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.

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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.

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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.

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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).