From: MOBTOTRM@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au
Date: Tue 12 Apr 1994 - 13:36:57 EEST
G'day All,
I only know about roads in Sun County, Prax. There is one reasonably good "road" through the County, which passes from Pavis down to Corflu. However, most trade is carried down the river - the wagon ruts in Sun County are broader than elsewhere and bringing a wagon into the area requires a changing of axles. The Lunars have plans to upgrade the Corflu road using their own superior roadbuilding techniques, but the insular Sun Domers oppose such interferance in their internal affairs. Laertes Coatilon, the Light Guide argues persuasively that the Lunar roadmaking skills are better (far better) than their own, and if they let the Lunar engineers in to build it, Sun County would get a superior road for free. However, Invictus and Belvani, the ranking Light Sons, counter this by arguing that such a road would only speed any Lunar invasion, should the greedy Red Emperor ever cast his covetous eyes on the Lands of the Sun. [No one, of course, has bothered to ask the opinion of Light Lady Vega Goldbreath, the Guardian of Sun County. She would point out that the Templars of the Sun Dome could use the road too, and wouldn't that be a good thing?]
I asked in X-RQ-ID: 3555:
What do other people think about making direct comparisons between
terrestrial and lozengial locations?
A number of people argued against the point of view of both myself and the reviewer of DORASTOR in Tales #11 (Peter Erickson, who ain't an e-mailer).
Joerg makes a reasonable point:
>I think it certainly helps the imagination if one can use one's real
>life experience to picture a landscape. As we combine features of
>Terra's cultures for certain Gloranthan cultures, why not use features
>of landscape in Gloranthan context?
However, we don't (or shouldn't) just assume Lunar = Roman, Kralorelan
= Chinese etc., nor are such bald assumptions ever spelled out in RQ
publications.
Sandy says:
>I think it is a useful and highly adaptive gamemastering
>technique. It assists the players in envisioning the world around
>them and the cultures they are encountering.
I agree (hey, Sandy and I agree!). I just don't think specific terrestrial locations should be mentioned in RQ publications.
>1) I just got and am reading Stragers in Prax...seems great so far. I
>particularly enjoy the Lunar Coders, as it is nice to see Lunars who are
>adversaries still portrayed as possessing some of the best qualities of the
>Lunar Empire and its dogma. Of particular note is Nose-Ring, who I think
>makes for an extremely interesting, sympathetic, and complex character.
I'm glad you liked them. They were vaguely inspired by the pursuing Riders in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", about whom the boys frequently turn around in their saddles and exclaim in respectful bewilderment, "Who are those guys?" Each of the Coders has experienced good and bad sides of the Lunar Empire in different ways.
I still haven't got my copy yet, and I impatiently run to my mailbox every day hoping it will be there (I just hope AH remembered to send it air mail!).
Tell me, does the fancy woman on the front cover have PURPLE hair? I've only seen a black and white draft (which looked great), but I asked that this figure (Princess Anderida of Raibanth, no less) do so.
>Sorry. Haven't even read Sun County. Don't even own a copy.
Avalon Hill: send this man a copy! He is, after all, credited for some of the material in it!
And just to show I'm not completely off the track from Glorantha, taking about school and school games made me think: we don't know much about schooling in Glorantha do we? Do the Lunars have a school system I wonder? What about the Westerners - or do Loskalmi go to Adult Education classes to learn to read once they've made it to Wizard status?
Cheers
MOB
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