Tindalos

According to the sourcebook (page 206) and guide (459), you're right. Theorising time in spoilers!

Thinking about it, there is one form of magic they're no worse at than any other species. Tusk Riders would make fine sorcerers, as their INT and POW are fine, and we all know sorcerers have no problem being assholes. Enslaving people's spirits? Perfectly fine with sorcery! Even makes it easier! Plus you can learn Tap Charisma to get back at anyone who calls you an uncharismatic bore.

We do have some examples of dwarven chimney work, in the Haunted Ruins. They're pretty much straight holes up from the ruins, heading through to the surface. Another example of chimney work is Miskander's Tower, which may suggest that the secret of chimneys was stolen from the dwarves.

On the other hand, sometimes it's fun to watch these things, even if they're not "accurately" presented. Ignorance may be bliss, but equally knowledge can be fun, and lead to other things. I mean, to use a couple of threads from your post, the person who came up with the Dothraki language in Game of Thrones got his start as a kid trying to understand one of the alien languages in Star Wars!

One of those annoying differences in what you see as a problem or not. Orlanth's had subcults since the earliest day devoted to items taken from other gods. What's the problem with having subcults devoted to Orlanth as a farmer or Carpenter? Of course, the usual fan answer to that was "Alfred, obviously." Ignoring the mundane aspects of life in Glorantha because (to quote Grant Morrison) "It's a fucking made up story, you idiot!" feels at odds with the importance of Ernalda and the fertile earth in the setting. So I sincerely doubt that feeling was behind any answer you got.

While the best stone masons are the Mostali, they rarely share their secrets, leaving most masonry the province of Lodril and equivalents -- as well as their children. In Dragon Pass, this probably falls under the aspect of Gustbran the Workfire. While more commonly seen as the god of the forge or potter's kiln, he would also be responsible for lime kilns as well, essential for mortar.

While the vampires in the bestiary are part of his cult, there are others who may not be. The Dancers in Darkness are utterly devoted to Delecti himself, not Vivamort. Given vampires themselves can't cast spirit or rune magic, it wouldn't surprise me if there were sorcerous routes towards the state, especially since both dancers and regular vampires are noted as having the potential to be potent sorcerers.

That list's outdated unfortunately, and Cults of Terror's 95% canon will be more accurate to RQ:G than a couple of things there anyway. I assumed their doubled CON helped with that, since it boosts both their locational hit points and their more general pool.

There was a guide to this in Cults of Terror (page 55), reprinted in the Cult Compendium (page 286) under the cult of Vivamort. At their basics, vampires have a weakness from four of the elements. Air elementals can scatter a vampire in mist form for a few hours; fire damage can't be healed until the next Vivamort holy day; earth curses the vampire to need to rest in their grave dirt or they lose their powers and eventually existence; running water acts as a barrier, and will actually destroy them upon immersion (holy water could also be made by water cult rune priests), and the sun strips a vampire of most of their powers, leaving just their enhanced strength.

Agreed. Like how Lhankor Mhy's spirit of reprisal is a "tamed" version of Brain Fever.

And sometimes similar things may afflict you for spiritual reasons. Since marriage is sanctified by divine oath, adultery could cause Orlanth to strike you down with impests in some very uncomfortable places.

Agreed to both. But of course, with cult specific examples, there's the nice benefit of the mythology involved. As examples, you could mention "what [my god] did." To use Orlanth as an example, you could sum up some of his myths for various effects: Orlanth brings rain to his people, Orlanth confronts dragons, Orlanth unites many different peoples, Orlanth claims treasures from his enemies, Orlanth rides upon his own breath, Orlanth speaks wih foreigners, Orlanth mediates between his kin, Orlanth romances the Earth, etc. Assign them to runes, and while it does become a bit of a "spell list," it also is helpful in remembering why you can do such things, could help springboard players to discover new things about Glorantha ("In my clan, we know Orlanth was able to cross water in a single breath, so I can leap this river like he would be able to!") and could just be fun.

There's an interesting piece on this in Arcane Lore, part of the Stafford Library. It's called Revisiting the Hill of Gold, and discusses a potential "path" a Yelmalion could undertake to gain the fire powers back from Zorak Zoran, and the progression to gaining them back as a full time cultish thing. Likely it would just be a peculiar local detail, and the piece mentions it's part of the reason why different temples have different versions of their myths.

Oh whoops, hopefully that should have fixed it?

Either that or it's a typo, and they meant Diplodocy!

On page 216 of RQ:G it's described as a chestpiece of turtleshell, wood, and bronze. It's favoured by Humakti, especially amongst the Grazelanders who associate it with the cult of Hiia Swordsman. While it has been depicted as just a large turtleshell over their body, it could also be something more like this. (Although using thongs or similar to connect the plates of bronze and turtleshell rather than chain.)

Specifically the references for his death in KoS are: "He was killed when he would not relinquish, and his heart turned to stone." (30) "Terasarin ruled for eighteen years, but was killed when a stray moonbeam blinded him as he climbed a cliff to escape a hungry dinosaur." (116) "Terasarin, son of Tarkalor. Crowned 1582, died in 1600 by a dinosaur." (154) "1600 Prince Terasarin killed by Lunar sorcery. Stead fortified." (181) So it's quite likely the dinosaur was arranged, and was part of a Lunar assassination via magic. (If you want to be literal, it may actually have been the Moonfire spell from RQG 396)

It's also worth noting one of Jarosar's children -- Saronna -- was murdered in the Holy Country as well, slain by dark demons. This may have been another name for Aransanda, or they may have been sisters. Sartar's descendants did seem to fall to assassination a lot, up to and including Temertain.

True, but I'd assume it's also culturally varying. No sense someone living in Ralios ending up with communication with Impalas if there's none around. And likewise, an elf getting "eat no birds" might as well have no geas all.

That does sound interesting! And it makes sense for Talastar, as the likely source for when Vinga faced off against the demon Erladivus. That's good for you, less fun for those who liked the variety of that era. But each to our own.

No. I consider Doburdun, Humat, Heliacal, Balurga, or Riyesta equally interesting. It's just Elmal as a good example. An age when total homogenization had yet to happen.

Apart from we're now told that never happens, that despite Elmal having been around he's effectively just a historical figure. And that the different names and varieties of gods, outliers like the Darsenite thunder god, are now fallen forgotten by the wayside and everyone's now happy with unified gods.

Ah okay, so the Lunar magic reference is mistaken, or did the Elmali use lunar magic? But I'd assumed the Elmali not helping was the start of the Yelmalian rebellion, what with them doing things like turning to Yelm worship to rise up against their rulers as well. I'm hoping we get to see more of this history stuff, along with the Yelmalian myths. Although I will admit to being disappointed the Glorantha I fell in love with turning out to only having existed in the First Age.

The Iron Maidens regiment were Elmali cultists? As they're the ones who seem to have killed Jarolar (KoS 115) Or did you mean Jarosar, alternately said to have been killed by poison from a friend's hand (30) or lunar spirits (154)? All that I've been able to find about him and the Elmali is they refused to help him. Which doesn't sound the same as murdering him. (115)

Given we're more and more told that all the interesting gods and mythology only existed in the First Age, I'm inclined to agree on that last point.