The other side of Godtime

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The other side of godtime is the Quest-World, a place hard to reach for gods and man alike.

The other sphere of the balance[edit]

The Quest-World. This is the reality that lies on the other side of the godplane, a mirror of glorantha if you will, but a blurred one...

  • It is a world in which Law and Chaos are different in their natures, part of a cycle of compromise that creates reality at its most fundamental...rather than two seperate principles battling for domination, they are the energy and driving force of Cosmos [Infinity]...which in this realm is opposed by the rune of Entropy.
  • The gods are more removed from direct manifestations. Gods are generally worshipped in pantheons and the more approachable gods are the risen mortals of myth and legend that join these pantheons.
  • It is a world of physical law and evolution, where the raw, reality altering and developing power of chaos and magic have been more covert and innate than directly manifested. In the case of exotic creatures that bend or defy the natural world and the laws it contains, magic is manifest in their evolution and is innate.

Characteristics

Rather than the 1600 years of Gloranthas existence, Quest-World has gone through millions of years of evolution, according to natural laws...in the same timespan.

  • It is a sphere that orbits a star and has four moons [though three are small and distant enough to be seen as stars].
  • It has seasons based on axial tilt and distance from the sun.
  • However, all of these impersonal forces are, in some sense, also living entities, or gods.
  • Gods do not walk this world, Founders do not manifest and cacodemon cannot be brought into it. Lesser aspects of chaos [demons and the like] and law [divine servants/elementals] can be summoned.
  • It is less overtly magical but more subtly so...all the mechanical aspects of gloranthan magic are the same, it is just that they are a different type of magics to others practiced in the Quest-World.

Influences

  • Glorantha has had an influence here, as there have been a steady trickle of lost heroquesters, tribes removed by very great magics or things swept up in the eternal battle or other points where godtime intrudes into the middle world.
  • Other worlds impinge on the Quest-world from time to time...most, like Glorantha, are more magical in nature and see the Quest-World as a less overtly powerful place to be...

This bit is particularly important to discuss with you players...

The lands[edit]

The lands are largely uninhabited by humans [in any 'civilised' sense], except in distinct and discrete pockets.

  • Remnants of others who have been and gone here can be found.
  • Native sentient species run to tauren races, shapechangers and saurians.
  • Humans are fairly rare.The world is a hodgepodge of sucessful transplant human/other race cultures from Glorantha or the Low worlds, the other lands that contribute to the makeup of the odd castoffs that arrive in Quest-World.
  • There are other races in the world, some from glorantha, some not. They are rarer than humans.
  • There will be a range of magical and not-so-magical effects from transferring from Gloranthan to Quest-World reality.

The Leaving of Pavis[edit]

.

  • The leaving of Pavis will take place on the dusk of the last day of sacred time.
  • All Pavis worshippers, even lay members, will leave. Any worshippers of gods caught up in his 'Pantheon' will leave. This includes enemies.
  • Anyone within the confines of the zola fel river from the temple of the twins to the base of the grantlands will be drawn there. This includes all sentient lifeforms and spirits

The New Valley When Pavis is moved it will effect the entire of his claimed areas and deeds.

  • This includes, by extension, Pavis, New Pavis, Pavis county, Sun county and a fair portion of the zola fel river [as far as the grantlands]
  • This could include other areas, including adari, the mountain of the faceless statue and the lands in which his power works, but these would involve other creatures consent, so are doubtful.
  • The new land is mediterranean, with low hills mimicking the Stormwalk mountains to the west of the river.
  • The plains are devoid of nomads, only those trapped within Pavis lands are here.
  • The paps will be represented in part, as the Zebra tribe is part of Pavis.
  • Zola Fel will be a river spirit and part of the Pavis pantheon.There is a great need for a friendly river-god...

Iron works differently here, and steel is known. "Cold iron" is a technique of ironsmithing that never raises iron above the curie point, keeping it's original ferromagnetic properties. Iron has antimagical properties. Steel can be magicked. The techniques known to the smithing cults in Pavis will be unique in the world.

Effects

  • Sorcery will work as per MRQII, with the spells of each grimoire highly specialised. sorcerors will be able to add to their 'spell books'
  • Combat effects as per MRQII, with all the blood and guts that will bring.
  • Spirits 'sleep' within the natural world a lot more. They are less independently active.
  • Gods here are a little different. Orlanth is known, as are most of the lightbringers, but they fulfill different roles and are worshipped alongside other deities.
  • They are more impersonal, less intimate, harder to 'know'. Heroquesting here is impossible, there is no access to the heroplane.
  • Lunars will lose connection with their goddess. Their divine magics dont work.They will qickly find an analogue.
  • Divine magic is normally gained through worship of a pantheon or secret order. Individual god worship is unusual, confined to gloranthan refugees.

Some runes here are more prominent or have different meanings. Some minor gods or spirits are more powerful here, some are unknown.

Grasses and foods are compatible. The area has more regular rainfall and dry seasons, and is far more heavily wooded in the North. Pavis will be the first Gloranthan god to shift his entire domain into the Quest-World. He can only do this to keep the great compromise and create a victory, thus cleaning the net of time.

Others.

  • Ancient Yelmali terraced holdings to the south, beyond the great steppes. A full yelmali culture with cavalry, archers and hoplites as coordinated forces. In a constant state of tension with the surrounding taurean tribes.
  • Centaur/other tauren domination of the high plains.
    • In gloranthan terms, they worship primal ancestors, heroes and the natural forces of the world.
    • There are a multitude of centaur analogues, divided into three types.
      • Herbivores/omnivores. Centaurs [horses], ? [deer], ? [camel], minotaurs [cattle], ? [sheep] & [goats].
      • Omnivore/Carnivores. ? [lions], ? [leopards], ? [tigers], ? [wolves].
      • Manotaurs. Hybrids that reverse or modify the normal taurean form. Greek minotaur, satyr, harpies, hawk-men, dog-men, etc.
  • Far to the east, the Questworld book settings [more colonial/sparse]. This culture is originally gloranthan [refugees from the second age/arkat wars], but has drifted considerably over the years. They worship loose equivalents of the Gloranthan gods the PC's are familiar with, and include orlanthi and sun cultures, elves [very different here], dwarves [different] and trolls [no curse!]. there are praxian remnant cultures amongst them, including storm bull and herdmother.
  • Saurig/saurians to the north. They are nothing like dragonewts. Their culture is incredibly ancient, and includes slave races of every species. They inhabit the wet jungle low and highlands.
  • Scattered human tribes. Generally relics of lost/ stranded groups. In the temperate regions to the west, there are several minor groups of humans.
  • Otherworldy remnants. Glorantha is not the only world to deposit its anomolies and flotsam here. Discuss with players what they are comfortable with.
  • Demonology rules from old white dwarf articles - remnant of the first [human] society who lived here.
  • Primal figures here that are reflected in earthly and other worldly legends. Giants, monsters, demigods, demons and devils.

New pavis/old pavis. Everything is the same physically. The world it is that is different.

Pantheon[edit]

  • Pavis the founder [ Earth, Man, Harmony, Stasis ]
    • The seven Daughters
    • Opili wallwalker
    • Joraz Kyrem
    • Pavis Ancestors Lodge [Daka Fal/horned Man] Drospin
  • Flintnail
  • The Twins cult
    • Erilista, mother of the Green. [Earth, Stasis, Life.]
    • Erlastra, Earth huntress [Earth, Death, Harmony ]
    • Dron, Spirit protector [Earth, Spirit, ]
    • Garn, Maker of homes.[Earth, Man, Mastery]
  • Zola Fel
    • Various water spirit cults.

Lightbringers[edit]

  • The White Lady [subcults Mistress of mercy, Arroin, The dark protector. ]
  • The Grey Sage [subcults The scribes of Learning, Lawspeakers, Sorceror-priests.]
  • The Wayfinder [ subcults the market god, the heralds, the desert trackers ]
  • The Stormlord [ subcults the rain god, the god of movement, the lord of the world ]
  • The Trickster [subcults vary]
  • The Mortal [Everyman] [related cults/spiritual paths - Shamanism, Daka Fal, spiritualism]
  • The Mother [Nature]

Odd Gods[edit]

  • Humath the lord of death and truth
  • Yelmalio Frontier light god.
  • Vinga Warrior woman
  • Herd gods
  • Sundragon

Praxian gods[edit]

Thunderbird Sunhawk Raven Rainbow Girl The Hunter The horned man The founders The herd mother The Storm Bull