Intro
What follows is a campaign outline I’ve wanted to run/write up for a number of years. It ties materials from Rubble Runners with Back to Balazar, which itself lies on top of much of the original Griffin Mountain material.

The story that plays out alongside and one that the adventurers get to have major input on is the Lunar Priestess Tala Errio’s inner journey, as she questions her pathway to divine marriage and starts to discover her humanity and free will. She questions the assumptions of her divinely-appointed life and her very identity. Tala may—with the right guidance—decide her own path moving forward.

The Adventurers
The adventurers are auxiliaries, flotsam, and expendables gathered from around a garrison company of the Silver Shields hurriedly preparing to flee Prax in the wake of the fall of Pavis. The commanding officer considers the priestess’ rescue a suicide mission, but one he can’t be seen to ignore. The adventurers are sent as a token gesture as he seeks to save the bulk of his command.

Cast
The cast is large. Many will be described in detail in Rubble Runners 2, Griffin Mountain, and Back to Balazar, but notable characters central to the campaign are:

• Tala Errio, a powerful but young Rune Priestess of the Red Moon – A priest of the Red Goddess bred and trained to be the Lunar wife of Pavis and marry him into the Lunar Pantheon. Now stranded in Pavis, the adventurers need to get her back to the Lunar Empire. Fully described in Rubble Runners 2.

• Isori Tabba – The head of Tala’s small protection detail. Isori is the daughter of Lunar nobility, a ceremonial soldier deeply out of her depth in the wilds of Prax. Short description in Rubble Runners 2.

• Imika of the Tencuts  – This high llama rider is a trusted lieutenant of Argrath ordered to find and track down Tala Errio. He and his followers will pursue the adventurers through Prax, the mountains, and across the Elder Wilds. He will be a wily and tenacious opponent who leads a group of eighteen mounted warriors. Unique to this campaign.

• Gonn Orta – A Mountainous Giant who has survived from before the Dawn, a being of immense physical and spiritual power. He rules over a trading site in a legendary pass in the Rockwood Mountains, and is a priest of Issaries. He is interpreted in this story as a powerful heroquester seeking to restore his Grandfather Genert as he keeps vigil over the broken lands of Prax. He is described in Griffin Mountain.

• Great Old Mother – A legendary Mistress Race troll who is a most prominent troll of the Elder Wilds, and an ancient rival of Cragspider. She will take an interest in Tala Errio as she passes through her domain. She has been mentioned on the Back to the Balazar site but not defined fully.

• Redrock Clan – A clan of Balazaring Storm worshippers who have a fortified camp at Swim Here on the edge of the Elder Wilds. Lan is their leader. They will present a difficult obstacle in returning Tala to the Lunar Empire. Full details in Back to Balazar.

• Quintas Ven Ortlas – A Free and Illuminated Sage of Irripi Ontor who resides in Trilus. He will give the adventurers and Tala hospitality and will talk at length about being of the Lunar Way but not in submission to the priesthood. Full details in Back to Balazar.

Outer Journey

Act 1 – Pavis and Points North

The first act is receiving orders, securing the priestess from the Rubble, returning to the company to find them slaughtered, and then getting adventurers heading north toward Gonn Orta’s Pass.  

The object of Act 1 is to build a sense of impending danger, make the Praxians and Orlanthi seem like dangerous barbaric adversaries, and get the adventurers a map of the alternative route home. 

Start to thin out the NPCs creating a barrier between Tala Errio and the adventurers, to give the adventurers access, to reduce the cast, and allow real roleplay opportunities. In this period, Tala will be a distant and difficult employer who may not always endear herself to the adventurers.

Somewhere in Act 1, the adventurers should notice they are being actively pursued by Imika of the Tencuts.

Scene 1 – The Expendables
News spreads through Pavis County to the village of Indagos of the loss at Moonbroth and the slaughter of the Lunar Garrison in Pavis. This is where the adventurers are stationed.

The adventurers are assembled and brought in front of the commanding officer. They are introduced to Tansa Bar, a Pavic youth in the employ of the Lunars, who will guide the mission to find a priestess hiding in the Pavis Rubble. The commanding officer dismisses the adventurers and their new leader as he moves on to other matters. Adventurers who make simple Insight(Human) rolls can deduce that those selected are expendable, not those most qualified for the mission.

The adventurers are instructed to meet the company back at Indagos within 3 days before they move west, but have ample opportunity to hear plans to take the company north, through a secret pass in the mountains, as attempting to travel west would be suicide.

Scene 2 – In the Rubble
The adventurers enter the Rubble to find the Priestess Tala Errio’s party holed up in a cellar surrounded by a party of Argrath’s warriors. The adventurers must ambush the warriors and hurriedly leave the scene with the priestess and her surviving entourage before backup arrives. We introduce the antagonist Imika at this point. He survives the fight and rounds up a group of new warriors to pursue the fugitives. The adventurers should flee north to connect with their unit.

Scene 3 – The Way Back 
The adventurers make Scan rolls to check for pursuers, then engage in a game of cat and mouse as they try to and lose the pursuit. Skirmishes and missile fire will do significant harm to allies. Adventurers have a choice on whether to use precious healing resources upon their new comrades. Isori Tabbas lack of ability will become apparent to the adventurers at this point.

Scene 4 – The Slaughter
The adventurers arrive back at the village of Indagos to find the company slaughtered by Praxian barbarians. Tracking rolls will show high llama riders attacking the settlement hours after the adventurers headed south. The Lunar garrison is slaughtered to a man, many of the locals slain, the bodies and settlement have been stripped of weapons and obvious items of wealth. Written items have been left unmolested, including a map of a path north to Gonn Orta’s castle on the table in the captain’s quarters, and a large-scale map showing a vague route scratched onto it.

If the characters search the settlement closely they will encounter four children orphaned by the raid. The priestess’ entourage will argue that they should be brought along and can’t be abandoned. The adventurers may take a more practical view. If the adventurers comply with the request, the slow pace they can make with the children should be played upon in the next section. Adventurers may want to come up with another solution at some point.

Scene 5 – The Journey North
The adventurers should hopefully choose the journey north, Survival and Tactical Lore rolls will show that a journey west is certain capture or death, while the route north is an unknown quantity. Isori Tabba will say that the priestess is sure the Goddess will watch over them through whatever perils they will face to the north. 

Missi Mara, Tala’s maidservant, will flee the group, quite willing to give their plans away for safety and safe passage. Tala will assume enemy forces have kidnapped her maidservant and not purposefully fled her presence.

The journey north will be rife with pursuits, with at least one combat with their pursuers, skirmishes and ambushes from Imika’s followers taking its toll on the NPCs. This section will be attritional and conservation of resources may require some hard decisions. Pursuit will back off to track at a distance after a strong counter-ambush or counterattack. Imika will have reasonably thick plot armor through this time, but his followers won’t. The same goes for Isori and the guards, they may fall by the wayside.

Act 2 – Elder Wilds

Act 2 is the substance of both plots, where the party moves into the unknown and encounters things well outside their previous knowledge. It is also where the experiences and deep conversations that may start to influence Tala’s inner journey also intensify.

Scene 1 – Gonn Orta’s Castle
After experiencing the Hidden Greens (which freak Tala out in a different way than the adventurers), the party enters Gonn Orta’s castle (Griffin Mountain) deep within the Eleven Good Giant Mountains. The adventurers’ practical focus will be finding information about the next part of their journey and what lies beyond the mountain. This is a good time for trade and restocking of supplies trading with the Residents.

For information there is an Argan Argar caravan at the castle, travelling north to the Troll Hills. The trolls are friendly, eager for news and communicative. If the adventurers are astute, they can arrange to travel with the caravan.

What will surprise most people in the castle is Gonn Orta asking the Giant Hen Cik to place Tala Errio in his hand. Gonn lifts her close. Tala beholds his face, and he examines her. The two gaze at each other for some hours.

Gonn Orta eventually places her gently onto the ground. Tala is visibly shaken and talks vaguely of conversing with Gonn Orta, though nothing was heard by anyone. Over the rest of the day there are a number of small rock-falls in and around the castle, as locals say that Gonn Orta has ‘got a little fidgety’. These continue till the adventurers leave. 

This encounter is a pivot point in the deep questions that Tala faces. After this point she starts to enquire about Non-Lunar spirituality in a positive and curious way.

Scene 2 – Troll Clan Ambush
The adventurers will be subject to a raid by a troll hunting party. This will be a standard but testing combat encounter. If the party is travelling with the troll caravan this will be easily dealt with by the combined parties.

Scene 2a – Troll Trader
If the adventurers are travelling alone they will re-encounter the troll trader from Gonn Orta’s castle. They are recovering from a similar raid to the one the adventurers encountered, and will offer the adventurers their protection through Troll Hills if they agree to act as guards for this leg of the journey. 

Scene 3 – Troll Clan
They accompany the trader in an engagement with a good-sized troll clan whilst under his protection. A lighthearted encounter where the adventurers get to peaceably interact with trolls and watch them trade. Maybe some very bizarre and possibly useful trade offers are made to the adventurers. Certain trolls may be obviously considering them for a potential dinner date.

Scene 4 – Black Spire Gorge
The trader leads them to Blackspire Gorge, the heart of troll religion in the Elder Wilds. The settlement contains two major and many minor temples, and will be populated by thousands of trolls and trollkin at any particular time. The adventurers will be stared at, sniffed, prodded, and poked by the local trolls, but their safe passage will be respected. They will be local celebrities for a while and many trolls will come to sample their aroma, much to the delight of the trader.

Their trader guide will keep the adventurers above ground and out of the temples and shrines until a number of elite troll warriors take the adventurers captive. The troll warriors roughly force the adventurers to descend deep underground into a temple complex.  

The journey will take an hour travelling deeper underground, in the pitch black with many bangs, falls, trips, and inconveniences. The adventurers should be scared, feeling powerless, and thinking they may die soon.

The adventurers will then telepathically encounter the Great Old Mother, an immortal Mistress Race troll who will converse with them. The Great Old Mother scours their minds for views and information about Tala Errio. Think of this as a trollish ‘Galadriel experience’. Spiritual testing and revelation should be part of this.

The adventurers will not be significantly harmed unless they do something really stupid. They are returned to the surface and the trader’s company. After a couple of hours without Tala, she is returned unharmed.  If asked what went on Tala calmly replies the Great Old Mother considered spiritually consuming her, but decided it would be more trouble than it was worth. Tala seems somewhat dispassionate about events.

Scene 5 – Across the Wilds
The trader will see them to the edge of theTroll Hills before heading north to Gork Hills. The adventurers will be given broad directions to head west and then ford the river to find human lands. On this journey there is ample room for interesting encounters.

An encounter with a large dinosaur, family of baboons, or an attack from above by griffins could all be interesting. Broo or other Chaos could drive a more fearsome encounter. Also appropriate special encounters from Back to Balazar could be used.

The one that will drive the story somewhat will be the adventurers becoming aware that Imika has picked their trail up again and is actively pursuing.

Act 3 – Balazar

The humans in Balazar may provide more difficult and complex obstacles to the adventurers than the monsters of the Elder Wilds. Each group will offer different roleplaying opportunities. Tala will also be doubting her calling and, depending on the adventurers’ inputs, there is a good chance she will ask to deviate from the plan to return her to ‘the bosom of the Goddess’. All of the details of locations and characters for Act 3 can be found in Back to Balazar.

Act -1 Swim Here
Here they will encounter the Orlanthi of the Redrock Clan (Back to Balazar). They will not initiate a combat encounter with any travellers coming out of the wild as that would be murderous whatever the cult connections the adventurers may have. However, they will look to hold Tala and the adventurers as ‘guests for ransom’ once their identity is confirmed. Lan will have very blatant, adulterous desires for the enchanting Tala, who will not be at all interested.

Unless previously dealt with, Imika Tencuts will arrive at the encampment and get a feel for the situation. He will demand the Redrock Clan hand Tala over to him as Argarth’s representative.  This will do the adventurers a great favor as Lan dislikes Argrath based on previous interactions. Lan will suggest a trial by combat between Imika and the adventurers’ champion as an interesting way to ‘solve the issue’.

The Windlord Rhakal (who is also the wife of Lan) will be very interested in getting the beautiful Tala and the adventurers away from Swim Here, and some clever politicking and roleplaying will arrange a release without ransom, once the trial by combat is complete.   

Scene 2 – Optional
This scene is not key to the story and a number of options are presented to the adventurers as they travel west. This scene will not drive the meta plot forward but may be an opportunity for the adventurers to encounter aspects of the Land of Balazar. Multiple options from the list below can be used if the storyteller wishes, and the party chooses a relevant route.

1. The Citadel of Dykene – The adventurers encounter a population made miserable by the forced imposition of strict Yelmalion traditions. Tala wishes to liberate the populace. Wise adventurers will get her out of town before she provokes conflict with the priestly hierarchy
2. Dangerground – The adventurers encounter the Griffin’s Claws Clan
3. Bear Woods – The adventurers encounter the Running Deer Clan
4. Firepoint – The adventures encounter the shamanic community at Firepoint.

Options a, b, and c are all detailed in depth in Back to Balazar. Option d is covered in minor details but can easily be built out from the shaman section in Back to Balazar.

Scene 3 – Trilus
Upon arriving in Trilus, Tala’s presence will spark the attention of the Lunar sage Quintas Ven Ortlas (Back to Balazar). He will offer his hospitality. As his house guests, they will receive the King’s protection and be free to interact around the citadel.

A few days resting and recuperating in Quintas’ residence will lead to interesting spiritual, moral, and philosophical debates well into the night. These conversations are thinly veiled attempts to alter Tala’s destiny. It is Quintas’s opinion that Tala will be better placed finding her own path independent of the guidance of the Lunar priesthood.

There is a possibility of overlap with Eleanor’s (houseguest of Quintas) story. This can add some interesting extra complexity. As detailed in Back to Balazar, Eleanor has fled from the Lunar Empire and may provide another outlook on life outside the Moon’s influence for a former Lunar devotee.

Scene 4 – Elkoi
At Elkoi, the adventurers get a choice of who to interact with. They could go to King Cyriel and Queen Marusa as rulers, or to the priestess Refuza. The royal couple will try to acquire Tala for their own ends, slowing her progress back to the Lunar Empire and separating her from the adventurers. If the adventurers and Tala are tenacious regarding not being separated, the adventurers will become targets for assassination.

Refuza will be aware of Queen Marusa’s desires and house Tala and the adventurers in the temple, whilst she sends a message to the Great Temple at Mirin’s Cross. This will develop into a political and claustrophobic siege. Agents of the king and queen will attempt to get Tala out of the temple and into their control.

The adventurers will leave Elkoi either fleeing haphazardly from the forces of the Merchant King or a little more orderly exit guarded by a company of Lunar temple soldiers (if you want to throw a coder in there for good measure) if they have been protected by Refuza.

Scene 5 – The End, Journey to Mirin’s Cross
In this part of the journey, if hasn’t happened before, Tala will confide in one of the adventurers. She doesn’t think she wants to return to the Lunar Temple, and will talk with the party openly about what to do next. The adventurers will have major influence on the future of the unwanted bride.

The Inner Journey of Tala Errio

Tala goes on a deeply personal journey and transformation throughout the adventure. At the beginning she is a single-minded devotee of the Red Goddess, raised to fulfil the will of the Goddess. By the end of it she should be asserting her own humanity and her choice to manifest her personal destiny separate to the will of the goddess.

The adventurers should not only see this transformation but have the ability to facilitate and guide her in it, becoming not just her guards, but guides, friends, and possibly lover(s). This process is best achieved by roleplaying through a series of fireside conversations that increase in openness, depth, complexity, honesty, and intimacy as the campaign continues.

Tala’s inner jouney will be provoked by experiences along the way. The overwhelming vivacity of the Hidden Greens, the majesty of Gonn Orta, the devious wisdom of the Great Old Mother, the well-articulated and deeply held anti-Lunar sentiment of the Redrock Clan, and the spiritual freedom found in Quintas’ illumination. The destination of her inner journey is not determined and the adventurers have the ability to significantly affect the outcome.

Questions
The following are questions Tala will ask as she progresses along her contemplation of a world more diverse, complex, and beautiful than she ever imagined.

• I was betrothed to a god. How can any mere mortal be enough for me?
• Can we survive so far from the temple?
• How can you exist without ever knowing the presence of the Goddess?
• What is your destiny?
• Who have you been selected for?
• Why didn’t my destiny come to pass? Has the goddess lied to you too?
• What does the goddess say your purpose is? No, I mean your specific purpose! The one just for you.
• Did you know there was such depth and beauty outside the Lunar way?
• You don’t have a destiny? Doesn’t that make you insignificant?
• Do you ever get scared? Doesn’t that mean you do not trust the Goddess?
• How do you know what to do?
• Where does your meaning come from?
• What is it like to get drunk?
• Can you choose to do anything?
• What is it like to kiss a man?
• Can you hold me?

Resolution
There are several ways this campaign can end (or transform). For me, the most rewarding is where the adventurers’ inputs help Tala Errio decide she wants to live for herself and deviate from the religious path assigned to her. This could mean she wishes to do one of many things:

• Elope and marry one of the adventurers.
• Return to the Lunar Empire in secret and live as a private person.
• Return to Gonn Orta and aid him in his quest to recreate Genert.
• Work with Quintas to research and document the trolls of the Elder Wilds.
• Other possible goals the adventurers may suggest to her.

A more tragic ending is where Tala Errio wishes to break away from her previous life but lacks the courage or conviction to do so. The adventurers escort her to the temple at Mirin’s Cross, to see her led away into the Holy Sanctuary of the priests. She looks over her shoulder at the adventurers, fear in her eyes, biting her lips, obviously feeling apprehensive and trapped as the freedoms and friendships she has enjoyed on the journey are taken from her.

Epilogues
The tragic ending has a few possible epilogues, just to hammer home the sense of loss and regret the adventurers may be feeling. Here are a few you can use, depending upon your adventurers’ choices and how dark you like your campaigns.

• The adventurers set about a rescue/kidnap mission to save Tala Errio from her religious destiny.
• The adventurers encounter Tala in a setting where she completely blanks on who they are in a display of priestly indifference; they doubt if she even remembers them and their time together on the trails.
• Tala, now back on her priestly destiny, is mortified about how the adventurers have seen her and their knowledge of ‘her weakness’. She sends assassins to kill them and keep her secrets.
• Tala disappears completely a couple of seasons after the adventurers’ return. If the adventurers dig they can find out there was a recent suicide within the priestly sanctum, causing an expensive reconsecration. Was this Tala?

Most of the details to run the above campaign can be found in the following three wonderful supplements;

Intro

Five years ago, I published this article on using 28mm plastic miniatures for Runequest and other Gloranthan gaming, going through a good number of the suppliers at the time and giving my opinion on their quality and usefulness for use with RQ.

Time has flown by and a few things have changed, miniature providers have added a lot of plastic sets, my tastes and views have changed more than a little and I’ve got to try a whole pile of things out.

I’ve threatened to update the original article more than once, but decided an update on the kits released since then may be more straightforward but not much shorter.  Many of these kits I’ve plugged as they have been released in the group MIniature Adventures in Glorantha, but this gives me a chance to review and examine them in light of everything else.

I’m going to be considering how appropriate kits are, their quality, price, ease of use in kitbashing and just how much fun they are. I am mainly going to be looking at historics from antiquity and the early dark ages, but will cover some fantasy rangers i think could be useful

As regards look and feel i’m not looking for true bronze age miniatures ( because there are very few plastic options for this area.).  But i’m looking to avoid ubiquitous amounts of chainmail( so armoured Vikings and Saxons are out), styles which are too distinct (Romans) and I’m not covering mounted miniatures either.

I’m including physical sets which I have personally purchased, not covering STL and digital printing for now. I am going to mention buying by the sprue which is only a UK think atm, but a potential business opportunity for someone in the US. The focus will be on minis for the RPG’er rather than a wargamer, this means maximum figure variation will be important.  

Victrix 

In terms of both quality and range I believe Vicrtix to be the leading provider of historic miniatures, and they have been busy these last few years with a good number of releases.

Victrix miniatures tend to have a high sculpt quality, be well sized and have dynamic poses. One drawback is that many sets have one or both arms as part of the main body on the model, so miniature poses are going to be limited and figure repetition common if the same sprues are used too often. Also many different sets use the same body poses and proportions so Germans, Gauls and Dacians can end up looking similar.

The set most immediately useful to is the recently released Greek Hoplites, as they can be used as Lunars, Yelmalians, and other more civilised nations.  The bodies however with Breastplate, Scale Armour and Linothorax options create a great base for all armoured warriors with simple kit bashing. Parts added from Dacian, German and Gaul kits can get these bodies looking like Orlanthi very quickly.  Also the helmets dropped onto an unarmoured dark age warrior, or persian body can suddenly make the figure fit very well into a Gloranthan setting..

The Persian Armoured Spearmen has 4 figures per sprue 2 in Linothorax and 2 in padded or quilted armour, however 3 have arms moulded onto them in set poses so I would suggest only purchasing a limited number of these or else figures will get very samey. I find head options limiting, but do enjoy the good selection of weapons, quivers and shields found in the set.

The Persian Command sprue is common across all Persian boxes and is worth purchasing as it comprises three well armoured torsos that can be easily modified into hero figures. The Persian Armoured Archers is a sprue which has two armoured archers then two armless torsos that can be modified into melee characters if needed. It also contains a number of interesting options for archer figures including bow options.

The Persian Unarmoured Spearmen and Persian Unarmoured Archers are virtually the same sprue as the armoured spearmen, but with the bodies unarmoured which makes them significantly less appealing.  I would pass them over for other unarmoured figure options.

The Dacian Warriors set I find highly appealing for numerous reasons, the fact that all figures come without arms attached, we have 3 good cloak options, we have numbers of curved swords with the two handed falx and 18 great head options on the standard sprue.

But most importantly the Dacian Command Sprue, has some outstanding armour,  cloak, and head options. Giving bodies and many components for hero figures.

Their Vikings set is problematic for Gloranthan usage due to the significant amount of chainmail on all sprues, but there are some very usable heads that will work for wilder Gloranthan culture, mixed size target shields and one and two handed axes. There are some great figures on the command sprue but it is dominated by chainmail so I avoid using it for my figures.

Early Unarmoured Saxons is a recent set with a number of options which can fill the unarmoured Dark Age Warrior requirement easily, along with many other sets. Arms are fully detached and there are good head, weapons and shield options. Helmets may be too late in look for some tastes but I think they could work well if painted bronze.  A valid option for the unarmoured warrior figures you may want.

The older German Warrior set is a good option for Praxian and Balazaring figures, as well as Orlanthi characters with a number of bare chested figures differentiating the set from other options. Positives of a great range of unarmoured heads, mixed and varied shields are balanced out by all of the figures having at least one arm fixed in place. Rounded off by 3 cloaks and a good range of weapons.

The Vicrtix late romans releases really interested me in terms of the number of options available and how we could use these to add so many kitbashing options into a bits box, with numerous head, shield and cloak options.

However the Roman Armoured Infantry contains far too much chainmail for our usage, the archers may be great if you are building out an army, but are rather boring and we see nothing we have not seen elsewhere in this set. The only one i would consider for purchase is the Unarmoured Roman Infantry, with oodles of variations. The kit covers the late roman,  Authurian, Early Byzantine and Goth/Germanic period. Which is a little late for our needs and does actually feel so. Get a single sprue and see what you think of the head and cloak options. Your view may differ from mine.

In terms of future releases the Rus Unarmoured sprue looks to have some gorgeous head and weapon options, but many don’t quite fit our timeline. Avoid the full set as the armoured sprues are dripping in chainmail.

Wargames Atlantic

Though currently I think Victrix are probably producing the best individual sculpts and miniatures, I think wargames atlantic are my favourite company and produce the most useful and fun sets.

Though new plastic releases have slowed down of late. There are a number of kits that are really useful for creating Glorantha Minis.

Wargames atlantic figures for the most part can easily be kitbashed with Victrix and Gripping Beast miniatures with similar scaling, heads and construction.  The sculpting and detailing is close to the Victrix who I think are the best models in the genre atm, and the poses are usually both dynamic and practical.

Roman Citizens set releases for Gangs of Rome is a set which i’m glad to have just got my hands on and gives lots of options for urban gloranthans whether they be civilians, streetgangs, gladiators or unarmoured warriors.  I’m loving the options for conversions and how I can use this set in kitbashing going forward. I bought a full box and probably a couple of sprues is a better starting point for most RPG players.

The Persian Warriors set is a good set for creating light armoured figures and creates a perfect bases for a wide range of models, covering both hand to hand combat and archers, armoured and unarmoured persians. 

The body options are not specifically Persian and can easily be kitbashed and  painted up to represent other cultures. The selection of bodies on a sprue consists of 1 in scale armour, 2 in padded or quilted leather, one unarmoured and one unarmored archer. I’m not keen on some of the heads,arms and weapons options, and specifically wish there were more than 1 kopis per sprue. But it’s a good quality, cheaper, simple alternative to the Victrix Persian figures.

Another good option for unarmoured and lightly armoured warriors and fighters are Blood Oaths Irish Warriors. Distinct plus points for this set are warhounds that come 2 per sprue. The varied nature of the bodies covering bare chested, trousered and skirted options upon the sprue. Lots of options with 14 shields, 10 heads and plenty of weapons options. What I love about this set is probably two of the nicest cloak options available with historic figures at the moment, available on each sprue.  For me a must buy set at least a couple of sprues or a box level.

Goth Warriors is a nice set which offers a viable alternative to the many kits which will give you unarmoured dark age/ancient warriors. Simpler than the Victrix it gives more flexibility for kitbashing and with model stance, but does not quite match the sculpt quality or detailing. It  gives good melee and missile options on each sprue. However it’s only real stand out quality from the many other options is another great cloak.

Wargames Atlantic Skeleton Warriors are a good option, have nice shield choices, and do give that Jason and the Argonites vibe. However the one skeleton that needs a full body build is a pain and for that reason it’s not my favourite set. However I like to mix my sets up so I do use them.

I’ve not purchased or tried but the Bronze Age Chariots also look right up our street.

Recommendations:  I think 2 sprues of Citizens of Rome, and Blood Oath Irish Warrior are pretty essential. I like to vary body options for RPG fo so would use the WA Persians alongside the Victrix alternatives as body options

Frostgrave

In what appears to be a partner brand to Oathmark we have the frostgrave figures. The two relevant sets not mentioned in the earlier are Frostgrave Wizards, Frostgrave Wizards 2.

They are built with the same design principles as Oathmark and the swivel heads mean that they cannot be easily kitbashed with anything bar Oathmark and Frostgrave Figures. This has led me to have a separate Frostgrave/Northface bits box.  

The wizard sets are pricey with the figures coming in at around £2.00 per mini, but they are both designed and scaled to be Hero figures so present reasonable value for money. Also the sprues for these sets come with significant options and variations.

As always these figures are well made, but ‘chunky’, making realistic scaling against genuine historic miniatures impossible.  But this allows them to draw attention to themselves as hero or character figures on the table and that works for me. 

The figures designs are mediaeval fantasy and the characters are kitted up for a winter climate, but judicious choices and a thoughtful paint job can give these figures an Gloranthan feel, and these figures can be effectively presented as priests, sorcerers and other denizens of Glorantha.

Of particular interest is the Frostgrave Wizard 2 set which is Female Wizards, and with a dearth of both non combatants and good female plastic figures available, particular attention should be given to these as a viable option.

Combining sprues of Frostgraves Female Soldiers, Female barbarians and Female Wizards creates some nice variation and combinations, which gives a character class ambiguity that suits the RQ system.

Recommendations: If you can cope with some anachronisms and setting inconsistencies that come with these sets, I think a sprue of the Frostgrave Wizards 2(the ladies) combined with Frostgrave Soldiers and or barbarians is essential.  Frostgrave wizards could be a good addition but doesn’t combine with other sets in the same way 

Oathmark

A sister brand to frostgrave most Oathmark sets share design principles and the humans don’t kitbash well with other historics. However some sets are well worth a look for specific uses.

The Dwarf Heavy Infantry out of the box gives a look and feel that are Iron Dwarves, no kitbashing required. I just  love them.

The Skeletons are my favourite readily available kit at the moment. Again I would mix and match for figure variations. But easy to build, well scaled and also have a classic greek fantasy look to them.

I like oathmarks Revenant Infantry, i’ve no idea what they precisely are in Glorantha but these are a nice set of undead figures that could be used as zombies, revenants or some custom nasty from Delectis swamp. Each sprue also contains 5 shields that can work very well as stylised shields for other heroes and PCs.

I tried a sprue of the human infantry but they are just too classic fantasy for our purposes, and haven’t attempted to use other releases for the same reason.

RGD Gaming

A company who is new to me is RGD gaming, they have produced a number of kits that should be of interest to us. Focusing on mythic Greece as a setting. They have 5 kits that hit our criteria and unfortunately none have justified my initial level of interest.

The Amazons kit of 28mm female figures in the right time period was the one that excited me most, Unfortunately it did not deliver.  A couple of poses create acceptable miniatures but many create figures which are stilted, disproportionate or only work in unrealistic poses. The quality does vary significantly across the sprue.

Though I can create some useful figures, I find the spue repetitive and choices of a decent quality limited will not be able to build out all the figures in interesting and quality configurations. Also the design means getting a decent model build can be tricky.

The Scythians also interested me and they have delivered much better figures, the armour options really suits Glorantha and fits some of the gaps in what is available and I was hoping to use them as a base for lots of conversions and kit bashing going forward.

The figures are all in proportion with themselves and there are some nice options. However they are massive…. When compared to victrix and wargames atlantic models they are 15 to 20% larger.  This can add nice variation in model size when they are used together, but means it’s very hard to use them when kitbashing and converting them. The heads are also of a design that WA and Victrix heads don’t connect well with bodies in this set, due to the requirement for a neck.  The only real easy kitbashing is shield swapping which isnt alot.

Model poses are a little static, with the spear poses are good, but very samey. The hand weapons and shield combination deliver static poses and though nice figures, will not deliver variation needed for RPG models

I’m not going to mention detail on the The Faun and Centaur kits because they are so bad they border on unusable.  The Satyr kit is usable but of low quality and limited variation, they are maybe usable as broo, but are poor representations.

RGD have a Wargames Atlantic feel in production values, but the miniature design falls well short of their collaborator..

Recommendations: Due to the unique and relevant nature of these figures 1 Spru each of the amazons & Scythians could build out your collection with some unique and distinct models. But for the reasons mentioned above don’t invest heavily and have limited expectations.

Gripping Beast

I’ve always had a soft spot for Gripping Beast Plastics, I love their Dark age warriors for their simplicity and versatility in conversions. Over recent years they have released three boxes celtic figures of Warriors  Dark Age Welsh, Dark Age Irish and Dark Age Welsh.

These three boxes come with sprues containing the 5 same base bodies and a limited but varied set of heads, arms, shields, weapons and cloaks!!!! to distinguish them from each other.  The parts kitbash perfectly with victrix and wargames atlantic.

These figures are basic and are unlikely to be developed into hero figures but for unarmoured warriors or the basis for non combatant conversions they are perfect.

The cost at around £0.50 per miniature is really good value. These sculpts are of decent quality, but not as well defined or dynamic as Victrix or Wargames Atlantic, but their simplicity gives them much more flexibility.

My favourites of the three sets are the Irish because of the quality of their Cloaks.

Recommendations: If you are looking for a volume of low cost figures for kitbashing, conversions, militia or civilians these are perfect. For Gloranthan figures id jump into the Irish and the Welsh first as they are most relevant, and would definitely have a number of sprues available for creating an expansive collection.

A short post here, for a new common runespell which is available to the vast majority of cults. It’s designed as a game mechanic to allow priests and other NPC’s to give magical aid to players in a setting specific manner.  However players may find a creative and interesting use for it.

I’m sure a gamemaster could just handwave it, but some of us do like the system to have a consistent mechanic for much of what NPC’s do

It would be referred to as Orlanths blessing, Ernelda’s blessing, Foundchilds Luck, Stormbulls Fury or other deity specific deviations.

This runespell is cast upon another cult member by the spellcaster. It calls forth the blessing of the specific deity to allow its follower to act in accordance with the deity’s character. It cannot be cast upon oneself.

For the duration of the spell it will give 5% point bonus per point of spell on all rolls which concern the use of any cult skills, spirit magic, rune magic spells or inspiration with cult runes and virtues. It does not affect spells and skills given by associated cults.

These bonuses can be stacked on top of other more specific spirit magic or battle magic bonuses.  It is often cast in conjunction with extension.

This spell is rarely used by adventures and tends to be the domain of priests, chief priests and high priests. It is not usually cast upon lay members.   

Older gamers and long term Runequest fans are all very aware of the beloved, classic and awesome RPG Sandbox Griffin Mountain, and the land of Balazar which it describes. More recent converts to the cause may be less aware as the latest release of Runequest has focused almost exclusively on  Dragon Pass though rightly so. However this classic location without a doubt is my favourite Runequest campaign setting, and the following notes try to get to the bottom of why.

Where and what is Balazar?

For those of you not in the know, Balazar is a land to the North of Dragon Pass and to the east of the provinces of the Lunar Empire. It is a land of semi-nomadic Hunter gatherer clans. It is dominated by large citadels which are virtually the only permanent settlements, around which its human hunter inhabitants gather into three distinct tribes. The Elder races loom large with trolls and elves dominating the adjacent Elder Wilds, the Dwarves hold up in their city of Greatway to the south, and colossal giants roaming through the mountains far to the east.

The land has a sparse open wild feel to it, population centres are rare and small, unlike Dragon Pass it is not the central crucible of the hero wars. Heroes exist but are more modest than Argarath, Hareck and Jareel; its people are primitive, traditional, and possibly more innocent.

So Why?
It is this land that has long been my favourite Runequest setting and i’m about to try to articulate why I love it so much. Let me be clear, I’m not saying it’s better than other Gloranth settings, it’s just one which I prefer.

The first reason I would like to put forward is personal bias, the greatest campaign of my youth took place in the setting, my favourite most defining PC was and is based there. I had no poor and difficult gaming experiences in games based in Balazar. I am utterly and completely 100% biassed and that’s OK.  Our experiences often define out likes and dislikes, and I have many pleasant experience in playing and running games in Balazar

The setting is unique. Glorantha is a distinct and interesting setting within itself, but Balazar is a unique land within that setting. Wild, pared down and with its own distinct flavour, I cannot think of any other games written to be played with a neolithic hunter gatherer setting.

I love the scale of Bazalar, not in terms of miles and hexes, but Griffin Mountain was an intimate setting, the cast list was relatively small and players could interact with most of the movers and shakers in the region.

However, it is also a wild setting with an immense physical scale, the sense of wilderness, the unknown, an amount of space that you could drop a lot of things into without changing the feel and lay of the land. Its remoteness also means that whatever the players are doing will probably be the most notable activity in that locale.

Player centrality is something I think a game requires, if your players are hangers on to the stories of central and important NPC’s, just bit part players in their own game, the priorities of both the setting and the ref seems wrong.  In the Balazaring setting it is almost guaranteed that your players will take centre stage, and become driving characters within the story

Balazar is not defined by the Hero Wars in the same way as Dragon Pass is, it will be affected by going on in Sartar and the Lunar Empire but the setting is not defined by it. The story which will play out in Balazar is one of the storytellers and players’ invention. The sandbox format is key to allowing alternative and unique stories to be told without expectations of being on or off canonical storyline. 

One of the best and most difficult things about Glorantha is the depth and scale of the world’s law, it can be intimidating to even long-time RQ and Glorantha fans. The Balazar setting has a simplicity and a limited lore base that can be picked up and read though in a couple of hours( i may have altered that slightly), games can be run with little reading, but you still get the feel of a complete and immersive setting.

So for players or storytellers new to Glorantha, wanting to try an aspect not as detailed or as intimidating as Dragon Pass it’s a great place to start, and then characters can be moved over the mountains to more complex settings as players start to understand the world in a deeper way.

I like slow burn long campaigns which take their time and players can pace to suit their preferences. Balazar has a velocity which suits the playing style you want, without being bound to any external timeline. If your game in Balazar wants to spend the first 2 years just looking at clan life and players being rustic hunters that’s completely fine and your won’t feel pressured to get to certain milestones by certain dates on the fear of missing out on Key events.

I adore that Griffin Mountain is a sandbox setting, possibly the defining RPG sandbox setting. Nothing linear, giving complete freedom for players and storyteller.

No none of the above make Balazar better than other Gloranthan settings, i’m aware that many things that make Balazar ideal for me, wouldn’t be the preference of other players and refs. Runequest Glorantha has been written to intentionally put the Hero wars at the centre of the game, and that style of play will captivate many and is at least equally valid, so please don’t think I criticise.

Balazar just suits me and my style of play better, and I have many wonderful memories of the setting.  For some the rich, complex and multi layered lands of Dragon Pass suit, for others post apocalyptic Prax scratches an itch or the classic adventures paradise(?) which is Pavis fulfils a need. I love all of them, but for me Balazar is the palace in Glorantha which is my forever home.

If that has whetted your appetite can I recommend the wonderful Griffin Mountain which is still available from Chaosium and my own companion Back to Balazar which is available of Jonstown compendium and brings Balazar up to 1625 and uses the RQG ruleset.

Here are suggested titles for myths, tales and stories of Balazar to expand upon for your campaign. 

They will be told to children and over campfires late at night, sometimes they will be acted out by members of the clan. Some are sacred, some are folk lore, some morality tales for children and some are just funny stories to pass an evening. Many stories are well known across Balazar, others are known only to your clan, some are known across multiple clans with different names and details.

• Ancestors of the Hearth Fire
• The Grey Owl & the Midnight Stag
• The Black Bear of Bent Mountain
• Three Flint Arrows for an Shaman’s staff
• The White Hound and the Infant
• Brother Dog and long hunt
• The Child and the Pup
• Foundchild and the Tigers Claw
• The Chief, Gelert and the Wolf
• The All Mother makes the first fire
• The Calm Nymph and the Angry Bear
• The Child lets the embers die
• The Lady hunts the Hunter
• Votank tracks the Lady of the Wild
• Votank and Drunken Giant
• Votank sleeps through the seasons
• Tulani jumps the River Seronde
• The Elder and the long rain
• Foundchild blinds the unnamed demon
• Faragi riddles the Dryad
• Mazra speaks the Forbidden Name
• Blueface hides a giant
• A lost Elf at Sea
• Having the Trolls for Dinner
• The Wise Giant confounds the Red Wyrm
• Taka rides the Angry Boar
• The Ghost of the Weeping Willow
• Baskus and the Black Eel
• Trilus Burns the Dwarf Lords beard
• Okki tricks the Chaos Goats
• Wings on a spear’s point
• The Red Witch and Old Shaman
• Gobi the Hungry eats the Bison
• Two halves of a rabbit’s tail
• Three red berries for a hunters heart
• A dryads song stills the soul
• Three dwarves and a lonely goat
• Talka dances on a trolls nose
• The hunters blood melts the ice
• Fresh Blood for the Dirty Old Crow
• The Fool of Elders Rock
• Listening for the ghosts of Firepoint
• Singing calms the Dwarf of Flinthill
• Healing of the Hearth Fire
• Three days from Redwyrm
• The Otter of Taksmound
• Three angry giants topple the stone
• Balazar and the Griffins Claw
• The Lady of the morning mists

Have fun making these into something more substantial.