Scorus

My players have advanced to the point where they will have allied spirits, bound spirits, and a fetch soon. What am I getting wrong or missing here: Allied Spirits are sent by the deity and accept their charges. They are in mindlink with the player and can perceive and target things through each other's senses. They can use each other’s spells, RP, and MP. They can learn spirit magic spells and sacrifice their own POW for rune spells. They get POW gain rolls, but only succeed on a 01-05. Bound spirits are forced through magic into a spirit storage crystal or an enchanted item or animal. Assuming there are no restrictions on the enchantment, anyone in contact with the item/animal can communicate with the spirit, use its MPs, or command it to take an action (if in a form where independent action is possible). They can be taught spirit magic, which then can be used by anyone in contact with the item/animal. A character awakens a fetch as part of the process of becoming a Shaman. They are in mindlink and can perceive through each other, including into the spirit plane. The shaman can use the fetch’s MP and may sacrifice its POW. The shaman can sacrifice POW to increase the fetch’s POW on a 1:1 basis, the only way that its POW can increase. A fetch may learn spirit magic spells. A successful Divine Intervention by the Shaman can fully or partially be paid for out of a Fetch’s POW. A fetch can cast spells into the mundane world but then exposes itself to attack from that world. A fetch can take control of a spirit that it reduces to 0. A shaman may use the fetch’s CHA to learn additional spirit magic. If a fetch dies (0 POW), then the shaman also dies.

Interestingly, Svensson's counter-factual version was probably a popular one in various circles after Argrath's rise.

I can see a popular pub argument in Colymar territory during this time being that the last three Sartar family leaders were such disasters that that great bloodline had become too diluted: 1) Salinarg's line founded the ill-fated but well-named Household of Death and then lost Sartar to the Lunars. 2) Temertain was a Lunar puppet. 3) Kallyr at least nominally led a disastrous uprising, didn't have enough confidence to try and light the flame, and embarked on a heroquest that brought a horrible year on Sartar. Leika, on the other hand, had just snatched victory from what would have been a decisive defeat at the hands of the Lunars. In addition to her heroquesting and two trips to Snakepipe Hollow. If Sartarites were looking most especially for someone that could keep the Lunars at bay, she seems like a good choice. In my game the PCs had successfully reunited the Lysang and Namolding back into Colymar via heroquest. So the Malani would never accept her as Prince and more than a few other tribes would be even more cautious than usual. She will unsuccessfully attempt to get Orgorvale Summer's support and blessing as Orlanth's granddaughter and a former ruler of the area. Then will send the PCs on the Black Spear quest to bring the White Bull.

Thanks! I ran my players through this scene last week. Leika brought her people together the night before, told them that it was time, showed up with them to relieve the guards the next morning, lit the pyre, and proudly marched her clan out of town. Now the party has to go back to Boldhome just a few weeks later for one of them to be invested as an Orlanth Rune Lord. There will be some fireworks.

As per the Glorantha Sourcebook: After her body had lain in state for over three weeks, untouched by rot or decay, the Colymar lit the pyre without notifying the other tribes. Queen Leika then led her followers out of Boldhome, leaving only fear and uncertainty. What were the feelings in the immediate aftermath of this bold move by Leika? I imagine that some tribes were relieved that someone took the initiative to move things forward, in a very Orlanth manner, while others felt that she had overstepped her authority and perhaps even prevented Kallyr from coming back? What would have been the Boldhome Orlanth leadership's opinion? What factions/temples/races would have had extreme reactions to this, either pro or con?

I'd like it just downloaded into my brain. Thanks!

I'm thinking a spirit/demon in impish form, not "Inner Circle" level but one who spread the good word, possibly via Faustian-style bargains, in an effort to illuminate the adventures and perhaps others through them. What would illumination abilities be like? I'm only familiar with the state of illumination and what comes from it from RQ2. Would these be similar to draconic abilities, with a Nysalor light theme?

Where can I find Empire of Light/Nysalor cultural information? My party has found an entrapped creature in an EoL and then Arkat ruin. I'm thinking it is some kind of light/fire imp, basically. A Nysalorean ready to get back to the business of spreading Nysalor's philosophy and illumination. Possibly related to Antirius somehow. Any recommendations for sources, or facts that confirm or deny this concept, much appreciated.

Yeah, I was hoping to have them be the central figure and not a companion. But that may not be in the cards. I don't want or need Rune Masters style stats, just a good story that I can develop into a minor spirit cult with a shrine inside a Chalana Arroy temple (probably Jonstown).

A new Chalana Arroy character in my game has a worshipped hero ancestor from the same cult. Can anyone point me to a publication with a good example of a Chalana Arroy hero? Heroquest, Runequest, or whatever source works! Ideas on what resulted in her hero status: Heroquested to cure an uncurable malady. Defeated a primal disease spirit to eliminate an entire disease from Glorantha. Prevented or ended a major war. Converted a horrid warlord, or even an entire warrior kingdom, to pacifism. Other ideas from this creative crew most welcome!

They can only find out if I know. This thread has been very helpful toward that and I look forward to GoG shining even more light on the question!

So this is not a cult with its own temples and priests, just shrines in related temples? Similar to Mastakos or Arroin, then?

I see Flamal on the list of cults included in the upcoming publication. Where and by whom is he worshipped? What kind of cult is it? I don't remember hearing a mention of a Flamal cult before and assumed that was because he was killed by Zorak Zoran in the God Time.

PC was killed. An NPC healer entered into spirit combat with his ghost to resurrect him. The healer successfully attacked him to force him into his body in the first round, but the PC fumbled his spirit combat roll and then rolled a 96: Non-shaman: Combatant’s body and spirit become separated; combatant discorporates and may only be reunited by a successful Spirit Travel roll or the intervention of a shaman. The gamemaster should determine the physical effects of long-term discorporation. My thought here is that the resurrection was successful but that the PC's spirit was ejected from the body by its difficulty with the spirit realm. Thoughts?

The High Priest of Orgorvale Summer has had quite a lot of success spreading the good word in my game. He has established shrines to "Grandma Summer" in the Temple to All Deities in Apple Lane, and in the Clearwine and Boldhome Lightbringer temples as a relative of Orlanth. Pilgrimages to the Queen's Tomb are also proving popular and may necessitate and/or benefit from some on-site staffing in the way of guides, security, shaman, etc. (funnel cake booth not included). He has some hides to support this newfound religious infrastructure and I'm trying to figure out what the upkeep of this enterprise would cost. I assume that parishioners supply the sacrifices needed? So the main costs would be physical upkeep and any necessary staffing? The only two numbers I can find are the cost of upkeep on a holy site (25-200L/season) from RQG and upkeep on a shrine (10L/year) in Weapons & Equipment.

What are the best sources for information on the Battle of Queens (besides Armies and Enemies of Dragon Pass)? I've seen the same basics of the battle in numerous publications (including RQG), just wondering if there are other sources (canon or otherwise) with additional information. Thanks.

It is encumbrance and not weight. If you look at illustrations, the skirts aren't much shorter than hauberks that folks are wearing since they come down to the upper thighs. That said, you can change it to 1.5 or whatever in your game if you think that more appropriate.

Nothing is more important to the success of RQ than publishing GoG, but finally putting forth heroquesting rules after 40 years is a close second. They allow GMs and players to create their own campaigns and history, which is SO much more important than spoon-feeding us history and adventures. And this is coming from someone that generally adapts other's adventures instead of writing my own!

Ah, interesting! So the physical death of an elemental overrides Having once successfully summoned an elemental, the deity sends the same elemental every time the adventurer summons an elemental of that size and type. (p.343) ?

Richard has made it clear what his sources are for the official Chaosium stuff, and they don't include the JC! Some of the JC authors have advanced copies of stuff and are going to stick to the canon, but anything that disagrees with Richard's primary sources will be ignored.

I'm afraid I can't disagree more! The cults write-ups are going to blow the new peoples' minds and force them to make lots of changes in their campaigns, the sooner it is out the easier that is going to go.

RQG states: If an allied spirit is killed or destroyed, a new one may be obtained, but this is a matter for heroic deeds on the part of the priest. Does this mean if the actual spirit is destroyed (i.e. POW reduced to 0) or is this referring to the vessel that the spirit inhabits (e.g. killing the shadowcat or breaking the sword)? If someone sent their awakened elemental allied spirit into combat and it was killed, would they lose that allied spirit and have to quest for a new one or could they just resummon the elemental?

Obviously you can't list every possible scenario that would merit an honor reduction, but it would be great to expand the list in RQG via errata to include more war examples that you have mentioned in other posts such as setting an ambush, ganging up on someone, refusing a surrender, etc.

An ambush is not a surprise attack?

YGMV, but as per Jeff in the links above: The buildup and formation of battle lines is done with the full knowledge of the other side and no surprise attacks are made.