Jonstown Jottings #74: A Lamp for Esrola

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?
A Lamp for Esrola is a scenario for use with RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha.

It is a sixteen page, full colour, 2.14 MB PDF.

The layout is clean and tidy. Both artwork and cartography are decent.

Where is it set?
A Lamp for Esrola is set in the Holy Country, beginning in Nochet and taking the Player Characters to the Shadow Plateau and back again.

Who do you play?

There are no requirements or suggestions for the Player Characters to play A Lamp for Esrola, but an Issaries worshipper or a Player Character with good interaction skills will be useful. Player Characters with the Passion, Hate (Trolls) may be at a disadvantage.

What do you need?
A Lamp for Esrola requires RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha only, but the Glorantha Bestiary will be useful for its details on Trolls.

What do you get?

A Lamp for Esrola is a simple ‘fetch and carry’ mission. It begins in Nochet with the Player Characters tasked with retrieving a set of the Tears of the Only Old One which hold the secrets of Light and Darkness and are the source of eternal light. These are required as part of the rebuilding and rededication ceremony for the new Temple of Esrola, the old one having been destroyed during the Siege of Nochet. This requires them to travel to the Shadow Plateau, home to the Trolls in the region. Several routes to the Shadow Plateau are given, as are several means of obtaining the Tears of the Only Old One, including theft, violence, and negotiation. The Player Characters can use any method that they want. The most likely methods will cost the Player Characters a great deal of money, but with careful bargaining the price can be brought down. The Player Characters and the Temple of Esrola are not the only ones interested in the Tears of the Only Old One and they are likely to have a fight on their hands.

If the scenario is played as written, the Player Characters will be able to bring the Tears of the Only Old One back to the temple and participate in the ceremony. They will be very well rewarded, including with a magical sword!

In addition to describing the magical sword, the scenario includes the details of Fufluns, the grandson of Esrola, the Jolly Fat Man known as a reveller, brewer, and host. His cult is also detailed enabling the Player Characters to become members if necessary. Also given is the Courtesan skill.

Is it worth your time?

Yes—A Lamp for Esrola is an entertaining scenario suitable for a campaign set in Esrolia which gets the Player Characters involved with the Trolls.

No—A Lamp for Esrola is too location specific and the Game Master’s campaign may not have yet reached Esrolia.

Maybe—A Lamp for Esrola can be adjusted to anywhere where there may be Trolls and the Cult of Esrola wants to establish a new temple.

Jonstown Jottings #73: The White Upon the Hills

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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The White Upon the Hills is a scenario for use with RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha.

It is a twenty-two page, full colour, 2.84 MB PDF.

The layout is clean and tidy. Both artwork and cartography are decent.

Where is it set?
The White Upon the Hills is set in the Stael’s Hills in the Northern Malani Lands in Storm Season 1626 during the Great Hunt.

Who do you play?

There are no requirements or suggestions for the Player Characters to play The White Upon the Hills, but worshippers of Odayla, Yinkin, Foundchild, and the like will have good reason to play this scenario.

What do you need?
The White Upon the Hills requires RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha only.

What do you get?

The White Upon the Hills explores the consequences of a misinterpreted myth and the revenge wrought as a result. The Player Characters are invited to participate in the Great Hunt, and annual ritual. This can be because they are members of the tribe, rivals, or outsiders, but whatever the reason for joining, they want to prove themselves as hunters. As they set out on the hunt, they discover that the Stael’s Hills are suffering from a blight, a white poison which seems to adhere to everything. After rescuing a surviving hunter whose party was attacked by a strange beast, the Player Characters are drawn into the efforts to cleanse the hills of the ‘White Blight’ and potentially, its source. This involves a number of rituals to prepare the tools necessary before essentially, they go out again, on a ‘great hunt’ to confront the antagonist at the heart of the scenario and the blight that fallen across the land.

The scenario is short and straightforward, but the permutations of any actions taken by the Player Characters are all worked out, with failure leaving the lands either blighted or burnt, and success, potentially healing the hills, and beyond. Given how the scenario is based upon myth, it is pity that the possible reinterpretations of that myth are not explored in light of the efforts of the Player Characters. In the general, the scenario is physical in nature, but it is possible to pursue less physical means in finding a solution to the problem that the scenario presents.

Is it worth your time?

Yes—The White Upon the Hills is physically and spiritually challenging scenario that wilderness type characters will enjoy.

No—The White Upon the Hills is too location specific or it might too physical a scenario for the Player Characters for their players to enjoy, and thus not suitable for the Game Master’s campaign.

Maybe—The White Upon the Hills requires some adjustment to be set elsewhere and elsewhen, but with some adjustments to its themes and motifs, it can be done.

Jonstown Jottings #72: Died in the Wool

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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Died in the Wool is a scenario for use with RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha.

It is a fifteen page, full colour, 26.08 MB PDF.

The layout is clean and tidy, but tight. The artwork is basic and the cartography decent. It needs an edit in places.

Where is it set?
Died in the Wool is set in the Afritha Valley and the hills of Oakland in the territory of the Lysang Clan in Sartar in Earth Season, 1626.

Who do you play?

There are no requirements or suggestions for the Player Characters to play Died in the Wool. Player Characters with the Passion, Hate (Trolls) may be at a disadvantage.

What do you need?
Died in the Wool requires RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha and the Glorantha Bestiary. The RuneQuest Starter Set will also be very useful as Died in the Wool can be run as a sequel to its adventures, whilst Trollpak and In A Merry Green Vale may also be useful references. Neither is necessary to run the scenario.

What do you get?

Died in the Wool is a mini-mystery which transforms into a classic sports film. The Player Characters arrive in the village of Lambwich to find several angry villagers are haranguing, Lady Shade, a Dark Troll merchant. Several of the sheep from the villagers’ flocks have gone missing, and as an outsider, they blame her. Whether asked by Lady Shade, the villagers, or a village elder, or simply because they want to intervene, the Player Characters find themselves investigating. The sheep abductions have been happening at night, in the dark, and yes, that does mean that trolls are involved. However, when revealed, the motivations for the abductions are not as malign as the Player Characters might first think. The trolls are not stealing the sheep to eat or to harass the villagers, but to use as practice for games of Trollball.

Ideally, Died in the Wool should be run after the Player Characters have played through ‘A Rough Landing’ from the RuneQuest Starter Set as the same trolls that appear in that scenario appear in this one. It turns out they are practicing for an amateur trollball game, but they are missing both equipment and team members. What follows is an entertaining ‘get the band back together’ sort of tale leading up to a finale where the Player Characters can attend a trollball game, harass the opposition, make a few side bets, and so on, all balanced against the fact that the villagers still have grievances about their missing sheep, and those have to be rectified. Although the scenario involves a little investigation, it is primarily a roleplaying focussed scenario. Unless the Player Characters initiate it themselves, there is no combat involved in the scenario. After all, Trollball is violence enough for everyone.

In addition, Died in the Wool includes notes on Orlanthi sheep herding, the myth ‘Voriof finds his place’—how Vorioth, son of Orlanth came to be his father’s sheep herder, a discussion of Trollball and its variations and basic rules, and a depiction of the field for one of these variations, ‘Country’ Trollball. The Player Characters are not expected to get involved in the game and there are no rules for that, the game itself being handled through narrative events.

Is it worth your time?

Yes—Died in the Wool is an entertaining roleplaying scenario which works as a solid introduction to Troll customs and a good sequel to the RuneQuest Starter Set.

No—Died in the Wool is location specific and does require the local inhabitants to raise sheep, which might might not fit the Game Master’s campaign. The scenario is not suitable for groups who prefer action to interaction.

Maybe—Died in the Wool requires some adjustment to be set elsewhere and elsewhen, since it ideally should be run after the events of the RuneQuest Starter Set.

Jonstown Jottings #70: The Indagos Bull

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?

The Indagos Bull: A Praxian adventure for RuneQuest is a scenario for use with RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha.

It is a twenty-six page, full colour, 7.43 MB PDF.

The layout is clean if uneven. The illustrations are decent, but the maps vary in quality. The scenario requires an edit.

Where is it set?
The Indagos Bull: A Praxian adventure for RuneQuest is set in Pavis County, north-east of Garhound, just before before the Big Earth Season Fair.

Who do you play?

Player Characters of all types could play this scenario, but Eiritha and Yelm worshippers might be useful as would Orlanth and Ernalda worshippers.

What do you need?
The Indagos Bull requires RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha and the Glorantha Bestiary. Supplements such as Pavis: Threshold to Danger and Pavis: Gateway to Adventure may be useful for background material, but neither is required. 

What do you get?

The Indagos Bull: A Praxian adventure for RuneQuest is a mystery and investigative scenario which takes place in Pavis County, north-east of Garhound, just before before the Big Earth Season Fair. It is two days before the Eiritha High Holy Day and the two events that everyone is looking forward to—the Indagos Bull contest and the Indagos Cow contest. Attendees at the Big Earth Season Fair are allowed to bet on the outcome and the winner of each contest will win cash prizes, whilst the winning animals play the central role in the Eiritha Fertility Ritual conducted at the culmination of fair to grant a community blessing that will ensure healthy and numerous offspring from the area’s cattle. For the last twelve years, farmer Bilijo Jyles has won this contest with several prize bulls and ensured a fine blessing for the region in each of those years. Unfortunately, Farmer Jyles’ prize bull for this year has gone missing!

Whether by Farmer Jyles, the Eiritha priestess, or some other authority, the Player Characters are hired to locate the bull, or alternatively, they are merely passing through and see the notices posted about and volunteer to find the missing bull. The scenario itself is presented as a series of clues, locations, and NPCs with an explanation as to what has happened to the bull. The Player Characters are free to follow these in whatever order they like, whether that is visiting the local farmers on their steads, interviewing locals at the tavern, looking for rumours, and so on. The scenario and its solution to its mystery are quite straightforward, but there are one or two wrinkles along the way.

The scenario is supported with notes on Praxian construction and farming, Eiritha and her cult and temples, and more. Farms for two of the major NPCs in the scenario are nicely and appropriately mapped, and whilst there is a regional map, there are no maps of either the town of Indagos or the end scene for the scenario. Also missing is anything about the Indagos Cow contest, which might be something that the Player Characters could make enquiries about. Sadly, the missing bull is not named. The scenario can easily be adjusted to fit elsewhere. For example, perhaps the missing bull could be a case for the Player Characters from Tales of the Sun County Militia: Sandheart Volume 1?

Written and published as part of the ‘Storytelling Collective’, The Indagos Bull is rough around the edges, and can be best described as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘The Adventure of Silver Blaze’ meets Radio 4’s The Archers, but in Prax’. However, its plot is solid and relatively simple, and above all, engaging. The scenario is also short and could be run in a single session.

Is it worth your time?

Yes—The Indagos Bull: A Praxian adventure for RuneQuest is a solidly plotted and clearly presented missing bull mystery, that although rough around the edges, can easily be added to a campaign set in Prax.

No—The Indagos Bull: A Praxian adventure for RuneQuest is of little use if the Game Master’s campaign is not set in Prax or Eiritha is not an important figure.

Maybe—The Indagos Bull: A Praxian adventure for RuneQuest is useful if the Game Master wants to take her campaign into Prax, but adapting it outside of Prax might take extra effort.