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Tunnels & Trolls created by Ken St André. "Tunnels & Trolls" and "T&T" are trademarks of Flying Buffalo Inc.
Big news! The narrative role-playing game known as HeroQuest becomes QuestWorlds as Chaosium sells the name to Hasbro, who wants to re-release the famous 1989 boardgame that bore the same name as the Gloranthan role-playing game.
The following time-line has been collected by Daniel Fahey, Gloranthaphile extraordinaire.
I have added some bibliographic notes:
the edition hereafter referenced to as ‘CG’ is the Complete Griselda by Oliver Dickinson published by Issaries Inc, ISS 4502, 2001
the other stories are from the Kraken chapbooks published as fundraisers for our favourite con and are hereafter referred to as ‘CB’
Griselda stories Time-line:
'A Tasty Morsel' (CG p32) ends early in Dark Season 1613
'Lucky Eddi' (CG p17) Earth Season 1616
'Griselda Gets Her Men' (CG p21), 'All in the Family' (CG p37) ran through into Dark Season.
'Shamus Gets a Case' (CG p26) occurred some time in late 1616
'Down Among the Dead Men' (CG p54) ~1616
'The Great Chart Caper' (CG p44) took place in Sea Season 1617
'Devil's Play' (CG p72) shows how they actually redeemed themselves, following the events of 'Wolfhead's Story' (CG p61) and 'Carving Up Carver' (CG p64)
'Bad Example' (CG p80), 'Holding the Baby' (CG p84) and 'This Love Business' (CG p89) happen in Fire Season, following Griselda's return from the Rubble, and precede the action of 'Red Hot' (CG p113)
Ditto for 'Serious Money' (CG p95) and 'Worlds Apart' (CG p106).
'The Matchmaker' (CG p144) must take place some time after the Garhound Contest (Truth Week, Earth Season), which Griselda's involvement in 'Ogre Hunt' (CB) must follow by a week.
'The Hero Bit' (CG p138) would make sense in Illusion Week, Earth Season, ending in Truth Week.
'The Trouble with Nephews' (CG p155) took place in Stasis Week, Dark Season 1617.
'Respect' (CG p184) was told in Dark Season 1617
'Different Shades of Red' (CG p172) takes place in Dark Season 1617.
'Meet the Parents' (CB) happens in Storm Season 1617
'A Day at the Races' (CB) probably 1618
'No Way for a Lady to Behave' (CB) certainly in Sea Season 1618
'A Brief Return to the Rubble' (CB) happens not long after this, probably still in Sea Season
'Hafufa's Little Sister' (CG p50), 'First Class Protection' (CG p130) and 'Happy Anniversary' (CG p124) all happen in Earth Season 1620 according to Soltakss
The Cradle scenario began Fireday, Harmony Week, Sea Season 1621, Griselda and co. joined Wildday, main action on Godday.
In the interview with Carina (CG p195) she stated that she was thirty-five, so the interview should fall after her birthday in 1627
Olaf met them again in the earlier 1630s: 'The Lady of Alone' (CB)
Thanks to everyone who purchased our boardgame, Last Faction Hero, while it was available as a Pay-What-You-Want title for charity during the month of May. As promised, Chaosium is donating some USD 1579.50 (less itch.io fees) to the World Health Organisation’s Covid-19 Solidarity Fund!
So the organisers cancelled the 2020 edition of the Eternal Con, but some people (who live in Germany) did travel to the Schloss, staying there as ‘individuals’ since there was no way an official con could be seen as happening.
Amongst these individuals, Jeff Richard from Chaosium who broadcasted his usual ‘ask me anything’ panel on YouTube. Luckily the broadcast was captured; here it is for your enjoyment.
Short summary:
(the recording missed the part about the Cults of Glorantha book)
Q: What happens to HeroQuest?
A: Announcements soon, but people may have noticed QuestWorlds already!
Q: Will there be a Lunar supplement?
A: We are putting together the right team of writers.
But the huge size of the Lunar cults chapter within the Cults of Glorantha book, plus the Lunar material within the Guide of Glorantha, should already enable you to run Lunar campaigns.
Q: Are there any differences (in content) between the English-language edition of Call of Cthulhu or RuneQuest and the translations? Is any of the original stuff written for the translated versions going to be published back into English?
A: We are translating some Polish CoC material into English and we are really excited by the additional French-language material that Philippe Auribeau is putting together for the French edition of RQG.
Q: Next RQG book in print?
A: Starter Set, similar to the CoC starter set. It will have everything needed to run RQG games, with a focus on Jonstown with two adventures.
Q: Pavis & Big Rubble book
A: Robin Laws has finished writing the Big Rubble book, it is currently being used as the in-house Chaosium RQG campaign. It takes place after Pavis has been raided and it really changes the feel of how it’s played— it’s not under Lunar occupation any longer: YOU are the occupiers!
Q: Glorantha East & West
A: We actually have a fantastic Kralorela manuscript, but I think it’s not the best time to publish it, because there is no good way for a party of characters from Dragon Pass or Prax to travel there, which means it is an entirely new setting. I would prefer to wait until we come out with the Nochet book, which opens up the rest of the setting more broadly [because characters can then travel by boat from Nochet].
About the Malkioni and the Invisible God... the Invisible God is not in the Cults of Glorantha book because it is too different and so big... it would be the tail that swallows the dog, so it’ll end up being its own book, that’ll also include Sorcery.
Q: The Nochet book?
A: A team is putting it together, with encounters and adventures based on the beautiful map that we have made available.
The manuscript isn’t final yet, though. But I hope to have the book out in 2021.
Nochet is a very important city, it’s the biggest and most cosmopolitan city in the world.
Q: A revision of HQG?
A: No.
Q: A book about how to better narrate stories for CoC?
A: The Keeper Rulebook already has some great tips on how to be a good keeper. But it’s an idea worth looking at.
Q: The Ring of the Nibelung as a Pendragon setting?
A: Great idea, but how to combine the historical elements and the myths to create a kind of ‘monomyth’ like Greg Stafford did for Pendragon?
Q: What is the Sartar book going to feature?
A: How to make a Sartarite character, how to create a clan, how do tribes function.
Complete and detailed gazetteer.
Q: Status of Barbarian Town?
A: This is a book that Sarah Newton started drafting and putting together. Alas she’s had a lot of personal stuff going on in her life, but it is definitely a book I’d love to get moving again!
Q: What is the God Learners’ Secret?
A: It’s a secret.
Contrary to what I wrote a few days ago, the 2020 edition of the Eternal Con has been cancelled after all. On 13 May, the government of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate has banned indoor events, and this has obviously led to the cancellation of the con, since the town of Bacharach is located in Rhineland-Palatinate.
My online RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha gamemaster, Steve aka Orlanth Rex, has taken advantage of the lockdown period to start a role-playing games podcast. His main idea is to capture the thoughts and the afterthoughts that occur to him during or after our fortnightly online games; as he explains in his introduction, online sessions are much shorter than face-to-face ones and usually get to the point (i.e., gaming) so there’s no time left to discuss meta-gaming stuff.
Note that we do tend to discuss what happened during the adventures on Twitter with Steve and the other players, both publicly and via private messages, but I reckon the aim of the podcast is really to take a back seat of sorts and mull over this little obsessive hobby of ours.
The first episode is available here, anyways, if you are interested in such matters (and you probably are, if you’re reading this).
I have just received an e-mail from the organisers: the Eternal Con 2020 is taking place as scheduled, from 29 May until 1st June at Castle Stahleck in Bacharach.
Alas, alas, even though the lockdown is gradually being lifted starting tomorrow 11 May, the French government has forbidden any travels abroad until 10 July, so I won't be able to attend the con. My heart bleeds.
