jajagappa

Sounds like something personally created - I've never run across.

It added a lot to the world view: the first writeup of the Holy Country, lots of odd mythic and weird bits in the Jonstown Compendium, and the first piece of Gloranthan fiction!

If a Heler initiate casting, then I'd make fairly predictable. Might make it one sheep for each 10 or 20% in cloud cover per point. If a Eurmali casting, then more random, maybe 1D6-1 sheep per point. He's not always successful!

For background on the Colymar, and some thoughts on how they first came to Sartar, I drew on the Colymar texts in King of Sartar and Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes. For the area around Whitewall where they originated, I used History of the Heortling People, and some myths related to Garan Low-star from Heortling Mythology. For some additional place related info, I used the old Dragon Pass Gazeteer (HW/HQ1 era supplement). All except the last are available on the Chaosium site, and the last you can get pdf on DriveThruRPG. Also drew on a bit of background for the Battle of Auroch Hills from the Orlanth is Dead (HW/HQ1) supplement and HeroQuest Glorantha. The former on DriveThruRPG and the latter direct from Chaosium. Don't think I went back to anything earlier. And, yes, some home-grown added in, particularly the Vision of the Colymar itself.

I'm guessing it was about 6 hours, possibly as much as 8 - that's going back 30 years ago though. As we only played once a month, we had long sessions usually starting at noon and finishing around 10pm typically. My face-to-face game ran for 10 years always centered on Imther (Greenbrass got transported there) though did have a trek across Balazar and the Elder Wilds to reach Gonn Orta's castle and return, and the Amber Fort sessions were set along the Elf Sea.

Spell lasts until the Mistress Race troll eats her mating partner.

Think that was the first adventure I ever ran years ago, and aside from Griffin Mountain sandbox settings, probably the only published adventure I ever ran until adapting the Harvest Bride for HQG and then the Broken Tower quickstart. Probably finished it in 6+ hours. My face-to-face game sessions back in RQ3 days were typically around 10 hours (including time for a dinner), though I think the battle with the monstrous dragonsnail went about 13 hours in one sitting.

If you want it to be! I'd probably make a Heler Rune magic. But one day while Heler's sheep were browsing the Stormwalk Mountains, Heler heard Orlanth's call to battle. Heler didn't want to bring the sheep to battle (fearing they'd by slaughtered), so looked for someone to tend the sheep while he was away. Only Eurmal was around. Eurmal was sleepy, or naturally reluctant, or didn't want to be bothered, and only agreed if Heler taught him the song to call the sheep since he didn't want to have to get up to gather them if they strayed. Heler gave in, and taught Eurmal the song. But Heler didn't trust Eurmal, so made the song as ethereal as the sheep, and it's easily forgotten. However, since then some Eurmali manage to find the song and use the magic still.

Given the rarity of Mistress Race trolls in the surface world at all, I think the logical place to look for them is in the Underworld where they undoubtedly are sent by the troll mothers to hunt demons, capture spirits, fight the daily invasion of the Underworld by Yelm, and many other hellish tasks.

Sounds cool! Illusions are challenging to create (except for the ones that only you can see via Hallucinate). There are other options though. Sheep are commonly associated with Heler the Rain God and clouds (many types are thought of as herds to sheep). Instead of creating Illusions, it could be a Storm-related Rune magic to Summon Cloud Sheep (must be cast when some % of the sky is cloud covered, or perhaps the size of the flock varies based on the % cloud cover). The Cloud Sheep are as ethereal as fog, but can move, make noise, and help hide you from foes. Vulnerable to Solar magics to clear away clouds (and perhaps powerful winds that blow them away). p.s. such storm/cloud magic would also fit well with ducks.

My Play-by-Post RQG game has been running just shy two years now starting with the Broken Tower. It's hard to define as sessions, but after the Broken Tower, I ran a story arc nominally called "Colymar's Vision" where the adventurers were sent by Queen Leika to Colymar's Lookout to gain a new vision for the tribe after Prince Kallyr's disastrous LBQ and the subsequent bad omens. They had to travel to Garanstone first and then follow Colymar's path to the Lookout. After encounters enroute, an attack by bandits at Blacktree Shrine, a suggestion by the Raven to see Dekko, a venture into Dekko's Crevice where they gambled with Dekko and won a sleeping Earth priestess, a trek to Garanstone where they discovered a group of Yelmalions and Grazers calling down a star daimon and had to help fight off a scorpionman attack, and gaining passage across the waters at Centaur Cross, they finally reached Colymar's Lookout and magically fought for control of the vision with several other groups (including the Yelmalion-Grazer alliance, scorpionmen, and some folk from a distant elf woods). The return saw them stop at the battlefield at Auroch Hills to try to recover the Justice Spear of the Colymar. Now into another story arc nominally called "Into the Hero Wars". They aided Queen Leika at the Battle of the Queens where Prince Kallyr fell. Queen Leika had a battlefield vision where she saw they she needed to gain the Ivory Horn of the Storm. She has sent them off to find it. They've not made it too far yet, just to the ruins of the Lunar slave farm near Old Man Village where they are investigating the former rooms of the Lunar witch Oheha and trying to figure out who beheaded the river spirit Nymie.

It's a good point! And since I started the in-joke with the reference to the Cannon Cult of the dwarves, I'll take the blame for that.

Sorry, that's a dwarf secret! They will have to recycle you now. 😉

There are some occupations that are more incompatible with some cults than others. Ernalda is a Queen, mother, healer, peacemaker, and various other roles. She has Husband-Protectors to send off to fight her wars. But, armies also include figures who can cast powerful magics to aid them including Ernaldan healers and priestesses. If you see a path by which your Ernalda initiate works within the heavy infantry, then make it so! Yes, and one of the greatest Orlanthi heroes, Harmast, was a farmer who was forced to take up the way of the sword and go on great quests both to recover his plough from a powerful demon as well as to bring back the warriors from the Underworld who could save the world from insidious chaos. Occupation is "where you've been". Your adventurer is "in the now". If they are Orlanthi, they still participate in the fyrd/militia, and go on cattle raids and the like. The story of Minaryth Blue (in King of Sartar) is a good example of a farmer/herder who is forced into periodic adventures/wars but regularly returns home to try to have a normal life amidst the Hero Wars. It's only boring if you think (or make your adventurer think) that farming is boring. But otherwise, they are participating in the annual cycle of life that keeps the world going. Yes! My campaigns have had adventurers who were: merchants, scribes, cooks, conmen, smugglers, entertainers, healers as well as more traditional fighters, priests/priestesses, and magic wielders.

As long as they act within the bounds of the cult and provide Ernalda worship, what is, or is not, abuse of that power? There are plenty of examples from Esrolia of powerful queens fighting each other (both in the past, and recently, e.g. Hendira vs. Samastina). Did Hendira abuse her powers? Samastina proved herself closer to Ernalda, but may have "abused" more powers to get herself made Queen.

But this "contradiction" in all likelihood IS part of the magic and its power. Other Ernaldans see or hear the shadow or voice of the goddess. Outsiders are affected by the presence of this person, not necessarily any manifestation of Ernalda (or maybe there is! the ground trembles at her voice, your mind feels heavy with the weight of her words, or whatever).

Then I'd expect a Resistance or Opposed roll to whatever she is saying. But also think about what Charisma means - it doubles your CHA. This can manifest in multiple ways, but particularly in augmenting communication and leadership (it's not necessarily appearance). How would a an initiate of Ernalda use her charisma vs. these unbelievers? With a Malkioni she presents a logical oration, guided by the mind of Ernalda and how she convinced (or deceived) the logicians of the West (or perhaps its a mystical Song hinting at secret knowledge of how to Combine and Separate magical powers in new ways). With a broo she may be visible as the angry Earth Mother who intimidated Thed, and thus invokes her Intimidation to maximum effect.

Because Rune magic is the power, voice, and manifestation of a deity. If you go against your deities and they withdraw their support for you, effectively cursing you and your community, you learn that it is best to be swayed by "magical effects".

The Common Rune spells are now commonly available (yay!) - a change from old RQ2. You only need to choose 3 Special Rune spells as you gain Rune Points. But you can use your Rune Points to cast the special ones you know or any of the Common Rune spells.

As an initiate you've entered into the secrets of your deity - you experience the great rituals directly and interact with not only the priests but the spirits of the cult. It's not too likely that you will be called upon to Sanctify and Ward holy ground. But if the temple has sanctioned you to go on an important mission and you need to interact with the deity, you need to do so on holy ground. Divination has more use - you're trying to understand what the deity wants or expects you to do. Cult spirits are mostly available or present at the temples, so unless you can also Summon one, you're less likely to need that. But you, as initiated in the god, gain the powers over these spirits that your god has. Dismiss Magic, Soul Sight, and Spirit Block are part of what your god can do, so as an initiate these are powers you can channel as much as finding your enemy or healing your wounds.

Cast Spirit Block on him. One of the great things about the Rune Point pool and the availability of common Rune spells is having Spirit Block at hand if you're initiated into any cult.

Providing paths to Discorporate, so that you can travel with the shaman and learn is not the same as "free access". The shaman will have many cautionary tales about stupid pupils who thought they were ready too soon, and are now gone from this world. Yes, mine games use similar interpretation, though parts of the Spirit World "appear" to overlay parts of the mundane world (e.g. if you enter in Orlmarth lands, you can see Kero Fin, for she exists in the Spirit World as well, but there are no "cities", "steads" etc). And those without a shaman for a guide, or a fetch, are very, very vulnerable.

Initiation into Yelm undoubtedly proves that you descend from the Sun God himself - you have the blood of the Sun within you. Inheritance of title / leadership of your Yelmic family, must involve investiture with some of the appropriate accoutrements, the symbols of rulership. The ones I'd expect at this level would be: Loincloth of Morality, which covers all and protects the soul from chaffing; Sandals of Protection, which keep the pure from touching the impure; probably the Girdle of Command, to bear the power of the center; a Low Crown of Rule, which encircles the world like a wall; Orb of Authority, which hovers overhead for protection; Scepter of Order. As you advance in the Cult of Yelm, you have to gain more. The latter three could well have their own tests.

SKoH notes them as renowned troll-fighters. Despite the label of the Dark Orlanthi as descended from Kitori, I don't recall any other references linking the Far Point tribes to Heortland or the Kitori. But there could be Torkani who have intermarried with them. WF15 p.44 as you note describes them as coming from Tarsh. This is consistent with all accounts of the Far Point tribes.

Separate Death from Man (i.e. a mortal), Combine Fertility, Stasis for permanent life. (Doing only the first creates an undead being)