Joerg

Maran Gor evidently has rites for their priestesses' cannibalism - presumably practiced on the bodies of the human sacrifices that are powering Shaker's Temple. Stuff done with the proper rites won't turn people into ogres. It doesn't make groups like the Cannibal Cult any less fearsome. The Pentans appear to have some gruesome rites - ppssibly the result of their survival struggles in the Greater Darkness - that allows them to do stuff that would turn others into broo in no time short, Check the names "Eats Women" and "Eater of Flesh" in the Glorious ReAscent of Yelm.

RQ3 Dorastor: Land of Doom had the former inhabitants of Tork as the Gray Ones, degenerate humans with heaps of Chaos features, low intelligence clouded by madness, zero likability and no goat traits. They and the slime deer were at the bottom of the food chain.

Absolutely. Why wouldn't that work? Sounds like a worth-while career to follow. Steal three or more cows from each temple in Sartar, then donate them to that temple (and participate in the subsequent feast). BTW, the loyalty skill is a passion the player character can roll on to augment abilities used for the benefit of that temple. It doesn't mean that that temple suddenly is loyal to the character, beyond enjoying a good roast.

This could simply be the result of a heroquest challenge between Urvanyar and the Golden Dragon, with two (crucial) Yelmic powers lost to the Sun or Golden Dragon mystic. Sight is the primary sense of Yelm. Being blinded removes Urvanyar from any chance of completing the Ten Tests. Taking his heart... that is less clearly defined in the role of an emperor, and I am inclined to argue that a heartless emperor of Dara Happa wouldn't miss anything that his predecessors had needed to fulfill their position. Jar-eel lost her heart in battles against Sartar at least twice - once to Harrek, once to Annstad.

The faults and crimes of the Archduchy of Slontos were many in their wars against the Kingdom of Night and the EWF. The Devastation was a reckoning for all of that. The Trickster Temple was a symptom, but certainly not the entire disease. Kill as in capital K separation that wasn't reversible. Much like Umath never recovered from being slain despite Death not yet having been invented. The Horned Serpent, so yes, pretty identical. At least as far as the Fiwan (the local name for the Hsunchen) were concerned. The usual number. Apart from the greater and lesser hydras and possibly chaotic stoorworms, there are no draconic beings on Pamaltela. The Dinosaurs of Slon appear to be a rather recent addition, and free of any proven draconic connection. (Although all it takes is an initiative to claim proof for that connection, quest a bit, and make it so.) With the Horned Serpent firmly located in the Spirit World, no other (horned, winged, otherwise attributed) serpent deities manifested in Pamaltela. Pamaltela had its Chaos invasion, but fought it off. The south experienced the Firespill when the Sky Dome emptied some of its fire to the Surface World after having been pushed back southwards by Kalikos (defining the tilt of the Sky Dome within Time). Various neighbors invaded - the Vadeli from the West, the Antigods of Shekdurba from the East, the Oceans from all around, the Artmali from above - and a number of refugees arrived, like the Thinobutans (Maslo, Thinokos, Kimos). According to the Doraddi, the Aldryami are an invasive species, too, but the Aldryami have an ancient history of being allied to Pamalt. Possibly "the Other Pamalt" (as in Monty Python's "the other Kilimanjaro"). That said, the Doraddi invaded the coastal forests of Banamba, too. The Gods War was exciting enough in Pamaltela. Vovisibor aka Filth Which Walks made a deep incursion to the cental lands of Jolar, leaving destruction and possibly annihilation behind, but his advance was turned back by Pamalt using his Necklace, and then Pamalt and his followers pursued and overcame Vovisibor far in the north (still south of Magasta's Pool, though). The Doraddi voluntarily removed themselves from their previous urban civilization, electing a mix of nomadic and sedentary oasis life in the Veldt, while those who had followed Pamalt into the North may have been tricked by Bolongo (gotta stay on topic...) into retaining urban culture and other achievements. They would become peoples like the Fonritians - especially the Banambans, which have very little if any admixture of Artmali ancestry - or the Exigers of the Mari Mountains. Nandan as a player-cult is fairly un-exciting - no wild quests, remained alive/awake when Ernalda had gone to sleep, gave birth and nourishment despite the lack of organs to do so normally. Nothing relevant while on a normal adventure/problem solving mission, other than the key to Ernaldan magic which of course can be wielded by female player characters at least as well. Ernala cult in the hard mode... But then, Vinga is as un-exciting, except that the woes of the woman warrior are all in her myths and stories.00 Following some ex-cathedra statements about Vinga by Greg there was a debate (which caused some dysphoria in previous Vinga fans) about VInga being a husband cult and "not into men" (perceived as "at all"), a reaction which surprised and saddened Greg at the time. If you build a structure to house Tricksters, wouldn't you build it pretty fool-proof to keep maintenance cost down? The land it was built on has been lowered below sea level by the Devastation of the Vent, but apart from that mighty shake-up, there was no additional attack on the structure. At the very least, they made it easy for lazy Tricksters to achieve as complete a set of Rune and spirit maic as they wanted and could afford. In addition, the temple provided a ready source of Tricksters for God Learner raids into the Hero Plane enabling certain transitions or insertions. You might regard the temple as a detached section of a God Learner university, with "graduates" to be harvested for the occasional use in heroquesting. Because nobody sane (hybris is a form of insanity, after all) would allow more than a hundred Tricksters permanently in one place. That temple in Slontos was the one glaring exception to this rule. Argrath's Warlocks of the Magical Union include Tricksters. They may work alongside the Black Fang Brotherhood. Drona the Earth King of western Fronela might have a similarly tolerant position towards Eurmal Friend of Men. The occasional goddess was "blessed" to give birth to a re-incarnation of Eurmal and priestesses of these goddesses may possibly allow some maternal feelings for that offspring. Uleria offered herself to the Boggles, and tamed them (enough to stop them from destrying the Spike) by fulfilling their desire. At least temporarily, and a temporarily neutralized Trickster is about the best outcome you can hope for. IMO he isn't, as his career was way too consistent and goal-oriented. While a Trickster can impersonate a straight-laced person for quite a while (possibly hiding his outbreaks o glee at how the people interacting with him get duped), keeping things together for half a century, even having been dragged down to Hell, is pretty irregular for a Trickster. A Trickster impersonating a priest of Dayzatar for his entire life has effectively become a priest of Dayzatar, with the trick on him.

Some clan or tribal towns are numbered among the cities (Runegate, Clearwine). Other places like Dangerford or Red Cow Fort aren't far away from similar status. That doesn't prevent a clan or two to provide a significant portion of the city's population. Sartar didn't build is cities in empty spaces (apart from Duckpoint). A city that isn't occupying an alpine valley can easily support two agricultural clans inside its walls. Compare the Trypolye mega-villages... That depends on how distant that clan is from the city. If it is within three hour's ride (or better walk), the hurdle to participate in clan events and festivals is a lot lower than for a clan that lives two day's travel or more from the city. People with ties to rural clans form sort of expat communities inside the city, inside the greater envelope of the tribal community. Depending on the status of such clansfolk in other organisations inside the city (a major specialist temple, a craft or merchant guild), that tribal community can become the ersatz-clan - it certainly has a sufficiently high number of members. But basically, on the high holy days a normal mortal can participate in the rites only at one place. While it is possible to divide up those days of attendance (and make up for absences by extracurricular temple days in either location), that doesn't help with the primary self-identification of that city-dweller. The ground in the city will be owned by the constituent tribes, temples, and guilds, with most city-dwellers tenants of one of these (not in the sense of semi-free, but in the sense of paying a rent-like tax to the land-owner). The only problem with this is that other than Boldhome, none of the cities has enough inhabitants to support specialized crafters' guilds. At the very best, a metal-worker, leather-worker and wood-worker guild might be feasible for a place like Jonstown, whereas Boldhome might have separate guilds for silversmiths and gemcutters. That's an optimistic picture you are painting there... Many of those "rural hicks" make part of their living from providing shelter and services for people traveling on the roads - especially the side roads. They will have learned when to drive their cattle into the city to maybe squeeze a few extra coins out of the market.

Hey, the forum mites are usually wiiling to provide some fact-checking and even initial research. They only sharpen the axes when such readily available source of information is ignored.

All of those places have rather southerly latitudes compared to the agricutural regions of e.g. Denmark (a 10 degree difference!). In historical times, rye was grown inland of the Lofoten, at about 70° latitude (20° north of Montreal). The harvest wasn't that productive, but sowing the grain brought it over the winter better than exposing it to mice in the storage. When the dried cod trade was a regular thing, the fisherfolk there would stop sowing the rye and just trade whatever they needed for their fish. Kalikos quests: Actually, the Kalikos quest thwarted by Argrath was/is going to be organized when Sheng was/will be at large. No idea who keeps those quests going, and supplied with moonrock, but nobody is afraid of global warming in Peloria.

Yes, even the recent spin-off set in Germany is a police-procedural. Yes. There is a fairly big number of magically or ethnically special people who aren't Newtonian mages, but are policed by them. Normal police is aware of the unit for the crazy cases (the name "Folly" has several meanings...) and is happy to hand things off to the (very few) informed people on their staff. While the setting is less grim and generally not cthulhuid, there are certain parallels to the Laundry novels. Not by your average muggle. Including New Age or occultist muggles whose activities may nevertheless contribute to feeding magical needs of some of the other supranaturals.

Sacrifices of coin feel fairly modern... So each cow gives you a 1% bonus, and five cows give you a 2% permanent raise in the passion. Praxian herd beasts probably translate similarly. Or in other words, go raid your neighbors, bring three cattle to their next clan rites, and gain loyalty 60% to that wyter/temple?

All of that, plus the non-Trickster God Learner activities that Slontos was infamous for, like "greek fire" and sorcerous war machines. Unlike Seshnela, Slontos had local Orlanthi (though not Heortlings), and learned a lot about Orlanth and Ernalda from them by forcing God Learners into their myths. The Goddess Switch wasn't performed here by accident, but because it had been well "researched" and exploited. The event is also known as "The Devastation of the Vent", as that is where the three meter waves through solid land emerged from. It looks like something propagating from whatever it was that the Luatha planted into the Seshnelan peninsula, and spread out slowly. 1049 it affected Seshnela, in 1050 the Vent sent out its devastation, and in 1051 the Dragon's Awakening Shudder did its part of re-drawing the coasts of the continent. You'd have to be a sorry trickster if you cannot cause mischief from being disguised and actively hunted for... If there ever was a counter-culture, the Tricksters fit that bill. Ratslaff is the origin of the Disorder Rune, one of the eight celestial Power deities. Bolongo is the God-Slayer of Pamaltelan myth, the one who killed Earthmaker (even before there was Death), transforming him into Amuron, the World Spirit. A role as necessary as it is regrettable. Some have the delusion that they aren't. @quackatoa is a disease master in that regard... Basically a divine case of "the Farmer and the Devill", with the opponent making a specific rule, and the trickster finding an unconventional way around that rule. Kadiola was a sea spirit who got rulership over Koraru Bay in a wager by making the local human hero Bornotin build a bridge across the way too wide estuary of the Barueli River, fulfilling an impossible task by that. That's sort of my point. The successful guardians of order have been relying on trickster powers forever. At times they take a companion to do the improper stuff, at times they themselves are the con-man. (While playing the straight person, as part of the con) Genert turning his followers into the Copper Sands and having his own body eaten by Hyena is another case of a Lord tricking the enemy. Basically the same. Find a shrine, complete the demeaning test the shrine guardian will make you undergo, and sacrifice for the rune spell. (Or occasionally, learn the Spirit Spell).

And you don't get my point. While I agree that killing the Bat through a lucky strike or some sort of death by a thousand pinpricks isn't necessarily the great finale it could be, to say that the Bat cannot ever be killed by player characters is not in any way helpful. Things should be achievable. At a cost. In case of doubt, at the cost of your humanity. (And that's a meta-rule in Glorantha...) You say your character was "a hero". What do you mean by that? A troubleshooter for your chief and maybe tribal king (in which case I agree, that's possbly too much of a Monty Haul), or a hero that had been to Hell and back, that had his Self washed off exposed to Ehilm's Flame or the Baths of Nelat? A Sysiphus task doesn't usually make a good roleplaying experience.

If you look at Plentonius grouping the years as 1000K, 100K, 10k, 1000, 100, 10, 1, 10, 100 and arriving at 221 S.T., you are bound to ask what has happened in 1221 S.T. Now Yelmgatha's reign comes with about 27 years delay, but there is a rite in 1220 which does affect the Dara Happan religion. (It takes a whiled for AgartuSay to rule Dara Happa, but he does manage, twice.) The 375 Sun Stop and subsequent changes in dynasties - often accompanied by religious reforms - are absent from Plentonius' math, though. It might have the same importance as the Arthurian legends had to the Norman conquerors. When Plentonius wrote his book, for the first time since the end of the Ice Age the Dara Happans were ruled again by a dynasty from their urban culture. He laid down the official versions of the myths that led to the Founding of Dara Happa with his rather complete account of the Anaxial dynasty and his less convincing reports about the decline of the early "reign of Antirius". His Murharzarm stories have elements which must be fantastic to his contemporary audience already, with gazzam being the source of wealth in riverine Dara Happa. His accounts on Dara Happa before the rivers is .. not really about Dara Happa. I don't think that Plentonius was aware of the Copper Tablets, which show riverine Dara Happa from an elevated point of view (like e.g. the peak of the Spike). The descent of Lodril and ascension of Dayzatar is shown on the first of those tablets. This isn't quite clear. GRoY p.80 says "lost for centuries", which exculpates the Carmanian bull shah conquerors of Dara Happa. Possible earlier points are plenty, and may go hand in hand with some of the changes in Yelm worship and condemnation of Nysalorean practices. On one hand, the GRoY contains a manual for the Ten Tests. Being linked to Khordavu, the protegee of Davu, makes this tome possibly suspect in the anti-Nysalorean movements. One possible point of disappearance is under Heredesh, when the heavily edited Unity List provided a merger of Pelandan and Dara Happan rulers, being over-complete. Yelmgatha challenges this list by providing "proof of absence" for many of those early entries with his copy of the Glorious ReAscent. Any earlier point is possible, as far back as the Gbaji Wars when Vastolf conquered Raibanth.

I am talking about HeroQuest Glorantha first and foremost, although a Dresden Files application of Questworld would have similar means: Gloranthan myth has a different story. Yanafal Tarnils faces Humakt, in a sword duel, and prevails. Morden Defends the Camp (printed in the fiction booklet that came with the boxed Hero Wars set) tells among others how Morden overcomes the Strong Man in an (admittedly tricked) contest of strength. Basically, if there is a myth for it, any such difference can be overcome. As myth is supposed to be silly and surprising at times, there are bound to be stories about "when god X had a hang-over and..." which can be "played" against an avatar of that deity. Of course, the opponent can come prepared for such trickery. "Not today, grasshopper..." A diceless rpg does need a replacement to the frustration a toss of dice can provide to the best thought out player character action. I feel that the case you are making here is close to creating a sacro-sanct Mary Sue, however. I admit to only a cursory familiarity with the Amber setting, with the biggest lasting impression the reply to the question "How do you want to die?" being "trampled to death by elephants while climaxing in sex" (both paraphrased).

It came and killed their previous emperor, then took the heart and eyes of his son (Karvanyar's father). You're doing a great job of confirming my teasings, here, and of course this was written as a tease. But actually, it is only half a joke, at most. There is a reason why the Solar Emperor in Gods War is represented by a humanoid dragon miniature. The ancient Dara Happan empire thrived on gazzam aka dinosaurs as its herds, too. Yelm (or Murharzarm) sits on a dragon throne on the Gods Wall. The Dara Happans have a name for that entity, Kelastan, formerly Burburstus, the Dark Dragon. When Orlanth (in his initiation myth) releases all the imprisoned foreigner gods, he sort of opens Yelm's box of worries, where he had imprisoned all those who he had usurped before. (As such, it was fitting that Orlanth was thrown into this august company...) Among these were Natha, the Red And Black avenger goddess of Pelanda, and a dragon. Another source for a draconic nature of the sun might be the Zzaburite or God Learner systematic of the Beasts, in Anaxial's Roster (p.207). It has Zoamalos, "the Perfect Beast that can be seen in all its glory if you go past the Sun" descending into Somalos the Sun, which in turn created the duality of Hykim and Mikyh below. Now Hykim and Mikyh are well attested as draconic entities. If that is the case, then wouldn't the entities from which they came be draconic (or bestial) in nature, too? According to Plentonius, Yelm claims the conquest of Buburstus. I see that as one of several conquests of previous or rival suns. The Kralori are the only extant group assigning draconic status to the sun emperor of the world. Its successor Metsyla only has Phoenix status. A nice way to say that it reeks of rampant revisionist history. The reign of Dismanthuyar is described with avoidance of all facts but that the Dara Happans were unable to stop the EWF invaders at three battles. Dara Happa stirs - the one Glorantha the Second Age product that has the unmitigated oversight and approval of Greg and Jeff - gives what can might seen as the best factual description of the history of the Dragon Sun in Dara Happa. The EWF has a name for the Dragon Sun mystic already at the time of Elmexdros, and it was this EWF mystic who ascended the ziggurat of Raibanth after defeating the increasingly anti-draconic emperors succeeding Elmexdros. Hurabargarten is the spelling used in Dara Happa Stirs, which is probably close to the original spelling. Lorenkarten the mile (later also known as Labrygon) has been spelled Lorenkargartan, IIRC in context with the Kotor Wars in History of the Heortling Peoples which published the first part of the EWF philosophy papers Greg had prepared for the Second Age licensees. (Of course, it may just be that I feel defensive for people with the component "gartn" in their names...) Still, I feel that the story of Urvanyar the blinded wannabe-emperor is genuine. If your assumption is correct, then this wretched creature which begat Karvanyar may have been the residual spite of the Dara Happan emperors that got shed by the transformed dragon emperor. The Heart of Urvanyar and his eyes may have held magic that qualified the Dragon Sun's ascension: Dara Happan revisionist history certainly has muddled the sources, and EWF sources don't give reliable names and identifications according to History of the Heortling Peoples, which provides the name on p.49 as Hurarbargartan the Great Consumer but doesn't identify him as the Dragon Sun. (Heortling Mythology repeats the same text on p.139 but sheds light on the more orthodox EWF method used by Ingolf, compared to the other New Dragon's Ring leaders.)

As far as I know, they did not. When Refuge still was played in the Chaosium campaign using the Thieves World supplement, Prince Kadakithis and his five guardsmen probably were a Lunar prince (possibly Prince Orontes of Chris Gidlow's Tarsh War fame, at least this was the case in my 1990ies RQ-AiG playtest game) and his Yanafali bodyguards sent to Refuge as face of the Empire and official collector of taxes/tribute. Mainly for authorial freedom and copyright reasons (more so for this product than for City of Carse), Chaosium has distanced themselves from this organically grown story and will produce some material free of external licensing. The absence of Lunar occupation isn't that weird. Both Fazzur and Tatius have way bigger fish to fry, Fazzur aiming for Nochet, Tatius for destroying the Rebel God for good with his chaotic upgrade to the existing types of Reaching Moon temples. In that light, sending an adminstrator sounds like something the Tarshites may have come up with. The moon connection that Prince of Sartar suggested for God Forgot had already been resolved by Jar-eel ("This part I will keep for myself") in 1616. While the Machine Ruins are a dungeon of heroic proportions, there appears to be no major Lunar effort to plunder it (neither by some Dart Competition faction trying to exploit this source of exotic and deadly magic, whether God Learner or dwarven). Harrek's presence makes a major investment here unwise, too.

Sorry about that Zzaburism deviation...

Basically, Sir Isaac Newton went on to write the definitive work on magic after having completed his work on physics. His successors became the guardians of the supernatural. There was a huge magical conflict that used the Second World War to cover up their misdeeds, which wiped out most active mages in Britain (which apparently won). Peter Grant is a modern day policeman, son of an English jazz musician and an African immigrant. He discovers his aptitude for the supranatural when dealing with a mystery case and perceiving transparent witnesses. As a result, he gets assigned to the Folly, Scotland Yard's magical division headed and staffed by the last active Newtonian mage in Britain and his not quite human household aide. Peter gets involved with the family of the new Goddess of River Thames (another African woman...) and starts an apprenticeship in magic. There are a few common themes between this and the Dresden Files, like the neural deterioration that over-use of magic creates in the brains of its practitioners, and the ability to hex modern technology. But both Peter Grant (and his newly discovered German colleague) are policemen first and foremost, then heroic magical apprentices. The books are mystery cases involving supernatural entities and evil mages. Often both in the same story.

Each ruling deity has been tricking their opponents at some occasion on their way to power. Orlanth using Death in a contest of weapons, Ernalda inciting the Dark Tribe to attack the assembled clans in the Making of the Storm Tribe (and tricking those Storm Boys and the Darkness folk), Yelm the White Goddess by refusing to give up judgement after dealing with a comparatively minor issue in her name, ... Trickster's image is shady because usually there are plenty of victims of his crimes. Stealing Fire from the gods may have been his only victim-less and altruistic deed - a mere copyright infringement breaking an unfair monopoly. That earned him the title "Eurmal Friend of Men" in the West. But then the gods are regarded as tricksters themselves by the Westerners, original rune-holding people having tricked mortals other than the Westerners into worshiping them. Pamalt is very much a positive trickster, with Bolongo combining all the evil aspects. Kadiola (a minor sea deity in Fonrit) might be the most beloved Trickster entity anywhere. The Trickster causes disruption or out-of-context situations to bamboozle and overcome his opponents. This disruption may be necessary to initiate change, but usually there are forces that lose from change. These forces are usually not amused. As to Stewart's leading question, do Tricksters worship Humakt? Not impossible - after all, he stole Death from them (we stole it first, that means it's ours!), and regained it even after they stole it back and gave it away. They can respect that. Ever now and then, Tricksters perform some meaningless cruelty. In case of bonded Tricksters, as retaliation for having been denied an earlier impulse. Like the time when Eurmal seduced and then killed the son of the Only Old One.

Probably yes. The ruler at Jon Barat is said to be a Brithini. His Ingareen followers may be Zzaburites without the benefit of being Brithini, but it is as possible that they just accept his leadership and go on with whatever it was they did before after losing the Machine God experiment.

Ah, yes, how could I forget the EWF dragon sun finally getting the Sun right and complete? Poor benighted Karvanyar dragged the empire back to its squalor, though.

Correct. Davu is mentioned in The Lives of Sedenya as one of her previous aspects/avatars/incarnations, and in GRoY as a special protective entity of the descendants of Avivath, the prophet of Antirius. At various points in Time (and previously the Gray Age), the solar worshipers arrived at a point where they said: "This is as much Sun as we have to work with, this is the Sun returned from the Underworld! Rejoice, and worship!" This started with Kargzant returning, or with Kargzant overcoming Shargash in the Sun Swirl. The Dawn brought forth a whole new quality of Sun, and was taken for the Sun released from the Underworld. Most non-Solar people let the story end there. At the end of the first century, an event happened in the sky that is the Bridling of Kargzant. It isn't entirely clear whether this affected the day sky with the sun disk/orb, or whether it affected the night sky with the most luminous object there, Lightfore. Shortly afterwards, Avivath the prophet emerged with his news from Antirius, and with the fearsome power of the Sunspear that the nomad worshipers of Kargzant apparently lacked. The battle of Alavan Argay removed the horse warlords as a political and magical power in the Dara Happan lowlands, and Khordavu could ascend to Emperorship using a more involved form of the rites. Some of that was new, like replacing some of the ancient regalia, some of it was old. Then came the Sunstop, and of course, that showed a yet more powerful form of the Sun. Which made even the emperors of the Khordavu dynasty acknowledge that there was more to their sun god than Avivath and Khordavu were able to give. That's the multiple (stationary) orbs theory, nicely depicted in the Copper Tablets in the Guide. The next universally observable celestial event was the rise of the Red Moon. Which may have been a modified rise of Entekos... hence the Entekosiad. It hasn't yet altered the power of the Sun, except politically.

A dead crystal has no (permanent) POW, and overcoming the POW of a spell target doesn't take that POW (permanent or temporary) away unless it is a Drain spell or attack. RQG doesn't require any attuning to dead/unpowered crystals (Adventure Book p. 122). Only powered crystals require this, and only one such crystal can be attuned by an entity at any time. There are no such limits for dead crystals. A cursory glance at RQ2 showed no different text. In other words, you had better cast a spell with them, or use them to power your control spell... As far as I understand, the only way to empty a crystal is by using the MP for some magic. (I wonder whether stored MP can be used in/as lay worship?) There doesn't seem to be any way to pool MP from various storages into a single one. The only way in is from an entity owning MP (not necessarily regenerating them) into the storage.

But dead crystals... (and in RQ3, Magic Point Matrices) Has there ever been a ban to different individuals feeding one and the same crystal while it still contained "temporary POW" from someone else?

Pluripresence makes such shape considerations pretty much moot. Nobody complains that a dryad has two bodies - that of a nubile humanoid female, and that of a tree. (Other nymphs may have a meadow, a mountain, or a dark place as their other body.) The more powerful the entity, the more simultaneous presences it has. That makes killing gods - even temporarily - such a messy affair, like the Siege of Whitewall. Harrek and Belintar are examples of the tangible double presence of human body and divine presence for demigods (divine entities able to act more or less freely inside the Compromise). Check the Prince of Sartar comic for some great depictions. The God Learners probably had no conceptual problem with multiple expressions of one rune - that's what Zzabur told them, the sorcerer supreme who claims to be an expression of a First Entity (Erasanchula) while inhabiting the body of one of the sons of Malkion and Phlia the Tilnta. While Zzaburism is different from mainstream Malkioni philosophy, the roots are shared. The Hrestoli/Makanist philosophy that gave the rise to "God Learner" exploits like Tanian's Victory or the burning of Vralos contlinues to exist, although a variant philosophy based on a mutilated version of their holy book (strongly resembling the grimoires of the Malkionieranist God Learners who swapped, robbed or created theist deities) has taken over in Tanisor. The magical universities that taught sorcerers and men-of-all to invade and plunder myths systematically aren't run by the Malkioni any more. The Lunar Imperial College of Magic does similar stuff, but lacks the special power of the God Learners, using Illumination instead. The Sartar Magical Union is more an on-the-job training approach.