Contents of This Page

1. General Information
2. The People
3. The Clans
4. Famous Balazarings

1) General information

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I have the following information sheets on the Balazarings.

1. Overview of the Balazarings.   Provides information on gods, history, etc. for players.
2. Balazaring attitudes towards outsiders (including native non-humans).
3. Here's a somewhat repetitive overview of Balazaring social structure.
4. Food in Balazar
5. Giving Birth Among the Balazarings
6. Balazaring Names.
7. From birth to death overview of Balazaring life. (This information does apply with some modifications to Votanki and citadel dwellers).  This write up is meant to serve as an overview of the stages the Balazarings go through during their lives.
8. Writings by an individual named Fresser on Balazar exist.

2) The People

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The original write-up on the Balazarings from Griffin Mountain is now available on the Glorantha web-site.  My approach is slightly different but not so much as to make the two descriptions incompatible.  The main difference between my Balazar and the original Griffin Mountain version is that there was a conservative reaction to Balazar's attempt to unite the Votanki which can be summarised from this excerpt from my timeline of the region.

This results in a conservative backlash by elements (especially among some of the traditional religious leaders, the sinwists) who proclaim a return to "traditional" Votanki beliefs and refuse to join Balazar's kingdom. Balazar decides to allow them to leave the area rather than forcing intercine warfare. He persuades the Aldryami of the Elder Wilds to allow the Votanki to settle on the north shore of the Elf Sea. Balazar's diplomatic skills and his membership in the cult of Yemalio helps persuade the Votanki as does their agreement to swear the Big Vow. Balazar lends the elves his military strength on a season of raiding as well to help weaken the trolls. With this the Votanki pass out of mainstream Balazaring history.  

This resulted in there being three main human groups in the region instead of the two found in Griffin Mountain.  (Though there are references to clans living north of the Elf Sea to be found in GM).  These three human groups can be roughly divided by the level of technology they use. These three groups (in descending level of technological) are:

a) Citadel Dwellers
b) Balazaring Clans
c) Votanki Clans

A) The Citadel Dwellers

In the case of Dykene and Trilus the citadel dwellers are on the cusp of passing from the stone age to the bronze age. They practice animal husbandry in the form of raising pigs and also harvest and encourage the growth of wild grains. They do not practice any metallurgy other than some extremely simple gold smithing and have no local currency or native form of writing. (Priests and Runelords of Yemalio do retain knowledge of reading and writing Fire Speech though).

Elkoi is more advanced than the other citadels due to the influence of the Lunars who have introduced more advanced ways, notably brewing and farming (mostly the raising of barley and wheat). The Elkoi elite are all more or less lunarized. There still is no native metalworking in Elkoi as the Lunar traders prefer to keep that monopoly for themselves. The populations of the various citadels are roughly:

Trilus 1400
Elkoi 1700
Dykene 871

Interested in what the citadels would look like? Follow any of these links:

http://tenaya.cs.dartmouth.edu/history/bronze_age/lessons/20img.html

http://www.tulane.edu/lester/text/Ancient.World/Mycenae/Mycenae.html

http://tenaya.cs.dartmouth.edu/history/bronze_age/lessons/21img.html

Or since Geocities is making these photos available free...

B) Balazaring Clans

The Balazaring clans follow much the same lifestyle as described in Griffin Mountain. They for the most part dislike the way the citadel dwellers live and prefer their "traditional" way of life. The Balazarings are a relatively peaceful people but they do practise limited warfare amongst themselves. Violent feuds between clans have occured in the past and may occur again in the future.  See below for a list of the clans.

What the Elder Told Me: A Personal View of Balazaring Culture

What the Shaman says

C) Votanki Clans

The Votanki clans are those arch-conservative Votanki that refused to adopt the foreign ways that Balazar tried to introduce.  See below for a list of the clans.

What the Elder Told Me: A Personal View of Votanki Culture

The Crow Eaters Information on one of the Votanki clans and their culture.

3) The Clans

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In total there are eleven clans in Balazar and three in the Elder Wilds. The Balazaring clans and their allegiance (if any) are as below:

Balazaring Clans

1. Redwyrm (Elkoi)
2. Flint Hill (Elkoi)
3. Eldersrock (Trilus)
4. Morak's Mound (Trilus)
5. Pure Hearth (none)
6. Crow Stone (none)
7. Taksmound (Dykene)
8. Oldtree (none)
9. Gravel Stand (Dykene)
10. Two Stone (none)
11. Tuno's Cradle (none)

Votanki Clans

1. Crow Eaters (Votanki)
2. Blue Lizard (Votanki)
3. Longlegged Raccoon (Votanki)

4) Famous Balazarings

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The Glorantha web site has profiles/pictures of some prominent personalities.

Blueface the Shaman
Gondo Holst
Granny Keeneyes
Joh Mith

This page last updated November 21, 2000

Email me at oliver_bernuetz@hotmail.com.