13th Age Glorantha

Dreaming of Prax
A couple of years ago Pelgrane Press announced a project adapting their 13th Age FRPG to the Glorantha setting created by Greg Stafford and seen through the years as the default setting of  various game systems including RuneQuest and HeroQuest. Apparently the project is still underway as indicated by this recent release, although Moon Design Publications is listed as the final publisher now. The above shown play-aid for 13th Age pictures an iconic Bison Rider nomad from the Prax area of Glorantha.
This cover illustration stirs my blood. Glorantha is a game world, and there is a region in that world called Prax where-in the locals ride all sorts of animals across the arid plains and desert. I resist the urge to compare the tribes to Earthly peoples, because I think it does Glorantha an injustice to do so. Think Bronze Age technology with Myth being a huge part of everyone's daily life and a heroic warrior society built around the herding and riding of various animals, bison as pictured above, rhinos, impala, lama, and several others. Each tribe is identified with a single animal, all war against each other and especially against Chaos. The tribes share a similar faith and pantheon, and a common hatred of horses and horse riders. Most lead a nomadic life, following the herd.
The above illustration depicting a mounted bison rider female warrior says much about Glorantha. From the early RuneQuest editions featuring a female warrior in armor to RuneQuest 6, also featuring a female warrior on the cover, I have assumed Glorantha is a world supporting strong female characters. The warrior's equipment indicates a pre-medieval technology. Armor and helmet are a brown color, and therefore made of bronze or more likely leather. The exposed skin areas sport several tattoos probably all linked to cult membership, a feature of Glorantha which pushes play beyond combat toward a more role-playing orientation in a social environment where membership is a key feature. The bison carrying a warrior swiftly across the plain is a classic Gloranthan image suggesting at once the familiar and the exotic.
13th Age is a d20 style game written by Jonathon Tweet and Rob Heinsoo published by Pelgrane Press. It is billed as "a love-letter to D&D" and contains elements of 3rd Edition and 4th Edition using the OGL as well as concepts borrowed from indy press story games and original ideas of their own. The authors were lead designers on 3rd Edition and 4th Edition as well as being experienced with Glorantha. 13th Age is a high-powered FRPG with its own default setting (Dragon Empire) which makes use of 13 icons struggling for world domination. Each PC has relationships with one or more of the icons and can expect this relationship to play out during the game. It will be interesting to see how the authors, who profess a long-standing love for Glorantha, combine that world with their own unique approach to the game.