Jeff

One other thing - Greg used to say that his definition of an "internet troll" was someone who did not positively contribute to a conversation - be it by providing an answer (and when possible what that answer is based on), providing additional ideas and thoughts, or just keeping things friendly and positive. Walls of text or snark do not positively contribute to a conversation.

Correct. Arroin once saved Kyger Litor, but Kyger Litor is still an enemy of Chalana Arroy. As she is of ALL the Lightbringers. Hint - the reason is in the name.

I am reluctant to brand something as "RuneQuest" unless it has: Runes (or their equivalent) Strike Ranks Hit Locations Same system of calculating hit points, characteristic modifiers, damage bonus, etc. Similar magic system If we get away from any of those, then it is better off letting it be its own thing, built off the BRP chassis.

Can we confine this thread to questions that would be germane to Aeolians, Heortland, etc. If you want to go further afield, please create a new thread.

That would need to be one hell of heroquest. Maybe you could make a specific broo or even a small group of broo into something else, but the whole species? That's a bigger change than raising the Red Moon into the sky.

For what it is worth, I don't view Apple Lane as having its own community spirit. Most residents are either Hiording or Varmandi, and the Uleria temple has its own spirit. Most residents go to the Thane if there are disputes, and go to their clan or tribal temples for important worship ceremonies. It is after all a hamlet - an "unincorporated community" or "census-designated place" to use US municipal terms.

Joerg - can you please not post 3200 word wall of text as a reply? If you want to create a new thread then create one. But to be perfectly fair, those sorts of replies are nearly unreadable and tend to force people out of forums.

From the perspective of the Humakt cult? A benevolent or neutral spirit is not usually dangerous, a ghost usually is. But the God of Death doesn't really care that much about either, except for those spirits that serve him.

It was not a throwaway line.

This is what the Humakt Cult writeup says: Humakti philosophy does not believe in maintaining a body separated from its spirit. The forming of vampires, skeletons and other undead or undead-like creatures is anathema. Gark the Calm and the vampire cult of Vivamort are usual targets of Humakt’s aggression. The cult is not troubled by a spirit that maintains its existence separate from its body and ghosts are not considered undead by the cult.

Undead is something that by the laws of the cosmos should be in the world of the Dead but is now operating in the realm of the Living against the rules. Vampires, skeletons, zombies - these are all animated corpses, they are dead things acting in the realm of the Living. Spirits, even ghosts, are not undead, as they are spirits acting as spirits. Resurrected folk (even self-resurrected folk) are not undead - they Living beings that have defeated Death.

Accusing someone of being dishonourable (cowardice in personal combat, killing or molesting prisoners, oath-breaking) is a VERY serious insult and could trigger a test of the Honor Passion. Similarly accusing someone of being tainted by Chaos is a pretty deadly insult.

Well of course there are plenty of reasons why it is not a Rune spell. First and foremost is that it has been learned by people who don't necessarily even worship Dormal.

These look GREAT!

Are you really going to trust your survival and your cargo to the appearance of a blue planet in the sky. If you think that's the case, you really have never gone sailing on the blue seas!

I've never found it difficult for players and GMs to comprehend the basic tenets of the Chalana Arroy cult, and in my experience it is one of the more popular cults. Here's what it says in the Cults Book: REQUIREMENTS TO BELONG An initiate must take an oath never to harm an intelligent creature or to needlessly cause pain to any living thing. She must become a vegetarian and is forbidden to learn any combat skill but Dodge. An initiate must give 50% of her income to a high healer of Chalana Arroy. Foes incapacitated by a Chalana Arroy initiate (e.g., through a spell such as Befuddle or Sleep) are under her protection. She may not allow them to be harmed in any way, though they may be disarmed or captured. Chaotic foes are exempt from this protection. The High Healer has no restrictions beyond that of an initiate, except that they must answer a legitimate Lightbringer’s Summons or lose all Rune points and other benefits of their goddess. PRIORITIES Ideally, Chalana Arroy’s healers value all life equally. In practice, a hierarchy of value exists; plants are eaten for food, and if necessary, an animal can be killed to heal a sentient being or another, more valuable, animal. Animals are also killed to obtain ingredients for medicines. Such slaughter must be done sparingly and as mercifully as possible. The killing of an intelligent being is never acceptable.

It is worth keeping in mind that there are about as many people in Seshnela as there are in the Holy Country. Very unlikely that Seshnela is a mono-culture.

Yes. That's it exactly.

Yep. And a lot of these one-liners should not and will not get defined outside of the individual reader. The effort to answer all questions, to resolve all mysteries - well, that is what destroyed the Second Age.

They aren't in the Red Book of Magic because it is a companion to the forthcoming Cults of Glorantha which has over 100 cults. It is easier doing that for a self-contained list of a dozen cults.

The "original" Abiding Book dates from 646. Not sure how many copies were ever made - for these purposes, let's assume that relatively few copies were allowed to be made. The God Learners council was responsible for the original text, and they made authorised copies, summaries, abridged or expanded versions. Of course, some individual God Learners surreptitiously made their own copies. So after 250 years, we have a variety of different "Abiding Books", but you could always seek the God Learners council to consult the original. At least until the Closing hit Jrustela. Then you were left with the versions that had been made for various purposes. In places like Seshnela or Fronela or Slontos, folk tried to reconstruct the original book based on the versions of available BUT war and disaster screwed that up. Jrustela and Slontos sunk, Seshnela was sundered, and the God Learners were overthrown in Fronela. Rokar realised the God Learners were the problem. He assembled the Sharp Abiding Book, cutting out the God Learners lies and creating a "pure" text. Whether it bears much resemblance to the book that once was in Jrustela is up to you.

Eiritha is in Sartar. Her cult is pretty small, probably less than 3000 people in total, but it is there.

I just posted this on Facebook and it might be a useful reference here: FLORA During the Inhuman Occupation, much of Sartar was dotted with clumps of elf woods. These were mainly yellow pine forests with stands of beech, cedar, Douglas fir, oak, and white spruce, and even a few carefully guarded redwood groves. Remnants of these pine forests still survive around the base of the Quivin and Storm Mountains, near the Indigo Mountains, and in the Lost Man Thickets. Tarndisi’s Grove is an isolated stand of this older forest. Before human settlement, the valley floors were mostly grassland with scattered copses of oak. Much of this land is now heavily cultivated with wheat, barley, grapes, and orchards. Tall, leafed trees like aspens, cottonwoods and sycamores line the riparian zones, and on the stream banks, bayberries (used for both healing purposes and candlemaking) grow profusely. North of the Creek in the Donalf Flats there are still broad expanses of grasslands with scattered stands of oaks and pines. The hills of Sartar have mixed oak and pine woodland and savanna, where oaks and pines are the dominant trees, and open grassland, filled with wildflowers in late Sea Season. Jang is a common flower, used also as a healing plant. Brush fires are common during late Fire Season and early Earth Season, marking the presence of Oakfed. Above 900 meters, the oak woodlands give way to stands of yellow pine, white firs, spruce, and incense cedars. In the eastern Guardian Hills, the oaks and pine savannah gives way to low-stunted conifers and the thickets of dark-leafed shrubs, sagebrush, and bunchgrass of Prax. FAUNA Dragon Pass is famed for its draconic inhabitants. Dream dragons, wyrms, and wyverns are rare but hardly unknown. More commonly seen are the herds of dinosaurs that can be found around the Moaning Valley or along the outskirts of the Upland Marsh, including ankylosaurs, brontosaurs, hadrosaurs, and triceratops. Less common are carnivorous dinosaurs such as allosaurs, deinonychus, pteranodons, and the occasional spinosaur or tyrannosaur. Dinosaurs are sacred to the Earth goddesses, particularly Maran Gor. Of the larger mammals, bighorn sheep, bison, boar, deer, elk, impala, and sables are common. The occasional sky bull or mammoth herd can be found in the high elevations, and a few mastodon herds dwell in the wooded areas. Pig dogs are also occasionally seen. Carnivorous mammals include grizzlies, the more commonly seen black bears, and the rare white bear. Sightings of badgers, coyote, foxes, otters, rubble runners, shadowcats, and wolves are common; cougars and saber-toothed cats are present but less frequently seen. Jaguars are occasionally seen in the lower elevation areas of southern Sartar. Smaller mammals include chipmunks, jackrabbits, martens, porcupines, red squirrels, ringtail cats, and skunks. The area is rich in reptile life, including corn snakes, kingsnakes, and rattlesnakes. The diamondback rattlesnake is the largest snake regularly seen. Cliff toads and rock lizards are not uncommon, especially in the Guardian Hills. Giant turtles can be found in riparian areas. There are countless species of birds, including bluebirds, blue jays, crows, hummingbirds, ravens, redbirds, swans, wild turkeys, and woodpecker. Although the area is famed for the little anthropomorphic duck people, there are also normal ducks. There are golden eagles and other birds of prey such as the osprey, red-tailed hawk, falcons, and many types of owls. Vultures and condors are common, particularly in the Guardian Hills. Giant insects are common, particularly near the Troll Woods or the Indigo Mountains. The giant wasps of the Wasps Nest range throughout southern Sartar, and giant bees are frequently seen near the Vale of Flowers.

If you read nothing else, read that section above.

A lot of good stuff there. Thanks for assembling this Martin!