Those priests are absolutely doomed. It is possible that their ritual will still work – it does seem to be based upon the sheer volume of blood spilled, and Harrek has certainly contributed enough.
I doubt that “fear” represents any significant part of Harrek’s mental space right now. I think he’d be trying to kill them no matter what they were doing. Even his own allies seem to steer clear of him when he’s engulfed in berserk rage. 🙂
That’s a good point – I was thinking that he was beyond caring about concerns like loyalty, but he wouldn’t have had the (group-oriented) success he’s had thus far if that were true.
This would be my favorite of this cycle even if he weren’t in it, erased from the mayhem Garfield Minus Garfield style. Fresh nibblings on where . . . and more ominously, in what form . . . mer lore survived the long closing of the seas. Tasty.
Shouldn’t the Yggites be summoning sea monsters of their own? And freezing rains? It’s not all Harrek vs the world in this battle. The Wolf Pirates are a force to be reckoned with on their own.
Ygg’s wife Nelarrina gives the Yggites access to a potent Call Sea Monster divine spell. At least, that’s in the only cult write up that I know of. Orstando Black Wolf used its power to defeat the Loskalmi in the fog, thereafter escaping to Three Step Isles.
There is no canonical write-up of the cult of Ygg. The writeup in HQ1 is not canonical (and kind of is off the mark). I know Mongoose did one, but neither Greg or I ever even read it.
This is not a critique, but is there a source that gives insight into what is happening with this part of the story? Why Harrek has come? What is his agenda? (Other than looting and pillaging, which arguably is reasonable motivation)
It is just something that Harald said above that struck me as interesting (“I think they just made Harrek very, very angry….”)
So far, from an objective point of view, Harrek has come to the Holy Country. Belintar’s forces have moved to defend their nation. Presumably based on his sense of foreboding. Harrek has gotten angry, but more importantly he’s gotten offended, and people have died. I mean as a berserk pirate demi-god he’s acting well within character, but I’m just wondering if that is just it?
Sorry if this is in the Guide, I had to pack it away to prepare to move, and I didn’t search the PDF—thought I would just ask.
It is the end of an age, almost every culture fears their enemies are preparing to/already destroying them and/or preparing an pre-emptive destructive strike. Unconsciously, many, many wish for destruction. Harrek is the magical realisation of their desires.
And I suspect that it is quite likely that Harrek can sense that Belintar has identified him as The Destroyer – both of them are off-the-scale magical beings whose auras are visible even to normal people. Perhaps just by his act of identification, Belintar has magically invited Harrek to play his part – see http://www.glorantha.com/gloranthan-magic-and-synchronicity/
I started to debate with you in my head, Charles, but I gave it a thoughtful read and read Jeff’s mini-article. You made a great reply there.
I was going to say “how does any one know its an end of an age” and “why would someone wish for destruction?” Yet, without asking, I can see that forces are escalating and the world has a certain pressure like a covered pot that has started to boil is almost ready to bubble over across the stove. The world as it is cannot continue without change, and one important instrument of that change is Harrek.
There is a certain irony in the Lunar Empire when I consider that. A goddess is reborn (or created) in the defiance of the “Rules” (the Great Compromise). Now that she has successful empire, she doesn’t want it to change. I know that is not a perfect summation, but it just sort of hits home that the seven mothers were once sort of rebels trying to do the impossible, and now they’re part of the establishment. An establishment that is threatened by something new.
Well, If I´m not very wrong, Harrek has sworn vengance against almost every civilised society, for various reasons, first of them, he being a savage and barbaric warrior who sleeped lots of years by a gods-curse or something.
And in the other hand, as a pirate´s leader, he has to take advantage of every loot and plunder oportunity life gives him…
That’s entirely fair. I really don’t want anyone to get the impression that I am dissing the story. I’m just trying to get inside of it as much as possible. Harrek for being a direct and action based character still manages to be mysterious. Which is appropriate for such powerful beings. This is one of the challenges if in media res storytelling.
By the way, who are the Wold Pirates fighting? From what Sixth & culture? Caladraland? Right Arm Isles? Or was there a separate ‘imperial’ culture from The City Of Wonders? My Glorantha-fu is a bit shaky on this one…
All of them, really. The Holy Country’s navy has sailors from all across the Sixths. Obviously most are Right Arm or Eslorian sailors, but you can probably find a heortling or even a kitori somewhere in there.
And another thing – there are merpeople allies who should be fighting the Wolf Pirates from underwater. Where are they in all of this? Boats can be sunk quite nicely, or slowed down. There’s practical means to do that, as well as magical ones.
…Just in time? Or are they doomed?
By the way… Harreck sure is impressive… and didn´t he carried an axe before? xD
That axe probably got stuck in some Kethaelan, halfway through. And quite likely the third or fourth victim of that swing…
Those priests are absolutely doomed. It is possible that their ritual will still work – it does seem to be based upon the sheer volume of blood spilled, and Harrek has certainly contributed enough.
Yes, release the Kraken!!! …So that Harrek can kill it spectacularly! XD
Even Harrek can get hurt
Man can only take five Wounds before exploding into a messy bundle of chattel property. Roll on the Krakenfight column of the CRT.
The axe is hanging from his belt, as is his kukri. (you just can’t see that one, you can still see the axe though).
Simply put, he doesn’t need them.
So even Harrek fears somebody: that which the ritual is going to summon, since he is trying to stop them…
I doubt that “fear” represents any significant part of Harrek’s mental space right now. I think he’d be trying to kill them no matter what they were doing. Even his own allies seem to steer clear of him when he’s engulfed in berserk rage. 🙂
I don’t think the axe makes a lot of difference to the situation…he won’t be any less dangerous.
I think they just made Harrek very, very angry….
I really like the way the aura of the White Bear God leaves a visible shadow across half of the trireme Harrek attacks.
He can probably kill whatever they summon, but he values his pirates and is loyal to them. Building pirate armadas takes time.
I don’t know about that. They’re praying to Magasta, god of the sea — and of sea monsters. This could get messy.
Even messier than it has already gotten? 🙂
That’s a good point – I was thinking that he was beyond caring about concerns like loyalty, but he wouldn’t have had the (group-oriented) success he’s had thus far if that were true.
This would be my favorite of this cycle even if he weren’t in it, erased from the mayhem Garfield Minus Garfield style. Fresh nibblings on where . . . and more ominously, in what form . . . mer lore survived the long closing of the seas. Tasty.
The water is getting a tad rough in that last cell….
Shouldn’t the Yggites be summoning sea monsters of their own? And freezing rains? It’s not all Harrek vs the world in this battle. The Wolf Pirates are a force to be reckoned with on their own.
Ygg is more about storm than sea, so his worshippers may not have many sea monsters at their disposal.
Ygg’s wife Nelarrina gives the Yggites access to a potent Call Sea Monster divine spell. At least, that’s in the only cult write up that I know of. Orstando Black Wolf used its power to defeat the Loskalmi in the fog, thereafter escaping to Three Step Isles.
That’s new to know, thanks! Do you remember where the cult writeup was?
There is no canonical write-up of the cult of Ygg. The writeup in HQ1 is not canonical (and kind of is off the mark). I know Mongoose did one, but neither Greg or I ever even read it.
Most Gloranthans would consider the Wolf Pirates / Yggites to _be_ sea monsters 😀
This is not a critique, but is there a source that gives insight into what is happening with this part of the story? Why Harrek has come? What is his agenda? (Other than looting and pillaging, which arguably is reasonable motivation)
It is just something that Harald said above that struck me as interesting (“I think they just made Harrek very, very angry….”)
So far, from an objective point of view, Harrek has come to the Holy Country. Belintar’s forces have moved to defend their nation. Presumably based on his sense of foreboding. Harrek has gotten angry, but more importantly he’s gotten offended, and people have died. I mean as a berserk pirate demi-god he’s acting well within character, but I’m just wondering if that is just it?
Sorry if this is in the Guide, I had to pack it away to prepare to move, and I didn’t search the PDF—thought I would just ask.
It is the end of an age, almost every culture fears their enemies are preparing to/already destroying them and/or preparing an pre-emptive destructive strike. Unconsciously, many, many wish for destruction. Harrek is the magical realisation of their desires.
And I suspect that it is quite likely that Harrek can sense that Belintar has identified him as The Destroyer – both of them are off-the-scale magical beings whose auras are visible even to normal people. Perhaps just by his act of identification, Belintar has magically invited Harrek to play his part – see http://www.glorantha.com/gloranthan-magic-and-synchronicity/
I started to debate with you in my head, Charles, but I gave it a thoughtful read and read Jeff’s mini-article. You made a great reply there.
I was going to say “how does any one know its an end of an age” and “why would someone wish for destruction?” Yet, without asking, I can see that forces are escalating and the world has a certain pressure like a covered pot that has started to boil is almost ready to bubble over across the stove. The world as it is cannot continue without change, and one important instrument of that change is Harrek.
There is a certain irony in the Lunar Empire when I consider that. A goddess is reborn (or created) in the defiance of the “Rules” (the Great Compromise). Now that she has successful empire, she doesn’t want it to change. I know that is not a perfect summation, but it just sort of hits home that the seven mothers were once sort of rebels trying to do the impossible, and now they’re part of the establishment. An establishment that is threatened by something new.
Well, If I´m not very wrong, Harrek has sworn vengance against almost every civilised society, for various reasons, first of them, he being a savage and barbaric warrior who sleeped lots of years by a gods-curse or something.
And in the other hand, as a pirate´s leader, he has to take advantage of every loot and plunder oportunity life gives him…
That’s entirely fair. I really don’t want anyone to get the impression that I am dissing the story. I’m just trying to get inside of it as much as possible. Harrek for being a direct and action based character still manages to be mysterious. Which is appropriate for such powerful beings. This is one of the challenges if in media res storytelling.
By the way, who are the Wold Pirates fighting? From what Sixth & culture? Caladraland? Right Arm Isles? Or was there a separate ‘imperial’ culture from The City Of Wonders? My Glorantha-fu is a bit shaky on this one…
I meant to write ‘Wolf Pirates’, not ‘Wold Pirates’ :-)…
All of them, really. The Holy Country’s navy has sailors from all across the Sixths. Obviously most are Right Arm or Eslorian sailors, but you can probably find a heortling or even a kitori somewhere in there.
And another thing – there are merpeople allies who should be fighting the Wolf Pirates from underwater. Where are they in all of this? Boats can be sunk quite nicely, or slowed down. There’s practical means to do that, as well as magical ones.