Campaign History
Real World:
As I outlined in the introduction to my Glorantha
page, the campaign started in 1994 as a series of semi-related steps in
my Glorantha career - a scenario I (re)wrote for the German RQ magazine
Free INT (#5; now Schattenklinge), the attempt to write up a Stygian or
Henotheist Malkioni religion, and my involvement as playtester for RQ4-AiG.
Based on thorough research of the available sources on Heortland and hints
from the Megacorps campaign events in the Holy Country, I started to create
a rural town in northern Heortland, Jaransbyrig, and I had my players create
15-year-old boys (and one girl) about to undergo their initiation into
manhood in the clan. Since one of the objectives was playtesting of the
AiG rules, I encouraged magical diversity, and ended up with one apprentice
wizard (aspiring to acolyte-hood, too), one apprentice Kolating shaman,
one aspirant for Aeolian knighthood (using wizardry as his personal magic),
one entertainer (using wizardry as his personal magic), one hunter (strictly
theist, with Odayla spirit magic), one apprentice to an apothecary (strictly
theist, Orlanth cult, dabbling in alchemy), one merchant and parttime sailor
(strictly theist), one Yelmalian aspiring Light Son status (strictly theist),
and a young Aeolian noble turning Vingan (using wizardry). And no, I didn't
have all players together in any game session...
About when I had my players set up for the first two or three scenarios,
I was contacted by Jeff Richard about my Aeolian ideas, and we found that
our campaigns were set in roughly the same area and time. This made it
natural to exchange ideas, NPC descriptions, PC actions, etc. I will try
to include as much of Jeff's material as possible. Jeff's campaign was
centered on a party of Varmandi who had come to King Brian's court after
some adventuring at home which made their departure out of Sartar a wise
decision.
My own campaign folded (was delayed indeterminately) when my job ate
up too much of my time (for commuting) and game sessions became impossible
to organize. Jeff started a new career, and some of his players moved away,
so his campaign went into hibernation as well. In the meantime, Jeff has
joined (founded?) the Seattle Farming community and referees the vastly
successful Taming of Dragon Pass campaign - check out David Dunham's webpage
for Korol's Saga and other background material, or get Enclosure 1, which
contains some material from this campaign. My own face-to-face gaming has
strayed from Glorantha, so I consider to start a play-by-email rerun and/or
continuation of the Heortland campaign, encouraged by my participation
the very enjoyable Kustria-campaign refereed by Jose Ramos.
Glorantha
My original player characters were born in 1599 or 1600 S.T. Most were
born in Jaransbyrig or have lived there for at least a couple of years
as of 1615.
The native boys include:
the cniht (knight) -in-training
the wizard/priest-in-training
the apprentice Kolating shaman
the hunter
the merchant
Other characters have been resident for a couple of years:
the Yelmalian's father, a Sun Dome Templar from the Dragon Pass temple,
has taken up a position as military advisor to Ealdorman Wolfred in anti-troll
combat techniques around 1606 (after the Lunar raid had been barely stopped
outside of Karse, and the local fyrd had been weakened against the Kitori
troll and trollking plague). The family has lived among the Ealdorman's
housecarls' and cnihts' families for 9 years.
the apothecary's apprentice is the son of a Sartarite Humakti who had
joined the Starbrow Rebellion and died resisting arrest two weeks after
the settlement of Larnste's Table. He, his mother and his older brother
fled their home just in time to evade enslavement and found refuge with
distant kinsfolk in Jaransbyrig in 1613.
The rest of the characters are more recent additions, introduced during
the 1616 pilgrimage scenario.
Initiation
In Sea Season 1615, the boys of Jaransbyrig were initiated into adulthood
in a communal festival. This was only part of their cultic initiation (each
completed on the suitable High Holy Day of that year), but included their
initiation to the clan wyter, and their oaths of fealty to the Ealdorman
(not personal, but his office).
The player characters "happened" to be one of several groups of boys
to share a mythic reenactment to test their resolve. After a couple of
individual examinations and proof of their abilities they were set off
on a reenactment of the Sword Story: they were to reclaim a sword hidden
in the shadows of the nearby forest, move it past the guardians, and deliver
it to the officiating priest.
Manhunt
The slayer of the king's only cousin had been seen nearby, but had escaped
into the forest. The boys in service at the Ealdorman's court conspired
to draw suitable duty to get a chance to find the culprit, and the rest
of their friends simply took some time off to be in it. They managed to
give chase for a while, but their quarry found asylum in the nearby Arroyan
nunnery before they could get at him. They tried a mixture of diplomacy
and force before they learned how to oblige the Arroyans to end the asylum:
at the mound of an ancient king or chieftain nearby people performing a
small worship and sacrifice could ask one favour of the resident spirit,
and if asking for a token, this favour could be asked from the Arroyans
instead.
As a result of this, their quarry was politely but definitely required
to leave the nunnery, but the PCs had to give him a fair head start - the
same he had had when he had entered the nunnery.
After a merry chase, they finally cornered the killer and, using their
numerical advantage, overcame the duelist. For this effort they had earned
the privilege to deliver him to the court in Durengard.
On their way there, they took quarters in an inn outside of the city
gates of Durengard after having missed closing time of the city gates (once
again, after Backford). At night they and their prisoner received a visit
from a Krarshti intent on either killing or freeing the duelist, but thanks
to their foresight, a magical ward warned them of the intruder, and when
one of them got a lucky critical in the assaulter DIed out before causing
too much damage. The next day they turned their prisoner over to the king.
The Godking, who was visiting Heortland at this time of the year, was present
during their audience where they were given the honorific title "thegns
of the Kingdom".
Pilgrimage
While the PCs were serving their time in temple duty, a messenger arrived
at Jaransbyrig requiring native guides for a pilgrimage. After several
days of sweeping floors or standing ornamental duty, the PCs were more
than happy to oblige - as part of their temple duty; so they joined the
procession. As they were about to leave, the Kolating spirit master brought
a warning that the spirits were disturbed about the procession. In order
to check that out, he sent his apprentice with the other PCs.
Coastal Guard
Wolf Pirates have been sighted off the coast, and raids are imminent. Ealdorman
Wolfred needs most of his proven warriors for the defence of the main tracks
to the plateau and in the town of Sklar, so he detaches a file of green
militia-boys and the newly-titled PCs to a lookout and safeguarding post
in the dunes on the outer Solthi River mouth.
A Fateful Sacred Time Ritual
As thegns of the Kingdom, the PCs are invited to join the court in the
Sacred Time rites - a Short Lightbringers Pilgrimage starting in Durengard
and culminating below Shadow Plateau.
A Remedy for the King
There seems to be no mundane cure for the king's malady, but the apothecary
among the PCs remembered his father's last letter concerning a family heirloom
- some EWF artifact which might help produce a cure. Rereading the letter,
the PCs start to visit the Rainbow Caverns near Apple Lane almost four
years after his father disappeared there.
This is where my campaign drowsed off...