a Durulz, captain of a sea ship?

[Emmanuel Ponette]

Is there any previous history (or myth) of a Durulz captain of a sea ship? What is the relationship between Durulz and the sea? The Sea gods?

Same question for an Uz? Popeye the Uz Sailorman?

[Joerg Baumgartner]

The Malkioni have a myth about the invasion of their lands by Solkathi that involved Beakies. Whether these were hapless keets carried along from the East Islands or durulz actively aiding that sea deity isn’t entirely clear, but any durulz willing to prove it will be able to use that myth for sailing (or actually swimming along a vessel, pushing it, as that seems to be their way on the Creekstream River) in Solkathi Sea at least with some friendship. After the Opening, doing so would have to involve a variation of the Dormal rites, too.

Their relation to the Sea Gods is sort of mixed. Their ancestral homelands were mostly drowned by the first invasions of the seas. The Genertelan durulz appear to have lost their roots in those homelands, though, possibly washed away by the waters whose ways they adopted afterwards. They definitely do not trace their ancestry to either Triolina (mother of sea folk) or Mirintha (mother of sea animals). Their similarity to water fowl may be both grounds for friendship or for intense rivalry.

The uz have a tradition of black galleys both below Shadow Plateau and around Third Age Jrustela. Jeset, ferryman of the dead, is the first uz venturing on water, all subsequent naval uz include him in their worship much like all human sailors have roots in Diros.

[Simon Phipp]

The Black Galleys are also assisted by the Sea Trolls, who are friendly to other Uz. I would say they are crewed by zombie oarsmen, so they can row day and night without tiring.

Keets probably have more connection to the Sea Gods that Durulz. I can’t see a problem with a Durulzi Sea Captain, as long as he/she worshipped Dormal.

[Stewart Stansfield]

The ducks’–and I do mean ducks, rather than keets’–relationship with Water in myth is one of the great unexplained bits of Glorantha. (I might be overemphasising.)

Right from the off in WB&RM we see potent connections with Water (it’s arguably the strongest link), but attempts to create a mythology for ducks tend to flat-out ignore it. Usually in favour of the “Oh noes! We can’t fly!” stuff. This absence is largely why I don’t tend to pay to much heed to the detailed cosmologies and myths people (i.e. SPM and Mongoose) have come up with in the past. Well, that and being cantankerous.

In my own Glorantha, I think I’ve come around to the view that ducks don’t so much break the fourth wall, as drive through it in a bulldozer decorated with David Hasselhoff motifs, while whistling Scorpions. I think their magic and religion is based around who gives them the best stuff. They’re munchkins.

It’s no surprise ducks favour Humakt, as it’s so easy to game the Gifts/Geasa to make yourself very hard. Yelmalio is an option, but being forced to roll your Gifts is an issue. It only really works if you have bent dice or the GM isn’t paying attention.

When Cults of Terror came out, lots of ducks had a look at Thanatar. That fella had potential! Unfortunately, it’s pretty difficult to go around strangling people when you’re three-foot tall. And carrying around portable steps can get a bit tiring.

Which brings us to Water/Sea. I think some ducks–especially those in Maniria–might be tempted by Wachaza. His spells are OP! Drown, Fang of Wachaza and Seastrength are well hard, and right up any duck rules-lawyer’s street. In the interests of geographical variety, I think Southern Duckish Munchkinism might even favour Wachaza over Humakt.

Chris, Guy, Sandy et al.’s game had an infamous duck named Blackbeak. I can’t remember if he was a pirate, but he might have been. I recall writing of one duck sea-captain who got lost and became the progenitor of THE CANNIBAL PYGMY DUCKS OF ERINORRU. I think they’re just a legend, though.

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