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Heroquests

A Heroquest brings the Protagonists into a myth and lets them act in contact with the powers that shaped Glorantha.

It is not merely a matter of replaying a known story. Following the myth provides a path; choices made during the Quest may confirm that path, bend it, or bring new consequences into being.

Entering the Quest​

A Heroquest first requires access to the relevant Otherworld and the establishment of a link with the myth one intends to travel through.

Depending on the conditions of that entry and the power of the forces encountered, participants may find themselves in a heroic mode of their Worldview. The powers facing them may also act at that scale.

Playing the stages of the myth​

Each stage becomes a Situation in its own right.

The Protagonists may sometimes know what the myth expects of them. That does not mean they know exactly what will happen, nor that they must reproduce every gesture without thought.

When a stage contains genuine uncertainty, use the ordinary Bets rules. Elements of the myth, assumed roles, sacred objects, relationships, and deviations already made may all matter.

Following or leaving the path​

Following the known path of the myth helps the Protagonists remain within a reality whose consequences are understood.

Leaving that path is possible when the fiction allows it. This is also where the Quest becomes especially dangerous: changing a role, refusing an expected gesture, or introducing something that did not belong to the myth may transform what the Quest produces in the world.

Time does not force the Protagonists to "follow the scenario." It brings the consequences of their actions to life in a place where myths possess a reality of their own.

What returns from the Quest​

The consequences of a Heroquest may affect at the same time:

  • the Protagonists;
  • their relationships and communities;
  • a place;
  • a cult;
  • a magical practice;
  • the way a myth can now manifest.

Important changes are lasting. A Quest may also require placing something at stake before entering: an aptitude, a bond, an object, a status, or something else the Protagonists care about.

Success is therefore not measured only by "finishing the stages." Look at what the Protagonists wanted, what they actually did, and what changed when they returned.

Preparing a myth for play​

Glorantha already contains many usable myths. When Time needs to construct or adapt one for a Quest, see Preparing a Myth.

And some Quests can transform more than the myth or the visible world: they can lead to discovering a new Worldview.