The Holy Country is a fairly well known part
of Glorantha if one looks at the source material and discussion available.
I found, however, that there was no convenient collection of all the information.
Since my Glorantha campaign was situated in Heortland, I found it natural
to provide myself with such a collection.
These pages are mainly a collection of the known facts about the
Holy Country. The best published sources are/were the RuneQuest Companion
8 page essay (counting the maps) on the Holy Country and the Genertela
Book section on Maniria. The RuneQuest Companion has been out of print
since 1984, however, and the Avalon Hill RuneQuest supplement Genertela:
Crucible of the Hero Wars (which contains the Genertela Book)
has run out of print as well.
For obvious copyright reasons I cannot put any of these sources on
my webpage, but what I can do is give the information I have on the various
places and people of the Holy Country. I try to incorporate all the available
offical information on the Holy Country on these pages, but I also include
my own material, and my own ideas on the region. I hope the result is useful.
Bibliography
I will try to list the most important published sources for the information
collected here. The current list makes no claim for completeness or accuracy...
RuneQuest Companion, pp.16-25 "The Holy Country"
This essay has a fairly complete myth
and history of the Holy Country, the definitive map of the Holy Country,
and descriptions of the main six lands in the Holy Country. Primary source
for the Footprint Myth.
Genertela: Crucible of the Hero Wars, Genertela Book pp.45-52 "Maniria",
p.40 "The Lunar Provincial Government", p.34 "The Heroes: Jar-eel the Razoress",
p.15 "The Heroes: Harrek the Berserk"
The inevitable source for all Genertelan
information gives a Third Age history of the Holy Country, concentrating
on the Pharaoh and the Lunar Conquests of Dragon Pass and Maniria.
Tradetalk #3 "History of the Kingdom of Night"
Shannon Appel's History is a thoroughly
researched and enjoyable compilation - ascribed to a troll priest of the
Only Old One - which gives all the detail from the RQ-Companion essay,
much of the Troll Gods info, and hitherto unpublished sources.
Cults of Terror, pp.13-20 (available
on Chaosium's Glorantha Web Page)
The God Learner Cosmology
and History
of Glorantha, with a lot of information pertaining to the Holy Country,
especially in the Unity Council and Arkat's Crusade against Gbaji.
Lords of Terror, pp.40-45 "The Cult of Bagog"; pp.71-78 "The Cult
of Krarsht"
The cult of Bagog is important for
the Queendom of Jab in the eastern Footprint and the foothills beyond.
Cults of Terror had even more information on Gagix Twobarb.
The cult of Krarsht describes the origin
of the Footprint from the other perspective.
Troll Pak, Uz Lore, "Mythos" and "History", especially p.9 "Eleven
Troll Battles", pp.13-17, 26-29, 32-34 "The Holy Country"
The Trolls dominated much of the history
of Kethaela and the Holy Country. Note that the date given for Belintar's
arrival (1258) is wrong.
Troll Gods, Troll Cults Book, especially pp.17-18,20-22 "Argan Argar",
pp.21-24 "Arkat", p.78 "Asrelia", pp.82f "Kogag the Boatman", "Lodril",
"Sky River Titan (Lorian)"
The cults I selected are of special
importance to the Holy Country trolls.
Argan Argar was the ruling god for
most of Kethaela through most of its history.
Troll Gods, Jonstown Compendium
Especially the section about the Stygian
Lhankor Mhy scholar Geolgin Askarios and the Arkat texts are of interest
for the Holy Country.
Elder Secrets of Glorantha, Secrets Book, p.10 "The City of Wonders",
pp.13-14 "The Three Dragon Mountains"
The City of Wonders is the capital
of the Pharaoh. The situation described here is true for the time after
the Pharaoh's disappearance in 1616.
The Vent and Stormwalk Mountain are
among the most spectacular mountains of the Holy Country.
King of Sartar, especially pp.21-22, 26, 75-76, 91-96,102-103, 110,
114, 130-131, 133, 136, 139, 147-152, 174-175, 181-182, 195-196, 200-203,
209, 212, 218-219, 228
Our most recent official information
on the region of and near the Holy Country. Of special interest for the
Holy Country are the origins of the Volsaxi tribe, Argrath's fights in
Kethaela, and the origins of the Quivini and southern Vendref tribes. The
Zistor myth deals with the Clanking City.
Broken Council Guidebook
The definite source on the Second Council.
This handout for the Broken Council freeform game gives details on the
First Age history and events of Genertela found nowhere else. The character
descriptions and the players' reports during the game give additional information.
Elder Secrets of Glorantha, Elder Races Book, pp.87-90 "Ludoch",
"Newtlings"; pp.95-98, "Waertagi", "Wind Children"
The selection of creatures above is
(or was) of special importance to the Holy Country. Cultural information
mostly.
Gloranthan Bestiary, "Krarshtkid", "Ludoch", "Newtling", "Sky Bull";
"Troll, Sea", "Trollkin", "Waertagi", "Wind Children"
Not just the RuneQuest stats for these
creatures, but also some basic descriptions of their behaviour. The selection
of creatures above is (or was) of special importance to the Holy Country.
Tatou "Refuge - la cité
derobée"
This French magazine article by Guillaume
Fournier has an elaborate adaption of Chaosium's Thieves World campaing
box for the City of Refuge, with magnificent views and a beautiful map
of the city.
The text (as far as I could understand
or translate it) contains some details which I would interpret differently,
but is the general basis for my take on Refuge.
RuneQuest Adventures #4 "The Fall of Whitewall"
John Castellucci's splendid foray into
the Holy Country, at a crucial point of its current history. I absolutely
love the scenarios The Fall of Whitewall, After Taxes,
and the cameos in Rebellion in Sartar. The character descriptions
are great. But I disagree with quite a few details on the Gloranthan
background description, as can be seen in the Holy Country documents on
this webpage.
Tales of the Reaching Moon #10, "The Sea Special"
The Sea Special issue of Tales has
the definitive information on the Wolf Pirates, the Cult
of Dormal, cultural information on the Triolini, and other stuff useful
in and around the Holy Country.
Tales of the Reaching Moon #13, pp.26-44 "Beyond the Building Wall"
and "Wyrm's Hold"
Michael O'Brien's epic scenario illustrates
the various facets of Western culture through its representants in the
Holy Country. Note especially his Nolosite and Pasosite Trader Princes
in Nochet.
RuneQuest Companion, pp.34-35, 38-45, 48-53 "The Smell of A Rat"
Alan LaVergne's Lhankor Mhy detective
Zero in his first case gives a very vivid impression of aspects of Nochet.
Tales of the Reaching Moon #12, pp.48-58, #13, pp.52-55,
and #14, pp.58-62 "Things that Love Night"
Alan LaVergne's second case of Zero
the detective, also set in Nochet.
Non-Gloranthan RuneQuest and general roleplaying material
RuneQuest Vikings
Lots of detail information on nature
spirits, barbarian life, and pirates in longships, this supplement has
a wealth of useful material for various aspects of the Holy Country, both
for Orlanthi culture in Heortland and North Esrolia, and for the Wolf Pirates
of the Three-Step Isles.
The City of Carse
Based on the City of Caernarfon in
northwest Wales, this city-book by Midkemia Press was published by Chaosium,
and was most likely located at the city of Karse. I use this supplement
as my background for both the Freca Tales and my Heortland campaign.
Thieves World
This supplement for the Sanctuary series
initiated by Robert Asprin, adapted by Chaosium and Midkemia Press, was
playtested in Glorantha as the city of Refuge. Together with Guillaume
Fournier's article in Tatou, this
gives a whole array of NPC descriptions and characterisations ready for
use. The Thieves World Companion dealing with the Beysib invasion gives
me material for the imminent return of the Waertagi to Refuge.
The Palladium Book of Weapons, Armor and Castles
A convenient source for castle layouts
of Caernarfon (city of Karse) and Krak des Chevaliers (Knight Fort).
Useful Background Sources
Anglo-Saxon History, by Sir Frank Stenton
The Bayeux Tapestry, by Mogens Rud
The Celts, catalogue to the exhibition