Phirgia, Queen of Holay

	Reaching Moon Megacorp's Life of Moonson Phirgia Queen of Holay	Age: 27 (looks younger) Career: Queen Religion: Oria Culture: Holay Disposition: Loving and vengeful
Return to Home Page Gloranthan Folk Tales Gloranthan Songbook Moonie Madness Life of Moonson Carmanian Sources Malkioni Scriptures	The Queendom of Holay is at the centre of the Lunar provinces. As such is commands an influential position - some would say too great an influence - over the other Lunar provinces. The capital of Holay is Filichet. It is here that the court of Queen and her consort is held. You were born in Filichet, the eldest daughter to the sister of the then Queen, your beloved aunt. When, six years ago, it was discovered by her husband that the Queen was barren, he denounced her and the royal line immediately transferred to your mother, and hence to you. The ex-Queen was broken-hearted and took her own life. You have soon discovered that yes, although the Queendom does carry a certain amount of influence over the Provincial government, there is a price for that. The second city of Holay, Mirin's Cross (the Provincial Capital) is almost as foreign to you as Glamour, and its people strangers to you. You also have a constant traffic of peoples, tradesmen and armies crossing the borders of Holay on their way to do one thing or another. It is often most disruptive. In the north of Holay there is a region called Saird, which was settled many years ago by Dara Happans (a male-dominated sun culture). Their region includes Mirin's Cross and their attitude to you and your functionaries is increasingly rude. They have withheld their taxes for two years now over a mere technicality. You suspect they resent a woman being their ruler and seek to illegally secede from your rule. Your daughter, also named Phirgia, was born to you just three years ago. Her father died only a year later in mysterious circumstances - you miss him very much. Now that it looks likely she will survive childhood a great deal of interest has begun to be taken in her. In a few short years she will be able to bear children herself, and so your direct reign will come to an end. There is no doubt that a marriage alliance with someone in the Lunar hierarchy would make relations with the Empire much easier. Your greatest wish for your Queendom is that it remains peaceful and that war does not tarnish it. You are increasingly worried about the civil wars in Aggar and Tarsh and the successes of Argrath in Dragon Pass. How long can Holay hope to remain free of these conflicts? You must try your hardest to ensure that it does. You hope to try and bind together your Queendom in the meantime by taking the joys of the Lunar Way out to the people. Perhaps the people can be bound together through greater knowledge of the Red Goddess, her tolerance of other religions and her quest for eternal peace. You are here in Glamour to celebrate the Lunar New Year and the successful conclusion of the latest seven year plan of the Red Emperor.	Background The Queendom of Holay This ancient Queendom is ruled from the great city of Filichet, which is at the southern end of the first Daughter's Road. By ancient tradition the Queendom must be ruled by a woman. The government of the Queendom has been dominated by the Lunar priestesshood for generations, but their ways have not yet been spread widely into the countryside. In the north of the Queendom is the Saird region, which is settled by Dara Happans. The relationship between the Sairdites and the queen is often strained. Currently you rule the Queendom of Holay. Oria Worship Oria is the Great Mother. Her broad sweep includes all forms of nourishment, so she is worshipped with the cow, sow or ewe goddess as appropriate. Worship of Oria includes ancient rites forgotten powers of the Old Earth. She has many husbands and sons, and is usually worshipped in conjunction with them, making her one of the most widely worshipped deities in the Lunar Empire, with temples throughout the Heartlands and beyond. Government in Holay The Queens of Holay rule by benign dictatorship, and sovereignty descends in the female line. As soon as royal heiress comes of age (when she is able to conceive) the current queen abdicates in favour of her daughter. The daughter - and hence the Queendom - still benefit from the accumulated wisdom of her mother and grandmother while they are still alive.
	Objectives Personal Gain vengeance on your aunt's (the ex-Queen) husband, Makkrit-oor, who so cruelly denounced her and forced her suicide. He is now sultan of Darjiin. You abhor all violence so this must be accomplished through some sort of humiliation or demotion. Find your true love. While you cannot marry him, you can be a loving consort. Investigate the death of your late husband. Present the Emperor with the traditional gift from the south, a Necklace of Animal Hearts made into magical jewels. Career Ensure that Holay remains peaceful and stable. No bloody conflict can be allowed within your lands. Negotiate for the betrothal of your daughter to a suitable match. Seek out a number of options before choosing the best match for Holay. Seek an Imperial Edict once and for all declaring that Saird is part of, and owes complete allegiance to, the Queendom of Holay. Pay the taxes due to the Quinscion the Patient. Religious Seek help from the Lunar religious authorities to introduce the ways of the Red Goddess into countryside of Holay. Promote the goddess Oria by seeking religious offices from which her influence can be increased. Gain the blessing of Great Sister.	Who You Know Personal Acquaintances Icilius Overholy, General Guide for the Lunar Spirit: a devout priestess of the Lunar Way. She is a natural ally within the Lunar Provincial hierarchy and you have always got on well. Count Julan, Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard: a few months ago you found this poor fellow lying sick by the roadside when you were touring the western Lunar Empire before coming to Glamour. He was very ill, but you were able to help cure him. You suspect it was poison, though you didn't tell him that. Laramates of Alorinik (deceased): your beloved husband and father of your daughter. He died of the "Purple Fever" only two years ago. He was very popular with the Sairdites and your recent problems with them roughly date from his death. Makkrit-oor, Sultan of Darjiin: an evil man who you believe never wished to marry your aunt (the Emperor had ordered it). He treated your family as little more than barbarians and seemed very glad when he could annul his marriage. Your aunt may have been barren, but you can never forgive his conduct. Through your Career Appius Luxius, Provincial Overseer: the most senior Lunar official to remain permanently in Holay, he has often been your guest at state banquets. However, you suspect that he supports the Sairdites in their wish to secede from Holay. He is from Dara Happa after all. Lergius Cassius, General of the Provincial Army: you know him by reputation only, as a good and honourable leader. Quinscion the Patient, General of Procurements and Disbursements: a hard pressed official of the Lunar Government, he has been helpful in getting grants for roads and schools in the Queendom. He is, unfortunately, now seeking a full payment of taxes from your lands (including Saird). Rascius, King of Aggar: a grasping and covetous slob. All he seems to care about is amassing great wealth and then gambling it away. General Roan-ur, commander of Lunar forces in Aggar: you only know of this man through his fearsome reputation for brutality and his use of Chaos troops. For many years his mission has been to end the Autumn mountains rebellion. Through your Religion Deneskerva, the Great Sister: she is the immortal daughter of the Red Moon. Surely her influence can persuade her brother, the Red Emperor, to seek a peaceful Lunar Way instead of the warlike ways that his subjects appear to be falling into.
	Other Knowledge The Lunar Provinces. There are four major kingdoms making up the Lunar Provinces: Tarsh, Holay, Vanch and Aggar. Each provides valuable resources to the Empire, in terms of taxes, trade and manpower. Additionally, they serve as a buffer against the primitive barbarian cultures further afield. Each province has its own political structure, but always leaning towards the Empire. The Provincial Government's home is at Mirin's Cross, where the Provincial Overseer, Appius Luxius, resides. The Provincial Government. Members of the Provincial Government enjoy the reputation of independent people of action. In times of crisis. there is often no time to wait for the decision of the high command in the Heartland. It must be taken on the spot, and in the heat of the moment. The most successful in the Provincial Lunar Government have learned to temper the demands of the local kingdoms with the wisdom of the Empire to forge a strong alliance of the two. 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 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 Moonboats are magical aerial craft, propelled by the moonlight. Within the Empire, they are used for rapid transport of troops and supplies. Their use beyond the Glowline is more limited, as the cyclical phases of the Moon and the untamed forces of Storm can leave them grounded or even damaged.	Secrets The Sultan of Darjiin, Makkrit-oor caused the death of your aunt. You suspect that your husband was murdered or assassinated. You are searching for your true love, a partner for life. Inheritance in the Queendom of Holay is through the female line. Special Items Necklace of Animal Hearts. Each of the hearts was prepared in a certain way to become a magical jewel.
	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 Phirgia was Kevin Jacklin. Glorantha, HeroQuest, Hero Wars, and Issaries are trademarks of Issaries, Inc. The contents of this page are copyright by Kevin Jacklin, 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.