"15mm Glorantha" Topic

I have become interested in Glorantha but find the world very complex and confusing.
What I am looking for is historical equivalents for the different cultures in Glorantha.
For example I think, but I am not sure of the following.

Lunar Empire appears to be Roman in there miniatures style.
Sun Country appears to be Greek in there miniatures style.
The Orlanthi in King of Dragon pass appear to be more Gaelic in style.

I have gotten this off some of the websites I have gone thru and the computer game.
I unfortunately am not up on ancient military history like I should be.
What I would like to know is what Roman era best fits the armor style of the Lunar Empire.
What miniatures match the nomads of Prax (I think that is where the nomads live).
Thanx for any help you can give.

This PC game is based on Glorantha. It is also supposed to be good. Maybe its visuals can help?

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Dedthom, your comparisons are correct, though more could be said: for example, one people of the Lunar empire, the Dara Happans, would probably be best represented by Assyrians or Seleucids, but you are certainly off to a great start!

As regards your further questions, I'd say 1st century Imperial, "classic" romans (that bumped shoulders with Jesus)would be about right for the Lunars. If you could supply them with round shields and curved swords that would be even better. For Prax, (and remember there are many different tribes), a great place to start would be to get some Plains Indian riders (riders only) and sniff around for some buffalo/bison figures that could fit them; then you could look around for some other African animals for some of the other tribes (finding suitable rhinos could be a trick). The Agimori, one of the more interesting tribes, could be represented by Zulus--not spot on, but probably close enough.

Hope this helps a little.

Magister Millitum has duckmen.

When I picked up Red Bear White Moon in the mid '70s it confused the heck out of me too. It was the closest thing to a drug trip I could have laid my hands on at the time….or since.

Glorantha might be the most complex setting I've ever tried to follow. Still a total neophyte, but here's my thoughts.

First, it's pretty clear that the art style has changed a LOT over the years; the art being done for the most recent world guides definitely paints the world differently then the earlier source books. So you have some flexibility in what you pick for your miniatures; 'Your Glorantha Might Vary' is a common saying on the community forums. :)

Second, Glorantha is a bronze age setting; iron appears to be a fairly rare material, at least among the human cultures. My druthers would be to stick to pre-Roman or at best early Roman era, but again YGMV. :)

For the Lunars, as Daryl points point the 'core' region of the Empire, Dara Happa, is pretty clearly Assyrian in style. Also, Lunar soldiers are often called 'hoplites' and fight as phalanxes in a lot of the material I've seen, so that might indicate a more Greek look to them (or least inform what you arm them with).

The Orlanthi in Dragon Pass definitely have a Celtic vibe to them, Gauls or Britons would form a good base, though again other material has them a bit more Saxon or even Viking in look.

For Prax, the major tribes resemble Plains-tribe Native Americans, some of the minor tribes are more exotic.

-Will

Thanx for all the input, this is very helpful.
Daryl, you are talking about Romans in the segmentata armor?
Wminsing, reminds me of Traveller and the "In my Traveller universe" way of thinking.
I do believe there is more leeway then I originally thought.
I think what confuses matters with Glorantha is the depth of the religions and how they effect every aspect of the world.
Also, how there are many stories from many sources about the gods and every time you want to know about Dragon Pass hair styles you find 20 stories about how Orlanth combs his hair.
I appreciate all the info and if you can think of anything else please let me know.
I am on the right track and that is what I needed.

Lunars are anything from Roman to Greek to Assyrian, Orlanth is Celtic (many tribes, many flavors,) Prax is a weird mix of Native American and African. Holy Country gives a medieval culture vibe but for some reason I visualise them as Hittites. Also Polynesian human sacrificing volcano worshipping types down that way.

I was doing a bit with Glorantha in 28mm myself, so I know your pain in finding consistent information.

Oh, I'd be extremely remiss to not post this comic:
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Written by the current editor for Moon Design, so it's faithful to the current vibe of the setting. The artist has some additional images here:
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There's also an excellent gallery here by an artist who's done work for several Glorantha projects:
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Hope these are inspirational!

-Will

wminsing,

Excellent!
I had seen some of the pictures but not all in one place and the webcomic is definitely cool.