[HQ Ignorance] Re : Scene 65: The Free City of Khorst

[Lev Lafayette]

Nota bene: Much of what Loran (rather than Anzhur)
says is true. The Godlearners were initially refugees
from Seshnela, driven there just after the beginning
of the Dawn Age, when Arkat defeated Gbaji the
Deceiver. Arkat established a Troll kingdom in Railos,
and forced Seshnela into a Vassal State. 

Establishing themselves in the island of Jrestula with
the assistance of the Waetargi, they established
schools of study to learn about the secrets of
HeroQuesting, having witnessed from Arkat the power
that could be gained from it.

Just over one thousand years ago (c 600 ST) the
Abiding Book miraculously appeared, written by the
hand of Malkion himself, and drew together the various
monotheist religious sects on Jrestula.

With this new found unity the growing Jrestuli decided
it was time to become an Empire. They turned to their
Godlearner sorcerers for help.

Kinda sorta metaphor: The Godlearners are a little
like wizard-scholars from the medieval Christian or
even Arabic worlds. They would be at least nominally
monotheists, and although there is some tension
between priests and wizards they are still of the same
ilk.

Of course, Rikku knows something else about the
Abiding Book... But that's a secret ;-)




--- Loran <aillet_l at yahoo.fr> wrote:

> Azhur looked at Rikku, half surprised, half
> suspicious, as if he was considering some poisonous
> snake, just discovered sleeping in his right boot.
> Was the Godlearner waking up to male concupiscence
> after a long comatose sleep in the Luatha’s prison
> ? Was he really trying to extort some money from him
> to exert his perverse lubricity on an helpless
> victim or, more probably, with this first contact
> with Civilization, was he naturally falling back
> into his inner vices and scheming again to realize
> some abhorrent experiment against the laws of the
> world?
> Reminding the advices of the wise crimson demigods
> of the twilight’s horizon, Azhur answered to
> Rikku’s demand with a quite reluctant voice and
> after a long hesitation:
> - “Why would we spend our limited money to buy an
> unfortunate slave? Where I come from, slavery is an
> heavy sin and I have personally spent several years
> of my life pursuing and hanging slavers from the
> Kingdom of War… I will not try to convince you of
> the moral benefits of such civilized position, but
> we are here at the threshold of the Genertela’s
> pagan lands and I suppose that we will find no
> charity or honor to change the barbarian ways of the
> local inhabitants… And for… hum!…
> uncontrollable urges, I guess there must be several
> specialized houses near the harbor… for a much
> more cheaper cost.”
> This being said, Azhur felt tense, ready to defend
> himself against a violent reaction, having already
> experimented that sex-driven rapists could become
> ferocious as dangerous beasts when opposed.
> 
> 
> [OOC]
> Please see here no offence against the player,
> Damien. I'm just trying to play the sordid
> prejudices that the GM heavily tried to incultate
> us against the godlearners (babies-eaters and so
> on...).
> As a player, I know that the vast majority of them
> were faithful and honorable malkioni trying to
> improve the universe, based on the moral superiority
> given by the miracle of the Abiding Book.
> You have now an occasion to show us what type of
> guy Rikku is...
> Personnally I always prefer cooperation among
> players and I will take any occasion to build this
> type of relation (within the limits of my PC's
> possibilities).
> Loran
> 
> ----- Message d'origine ----
> De : Lev Lafayette <lev_lafayette at yahoo.com.au>
> À : HeroQuest Glorantha <ignorance at mimesisrpg.com>
> Envoyé le : Lundi, 19 Mai 2008, 13h59mn 32s
> Objet : [HQ Ignorance] Scene 65: The Free City of
> Khorst
> 
> Scene 65: The Free City of Khorst
> 
> Under the skillful direction of the Godlearner
> Rikku,
> "The Acindina" hugs the coastline towards the beacon
> that marks out the harbour city of Khorst. His mind
> is
> full of the knowledge that this region was once a
> Godlearner stronghold in the second age which he
> visited many times, with many great cities like
> Eelnor, the great base of the Godlearner navy and
> the
> island-city of Veakmal, a haven for sailors like
> himself and of course Thanor, the provincial
> capital,
> famed for the Villbane College, dedicated in the
> studies of the pagan deities even if they did call
> it
> the "City of Tricksters". Ha! Even the most trivial
> mental gymnastics were beyond them!
> 
> It was also the lands where the Godlearner's engaged
> in the disasterious 'Goddess switch', an example of
> their ability, albeit with catastrophic effects. By
> HeroQuesting they first introduced the grain
> goddesses
> of Wenelia and Slontos togther in the same story,
> turning them into sisters, and then traded husbands.
> First, the crops failed. Then in 930 ST, the Closing
> effected trade and travel. Finally, in 1050 ST the
> regional Goddess Slontos rolled over, and much of
> the
> landscape fell beneath the waves. Still, the
> knowledge
> gained was still worth the results, Rikku mused. The
> Gods can be changed, and they can be manipulated by
> human powers.
> 
> He looked around the rest of his party with only a
> modicum of contempt. Icthya was playing with fishes
> again, a rather charming and delightful act of
> child-like behaviour. The Mostal was with the
> engineers down below. Well, at least they realised
> they were machines, he mused. On board, Karala and
> Knarl were in conversation about the latter's
> planned
> departure, and the ever pious King Anzhur was
> engaged
> in a fine theological discussion with Jareena the
> Healer.
> 
> Taking the boat within the harbour and finding
> portage
> was simple enough. It was a fairly busy place, quite
> clearly a popular trading location. The harbour and
> mooring fee was particularly exhorbitant, with only
> King Anzhur and the Mostal Kalen carrying any
> particular quantity of funds. Rikku couldn't resist
> the opportunity to throw in a couple of golden
> Godlearner coins from the second age into the mix.
> Apparently the fee also came with an armed escort
> out
> beyond the reach of the pirates, although -
> according
> to the harbourmaster - such activity had increased
> significantly with the raids of the Wolf Pirates in
> recent years. Now apparently there were new forces;
> waetargi and the mermen were systematically
> attacking
> ships. The elder sea races were rising, and it
> seemed
> that they wanted to remove land-based creatures from
> their territory.
> 
> Khorst was a friendly, surprisingly well-organised
> city, operated by a syndicate of merchant guilds.
> Whilst the holy mantra of supply and demand and free
> trade were rich here, it did not necessarily apply
> this to human cargo. Whilst travelling among the
> main
> market street as the various hawkers attempted to
> sell
> their wares, the Fellowship could not help but
> notice
> a slave auction, managed by a less than savoury
> character. Legitimate captives from pirate ships,
> the
> slaveowner claimed. "They declared war on the fine
> people of Khorst, and thus they pay the
> consequences".
> 
> Riku stopped suddenly and stared at an Esrolian
> woman.
> Her build was muscular, her skin olive and her
> piercing blue eyes stood out from a mop of black
> hair.
> But it was not the physical features that had
> attracted Riku's attention. Through the Godlearner
> secret of Runesight, he could see the Power within
> her. Water, Movement and Infinity! The signs of an a
> person who has the magics to open sea! Not only
> that,
> but Air *and* Water? This is a person who breathe
> beneath the waves as well as she could above them.
> Riku grabbed King Anzhur by the sleeve. "We must buy
> her!"
> 
> 
> Â  Â  Â  
> 
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