Gloranthan Hero Band: Ulf's Longstriders
A lost band of mythic heroes who took the wrong turn coming home from a quest.
The Inner World of Glorantha lies in a broad span of earth and sea under the sky from dawn's mansions to sunset's, from eternal winter to unendurable desert and steaming seas. Glorantha is home to the mortal races of humans, trolls, and ducks, and dragonewts and dwarves among the destiny-bound, and is the battleground between Cosmos and Chaos, among holy wizard-knights, divine champions, and callers of spirits.
When the need is great, the heroes of Glorantha assemble into bands to re-enact
the holy myths of creation and the struggles of their gods and ancestors, and in
retracing the paths of myth, to capture a spark of divinity for themselves and
for the people they defend.
The reward for such a heroquest may be great indeed. The risks are great, and
even those with the strength, skill, and grace to pass every challenge of the
myth may yet stumble in finding their way back from the Hero Plane into the
Inner World.
This is one group who achieved the Lightbringers' Quest, bringing a fallen hero
back from the Underworld to aid their cause. They returned to the Hero Plane to
rescue a trapped companion, succeeded, but on their way climbing up from the
Underworld, they took a wrong turn and ended up on the Stair.
Note that only Henrik has Warden of the Grand Stair; the others may struggle
a bit without Exegesis in particular. Though Ulf can speak with cats, and
Yinkin's Daughter could also be an interpreter.
Ulf Mountainfoot
Hero Band Leader
Rune Lord of Orlanth Adventurous
"Orlanth" role in the Lightbringers' Quest.
- 21 PSY
- 2 STR
- 2 END
- 25 WAR
50 Attributes
- 15 Sorcery (used for reusable Divine Magic; see Yinkin's Daughter below).
Ulf's magic focuses on aiding combat and mobility and in
manipulating air and wind.
- 5 Cantrips: Sureness, Invigorate, Gust of Wind, Open, Mana
- 5 Speak With Cats. (1 Can Speak, x5 Cross-World Persistent) Cats are the favored
animal of the Air element, and associated with the god Orlanth and his brother
Yinkin. As a blessing of Orlanth, Ulf knows their ways and can speak with them.
- 2 Rune-Blessed Armor, resistant to firearms.
- 1 Runesword, hardened.
- 18 Hero Band Membership / Share of Guardian Cost.
46 Powers, Items, Allies
04 Good Stuff
100 Character Points
Ulf wants Henrik to lead them back home, since Henrik seems to be the only
one with a sense of direction in this blasted Otherworld described in no one's
myth, legend, story, or saga.
Ulf wants Embla to stop falling asleep when he sings sagas. But at least she'll
play the Riddle Game.
Embla Walks-Far
Rune Priestess of Chalana Arroy: sworn to non-violence.
"Chalana Arroy" role in the Lightbringers' Quest.
- 25 PSY
- -10 STR Superior
- 5 END
- -10 WAR Superior (defensive)
10 Attributes
50 Eidolon Mistress
15 Sorcery (healing and protective spells, hung on the Eidolon)
5 Cantrips
6 Hero Band Membership / Share of Guardian Cost.
10 The Sun Lantern (see below)
86 Powers etc.
4 Good Stuff
100 Character Points
Embla wants to beat Ulf at riddles, but he seems to have heard everything
she knows, and he always seems to be able to come up with something she hasn't
heard.
Embla wants to heal Kyrr, but part of the essence of his power lies in his
psychic wounds, so the best she can do is comfort him.
Henrik Openhand
Rune Lord of Issaries
"Issaries" role in the quest.
- 18 PSY
- 00 STR Paragon
- 02 END
- 08 WAR
28 Attributes
10 Warden of the Grand Stair (Doors, Exegesis)
20 Invocation. Knows the True Names of his companions, their allies,
and of their guardian Yinkin's Daughter. Can call on the names of
Issaries and allied gods and spirits.
5 Cantrips: Clarity, Focus, Nullify, Quicken, Stun.
15 Sorcery (Issaries' blessings of communication, truth-finding, travel,
warding and defense)
6 Hero Band Membership / Share of Guardian Cost.
11 Runestaff:
Henrik is never without his rune-carved walking staff. At need, it
comes alive in his hands, allowing him to bat away most attacks, even
arrows.
1 Hardened
6 Resistant to Normal Weapons + Confer Quality.
2 Hang Spells.
2 True Name is Warded.
4 Bag of Holding:
Allows Henrik to lightly carry a mule-load as if it were
a satchel. He stuffs it with clothes, food, wine, metal, trade goods,
wooden poles, knives, pots, dishes, and a tablecloth, a brazier with
charcoal and kindling, a tent with awning and sheepskins to sleep on.
Sometimes things appear in the bag that he swore he's never seen; sometimes
they disappear unaccountably. (Mold Gossamer Reality).
71 Powers etc.
1 Good Stuff
100 Character Points
Henrik wants to charm Embla, but she is too serious a servant of her
goddess; the best he can do is get a smile or two out of her now and then.
Henrik wants Ulf to stop giving him dark looks about being lost in the
Otherworld, because this isn't the Otherworld; there aren't throngs of
mythic spirits causing them trouble if they step off the heroquest path.
On the other hand, this isn't any place he knows, even if the Stair seems
to whisper secrets to him. It's all very irritating, succeeding in the
Lightbringers' Quest, going back to rescue their lost one, and taking a
wrong turn back from the Underworld. Issaries is still talking to Henrik,
but any hint of which way home? No sir, not one.
Kyrr Hides-Face
Shaman
"Flesh Man" role in the quest (tragic, prophetic, often ignored).
Rescuee from the Hero Plane
- 25 PSY
- 05 STR
- 01 END
- 02 WAR
33 Attributes
2 Scourge of Woe
(Bought as Double Damage, but treat as Hardened for physical
damage) Half the damage this chain-tailed whip inflicts is
psychic injury, pain, self-doubt, and nightmares that last as
long or longer than the physical wounds. Compare Psyche rank
for effect.
5 Cantrips: Pain, Paralyze, Stun, Reveal, Umbra Negation.
10 Umbra Touched (as Dayle). Limited to perception of and susceptibility to Umbra.
15 Sorcery (bound spirit fetishes aiding specific abilities or with specific spell-
like effects; 1x of each "spell")
2 Set of Fetishes (Hang Spells)
6 Hero Band Membership / Share of Guardian Cost.
28 Shaman's Fetch: spirit ally.
Kyrr has a separate part of himself, the Fetch, that can wander
the worlds seeking information and interacting psychically with
their inhabitants. A spy, a wisdom-seeker, or a protector; if
Kyrr falls into a shamanic trance, the Fetch can call upon cantrips,
magic, or simply acting fearsome to discourage meddling.
The Fetch will act to defend Kyrr against psychic attack.
Kyrr and the Fetch are one, so that if one is killed, the other will also be.
(Immaterial; only interacts via Psyche, Cantrips, and Spells)
4 Extraordinary Psychic Sense
2 Psychic Neutral
4 Tireless Stamina
4 Capable of Hanging and Using Spells
2 Cantrips: as Kyrr, plus Grasp, Psyche, Clarity, Nullify, Invigorate, Dampen, Open.
2 True Name is Warded
4 Invulnerable to Conventional Weapons
4 Search Through Worlds
2 Alternate Forms: Invisible, Fearsome Angry Spirit, Wise Calm Spirit,
Kyrr's Ghost Double, Aura-Like Glow.
68 Powers etc.
01 Bad Stuff
101 Character Points
Hero Band
The following entries relate to things gained collectively as a hero band.
Hero Band Guardian: Yinkin's Daughter
Manifests as a silver lynx, an invisible spirit, a silver-haired maiden, or
a swirling cloud of mist. Normally the guardian's manifestation is invisible
to non-members of the hero band, who see her in lynx form.
Can communicate psychically with members of the hero band.
A Guardian classically has the powers of Awareness, Blessing, and Defense in
support of a hero band. Yinkin's Daughter uses her Extraordinary Psychic
Sense to spy out threats as the band travels. As Blessing, she can use her
psyche and languages to communicate with creatures they encounter, as well as
holding divine spells within her aura. As Defense, she offers her stamina,
stealth, and awareness to watch as they sleep, and Cantrips to bolster and
aid her charges.
Yinkin's Daughter does not attack foes in physical combat, though she may
reveal herself threateningly or interpose herself to guard Embla in particular.
2 Alternate Forms: lynx, invisible spirit, fur-clad maiden, swirling cloud of mist.
2 Double Speed
2 Follow Path
4 Tireless Stamina
2 True Name is Warded
8 Impervious to Harm
4 Extraordinary Psychic Sense
2 Psychic Neutral
4 Speak in Tongues and Voices
4 Capable of Hanging and Using Spells
2 Contains a dozen cantrips
36 (Shared 18, 6, 6, 6)
The heroes' shared contribution to the Guardian reflects their magical and psychic
bond together as members of the hero band.
Hero Band Items and Retainers
The Sun Lantern: From the Lightbringers' Quest
A piece of the Sun captured in an diamantine globe held in a metal net.
Its rays pierce through up to a foot of normal matter as if it were
transparent and erode illusions. Projects a warm glow and a bubble of
calm and habitable environment within a double fathom. Creatures of
darkness take fright.
4 Mold Gossamer Reality (as above; piercing light and environmental refuge).
4 Invulnerable to Conventional Weapons.
1 Contains a Cantrip: Reveal.
1 Linked to Eidolon.
To conceal the Lantern, Embla carries it in a canister of rune-forged lead,
the metal of Darkness, which blocks its rays.
10 Total
(No current retainers in the worlds of the Stair).