Something I've always wondered about....

[troy812]

First.. why is it Dwarfs and not Dwarves in Runequest? (for that matter Elfs vs. Elves) :?

Second... When it comes to the different varieties of Mostali (clay, rock, iron, gold, silver, diamond... ) are their skins actually made up of the different elements, or is this more of a metaphor? :?

Just wondering....

t

 

[Chronos]

First.. why is it Dwarfs and not Dwarves in Runequest? (for that matter Elfs vs. Elves) :?

I'm not sure if the authors of Runequest had a specific purpose in mind when creating the game, but here is some interesting reading on the subject.

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000293.html

Second... When it comes to the different varieties of Mostali (clay, rock, iron, gold, silver, diamond... ) are their skins actually made up of the different elements, or is this more of a metaphor? :?

Just wondering....

t

From the book Glorantha - Introduction to the Hero Wars, there's a section on Mostali that reads, "A few survived, and they made a new race called dwarfs. These were made of clay, not pure metal, which has deteriorated to be flesh. But their ancestry is true and it bestows immortality upon every one of them who follows their Mostali nature perfectly. After a few thousand years of selfless service, the once clay dwarfs [...] can refine themselves in mind, body and spirit until they obtain their pure metal heritage [...]."

Hope that helps.

 

[PhilHibbs]

First.. why is it Dwarfs and not Dwarves in Runequest?

Because Greg didn't adopt the tem that Tolkien invented, he went with the English Language convention.

Second... When it comes to the different varieties of Mostali (clay, rock, iron, gold, silver, diamond... ) are their skins actually made up of the different elements, or is this more of a metaphor? :?

The original True Mostali were made of their respective substances (gold, silver, etc. - but no iron or diamond), but Clay Mostali are the mortal versions that are mostly encountered in Glorantha. They are made of flesh, although exceptionally old and skilled Clay Mostali will begin to take on the characteristics of the caste (gold, silver, iron, etc.) that they are in. A Diamonddwarf is a Clay Mostali who has become so good at their job that their body probably has transmuted significantly into their caste's totem mateiral, so a Diamond Iron Dwarf probably has metal bones and metallic skin that provides natural armour. This could be the result of Heroquesting.

 

[troy812]

So what I’m reading is....
The normal dwarfs that we encounter in Glorantha are basically decendants of the clay dwarfs.
The various elements of the dwarves (tin, lead, copper….) are really more related to a guild, clan or a caste.
However if they achieve a “runelord” status in their cult/guild they would be referred to as “diamond dwarfs” and take on more aspects of said element.
t

 

[PhilHibbs]

So what I’m reading is....
The normal dwarfs that we encounter in Glorantha are basically decendants of the clay dwarfs.
The various elements of the dwarves (tin, lead, copper….) are really more related to a guild, clan or a caste.
However if they achieve a “runelord” status in their cult/guild they would be referred to as “diamond dwarfs” and take on more aspects of said element.
t

Yup. They are still referred to by a similar terminology to the True Mostalil - you meet a Gold Dwarf, and it's actually a Clay Mostali of the Gold Caste. If it has gold skin, it's probably a Diamonddwarf Clay Mostali of the Gold Caste. If it's 30 feet tall and made of solid gold, it's probably a True Gold Mostali.

 

[Mark Mohrfield]

Note that this really only applies to Mongoose RuneQuest. Earlier RQ editions, as well as Hero Wars/HeroQuest use the -ves endings.