From: Joerg Baumgartner (joe@toppoint.de)
Date: Tue 11 Nov 1997 - 23:43:00 EET
At 01:34 07/11/97 GMT, you wrote:
>
>The Glorantha Digest Friday, November 7 1997 Volume 05 : Number 212
>
>
>
>TABLE OF CONTENTS
>
> Lee R. Insley Voriof
> MARTIN HAWLEY Convulsion '98?
> Bernuetz, Oliver: WPG Special Parries
> Simon Bray The City of Wonders.
> Jean.DURUPT@st.com BG,malkioni
> Mystic Musk Ox Axe Trance + others
> Fabian Kuechler THIS TIME: COOKING TENTACLE AND EATING WALKTA
> Nick Brooke Tines Time
> Sandy Petersen RE: Cults
> Richard, Jeff Sartarite Cities and other things
>
>RULES OF THE ROAD
>
>1. Do not include large sections of a message in your reply. Especially
> not to add "Yeah, I agree" or "No, I disagree." Or be excoriated.
> If someone writes something good and you want to say "good show"
> please do. But don't include the whole message you praise.
>2. Use an appropriate Subject line.
>3. Learn the art of paraphrasing: Don't just quote and comment on a
> point-by-point basis.
>4. No anonymous posting, please. Don't say something unless you're ready
> to stand by it.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Date: Thu, 06 Nov 1997 08:24:00 -0500
>From: "Lee R. Insley" <maelstrom@usa.net>
>Subject: Voriof
>
>I was wondering if anyone had a cult write-up for the god Voriof? Also, is
>it generally accepted that Voriof is the god of herders, or are there are
>gods that Orlanthi herders may worship?
>
>Thanks,
>Lee
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 09:31:18 -0500
>From: MARTIN HAWLEY <113330.1240@compuserve.com>
>Subject: Convulsion '98?
>
>Just a quick question, Does anyone know anything about the con. Is it sti=
>ll
>on? I've contacted Lewis Jardine, but alas to no avail. I'd appreciate it=
>
>if antone could fill me in.
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Thu, 06 Nov 1997 10:32:37 -0500
>From: Bernuetz.Oliver@cbsc.ic.gc.ca (Bernuetz, Oliver: WPG)
>Subject: Special Parries
>
>David Cake to Mr. Tines:
>
>>It is a house rule. The official rules are that a special parry
>>stops double APs...
>
>Hate to be a nitpicker but what page of the rules or the official erratta
>is that on? I quote:
>
>RQ3 Rules pg 50 Second paragraph under Damage to Parrying Weapons
>
>"If the parry was a special success, the weapon takes no damage;.."
>
>This refers to the parrying weapon of course.
>
>Next paragraph notes (using the errata) that:
>
>A successful special parry with a battle or hand axe will damage an
>attacking
>weapon that missed.
>
>If I'm missing something in the rules I'd like to know.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Oliver D. Bernuetz
>bernuetz.oliver@cbsc.ic.gc.ca
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 10:51:29 -0500
>From: Simon Bray <101635.32@compuserve.com>
>Subject: The City of Wonders.
>
>Hi All,
>
> I have played/written about the City of Wonders a couple of times. This
>is all IMHO. This is all prior to the Wolf Pirates raids of 1619
>
> THE CITY SIXTH OF SILVERY WATERS
>
> Any sailing vessel of aquatic visitor are investigated by the Pharonic
>fleet. The ships of the fleet a great galleys of unique design, that
>combine both rowers, sails and magic to move. These ships are often
>escorted by Ludoch mermen, who function as marines. The mermen warriors
>sometimes come aboard ships through the use of undine servants. If I
>remember rightly this occurs to Tarkalor's ship, and he also gets into some
>kind of wager between the marine captains and the Ludoch. (Stephen Martin
>or Dave Hall will know more)
>
> The harbour is cyclopean in nature, and many visitors are suprised at the
>extensive use of green aluminium in its fittings. Standing in the docks is
>an impossibly huge polyreme. This immense ship is capable of carrying 4000
>sailors on its decks. It is never has (or will) been used in conflict. It
>is known locally a the "Pharoahs First" and it is widely known that the
>ship was constructed by the Pharoah from the wood of a magical mangrove
>tree. The ship was built by the Pharoah to prove to the Admirals of the
>Right Arm Islands that he was a powerful leader, and how he could master
>the waves. He then sailed the great ship north (Single handedly) to Loon
>Island. He used the magic he had learnt from the "Island Makers" to
>establish the basis of the City of Wonders.
>
> The Water Sixth of the City of Wonders is populated by a number of strange
>groups. The Blind Fishermen are the most famous. Their nets are supposed to
>catch only the sea creature that the fisherman most desires, and often
>bring ludoch maids into the boats. The Fish Guard are a strong military
>force. Each wears a mask of aluminium in the shape of a hideous fish, scale
>mail armour and wields a trident. It is well known that they are able to
>swim like fish and breath underwater.
>
> The Bridge of Water extends high above the harbour, when so commanded by
>the Pharoah. It appears to be either a rainbow coloured bridge of living
>water or a glistening arch of green aluminium. It is known that the nature
>and form of the bridge reflects the mood of the Pharoah. The High Admiral
>of Boats comes to the City of Wonders every Water Day, unless that day is
>holy to one of the Gods of the Sea. He travels along the bridge in a
>ritually carved boat, escorted by the Pelaskos folk and on occasion a fishy
>representative of the Sea King Oolanate.
>
> That is all that I have at present.
>
> Cheers Simon.
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Thu, 6 Nov 97 17:28:54 +0100
>From: <Jean.DURUPT@st.com>
>Subject: BG,malkioni
>
>Hi all
>
>+BG
>On the axe transe debate, Sandy forgot an eleventh way to deal with axe
>transe.
>This spell is useful as long as the BG initiate has an axe to fight
>with...
>A villain could cast fanaticism on the BGor (if she is affected, she can
>no longer parry), and try to break her axe or to disarm her.
>This has the side benefit of taking care about the slash spell too.
>
>+Malkioni
>Jose, Nick and me wrote about the caste system. I think a fourth person
>wrote on this subject too.
>
>IMO, ship captain is a noble caste occupation and ship pilot is a wizard
>occupation.
>
>Peace
> Jean
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 16:35:54 GMT
>From: mab@sdc1.bnsc.rl.ac.uk (Mystic Musk Ox)
>Subject: Axe Trance + others
>
>Re: the problems with Axe Trance etc, one home made solution to this type of
>problem that we have used is to say that a skill can never be raised above
>double the users unmodified value of that skill, whether by bonuses for
>position, spell, or whatever. I always felt that the actual skill of the PC
>ought to count for large effect on the final value. Stops attacks of 2000%
>too! Thus if you go Berserk (tm), then you aren't going to get any more
>percentages to hit from your Bladesharp, though you will get the extra damage.
>
>The basis for rationalisation for this rule (apart from the bit about
>controlling the game), is that if your skill is boosted, you still have
>to have some understanding of how to use that skill, extrapolated from
>your own current understanding. Above this, you just can't handle the
>finesse etc needed. We decided on double the skill because that felt about
>right to us. Use a different number if you like, whatever suits your game.
>
>cheers,
>
>mark buckley.
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Fri, 07 Nov 1997 20:48:44 +0100
>From: Fabian Kuechler <fabian.kuechler@medien.uni-weimar.de>
>Subject: THIS TIME: COOKING TENTACLE AND EATING WALKTAPI
>
>Hello my fellow Tentacles and Walktapis,
>
>we would like to invite YOU! to our SUMMONING of GREATER and OLDER EVILS
>at that OLD GERMAN CASTLE. Bring your own INVESTIGATOR or WALKTAPI to
>join us at...
>
>"TENTACLE OVER BACHARACH"
>The German Cthulhu and Glorantha Event 1998
>29. May - 1. June 1998
>Castle "Stahleck" in Bacharach
>
>Yes! we are back.Yes! we will be at that castle again (for all of you
>who missed this event the last couple of years) AND... IT IS GOING TO BE
>A PARTY.
>
>TENTACLES OF HONOUR:
>Sandy Petersen (USA, Author of "Cthulhu" and countless RQ/Glorantha
>material, Mr. DOOM!?), let us see what horror he brings along this
>time...
>
>David Hall (U.K, Editor of "Tales of the Reaching Moon" and one of those
>
>guys who brought us the REACHING MOON MEGACORP)
>
>Micheal o Brien (Australia, MOB or Mr. MAXIMUM GAME FUN)
>
>FEATURED FREEFORM - HORROS:
>- - "The Lady in Grey" a shocking Cthulhu-FreeForm for about 40 people.
>Written and directed
>by Thorsten Grube, the german Cthulhu-FreeForm-Sensei. Burn your SANITY
>and watch out for that MUMMY.
>
>"The Lady in Grey"
>Setting/Location: Cambridgeshire, Great Britain, City of Cambridge,
>King's College.
>Time: May, 1926
>Date: Wednesday, 22nd thru Sunday, 26th: THE BOAT RACE CAMBRIDGE VERSA
>OXFORD.
>Plot (Player's information): Mysterious findings of human cadavers -
>strange
>apparitions of noise and light - undue storms - common disorientation -
>local
>disturbances in everyday's life
>Possible Player Characters: Sportsmen, Journalists, Dons (=Tutors and
>Professors of The University of Cambridge), Students, Other College
>Inhabitants, Townspeople, former Students, last but not least Friends
>and
>Donators (Royal Family included) ...
>
>- - Long promised and planned, NOW in the making: Joerg Baumgartner and
>his "HEORTLAND FREEFORM" (10-12 people)
>- - "THE KINGS FUNERAL" by Ingo Tschinke. Come on and find out who will be
>
>the next king of Kustria. (10-12 people)
>- - ...and because so many of you had yet not chance to play in it:
>"HEROES OF WISDOM-REVISITED" by Ingo Tschinke. A FreeForm for about
>40-50 people, set in the city of knowledge: Jonstown.
>
>Now SCREAM because these things could also happen to you:
>- - a plentitude of Cthulhu and Glorantha panels, seminars and Lore
>Auctions
>- - game rounds for: RQ/Glorantha, Cthulhu, Pendragon, Elric!, Nephilim,
>Pince Valiant, ElfQuest, MYTHOS etc.
>- - MYTHOS Tournament
>- - MgF-Tournament "The sedain chair of citizen Craine"
>- - The Sanity Loss Game
>- - The Great Conspiracys of Glorantha
>- - "Who will win the Duck Umbrella this time" - Auction. Go and spent
>your last money for out of print RQ-, Glorantha- & Cthulhu material,
>Magazines, Board Games and Nonsense...and bring your own to get rid of
>it.
>- - Live-Action-Trollball with our "4" Referees (MOB, Joerg and maybe
>Lewis Jardine?) also titled
>"How to get hit by 301 Waterbombs"
>- - Hyper-Dimensional-Dragon Pass by Gunnar Kotsch (maybe a Tournament)
>- - Saurintolgy "How I became a dinosaur"
>- - Walktapi-Salvation-Cooking-Pot: throw in some money, have a wish (hope
>that it will become true) and help us to finance our Tentacles of Honour
>
>- - DO IT YOURSELF EVENTS (could be anything you want to do, from playing
>your own games to Live-acting-Dragon Pass)
>- - famous and infamous guests from all over the world
>- - delicous cooked Walktapi and Tentacle food and excuisite vegetarian
>cuisine
>- - excellent german beer, wine, milk and...water (!?), infamous german
>drinking games with Claudia Loroff,
>Latex Leggins (?!?)
>- - and "IN THE STARS-EVENTS" (Art Attack, Sing Along, Live-Music, "How to
>run an Internet FreeForm Game" (not!), a Con T-Shirt...)
>
>SAY: "YES, I LIKE TO BE A TENTACLE!" and CONtact:
>Fabian Kuechler
>"Tentacle over Bacharach"
>Postfach 10 23 02
>99423 Weimar, Germany
>Email: fabian.kuechler@medien.uni-weimar.de
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 19:31:05 -0500
>From: Nick Brooke <Nick_Brooke@compuserve.com>
>Subject: Tines Time
>
> ________
>Love him though I do, I can't see some of Mr Tines' problems.
>
>> Answers will either be right near as damn it; or egregiously
>> "wrong" (modelling one's Lunar Empire, for lack of firm fact,
>> on a real world expansionist Red menace, to take one extreme
>> example)
>
>Erm. Assuming you mean "egregious" in the normal sense, and not
>as some kind of "Greg" pun which I might have missed, are you
>trying to say that modelling aspects of the Lunar Empire on
>aspects of Soviet Communism is somehow incorrect?
>
>If so, this would come as a surprise to many of us here at the
>Reaching Moon Megacorp, and to most attenders of Glorantha-Cons
>in recent years (with singalongs, seminars and freeforms aimed
>at exploring the Red Army, Red Empire, political officers, "New-
>Speak" New Pelorian, etc. etc. ad nauseam for some).
>
>If not, what *are* you trying to say? That the published/public
>RMM "take" on Lunar Commies is "wrong"/"incorrect"/"worthless"?
>I'm baffled, me.
>
>> The intermediate "nothing will get published for a decade or
>> so, and then you'll get Gregged/Sandied/MOBbed/etc".
>
>So? You have ten years good gaming, and can pose as a guru when
>your setting finally arrives near publication. Keep waffling on
>about your favourite corner of the world here on the Digest, and
>when Tales or Tradetalk or whoever are looking for an article on
>your Specialist Subject, they'll ask you first. Then everyone
>*else* out there can be "Tined".
>
>> In the Lunars-as-Commies alternate, the presence of descendents
>> of the few Sun worshipping nobles who escaped the Red Revolution
>> living in penurious exile in surrounding lands, to be used as
>> figureheads for invasions ... suddenly turns out non-canonical.
>
>Well, we've known for years that the Lunars "embraced" Dara Happa
>in a friendly alliance back in the Zero Wane, but fought against
>them in the First Wane. Recent Greggery-pokery hasn't changed that;
>while recent Megacorp shenanigans go to great lengths to stress the
>differences between Dara Happan traditions and Lunar innovations.
>(See frex Andrew Bean's piece in "Enclosure"). So, if you added the
>idea that the Lunars chucked out *all* the Solars to your Glorantha,
>contrary to the information available in old sources, that's fair
>enuff -- but if you want to keep your campaign intact with *a*
>set of exiled Sun-worshipping nobles (perhaps even more aggrieved
>that so many of their compatriots have come to terms with the New
>Order), I don't have a problem with that. Not all Dara Happans love
>the Red Moon; not all Solar Nobles are loved by the current Empire
>or Emperor; power politics always create losers, exiles and the
>dispossessed (just look at Duke Raus!).
>
>::::
>Nick
>::::
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 18:23:04 -0600
>From: Sandy Petersen <SPetersen@ensemblestudios.com>
>Subject: RE: Cults
>
>George Harris
>>If we're comparing the relative effectiveness of warriors in different
>cults, then they should be compared in similar >situations; a BG
>priestess is no more helpless than a Humakt Sword or ZZ Deathlord when
>ganged up on.
> Yes she is, because her spells tend to be useful only when
>boosted to high levels. Humakti & ZZ don't rely on their subordinates
>for their fighting prowess. Therefore, a BG priestess tends to have much
>weaker assistants than the Humakti or ZZ - hers have had to learn
>Mindlink, give her their Slashes, spend their MPs on her behalf, etc.
> Her cult emphasizes a focus on an individual with great powers,
>while Humakt, ZZ, & Storm Bull rely on a mass of skilled warriors.
> Comparing them one-on-one is as unfair as comparing a Chalana
>Arroy priestess to an Eiritha cultist.
>>if you insist on comparing one vs. five, how about a BG preistess with
>8d6 Axe attack vs. one Humakt Sword >with five uses of Truesword?
> The one Humakti Sword casts his 5 Trueswords on each of 5
>different swords. 1 pt of Truesword is absolutely superior to 1 pt of
>Slash. If you face a situation where numbers are useful, the Sword is
>better. If you are in a position that a single person is more useful,
>then the BG priestess has a significant edge.
>George gets down to the bottom line:
>>Anything that another cult can do, Babs can do as well.
> Storm Khans have access to sylphs, which are more valuable than
>gnomes for most purposes. Storm Khans are better against chaos. Storm
>Khans get access to special magic spirits more easily than BG does.
>(Here I'm referring to the Heart of the Bull, Hooves of the Bull,
>Testicles of the Bull, etc.) Also, the allied cults of the Khans are
>superior to those of BG in many ways.
> Deathlords get good attack spells (Fear, Sever Spirit, frex)
>plus the dynamite Seal Wound spell.
> Orlanthi have an extremely fine spell array (Teleport,
>Thunderstone, Lightning, Darkwalk, etc.) and a host of terrific allies -
>the only cults comparable to Orlanth in the quality and variety of
>allied cults are Yelm and Pamalt; with the Red Goddess a runner-up.
> Humakti get gifts, which can be a significant bonus so long as
>no one takes advantage of a geas. They're better against undead, and
>can't get turned into Undead. They have a cool attack spell (Sever
>Spirit). They have numerous defenses against treachery (Oath, Detect
>Truth).
> Wachaza has good attack spells and access to two types of
>elementals.
> Golden Bow kicks butt. Two-handed axe wielders tend to be
>infantry. My money's on the horse archers.
> Seven Mothers gets help from chaos, has excellent attack spells,
>and tend to be reinforced by the "third most skilled magicians in
>Glorantha" (after the Malkioni & Kralori).
>
>Babeester Gor has no attack spells, weak allied cults (insofar as combat
>goes, that is), are very specialized and rare, and tend to be heavily
>under the thumb of a bunch of pacifistic earth priestesses.
>
>I like BG a lot, but I consider her one of the _less_ flexible cults in
>Glorantha, not one of the most. If you're going on a combat-only mission
>in which you plan to fight humanoids, I would say that she is one of the
>finest religions to have on your side. But anything else and she's
>somewhat out of her element.
>
>SLASHES & CRUSHES
> The RQ2 Slash will not work properly in RQ3. You see, the slash
>is supposed to be inferior to the impale, and the impale was itself
>lessened in RQ3. In fact, the RQ3 impale is identical to the RQ2 slash.
> My campaign treats a slash as "maximum weapon damage" not
>counting damage bonus. It counts a crush as "maximum damage bonus". If
>you have no damage bonus, I add 1 to the damage done so you get
>something. If you have a negative damage bonus, then of course Crush is
>useful for you (since it's never worse than -1).
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Thu, 06 Nov 1997 11:14:42 -0800
>From: "Richard, Jeff" <Jeff.Richard@metrokc.gov>
>Subject: Sartarite Cities and other things
>
>After a bit of an absence, I thought I'd pipe in on the subject of
>Sartarite cities and a few other things.
>
>The ever-learned Joerg Baumgartner (nice improvements to the web-page
>BTW!), responded to Mr. Tines' disbelief about the Sartarite cities:
>>Well, it didn't start out like that, but Orlanthi have always had an urge
>>to cluster to cities even despite clan or tribal differences.
>>The First and Second Age Orlanthi chieftains (princes) were a splendid
>>combination of barbarian warlords and shrewd merchant princes, ruling
>with their
>>sizeable hird of warriors from their fortress cities, which provide them
>>and their warriors with almost all the speciality craft skills needed.
>
>Part of the confusion of the issue surrounds the word "city". In the
>First Age and Second Ages, the Orlanthi "cities" were, by and large,
>similar to the archaic Greek "civitas" - basically a fortified community
>gathering site where there would be holy sites, public gathering sites,
>maybe the king's hall, etc. Most folk would have lived outside of the
>walls. Remember, one of King Heort's techniques for triumphing over the
>darkness was to build forts for his peoples. An example from the Dawn
>would be Stravulstead east of the Kordros Island in what is now Tarsh,
>which was a town and temple enclosed by cyclopean walls, or Berensted on
>the Black Eel, which was a hillfort village and temple center.
>
>I believe that trade is what transforms some of these fortified "temples
>and public meeting sites" into "cities".
>
>>Third Age Orlanthi suffered from Alakoring's curse of disunity, aka cult
>>of Orlanth Rex, which propagates small tribes with lots of tribal "kings"
>>who are little more than glorified chieftains. Often they overcame this
>>problem, as in Sylila, Tarsh, or Heortland, only to become a target for
>>other large nations. As soon as Sartar reached this stage, look who
>>invaded...
>
>Actually, I think that the Third Age dilemma is more complicated than
>this. One problem is that the traditional large-scale political
>institution that unified the Heortlings - the actual Kingdom of the
>>Heortlings - "became the EWF" and never returned. In the Second Age, the
>>Ring of the Heortlings was taught draconic wisdom by the Hunting and Waltzing
>>Bands and formed the EWF. A pyramid scheme, the EWF gave a tremendous amount
>>of power to a small handful of people. Many priests were amongst the first
>>people to learn the draconic way and thus
>>were prominent in the EWF. However, most of the Heortling peoples were not
>>privy to the higher mysteries of the draconic path and continued to follow
>>their old ways - albeit as supporters of the EWF. The old tribes became
>>increasingly fossilized and irrelevant and were eventually discarded by the
>>increasingly arrogant EWF.
>>
>>Alakoring taught new rites of kingship that gave the king power over the
>>priests and "took his war to Aggar, and to Holay" but was slain before he
>>could reestablish the Ring of the Heortlings. Instead, the Foreigner King
>>Verenmars managed to assemble a Ring of Peoples against the EWF and founded
>the Kingdom of Saird. With the destruction of Dragon Pass at the
>Dragonkill, the regalia of the Heortlings has been scattered, lost,
>destroyed or forgotten. Thus the plight of the Third Age Orlanthi.
>
>Sartar used his "City-Rings" to establish new centers that could be used
>by several tribes each - an attempt to unify the Quivini through trade.
>Remember that along with the Grazelanders the Sartarites occupy a key
>choke point in trade from the rich lands of Kethaela to Peloria.
>
>Oh yes, I wanted to emphasize my agreement with Sandy Peterson that THE
>LUMP IS WRONG. In fact, to show how much I agree with Sandy's
>conclusion, I want to express that I completely disagree with Sandy when
>he wrote:
>
>>I don't care for the Elmal history myself, so I just ignore it. I advise you
>to do the
>>same.
>
>Just to give an example how you too can ignore the pundits of the digest
>- - my advice is to ignore Sandy on this one and embrace Elmal. Dump
>Yelmalio outside of Prax (where MOB's retentive Sun Domers are too good
>to get rid of)! Sartarites need there own Sun god, not some wanker elf
>god.
>
>Jeff
>
>------------------------------
>
>End of The Glorantha Digest V5 #212
>***********************************
>
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>
------------------------------
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