jajagappa

Yes. As well as plenty of other spirits of reprisal.

Bare feet, of course! The color of Hate.

Yes, important to talk about the implications of particular Rune choices in relation to the gods and the cultures. The primary element and the top 2 power Runes most commonly should align with preferred cult. The secondary element serves more as a bonus for characteristics and as a means for inspiration for certain skills/magics. There's a natural antipathy between Air and Moon, or Darkness and Fire, or Water and Fire, etc. Moon will not be useful for Orlanth's magic. But it can inspire you in Magic skills (e.g. Worship, Meditation). And it's personality comes out in someone who seeks balance within their self.

My take is that they represent the "DNA" of the individual's soul - their personality. That can be altered by the prevalent "exercise" of that part of the personality. But they can also be changed by exposure to certain magical forces: a holy fire can burn away your Darkness; shadows can creep into your soul; meditation upon balance may encourage the growth of your Moon; etc. They are definitely descriptive (and mechanical), but also reflect something about the world that you can draw upon within yourself, like innate talents. Definitely the culture and prevalence of deities comes into play. If you want to be part of Orlanth, you'll need Movement or Air. A low level on either will definitely restrict the ability to initiate, cast Rune magic, etc. But I like to encourage variation in personality too.

If the goal was to kill the Ghoul, they've succeeded. But what does it mean to be a Marginal Victory? Several possibilities with very different outcomes: it was able to unleash its Howl and though they've won, all heroes are demoralized it was able to unleash its Howl, and call more ghouls - it's dead, but if they don't get away fast, they'll be facing multiple ghouls though they killed it, the malignant ghoul spirit has arisen from the corpse - perhaps seeking a new more suitable host (and then track down the heroes) as the ghoul 'dies', and the ghoulish spirit flees, they discover the corpse was really a long-lost kinsmen possessed by the spirit - have they possibly committed kin-strife?

We either followed models for cults such as Yanafal, Irrippi, or Etyries, or created our own (as I did for Hwarin Dalthippa which was a primary PC cult in my old Imther campaign).

Much as I enjoy face-to-face, I haven't had that option for some time. I've been running play-by-forum for nearly 5 years now, both HQG and RQG - really enjoy its ability to include more narrative content.

When I started GM'ing RQ years ago, I used four basic books/sources: the RQ rules (RQ3 at the time, though I had RQ2 as well), Cults of Prax, Griffin Mountain, and the History of the Lunar Empire (which is now part of the Glorantha Sourcebook). I set my game in an out-of-the-way corner of the Lunar Empire, the Kingdom of Imther, based on about two sentences in Griffin Mountain plus a bit of the Lunar Empire history (which gave me enough to write a cult of the Conquering Daughter, Hwarin Dalthippa). There was no other background, so all scenarios were created, as was the city the characters resided in. Adventurers largely belonged to one of these cults: Yelmalio, Issaries, Lhankor Mhy/Irrippi Onto, the Conquering Daughter. That's pretty much all you need to work with.

And so billions laughed it off, and all the while the cultists proceeded, preparing the way for not only Cthulhu but also the hordes of spawn lying dormant about the world, and smiling knowingly in their deception of the masses...

I love the ability to quickly find material in the PDF's, and cut-and-paste if needed for something in-game. But I can't sit and "read" through a PDF. It's nice now to be able to open and simply read the book, easily flip between pages, see a full 2-page view, etc.

Several approaches could work, all with the sense that he still has to work for it: 1) He gains a magical object, a Harp of Harmony. When played it causes listeners to forget why they were fighting and to accept offers of friendship. But it only works its magic while played (so might have to learn Play (harp) to get the desired effect). 2) He gains a natural talent/ability called Peaceweaving. It's a Communication skill and starts at a base chance of, say, 30% (plus Communication bonus). Useful, but there's still good chance for failure. 3) He becomes more in tune with the Harmony Rune. Perhaps he hears the Harp of Harmony, or it's the outcome of successfully imposing peace between the Red Wolves and the Green Bears. 4) He gains a Special Rune Magic from the quest. It's a Chalana Arroy rune spell/ritual. Something that lasts for one day in which the parties engage in Peacemaking. Or might be like the old Three-Bean Circus rune spell from Cults of Prax so good for a limited time, but after its expired, then things may be back to normal. A. THE 3 BEAN CIRCUS This cult is of a band or family of ancient times whose fame was widely known as peaceful worshippers of the gods, but their power was broken and cast down during the horrid War of the Gods. However, their persistence is immortal, and they are still wandering about the plains. They have one spell. Peace 3 points Duration 15 min., Range 160 meters, Reusable. This spell causes all persons not of Rune status within a one kilometer radius to lay down their weapons and forget all violence and war. For the length of the spell they prefer rather to listen to the wonders of peace and love which the spirits send ringing through their minds. Only the Most Respected Elder and the High Priestess of the 3 Bean Circus may use this spell.

Some of the origins of these bits are visible in the original entries from my New Lolon Gospel: Khelmal [KHEL-mal] --cultural leader and hero; men’s god Khelmal is the son of Yelem, the sun. His father gave him rule over the Imtherian lands during the days of the Glorious Empire. With Yelem’s death, Khelmal led the fight to preserve the world. He fought first Orlantio and then Orak at the Hill of Gold. He sacrificed his fire powers to escape his foes traps and to continue to aid the people. Heliacal [HEL-ee-ah-cahl] --the Light Protector This companion of Khelmal defended Khelmal's right side at the Hill of Gold and helped hold the forces of darkness at bay. Heliacal is always depicted as a huge warrior carrying a huge and blindingly bright shield. Valind [VAL-ind] --north wind Valind is one of the seven storm sons of Umath and embodies the frigid powers of the north wind, including the snows of winter and the all-destroying glaciers. He brought these powers south during the Storm Age and drove Khelmal from the Hill of Gold. Of all foes of Khelmal, this one was never beaten until Yelem returned to the sky. For long his children ruled the mountain peaks of Imther, advancing in the dark seasons and retreating only in the fire season. Valind is shown as a frosty giant with icy beard and icicle spears. Verhil [VEHR-hil] --ancient earthwielder Variously called the son of Genert, the brother of Nealda, or the father of Balurga, Verhil is an enigmatic figure best known for stepping forward at the Hill of Gold to fill the breach created when Yurmalio betrayed Khelmal. Verhil is said to have sacrificed himself to allow Khelmal to flee. He is not known to have survived into Time, though his title of Earthwielder has appeared several times. Yurmalio [yur-MAHL-ee-oe] --trickster, betrayer of Khelmal Yurmalio was once the companion of Khelmal, a loyal and faithful aide. But he was seduced by Orlantio and betrayed Khelmal at the Hill of Gold. After that, he pursued his own desires. Over time, he traded away his own luck for that of others until he had no luck at all. Eventually, he was defeated by various heroes, whether Khelmal or Gordaval, Arahar or a clan founder. Yurmalio is depicted as a sinister and sneaking fox-headed man. The Battle at the Hill of Gold: Khelmal finally forced a confrontation with Orlantio after Orlantio refused to return Nealda. Khelmal gathered his kin and allies and went to fight at the Hill of Gold. Here Yurmalio betrayed Khelmal. Basmal was slain by Orlantio and his lightning spears were taken. But eventually Khelmal rallied his forces and turned Orlantio aside with his Spear of Hope. Orlantio departed, though not before telling Khelmal that Nealda was now in the hands of Orak the Hell Wind. [A version of the complete story appears in The RuneQuest-Con Compendium, though that version clearly included an element of propaganda directed at the Sun Dome temples of Dragon Pass and Prax.] Khelmal’s Sacrifice: Though Khelmal had driven off most of his foes, Orak the Hell Wind and Valind the North Wind still marched with their demon allies from the north. Heliacal, Khelmal's right-side protector, had held them at bay throughout the battle, parrying all blows with his massive shield of light, but the light was not enough to stop those foes. Neither were the firs of Ryar, which could stand the dark and cold, but broke in the hurricane gales or from the grinding power of deadly ice or under the power of the demon axes. Khelmal was forced to turn and fight them, though he was sorely tired, and the foe was overwhelming. Khelmal called to his friends and allies to rally around him. He still carried hope and offered what he could of it to those with him. He still carried the truth and understood that there was still one path to survival, the only victory that he could now achieve. While Heliacal stood on his right, Khelmal engaged Orak hand-to-hand. Horrible, fearful winds buffeted Khelmal and drove lesser beings from his side. But Khelmal did not try to win. Instead he exposed his left flank, allowing Orak to wound him. And from the wound flowed the fiery powers of Yelem's son, drenching Orak in flame from which he could not escape. Half the hell demons burned in that flow and the others withdrew, confused and cursing the wildfires which sprang up around them. The legions of Valind were lost, melted into mere puddles that could only reflect the glory of Khelmal's achievement. Khelmal's loss was great, though. He was only half what he was and his own forces were in disarray. The wound could not be staunched. So Khelmal called upon his allies to follow him and join him in the mountains of Malatain where he could heal somehow and rally mankind to save the world. Orak, burning in agony, became twisted and distorted into a being of pure hate. Pieces of him turned to ash and were carried by the winds into many corners of the world from which hatreds still spring. That which was most whole called upon his son Ebonn Afrax, the heart of the Hell Wind, to take up the battle standard and destroy the hated Khelmal once and for all. Thus began the great pursuit. Khelmal, wounded and exhausted, limped up along the mountain paths while the demons of the Hell Wind howled around, chasing after his light, his hope, and his truth.

For those who are curious and don't have Enclosure #2, here's my Fall of Heliakal story. The Fall of Heliakal Though all know that Heliakal, the Seat of Judgment, left and did not return, only the Tusori know the fate of Heliakal. Heliakal was the son of Pallanak, the Fire Orb and Lord of the Sun. His father gave him rule over Reladivela, as he gave other sons rule over other parts of the world. Reladiva, daughter of the earth, was the consort of Heliakal and they together ruled the Bowl of Reladiva. There came a day when Pallanak was cast down from the sky. There came a day when wicked gods chipped and broke the Bowl of Reladiva and Reladiva hid in shame. There came a day when the Seat of Judgment no longer moved. Heliakal knew then that justice was gone from the world. Heliakal called upon his kin for aid and they answered. Tunoral came at the rear for he always was a follower in those days. Heliakal marched north to fight Valkharal who is called Winter King and who had locked justice in a frozen tomb. The forces converged at the Lip of Reladiva[1]. Heliakal, guided by the shards of justice, made the three demands to Valkharal. Valkharal, true to his nature, refused. Then Valkharal, true to his nature, made his own demands, though they were injust. Heliakal, guided by the shards of justice, refused. Then Valkharal, true to his nature, revealed his first weapon, Ralantak the Winds of Change. These tore at the allies of Heliakal and on that day, Yotelap the Fox betrayed his lord. Then Valkharal, true to his nature, revealed the second weapon, Orak the Nightmare, Mask of Darkness. He frightened the allies of Heliakal and on that day, Sarval the Possum played dead. Then Valkharal, true to his nature, revealed the third weapon, Vinak, the Bonecrushing Grip, the Fist of Valkharal. This broke the allies of Heliakal and on that day, Heliakal sacrificed his own fire powers so that his allies could flee. Though the fires of Heliakal were enlarged by the Winds of Change, and though the fires of Heliakal drove the Nightmares away, they were useless against the Bonecrushing Grip. Heliakal was seized and crushed, his bones broken and his blood sealed in Ice. Valkharal made his palace there and called it Ice Crown Peak. Tunoral was amongst those who fled, but not before he found the Shield of Heliakal and carried it into hiding. [1] [Hill of Gold]

430-million-year-old-fossil-of-sea-creature-named-after-lovecrafts-cthulhu-mythos Plenty of articles out on this with some fun headlines such as: Fossilised remains of ‘Cthulhu’ creature that stalked the seas 430 MILLION years ago found in Herefordshire

Given your noted perspective: King of Sartar - this has the central conflict of Glorantha in narrative plus many other intriguing bits about the world set around the central question: Who was Argrath? Prince of Sartar comic - free, online - it's not complete but you get to meet the central players from several perspectives Glorantha Sourcebook - outlines history of Dragon Pass, the Elder Races, the pantheons of the gods, and the history of the Lunar Empire for full immersion, the Guide to Glorantha - the whole world outlined including the Sky, the seas, and more There's lots of other directions from those, many of which published in associations with the various Glorantha games, but the above will keep you going for a long while and are richly detailed and original.

I'm not sure I'd suggest this (or ever seen it suggested). Personally, I think it's more likely some extra hard stone - hard enough to survive the assaults by chaos that lapped at it. Not the only reference to that - it goes all the way back to Cults of Prax p.53: "This is a place of pilgrimage and Heroquest, although no temple exists here." Reladiva (or Reladivela) is not the Mare Goddess, she's the Earth goddess (though quite possible used differently in Six Ages - I haven't seen that content), aka the Green Woman. Redalyda is the Mare Goddess, aka the Red Woman. I think it predates it - it's part of the ongoing Sun - Storm conflict even after Yelm dies. I wouldn't make that leap. There's really no connection with bats/Blue Moon with Hill of Gold stories, and no reason to add in. Fox has associations with both Eurmal (Yotelap the Fox aligns with the Orlanth story, so definitely had Eurmal origins) and as the white fox with Inora, so easy to blend together. Valkharal is definitely Valind. Orak is Zorak Zoran. Vinak the Bonecrushing Grip was not intended to be Zorak Zoran, but the hand/fist of Valind (basically an Inora substitute in the myth). All that said, the myth works fine. I doubt the bat rune - seems to be apart from the myth. I obviously used Khelmal in my Imtherian/Vanchite stories which derived from: Kerator (the Torch) + Heliakal (fragmented) + Elmal. And at the same time, uses the "foreign" KH which comes from Sanken, the land just north of Vanch (i.e. Khordavu's home). CH only appears in two figures: Ashchartha and Chalana Arroy. CHA being white and associated with the North and the White Camp (I personally think they are Altinae deities). Less likely to connect this with the Yelmalio figure (though I did pair Khelmal and Khalana as brother and sister in my Imtherian myths).

One thing I've done is to have their foes change tactics. Can happen in several ways: two foes gang up on a hero; the primary foe casts "magic" and ups their difficulty; more foes arrive on the scene; something changes in the environment around them (e.g. a fire erupts, a thunderstorm occurs, etc.). Interesting thought.

The Quickstart works well as a basic intro without a huge amount of culture to have to absorb. The Gamemaster Adventures Book provides a good intro to the basic setting with clans, Clearwine, and Apple Lane. A few more scenarios to get a basic feel for the surroundings. King of Sartar (or Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes as you noted) have good overviews of Orlanthi society to get into everyday life.

No, RQG is a "grittier" level of combat (plus a lot more hand-to-hand combat weapons), though not dissimilar in concept. One makes an attack roll, the opponent chooses whether to parry with their weapon or dodge.

And mine has arrived!!! I wasn't expecting until Thursday, so surprised to find it waiting at the door today. Looks great, and very solid slipcase.

I always pictured a Neanderthal or maybe even a Homo Erectus look to these folk. Seem to be very much based on the old Edgar Rice Burroughs Land that Time Forgot series.

I've been using for some time and find it effective. It's a good level of difficulty vs. augmented breakouts as it cancels out the masteries, but tends to be very even as to who gets success/fail.

I've encountered the issue and I added more difficulty levels. I kept High at base +6, added in Quite High at +12 (IIRC), and then there's Very High at base +W.

It's not made for it in the way you described it. It will pull you out of the narrative game and very much into a simulationist style. When I first played HQ, my mindset was still along this line and I felt that if anything it lengthened the Extended Contest further while destroying the flow of the story. I agree, reducing the number of points will just make it seem like a quick event one way or another. They do not need to be static. While some players will continue with the same actions/rolls, others switch to a different ability with different augment to potentially shift the focus and the difficulty against them. Sometimes a given hero will take a Defensive Action against a given foe or possibly a pair of foes so that other heroes can gang up on another one and remove them from action. The strategic use of a Hero Point can also help shift this.

It was one of four hero bands written up in the original Narrator's Book for Hero Wars. As Joerg noted, it appears in a few of the subsequent texts. Gyffur Ulfsson kills, destroys, and demolishes. He is a fanatical rebel, with a band of committed berserks. They all worship Barantaros, a demigod who lets their souls fight on after death. Their warband is organized entirely around that god, so that they do nothing except raid, vanish into the wilds, and ride on to the next ambush or fight. To join them is to leave normal society. To meet them as foes is to leave the world of the living.