metcalph

My own opinion on that matter is that the Galanin/Enerali had been Orlanthi since the Storm Age - they were Malkioni Slaves of Nida (and possibly the Vadeli) who were freed by Orlanthi heroes. People worshipping Galin may have had horse-changing magics but I don't think they were Hsunchen and the one passage in King of Sartar that does mention that the Malkioni called them Hsunchen calls it fallacious. I believe the magic of Galin were the lost attributes of Hippogriff (Fangs, Claws, Wings) rather than the ability to take the form of a horse. There were two sorts of cultists - one that cast the Galni magics on their steads (to get man-eating horses, winged horses or horses with that extra kick) or those that cast the Galin magics on themselves. There are magicians who try to achieve the hippogriff form but they end up being stuch in doonkey form*. I think most worshippers of Galin (and I am including the Horse Society of Seshnela here) here cast the magic on their horses and only a few wierdos cast it on themselves. A tantalizing source is Troll Gods which has tantalizing details in the Arkat cult writeup of the Outer Atomic Explorers using the Astelkel Horse to destroy the pathways to reach Arkat. *I'm basically riffing of the Golden Ass in which the protagonist casts a spell to become a bird and ends up in Donkey form. The point of becoming a transformed hippogriff would be to fly into the Sky World etc.

Looks fine to me. There are differences in names and differences in emphasis that I would make IF I was writing it which I emphatically am not. That said: It's not a given that Anirestyu's siege of Kasda was successful. The frieze might be an Orlanthi one to commemorate a great victory (or rather avoidance of total destruction) and we only think it's a Dara Happan one because Greg used a detail from an Assyrian Frieze. Kasda is a ruin now but we don't know when it was ruined. By the EWF? By Unalakez of Halikiv? Making it an Orlanthi frieze is I think more plausible than making it a Dara Happan frieze because that assumes that the Dara Happans had skilled artists on hand to make the frieze almost immediately only to give up within three years.

My impression is that because Anirestyu lost the war, historians felt free to libel him. Except that the Ralians have some memories of the Dara Happan incursion (Arkat the Liberator tract Guide p386). The tract is a bit confusing because Arkat is called Gbaji and the Liberator is Talor. Arkat leaves the Seshnegi and the "king was glad to see him go". The King is apparently Gerlant Flamesword although this is an anchronism since Gerlant didn't become King until much later. Arkat goes to Ralios for nine years where he incites the lords there against the Seshnegi (Likstrandos has eight years between the death of Gachamagacan in Tanisor) and Arkat's death at the hands of Palangio in 418 ST). Now for the critical passage. Arkat returns with Harmast in 422 ST in Arkhome in Seshnela. Vangath Hill (in Delela) is fought in 424 ST. The siege of Kasda is around 425 ST Arkat is defeated at Kartolin in 428 ST and then considers going through Slontos. So my interpretation is that the Dara Happa had an army in Ralios after Arkat was killed. Palangio had been its leader but he was sent away to Slontos. When Arkat returned and won the battle of Vanganth Hill, Anirestyu led in a new army that besieged Kasda. Eventually Anirestyu was forced to withdraw before 428 ST (otherwise he would have been cut off at the Battle of Kartolin). Thereafter he adopted a view that War solves Nothing which governed his actions for the remainder of his reign. Perhaps like Marshal Petain. The Glorantha Sourcebook does have reliefs in Boldhome that portray the Lunar Empire similarly. I think the artistic intent here (in Kasda and Boldhome) is like the Bayeux Tapestry which is mostly about Harold Godwinson rather than William the Conqueror - a mighty person we defeated..

In delela according to the FS. I place it near where the modern capital is.

So what happened to the seventh phratry? Went east with Sheng Seleris and drowned of the coast of Vormain is my guess.

The conflusing date of Kallyr's death comes about because the page was originally written when King of Sartar was in its first edition. There Kallyr has a number of fates at differing dates and the 1630 date was supported in two places (Argrath's Saga which has Harrek sacking Boldhome in return for the death of Gunda and Minaryth Blue which mentioned that Kallyr killed Gunda and in return is killed by Harrek). But that's been changed in the second edition in the interest of a coherent chronology.

I think any ETA will have to wait until the Plague has died down.

You mean crystals?

From the RuneQuest Bestiary, it's said that "Since Vampires have no POW, they cannot cast spirit magic or sacrifice for new Rune points except with Vivamort". (RGB p106). How a Vampire acquires Vivamort Rune points is not described but I imagine it involves sacrificing victims.

The Son of Light Awakens will be in the forthcoming Rough Guide to Glamour, I think.

Tales #8

Aeolian priests are not sorcerers but ordinary Orlanth priests. Aeolian Sorcerers are not found in the villages but in the big cities. So Aeolian villages have wyters.

Annilla definitely has them. Jakaleel probably has access to them as she has connections to the Blue Moon. Artmal may have access to them.

A Yellow Bear is mentioned in the Guide p228.

For Egyptian style art and statuary in Glorantha, I always think of the mysterious Artmal Empire.

Either Pavis: Threshold to Danger or Pavis: Gateway to Adventure has the details in the section about Dorasar.

Please do not quote ancient messages to pick holes in them. It is annoying.

The Fonritans are not slaves because of their masters. They have cruel masters and worship cruel gods because the universe is a cruel place and slavery the best way to live. That's why previous attempts to free Fonrit (the God Learners had a good try) did not last very long. The Fonritans are well aware of the concept of freedom and associate it with the deranged murderers of Jotoku.

Try as I like, I can't ever imagine perfume making and falcon taming to be sources of political power and I don't think it productive to rehabilitate subpar material. More importantly, I note that the Guide cuts the supposed influence of these gods down significantly.

But those specialized deities are not central to their worshippers existence. It's like saying that Minlister is one of the lightbringers.

Comments: You should really list the source by each name or at least provide a list of references. I wouldn't say Ompalam was a God Learner variant. He has been worshipped in Fonrit since the Storm Age. A Vadeli variant might be more accurate. I had serious reservations about the Fonritan material in Revealed Mythologies and portraying the Glorious Ones as a supernumerated Necklace of Pamalt, the whole thing just falls down. For example, since when are perfume making and falcon training core parts of Fonritan civilization that requires a specialized deity to represent? Likewise many of the names are just too long. God's names should be snappy two or three syllable names rather than four or five syllable names than convey little more than one's commitment to linguistic verisimilitude. Some of the material you have is simply duplicating each other. If you are using Varama, you shouldn't also list Fidai'is as both are meant to be the Fonritan Sun God (Teneorpasas is the hero who was chosen to incarnate Solar powers, while Ehilm is another name for the Sun as per Guide p553). Yelm (under whatever name) is not worshipped in Fonrit, only Yelmalio is. The distinction between Gods and Spirits should be junked as it was largely a product of the Hero Wars RPG. The Fonritans worship Gods who provide Rune Magic. Some Gods may provide spirits instead (like Telmor or Kolat) but they are still Gods. Why are Annilla and Serartamal listed as separate gods? Why is the Siwal sisterhood so big on birth control magic? Can't women aspire to something more?

The Glorantha Sourcebook is merely repeating something that Greg's written about the Jrusteli for quite some time. Something that's important to understand is that the average Malkioni doesn't believe in the Invisible God - they believe the Wizards. The wizards practice sorcery but what the others practice is dependent on what the Wizards permit. Thus the Seshnelan warriors worship thinly disguised Hsunchen cults and so forth. So long as the Wizards practice the right sorcery and subscribe to the right ideas, all is well in the world. Thus the Jrusteli were quite happy with the worship of Wachaza among their warriors and Diros among their sailors. It is only when the Arkati combined sorcery with the active worship of big gods that the Jrusteli really became upset.

There's two options 1) Play the Reds as being a normal human race but with a fighting bent. 2) Play the Reds as a race of demigods, (like a mistress race troll) who have honed their skills all the time they've been missing (since the Great Darkness). Personally I think the Reds are mostly of tyoe 2 but there are new reds (type 1) who have been born since the Opening. Basic magic would be spirit magic and they might have the opportunity of using their affinities for rune magic (they wouldn't worship Gods unless it were to debase them in secret rites). They would also know sorcery but this will manifest on the equipment they use (ie their Boon of Kargan Tor is how much?!?). They will not cast sorcery directly in combat as this goes against their caste.

Ompalam may be a bigger god than Garangordos but his interest in providing magic is likely to be less. The other gods make people worship Omapalm without compensation because both the gods and worshippers are his slaves. I think the Masarin are worshippers of Garangordos, wielding Omapalm's magic for the good (don't laugh) of the community. Tentacule is, I think, the ideal servant. Other gods in the same vein would be Varama (like Yelmalio but with a lot more geases).