Jonstown Jottings #66: An Orlanthi Wedding

Much like the Miskatonic Repository for Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition, the Jonstown Compendium is a curated platform for user-made content, but for material set in Greg Stafford’s mythic universe of Glorantha. It enables creators to sell their own original content for RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha, 13th Age Glorantha, and HeroQuest Glorantha (Questworlds). This can include original scenarios, background material, cults, mythology, details of NPCs and monsters, and so on, but none of this content should be considered to be ‘canon’, but rather fall under ‘Your Glorantha Will Vary’. This means that there is still scope for the authors to create interesting and useful content that others can bring to their Glorantha-set campaigns.

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What is it?
An Orlanthi Wedding is a scenario for use with RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha.

It is a thirteen page, full colour, 636.29 KB PDF.

The layout is clean and tidy. It is art free, but it needs an edit.

Where is it set?
An Orlanthi Wedding is set in and around the home tula of a Player Character who worships Orlanth. The default setting is Sartar.

Ideally, it should begin in Earth season.

Who do you play?
Player Characters of all types could play this scenario, but one Player Character should be a worshipper of Orlanth. By the default the bridegroom—the Player Character—is assumed to be male and the bride, female. This need not be the case and both players and the Game Master may find The Six Paths to be a useful resource if otherwise. In addition, the scenario does involve sex. Not in a graphic fashion, but it does mean that the scenario is best suited for mature players.

It is suitable for one-on-one with a Player Character and the Game Master, with the Player Character as the Orlanthi of course.

What do you need?
An Orlanthi Wedding requires RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha and the Glorantha Bestiary. King of Sartar and The Smoking Ruin and Other Stories will be useful references, but are not required to play the scenario. The original scenario was run as part of a Six Seasons in Sartar campaign and references are made to NPCs from that campaign, but it is not required to run the scenario and they can be substituted with other NPCs.

What do you get?

An Orlanthi Wedding is written to be played over the course of several seasons and in between other adventures. When Doreva the Weaver from a neighbouring clan visits the Orlanthi Player Character’s village at the annual Earth Season festival of Ernalda’s high holy days, they meet and begin to form a relationship, and then court each other. Later in the year, their two clans will negotiate the marriage between the two.

Before the marriage takes place, the tribal Eurmali suggests that the Player Character present his bride with the same gifts that Orlanth gave Ernalda. This will require some persuasion and bargaining, as well as possible expenditure of coinage, but if successful, will trigger a minor HeroQuest in which he must fight for his bride against another suitor, just as Orlanth did for Ernalda. In the original encounter, this was with Yelm, but in this recreation, the Player Character must face a Yelmite heroquester—and must do so sans weapons! The other Player Characters have no such restrictions in facing those companions accompanying the interceding Yelmite heroquester.

Then, of course, the marriage takes place. Participants in the HeroQuest are greatly rewarded, the Player Character bridegroom in particular, and an important NPC will be added to the campaign.

If An Orlanthi Wedding has any limitations, it is that it is written specifically for an Orlanthi Player Character. Whilst this makes the scenario relatively easy to use because there are likely to be Orlanth-worshipping Player Characters amongst the party, it leaves the other side of the marriage—the Ernalda worshipping bride and what she experiences—unexplored. Similarly, it does not explore the possibility of both bride and bridegroom being Player Characters. The inclusion and exploration of those options would have increased the flexibility of the scenario. (Another option would be to explore this from the point of view of a Yelm worshipper, but that probably lies outside the scope of the scenario—unless they are a major NPC in the campaign or even a Player Character!)

Lastly, An Orlanthi Wedding will require careful roleplaying upon the part of the Game Master and the player whose Orlanthi Player Character is getting married.

Is it worth your time?

Yes—An Orlanthi Wedding is an engaging scenario which draws the Orlanthi Player Character deeper into his community whilst showcasing Orlanthi marriage customs and myths and encouraging strong roleplaying.

No—An Orlanthi Wedding is an engaging scenario, but unless one of the Player Characters is a worshipper of Orlanth, it is unlikely to be of use in your campaign.

Maybe—An Orlanthi Wedding is an engaging scenario and even if one of the Player Characters is a worshipper of Orlanth, its subject matter and tone may be unsuitable for your campaign. However, it could be used to showcase the possibilities of that subject matter.