Art direction for the cover of the Guide

The Guide to Glorantha is a special book and needs a special cover. This is the story of the evolution of the cover from concept through to late draft.

The artist is Jon Hodgson, who created the new covers for Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes and the Sartar Companion. His other credits include The One Ring and Dragon Warriors.

This is an artifact from Glorantha – I think it stands in the center of the Hall of Incantations in the City of 10,000 Magicians. Legend ascribes it to the Sorcerer Isopaxateles, who enslaved mostali from Imther to construct it.

It is a stone wheel, inlaid with precious metals and stones. Stylistically it is a cross between Archaic Greek, Mesoamerican, and Tibetan Buddhist. The Wheel of Isopaxateles depicts the cosmology of Glorantha. The Sky Dome surrounds the world and consists of five joined golden bands, with the Gloranthan Power Runes inlayed.

Above the wheel is the Sky God Dayzatar carrying his staff. He is as depicted in the Godswall.

Within is the Middle Air, the Earth, the Seas, and the Underworld. The Middle Air is divided into dark blue and light blue, and is a lapis lazuli inlay (of two different pieces of stone).

At the uppermost Middle Air is the Sun, atop which the Emperor Yelm is enthroned. He is based on the image in the Godswall.

The left hand sky is dark blue (night) and has the Storm God Orlanth armed with sword and thunderbolt (Greek style thunderbolt, PLEASE!), standing atop a bronze Air Rune. Below is a sword carrying Orlanthi warrior, a queen, and a herder with sheep or cattle.

The right hand sky is light blue (day) and has the Red Goddess dancing atop a red Moon Rune. Below her are Dara Happan soldiers, noble, and peasants with a horse.

In the center is the White Mountain (Kerofin) with a brown True Dragon entwined around it. The shape should suggest the Dragonewt Rune.

Below is the earth. Within is the beautiful Earth Queen. We probably can’t get away with her being bare breasted, but it should suggest that she should be. She wears a golden teardrop necklace and should look like Jan’s Esrolian queen.

On the sides are the oceans with a merman and a mermaid.

Below is the Underworld. It is black, but you can see a troll goddess, a broo, and a skeleton.

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