Akhôrahil

RQG zombies at least have (a limited) intelligence. Skeletons are mindless constructs. Neither have a metabolism, it seems. Glorantha clearly has two kinds of undead - mere constructs (zombies, skeletons) and beings with a stolen metabolism (ghouls, vampires). These are so different that I'm not sure they belong in the same category. The former may or may not be Chaotic depending on method of creation (which is weird in itself); the latter universally are (I think?). (Dead spirits are a third non-undead type separate from either.)

I think it's fair to say that the Undead must have at one point been alive. Animated statues clearly don't count. Honestly, I'm not quite sure how skeletons do - they're merely animated bones, correct? This seems like a crime against the grave, not a crime against nature.

I agree. For a certain subset of people, merely avoiding the afterlife and their rightful fate there would be a huge upgrade. I believe Gark delivers on calm/oblivion. (Thought experiment: Cthulhu merely wants to kill and eat me and then it's oblivion, after a limited moment of horror and agony. Yahweh wants to have me tortured for eternity for not believing in him. Cthulhu > Yahweh, personally. If I thought this was a real choice, I would want Cthulhu to eat me!)

Also, Gagarth is likely more important in the Underworld than in most places you will find him in the mundane world. If you don't have a psychopomp to guíde you, you will be in severe difficulties from the Wild Hunt as you enter the Underworld.

Presumably yes, but Argrath has plot immunity against any consequences of his actions, so I'm sure he'll be fine.

No, this is it. Gagarth is the rapacious outsider without honor or regard for kin. It's not exactly that Gagarth is a bandit himself, but he does take in every kind of scum. I would love to see the Great Hunt statted up some time - this seems like it should be relevant when it's out and about, but I've yet to see anything really describing what happens. I also wonder what replaces the Whirlvish parts outside of Prax - they kinda require sands? (I had a Gagarthi borderline hero NPC in my game - he had a "Dishonor" passion, not merely not caring about honor but actively opposing it.)

Meet the new Emperor, same as the old Emperor.

Those might just be regular dead and not undead. 🙂

Whirlvishes aren't undead - they're spirits, much as ghosts (although embodied). Or were you thinking of something else there? In addition to the listed, would there be non-Chaotic sorcery-created undead (at least the mere constructs, like zombies and skeletons)?

Also, Humakt is very much opposed to a subset of Chaos, i.e. the undead. (Not sure how well this goes with Illumination, tbh.)

If it's death, it's only for elves and trolls.

The larger downside is that you can’t really be in an adventuring party with such a person, unless perhaps utterly forced into it by circumstances.

I think we're all on board with enchanted iron weapons (essentially steel) not breaking as easily. This is more about why it can parry more damage as well, separately from being damaged itself.

He should know about assassinations, amiright? 🙂

Moana (yes, the Disney movie - it's unbelievably Gloranthan!) Age of Bronze Artesia Barbaren The Northman Princess Mononoke Bahubaali The Spine of Night

That might not be unreasonable - it's non-obvious what an iron weapon does apart from not breaking that makes it absorb more damage. We're not talking Captain America's shield here (that's simulated through Earth Shield instead). (And honestly, the whole "absorb damage" thing probably isn't the ideal design - most defense is about deflecting or not opening up in the first place, and "opposing weapon slams down with full force on yours" is less common. On the other hand, RQ has to be able to handle a giant slamming you with a 10d6 tree.)

Enchanted Iron Weapons have +50% HP straight up. You're probably mixing it up with Enchanted Copper weapons, which have +100% HP for purposes of not breaking but no bonus to damage absorbed. Which is pretty damned good for keeping the weapon in shape, less so for its user.

GURPS famously uses logarithms, and I think it's fair to have them invisible behind the game design, but yeah, SIZ certainly isn't linear.

My headcanon is that the Pavis dwarves pretend to be merely your run-of-the-mill heretics, while in fact they're beyond the pale even for heretics.

This does become a problem another profession is better at the actual profession’s job. For instance, if you want a better hunter, make a herder.

I think there is a lot of worship. While Storm Bull has a limited number of initiates, he surely receives a crapton of associated worship through Waha and Eiritha, having a big role in their rituals.

It's pretty questionable with Issaries as well as equal exchange is his deal. Might not be enough to call down spirits of reprisal, though.

Not that they're allowed to kill, at least...

One thing I wonder about is how often the formal invocations of hospitality are brought out. Presumably you get more formal the more unfamiliar and fraught the situation is? But at the same time, I have a hard time imagining it happens every time, like the sixth time people from the friendly neighboring clan comes over. Hospitality is definitely strong for role-playing, though. My PCs were in a situation where they had to receive an emissary from Ralzakark, and neither wanted to offend nor get too deep into the hospitality. They ended up serving exceptional ale and a lavish fish dish, in order to formally stay away from "meat". As well as trying to counter what they (correctly) felt was excessive gift-giving that would land them in a position of gratitude they didn't want.

Or say rather that it had to be replaced, such as with Storm Bull and even Orlanth in a way (his rains are part of fertility).