metcalph

I would have preferred a statement like the above about having the Dragonewt Rune means some inhuman features rather than a tediously abstract exegesis about the treatment of runes between RQG and HQG.

Would this count as a sign of not being human?

Except there are plenty of stone weapons in the world which are not ablative. For example the Mere.

If a human worshipping Aldrya means that he acquires the plant rune in RQG then I see no problem with a draconist like Orlaront having the Dragonewt Rune.

Thinks metal weapons routinely going through armour is believable but stone weapons doing the same isn't? If the weapon actually went through armour as you think the rules suggest, then why doesn't the armour lose AP as a result of being penetrated? Perhaps the AP actually reflects the coverage as well as the thiickness?

If you are going to use "RQ context" to say that a broadsword can penetrate bronze plate then surely the same argument can be made for stone weapons?

Covert spirit possession. The spirit resides in you and every now and then casts a spirit magic spell which makes life difficult for you. You are working on an intricate lock and suddenly you are befuddled. Someone jostles your drink and the spirit casts fanaticism. You whip out your sword only to find it has been dullbladed. You have difficulty lighting fires. You can't run very fast.

An example of a supposedly brittle stone weapon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere_(weapon)

However metal weapons do not normally penetrate solid metal armour, so..?

Guide to Glorantha and Glorantha Sourcebook have most of the necessary information. Martaler of Gemborg was their first representative but was replaced by Iron Diamond Voice from Greatway after Martaler had a fight with the Only Old One for unknown reasons. IDV kept his position when the Council moved to Dorastor. However shortly afterwards Nida declared sanctions against Greatway (probably for Openhandism with the Second Council) which soon became a declaration of heresy when Greatway refused to capitulate. Only Gemborg is described as refusing to obey Nida at this time so the Jord and Imther Dwarves would have isolated themselves (Dwarf Mine under Isidilian is not mentioned which suggests its position is ambivalent). There's an obscure schism in Greatway at an unspecified date (presumably after the Sunstop). All we are told in the previous paragraph is that the "uppity eves took to leaning upon the rights of the dwarfs more and more". Angarko Diamond Voice quarrelled with Iron Diamond Voice and soon replaced him on the Broken Council, whereupon the Elves assassinated Angarko. I assume that Angarko was opposed to more concessions to the Elves and was murdered for his refusal but we don't have the Elvish side of the story. Greatway reduced its co-operation with the Broken Council after that "only inferior dwarf leaders came forward to help after that" and the only strong support among the Mostali for the Broken Council were those who lived in Dorastor. Nida sent a small band of volunteers to Dragon Pass to convert the dwarfs there back to the Decamony. They agreed and the Dragon Pass dwarfs sent troops to Dorastor to prove themselves whereupon most died and the survivors were bitter about this seemingly betrayal. This seems like Greatway but for the small point that it's in the Elder Wilds. There's possible explanations for this but describing them would be too long.

Look at p377 of RuneQuest:Glorantha.

If chaotic cults can have shamans, then why can't urban communities?

There are Shamans just about everywhere in glorantha - even in Malkioni lands. They can live right in the cities as they mediate with the spirit world, not the wilds.

My thinking is that in Seshnela, this is the cult of Daka Fal/Malkion the Old which is largely staffed by minor nobles well down in any line of succession. They mostly tend to the lesser ancestors of the Nobility and perform pastoral care for the lower castes (ie they are recycled Liturgists of HeroQuest). They have no sorcery preferring instead the Spirit World which they claim Malkion created to save the faithful from Death. Unsurprisingly the Wizards hate them.

Just a minor niggle. The Dragonewt Rune includes more than the Dragonewt. IMO It also includes the Wyrms and the Frogosaurus/Ken Majee/Hurler (Guide p76). It probably includes Hadrosaus, Magisaurs and other Dinosaurs. If it has to be contrasted with other runes in the way that humans have the man/beast duality or the power duality, the Dragonewt Rune would be opposed by all the other runes together. But I don't think it should be developed in detail to describe their mystical evolution because Dragonewts are so inscrutable such that such a system would detract from their mystery while Wyrms and and other non-Dragonewts have always been pretty shit at Dragon Magic. For wyrms, barbarian Dragonewts, etc, I would just have the form, element and the power affinities being in three separate pools each with a total of 100%. That puts some exotic constraints on their runic affinities. If you want a metaphysical explanation, they are three of the limbs of Orxili.

I note with some amusement that in the Stafford House Campaign Book (p49 - originally Dragons Past #9) there is mention of a proposed rule to allow initiates with 18 POW to have reusable divine magic. I think it didn't get adopted into RQ3 because the RQ2 rule that Priests must have 18 POW was abolished and they couldn't think of a replacement rule.

I always interpreted the following passage: as suggesting Ernalda was already dead before the Lightbringers Quest started. Gods of Glorantha (AH) had her and other Earth Gods going to sleep in protest at the murder of Flamal.

In a later part of the post, you are responding to:

The simplest answer surely is that Gustbran has no mother and his mother is Mahome. I don't see what the problem is. Many other gods have conflicting parentages.

Flamal was brought back to life by the Lightbringers Quest.

A Yelmite would respond: What's this Predark that you speak of? Secondly there's a difference between Orlanth and Trolls. That doesn't mean much to the Yelmites as their crime (Rebellion) is the same. So why should Chaos be viewed any differently?

The only myth that says he was there when Chaos came to Hell is an Orlanthi one. In the Yelmic myths, he is accepting the submission of the Rebels who sacrificed themselves to fuel his rebirth. So I don't think he will necessarily see a distinction between Orlanth and Wakboth (submits, sacrifices himself to become time etc).

He was dead when Chaos went rampant and his Big Experience of Bad Things during the Gofs War happens to be being assassinated by rebels. So he's not likely to see Chaos as Cosmic Enemy Number One, is he?

Look at Ironhoof's magics (Smoking Runes p32) for what might be possible. I really think that that this type of magic is only possible if you have undergone something like the Web Ritual (Fortunate Succession p62) and that for most Centaurs, they are lay members at best.

Orlaront Dragonfriend has a Dragonewt Rune according to the Sartar Companion p72.