jajagappa

Not sure what 'bidding process' you're referencing, but maybe that's something from HQ1? There's no bidding process that I've ever encountered in HQG. My Extended Contests resolve in roughly 4-5 'rounds', and I've never found they bog the game down. As I've noted before, they are climactic events. They provide a tension and drama, with an opportunity for things to go back and forth that I don't find a Simple Contest provides. They provide opportunities for Assists to help someone recover in the midst of the event, or for a shift in focus/try something new to alter the contest, or for a last ditch use of a Hero Point to swing events more favorably. I run RuneQuest as well and that has its own feel. With HeroQuest, I want the narrative to flow like a story - at key points, the narrative focuses in on something more intense and more extended, so they work for me.

Jaldon's Rest looks like a nice spot overlooking not one but two beaches! The Red Goddess only knows what's going to come floating out of Snakepipe Hollow when the waters get into the Caves of Chaos! Time for some Deep Ones and Cthulhu Rising maybe?

Most commonly the dead worshippers of that cult (e.g. ancestors and the like). Then there will be those that have some association with the cult's runes (e.g. air or motion spirits for Orlanth) or spirit magics (e.g. a spirit that knows Bladesharp). Some might be animal or plant spirits (e.g. alynx spirits for Yinkin). And also spirits of a particular place. It's much as noted for wyters on p.173-4 of RQG Bestiary: The origins of an individual wyter varies, and wyters include the spirits of dead heroes, genius loci, children of gods, artificial psychic constructs, souls of extinct spirits, intelligent elementals, and many other possibilities. Also consider more powerful cult spirits like the Snake Daughters of Ernalda on p.175 who require a 4 pt. Summon Cult Spirit spell. Guardian spirits would represent spirits already summoned and bound to a particular place.

Yep. Though perhaps the local denizens (trolls, elves, etc) will enforce an Entrance fee as well, or add their own Exit fee on top of Argrath's. The Cult of the Who. 😉

This is an area that feels like a bit of a cross between RQ2 and RQ3. RQ2 (which RQG goes back to) did not have INT for animals. That's what's reflected in the RQG Bestiary. RQ3 though had the concept of Fixed INT - animals had a set INT (generally 3 or 4) which means they don't have conscious active thought, but obviously have brains and can react, etc. although in some rare cases you could have animals with full INT (i.e. Xd6). Animal spirits seem to be based more on the RQ3 concept, so all animal spirits would have some degree of INT assigned.

She'll just go Invisible like her assassins and move through it like it wasn't even there.

My players have used both. Sometimes consistently using the same ability throughout, sometimes switching tactics if one route didn't seem to work. I just go with whatever they feel fits the situation. I use and enjoy both simple and extended contests. The climax of the session is always extended - makes the players feel like their heroes have really earned the rewards (and usually much more dramatic and nail-biting). Usually the peak of the Rising Action is also extended as it offers an important mid-point event.

That makes a lot of sense - effectively they've become sorcerous symbols.

The easiest one is Movement. My players regularly use that as inspiration to hurry up, help in a chase, improve the chance of dodging, climbing, or jumping, maybe even react faster (e.g. help with a DEX roll). Death is obviously relevant to attack rolls or combat in general. I'd use it with the Peaceful Cut or Prepare Corpse, might even help with something like Battle or Underworld Lore. They've used Truth to help with Communication rolls (e.g. Charm, Orate) where they are trying to impress their truthfulness/veracity upon the target, or in aiding Lore or some Perception skills. I'd allow Illusion to help with anything related to Stealth (e.g. they think of just the right way to hide in the shadows or use the surrounding populace to be inconspicuous in a crowd), Concealment, Fast Talk or Charm (maybe even Intimidate). Fertility has obvious uses with healing skills (First Aid), giving birth, Communications skills like Charm, Dance, or Sing, etc. Stasis is useful when working on a Craft or Art. I might also apply it to standing up to a crowd (e.g. with Orate or Intimidate) or applying it to a STR-related resistance roll. Harmony works with Communication and Manipulation skills - think of Dance, Sing, Act, or Play (Instrument). But you could use it to help harmonize group activities, or to facilitate Ride, Drive, or Boat skills. Disorder would seem to apply best to skills where you are trying to cause confusion or leverage confusion to get results. Fast Talk or Charm, also Intrigue. With Game it would allow you to cheat better, with Sleight to cause distraction to improve pickpocketing someone. You could be inspired to have confusing antics that help in combat or that make you Ride in some crazy manner that hinders your opponent in a chase. But maybe someone could use it with Lore to get some crazy inspiration about two seemingly disconnected pieces of information? Man ties into civilized activities - inspiration for something like Insight(Human), but also Intrigue or artistic activities. Beast means drawing on your wild self - maybe its savage frenzy in combat, maybe its improving your chance to survive in the wild, or Track your prey....

It should use a Drive (Wagon) skill, and not the same as Drive (Chariot).

Probably depends on whether the dwarves got their blessing or not. I don't suspect the Luatha will overly care about some of Orlanth's offspring being drowned. And I'm sure they have their own sorcerers who can just raise the walls of the Tower of Dusk or raise some further bulwark farther out against it.

Lovely little bit! The joy of the Underworld before Yelm came along and messed it all up (not to mention Death).

This. I cannot make my Loyalty(Colymar) do anything to make you feel or invoke your Loyalty(Colymar). I might be able to use Orate or Fast Talk to trigger your Passion, but my Passion won't do it. Similarly, my clarity of mind due to my strength in the Fire Rune cannot do anything to help you overcome your low Fire Rune level (or help you perceive anything better). I can only use it to improve my skills, etc.

Unless they are protected by dark Arkati heroes stationed at that point of the path!

I think it is very much a "game" thing as you noted. The question is really: what does "ownership" signify? The original "owners" were effectively the first emanations or "intelligences" of those Runes. Acos is Stasis/Stability, Kargan Tor is Separation, Uleria is Fertility/Life, etc. Most of those beings are gone - destroyed or "killed" in the Gods War, or perhaps just chopped up into the fragments/threads of those Runes that permeate the world. The new "owners" would appear to be those entities that have collected, gathered, or utilized the "most" or "best" of that Rune. That might not be the best way to phrase it, and it probably depends on the Rune. Humakt is Death, therefore is the Separation of the mortal body and the spirit/soul. Is he all Separation? No, I don't think so, but he seems to have the most powers of Separation. Only Uleria retains herself as the original emanation of a Rune.

That's a very interesting tidbit!

Indeed, you are not alone! 😎 I like this phrasing - seems to capture a real essence of Illumination.

Yes. My players love them and take good advantage of them. Most of those they use are in the 70-80% range. They periodically apply skill augments as well.

The goddess of Night (aka Xentha). (GS p.102): "He is son of the Sun God and the goddess of the Night, and conceived in the Underworld. His sister is the Blue Moon goddess (typically Annilla or Veldara)."

There is no indication it requires that, and it should specifically state so if it does. The only note in the spell is "If the weapon has a spirit in it, the spirit’s magic points must be overcome for the spell to work." Yes, it is. The cults that have it as common spirit magic are: Chalana Arroy and Maran Gor.

He's a small god of a small cult. If your entertainer is worried about such, then have them join Ernalda, Orlanth, or Yelm as an associated cult and get access to their Healing powers.

There's opportunity to do more. I think this is particularly true for Sorcery (and Mostali magic) and that's where I plan to use such (e.g. spells to Tap runic essence and then use in powering some other spell or dwarven device. It should, and I would allow that. Success - you know that the person feels strongly about the matter, but can't discern the full motivation. Special - you can discern the person is driven by Loyalty, Love, Hate, Fear, etc. but not the specifics (unless the context is obvious). Critical - you can discern the specific passion driving them. Fumble - you think the motivation is due to something else altogether or completely miss it. (e.g. Fear (Kallyr) when its really Love (Kallyr)).

Space in their temples at which they can learn spirit magic or, in Molamin's case, restore rune points via worship.

There are plenty of riddle tellers besides Nysalor and may be as much associated with the Trickster. Riddle telling is one form of gateway to something beyond with the riddle teller as the guardian of the secret. The Riddling Raven of the Crossroads (from Arcane Lore) is one example.

There's an underlying assumption that the god of storms, clouds, and wind thinks of himself as a man. If you've ever looked at a cloud, it's a lot easier to picture a sheep than a man.