard
the King's wars in the East as an unwelcome distraction from their own selfish
activities back home. (Which may be one of the reasons for the King's wars, of
course: he doesn't *want* to give his nobles the time to strengthen their own
positions).
> Orlanthi? Are there closet anything else? In TotRM it describes sins and
> taboos but culturally what happens if they are broken. Do people just say
> "You're going to burn in hell," or do they burn them at the stake? Are
> most sins overlooked?
The Holy Rokari Church is a harsh institution, much given to Inquisitions and
witch-trials. It's also hugely corrupt, so a blind eye is often turned towards
its own decadence and the sins of the nobility. This has, of course, failed to
impress the peasants, who see plainly that it's "One Law for us, another for
them." The lords of the Church are carried around in palanquins, wear robes of
purple, sit on velvet cushions, and dine on exotic foodstuffs: their pudgy
fingers swell around their golden rings, and their jowls shake with wine-fuelled
revelry...
There are, of course, some good, pious Rokari: humble God-fearing Peasants,
chivalrous Knights, charitable Priests and virtuous Lords. There is a clerical
"reform" movement, known as the White Wyzards, who think the Church should
divest itself of its worldly wealth and work for the good of everyone. There are
ascetic hermits in the wilderness who are genuinely holy. And all these people
are Rokari, too. As are the Flagellants, not yet condemned as heretics by Holy
Church for their excess of zeal...
The populace as a whole are not religious fanatics (few peoples are). There
would, of course, be widespread shock if Demon-worship (worship of any other
deity) were discovered in the community, and that could hardly be overlooked. On
the other hand, there would be similar dismay if the village priest were to
denounce the maypole (or whatever local festival) as a pagan ritual. I'm sure
there is "closet worship" of some pagan deities, and that others have been
assimilated as local "Saints" -- also, of course, that some of the Bad Guys in
Seshnela worship *real* Demons. Whether a sin is overlooked or not depends on
who commits it, who catches them at it, and what their position in the community
might be.
People do vary. Some will be refreshingly cynical, some will be frighteningly
pious, some will be simple folk who follow their religion's teachings without
trying to understand them, and others still will spend little thought upon the
matter, merely paying lip-service to Holy Church. I'd like playing among Rokari
to feel like playing in the RW Middle Ages: the spectrum of belief is dizzyingly
wide, ranging from Saint Francis, through Robin Hood and Richard the Lionheart,
to Tomas de Torquemada. All Christians, in their way...
Seshnela is meant to be the archetypally "feudal mediaeval" part of Glorantha,
so feel free to use it that way. Something like Norman England or pre-Chivalric
France; a time when life was nasty, brutish and short, and Knights were nasty,
brutish and tall (for the most part). There are various Ideals of ancient
Malkionism, Hrestolism, Piety and Chivalry which certain people feel impelled to
live by: but for the most part, Rokari are "realists" -- their religion works
because it accepts human nature as what it is, warts and all. Unlike the cant of
the hypocritical Hrestoli Idealists, always prattling on about Truth and Virtue
and Honour with their noses too high in the air to see what's going on right
under their eyes...
Must dash, my fiancee's just come home!
Toodle-pip,
==== Malkioni Scriptures!
Nick New WWW material just in at:
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