Tindalos

Ahah, thanks for reminding me of the well, there's the old website version of the dialogues there, with some more detail: https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/gloranthan-documents/glorantha/the-xeotam-dialogues/ "Today’s posting is a rare treat – a fragment of the Xeotam Dialogues, that proved so popular amongst the Western sorcerers in the later Third Age. The date of the original Dialogues are believed to be circa 1480, although this particular copy is dated from 1618. The Dialogues are between the master wizard Xeotam and his young Ralian apprentice Aanor. Three cities boast of being the site of the original Dialogues, as Xeotam resided in (or near) those cities in the late 15th century: Azilos, Dangk, and Arnlor. High Watcher Theoblanc is known to own a collection of these Dialogues (which first became popular in his youth)." So Azilos, Dank, or Arnlor as origins, which are western Safelster/northern Tanisor. But at Xeotam's time, all three would be ruled by Seshnela (as they'd been conquered 25 years earlier), and likely under the Rokari School.

Except the Broo, or Vadeli... but at least with the latter them being bad guys doesn't mean they can't be dealt with civilized-like.

Yeah, I'd accidentally misspelled it Ifaldori as Ilfadori. (The plural is used at one point, or maybe it's just the genitive, but they often do double duty) As for the viewpoint, we're told the Dialogues are popular with wizards in the late third age, so it's likely Rokari wizards at least would enjoy it. From earlier remarks, that particular copy's from 1618 and Theoblanc has a copy in his library. It still displays the cold devolution (what with talking about the Srvuali of each Rune, much as we'd talk about more specific deities or subrunes) it's just that they are at once manifestations of impersonal forces, Zzabur's fellows, and gods; and the wizards don't care about any contradictions.

Wait, are mastered techniques and runes something that affects Free INT? Memorizing Spells on page 390 only mentions Spirit Magic and Sorcery spells. I assumed the limit to runes/techniques was separate.

These are all good, and of course you can have fun with other elemental tap spells as well, either tapping associated attributes (Tap SIZ working similarly to Tap Body) or more directly with Steal Breath being Tap Air; allowing for the existence of Dehydrate/Stealth Moisture (Tap Water) or Freeze/Steal Warmth (Tap Fire.) As well as this, the Animate Dead spell appears to be a variation of the old Animate (Substance) spell, and presumably by replacing the Death Rune with something more suitable: Earth for Animate Stone, Fire for Animate Flames, etc.

Of course, this becomes further interesting given Garzeen's history in Seshnela, seeking marriage with the daughter of Froalar.

Looking at the Xeotam Dialogues, I feel like the modern Malkioni view would be that regardless of hsunchen or ilfadori origins, people are people, and that most humans have mixed blood of many types. Malkion's descent from Aerlit and Warera isn't too much different than Vingkot's descent from Orlanth. (Not least because they're first cousins once removed.) And even then they note that even then hsunchen still have a similar divine ancestry to the ilfadori. Since mortals are of the same substance as gods/runes/true beings/erasanchula, just much lesser due to their divided and mixed nature, what would be important is less the origins (although that helps magic) and more the teachings. (One suspicion of mine is that the "false gods"/"sorcerers" comes from mistranslations of Erasanchula. After seeing that the ancient Malkioni individuals like Zzabur were classed as them, and they they assumed that indicated a mundane origin rather than these ancient beings being akin to the gods.) (Another is that the genealogies found in the Blue Book (and thus the ones we tend to see) are designed for the teaching of sorcery, and are combinations of runic powers. Hence why so many have a point where one aspect of an elemental lineage mixes with Flamal, Hykim/Mikyh, and Grandfather Mortal to produce elemental plants, animals, and people. To many sorcerers, there's no difference between saying "the combination of the Earth Rune and the Plant Rune" and "Aldrya" except that one is faster to say.)

Which of course is fun as some contributors to the Red Emperor are female, such as Flower Poem. Lunar philosophies presumably allow for a male gestalt with female contributors?

Of course the Ten Tests seem to be different for each Emperor. (Murharzarm has ten listed, the Dragon Sun's mentioned as undertaking tests but the ones mentioned are different, and Magnificus invites doubters to name tests for him) so their level of sexism probably depends on the climate. Thanks to the Lunar changes, a female mask or different Emperor who was female, could presumably find the tests more suited to them. The Dara Happans would gripe and moan, but in the end, they'd probably have to accept it until they could find a loophole.

Which means, probably to both side's horror, that Orlanth would qualify.

Of course, ruleswise death is pretty superfluous for him. The only Rune Spells that are used with the death affinity could also be used with Beast (or even Air, in the case of Impede Chaos)

Oh damn, thank you I'd misread it.

Agreed, it would make a great piece of Sympathetic Magic if nothing else.

Page 391 and the Q&A say differently. Unless a spell specifies the intensity is used (such as Create Hallucinogen) any spell that can be resisted involves a POW vs POW roll (such as the Dominate ones, or Drain Soul) From how it's written, there's no other significance there. Of course, the True Name so far is only useful when Summoning something, with no other effects that I can see.

It's glossy for the same reason gems sparkle in the light, it's the remnants of divinity in the remains.

From the other thread I'm not sure the division there is necessarily that different. The Enjoreli are described as a confederation or tribe of Tawari (GtG 199, 222. Or vice versa 211) Likewise Galanini and Enerali seem like alternate names for each other (373) The Tawari seem to have an obvious link to KevTavar, the bull god father of the Pelandan Bisos. I'm not sure the Pendali weren't that different from "real" Basmoli, given they don't seem to have degenerated as much as the Basmol clan of Basim, which they're presumably related to. (394)

Yinkin has access to the Transform Self spell granted Hykim and Mikyh where as the others don't seem to. But yes another thread on the Hsunchen/Hykimi/Fiwan and other related groups would be handy.

Well there are a number of "animal totemed" people who have been called Hsunchen but seem more related to the Storm Tribe or others. Such as the Qa-Ying eagle people (actually wind children), or the Tawari bull riders, or Enerali horse folk. It's possible there were more who were more perfectly absorbed, which the Sylilan Odaylans and the Yinkini are remnants of. (Since they have similar magic to Hsunchen cults)

Depends on the tribe. The Telmori are one people with four legged and two legged members, Uncolings are reindeer who can assume human form, the Flari are people who change into animals. This ultimately seems to just be a religious attitude, and ruleswise they seem to mostly use spells to change into animals though. If we see Uncol getting written up as a cult, we might know better.

Not always. The spell "Tap Body" affects the victim's size despite not involving the Darkness Rune, instead using the Man Rune. It is possible there may be other "loopholes" around certain required runes to produce the required effect.

Well, I was just going off 389, where wizards learn it as part of their apprenticeship. This probably is related to the Furlandan School, which was mentioned as useful against the Pendali (although the Barmalani combat magic would also be important.) The Furlandans have been noted as having the sample spells of: Resist [type of] spirit, Force spirit out of body, Identify spirit, Banish spirit, Curse spirit-talker, and Overcome spirit curse. Some of these are in RQ:G. Identify Spirit is Identify Otherworld Entity, Overcome Spirit Curse may be Neutralize Spirit Magic (The curse description suggests it was mainly used against spells like Befuddle, Demoralize, or Dullblade), and Resist [type of] spirit becomes the more generic Spirit Warding. Force spirit out of body and banish spirit don't appear to have any easy connections, unless they're a specific use of Dominate (discorporate spirit) and ordering it to cease any and all supernatural activity and return forthwith to its place of origin or to the nearest convenient parallel dimension.

It is interesting that it's the foundational rune of Malkioni sorcery, along with Command being the technique known with everyone. Most Malkioni sorcerers will have no reason not to know at least one Dominate (discorporate spirit), even if they don't keep it memorized.

I mean there's space for a lot of things, and one does appear in the red cow books for HQ:G.

One useful aspect of sorcery is the hidden knowledge part. With spells like Geomancy, Reveal Rune, or Identify Otherworld Entity, you can present a wizard as someone who has knowledge of things others have no idea about. Strange demon cursing their clan? They can commune with ancient documents and knowledge via their sorcery, naming exactly what it is and even its weaknesses. And of course you can have your fun making your own different routes to sorcery. Star gazing Buserian is now said to be similar to Lhankor Mhy, and there was once a similar cult among the Grazelanders of a star-seer. Maybe just as the Pure Horse have different names for Yelm, Ernalda, and Issaries, the few Pure Horse sorcerers who exist are followers of Denbitos (aka Lhankor Mhy), calling upon the heavens to reveal the future and communing with stellar spirits that the other Grazelanders barely know about.

Maybe not directly, but wyters are often subcults of Orlanth or Ernalda (RQ:G 287) so any initiates of them will probably be initiates to the wyter.