Glorantha Has Talent?

00:40

We announce our contest for audio takes on Glorantha.

A Ludoch Story

02;10

Another example (after last episode’s joke at the end of the podcast) of how such a 3 minute audio entry could sound

The Herald‘s Podium

05:25

Starting with an interruption announcing Wind Whispers, a newsletter collecting the news of the week (convention news, new products, new rumors, and occasional looks at cool topics on the interweb, current and older).

Conventions

08:35

Gen Con Online, and the Armageddon live conventions in New Zealand

RuneQuest Live-Play videos

09;30

The RuneQuest Live-Play videos on Twitch and YouTube
Should an official live-play be free of house rules?

Orkenspalter TV meets Chaosium

15:40

With Lynn Hardy, John Wick, Jeff Richard and sorry, not Mike Mason, but Jason Durall—bad Jörg, bad!

Some Jonstown Compendium products now available in Print on Demand

Only electrum sellers are going to get a Print on Demand, talking about the catch22 when some buyers hold back on supporting a new title hoping for a PoD bundle and electrum status possibly delayed or not reached.

Talking about reading in the bathroom (don‘t try that at away from home, folks)

What‘s New on Jonstown Compendium

26:00

The Sandheart Trilogy is getting a remake with more illustrations

The Secrets of Dorastor by Simon Phipp
Discussing Melo Yelo, the Yelmalian

John Wick‘s Blue Moon, White Moon
John Wick? No, not the one played by Keanu Reeves!

The Rumour Table

29:50

Mark Baldwin releasing some marble statue depictions of Sun County? There are some uncanny similarities with certain folk at Chaosium.

31:40

Campaign Coins – get your hard Gloranthan currency! (No, not live cattle, but actual bolgs, clacks, lunars and wheels.)

Feedback

33:40

BrentS on Cults of Prax and Biturian‘s Travels, and getting sweet on us

37:40

Pookie from Reviews from R’lyeh on how he listens to us on his walks, and a nod to our Cattle Raid proposals

Biturian’s Travels revisited – Part Two

40:00

A letter home to Esrolia, from a traveler in Prax

Bill gives one of our intrepid explorers a voice, dictated to a scribe at a Praxian Oasis.

Introduction

42:28

A thank you to Martin Helsdon of Armies and Enemies of Dragon Pass fame for letting us use his imagery of the Paps, on the cover of Temples and Towers, his exploration of the architecture of central Genertela.

A Dark Season Ritual at the Paps

43:30

Starting with Bill‘s comments on the Eirithan Dark Season rites at the Paps, we take a look at various things on and off topic.

The Respected Elder (and Most Respected Elder) of the cult of Eiritha at the Paps

A digression about the Morokanth

The holy nature of the Paps and its importance to Prax, and how this is similar to real world earth worship for Earth worship in an underground location. Bill brings out the Hopi using the Grand Canyon as the hole in the ground around which their earth worship was centred.

Rituals and Heroquests, and how much Other Side is involved.
What do observers see?

Little love lost between trolls and the Earth worshipers of Prax.

Darkness attackers in the most holy place—why do we have Morokanth attackers?
Similarities between Morokanth and trolls
We mention Steve Purcell’s image of a Morokanth on the cover of RQ3 Bestiary, and how Jörg managed to mis-interpret it as a dark troll for way too long – illustrating an uncanny similarity between these Darkness Rune creatures of Eiritha and the Men of Darkness.

Ritual foes, and how heroquesters from all over Glorantha may be drawn into your quest (and vice versa).
We discuss worshipers taking on the ritual role of a foe of the cult.

Biturian making a profit out of his worship
Lay membership, joining other cults’ ceremonies

Bill points out the similarities and differences with the Paps scene in Vasana’s Saga in the RuneQuest Glorantha rules book.

A Humakti Duel at Tourney Altar

1:06:00

Ludo introduces us to Tourney Altar, where we get to witness a Humakt Duel.
Naimless— Sword of Humakt from the Temple of the Wooden Sword, and accompanied by dark troll worshipers of Humakt.

Troll initiates of Humakt
Digressing about the Chaosium RQ2 (and RQ1) house campaigns
A history of the Temple of Wooden Sword with the Sazdorf Clan

Breaking the stereotype of your cult
(and we didn’t even mention 13G’s “One Unique Thing” that each character has).

Fairness in Humakti Duels

Discussing the limitations of Divine Intervention and how gods interact with their worshipers

Ludo has us tell about and then make up unusual specimen of cultists.

Bill’s mentions a duck character that worships Polaris, “a bit of an odd duck”!

Jörg “in memoriam” of Onslaught (a Humakti character invented by Martin Laurie) and his antithesis

“The Bodyguard” – a Humakti dilemma, in Ellie Akers’ campaign

Rolling a random cult – we improvise on Waha and Maran Gor.

The Etyries Market at Moonbroth

1:33:20

Biturian’s description of Moonbroth, and thoughts on why it spouts water every Wildday.

Like the oasis, Jörg spouts illuminating nonsense about “it washes away the red Chaos from the Red Moon”.

Not discussing the hydrology of Prax and the Wastes and the nature of the Oases

The Etyries market at Moonbroth

Creative use of Biturian’s allied spirit

The fate of horned children in the Lunar Empire

The nature of Rune Spells (e.g. Charisma) in Glorantha

A High Fantasy version of Glorantha, envisioned by Bill

The inevitable comparison of Charisma with Axe or Sword Trance

What’s the dark secret about the horned children in the Empire? Tell us your theories at tribe@godlearners.com (hell, tell us your theories of anything and if it comes as an audio file that runs for about 3 minutes, it might double as your contest entry).

And with that we sneak out at the break of dawn, just like Biturian…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (75.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | More

In this fifth episode of Wind Words, we come back to Sartar to look at every Heortling’s favourite past time: cattle raiding. Why do they like cattle so much around here that they need to go and steal them from their neighbours on a regular basis?

But first, we look at this month’s Gloranthan news.

Herald’s Podium

(located at 41 seconds)

Gen Con Online

(located at 1:o8 minutes)

Bill has registered for Gen Con Online: https://www.gencon.com Look for him and his mic at the con. His user name will be Bill of the Wind Words Tribe!

The grandpappy of them all. Gen Con falls to the rampaging Covid-19 virus but, like the phoenix consumed in the flame—emerges alive! This time online! Events will be announced on July 6 and registration begins on the 13th.

Errata: In our recording we gave incorrect information. Events will be announced on July 6 and registration begins on the 13th as is noted above. Mea Culpa!

Jeff Richard AMA

(located at 1:44 minutes)

The boys look at a Jeff Richard’s interview that happened when a bunch of German fans took over a Schloss as “socially distancing individuals” instead of a conventioneers and in lieu of the non-existing con’s  usual “Ask-Me-Anything” panel by Jeff, they recorded this. Many highlights, rumours and easter eggs are discussed.

Tminits & Trolls, Gianni Vacca’s long running Glorantha blog has a great summary of this panel @ https://2ndage.blogspot.com/2020/06/eternal-con-2020-jeffs-panel.html

Jonstown Compendium News

(located at 11:38 minutes)

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?filters=45683&src=by_the_fans

An update to the ranks Jonstown Compendium products hold in the DriveThru’s “community content” top ten area:

Spoiler

As always, our community is kicking butt!

Valley of Plenty

(located at 12:49 minutes)

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/316797/Valley-of-Plenty

We discuss this HeroQuest/QuestWorld book that starts players off as children of the Dundaelos tribe. The book is from Shawn and Peggy Carpenter, a.k.a. Troupe Games.

More information is available on Troupe Game’s blog:

• Extended description of the book: https://dscarpenter.wordpress.com/2020/06/09/whats-in-the-valley/
• Playtest notes:
  • https://dscarpenter.wordpress.com/2020/06/11/valley-of-plenty-playtest-notes-1/
  • https://dscarpenter.wordpress.com/2020/06/12/valley-of-plenty-playtest-notes-2/ 

Red Deer Saga Part 3

(located at 20:49 minutes)

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/317944/A-Sword-Turned-Inward–Part-3-of-Red-Deer-Saga

This is the final instalment of the three part series which finshes up at the Battle of Queens. We find ourselves astounded by Paul Baker, the author, and his rapidity in publishing—as we are with our next item’s author… 

Heortlings of Sartar

(located at 21:44 minutes)

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/315742/Heortlings-of-Sartar

Austin’s at it again with MotM #6! Ludo introduces this months monster as the most dangerous of them all!. From the BRP forums to you… at the speed of sound!

Treasures of Glorantha

(located at 23:18 minutes)

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/317421/Treasures-of-Glorantha-V1–Dragon-Pass

…also by Austin Conrad who is joined by Shawn Carpenter, Gil Cruz, Simon Phipp, and Jerry Thorpe (and Ludo!). This work starts a new series filled with storyful items to tempt—with an eye to the old RuneQuest Classic “Plunder” as inspiration!

Vinga’s Ford

(located at 25:13 minutes)

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/315517/Vingas-Ford

by Beer With Teeth.

It contains a vampire, a Vingan, and a duck, which are the essentials according to Joerg. There are also ghost trolls, spirit combat, and zombies. 

 Blue Moon, White Moon

(located at 25:40 minutes)

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/317878/Blue-Moon-White-Moon

By John Wick (yay!)
The adventurers encounter a Blue Moon Assassin from the Lunar Empire. What is she doing out here in Dragon Pass? And what is she running from? Will prejudices and superstitions overcome empathy and curiosity? It’s up to your players (and their moral compass) to decide. 

Miscellaneous

JamesCORPTV 

(located at 28:01 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/user/Jamescuk/playlists

James Chambers, aka “JamesCORPTV” is a video streamer who does RPG-related videos and, mostly, actual plays. He has recently organized games of RuneQuest Glorantha (“The Broken Tower”) and 13th Age Glorantha (“The Beard of Lankhor Mhy”), which we rejoice about as we don’t see enough of that game around.

The live plays feature a few RPG personalities like Paul Mitchener, Bud, Pookie, and Seth Skorkowsky, but most importantly, Bill isn’t bored!

Main Topic

(located at 30:18 minutes)

The twin topics of Clan and Cattle in Sartar

(This is located at 30:18 minutes)

Clan

(This is located at 31:18 minutes)

• What is a Sartarite Clan?
• What binds them?
• What separates them?

Cattle and clans

(This is located at 36:35 minutes)

• What cattle do for one’s resources and self sufficiency.
• Hillbillies? Cultured folk?
  • Cows provide that certain “je ne sais quoi”, a little Gloranthan Bronze Age flavour…
• Cattle and myth

The Raid

(This is located at 43:25 minutes)

• Cows and how to find them.
• Cows and how to get them.

Beginning/Preparation of the Raid

(This is located at 47:12 minutes)

• When does a raid actually begin?
  • Getting permission for a raid
  • Who does one raid? The answer might surprise.
• Ramifications that later impact our raiders or defenders may be foreshadowed here.
• Recon/Scouting (spiritual and mundane)
  • Tactics Leadership (politics again)
  • Charging over the hill (crazy but…)
  • Diversions
• Politics, negotiations, borders, hospitality (boon or bane).
• Military preparations: mundane and spiritual, arming, praying and sacrifices.
• The realities of limited resources is introduced, as is the wyter.
• The role (or necessity) of a hired expert.

Use all these some or all of these ideas to have several excellent challenging and fun games before combat even begins (so that’s what all those other skills are for)! 

Splat Note
Jörg mentions a name I was unfamiliar with in conjunction with charging over the hill, Read the entry about the character and his actions that created the meme in honour of Leroy Jenkins @
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeroy_Jenkins

Execution of the Raid

(This is located at 1:06:37 hours)

• The moment ya blood thirsty barbarians have been waiting for…
  • Raiders: Overt? Covert? Distractions, magical or mundane? 
  • Defenders: Observing invaders magically or mundane
• Hospitality rears its ugly head again.
• How much magic should be used in defence and attack? Resources vs needs vs wants.
• When to use this magic (and what does filibustering have to do with magic?).
• To use aggressive/lethal magic or not?

More complications

(This is located at 1:14:48 hours)

No plan survives contact with the enemy

…and yet, more story seeds are provided!

Aftermath

(This is located at 1:19:08 hours)

• Division of spoils {See the beginning of the raid for decisions already made that were said to have possible ramifications).
• No spoils—things go south, now what?
  • Is this bad or can it be negotiated? (more game nights that leave the need for combat behind).
• So are we now at the end of this raid or the beginning of the next raid
• What to do with the cattle (why don’t the villains win once in a while and get the cattle home?) (“It’s what Orlanth did…”)

Cue the poets and skalds to tell the heroic tales…

Conclusions

(this is located at 1:28:43)

You want more notes, nah. You got the time listed above. Anymore would be telling. Go and give it a listen for our final thoughts on the matter.

(Psst… although I could sell you a copy of Cole’s Notes to this episode in a sealed mylar package with the sealed and signed copy of our podcast to boot… Mint condition, perfect for collecting!)

A joke

(this is located at 1:37:02)

A teaser and special announcement not to be missed. This special announcement is located about 2 and a half minutes after the joke begins (for those with enquiring minds)…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (68.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | More

The inaugural episode of Wind Words! We apologize for the audio quality: bear with us as we learn how to edit and mix recorded voices.

Introduction

• Why are we entering the adventurous world of podcasting?
• Musings about the RuneQuest Renaissances.
• When and how did we get into RuneQuest?

The Herald’s Podium

Our collection of news (at the time of recording):

• RIP Christopher Tolkien
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Tolkien
  • https://news.avclub.com/r-i-p-christopher-tolkien-editor-and-steward-of-middl-1841083873
  • https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jan/20/christopher-tolkien-obituary 
• Sandy Petersen‘s second Gods War Kickstarter (reprint and new expansions)
  • https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/petersengames/glorantha-the-gods-war-reprint-and-new-expansions 
• Wyrm‘s Footnotes are available in PDF
  • https://www.chaosium.com/wyrms-footnotes/ 
• Jonstown Compendium (Community Content Program at DriveThruRPG)
  • https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/2/Chaosium/subcategory/74_34170/Jonstown-Compendium
• Monster of the Month
  • https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/300958/Spirits-of-Madness 
• Rubble Runners
  • https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/302067/Rubble-Runners–A-collection-of-Pavis-Characters
• Jon Hunter‘s Back to Balazar website
  • http://www.backtobalazar.com/ 
• The Smoking Ruins and Other Stories
  • https://www.chaosium.com/the-smoking-ruin-other-stories-pdf/ 

Rumor Table

• Tales of the Reaching Moon might come back in PDF
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_the_Reaching_Moon 
  • https://basicroleplaying.org/topic/10324-old-zines/?tab=comments#comment-153117
• Upcoming RuneQuest and HeroQuest products
  • https://basicroleplaying.org/topic/4064-upcoming-glorantha-publications/?do=findComment&comment=168662
• Chaosium is aiming for six products a year
  • https://basicroleplaying.org/topic/4064-upcoming-glorantha-publications/page/9/?tab=comments#comment-166335

Main Topic

How can you introduce your players to Glorantha? We provide practical advice and personal experiences on how to get into the setting, and how to present it.

We mention the prevalence of magic and gods in Glorantha, offer suggestions for limiting the choice of cults with new players, and explain how people can learn the setting as they play. We also suggest limiting character knowledge by playing inexperienced characters, or a band of trollkins or ducks.

Two threads on BRP Central which inspired our discussion:

• https://basicroleplaying.org/topic/9987-glorantha-beginners-guide/
• https://basicroleplaying.org/topic/9839-what-would-a-new-character-know-any-resources-outlining-what-a-new-character-might-know/ 

Munchrooms scenario for trollkins, and necessary background for trolls: https://www.chaosium.com/trollpak-pdf/

An all-duck game: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/296285/Yozarians-Bandit-Ducks

Sources for Gloranthan pictures:

• http://www.princeofsartar.com/
• https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/296535/The-Armies-and-Enemies-of-Dragon-Pass

Computer game suitable for introducing you to the setting:

• https://a-sharp.com/kodp/
• https://sixages.com/

Errata

The Once and Future King was written by T.H. White.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (52.9MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | More