From: David Dunham (dunham@pensee.com)
Date: Tue 23 Dec 1997 - 09:51:52 EET
Lee Insley replied to me
> >It might be a useful service if someone actually digested the Web.
>
> That was the main purpose of my web page. I have collected a series of
> links to articles I have found interesting on Sartar and have compiled the
> list into one convenient place.
I hadn't visited your page (and the annoying ads your ISP forces on us)
recently; it does do an admirable job at consolidating information on a
particular topic. But neither it nor Kim Englund's splendid link collection
is what I'm talking about, which is more like an abstract service -- and
one which would be useful for people without Web access (who I suspect
still exist).
This is NOT the same as each individual announcing changes to their web
sites; it would be more useful since it would consolidate such changes.
(Authors could e-mail announcements to whoever decides to perform this
service; this would make his or her job easier.)
Peter Metcalfe wrote
> >* If there were a Battle of Castle Blue II, what would Humakt's stats be
> I would use Onslaught's published statistics and give him the
But what would his black T-shirt read?
> appearance of M. Laurie.
Nikk Effingham (whose web page seems broken) wrote
> I'd much
> prefer to read a description of an ancient holy spot in mid Ralios than to
> skip through a debate about Cats and Dogs
Hmm, that sounds like a challenge...
Fords are often sacred spots in East Ralios. They represent a boundary
between the two sides of the river. But they're also where water and earth
come together. Many saga battles take place at fords, either because they
too are a coming together of powers, or simply to control the crossing
place.
The most famous ford of all, Lidi Ford, where Orlanth slew Ehilm, is now
lost to us (except by heroquesting). The Lankoring sages cannot even agree
which river it crossed.
During the Darkness, the Naskori fought against the Triolini, water-folk
who lived in Lake Nralar before the lands rose in the north and spilled its
waters into Lake Felster. The Naskori preferred to fight from horseback in
those days, and the hooves of their herds churned up the clear waters of
the streams and aggravated the Triolini.
Palorn Tra was a man from one of the clans who fished the shores of the
lake. They had many feuds with the Naskori, who even in the days before
Arkat were a knavish and treacherous folk.
Palorn Tra had married a Triolini woman, and so he fought against the
Naskori. His boat had a huge spear at the front, and a sail made of
seal-skin. He had a wind from Humath that would blow his boat into battle,
even on land. His spear Throat-piercer had long points at each end, and
even if he was surrounded, he could kill foes behind and in front of him.
Palorn Tra led his men against the Naskori, and they met at what is now
called Barking Ford. The Naskori had more men, but Palorn Tra stood in the
ford, and swore he would defend it until the last Naskori was slain, and
their horses as well. He challenged the Naskori to send their champion.
Anador Flintside came to fight. He was known for wounding Triolini, then
throwing them in the rocks so that when they died, their blood couldn't
flow back to their lake. His shield was named Impassable, and nobody had
ever struck a blow past it. He rushed Palorn Tra, holding Impassable in
front of him. Palorn Tra did the Rock Skipping Feat, and cut down Anador
Flintside from behind. Then he cut off his head, and threw the body to the
fishes.
Then Alamal One-foot came riding forward. Alamal never left his horse,
Goldmane, and used an enchanted hoop for a shield. He pulled on the reigns
just before Goldmane reached the river, so the horse leaped up to crush
Palorn Tra under its hooves. But when it landed, Palorn Tra wasn't there,
and both ends of Throat-piercer were drenched in Alamal One-foot's blood.
Then he cut off his head, and threw the body to the fishes.
Morveye the Sacrificer was next. His sister had married Alamal, so he swore
vengeance. In a rage, he rushed into the river, seized Palorn Tra, and held
him under the river. He had the strength of his brother-in-law added to his
own, so Palorn Tra couldn't break free of his grip. But Palorn Tra could
hold his breath for as long as it takes to cook porridge, so being
underwater didn't harm him. He had a knife in his boot, so he kicked off
his boots, grabbed the knife in his toes, and buried it in Morveye. Then he
cut off his head, and threw the body to the fishes.
The three greatest champions of the Naskori were now food for the trout. No
one dared face Palorn Tra. But the Naskori warlord ordered his men to shoot
Palorn Tra with arrows. The hero fell, pierced at least twenty times. The
Naskori galloped towards the river, and Palorn Tra's men fled.
But when the horses were halfway across, Palorn Tra's body began to bark.
The horses were terrified, rearing up and throwing their riders. It was the
Naskori's turn to flee before the horrible sound of Palorn Tra's spirit.
Palorn Tra still guards the ford, and his barking shout is still heard any
time a rider attempts to cross. To this day, no horse can cross Barking
Ford.
David Dunham <mailto:dunham@pensee.com>
Glorantha/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html>
Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein
------------------------------
End of The Glorantha Digest V5 #301
***********************************
To unsubscribe from the Glorantha Digest, send an "unsubscribe"
command to glorantha-digest-request@chaosium.com. Glorantha is a
Trademark of Chaosium Inc. With the exception of previously
copyrighted material, unless specified otherwise all text in this
digest is copyright by the author or authors, with rights granted to
copy for personal use, to excerpt in reviews and replies, and to
archive unchanged for electronic retrieval.
WWW at http://rider.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.7 : Fri 13 Jun 2003 - 22:33:48 EEST