Joh Mith (A-Z of Griffin Mountain)

Sooner or later, every player will interact with Joh Mith. Good old Joh is an Issaries Rune Priest, based out of the citadel of Trilus. Most of the year, however, he is on the road with his wife Zix Porub, bodyguard Xigxag (a bloody big Troll), and the rest of his caravan. His trade route ranges from Elkoi in the East, to Dragon Pass, to the Eleven Big Giant Mountains in the Elder Wilds, and most places in-between. As long as you are prepared to pay elevated prices, one can get goods that are otherwise very hard to find within the boundaries of backward Balazar. (Like metal weapons and armor, for instance.) And for beginning players, being a guard with Joh Mith's caravan can provide a valuable source of income and experience.

Joh and his aforementioned wife Zix Porub (an Issaries Rune Lord herself) are an interesting study in contrasts. Whereas he is round and jovial, she is tall, thin, and taciturn. Though Joh himself ain't nothin' to fuck with, he usually leaves any fighting to her, or their scary bodyguard. Joh is beginning to show and feel his age, while Zix is still young and vigorous (she is his second wife). yet they are devoted one to another, and make a formidable team, whether trading or fighting.

As Joh Mith's influence is fairly ubiquitous in Balazar, he is a character that the referee can develop fully, to enrich player interaction. There is always a temptation to play Joh as a kind of impersonal storefront - if a character needs to obtain something, to take it for granted that they can find Joh Mith and buy it. It's far more fun to flesh out his character as much as possible, make his interactions with players full and thought out. That Joh ain't no bland NPC.

Joh's son (by his first marriage) Djimm Mith runs the Stuck Pig tavern and inn in Trilus, and will no doubt follow in his father's footsteps some day soon.

Inoi Sessela (A-Z of Griffin Mountain)

As far as non-human races go, Elves, Dwarves, Giants, Broos, and the like are quite plentiful in this campaign pack. But just as there is only one named Duck that can be found in all of Balazar and the Elder Wilds, there is only one party of Dragonewts that players are likely to encounter.
Not that the Dragonewts actually reside in the area - they are traveling through the area on a quite specific errand. Their leader, Inoi Sessela, was recently killed by a human adventurer who flayed him and and made armor out of the skin. Inoi has since been reborn (see the Glorantha wiki for Dragonewt rebirth) and is seeking vengeance.
Nowhere in the book is it mentioned who the perpetrator may be, this being left to the referee's discretion. The interesting possibilities are legion (for example, one of the characters could be approached with a view to buying some "unique armor".)
If encountered, Inoi Sessela's band will be quite garrulous for  dragonewts, as they are seeking information that will help them out in their quest. At no stage will they become allies or friends, though. Dragonewts just ain't like that.

Hen Cik (A - Z of Griffin Mountain)

Although few in number, Giants are among the most memorable of the various characters in the Griffin Mountain setting. They range from the kindly Bunscotto to the wise Boshbisil to the assholes Tiny Treekicker and Karl the Midget.
Boshbisil is the leader of a small group settlement deep in the Rockwood Mountains in the southeastern section of the Elder Wilds. This settlement is actually the one terminus of Joh Mith's regular trading route, though its location is known to few outside of his caravan. (Hopefully Joh will be the subject of Tuesday's "J" entry.) The permanent inhabitants include Boshbisil, fellow Giants Sa Mita and Hen Cik, the Trollkin Paneye and Glockmoor, Mr. Greatness the Morokanth, Slang the Bear, Hrill the Roc, and Scree the Bear.
Hen Cik, is a 6 meter tall giant, and not the brightest in the world. He moons over Sa Mita, following her around, who tolerates him patiently. Hen is the proud owner of a pair of massive stone dice. These dice, 2 m³, were originally made by the Gods of Law and Change before time began. Each used them to prove a point: the God Law pointed out that the chance of a number coming up was always constant. The God of Change in his turn pointed out that any number could come up on the next roll.
Hen Cik himself does not use these dice for such lofty purposes; he plays crap with them, rolling them down a large depression. Little guys (that is, everyone except Giants) can use levers to move them.
Playing dice with Hen Cik was a real highlight of my first Griffin Mountain campaign, in which I was a player and my friend Patrick was referee. I was in High School then, and used to get a ride to Patrick's place in Duynesfontein, by the Koeberg nuclear power plant. Those were the days.

Griffin Mountain - the book (A-Z of Griffin Mountain)

Griffin Mountain
Originally uploaded by Alhazred

Friday night. Long week. Just got in after having a few beers. Missus is already in bed asleep. Desire for blogging non-existent. So here for G is a hastily taken copy of the Griffin Mountain book.

Firshala (A-Z of Griffin Mountain)

Griffin Mountain is a large campaign book - a full 202 pages in length. There is an amazing amount of stuff for the characters to see and do, from getting involved in the politics of the region, to adventuring and fighting chaos, to seeking out interesting characters for fun and profit.

Balazar is pretty well mapped out, but the Elder Wilds to the north has much open space, and it is up to the referee as to where various "points of interest" are located. One of these, making for an excellent mini-adventure, is the prison of the goddess Firshala.

Firshala is a fire spirit that was imprisoned during the conflicts of the God Wars, and is now forgotten among the creatures of Glorantha. It happens that her prison is actually located somewhere in the Elder Wilds. Adventurers traveling through the region may chance upon a small earthen mound, upon which are two four meter plinths that are made of a bluish, waxy stone. It would be easy enough merely to pass these by (perhaps hurrying on to Griffin Mountain and the quest for the Wind Sword), but a sensible adventurer should think to cast a Detect Magic spell on the plinths. If they do, they will see the imprisoned Firshala in the form of a glowing woman, appealing to the adventurers to let her out of her jail.

Indeed, Firshala can be released merely by a Dispel Magic 4 spell. The gratitude of Firshala manifests itself as various Rune Magic spells for her rescuers, a stone that gives a one time Divine Intervention spell, and the chance to be her first worshipers in this new age. Indeed, if the players so choose, they can at this point develop the new Cult of Firshala themselves, within the logical boundaries inherent to Her nature as a fire spirit.

Elkoi Beer (A-Z of Griffin Mountain)

Yesterday's entry introduced the three citadels of Balazar, and focused on one of them: Dykene. It may be expected that today's entry would center on Elkoi, but alas, time is lacking. Instead, I'll mention one of Elkoi's stranger products: Elkoi Beer.

Elkoi Beer tastes quite watery, but has a bit of an unpleasant kick for the unwary. Those used to it drink it like water (to which it is rather close), but those sampling it for the first time have to make a resistance roll as if it were poison of potency 6. Fail the throw and you loss 1D8 of strength for 1D4 hours, as you spend your time ralphing, clinging to the floor, groaning, and generally wishing that Orlanth had chosen this moment to call you home.

Elkoi beer is served in the King's Inn (pictured below with proprietor Moraring Broom in the background) and in private hovels throughout the citadel. In addition, it is also served in the Stabbing Cat Lodging House and Tavern in Dykene, and Trilus' Stuck Pig Tavern.

Of course E also stands for the Elder Wilds, that area north of Balazar in which are found all manner of creatures and adventure. And among the numerous "E" non-player characters is Errap Barbacon, who earns his money as a wandering minstrel, but is actually scion of the royal house of Elkoi, traveling in disguise. And of course there are the Eleven Big Giant Mountains in the Elder Wilds, in which can perhaps be found.... well, giants.

Dykene (A - Z of Griffin Mountain)

The region now known as Balazar was named after a hero of the same name that settled the land during the Second Age, in the year 1082 of the Gloranthan calendar. Balazar had three sons: Trilus, Elkoi, and one daugher: Dykene. Today three citadels in this region bear the names of Balazar's children; Dykene is the easternmost of the three.

Dykene is presently ruled by the 40 year old King Skilfil Heartpiercer. Though settled now with his young son and his three concubines, in his youth Skilfil wandered the length and breadth of Balazar and the surrounding terrains. In the Greatway Mountains to the south he made lifelong contacts among the dwarves, and laid the ground for an economic relationship which exists today. Dykenian hunters travel south to the dwarven mountains to hunt wild game meat for them, and return to their citadel with bronze weaponry. Visiting dwarves can also be found at times within Dykene itself.

An old buddy of Skilfil's, Ostakker Three-Scar, owns the Stabbing Cat Lodging House and Tavern, the only inn of this small citadel. Ostakker sports three parallel scars across his face, a trophy from the run-in that he had with a sabre toothed tiger during his last adventure with Skilfil. Weary adventurers and other travelers can rest their weary bones for the night at the Stabbing Cat, and, if they are feeling brave, quaff down a mug of Elkoi beer.

Besides hero shrines to Balazar and Dykene, there is also a small temple to Yelmalio in the citadel, but no other formal cult buildings.

And with that, so much for D. Writing one blog entry per day has been useful discipline so far, even if it can make for rather hurried and clumsily written posts.

Previous posts:

Allosauri, Bunscotto the Kind Giant, Cults.