Submitted by Iskallor on Tue, 02/10/2012 – 12:54
When did the 11 giants become mountains?
And what would I expect to find there if visiting in the Green Age?
What did Glorantha look like during the Green Age?
Thanks as always.
Submitted by Jeff on Thu, 04/10/2012 – 02:29.
The Eleven Big Giant Mountains ARE mountains. They rebelled against the gods in the Godtime and became stone. As to when that happened, the stories vary. Some say this rebellion was in the Golden Age (or even began the Golden Age), other stories say it was in the Storm Age. Still others suggest this rebellion may have happened more than once.
As for the Green Age, it the undifferentiated bliss before awareness of the self and others. Once there are Others, the age is over.
Editor-in-Chief, Moon Design Publications
Some partial answers
Submitted by Charles on Tue, 02/10/2012 – 22:30.
My understanding follows:
I suspect that many people (both in Glorantha and in the RW) feel that because something is called a giant then it is related to all other things that are called giants. This is not the case, giant is just another word for big or huge or vast. [edit: perhaps this is too strong, noting Jeff’s answer in Giants. However, I just re-read King of Sartar and recall a passage where the author wrote of a battle where all 3 types of giants were involved.]
These mountains are the giants and those specific type of giants are the mountains. Most of these mountains choose to be immobile, perhaps in contemplation. However, they can move and some will during the Hero Wars. Gonn Ort is the exception that is currently still mobile.
The Green Age is a great creative time where the inhabitants do not have the consciousness to differentiate themselves from each other. The most obvious element is Earth, the active powers are Grower and Maker and plants cover almost everything, including snow and fire.
Apart from a very few carefully circumscribed rituals, it is dangerous to visit the Green Age. A HeroQuester that visits the Green Time will notice some differentiation and the act of noticing brings the Green Age to an end. This likely entangles the HeroQuester and their backing community in the emnities that arise from the end of the Green Age.
It is rumoured that some (religious?) communities have powers or rituals to safely visit the Green Time.
Archived Glorantha Q&A from Moondesign.com