Alkoth and Underworld of Dara Happa

Below is my old post to Glorantha Digest about Underworld, but Greg Stafford mentioned interesting
bits for the Underworld and Hero Wars setting, though I cannot use his statement here for it was
now owned by Atelier Third in "Supplement Convention" Program.

As Storm Bull, there is no mention in Hero Wars 1st Edition Basic Rule for the "Planet God of Underworld".
And IMHO they constantly destroy and construct their buildings as Tibetan Priests
constantly have written and deleted their sand picture of Mandala, Shargash is such entity.

I think Inhabitants of Alkoth in fact have lived in Fourth or Fifth Hell in Dara Happan Cosmology,
(if they don't exit from proper gate or Enclosure magically, they certainly
feel where they truly live!) And Lodril, the Ruler of Third Hell is not his concern.
(Some Digesters believe Shargash emblaces "Chaos" from the point of view of Orlanthi...)

Underworld Concept before Zoroasterian, Babylonian imagined "grayish sterile,
ash Land of Dead" as mach as seen in fantasy "Earthsea" Deadland of LeGuin, but once
the Concept of Sin and Guilty appeared in the scheme of religious Cosmology, many
Sadistic and Masochistic Idea (maybe suppresses Only Sexual impulse) made
piercing, Inferno Fire and Frost Sword Mountain in that Land.

"Book of Drastic Resolution Darkness" devotes Most of Pages for Uz Source as
Native Species of Underworld and Last Page of that from View of Underworld
Native Trolls partioned Underworld Earth, (Water) and Darkness Realm to 7 folds.

For Uz, they view Underworld as Ancient Native Land as Deadland before Womb
Eater (Yelm Komosha) collapsed and dramatically made the Whole of World upside-down. In
this view, Underworld is the accurate mirror of Surface World and has same
Mass and Size of Another Half hemisphere of the Vault which is thrived many
Underworld Planets and Stars as Shargash who has many chance to appear other
Half Semisphere but they are never seen from the Dwellers of Surface World. Hero
Planes are very ambiguous domain for they don't have clear Limits.

To see Dara Happan Underworld, Glorious Reascent of Yelm from "Enemy Eye"
(Worshippers of D'Wargon (Womb Eater)) saw 4 Stages of Underworld: they can
be connected in Topological Sense to Uz and Orlanthi Hero Realms.

For Example, First Stage of Hell is Domain of Netta (Night Goddess), it can
involved Orlanthi LQ Quest Route Underworld Part of Obsidian Palace　
(Lightbringers visited this place in Old Version quest of Wyrms Footprint)

In Uz Research System, River of Styx (Halfdead Waertagi and her legion of
reprisal to Oathbreaker wandering),

God Learnish Earth Realm are involved to Upper Area 1 or 2, and I guess
Krashitide and Mostali didn't live Deeper Area, Gloranthan Earth goes to
Colder Area as Deeper while Real World Underworld Earth contains Heart of
Heat, Mantle and Core.

(Wonderhome is maybe very favorable Place for Uzuz Race, Himile Area) Maybe
Lodril exist in Heat Place, but Depth never know Existence of Human Dead (Ty
Kola Tek, Asrelia and/or Veskerele.)

In Godlearnish Worldview, they saw their world with familiar to Article in
"Gods and Goddesses of Glorantha": Wyrms
Footprint "Five Elements" Stage Generation and Stratum, Shapeless Darkness
rose from Chaos in non Magical and non Four Dimensional worldview

(But nevertheless we cannot expect such system in Glorantha), Neverending Sea
wides from Center to Flatline (Sramak River may be manifestation of Styx
River in Surface World, Lozenge of Earth (maybe it was Imadsalash or Spike
placed in Center) also rose from Sea as 8 sided Regular Octahedron topped to
summit, Second Area is Area of Faceless God in Dara Happa,
Sea inner of Broken Spike maybe cover the Middle Area. (But Celestial Sphere
covered Limited Area, Magic alway workout Solution of Inconsistency, Dawn
Gate and Evening always exists in Pseudo-Einsteinic Relativity.


Hall of Ty Kola Tek is Earth Realm Pantheon, Human lives from Age of Green
Age at least in Pelanda (but some of humans lives from Golden Age or Storm Age,
more Later Age as Dara Happan and Agimoli who created from their favorite
Pantheon) But Elder Races know more Older Ages and if it required, they can
go to Sea Age and Pre-Darkness Age before Man Rune created as Some Species
of Element.

Deshkorgos Worship is Spotlit in Herowars Narrator Rules of Carmanian Scenario
while situation of Deshtralas of Carmanian have much similarity to attitude
of Lodril (or VisaruDalan, Turos),
Third Area of Dara Happan Hell is most Deepest deadland of Human Theistic
Culture, (Tartaros?) But Uz Ancient Kingdom is more deeper Area.

Before Malkionism coming to Pelanda, Evilgod GanEstoro also live in this
scheme, but if topology means something in Magical Glorantha, Ganesatarus
Demonic Pandemonium appears more Sophisticated Version. Perhaps Agonizing
Hell of Rokaric Devil exists near Areas. (Some Shadow of Sorcery Plane)

Hanroo Plain of Yelm is Fifth Area of Uz, Dara Happan may see it as Hall of
Bijiif, perhaps Orlanth saw this place in Mirror of his Lightbringers Quest,
any shadows of Near Other Side of Neighbor Country shades to another.
Wonderhome Previously existed this Place. And Jokbazi, Zorak Zolan, Humakt
or Wachaza maybe make contract Guarding border of Law and Chaos and their
Bloodthirsty Warriors make Neverending War with Chaos Monsters, Dark Eater,
Subere, Hall of Death exists in Deepest Area of Glorantha (Or Top of
Hemisphere of Upside-Down Vault?)

More downward means beyond Boundary of Glorantha: Chaos.
Realm of Jokbazi and other complete Aliens.

Martin Laurie speaking about Alkoth:


Hey there

TI (Me):
<<To Martin Laurie, Viceroy of Lunar Empire and Professional of Miltary:

I should read more about Scale of Army and Geographical Image of Tripolis.
And City Walls were not most flexible part of City Expanding and Shrinking
of the Population of both Army and Citizens. I think Alkoth is most limited
for expanding for their Army Reliance and Restriction for Ring of Shargash.>>

Yes, they don't expand the city beyond the ring, except for the docks which
move a lot dur to the river moving. Alkoth though has a large population and
is a packed city. 90,000 live there in the 1620s. The city is around 20
metres higher inside at ground level than outside. The buildings are build
on the ruins and foundations of previous works and are usually very tall.

Me:
<< I don't know who set the identity of Green King, Red King and Mysterious
Black King. My Image to Alkoth is mixed Image of Indian Delhi and Sparta.
Lunar "Divide and Rule" policy divided Tripolis to three Satrapies.>>

Alkoth is like no earth city as it is in the underworld. People there live
in a perpetual gloom, the air is thick with ash and the sky streaked with
demons and energies. It is a frightening place, yet they carry on normal
lives within it. They have children, they make goods, they have love and
politics etc.

See the Map of the City of Underworld and Bloodshed

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