Jeff

Most Dara Happans can't readily initiate into the Yelm cult. In most cases, it is about 5% of the population who initiate to Yelm - the nobility. At least three times that number are Lodril initiates. So Yelm is the RULING cult but not the main men's cult. Same thing in Pent. In most Solar Tribes, Yelm is the god of the leaders and the noble families. Except among the Pure Horse People, where he is the main men's god.

Yelm is worshiped by all the Solar Tribes, but few outside the Pure Horse People can initiate to him. Just like in the rest of Peloria. Whereas among the PHP, he's the main men's deity (just like with the Grazeland Pony Breeders).

Kargzant is a pre-Dawn Light god. He's Lightfore. Most settled folk in the Pelorian bowl associate him with Yelmalio. Why do you think that Yelmalio has Kuschile horse archery and other horse-y skills? Yu-Kargzant is the Sun that appeared with the Dawn. At first, many people thought he was the Sun Disk carried by Kargzant or Antirius or whatever, but soon enough most everyone concluded he is the returned Yelm.

Looks like there will be a limited number of the two volume set printed up for GenCon. My advise is to get there Thursday morning, or get someone to go Thursday morning for you.

Actually there is a perfectly good reason to call the Pure Horse god as "Yelm the Sun Horse" - as everyone would agree that the sun god worshiped by the Dara Happans, by the Pure Horse People, and invoked as the rival of Orlanth by the Orlanthi is the SAME GOD. However, the Pure Horse People speak a different language from the Dara Happans and other Pelorians, so call Yelm "Yu-Kargzant". Yelmalio cultists are human beings, and so their elements are Fire/Sky, Earth, Air, Water, Darkness, and Moon. But Yelmalio only has the Light aspect of Fire/Sky (similar to Polaris, Dayzatar, and plenty of others). They are forbidden from calling on the Fire aspects of Fire/Sky, but for game mechanical reasons it is unnecessarily complex to have to trade your Runes around. The cult writeup makes it clear you can't use those spirit magic spells. But at the same time, senior priests of Yelmalio can call down the ultimate FIRE spell - Sunspear - using their Fire Rune, by calling upon Yelm (who most definitely is Fire and Sky)..

Issaries is Movement and Harmony.

As I see it, the major cults not appearing in this book are: Triolina (I really need to think far more about the Triolini before I tackle this cult) Godunya (already appearing in another book) Pamalt (will need to wait until I get to the South) Ompalam (see above) Seseine (see above) Invisible God (gets its own book) Arkat (needs Invisible God) Wachaza (needs to wait - his cult is right now confined largely to the Wachaza) There are numerous minor cults that will appear elsewhere - Pavis, Zola Fel, etc. They are purely local entities.

The definitive list of cults and spirit cults in the Cults of Glorantha are: 1. Kyger Litor 2. Anilla 3. Aranea 4. Argan Argar 5. Gorakiki 6. Himile 7. Subere 8. Xentha 9. Xiola Umbar 10. Zorak Zoran 11. Magasta 12. Choralinthor 13. Dormal 14. Engizi 15. Oslira 16. Ernalda 17. Aldrya 18. Asrelia 19. Babeester Gor 20. Caladra & Aurelion 21. Donandar 22. Eiritha 23. Flamal 24. The Grain Goddesses 25. Hykim & Mykih 26. Maran Gor 27. Mostal 28. Ty Kora Tek 29. Uleria 30. Voria 31. Yelm 32. Dayzatar 33. Dendara 34. Gorgorma 35. Lodril 36. Lokarnos 37. The Lowfires 38. Polaris 39. Shargash 40. Yelmalio 41. Yelorna 42. Orlanth 43. Chalana Arroy 44. Eurmal 45. Issaries 46. Lhankor Mhy 47. Barntar 48. Daka Fal 49. Foundchild 50. Heler 51. Humakt 52. Lanbril 53. Mastakos 54. Odayla 55. Storm Bull 56. Valind 57. Waha 58. Ygg 59. Yinkin 60. Horned Man 61. Earth Witch 62. Evening Star 63. Frog Woman 64. Kolat 65. Morning Star 66. Rainbow Girl 67. Raven 68. Six Sisters 69. Sun Hawk 70. Thunder Bird 71. Traveling Stone 72. Twin Sisters 73. White Princess 74. Robber 75. Sky River Titan 76. Oakfed 77. Seven Mothers 78. Danfive Xaron 79. Deezola 80. Etyries 81. Hon-eel 82. Hwarin Dalthippa 83. Irrippi Ontor 84. Jakaleel 85. Nysalor 86. Red Goddess 87. Teelo Norri 88. Yanafal Tarnils 89. Yara Aranis 90. Primal Chaos 91. Bagog 92. Cacodemon 93. Crimson Bat 94. Krarsht 95. Krjalk 96. Mallia 97. Pocharngo 98. Thanatar 99. Thed 100. Vivamort

Nah, I am done. But while adding the Starting As An Initiate of XXXX sections for each cult, I managed to unblock what I wanted to write about Yara Aranis. It also brings us to 100 cults and spirit cults.

And how could I forget - Yara Aranis!

A sneak peak of how Books and Scrolls get handled in the RQC! MAGIC BOOKS AND SCROLLS Mechanically, a book typically adds +1D4x5% to one or more skills. Some might also provide knowledge in one or more sorcerous Runes or Techniques and even provide knowledge of specific sorcery skills. A few special books can even raise a characteristic modifier or increase a characteristic. These books should be the object of quests in their own right. Give thought to their actual physical appearance, the proper bonuses (esp with Ian’s entries), who’d want it and where you might buy/sell it. Glorious Reascent of Yelm: Composed in the First Age, this text is a mythic cosmology and kings list of the Yelmic religion. It takes three seasons to study. With a successful Read Firespeech, it adds +20% to the reader’s Yelm Lore, +10% to Dara Happan Customs, and +5% to Celestial Lore. The Roads and Graves of the Makers: This text lists the first seven Sartarite kings, their main deeds, the roads they built, and where their graves are. There are many variations of this (often simply called “The Sartar Dynasty”). This text takes a hour to study and with a successful Read Theyalan it adds +5% to the reader’s Sartar Homeland Lore. The Orange Book or Theogony: This collection of God Learner texts from the Mythical Synthesis Movement is allegedly based on the Blue and Brown Books of Zzabur. It details the origins of the cosmos and the Runes, includes a series of genealogies of the different gods, arranged by elemental Rune, and describes the major events of the Gods War. This book consists of 84 orange-coloured sheets of vellum and takes three seasons to study. With a successful Read Theyalan roll it adds +15% to the reader’s base Cult Lore skill and +5% to the reader’s Magic modifier. Upon a successful INT+POW roll on a D100, the reader achieves intellectual mastery of the Summon Technique as per page 384 of the RuneQuest rules. Most versions of this book include 1D3 sorcery spells. The book is thought to be protected by a dangerous curse. Songs of the House of Sartar: This epic poem is based on oral tradition and details deeds and tragedies of the House of Sartar prior to the Lunar invasion of 1602. It is intended to be read aloud and was likely composed by a poet and only later recorded and refined by a Lhankor Mhy sage. The poem consists of 2400 stanzas divided into nine books. It takes about three hours to listen to the entire poem. With a successful Read Theyalan roll, it adds +10% to the reader’s Heortling Customs and +5% to their Sartar Homeland roll. If the reader succeeds with a Sing roll while reading the poem, those who listen to the full poem and succeed with a Speak Heortling get the same bonus. Six Chapters on Sword Fighting: This combat manual is thought to date back to the Second Age and is commonly attributed to Li Phanquan. The text takes a season to study and with a successful Read Theyalan skill roll it adds +10% to the reader’s Sword skill. Studying the palace records: A season spent studying the records of the local palace or temple combined with a successful Read skill in the language the records are written in adds +5% to both the reader’s Bureaucracy and (local) Customs. The Lives of Our Red Goddess: This didactic tract is an account of the birth of the Red Goddess by the Seven Mothers and of the Seven Steps of the Red Goddess to Hell and back. It is often illustrated. With a successful Read New Pelorian roll, the reader gains +10% in Seven Mothers Cult Lore and +2% to their chance of Illumination.

The Sword "Wrath" Description A double-edged enchanted iron great sword with a cruciform hilt, intended to be used with both hands. Silver inlayed Runes are carved into the groove of the blade, most prominently the Death Rune. Cults Associated: Humakt, Lismelder Tribe.. Friendly: Lightbringer cults. Enemy: Vivamort Knowledge Famous, One of a Kind. History Wrath was forged by the Mostali in the Greater Darkness to fight against Vivamort and his minions. Its most famous wielder in the Third Age was the Humakti hero Indrodar Greydog. Indrodar used the sword to bring Final Death to countless undead and even wound Delecti the Necromancer. Since Indrodar's demise in the Upland Marsh, the fate of the sword is unknown. Powers Wrath does 2D8+3 damage. It is sentient, with an INT 13, POW 16, and CHA 16. It will link itself to the person who successfully allies with it. It will serve its attuned wielder alone until the wielder dies.Wrath knows the following spirit magic spells: Bladesharp 6, Demoralize 2, Protection 4, Parry 4. The user attuned to Wrath can spend 2 magic points to use the sword's Turn Undead ability. The user can do this repeatedly, as long as they have sufficient magic points. The sword also has a flaw, known only to the Humakt cult. At some point, the sword will be commit three terrible deeds on the part of the owner. Indrodar used Wrath to kill his king, his queen, and one other. Value 2000 L or more to the Humakt cult or the Lismelder Tribe, 1000 L to those unaware of its history.

The Eye of the Half-Bird Description A perfectly spherical golden-yellow gemstone almost 6 cm in diameter with a large 3 cm black spot. The gemstone is semi-semi-transluscent. Cults Associated: Belintar. Friendly: Lightbringer cults. Knowledge Famous, One of a Kind. History The Half-Bird is a remarkable entity that exists half-alive, and half-dead. The Half-Bird is claimed by some to be a child of Androgeus; others claim it is suffers under a curse from that entity. Belintar stabilised the Half-Bird's condition so that half of the bird is alive, while the other half is now skeletal remains. The Eye is part of the mortal remnants of that remarkable entity. Powers By expending 1 magic point and looking through the Eye, a user in the Mundane World can peer into the Spirit World; with 2 magic points, the viewer can see into the Gods World that lies behind our own. The viewer can see otherworld entities and interact with them. The reverse is also true - and it enables discorporate spirits in the Spirit World to peer into and interact with the Mundane World. Value 2000 L or more to the right buyer. The Half.Bird greatly desires the return of its eye and offers invaluable knowledge and magical secrets for its return.

Great work! Want to submit it to the Great Plunder Competition?

Glorantha-philes! Here's your chance to participate in the Great Gloranthan PLUNDER Competition! Submit your Gloranthan magical item for the glory of the Tribe! The rules are: 1. Use the format provided below. 2. Use the RQG rules only. 3. You grant Chaosium permission to edit and publish your submission if they decide it is Pure Gloranthan Gold. 4. You grant Chaosium and the rest of the world, the right to use your submission. Here's the format: Title Below the title is a description of the item’s physical appearance including any observable evidence of magical power. Occasionally an item will be known by more than one name. Cults This section lists the relation of the item (and its possessor) with various cults. · Associated: Members of these cults are the primary users and/or makers of the item. A member of an associated cult is likely to have heard of an item even if it is fairly obscure. · Enemy: Members of enemy cults will generally attack the user of an item on sight (unless the user is obviously too powerful). Frequently, enemy cults are those which were defeated, abused, or otherwise offended when the item was originally made. · Friendly: Members of a friendly cult have a presumed friendship with the possessor of an item. · Hostile: Members of hostile cults will have a strong tendency not to like users of the item. Hostility does not indicate that a battle will occur automatically, but the two parties will not get along together. Knowledge This section will list one or more words or phrases which have specifically defined meanings relating to the public knowledge of the item. · Automatic: The item’s powers work automatically for nearly everyone if the item is used in an obvious way. For example, Frog Masks will work for anyone intelligent enough to put it on. · Common: Nearly everyone has heard of the item and knows how to use it. An example of a common item would be a bronze sword with a Bladesharp matrix. · Cult Secret: The making and/or use of the item is known only to a particular cult or group of cults (usually those listed under associated cults). Use of such an item can only be obtained from the cult (though it might be possible to steal the necessary knowledge rather than gaining it otherwise.) · Famous: The item is well known, and its general powers are thought to be common knowledge. Such an item counts as a showy magic item for the purposes of adding +1 to CHA. This term will not be used in conjunction with common items. · Few: Only a limited and small number of these items exist. · One of a Kind: There is only one of these items in existence and it is not possible to make another (though on occasion, a difficult HeroQuest might allow the creation of a similar item). · Owner Only: Some or all of the item’s powers only can be used by its original owner (who is usually the creator of the item as well). History This section tells the history of an item. If the item is one which is normally made (rather than found), it will tell the story of the first person to make one of the items. If it is one which cannot be made, it will tell the story of how the item came to be. For items which are common, this section will frequently be left blank. Procedure This section explains the procedure for making the item. If there is no procedure which does not require hero-questing (or something even more difficult) this section will be left blank. Powers The items, powers and uses are explained along with details on who can or cannot make use of them. Value The value of the item on the open market is given here. This value is intended as the value player-characters could get when attempting to sell the item. It does not imply that anyone with the necessary amount of money could go out and buy the item. The items in this section are very rare and usually not for sale.

Glorantha + RuneQuest definitely outsells RuneQuest. But like every game, some people like it, some people don't (for example, most of my players HATE every incarnation of D&D and won't touch a D20 system to save their life). If you ever try again, start small. Promise them they don't need to know ANYTHING to start with - you'll learn it all as you play. Start with them all being members of the same community. Then ease it in with something like Rainbow Mounds or Cattle Raid. And build on that.

The Aeolians acknowledge Orlanthi as an emanation of the Invisible God and many worship him. He is not a euhemerized mortal. The Aeolians have been isolated from mainstream Malkionism for some 600 years - since the Closing.

That "rule" is not there. Nor is it appropriate for Gunda. Here's her short bio: Gunda the Guilty Gunda was born in 1595, the daughter of an warrior woman from Ayos who was conquered and raped by a cruel Brithini philosopher from Sog City. Her youth was spent in flight and exile, and she quickly learned her mother’s skills and is favored by her mother’s grim Death God, Humakt. She is widely thought to be one of Humakt’s Choosers of the Slain, heroes of that war god. Gunda was but twelve winters old when she claimed by combat her first pack of Wolf Pirates. She is most famous for her stay with the notorious Queen of the Kiss, whose infamous buss seduced man, woman, and monster alike into sworn obedience. Of those so trapped, only Gunda broke the spell, her oath, and the Queen’s back - but at the cost of never knowing love. Shortly thereafter she met Harrek, and from that meeting their friendship has grown. Gunda is Harrek’s chief lieutenant and murderously loyal to the White Bear.

Do you mean the settlement of Spawn?

I was running a session of RQ at a convention in Poland a few months ago. The players - all new to RQ and a few new to RPGs - were trying to herd sacred cattle when two saber-toothed cats showed up and spooked the herd. One of the characters - again the toughest of the group (and a D&D player)- tried to get control of the cattle with his Herd skill. AND failed. And a stampede started. And then he realised that his character might well get killed by stampeding cattle. He looked shocked, then smiled, and then said, "this is so cool - I think I am going to get killed by cows!" A few luck dice rolls later, he was still alive (although banged up pretty bad), and the other players had killed the saber-toothed cats. But the next time an optional combat occurred, the player said, "No way am I fighting this guy if I don't have to. I nearly got killed by a cow!" And so they had a very tense negotiation instead of a fight. Wonderful fun!

At this point, I believe this thread has said what it needs to. People are welcome to disagree with my analysis of contract law (although I strongly doubt a US judge would), but please do it elsewhere.

Maybe I am just totally misunderstanding you, but Mongoose RuneQuest was written by Mongoose under license from Issaries. When the license was terminated, Issaries authorised what became Legend under the condition that many elements were removed. Whether Mongoose could have published Legend at all without that past history is doubtful.

Actually it does. Mongoose may have said its license was perpetual, but it's license with Issaries was not perpetual. Mongoose did not have the ability to issue a perpetual license to Third Parties, only a license with a duration equal to its own right to use the IP. So Section 4 was a bit of an exaggeration. Think of this like subletting a property you are renting on a monthly basis from another party. You might tell your subletter that their lease is perpetual, but if your landlord ends your lease, both you and your subletter are out.

My point isn't that RQ can't handle those fights, but merely that the GM shouldn't be rolling against the GM. The rules are intended for the players too... well, play. Not for the GM to try to figure out whether the Crimson Bat can defeat Cthulhu.

The primary purpose of the rules for the game designers is to allow player characters (who are mainly human sized) to interact with NPCs (who might be small or gigantic), often through fighting. If the primary purpose of the rules for you is to model fights BETWEEN giant squids and whales, then I can't help you.