Prax and all the thousands of questions about it…

[Niall]

Who killed the Great Rhino?

And how do Praxians keep themselves clean? Sweat lodges, sand baths, nothing, rain showers once a year?

thanks

[David Scott]

Quote:

Quote from Niall on February 5, 2014, 17:52
Who killed the Great Rhino?

Borderlands tells us:

Quote:

The Great Rhino was either the Founder of the Rhino Riders of the Father of the rhinos themselves. He was slain in the Godtime, but was resurrected after the fall of Old Pavis to help break down the walls of the city. He gave his aid freely, but would never work against his children.

The answer is anyone you like as long as it adds to you game. That Great Rhino’s spirit was recovered and was able to be brought into the Middle World means that it wasn’t destroyed completely. So it could have been a God’s War fight, the coming of Death, monsters in the Great Darkness, etc.

Quote:

And how do Praxians keep themselves clean? Sweat lodges, sand baths, nothing, rain showers once a year?

It’s a fantasy RPG – no one smells except when the plot calls for it or ever goes to the toilet (works in my games). Better still, the herds always smell more so no one notices.

[Jeff Richard]

Fwiw, here’s how the Scythians kept clean according to Herodotus:

Quote:

75. The Scythians, as I said, take some of this hemp-seed, and, creeping under the felt coverings, throw it upon the red-hot stones; immediately it smokes, and gives out such a vapour as no Grecian vapour-bath can exceed; the Scyths, delighted, shout for joy, and this vapour serves them instead of a water-bath; for they never by any chance wash their bodies with water. Their women make a mixture of cypress, cedar, and frankincense wood, which they pound into a paste upon a rough piece of stone, adding a little water to it. With this substance, which is of a thick consistency, they plaster their faces all over, and indeed their whole bodies. A sweet odour is thereby imparted to them, and when they take off the plaster on the day following, their skin is clean and glossy.

[Niall]

Herodutus was just like us Gms, he made everything up :p

[Niall]

Here’s a picture of how I imagine the Rhino Rocklands.

[Niall]

Is it taboo for a Praxian to ride a beast from another Nation? If stranded would a Bison rider feel okay about getting on a Rhino to chase after the raiders who just pinched his Bison?

Anything’s better than walking, right?

[David Scott]

There is no taboo on this for any Praxian, except for Khans of Waha:

Quote:

(Waha] Khan’s have their own set of taboos: they are not allowed ever to ride any but their own tribe’s herd beasts; they may not marry any woman not a shaman or priestess of the Praxian tradition; they may not travel to the sky as a friend, eat gold or golden food, or build a house. At least once in a lifetime a Khan must travel to the Devil’s Marsh and kill a thing of chaos.

[Evilroddy]

But I think they draw the line at riding Pol-Joni horses. That just perverted!

[Niall]

I have an awful image of burly Rhino riders on Impalas.

That said I ran a game once with the Baboon pc’s riding stolen Ostriches.

[David Scott]

Horses are complicated in the Wastelands:

Quote:

Waha distrusts horses, for they are animals of Yelm, the sun god; they are not of Eiritha. Yelm was the reason that Eiritha left in the Great Darkness.

They are not taboo, but they are not part of the Covenant. They don’t do very well except with a supplemented diet.

The Pol-Joni have Waha and Eiritha worshippers, and clearly ride horses. The Pol-joni Marches are also richer than most of the Wastelands, so horses don’t need extra food. Pol-Joni Waha Khans must ride horses (There are only 2 or 3 of them). Raiders will go for their cattle, and most likely if chased have no problem with wounding horses.

[Niall]

Quote:

Quote from David Scott on March 1, 2014, 08:55 and most likely if chased have no problem with wounding horses.

So it’s not done to intentionally attack another person’s mount?

[David Scott]

A complex question. If the rider is a foreigner on a horse, I don’t think there’s any problem. If the rider is part of the Praxian Tradition, then it gets a bit more complex. Also bear in mind, once you start killing, it leads to feuding. Most Praxians ride their herd animal, so capturing it not killing it gets you all kind of benefits from your family and clan. Killing an enemy rider’s mount leaves them with an animal to butcher, so it’s still in the food chain. Wounding herd beast mounts will slow a pursuer down, they can be healed later, giving you something to raid later. Pol-Joni do obviously eat horses, but as with all Praxians prefer to eat others herd beasts, and then their own cattle. Most other Praxians would eat a horse – they distrust them, that’s different from a food source. Some will have taboos that prevent any horse interaction, but that’s the fun of Glorantha.

[Niall]

Cheers.

A while back there was an interactive map of Pavis on Glorantha.com but it’s vanished. You still have it?

[David Scott]

Do you mean a 3D one?

There are the three I know of –

Jane’s models are missing though
VRML – http://www.jane-williams.me.uk/glorantha/virtual.cfm

and Sketchup

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?redirect=1&mid=4e29cf1885fc4caa4e1af951bf7c6903

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=8e76c18c8df57385f9db9a0f195d8fd

or the scalable PDF version

http://www.glorantha.com/docs/map-of-new-pavis/

[Niall]

Actually it was the last one and not interactive. Cheers David.

[Author]

Posts