HeroQuest
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Welcome to Glorantha, an exciting fantasy world
that you can explore using the HeroQuest game.
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What is Glorantha?The world of Glorantha obeys the mysterious laws of magic, rather than the reliable, repeatable ones of science. Myth and history are equals in forming the world into what it is today and what it will be in the future. Glorantha is not a globe. It is a flat square mass of earth floating on an infinite sea. The sky above Glorantha is a dome housing the sun, moon, and stars, who are worshipped by many as gods. All cultures of Glorantha practice magic of some sort or another. Even though they have mutually contradictory explanations for the origins of their magic, it all seems to work. The existence and efficacy of magic is not in doubt; everyone can see its effects on the world. Glorantha is home to many different cultural groups. No culture is monolithic; wars are often fought over schisms in belief and custom. New cultural movements of reform or retrenchment spring up all the time. Regional or national variances are also commonplace. [more info] |
Where do I go from here?These are the main sections of this site:
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If you are a newcomer, don't let all of
the detail overwhelm you. Don't worry
about the fact that others may know more
about Glorantha than you do. Don't try to
learn everything at once. You'll find that
the world is easiest to understand when
you concentrate on just one culture at
first. Pick one of the sets of HeroQuest books and stick with them
until you feel confident enough to branch
out. The average person in Gloranthan
knows only about his own small region of
the world, and views members of other
cultures only as weird and possibly
dangerous foreigners. No Gloranthan knows
as much about his world as a well-read
Glorantha fan. If you're a player, worry
only about the things your character would
know, and get a feel for the world by
participating in stories set in it. Even
GMs need only focus on one culture at
first.
After you feel comfortable with the history, myths, and geography associated with your culture of choice, you can branch out and discover that people from other areas of Glorantha interpret the history and metaphysics of their world much differently than the culture you're familiar with. |
What are the Hero Wars?
The Hero Wars are many struggles that all occur together. The conflicts between these various groups threaten to end the world.
The Hero Wars mark the end of Glorantha -- or at least, the End of the World As We Know It. Monstrous dangers have risen, great causes have been born, and the gods have woken. Cataclysms like this have occurred before. Everyone knows it. The only real questions is, "What will you do about it?"
What is HeroQuest?
HeroQuest is an innovative roleplaying game set in the world of Glorantha. [more info]
What is Roleplaying?
Roleplaying is a form of entertainment in which the players tell a collective story. Since the dawn of time children have told stories through playacting. Whether it is playing Romans and Greeks using old sticks as swords, or playing teatime with dolls, these are the true roots of roleplaying. As adults we often lose this side of ourselves, leading to the current fad of "releasing your inner child."
If you're unfamiliar with roleplaying games, you may be expecting to have to get up and act out your part, wear a costume, or wave a fake sword around. Like most roleplaying games, HeroQuest doesn't match that description. Everybody usually remains seated; the telling of the story is entirely oral. When you take part in a roleplaying game, you gather with a group of other players, either in person or through an Internet chat facility. By talking, and every now and then rolling some dice, you together create an unpredictable adventure story featuring characters you and your friends created, set in the fantastic world of Glorantha.
One player takes the part of the narrator; everyone else plays a fictional character. These characters are called heroes; their actions in the world of Glorantha give shape to the story. It's the narrator's job to place entertaining limits on the characters, confronting them with suspenseful challenges as they try to accomplish their goals in the world of Glorantha. Some game groups may have only one narrator who runs all the games; others may rotate the narrator position, allowing everyone a chance to play and to narrate.
Players portray one or more character each; the heroes together are the most important characters in the story. The narrator plays a wide range of minor characters called narrator characters.
