A lot of discussion has gone on about where ordinary humans have it best in Glorantha. But I think it is safe to say that common people in Ramalia have it worse….
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Holy Country Revenues
So we’ve talked about where Sartar and the Lunar Empire gets its revenues, as well as a little digression on Seshnela and Loskalm. But want to talk about rich? The Holy Country…
Near the Dawn of Time
Another document from near the Dawn of Time. I believe it dates to the Wisconsin era, when the earliest Seshnegi were locked in conflict with the Pendali and long before the first…
Orlanth and Yelm Fresco
A fresco depicting the contest between Orlanth and Yelm. Late Third Age, Sartar. Another great piece by the amazing Loïc Muzy! Reason for Continued Existence Orlanth symbolizes and forms the elemental Air;…
Orlanth Rex Allied Spirit
Did you know that the allied spirit of an Orlanth Rex priest is the guardian spirit of the tribe? Which means that the allied spirit of the Prince of Sartar is…. Sartar!…
Esrolian influence on the Holy Country
In thinking about the Holy Country, it is perhaps worth remembering that almost 80% of the population are Orlanthi. However, there is a decidedly Earth religion and matriarchal shade to things, as…
Notes on Esrolia
Some material facts on Esrolia that I think are of importance. Esrolia is perhaps the most densely settled and intensely cultivated area in the world. It has 1.78 million people in an…
Boldhome Map Preview III
As Matt Ryan and I continue to work on the Boldhome foldout map for the Sartar boxed set, we’ve made a few tweaks based on Greg’s notes. Greg really insisted that the…
The City of the Gods
An account from earliest records of Glorantha, probably circa 350 ST. The City of the Gods (Hrelar Amali) is located on the Crimson Plains between the lands of Ralios and Seshnela. It…
Malkioni Empires
Speaking of Malkioni, their two big empires are Seshnela and Loskalm. Both are about a third the population of the Lunar Empire (Loskalm a little more, Seshnela a little less). But their…
The Red Emperor’s revenues
There was a recent question on where the Red Emperor’s revenues come from. Here’s a few thoughts: So when the Red Emperor wants something, he just decrees it. It is up to…
A Civilization of River-and-Grasslands
Where Sartar is a silk road kingdom, with its riches coming from its command over the trade routes through strategic Dragon Pass, the Lunar Empire is a river-and-grasslands civilization. Because of its…
Notes on Handra & Corflu
A lot of people instantly associate Handra and its isles with Venice. But another City of the Seven Isles is Mumbai, with its isles of Bombay, Parel, Mahim, Mazagaon, Worli, Colaba, and…
Notes on Ralios
Ralios is a syncretic mash-up of “Barbarian Old Gods”, Lightbringer cults, and Hrestolism, along with the some troll and elf cults. Arkat’s Dark Empire unified this land for several centuries, but has…
First publication of Moon Boats
Does anyone recall of hand the first published mention of Lunar moon boats. I recall them being present in special expansion to WBRM, but can’t find the reference and might be misremembering…
Lay Membership
It is worth remembering how common lay membership is. In my adventuring party, one character – an initiate of Orlanth Thunderous and the Sun Dragon – is also lay member of Storm…
Pockets of Boldhome I
Of all the unique architectural elements of Boldhome, the Pockets are to me the most fascinating. Dwarf-made and carved deep into the mountain cliffs, they are an impossible combination of the facades…
Quivin Mountains Map WiP Preview II
Boldhome is the largest settlement in Sartar, comparable in size to all of the other cities of Sartar put together. It is the religious, political, commercial, and cultural center of the kingdom…
So what are dragons?
One theory is that they are manifestations of Glorantha’s unconscious – primordial beings that predate even Chaos. They are intrinsically connected with the Cosmic Egg and the birth of Glorantha. By this…
What constitutes “Chaos”?
A last comment on the various Chaos discussions. A lot of people seem to assume that people in Glorantha are clear about what constitutes “Chaos” – and of course, outside of the…
Telmori Chaos Taint
As for the Telmori being tainted by Chaos – of course being cursed by Chaos taints you with Chaos, and of course the Storm Bull cultists can sense that taint. That may…
Sarostip Coldeye
This is a snippet from the Sartar Book: Born in 1572, Sarostip Coldeye is a Sword of Humakt and part of the ruling dynasty of the Malani tribe. Sarostip abdicated all clan…
Sartar Telmori
Another Sartarite group that is curiously neglected in many campaigns are the Telmori. There are 6500 Telmori – Chaos-tainted werewolves, disliked by every other tribe (except the ducks who are apathetic) who…
Sun County Settlers
Just as New Pavis attracted settlers and exiles from Dragon Pass fleeing from the Lunar Empire, so did Sun County in Prax. Although Yelmalio is neutral towards the Seven Mothers, the cult…
Chaos Tainted
Lists of things I have heard are tainted with Chaos: The list is intended to be illustrative not comprehensive. And we KNOW Storm Bulls often have false positives (and false negatives), and…