The oppressive Lunar Empire has conquered the country of Sartar. The player characters are Heroes working to free their homeland.
Sartar is a rugged country populated by fiercely independent barbarian tribes. The people of Sartar farm their lands, herd their cows and regularly make war on their neighbors. They worship the turbulent storm god Orlanth, the earth mother Ernalda and a host of lesser gods. They value personal honor, individual freedom, the right to repay any slight in kind and hold that violence is always an option. No matter what the problem.
In short they're exactly the sort of people who aren't going to take well to having a load of self righteous outsiders come in and tell them what to do, what not to do and when to do it. To make matters worse these outsiders seem to think people should contribute taxes to help pay for all these busy-bodies telling them not to do things. To make things worse still the invaders worship the wrong gods, the Red Moon Goddess that seeks to steal Orlanth's position in the heavens and the evil sun emperor Yelm.
Despite all this the free people of Sartar lost their war with the Lunar Empire a generation ago. Individual heroes could not defeat rank on rank of ordered infantry. Priests called down the power of mighty Orlanth, but their efforts were turned aside by disciplined sorcerers working in concert. The Orlanthi retreated to their hilltop fortresses, but they fell as Lunar magicians carried soldiers over sheer walls. Sartar's royal family died in the defense of their capital and Sartar became a province of the Lunar Empire.
In the years that passed the people of Sartar learned to live under the Lunar yoke. Some tribes plotted rebellion, some found it more profitable to betray plotters to the Empire. Revolts were suppressed, tribesmen fought as mercenaries for the Empire in foreign wars. Children grew up only knowing the rule of the Empire.
But this is the time of the Hero wars, when prophecies come true and the world will be remade. Great deeds will be done, armies will clash and the fate of Sartar will be decided.
While the forces of the Lunar Empire have conquered Sartar it remains a border province and isn't exactly a peaceful place. Sartar's traditional enemies continue to raid it's people and warriors are called on to defend their homes from a variety of enemies. These might include:
The characters in this game are Heroes. This means that they are somehow larger than life, extraordinary. They are capable of great things, wielding great magic and may shake the world to its foundations.
The stereotypical Orlanthi character is a hairy barbarian warrior, always ready for a fight, chafing under the Lunar yoke. Honor, freedom and his clan are all important to him, and all may compel him to do absurd things.
Characters in Hero Wars are broadly defined by the use of keywords. Most characters have three keywords, establishing them in terms of character, occupation and magic. Saying that the character is Orlanthi sets his cultural keyword, it's up to the player to decide the rest.
The first thing to do in thinking up a character for a Hero Wars game is to come up with an idea that drives the character. You can just tell the narrator that you want to play a character with a particular occupation keyword (warrior, healer, merchant, etc.) but it's generally more interesting to write a description of the character, and with the narrator derive a list of abilities from the description. Not only do you get a better feel for what the character is about, you can end up with a cooler set of abilities as a result.
For example – Terry wants to play a smith. He could just tell the narrator that his character is an Orlanthi Smith, but he could write something like this:
Tostig is a Sartarite smith. He traveled to the north as a child and learned the secrets of the Third Eye Blue cult and with it mastery of forging the seven sacred metals, and was initiated into the worship of Lodril. He is a huge man, with straining biceps and thighs like tree trunks. When called on to fight he swings a mighty hammer, which he forged as his masterpiece. Despite his size he is a gentle man and of an evening will be found in taverns playing beautiful flute music. He always travels with his son Torkan, who works the bellows in the forge.
Aim for about 100 words. A few of things are worth remembering:
In Glorantha every life is touched by magic. Priests channel the powers of the gods, Sorcerers cast spells from crumbling grimoires, Shaman summon spirits to do their will, Warriors sharpen their swords, Farmers call a blessing on their crops, all people use magic as a routine part of their lives.
Most people in Sartar worship the storm god Orlanth or his wife, the earth goddess Ernalda, but many devote themselves to other gods such as:
Worshippers of a god may invoke the magic of that god – an initiate of Orlanth might summon or dismiss mighty winds, for Orlanth is lord of the storm, he might add strength to his sword arm, for Orlanth is a warrior or move with great speed or agility, for Orlanth's nature is always to remain in motion. While there are particular feats that are associated with the god, a worshipper may improvise other feats that seem reasonable at the time.
The Orlanthi people are suspicious of shamans, people to summon and command spirits to work magic, but they accept that they have a place in the world. Orlanth's brother Kolat was the first shaman.
The Orlanthi people regard sorcerers, people who reject the gods in favor of impersonal ritualized magic and veneration of some 'Invisible God', as having lost their souls. Anyone consorting with such soulless men will probably loose their souls as well.