by Greg Stafford, published March 2004.
I was challenged to give some illustrations to artists and seekers who need to visualize Glorantha more clearly. This document attempts to do so.
You will NEED a copy of Natural Wonders of the World, Readers Digest Association, 1980 ed. All page references herein are to that book.
- Internet Archive: Natural Wonders of the World, Readers Digest Association, 1980 ed.
- (make a free account to get the book on loan)
- Amazon: Natural Wonders of the World, Readers Digest Association, 1980 ed.
- Google Books: Natural Wonders of the World, Readers Digest Association, 1980 ed.
Format
- Gloranthan Place
- Page Number, title of photo
- text concerning photo
Feethos River
27, Abiod Valley;
aka Fever Trees. This is the borderlands between the Wastes and Teshnos. The river, deeply lush, flows from those distant Ti Shan mountains. Those cities of mud huts are populated and often raided by animals nommads.
Seshnelan Islands
36, Aland Isles
These tree-covered islands lie south of the Old Seshnela Penninsula. We can see that the land there just slowly sank, leaving these slightly higher places above water.
in the Wastes
54, Arak Gorges
desert gorges
The Vent
55, Mount Ararat
Here we see the largest volcano in the Holy country. Pencilled in are some slight changes to the photo to add other nearby landmarks.
Valind’s Glacier
58, Arctic Region
mountain tops sticking out identify this as Alustan Mts, sacred to Valind, Winter Storm God.
Vulture Country
65, Badlands
Typical of rugged, hostile lands between Prax and the Wastes. Please remember that Vultures Country is worse than either Prax or the Wastes.
Southern coast of Wastelands
70-71, Band-e Amir
This is typical of where the plateau meets the sea, showing why it is considered inaccessible to sailors.
Sartar Hills
73, Bateke Plateaus
These rolling green hillsides are pretty typical of the hills around Quivin Mts., and across most of eastern Dragon Pass (ie-Sartar.)
Sable Plateau
75, Benbulbin
We are looking here at the northern edge, which is nearly fifty miles wide. That shows that they are almost fifteen miles high (!)
Manirian Coast
78, Big Sur
shows typical occasional beach all along Caladraland and its chain of volcanic hills.
An Eastern Isle
84, Bora Bora
gee, pretty.
Skyreach Mts.
95, Caucasus Mountains
The Skyreach are the tall peaks which abruptly rise to reform the Rockwoods Range. One of these (arrow) is Orlanth’s sacred Mount Arrowmound. (KoS, p 74)
High Llama Pass
102, Colchis
In the Rockwood Mountains, Between Ralios and Fronela. Over that steep slope lies the only pass for hundreds of miles in either direction. We are in Ralios here, looking northward.
?
107, Cotopaxi
white volcano cone
Dorastor Today
110, Craters of the moon
A portion of the desolated land as it appears today.
Mislari Mts
111, Crimean Peninsula
From Maniria, looking northward to mts. This is in the Arstola Forest, looking towards where Captain Ethilrist found his (now lost) pass.
The Zorian Gorge
115, Danube River
In Fronela, north of Zoria. Note how the gorge goes right to the river.
Stormwalk Mts.
131, Drakensberg
Looking westward, from Prax. The scattering of buildings barely visible below are the “town” of *. NB – tops of other mountains should be visible over that crest line.
The New Fens
143, Everglades
treacherous muddy ground supporting sawgrass.
Rocks of ?
145, Fingal’s Cave
In Slontos. These show the remains of the once-massive wall which was raised to hold back the sea. It was breached, leaving this scar.
in Pamaltela
148, Fouta Djallon
invisible giants (ie-gods) live on top.
in Troll lands
152, Montanas del fuego
Mt. Jernotius in Winter
153, Fujiyama
Looking eastwards. The pool in the foreground is…
Thunder Delta
154, Ganges Delta
From aloft, looking northward, in the spring time when the water is in flood.
Rockwood Mountains
165, Grand Tetons
between Dragon Pass and Balazar area
some Pamaltelan Mountains
172, Grossglockner
A Valley in the Shan Shan Mits.
173 Black Canyon of the Gunnison
exceedingly craggy river valley
?
174, Hamam-meskoutine
frozen waterfall/water crest
Shan Shan mountains
181, Himalayas
between Kralorela and Wastes
?
187, iguassu falls
wide, multiple wateralls
Quivin Mountains
195, Jungfrau, Monch, and Eiger
Craggy mountains, typical of Stormwalk/Quivin range
? Top of the World
198, Karakoram
Highest mountain in Rockwoods
Wintertop Mt (part)
203, Kilimanjaro
There is another, reaching peak atop the one shown
?
212, Kweilin Karst
In Kralorela
Shadow Plateau
230, Mardalsfoss
Looking north, from the MIrrorsea
Right Shoulder, Caladraland
258, Moskenesoy
note mountains around “fiords”
Oasis in Pamaltela
262, Nefta
?
276 Old Man of Hoy
in Kralorela
A Place in the Wastes (?)
277, Mount Olga
in Wastes
A Fabulously Interesting Formation of Unknown Gloranthan Location
283, Cape orso
Scale is actually huge
Grazelander Hills
307, Puys Volcanic Chain
Relatively unforested
Pencranthos Bend, Oslir River
315, River Rhine
This is at a site in Saird, about 40 miles upriver from Jillaro. About twenty miles up river further the surrounding land drops from these dramatic heights, which are typical of the river through much of Saird. The hills in the distance are the Sylila Hills. [The ships in the photo are (in Glorantha) a chain of barges being towed by a (cattle-driven paddle-wheeler?).]
A part of the Rockwood Mts.
323, Rocky Mountains
heavily forested, high mountain clear lake
Valind Ice Sheet
326, Ross Ice Shelf
source of glaciers, the shelf extends hundreds of miles out to sea
Yolp Mts
327, Ruwenzori
Viewed from Darjiin. See foothills in front. Actual outline indicated in pencil.
?
335, San Andreas Fault
Scale is actually huge, and this is the edge marking… [ignore telephone poles]
?
341, Sanshi Loess Region
?
Suface of Rufelza
344, Simpson Desert
What color, eh!
Grey Mountains
349, Snake River
Viewed from Erigia. There are probably more mountains behind them, too. This river is the Denjen River.
Heortland Coastline
351, Sogne Fjord
Typically, the navigable arm of the sea cuts further inland, beyond what we see here, but ultimately ends in a waterfall.
The Dead Place
377, Tibesti Soda Lake
The darker brown areas are where gods fell recently. The white is a deadly “snow” of chemicals. This is in the northern part, about seven days’ south travel, looking northward from whence we came. We are on a rare outcrop of actual rock.
?
380, tinajani Canyon
?
Mabakari Saro
382, Lake Toba
aka Sweet Sea, between Fronela and Peloria. Here we see the easternmost part, part of Bindle. The hills are called Himelgerza, and are the foot hills of the Grey Mts.
A Wasteland Oasis
409, Waimangu Hot Springs
showing how unpleasant even a nice place can be.
in the Wastes?
413, White Sands
Someplace in the Wastes with white sand
?
417, Yellowstone National Park
Wow, cool cascade of limestone!
Related Pages
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- Belintar’s Book: The Blue Dragon Sshorga (1999)
- Belintar’s Book: Aldrya’s Own Story (1998)
- Belintar’s Book: Mountain Stories (1999)
- Clarifying the Primal Worlds (2003)
- Dragons Past #1 – Gloranthan Military Experience (1983)
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- Greg Sez: What is it with the Underworld? (Apr 2007)
- Greg Sez: Who Are the Blue Peoples? (Mar 1998)
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- Greg Sez: Who was Baroshi? (Jun 1998)
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- Library of Londarios: Clarifying the Primal Worlds (Feb 2003)
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- Library of Londarios: The Kings of Seshnela, Part Two (1999)
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- The Gloranthan Cosmos (2008)
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Page Last updated: 2023-03-04 11:30:58