[Runequest] Runequest Digest, Vol 49, Issue 8

[Andrew]

>
> Ah, Glorantha. I'm getting progressively weary of Glorantha. Okay, let's 
> do this. (engage rant mode) All those blank lands and the greatest blank 
> land of all - the future. I didn't intend to mention Glorantha, but one 
> thing really bugs me: The history ends at ST 1624. Nothing happens after 
> that, except some vague notions in King of Sartar and one measly prophesy 
> per area. In Fronela elfs rule and Kingdom of war takes on Loskalm. In 
> Ralios Arkat returns in 5 forms for some reason not explained and Seshnela 
> fights Pasos, oooookayy...
> That's all I've read about Glorantha past ST 1624 that wasn't all about 
> Red emperor vs. Argrath. One would think that after some quarter of 
> century someone, somewhere had a little more to say on the subject. I 
> really hope this gets corrected in RQ6.
>
> For decades RQ players and GMs have been forced to place their campaign in 
> the past of Glorantha, because everything ends at 1624. In theory it's a 
> nice idea giving GMs total freedom to run their campaigns any way they 
> like. In practise not so much, because no one has any context on which to 
> place the surrounding world. Image how it would be if tomorrow thereafter 
> you didn't get any news - nada. Newspapers - blank, television news - 
> white noise, internet news sites - no headlines. It's not working so well, 
> is it? I hope someone who makes the game takes a lesson from FASA - 
> Battletech and Shadowrun. With those games time didn't end at a fixed 
> date - it progressed. Every now and then players received reports on world 
> events (State Of The Art 2063, State Of The Art 2064, World 2062, World 
> 2070 among others). That gave players a feel that the world was alive with 
> something else doing something besides PCs.  I'm not asking a full history 
> from here to eternity, just a few stories from each gloranthan area to 
> give some idea of general events. What nations go to war and what make 
> peace? Who invents a new revolutionary magic or technology and what it 
> does to surrounding society? Who gets assasinated or deposed? What area 
> suffers chaos infestations or famines or disease epidemics? What new sects 
> are born and which ones clash? What about racial tensions or diplomatic 
> insidents? Then, this being Glorantha, what mysterious miracles or 
> cataclysms happen that awe/scare people?
>
> How about a magazine that describes one year in Glorantha in each number - 
> Gloranthan gazetteer ST 1625, Gloranthan gazetteer ST 1626, Gloranthan 
> gazetteer ST 1627, etc. How about "Merchants tales ST 1625" or "Lhankor 
> files ST 1625", each issue giving a few pages on each area of Glorantha 
> (Fronela, Ralios, Seshnela, Maniria, Jrustela, Kralorela, Pamaltela, 
> Peloria, Desert, Dragon pass). Maybe some eyewitness accounts on important 
> events combined with more general list of events. Let's get this show on 
> the road! (disengage rant mode)
>
Okay, where do I sign up? Perhaps one of the best ideas I have read in a 
long time.