Storm rune Aggar Moon rune

In Pam Carlson's Riskland campaign, I ran Agharl of the Turoini clan. His wife was Bennera of the Lorbaneri clan. There's not a lot of information on Aggar (I made up both clan names), so I decided to put together this page.

Published Info

The Iron Crown once belonged to an Orlanth worshipper from Aggar. [Griffin Mountain]
During the Third Age, Halikiv trolls "raided the humans of the Aggar region so continually that it was nearly abandoned by them." In 1375 Bina Bang, famous Blue Moon heroquester, visited the trolls of Aggar. [Uz Lore]
After Gonn Orta helped destroy the Nidan Mountain kingdom in the Second Age, the jolanti who had served the dwarfs were set free. "Most of them were destroyed by rival dwarves, but some did wander off. One large group was befriended by elves a few years later who bestowed intelligence and fertility upon them as a triumph of growing over making. These still live in forests with the elves in Aggar, at the fringe of the Lunar Empire.

"The giant jolanti who were made whole by the Aggar elves were called the Dringi to differentiate them from the more numerous normal-sized jolanti." [Different Worlds, Jun 1982. This article is now online.]

Aggar (50% Orlanthi, 50% Lunar) Population 250,000. A rough land of craggy hills and steep valleys, mostly untamed. Its hilltops and frontiers are still occupied by Orlanth-worshiping barbarians who regularly exert their surly independence. The valleys are ruled by the Lunar king whose loyal subjects include the lowland farmers, the small populations of the cities, and the merchant class. [Different Worlds, Apr 1983. This article is now online.]
A Telmori tribe lives in the Hills of Billiz in Aggar. [Heroes vol. I no. 4]
Aggar Kingdom: Most wild and least controlled of the tributary kingdoms, among Aggar's inhabitants are a clan of intelligent Jolanti; Akgarbash of Laurmal, a wizard who delights in turning bandits (and occasional visitors) into giant frogs for his giant stork, and the City of 10,000 Magicians. [Glorantha: Genertela Book]
Aggar has a tribal-level organization. [Glorantha: Genertelan Player's Book]
Describing one of the spiders of Crabtown, Issaries Priest Hafsar Blueyes writes:
"Another was covered with warty grey skin and was the size of a woolly mammoth, as sometimes come to our land from Aggar." [Into the Troll Realms, also online]
"A colony of [intelligent jolanti] lives in Saug and another in Aggar." [Gloranthan Bestiary]
Aggar Kingdom: A Lunar province, its most famous attraction, the City of a Thousand Magicians, has been closed to foreign visitors for decades. Aggar itself is the wildest and least civilized of the Lunar tributaries, and travel is restricted by rugged terrain and the absence of east-west roads. [Dorastor: Land of Doom]
"The Last Song of Horned-Ulf" is set in the Temple of the Truth of Lhankor Mhy in Eneal. If this is the same Eneal that's in Aggar today, then Caprikarnos of Lycele, Halfdan the Bald, Horned-Ulf, Thrond, Frodhi, Alvar Hendsson, Rolf Darkeye, Per the Miller, and Orlbjorn are all Aggari. [Wyrms Footprints]
"Aggar is the most wild, being drained by the Forantin River and occupied by the Tarkarlings Tribe." [Glorantha: Introduction to the Hero Wars]
"Within the Provinces, Tarsh is the richest, while Aggar is the wildest." [Hero’s Book]
Mabar the Fishermen was from Aggar. His hero cult teaches the feat Scent Underwater Fish. [Storm Tribe]
"After the Dundealos extermination in 1618, immigrants from Aggar and Tarsh took the rich valley and became the Enstalos tribe."

"Jomes Hostralos, a Lunar officer from Aggar, led a force of peltasts and magicians against the Telmori." [Dragon Pass]

“A wild land where only crazy people and outlaws care to dwell” [Glorantha: the Second Age]

Brannagh Skirlingdrone was bagpiper to the cursed Aggari king Crunnagh Leg-breaker.

Aggar has four Sun Dome temples in the 1620s.

Telmori live in the Billiz Hills. [Imperial Lunar Handbook 1]

Lance & Laser have Aggar Warrior miniatures.

Unofficial Info

Jörg Baumgartner
"Aggar is an example of a tributary kingdom of the Lunar Empire. The king is chosen from the tribal contestors, usually tribal kings as well (there have been exceptions, in case of heroic characters only associated with but not leading a tribe). The king's personal income comes from his tribal background. His portion of the tribute paid to the Empire is made up by his responsibility to collect the tribute from the other tribes, and to maintain the warriors necessary to do so. If his warriors failed to collect the imperial tax, he was responsible to make up for the difference -- usually by raiding the tribe which failed to comply, or raiding some other source of wealth if the refusing tribe had the strength and preparations to deal with such a raid.

"This situation makes the travels of the king among his subjects a more precarious affair than in Sartar, where the prince was not affiliated with any (enemy) tribe, and a welcome guest as conciliator in judicial disputes. The Aggar king needs to invoke all of the strongest regulations of the laws of hospitality whenever he visits one of his subject tribes, even if this tribe is supporting his politics."

Sandy Petersen
"giant cranes ... live in the Aggar marshes."

"... the [Native Furthest Corps] are ignorant near-barbarians, who are naturally enough equipped in barbarian style. Presumably the local defense units of Aggar and Garst are similar, whereas the local defense units of the Pelorian highlands are more phalanx-like, with long straight lines of Lodril-worshiping spearmen."

Paul Reilly
Yelm's Empire - Sumerian-like (this is so obvious, look at myth of An and Enlil)
Dara Happan Empire - Babylonian
Carmanian Empire - Assyrian
Lunar Empire - Persian
Orlanthi:
Tarsh, Aggar, etc - Ionian Greeks in cities like Miletus under Persian rule
Sartar & Heortland - 'Free' Greeks (except they lose for a while)
Argrath - Vaguely Alexander-like
Harald Smith
"Copper Mountains (in Aggar) [are a] source of copper and possible bronze"

"I have heard that Chaosium used to have a map showing the official locations of the provincial Sun Dome Temples. There should be 13 through the southern provinces exclusive of Dragon Pass and Prax. I've assumed one in Imther (which is now the Great Temple of Khelmal) near the Imther-Holay border (and in my current campaign is in fact governed by Holay). We know there is supposed to be one in Lunar Tarsh. That would leave 11 for Holay, Vanch, Aggar, Saird, and probably Sylila. There is not supposed to be one near the Hill of Gold, so the Vanch temple(s) should be in southern Vanch."

Greg Stafford
The Vingkotling tribes of Aggar were the Vestantes of Vestanteland (southern Aggar), a Summer Tribe, and the Penentelli of north Aggar (a Winter Tribe).

WALLMAN@VAX2.Winona.msus.edu
Speakers of Aggar can speak languages in the Pelorian sub-family of Theyalan at 1/3 their skill, and other Theyalan languages at 1/10.
Martin Crim
"Peloria (Aggar, Holay, Imther, Sylila, Talastar, Tarsh, Vanch; also the North Sartar Tribes):

"Pelorian Orlanthi are known for being closed-mouthed. This reputation followed the tribes who settled what later came to be North Sartar, in Maniria. Their idea of wit is a short, snappy comeback, especially if it silences a long-winded person. They are masters of understatement. The men are more closed-mouthed than the women.

"Skanthi and Brolian men often go days at a time without saying more than a couple words. On hunting trips, their belief is "word too many, one too few," meaning "if you say one word too many, you will kill one animal too few to feed the family." This terseness makes them seem evasive to others, because it means a person has to ask several questions to get a complete answer. For each question after the first, the answers get shorter, until finally a question gets only silence and a fierce stare in reply.

"Among the Skanthi, people still talk about Babbling Bjorni, who never spoke except to mumble the ritual words required on the Orlanth High Holy Day. Every nation of Pelorian Orlanthi has folk tales about how talkative people, usually women, say too much and cause trouble.

"Pelorian Orlanthi have a reputation for being hard workers and stoic. They must work hard to scratch a living from the poor soil or catch the lean and wary deer of the hills. They often face disaster, when a flash flood carries away their crops or herds, or if no game can be found. This makes them value the ability to cope with a crisis without much fuss.

"On the other hand, this bottled-up frustration and rage sometimes spills over in berserker fury. Before the Lunar conquest, Pelorian Orlanthi were special devotees of Urox, the Storm Bull. Even now, Uroxi are common in Talastar--a land close to chaotic Dorastor.

"The national dress of Pelorian Orlanthi men is an armless tunic over baggy pantaloons, tied around the ankles. Buttons are unknown; people fasten their clothes with thongs or strings. The arms are kept warm with sleeves wrapped tight around the upper arm and wrist. Those who can afford it wear brightly colored clothes. Women wear long dresses, usually of darker hue than men's clothing. Foot wear includes sandals and fur boots. In cold weather, both men and women throw a woolen cloak over their other clothes. Men wear their hair, mustaches, and beard long. Young unmarried women wear their hair loose. Married women and widows wear their hair bound up.

"A strong Lunar influence now affects all Pelorian Orlanthi. This manifests itself in a greater tolerance for foreign ideas, and a willingness to imitate Lunar and Dara Happan styles. Only rustics and fanatics have tattoos, and city men even shave their beards and wear Lunar clothes (tunic and skirt, or a toga for nobles). Wine has replaced beer as the drink of choice in the lands under direct Lunar control. In Sylila, Dara Happan architecture is in the process of replacing Orlanthi styles. One sometimes sees odd combinations of styles in the countryside, such as a new columned portico on an old longhouse."

Reaching Moon Megacorp’s Life of Moonson
The character information for Rascius, one-eyed king of Aggar.
Enclosure 2
Includes articles on Aggar, Lesser Magic, and Tales of Creation (which also appeared in Moonrites), and Clan Storm Bear. It also excerpts Greg Stafford’s unpublished Glorantha encyclopedia.
Moonrites
A number of creation myths are in this work: “The Ancient One,” “The World and the Four Companions,” “Brother & Sister,” “The Earth Gods,” “Omath and the First Harp,” “The Wandering God & The First People,” “Gonert and His Children,” “The Eldest Dragons,” “The World Forest,” “The Hungry Trolls,” “Nok and the Nykri,” “Grandfather and Grandmother,“The Journey to the First Stead,” “Grandfather Meets Bee Girl,” “Elmal Makes Butterflies for Kalana,” “Hunter in the Sky.”

Personalities from Aggar

Name Cult Notes Mentioned Lives
Akgarbash of Laurmal wizard   G.41 Aggar
Jomes Hostralus (Wulf) Pole Star, DMH, 7M Field Commander G.40 old Maboder lands
Lornstal   King; killed by Phargentes KoS.127 Aggar
Rascius   King; one-eyed G.41, ILH1 Aggar
Rastazar Elemalus (HP) Penentelli tribe BCG.34  
Reskil Taranus Seven Mothers (P)   WD85.41* Pavis Garrison
Valarastans Orlanth King TotRM7.8 Aggar

Timeline

  98 Aggar tribes join the World Council of Friends
EWF era City of Ten Thousand Magicians built
1375 Bina Bang makes missionary visit
1603 Civil Raid
1604 Tarsh Invasion
1606 Clan Raid
1607 Tuskers Raid
1610 Prax Raid
1612 Clan Raid
1615 Clan Raid
1616 Clan Raid
1617 Clan Raid
1618 Civil Raid
1619 Civil Raid
1620 Civil Invasion

Settlements

City of Ten Thousand Magicians
Drenth
Eneal (capital)
Masassakar
Copyright ©2007 David Dunham. Last updated 29 Jul 07.

David Dunham Page | Glorantha Page