Gloranthan Second Age Map - misprints or Second Age names?

[WildHealer]

Hi Matthew,

Nice looking map! Especially interesting for us Gloranthaphiles to see Jrustela, Slontos, etc, prior to the Closing...

I noticed a number of differences with names of places as we've been used to them (ie Third Age), and was wondering if these were pre-production typos or actual changes in names since the Second Age. They are:

Dagori Inkerin rather than Dagori Inkarth
Koromondor rather than Koromondol
Gaird rather than Saird
Vadali Isles rather than Vadeli Isles
Magastra's Pool rather than Magasta's Pool
Vithalash rather than Vithela
Trojang rather than Trowjang

As a linguist myself I'm v. happy to see names morph over time - specially the 800 (?) years or so we're talking (although Gaird to Saird may stretch things a bit!) - just wanted to confirm if these were actual changes.

The map itself looks great - very exciting to see Glorantha in a whole different way from the way we've all been seeing it for the past quarter century plus!

Keep up the good work! Can't wait to see some snippets of the book(s).

Cheers,

Sarah

 

[The King]

I already saw this map of the 2nd age before but can't remember where (it was B/W then). Possibly in the Missing Lands monographs or some other zines.

 

[Malorium]

Sorry - I'm just going to have to stick with Dagori Inkarth - old Trolls die hard!

 

[kpmcdona]

The Uz Lore book from back in the old days had a 'Genertela during the Second Age' map showing a forest reaching all the way from the glacier to the Nidan mountains in eastern Fronela. It also showed the coastline of Loskalm as being a bit different. A popular theory is that the emergence of the Kingdom of War during the Syndic's Ban (Third Age) shifted the coastline west. That may just be unofficial speculation, though.

The Uz Lore map is ambiguous about exactly when in the Second Age (SA) it is depicting. For instance, it shows Xemtown (c. 1070) and the 'Machine Ruins', both of which would place the map at the very end of the SA. Perhaps the forest spread once the Godlearners were evicted from eastern Fronela, which happend fairly early in the SA. That doesn't explain the modern coastline on the SA map, though.

The coast of Slontos looks a bit different than expected, too.

All this brings me to a question that has been itching in the back of my brain ever since the Second Age announcement - when exactly in the Second Age is the game set? The period from the fall of the Bright Empire to the Dragonkill is quite a long time. From the little that has been said, I am assuming that it is c. 815 but I am very keen to know for certain.

 

[sexy_davey]

On a related topic - why second age? Is it to avoid clashing with hero wars stuff?

Also, what are the risks of getting Gregged?

"Sorry, you can't go to that island - it doesn't exist any more"

"D'oh!"

 

[Wulf Corbett]

On a related topic - why second age? Is it to avoid clashing with hero wars stuff?

I imagine so. A good compromise. Also, it means we can have all new stuff without worrying about contradicting old material.

Also, what are the risks of getting Gregged?

Very little. Greg has, apparently, virtually given up the creative side of Glorantha. Beside, he never really did much Second Age Gregging.

Wulf

 

[The King]

Yes, Second Age setting is great. It's a kind of hero wars of its own, especially when there are very little and dispersed information on the subject.

 

[t-tauri]

Yes, Second Age setting is great. It's a kind of hero wars of its own, especially when there are very little and dispersed information on the subject.

Except for the knowledge of who wins and who loses. :shock:

 

[Archer]

Yes, Second Age setting is great. It's a kind of hero wars of its own, especially when there are very little and dispersed information on the subject.

Except for the knowledge of who wins and who loses. :shock:

Well, who says you can not venture off into unknown territory by having your Glorantha campaign stray of the canon history? It might even contain a vital element called fun.

 

[jorganos]

All this brings me to a question that has been itching in the back of my brain ever since the Second Age announcement - when exactly in the Second Age is the game set? The period from the fall of the Bright Empire to the Dragonkill is quite a long time. From the little that has been said, I am assuming that it is c. 815 but I am very keen to know for certain.

Greg spoke about the Second Age Glorantha setting at Tentacles Convention this weekend and said the setting was something like 895, with the balance already tipping against the empires.

 

[jorganos]

Also, what are the risks of getting Gregged?

Very little. Greg has, apparently, virtually given up the creative side of Glorantha. Beside, he never really did much Second Age Gregging.

Wulf

Greg is currently writing a Harmast novel (first Age Glorantha, 98,000 words so far), from which he read at Tentacles, so rumors of him giving up the creative side of Glorantha are wrong.

Still, the risks of getting Gregged have become somewhat lower. At another seminar at Tentacles (which was recorded and will be printed in a future Book of Tentacles) he stated that there are a few matters close to his heart where he reserves the right to improve earlier versions. The less explored Glorantha is a lot more immune to Gregging than matters he has touched in his own explorations, along his stories.

 

[kpmcdona]

Greg spoke about the Second Age Glorantha setting at Tentacles Convention this weekend and said the setting was something like 895, with the balance already tipping against the empires.

Thanks for the Tentacles info! I have been anxiously waiting for news from the con - so much interesting stuff is about to happen! As for 895, that was actually what I was hoping to hear. It would allow my game to cover the Carmanian war with EWF in Peloria.

It would mean that several disasters have already struck the God Learners. (Hurricane Years in Slontos, arrival of the Fireburgs, failed invasion of Brithos) It would be just in time for the Machine City War, though.

Also, to get back on topic, Greg Stafford said in a recent digest posting (HeroQuest-RPG?) that the coastline on the Mongoose map is correct, even though it contradicts his previous statement about the changing coast of Loskalm. Your Glorantha Will Vary - and so will Greg's!

~Kevin McD

 

[Darran]

Very little. Greg has, apparently, virtually given up the creative side of Glorantha.

Greg has virtually given up on the Business of publishing Glorantha. He is still writing away with new material.

 

[nysalor]

Well, who says you can not venture off into unknown territory by having your Glorantha campaign stray of the canon history? It might even contain a vital element called fun.

Exactly. YGWV. YGMV. Greg has always valued the creative and exploratory impulse over textual fundamentalism. With a sprawling group creation like Glorantha (40 years old this year), which has grown and survived through changing fashions of both roleplaying and culture, Greg's own maturing personal vision, and the substantial contributions of hundreds of fellow weavers and shapers, often in out-of-print or obscure-to-start-with publications, there are always going to be small inconsistancies. Every campaign of necessity will introduce its own.

It comes down to two choices: a librarian mentality that thrives on textual fundamentalism and the letter of the printed word, or an exploratory impulse where you share and expand the vision.

Me, I'm a roleplayer. Glorantha for me exists in our campaigns and stories and myths, not in para 17 of Second Edition Troll Gods 1983.


I invoke the ancient chant of the gamer; 'Let's wing that Mother!'

Besides, its a long term ambition of mine to smother Argrath on the Tarsh border because of what he did to Starbrow. Who cares about the supposed fall of the Lunar Empire and the death of the gods, this is personal!

And I love the 2nd Age Setting. Bring on Arkat!


Greg no longer involved in Glorantha? Ho boy is that off beam. he has largely given up running a games business to concentrate on what he does best, create and inspire. And in the last months he's been extremely productive - some of the fruits being shared at Tentacles. More power to him.

Cheers

John

 

[nysalor]

And I love the 2nd Age Setting. Bring on Arkat!

Okay, so I fumbled my History roll. 'Bring *back Arkat!' . 'Arkat lives!'. I hope Geoff has included some Arkati in the Cults book. (The death of Arkat and Nysalor/Gbaji bascially marked the end of the First Age. It's history.

If not, this may be the birth of the first RQ variant campaign... "Age One: Bring me the head of Gbaji Deceiver'.

 

[homerjsinnott]

And I love the 2nd Age Setting. Bring on Arkat!

Okay, so I fumbled my History roll. 'Bring *back Arkat!' . 'Arkat lives!'. I hope Geoff has included some Arkati in the Cults book. (The death of Arkat and Nysalor/Gbaji bascially marked the end of the First Age. It's history.

If not, this may be the birth of the first RQ variant campaign... "Age One: Bring me the head of Gbaji Deceiver'.

Did he ye'know *cough*coughsleep withyourdaughtercough*?