Where I Read HârnWorld, Part II: Thoughts on Tharda, Tribal Nations, and Gargun

Tharda

Of the cultures presented in HârnWorld, the one that I have the most difficulty accepting is the Thardic Republic. The others, in the context of a fantasy realm, I don't really have any problems with. Even Rethem, where the aristocracy worships Agrik, the evil god of fire, makes a certain amount of sense - a warrior elite following a god of violence, cruelty and appeasement? Sure. (If anything it's probably closer to the character of knights in the real world than is the idealized feudalism of Larani, who's worshipped in the other feudal kingdoms. But more on that later.)

But the Thardic Republic has a population of a little over 100,000 people. Its capital, Coranan, has only around 12,500. It seems a little small to maintain a Senate or the "Pamesani Games" (gladitorial-style games, including bouts against Ivashu, the monsters that spawn from the Pit of Ilvir). Now, there is some suggestion that there were gladitorial combats in Roman Britain, as well as in smaller Roman towns (some of which would have been around Coranan's size) - but those would still have been reliant upon the overall structure of the Roman Empire.

The Pamesani Games (columbiagames.com)

There's also reference to "provincial governors" within Tharda being able to acquire vast sums of money through their governorship. Again, that seems something more in keeping with a grander empire than 100,000 people.

For game purposes, though, I think Tharda's a nice variation within the general Hârnic feudalism, and it does make a bit more sense in the context of Hârn's history, which is pages 38-51 of HârnWorld. But it'd be a bit grubbier than the terms "Senate" or the "Games" would suggest.

Speaking of which, I actually think that, in terms of readability, it might have been a better option to have some of the overall history of Hârn at the start, rather than jumping right in to individual kingdom entries. The empire of Lothrim the Foulspawner, for instance, shapes a lot of Hârn's history (including explaining Tharda and the Gargun), and having a taste of that history at the start of the module might give HârnWorld a bit more flavour for someone unfamiliar with the setting. More of an overview would help, I think, rather than bits and pieces mentioned in each individual entry (Lothrim is mentioned in the page on Gargun, but only in passing). But it might mean departing from the traditional "article" format of Hârn material.


Tribal Nations

Page 12 of "Cultures" briefly details eighteen "barbarian nations" whose total population is around 100,000. (By contrast, Tharda, Kaldor, Kanday, and Rethem each have around 100,000 people, and Melderyn has around 160,000.) All of the tribal nations are divided into tribes ranging from 30 to 1,200 people. Each nation gets a sentence or two, like so:

Anoa
These nomadic hunters live in the Anoth River valley in southern Orbaal. Conflict with Gargun and the Orbaalese is common.

Unlike the earlier kingdoms' entries, the tribal nations don't get a sidebar, probably because it would be tough to fit eighteen different nations onto one page, and various kingdoms already list HârnMaster Barbarians as a recommended resource, which includes all the tribal articles but also has HârnMaster rules for barbarian characters.

It's still kind of a shame that the tribal nations don't get a bit more of a shout-out in HarnWorld; a tribal character (or campaign) would absolutely be viable in Harn. HârnDex, at least, has entries for each tribal nation. But you can tell the emphasis of the setting is on the "civilized" nations and the various tribes are relegated to "...and miscellaneous."

"Taelda. There are forty tribes of us you know." ("Tluk" by Richard Luschek)

Gargun

Page 13 has a full page on the Gargun. Its sidebar includes a list of Gargun colonies and nomadic tribes, as well as brief notes on the Ilme ("intelligent mere-dragons") and Ivashu (creations of the god Ilvir).

There are five types of Gargun, we're told, ranging from the smallest (Gargu-araki, "Streaked Orc") to the largest (Gargu-khanu, "Black Orc") and with varying levels of aggression (the "White Orcs" are the second smallest, and least aggressive). They instinctively submit to authority and inevitably rebel against any sign of weakness. They're not native to Hârn or its world and were possibly brought to Hârn by Lothrim, but I think this is the first reference we've seen to Lothrim in HârnWorld so that's not helpful. They're natural antagonists; as HârnWorld says:

It is rare for a culture to have no redeeming features, but that of the gargun comes close. They are violent and malevolent, with an almost insane hatred for the Khuzdul [Dwarves]. They are carnivorous, even cannibalistic.

The Gargun have a hive structure, with only one fertile female (the "queen") and one fertile male (the "king"). Gargun are born from clutches of eggs laid by the queen, and have a "racial memory" that allows them to achieve adulthood quickly. This makes them fast-growing and fast-breeding. The King holds power (and access to the queen) until he's assassinated or overthrown.

Gargun lead a Malthusian existence, expanding their population until either brief but bloody civil war erupts within the colony, reducing the (ahem) excess population, or a large group of males sieze an infertile female (a "princess") and "swarm", boiling out to found a new colony.

What's Missing

Nasty, Brutish, & Short: The Orcs of Hârn and HârnDex give a lot more detail about the gargun. That's as it should be, of course; HârnWorld is a general overview. But I think the gargun, as a feature unique to Hârn (both the setting and, within the setting, to the island of Hârn), could use a bit more detail - a second page, at least - to grab people. Of course too much detail (on Gargun or otherwise) means that people might not buy HârnDex, but then again, if people don't find your version of Orcs that interesting, then they're not going to bother with any other supplements.

The following sums up a few additional gargun facts from Nasty, Brutish & Short.

• Gargun begin life with a common set of memories. While they can learn, the collective memory "pool" doesn't change, so Gargun society is quite static.
• They grow quickly, achieving adulthood within a year.
• They're irreligious. Their racial memory tells them they're "Forsaken by the Gods", plus, they require ongoing demonstration of authority - an absent god doesn't provide that.
• It's not clear how Lothrim introduced Gargun to Hârn - maybe they're from another world, possibly Midgaad (though I don't think Gargun make sense as Tolkien's Orcs), or maybe Lothrim created them through magic.

 Sidebar: Orc-on-Orc Action (Gargun biology)

HârnDex gives a bit more detail about the Gargun.  So, too, does Nasty, Brutish, & Short. The information conflicts in one important way. I'm glad I double-checked HârnDex, by the way, as the version in NB&S is pretty problematic, and all because of a single word.

HârnDex (both 2nd and 3rd Editions) says:

Both sexes become fertile only through continued social exposure to the opposite sex. All such contact leads to fertility, but most male gargun have no sexual contact with females.

 Meanwhile NB&S says:

Only one percent of the eggs hatch as females. If sexually exposed to males for about six consecutive hours, these "princesses" will become fertile queens. [Gargun 2]

Whether NB&S' phrasing is a typo, or sloppy wording for "exposed to the opposite sex", I'm not sure. But the NB&S version isn't particularly pleasant. See, Nasty, Brutish & Short sets out that princesses are killed in some colonies, but more often the infertile females form a "Queen's Guard" to protect the Queen, which is an interesting concept. Princesses often don't want to become queens, as they become "bloated and somewhat immobile" when they become fertile. Also prime game fodder - a Gargun princess who's decided to leave her colony rather than become a queen could be an interesting NPC or even PC.


This is all good. But couple "Princesses often don't want to become queens" with "abducting a princess and swarming" and "extended sexual exposure to males for six hours" and you have a recipe for extended rape, more or less.  Not that gargun mating habits will arise in-game, and the Gargun are intended to be pretty unpleasant, after all, but still...All told, I'll stick with the HârnDex language. It gives a basis for sequestering the princesses - they just can't be around males for an extended period of time without becoming fertile and instinctively wanting to take a mate. That still might lead to questions of forcible confinement by a swarm (to ensure fertility), but it makes it less overtly rape-y than the NB&S phrasing would suggest.


Of course both HârnDex and NB&S make it clear that while Gargun males may not be fertile, they're not impotent, and as far as other species are concerned, Gargun males will rape either gender indiscriminately. NB&S states that "sexual tension" and access to breeding rights are defining characteristics of Gargun culture. Despite raising these points, there's no mention of male homosexual behaviour - consensual or otherwise - amongst male Gargun. So, I mean, sexual violence among the Gargun of both genders seems likely, given how they've been written. But at least the HârnDex version doesn't make it an almost-inevitable precursor to reproduction.


But that's all from HârnDex and Nasty, Brutish & Short. HârnWorld just mentions the hive structure of the colony, the Gargun sub-species, and the swarming.

"And the killing and the swarming and the GLAVIN!"

So, moving on.

Ilme and Ivashu

The sidebar on page 13 talks about the Ilme, who are intelligent wingless dragons around 12' high. Male Ilme are apparently cowardly, prefer to scavenge, attack from ambush, and are often bullied by Gargun tribes. Females are much fiercer, especially when defending their young.

The Ivashu are creatures spawned from Araka-Kalai, the pit where the god Ilvir dwells. The Ivashu are sexless and sterile and vary widely, with some intelligent and others not, some unique and others relatively common. (This, by the way, provides GMs with an excuse to bring pretty much any monster into Hârn - "It's an Ivashu".) 

Next, Governments and Guilds. For real, this time.