Glorantha
Greg Stafford first wrote about Glorantha in 1966 while studying at Beloit College. He created the world as a tool to deepen his own understanding of mythology rather than for commercial gain. His early work drew heavily from Joseph Campbell's theories on myth and storytelling. The story of Prince Argrath explores ideas found in Campbell's book The Hero with a Thousand Faces published in 1949. Campbell's concept that myths shape human lives deeply informs the picture of life throughout the game world's publication history. Stafford blended ancient societies with recreation and storytelling experiments during these formative years. This approach set Glorantha apart from its contemporary Dungeons & Dragons which had roots strictly in wargaming.
Chaosium published the board game White Bear and Red Moon in 1975 setting it within Glorantha. The game detailed constant war between Sartar and the Lunar Empire under Argrath Dragontooth. A second board game called Nomad Gods appeared in 1978 focusing on raids by beast-riding tribes of Prax. Wyrm's Footnotes #4 contained three articles on Glorantha and a map of the world itself appearing in print for the first time in 1978. The role-playing game RuneQuest released its first edition in 1978 referring to the world as Glorontha. Chaosium later published Cults of Prax allowing players to align characters with specific religions. Avalon Hill published a third edition of RuneQuest in 1984 but the relationship broke down completely in 1995. Issaries Inc published Hero Wars in 2000 before renaming it HeroQuest in 2003. Moon Design Publications updated the system again in 2008 and integrated Glorantha fully in 2016. Chaosium returned with RuneQuest - Roleplaying in Glorantha in 2018 advancing the date to 1625.
The sky over Glorantha forms a dome-like structure above a flat world shaped by mythic actions. Gods struggle here while nations of people act only as their pawns. Heroes make their way through this realm venturing into metaphysical realms to gain knowledge at risk to body and soul. Prayer and charms operate from the everyday level up to the creation and maintenance of the world itself. Competing magical outlooks such as theism shamanism and mysticism exist to explain reality within each system. Theistic worshipers of rival gods battle each other when adherents compete within a single metaphysical framework. The historical world exists in a more or less fallen state having recovered only partially from a universal battle against Chaos during Godtime. Supernatural animals range from unicorns to seven types of merfolk and the Goddess of Lions roaming these dimensions.
Broos creatures of chaos mate successfully with anything resulting in bodies that combine human features with animal traits like deer goats antelope cattle and sheep. Scorpionmen resemble scorpion-human centaurs living in violent matriarchies with a religious emphasis on devouring. Ducks or Durulz are flightless humanoid duck-like creatures residing around rivers mainly in Sartar with an unexplained mystical affinity for Death. Aldryami elves are plant people who worship nature and Aldrya deity of plants specifically. They remain alien physically plant-like and unfriendly to meat men while serving as excellent archers. Mostali dwarves are machine-like beings invented iron which holds extraordinary magical properties contrasting to primary bronze usage. Uz trolls form the race of darkness possessing large intelligent omnivorous bodies with developed sonar-like darksense senses. Dragonewts exist as forms of neotenic dragons engaged in a cycle of self-improving reincarnation requiring oral surgery to speak human languages.
Stormy barbarians with their brutal but honest Storm God struggle against the Lunar Empire led by the imperial Sun God and devious Moon Goddess. The board game White Bear and Red Moon details this constant war between land of Sartar and the Lunar Empire during Argrath Dragontooth's reign. A map titled the Greater Lunar Empire shows a larger world where Dragon Pass is placed within the conflict zone. The player assumes the role of an Orlanthi hero seeking to unite clans and tribes of Dragon Pass into a single kingdom in King of Dragon Pass released in 1999. This video game features exceptional depth covering the area of Dragon Pass providing public view of Stafford's ideas about the hero's quest. The village of Apple Lane in homeland of Sartar serves as starting adventure setting updated to year 1625 in later supplements. Two further concentrates on specific areas within Dragon Pass expand upon these geopolitical tensions.
Tales of the Reaching Moon magazine featured numerous pieces of myth and fiction created by the Glorantha community. Several hundred gaming miniatures by various licensees and about a dozen plush toys have been produced at various times. The advent of the Internet caused a boom in fan creations for Glorantha supported by unofficial business ventures like Reaching Moon Megacorp. Loren Miller proposed his Maximum Game Fun principle as basis for gaming which soon became system in its own right. David Dunham proposed PenDragon Pass system nearly freeform game played at conventions with Home of the Bold hosting up to eighty participants. Hearts in Glorantha served as another key publication alongside Tales of the Reaching Moon. Stafford self published additional material about history and mythology in non-game form titled The Glorious (Re)Ascent of Yelm during this period.
King of Dragon Pass released by A Sharp in 1999 offered first compelling public view of Stafford's ideas about hero quest. Six Ages Ride Like The Wind and Six Ages 2 Lights Going Out followed as video games developed by same studio. Greg Stafford wrote fantasy novel King of Sartar in 1993 departing from previous tabletop role-playing game audience targeting. The Collected Complete Griselda appeared as prose work by Oliver Dickinson while Path of Damned emerged as comic book series. Penelope Love contributed The Widow's Tale and Eurhol's Vale and Other Tales to the expanding fiction library. Several hundred gaming miniatures produced at various times alongside plush toys demonstrate physical merchandise reach. The world remains immense offering different worlds and dimensions where Gods spirits and sorcerous powers originate for those who explore it fully.
Common questions
When did Greg Stafford first write about Glorantha?
Greg Stafford first wrote about Glorantha in 1966 while studying at Beloit College. He created the world as a tool to deepen his own understanding of mythology rather than for commercial gain.
What year was Chaosium published White Bear and Red Moon set within Glorantha?
Chaosium published the board game White Bear and Red Moon in 1975 setting it within Glorantha. The game detailed constant war between Sartar and the Lunar Empire under Argrath Dragontooth.
How does the sky over Glorantha form its structure?
The sky over Glorantha forms a dome-like structure above a flat world shaped by mythic actions. Gods struggle here while nations of people act only as their pawns.
Which creatures are described as having human features combined with animal traits like deer goats antelope cattle and sheep?
Broos creatures of chaos mate successfully with anything resulting in bodies that combine human features with animal traits like deer goats antelope cattle and sheep. They exist alongside other supernatural animals ranging from unicorns to seven types of merfolk.
When did King of Dragon Pass release offering public view of Stafford's ideas about hero quest?
King of Dragon Pass released by A Sharp in 1999 offered first compelling public view of Stafford's ideas about hero quest. This video game features exceptional depth covering the area of Dragon Pass providing public view of Stafford's ideas about the hero's quest.