Queen Penelori, Satrap of Oraya

	Reaching Moon Megacorp's Life of Moonson Queen Penelori Satrap of Oraya	Age: 42 Career: Government Religion: Deezolan Culture: Orayan Disposition: Caring, conservative
Return to Home Page Gloranthan Folk Tales Gloranthan Songbook Moonie Madness Life of Moonson Carmanian Sources Malkioni Scriptures	You are the satrap of Oraya, and the leading member of the Molari-sor clan, one of the original three Fifth families founded by the mask of Moonson, Magnificus. Your clan gained the satrapy in 6/10 after the original ruling family (descendants of Hon-eel) voluntarily abdicated control in favour of retaining control of Hon-eel's cult. Your main industries are the production of grain and the smelting of iron traded from the Mostali of the Palasper mountains. Unfortunately, in recent years raiding from the Pentan nomads in the Redlands has increased and your grain harvest are increasingly being affected. You may not be able to make your quota. Last year the general commanding the Lunar Army in the Redlands was killed and as yet no replacement has been found. It is imperative that a talented cavalry general be appointed to that command forthwith, and that two additional cavalry or magical regiments are assigned to his command. In the last few weeks your informants have reported worrying prophesies amongst the Pentans telling of the rebirth of a great hero who will lead them to victory again. As the leader of the Deezola cult in the Lunar Empire you see yourself helping to bind the state within by moderating its more radical and destructive elements. You are very much a force which supports the status quo, holding the Empire together though the power of maternal love and compassion. You also try and personify the Nobility of Spirit, the core values and achievements which make the Empire the greatest civilising force ever seen in Glorantha. Therefore, you champion the noble pursuits of poetry, literature, public speaking, art, and sculpture. These things must be preserved regardless of the cost. Without them the Empire is nothing more than another force for destruction and ignorance that in time will be forgotten. You suspect that many of the female rulers, leaders and nobles also share your views. You therefore wish to form a league of women to promote these values - and dispute the macho posturing of the male war-mongers. Your one diversion from the status quo concerns the divisive role that Dart Wars play. In the past these helped keep the noble families strong and vigilant. But now you detect a change in the reasons behind these wars. They have become a force for violent change, rather than strengthening the status quo. They are a political tool misused by satraps to beggar each other in turn and weaken the Empire. They must be banned by Moonson! Note: You are not a pacifist. Where possible you believe in a policy of "peace with honour". The Empire should be gracious in victory but implacable in defeat!	Background Oraya You come from the Satrapy of Oraya. This Satrapy was settled in 5/23 and ruled by Hon-eel and her loyal followers. However, the ruling clan was mostly killed off during the Nights of Horror and the Molari-sor clan now rules the satrapy, while the descendants of Hon-eel control her cult. The satrapy is bordered on the east by the Redlands and has suffered many depredations over the years from raiding nomads. Most of its cities are heavily fortified as a result. There are Mostali in the nearby Palasper mountains leading to a strong iron trade and local smelting industry. You rule the Satrap of Oraya. Queen Deezola You are a devotee of Deezola, "the binder within" and one of the Seven Mothers. She was a ruler of lands on the Arcos river and a priestess of Arachne Solara. Deezola is the main healing goddess of the Empire, the favourite of nobles and poets, and also a mistress of earth magic. She embodies the principle of creation and growth - diverse, cyclical, mysterious and all embracing. She is the Binder Within who holds the empire together through the power of maternal love and compassion. However, Deezola does not offer unconditional support. Since all Lunar gods reach down half way to their worshippers, so Deezola expects those she helps to be willing to help themselves. Queen Penelori, the satrap of Oraya leads the cult. Satrap of Oraya Yours is one of the nine full sultanates of the Lunar Empire. Each is governed by a powerful ruling family responsible for extracting the emperor's taxes, protecting the people, assuring respect for the Red Goddess, and enforcing the emperor's personal commands. Your family holds large estates across the sultanate and commands a large private army. However, you must always be on your guard since your family only holds this sultanate for as long as you have the power. You have many noble family rivals who wish to remove you in a Dart War and take your place. As a sultan of the Empire you are eligible to sit on the Court of the Silver Gate.
	Objectives Personal Encourage stability in the Empire. The status quo is the best course to follow - as it has worked in the past so shall it work now. You are the binder within. Seek out like-minded women and form a league of noble women dedicated to preserving the core values of the Empire. Find the Red Water gem, which was so foolishly gambled away by your ancestor (see below). Career Resist the attempts of the other satraps to break with the status quo. Support the current distribution of power between the Senate, Presidium, and the Court of the Silver Gate. Ensure that the Red Dancer of Power's quotas are kept intact - she knows best! Petition for a strong and efficient soldier to be appointed as General of the Redlands with at least two additional regiments (either cavalry or magical) assigned to his or her command. Have the Dart Wars declared illegal by Moonson. They are becoming too disruptive and destructive. Religious Give healing to all those who prove worthy of it, or are able to pay you. Encourage literacy and poetry. Fight against the ignorant and illiterate attempts of the Danfive Xaroni to decide which texts should be banned or not. Have Moonson declare a Red (or Full) Moon year. All will be well in the Empire as long as no one panics or over-reacts.	Who You Know Personal Acquaintances Commodus the Fair, Governor of the Redlands: a fellow member of the Deezola cult. However, though he may be a good poet, his other purely hedonistic actions hardly recommend him. If he doesn't do better you may have to consider his position in the cult. Paulis Longvale, wealthy playboy: a noted author, orator, and wit. He is the perfect example of someone of barbarian stock who, through following the Lunar Way, has made good. His manners are now impeccable and his demeanour and actions noble. Sitzmag Redmoon, Captain of the Antelope Lancers: a brilliant leader of cavalry and a scourge of the Pentans when he served under General Zhaduun in the Redlands. His Hungry Plateau background and time spent serving in Prax is probably the main reason for his effectiveness against other nomads. You have heard that he has been passed over for promotion on a number of occasions. Var-eel, Sultan of Oronin: an old-fashioned Dara Happan statesmen who is usually your ally in the Court of the Silver Gate. He has a troublesome son, Sor-eel. Zhaduun Ud-Kar, General of the Redlands (now dead): the last commander of the Lunar Army in the Redlands. A strategic idiot whose only policy was to protect fixed points with his foot soldiers - allowing the Pentans to strike wherever and whenever they wanted. Only his subordinate Sitzmag Redmoon had any success (the credit for which Zhaduun took). Through your Career Great Sister, Moon-daughter: A likely ally in your crusade to save the Empire. Murad Iznik, the Red General: He will be nominating a new commander for the Redlands. you hear that he comes from good Orayan pioneer stock - perhaps you can use your position as his Satrap to influence him? Orsorkhon, Arch-Cenobite of Danfive Xaron: this fool is the antithesis of all that is good and civilised in the Empire. If he is given free rein then he will drag it into the Dark pits of Chaos. Through your Culture Meritus, Examiner of the Moon: he is a distant relative from your lands in Oraya, and was declared mad early in his childhood (a madness which involved sacrificing his twin brother). You are told that he is now completely sane, but you are still very uneasy in his presence.
	Other Knowledge The Seven Year Plan is the mechanism by which the major food and raw material requirements of the Empire are centrally planned and provided for. At the beginning of each seven year period every sultanate and province agrees to quotas of important foodstuffs and other raw materials and goods which they must achieve over a seven year period. A seven year plan has just ended and each of the sultanates and provinces will be audited this a sacred time on their results. Success is usually the route to promotion and Imperial favour, while failure is a sure road to political humiliation. The Court of the Silver Gate is a council of Satraps of the Empire. It meets infrequently, and can have great influence in determining the course of the Empire's destiny. The members of the Court of the Silver Gate are: Gul-Taran, Satrap of First Blessed Haroun al-Rastari, Satrap of Karasal Moonson, Satrap of Silver Shadow Makkrit-Oor, Satrap of Darjiin Raffha Khan, Satrap of Kostaddi Var-Eel, Satrap of Oronin Prince Pardidas, Satrap of Sylila Queen Penelori, Satrap of Oraya The Satrap of Doblian will have a place on the council, when one is appointed. The Silver Quill. This is a prestigious literary award, worth 10 influence to the winner. No categories are prescribed: past prizes have gone to poetry, fiction, historical and scientific works. It is administered by Fod-Ariam, the Red Sage of Glamour. By rights you should be a judge of this competition - given your leadership of the Deezola cult, patron of nobles and poets. The White Moon is a teaching which has grown up from nowhere in recent years. It holds that it was never the intention of the Red Goddess to create an enduring Empire. The Empire was a means to an end, to confront those states which violently opposed the Lunar Way to allow the liberation of their peoples. Since the days of the First Wane, the Empire has become a self-serving structure, its expansion never matching the speed at which the Lunar Way first spread. The White Moon Cult holds that the Red Moon is not yet perfect. The Empire must wither away. Then, and only then, will the Lunar Way be able to spread throughout Glorantha and the Moon shine White in the Air. From a fringe, harmless teaching, the cult has spread. Its devotees refuse to pay taxes or serve in the militia. They have now taken to attacks on Imperial Monopolies, tax collectors and so forth. The Red Water Diamond was a fabulous gem that an ancestor found after the Nights of Horror. He somehow used it to create more diamonds which he then sold to finance the clan's successful bid to take of the Satrapy of Oraya from Hon-eel's surviving relatives. Later he foolishly and recklessly gambled it away in a game of chess with another sultan. Now you have heard rumours that the diamond has resurfaced somewhere and you wish to get it back so that you can finance horse mercenaries to protect your satrapy from the Pentan nomads.	Secrets The Pentans are prophesying the rebirth of a great hero who will lead them to victory. Queen Penelori believes that Dart Wars are divisive and destructive and no longer strengthen the Empire. Queen Penelori works tirelessly to support the arts. Queen Penelori thinks that the last General of the Redlands was an incompetent fool. Meritus used to be completely mad and sacrificed his own twin brother! Special Items The White Moon Prophesies is a collection of Pelorian Moon stories which include references to the White Moon. The anonymous editor then brings the strands together to form a compelling theory around the inevitable coming of the White Moon, after the Red Moon is pulled down. This book has been banned by the Danfive Xaron cult.
	Reaching Moon Megacorp's Life of Moonson was written by Nick Brooke, Chris Gidlow,David Hall and Kevin Jacklin, with Rick Meints and MOB. The lead author for Penelori was David Hall. Glorantha, HeroQuest, Hero Wars, and Issaries are trademarks of Issaries, Inc. The contents of this page are copyright by David Hall, 2001; any material derived from Greg Stafford's world of Glorantha is also copyright by Greg Stafford. Glorantha is the creation of Greg Stafford, and is used with his permission.