How is Chaos organized in the 2nd age?
- Thread starter The King
- Start date
sidkfjjteidlkkf
Mongoose
I have not really had time to look into this, but from what I gather, it is spread across the world in remote areas. Dorastar seems to be the base, but it is not at its fullest potential. Parts of ralios has intrusions.
Chaos is surprisingly weaker in the 2nd Age than in the 3rd, according to the sources such as Glorantha: The Second Age and the Ralios pdf as well as the older, Issaries and RQ ones. Chaos is growing in power throughout the age, as the GL disturb things best left alone (Dorastor was quiescent throughout most of the age and has only recently wakened) and the Elder Races' strength wanes in intercene struggles (they kept the lid on a few of the 'hotspots') and empires become embroiled in desperate wars.
The sheer damage done by the collapse done by the end of the 2nd Age is responsible for much of the 3rd Age chaos seeping in or reawakening.
At least, that's the gist of the publications thus far - taking the Stafford Library as the most authoritative.
YGMV, of course.
One site which might be of interest and is probably still active is Hell Castle, a rather nasty incursion existing in the middle of Wenelia. During the first age, several armies of chaotic entities were summoned from its depths when the Gbaji Wars see-sawed across Western Maniria.
And anyone in Slontos will tell you that the Temple to Infinite Tricksters is a hellhole of the worst order...!
Hope this helps,
Jeff
The sheer damage done by the collapse done by the end of the 2nd Age is responsible for much of the 3rd Age chaos seeping in or reawakening.
At least, that's the gist of the publications thus far - taking the Stafford Library as the most authoritative.
YGMV, of course.One site which might be of interest and is probably still active is Hell Castle, a rather nasty incursion existing in the middle of Wenelia. During the first age, several armies of chaotic entities were summoned from its depths when the Gbaji Wars see-sawed across Western Maniria.
And anyone in Slontos will tell you that the Temple to Infinite Tricksters is a hellhole of the worst order...!
Hope this helps,
Jeff
Don't forget that First Age had Gbaji who sided with Chaos, or whose followers sided with Chaos, and the Third Age has the Red Goddess who embraced Chaos and whose followers embrace Chaos. So, in both of those ages you have an important demigod/god who controls chaos. You can expect chaos to be stirred up.
In the Second Age you have the EWF which is comprised of Dragon-worshippers, and dragons hate chaos, and Traditionalists, who are by and large anti-chaos and the Middle Sea Empire who follow Malkion and Law and are by their nature against chaos. So, at least until the end, they don't side with chaos and tend to keep it down.
At the end, though, people side with anyone who can help them win, so the Middle Sea Empire will have some people siding with chaos (Clanking City, Cult of Thanatar, Delecti (?), some of the Pavis Mages) in a desparate struggle to survive.
In the Second Age you have the EWF which is comprised of Dragon-worshippers, and dragons hate chaos, and Traditionalists, who are by and large anti-chaos and the Middle Sea Empire who follow Malkion and Law and are by their nature against chaos. So, at least until the end, they don't side with chaos and tend to keep it down.
At the end, though, people side with anyone who can help them win, so the Middle Sea Empire will have some people siding with chaos (Clanking City, Cult of Thanatar, Delecti (?), some of the Pavis Mages) in a desparate struggle to survive.
The King
Cosmic Mongoose
I like this approach too.soltakss said:
But the EWF created half-men/half beast-creatures (centaurs, minotaurs, etc.) and this could be compared to chaotic features. In the end, this is also one of the (many) reasons why the dragons destroyed the EWF.
I like indeed to think that every (human) civilization ends up in decadence and the idea that there is some corruption that always stirrs up from inside (a la Warhammer - the power behind the throne).
I think the Tunnel hills would still be a chaotic stronghold, but its pretty much in the middle of nowhere .
I kind of like the idea that the God learners when realizing they where going to get their heads knocked off turning to chaos in desperation's as a last result and given strength to the likes of thanatars, Vampires etc.
I kind of like the idea that the God learners when realizing they where going to get their heads knocked off turning to chaos in desperation's as a last result and given strength to the likes of thanatars, Vampires etc.
Cleombrotus
Mongoose
Wasn't the Dyskund caverns supposed to be the remains of a second age Thanatar temple, reactivated? Seems like a good model to use for second age chaos cults.
Yes, Dyksund Caverns was a Second Age Thanatar Temple reawakened.
Some Godlearners/Jrusteli turned to the worship of Atyar when they discovered Atyar's Skull in a Kralori Temple when they conquered Kralorela, I think. Others knew of Than anyway and they combined the two to make Thanatar (at least I've always assumed it was a Godlearner/Jrusteli thing). That meant that at least some Jrusteli had access to Thanatar's Knowledge-wrenching powers. Devour Scroll and Consume Mind always seemed like something the Jrusteli would be quite happy to do.
Some Godlearners/Jrusteli turned to the worship of Atyar when they discovered Atyar's Skull in a Kralori Temple when they conquered Kralorela, I think. Others knew of Than anyway and they combined the two to make Thanatar (at least I've always assumed it was a Godlearner/Jrusteli thing). That meant that at least some Jrusteli had access to Thanatar's Knowledge-wrenching powers. Devour Scroll and Consume Mind always seemed like something the Jrusteli would be quite happy to do.
Don't know if happy is how I would put it for the majority of Godlearners. but for those Godlearners that where both lazy and unethical ( Or had worse ethics then normal) I can see how Thanatar would be almost the perfect cult for them. Why waste your time trying to decipher scrolls or risk your life heroquesting when grabbing some one else's head is so much simpler.
If I was to name the Chaos cults that prospered the most under the 2 Empires I would say Krasht and Thanatar.
Krasht would have done well with all those scheming bureocrats and her tunnels have been found in Jrusteli , which I'm willing to bet date from the time of the Godlearners.
I think an interesting thing to do to players would give them a powerful patron who helps them out with things, give them access to powerful magics, but dont let them know their patron is a Worshipper of Krasht till their patron decide they are no longer useful.
If I was to name the Chaos cults that prospered the most under the 2 Empires I would say Krasht and Thanatar.
Krasht would have done well with all those scheming bureocrats and her tunnels have been found in Jrusteli , which I'm willing to bet date from the time of the Godlearners.
I think an interesting thing to do to players would give them a powerful patron who helps them out with things, give them access to powerful magics, but dont let them know their patron is a Worshipper of Krasht till their patron decide they are no longer useful.
soltakss said:
That was my opinion as well. Certainly the Thanatar cult writeup for Cults 2 was written under that impression. Towards the end of the Second Age, many of the God Learner orders and cults became very, very dodgy.
As to the Nysalor Gbaji thing, that was so thoroughly obscured by the Arkati that pretty much nobody knows - not even Greg.
Jeff
Voriof said:That was my opinion as well. Certainly the Thanatar cult writeup for Cults 2 was written under that impression. Towards the end of the Second Age, many of the God Learner orders and cults became very, very dodgy.
As to the Nysalor Gbaji thing, that was so thoroughly obscured by the Arkati that pretty much nobody knows - not even Greg.
Jeff
Jeff - you are spot on correct. However, the God Learners were even more infused with dodginess than meets the eye. Some pious Malkioni fear that the Five New Ways - the source of the God Learner techniques - were not inspired by Malkioni, but by the Devil.
Jeff
The King
Cosmic Mongoose
To define the Nysalor-Gbaji idea, I use the following example (some could consider this as a Nysalor riddle):
Light up a candle. Put someone in the middle of the light circle and put someone else in the dark just at the delimitation of the light circle.
You now have 2 perceptions with someone whose form is clearly seen and another who is only a shadow. There is a variable though (but it can also be called a constant): the person within the light circle also casts an immaterial shadow while the one outside forms a material shadow.
Light up a candle. Put someone in the middle of the light circle and put someone else in the dark just at the delimitation of the light circle.
You now have 2 perceptions with someone whose form is clearly seen and another who is only a shadow. There is a variable though (but it can also be called a constant): the person within the light circle also casts an immaterial shadow while the one outside forms a material shadow.
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