Ned

There's no evidence of it being a trust issue, is there? Of the several presumptions in your post, this seems the least fair. Jeff seems keenly engaged with the community, energised and energising in equal measure. Although I have sympathy for those aching for swifter official releases (I am too, cos they're great and useful and beautiful and long-hoped for), I strongly feel that Chaosium are building a powerfully impressive foundation for the game - not just for those of us that've been Gloranthan for years, but also to attract young'uns in the contemporary market. Also, I believe a number of authors of JC books are now engaged in contributing to future official RuneQuest publications. His collaboration with setting-defining artists is already well-established. Official scenario books have multiple contributors. If you re-read your post, can you see how the suggestion of megalomania is pretty insulting? I'm not suggesting you shouldn't speculate or feel impatient, just that a few of your suppositions seem wonky.

I can see why Umbroli need it, but is there any purpose to shades having STR? Being semi-material, can their STR be used to, for example, slow the passage of those passing through it, or to push a door shut?

I justify it as 'interventions within time that all gods can make', lesser (and less difficult) forms of divine intervention, help you can ask of any god. Also, I've introduced slight differences to the common rune spells for each PC's cult (Ernalda, Argan Argar, White Hart Spirit Tradition) for flavour - especially as I wanted to have Specials and Crits for Rune Magic, and those effects vary between cults. I wanted a crit to add something permanent to a character that brought them closer to resembling their god (plus they seemed rare enough occurences to allow a nice cheerful boost to the players!). I've given them cards to look through, as their ubiquity made them spring to mind less. Examples attached!

I am almost certain that unexpected weaknesses in magical armours are expressions of the Fate rune, a power always present but rarely glimpsed.

A small alteration I'm considering is to make RQG's Knockback (which is useful, I find) only available to Crushing weapons (including shields, kicks, etc, of course). It seems thematic and is is a small nerf for Impaling/Slashing weapons, so a relative boon for Crushing.

This has - genuinely - set my pulse racing. I have Christmassy amounts of anticipation.

Right, this has nudged me into attending, thank you!

This thread has been very helpful, as we've just had our Session 0 of Six Seasons in Sartar (and are all very excited about it) and the characters will face initiation next time. I wasn't quite able to rationalise The Sex Pit as a constructive obstacle, only as a mythic necessity. As I read it in SSiS, the poor boy appears to have suffered some nasty spiritual sex assault (presumably 'what reflects his innermost nature', if you accept that the initiates' confrontations are drawn to the individual, not prescribed by outsiders) and been broken by it. The idea that The Sex Pit is instead the initiate's lust rejected and a safe adult path is found my wooing, turning elsewhere, tempering lust (or even abstinence, I guess). Now the Pit isn't full of writhing sex holes, it's a pit about sex. This may, of course, be what Drew intended - I just needed to read this thread to sort it out in my head. It's not that a PC will undergo this, of course, but I want to make sure that there's a chance they can help somehow, or make sense of what they found there. I think our Darestan will be bloody-nosed, wild-eyed and happy. He thinks he succeeded. That is his madness, which will come to light, later.

Ooh, not seen this. Can you point me towards it, please?

Then I'll stick with micro-Aldryami and ensure they're associated with species found in montane Japan. Without any reference to bonsai, of course...

That is an odd name, then! Ethilrist would usually only think of himself as number one... The troop's horses were still white at that time, incidentally.

Would anyone like to speculate or share lore about the 'dai-ichi' which appear only - as far as I can tell - in 'A History of My Black Horse Troop', encountered as the troop ascend into the Mislari Mountains: My current thinking, as I work up Mislari material, is to have them be micro-Aldryami from above the tree line - associated with krummholz or scattered patches of low-growing dwarf trees. Despite their small form they're very distinct from Pixies, as they're wingless, joyless and aggressive. Tiny, twisted elves scrambling over the rocks to repel those that would defile their solitude and disturb their tenuous hearing of Aldrya's Song. Life would be more bearable for the brown elf versions, as their short waking season would be pleasant, but the evergreens might be fiercely unhappy. Now, I like this, but am very open to better ideas, previous thoughts or nudges elsewhere.

I am CERTAIN that Arroin got his non-elf name by helping folk that elves had put an arrow in.

Hadn't spotted that about Luck, but Jajagappa was correct.

Also, while I'm thinking about runes... Is there any other established use/meaning for the rune previously used for Godsday? The one that looks like half a Fate rune. Hmm... I note that in the Sourcebook p.135, the Fate rune = Wildday and Luck = Godsday in the, while the Guide p.112, uses Fate rune = Godsday and Luck = Wildday. I'm assuming the Sourcebook's in error.