We often overlook the role of the Prince of Sartar as a patron of letters and art. But of course that has always been one of the key roles of the Prince….
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Friends of the God-Kings
With Sartar, Tarsh, Esrolia, etc. we can see the role that friends and gift exchanges have in rule. But for our two god-kings things are a bit different. They rule as living…
The Royal Hunt
Much large game hunting in Orlanthi lands is not by full time hunters of the Odayla or Yinkin cults (although such people might be present). Kings and princes and others are expected…
Universal Rule
The Red Emperor claims universal rule based on: The Red Emperor is charged with provide peace and order to the whole world. Now that doesnt mean he needs to govern the world…
Dranz Goloi and the Voor-ash
Dranz Goloi, the King of the Wings, is the leader of the Voor-ash confederation in the Redlands. They claim to know nothing of the Nights of Horror or any agreements with the…
Orlanthi Friendship
Despite (or perhaps because of) the importance of kinship ties, friendship is greatly valued in Orlanthi culture, and many stories place greater importance on friendship than kinship. One has no choice in…
Heresy and the Seven Mothers
Heresy is a term that often gets thrown around, largely without thought about what that means in Gloranthan terms. So here’s a look at what might constitute “heresy” to the Seven Mothers…
Notes on Ty Kora Tek
Ty Kora Tek is propitiated each Wildday by Earth cults. Wildday of Death Week is her seasonal holy day. The entire Death Week of Darkness Season is dedicated to her; her High…
The Shadow Plateau
The Shadow Plateau is one of the great centers of trolldom in Glorantha, allthough it is now but a shadow of the former Kingdom of Night.There are some 41,000 trolls on the…
Nochet Notes
Nochet is five times the population of Furthest and ten times that of Boldhome. At 600 hectares, it covers almost twice the area of Rome within the Servian Walls. With an average…
Notes About Esrolia – Part 4 – The Holy Country
The Holy Country – for the last three centuries, Esrolia has been ruled by the God-King. Now I have written a ton about Belintar and the Masters of Luck and Death, but the…
Notes About Esrolia – Part 3 – The Shadowlands
Shadowlands – the Only Old One was the son of Argan Argar and Esrola, born in the Lesser Darkness. Argan Argar, a powerful Darkness deity and one of the commanders of the forces…
Notes About Esrolia – Part 2 – The Silver Age Heroes
During the Lesser Darkness, Ernaldela was ruled by a tribe of Air demigods (the Vingkotlings), who protected the goddesses of the land but also fought with trolls, sky people, dwarves, elves, and…
Notes About Esrolia – Part 1 – Ernaldela
When we think of Esrolia, we need to remember that unlike Sartar or even Pavis, it is an ancient land. Esrolia has a consistent history of being a settled and civilized land…
The Three Main Types of Magic
Lets think for a minute about the three main types of magic used by mortals in Glorantha and what they might mean. Arguably the oldest is Rune Magic, whereby mortals can wield…
Notes on Dendara
In history, Dendara’s cult has remained important as the primary Pelorian and Pentan women’s goddess. She was revered by the Suns of the Son and the Pure Horse People, and called La-ungariant,…
Pavis and Prax circa 1625-1626
A few thoughts on Pavis and Prax circa 1625-1626. As we all know, New Pavis now has a king – Argrath Whitebull – who is backed up by the White Bull cult,…
History of Gloranthan Art, Part V – The Lunar Empire
But, in Peloria, things are different. The EWF style are gone. And we have a long dark age. The Carmanians embrace a formal brutalism style. Them and their gods triumphing atop piles…
Thinking About Heroquests
When thinking about heroquests, I strongly recommend reading Jung’s “Red Book” aka the Liber Novus. That and “Inanna’s Descent into the Underworld“. And Gene Wolfe’s “Soldier of the Mist.” Those three books…
History of Gloranthan Art, Part IV
Belintar tries to recreate that very spread out and universal First Age Style. And of course this just goes nuts with the Opening. Because the Holy Country is now stupid rich. Now…
History of Gloranthan Art, Part III – Third Age – Holy Country
And then comes a long period of war that culminates in the Dragonkill War. Which divides the world into Kethaela and Peloria.Kethaela starts with that late Second Age Esrolian style. Sensuous and…
A History of Gloranthan Art, Part II – Second Age
This unified culture collapses in the Gbaji Wars at the end of the First Age. War and poverty. A collapse, which in turn leads to reduction in complexity in artwork. A Dark…
History of Gloranthan Art, Part I – Dawn Age
At the Dawn, there were basically two cultural centers – Dragon Pass (also known as the Theyalans or the Unity Council) and the Peloria lowlands ruled by the Horse Lords.The Theyalans had…
Windstop
During the Windstop, initiates of Orlanth and Ernalda within the affected area could not use their Rune Point pools to those gods and subcults of those gods. That includes Orlanth Adventurous, Rex,…