Brithini in Arolanit?
- Thread starter Oku
- Start date
Lord High Munchkin
Mongoose
You will be happy... or die.
MRQ seems to change the nature of Arolanit.
In previous editions it was a Brithini province settled by Brithini, that only started to change at the end of the 2nd age (under outside God Learner interventions), but which was isolated by the Closing (remaining populated by Brithini, probably the same Brithini, all the time).
Now it seems a territory of Seshnela, inhabited by non-immortals (probably Seshnegi-types).
MRQ seems to change the nature of Arolanit.
In previous editions it was a Brithini province settled by Brithini, that only started to change at the end of the 2nd age (under outside God Learner interventions), but which was isolated by the Closing (remaining populated by Brithini, probably the same Brithini, all the time).
Now it seems a territory of Seshnela, inhabited by non-immortals (probably Seshnegi-types).
Loz
Mongoose
Oku said:
This is a tough dilemma.
Its quite right that MSE and G:IttHW refer to Arolanit's Brithini colonists. When Robin wrote G:tSA he obviously chose to take a separate tack.
For consistency's sake I decided not to retcon the second edition of G:tSA and stuck with Robin's take. However, for the Abiding Book, which deals with Arolanit, I've modified the way the Brithini colony is interpreted.
It's really a question of how far you go to incorporate a great deal of very complicated, often contradictory canon (a pervasive Gloranthan problem). I found this consistently when writing 'The Abiding Book'; a lot of sources, even within MSE are contradictory and establishing an accurate picture of the God Learner empire is very, very difficult to do and reconcile. I've had to draw quite a few lines in the sand and create some situations to explain others that, on their own, make little or no sense.
Loz said:
This is Glorantha, after all, where myth is real. I've often toyed with the idea of the players visiting a city legendary in their own myth for one purpose, then coming back and finding it almost completely different, because the governing myth for the second visit is different. And then explaining to the players that they don't find this odd...
An example from Greek myth might help illustrate: Theseus and Menestheus both have legends about being King of Athens in the period 1213 to 1204 BC (using traditional dating), so on one visit to Athens in 1210 BC the party might find Theseus the mighty king, but in another they might find that Theseus went off with the Argonauts in 1213 and died on Scyros, and that it has always been that way.
So sometimes there might be Brithini in Arolanit, other times not. Depends on what story is relevant to the adventure.
Having said that, it's really difficult to get your head around that concept, so for the purposes of writing the Abiding Book, I think you've taken the right course, Loz.
Why not both altogether?
A strong brithini colony + a seshnelan administration and population.
Arolanit was first a brithini colony in the first age, where Arkat has spent some time.
During the second age, brithini, being patient and cautious to stay unpolluted by mortal affairs, have left the power to the seshnelan newcomers because the power of Jrustela was overwhelming but analyzed by the brithini as flawed and weak on the long-term.
After the closing and the predicted fall of the empire, the brithini take power again and administrate the land during the third age. The land is more or less purged from mortal lesser humans (actively or passively is up to you).
Then every version is right, considering just different aspects of a complex situation.
That's how I have defined it in my "Glorantha".
A strong brithini colony + a seshnelan administration and population.
Arolanit was first a brithini colony in the first age, where Arkat has spent some time.
During the second age, brithini, being patient and cautious to stay unpolluted by mortal affairs, have left the power to the seshnelan newcomers because the power of Jrustela was overwhelming but analyzed by the brithini as flawed and weak on the long-term.
After the closing and the predicted fall of the empire, the brithini take power again and administrate the land during the third age. The land is more or less purged from mortal lesser humans (actively or passively is up to you).
Then every version is right, considering just different aspects of a complex situation.
That's how I have defined it in my "Glorantha".
