Tindalos

Huh, interesting. I'd always thought it was more associated with his Rex aspect than his Adventurous aspect. Although I guess what one might call his more "Rex" like runespells of Command Priest and Command Worshipper are associated with the Air Rune in turn.

Oh, no, sorry if I gave that impression! I just meant since it wasn't one of his elements, they'd need a separate term for it. As for goblins, there's been several different types. In White Bear Red Moon and Dragon Pass they were long-limbed, incredibly fast darkness beings who were summoned through the use of the cloak of darkness. It's also a term for red elves or slorifings. There's a mention of Xiola Umbar saving them from Zorak Zoran -- the one time she opposed him, and some are said to live on one of the east isles. These may be slorifings or the darkness entities.

It's likely referring to the goblins created by Ethilrist's cloak of darkness. It wouldn't surprise me if this is an earlier name for shades, as Paracelcus' didn't have darkness among his elements, their name would be derived separately.

Most of those heroes were descended from the gods, with some tellings of the Trojan War having it as a plan by Zeus to get rid of his demigod offspring. It's possible Heracles was more similar to the Whateley twins or Helen Vaughan than anything people might regard as nice, or on "our side." On the other hand, having the stars coming right and humanity destroyed isn't exactly in keeping with HPL either -- at least not for nearly 500 years, given Nevil Kingston-Brown.

Unless they do and the game becomes about surviving it. It depends on just how crazy the stars becoming right is. I kind of imagine that in CoC, the stars being right is behind the Late Bronze Age collapse in the Mediterranean. All those stories of sea monsters in the odyssey, the supposed demigods, the rampaging barbarian invasions of the sea peoples, cities being abandoned and people living in small villages. It's just that mythology managed to cloak that in a more pleasant guise.

I mean, he did have shield back in RQ2, since it was a change, and given comments earlier he will again soon? As for Truespear, joining Yelm wouldn't help as he doesn't provide that either. As for sunspear, Yelmalio does provide it, albeit through Yelm with a major or great temple. And of course one clan of Elmali did turn to the worship of Yelm seeking Sunspear, but then Yelmalio came along as well.

I mean I'd have no issue with that, if the background part worked better.

It seems weird for skills that seem like an innate part of being a hunter to be required to be personal skills. Like, you have a Nochet Scribe and a Grazelander Hunter out in the wilderness, and they've got the same skill at survival -- well actually since scribes are more likely to have a higher Intelligence score, they're more likely to have a better characteristic bonus to the skill.

Similarly with Devise. Given they're described as operating lines of traps, and start with snares, you would have thought they'd be better than most at knowing how to use them. Or Peaceful Cut. On a purely statistical basis, a Seshnelan Wizard, someone banned from spilling blood, is probably better at butchering animals than a Grazelander hunter.

As a bit of a sideways question, just how big do Sun Dome Temples count as ruleswise? Because the County's the size of a tribe, are they a Major Temple? Or as a prominant religious site, is it one of Dragon Pass' Great Temples? Also is the temple to the sun in Runegate a minor temple (as on page 14), or a major temple (as on page 49)?

It is worth noting that Avivorus is listed as one of the Lunar war gods alongside Shargash, Yanafal Tarnils and Polaris (GtG 295), suggesting he might be his own cult, alongside Urengerum.

As incarnations of the sunspear hero, Hastatus/Avivorus and Avivath do seem to be tied to Antirius, and connected to the Sunspear itself. With Avivorus ascending to Antirius after his death. It's possible you could view him as "The cult of Yelm within Antirius/Yelmalio as worshipped when Yelm wasn't around" providing the Sunspear in the darkness, and as the regimental god of some Lunar regiments.

And of course Yelmalio is a title. You can say similar about Storm Bull and Kolat, big storm gods who live on top of mountains.

Doesn't surprise me that empire builders find it useful to lump.

It's the age old Lumpers vs Splitters debate, and which is more important the similarities or the differences. While I am very much a splitter, I'd also say neither is a wrong way to view things, and certainly lumping is more useful for most rpg experiences.

Neither, because they're all too cool for that.

Some Elmali clans had adopted lowlander ways, using Lodrili ploughs rather than Bantar's, etc. They probably started envying the Solars from the north, despite being unable to join Yelm's cult. It really came to a head when one clan were rebelling against their king, and went so far as to worship a foreign god to gain access to the Sunspear magic.

I dunno, I don't see why it would be a problem during the resettlement era? On the subject of Yelmalio, I find it interesting that both Sun Counties in RQG are described as theocracies. Given priest-kings are the norm for much of Glorantha, how do their theocracies differ so much as to be notable?

That's something that's changed explicitly, spirits of retribution can change equally (Yelmalio obviously wouldn't have Monrogh in places untouched by the Monrogh doctrine), the Yoskati and Reflartings may belong to many different cults.

I mean with death, darkness, and a hatred of Chaos, he could make a good Zorak Zorani (a bit of a contradiction in terms I guess.) This would put him at odds with the clan's Humakti, however. But given the close presence of the Satzdorf, the voice of Orsta Trades-With-Trolls, the friendship between Zorak Zoran and Storm Bull, and a potential connection to the Shadow of Black Glass at the Black Glass Ruins their could be an interesting position for them.

In some places, yes. Like whether Mercury is Wotan, or Thunderbird is Little Brother.

Not separate cults, but variant cults, going from the last thing I saw on the matter.

Or somewhere else, like say maybe on a prominent hill, and upsetting the locals when they plan to dedicate it to Jupiter Capitolinus and get Simon ben Kosevah involved.

You did miss out page 646 as well. Where it mentions Orlanthi call the sun disk Yelm, similar to the Sourcebook where he's again mentioned as the sun disk on page 100. The sourcebook also has the nice bit about Orlanth naming Elmal to rule the world while Orlanth was on the LBQ on page 117, and yeah it also mentions Yelmalio eclipsing Elmal in Dragon Pass over the page. Which if this is also part of Yelmalio's mythos is a really interesting one. Also, the mention of Elmal being among minor gods, without context, may create a bad impression about what minor gods means in that context. Other minor gods mentioned on page 37 of the guide include Chalanna Arroy, Eurmal, Maran Gor, and Storm Bull. Making Gods didn't give the impression that the Elmal cult was destroyed, it describes his first converts coming from the Elmal worshippers who wanted to join the new solar religion, and about him being chosen as leader by half the Pavic tribes. One implication I have seen with regard to Yelmalio is the decreasing of importance when it comes to the sun, and them being more associated with the Lightfore. If this is an erroneous inference, I'm very glad about that. It would be a shame for the Orlanthi to lose two suns.

The balance between Heler's Rain and Elmal's Cloud Clear? Also Elmal's version of Bless Crops presumably. Yelm's magic would be useful for helping the crops, that's more Lodril's remit with Earthwarm. And of course, as page 288 says "This is the name by which the deity is best known (and not necessarily the name used by the deity’s worshipers)" which is very helpful. Many worshippers are gonna be using the same basic cult write up, but they'll have their own god, they'll recognise outsiders names for them, but just like how the pure horsemen know the sun is Yu-Kargzant, variants will exist elsewhere. And it's more interesting that way, helps make cults and mythology feel alive.