Skip to content
The Well of Daliath
Menu
Menu

Sartarite Inns

Posted on October 31, 2022

Inns along main trade roads go back at least to Achaemenid Persia, probably older. For example, Herodotus writes concerning the Persian Royal Road:

“Now the true account of the road in question is the following:- Royal stations exist along its whole length, and excellent caravanserais; and throughout, it traverses an inhabited tract, and is free from danger.”

Somewhat similar were the shukuba post stations of the Edo Five Routes in Japan or the roadside stationes, tabernae, and mutationes, where travelers could rest and their animals taken care of.

When we think of Sartarite inns, that’s what they are – caravanserais more than pubs. Travelers are welcome there, they usually have places to store goods and watch animals, or arrangements with local stables to do the same.

http://www.stephenbiesty.co.uk/galleries_Atmospheric_Cutaways_Caravanserai.html

On the big map of Sartar we have some 16 roadside inns between Whitewall and Alda-Chur, plus another 10 or so inns along less routes. That’s not including the urban caravanserai, tabernae, and inns that outnumber all of these put together.

Like a lot of things Geo’s is both comical and deadly serious. They were originally established as caravanserai which were ALSO places where any friend or supporter of Sartar could find a safe bed, friends, and a warm meal. Most of the cult’s income is generated from paying, non-member customers who stay the night and otherwise avail of the services provided by the inn, such as stabling and fodder, food and drinks, entertainment, and warehousing of goods.

During the heyday of the Principality, Geo’s inns were typically supported by the Prince, which made them very desirable to travelers. Well-maintained, steady food, and protected by the Prince.

So a Sartarite inn – rather than being a place that caters to the locals – is going to be a place where foreigners, adventurers, mercenaries, etc. can get food, drink, and sleep. Some are going to cater to genteel travelers, others will be unruly places.

Is there a map of the inns along the royal roads? If not, how far apart would they be? There is and once the Dragon Pass guide is out, you will have that map!

Would there be similar establishments at the larger oasis in Prax? Days Rest, Moonbroth, and the Paps are all places that caravans regularly stop at. But the volume of trade across Prax is much much smaller than the trade that goes between Peloria and Kethaela.

Jeff Richard

Next
Previous
Caravanserai, Geo, Inn, Sartar (homeland)

Sections

  • Search Tips
  • Current RuneQuest Glorantha Publications
  • RuneQuest Glorantha Corrections and Q&A
  • Catalogue
  • References for Glorantha
    • Gloranthan Canon
  • Gloranthan Documents
  • RPG Systems & Versions
  • Gallery
  • Role-playing in Glorantha
  • About This Site
  • Get involved!

Latest Posts

  • Anaxos the Horali

    When Tarlyra – a Humakt initiate – goes into combat, …
  • One Great Community of Gods

    I was recently reading Weavers, Scribes, and Kings by Amanda …
  • Mutually Hostile Cults

    Some people seem to assume that mutually hostile cults simply …
  • Human Sacrifice

    How much of a thing is human sacrifice in Glorantha? …
  • Notes on the Pure Horse People

    The Pure Horse People are the most devout Solar nomads …

Links

  • Chaosium
  • Glorantha on BRP Central
  • RuneQuest on BRP Central
  • RuneQuest Glorantha on MeWe
  • Glorantha Wiki on Fandom
  • Prince of Sartar Webcomic
  • Glorantha G+ Archives on Tapatalk
  • Search mailing list archive

Latest from BRP Central

  • Humakti Duel Advice and Tactics
  • Volsaxi in 1625-1629 ST
  • Out Now in PDF: Old Pavis - The City that Time Forgot!
  • Newish GM with questions on a proposed set of sorcerer spells
  • Would common rune spells learned from a major cult work with spells from a spirit cult ?
  • List of Personalities in New Pavis and the Rubble?
  • Urvagal
  • Why does Argrath wipe out the Telmori?
  • Discord Guide to Glorantha read through
  • Into the Wasps Nest

Popular Tags

2007 Avalon Hill Boldhome Chaosium Chaos pantheon Cult demographics Cults of Runequest (preview) Doraddi pantheon Ernalda Esrolia (homeland) FR G+ post Greg Stafford Guide to Glorantha Guide to Glorantha (preview) Humakt HW Issaries Jar-eel Lunar Empire Lunar Pantheon Magazine Map Maps Michael O’Brien Mongoose Nochet Nomad Gods Oriflam Orlanth Orlanthi pantheon Prax (homeland) RQ3 RQG Sandy Petersen Sartar (homeland) Seven Mothers Solar pantheon Spirit Cult Subcult Tales of the Reaching Moon Tatou Troll / Uz pantheon Yelm Yelmalio

Recently added or updated

  • Anaxos the Horali

  • Mysticism (2013)

  • New Battle Rules for RuneQuest

  • 2021-02 Jeff on Facebook

  • Population Density I

  • Population Density II

  • City Populations

  • Notes on Belintar

  • Notes on the Grazelands

  • Sartar Sun Dome

  • Yelorna Art Preview

  • Hero Wars Campaign Overview

  • Changing History in the Hero Wars

  • One Great Community of Gods

  • Grandmother Earth

  • Mutually Hostile Cults

  • King of Sartar now available for pre-order

  • New maps for the new version of King of Sartar

  • Human Sacrifice

  • The House of Sartar, Feathered Horse Queens, and Werewolves

©2023 The Well of Daliath | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme