From: G. Fried (address.removed@nowhere.tld)
Date: Tue 12 Apr 1994 - 17:02:24 EEST
Devin Cutler worries about Glorantha becoming too anthropologized. Devin, you make your point clearly and it is well taken, but I simply disagree. Perhaps this is a matter of taste and sensibility. However, there are few things to point out.
You cite the example of Pamaltela's Doraddi being an amalgem of African and Australian culture. This didn't bother me at all. FIrst of all, I think the fact that the Doraddi are inspired by these cultures is something likely to stand out because it is so completely unusual for a fantasy gaming setting to BE inspired by African or aboriginal culture. After all, we don't bat an eye at the Genertelan cultures that are very clearly inspired by European analogues (monotheism and rationalism of the West; "saints" etc in some of the 'churches'; Sartar, tho not Scottland, is a lot LIKE Scottland; Prax and the American plains Indians; I could go on and on). And then there are still all the fantasy elements which, though appropriated in a uniquely Gloranthan and Staffordian manner, are still recognizably of Western fantasy origin. This all makes Genertelan 'anthroplogizing' SEEM more natural to us.
Finally, though the writers of the TotRM #11 issue on Pamaltela surely have done a lot of fruitful research on RW Earth cultures, there are enough elements of Gloranthan uniqueness which make it work for me AS GLoranthan. What is the RW analog for the Kresh, frex?
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