homerjsinnott said:
I was just thinking how evil the two empires are portrayed in the 2nd age book and how I would like a more sympathetic (and realistic) view of them both. I remember reading in one of the threads that they were going to get such a write up, could DBC or someone else in the know tell me if this is true, and where it will be?
I'll try to get back to this later, as it's a great point. I'm a bit screwed-over this week (redoing work lost in the computer crash...) so I'm stuck for time.
Suffice to say that while I've got nothing but love for the Third Age, in my eyes the Imperial Age is largely
about the God Learner Alliance and the Empire of Wyrm's Friends. The opportunity to play as them and be them, hang out with them, use their powers and learn their secrets is 90% of the 2nd Age's appeal for me.
Magic of Glorantha takes the approach that people will want to play them. My own game (currently on a 2-month hiatus but about to start again) had 5 characters who were either Dragonspeakers or mercenaries allied to the Empire, patrolling Dragon Pass. Their duties were to peacefully stop any uprisings against the Empire (only quelling rebellions with violence if they had to) and defending communities from God Learner agents who were preying on the conquered Orlanthi and looking for secret myths/inciting rebellion/being general assholes. They were also protecting Orlanthi communities from other attacks, like monsters, dangerous cults, etc. They were guardians, basically, not overlords. Sure, the population is taking a while to come around, but they are certainly starting to be grateful for the sheer amount of work the characters are doing on their behalf.
Ultimately, yes, the empires are "evil". However, the roads to hell that they're now on were paved with good intentions, and your average Dragonspeaker Cultist or Jrustelan Sorcerer as evil, altruistic, malicious or benevolent as any other soul on Glorantha. One Imperial cultist might be sent to slaughter troll guerillas to further the pacification of a region, and might laugh manically while he did his grim work. Another works among the poor, the downtrodden and the destitute of Dara Happa, bringing healing and comfort to those he meets, seeking to show that being conquered by the Empire is not as vile as the propaganda would have people believe.
I'm very, very, very keen on this topic. I love the Alliance and the Empire a great deal. The thought of them being viewed as 2D 'bad guys' or remaining unknown and disliked as the 'bogeymen' of Gloranthan history is something I am desperate to avoid.
Magic of Glorantha is my own start on fighting that image, though I imagine the other writers will have their own ideas, takes and views on the deal. But I think if and when you read it, you'll really get the idea of where I'm going with this. I think
Magic of Glorantha is probably more useful as
God Learner and EWF Book #1, to be honest, though that was likely obvious since both cultures are so shaped by their magic.
Every time I play Glorantha in the 2nd Age, now and in the future, the players being Imperial or Alliance characters is almost a foregone conclusion. Not to imply limitations on my group, or anything. If they wanted an Orlanthi game, I'd run one. But my RQ group has been using the stuff in
Magic of Glorantha for months now, and that's the stuff they feel drawn to.
EDIT: In short, while an average Iraqi or Iranian might very well see the US as evil for what it does in the Middle East, the average American office worker might not, or be powerless to change the corruption from above.
On a very related note,
Magic of Glorantha has an appendix of characters who are movers and shakers in each empire. Each of these characters has something (subtly or obviously) eerie or
wrong about them. I wanted this to reflect that the highest echelons of the Empire and Alliance are indeed starting to slip into inevitable decline, but that you - your characters - will meet them and feel creeped out or confused by it, rather than being comfortable around them. These are the souls that are beginning to see that their One True Ways are actually flawed and their worldviews are fracturing apart. Most PCs will still be believers, naturally, but when they meet the Big Names of their kingdom, they are left a little shaken and worried at the potential for corruption that they can't change.
Hope that helps, dude.
