French Desperate WindChild

I don't know how far from canon (maybe it is canon, or part are canon 😛 )my answer is, but it is what I understand, or want to understand, and in all cases what I play: Gods are not machine or computer programme, gods decide and are sentient. The compromise does not change it. When the world started, the first thing who was was a rune. A rune is not sentient, a rune is a mechanism. Then, call it evolution, luck, or new thing, the god appears as a combination of runes and sentience. Maybe some gods appears before some runes but in all cases, a god cannot appear before its own runes. Then here are my gods : a combination of runes and sentience When you are a sorcerer you don't need gods, you need runes. you learn how to manipulate the runes. When you are not sorcerer, you can have effect magic in two ways : 1) you are powerful enough to create yourself the effect. That's spirit spell, heroic spell or heroic/shaman ability you know 2) you are not powerful enough to create yourself the effect. You need the power of someone else. That's rune spell. You need to call a god power (from a standard cult) or a great spirit/entity power (from a spirit cult) then based on "my" god definition : Since the compromise, gods are still sentient. So they have free will...or semi free will ^^ What they sacrifice is not (in my opinion) their will, but what they can do in the mundane world: they can't act by themselves in the time world. Of course there are exceptions, for me in two ways: When the god time merges with the mundane world (like the Holy country for example when Belintar led it) When the compromise is broken by another god (or a new god as Nick just said before). The other point they sacrificed (but maybe they did not imagine it when they "signed") is the capacity to change and create new power. They cannot anymore discover new powers, new manners. They have to follow patterns they created before the compromise. For example Uleria or Chalana will never find a way to kill someone. Then even are not able to imagine that killing someone could be an option to solve an issue they are facing (If there is no myth where they killed someone, of course; but I don't know any of them) But they can communicate (dream or other ways if they decide to tell you something when you don't ask them, divination or divine intervention if you ask them) And of course they can act through yourself (when you cast a rune spell, your energy and pray is used to open the gate, ask your god, then the god uses its power to have the effect) And of course (for me, for other this of course is not of course at all, it is the opposite 😛 ) even if you succeed to cast your rune spell (or divine intervention), they can decide to not answer your request if they decide ("free will") that's what you demand is "wrong" (see the sun county supplement describing how Yelmalio refused to save a lot of his rune lords who tried a divine intervention to save themselves from the dragons)

Maybe see the thing with another perspective : a) when you heroquest you meet the god. or a proxy but for you it should be the god because if you start to doubt that’s not the god, you are in a path where at the end you will remember you are not wearing your god’s aspect but just a wood mask (or tattoo or … any mundane gear) and your quest may fail only because this. b) when you meet the god, you may learn things (for example how to cast runespell) so why not you learn a wakboth runespell c) then you come back and now you are in the mundane world and you know how to cast Wakboth spell d) so as any « good evil », you cast the spell… the only issue is there is no one who will answer (no Wakboth) because now he is not here. Then no one answer, you are the gate , fine but the god’s energy will not use the gate just because there is no energy now e) no energy no spell effect f) no spell effect = no need to worship no one g) of course meeting a chaos god may give you some chaotic feature because even if Wakboth is not any more, chaos is still here.

Imo if the blow is instant death you can’t heal them (chest head etc with enough negative hp) except very heroic power you cannot heal your friend when the head is far from the rest of the body in other cases, as we are not with action points but SR I would rule like this : round 1 our guy is wound at sr 12 (or any) and no one is able to heal/save his life round 2 Ask who does what (intent) if someone says « heal the guy as soon as possible » fine that’s possible if anyone has other priority… well our guy is dead The point for me is not the SR in the next round, it must be the first thing the healer does. It is a question of priority At the end of the day it is the same logic when someone is dying at SR 3 and others decide to not heal the victim because they want to hit at SR 6 At the end of the round the victim is dead as no one saved her/him when they had the opportunity

everybody... everybody... At least not me, I'm still waiting English-speaker custormers* to have access to the books even if I buy only the pdf version. Following your proposal, that means, even if I "need" less than other customers, I would have to wait more than them to access to the book ? No there would be at least one guy not happy / more frustrated than today / maybe angry with this strategy. * because non English speakers will wait a lot of months / years / lives... to read this fabulous content in their own languages, don't forget these poor guys 🙂

yes of course, but once you have 20, and one of them disappear, you don't need to hire more than one and even you already have 20, and some of them are not rune lord, will the community decide to "fire" one of them to give the position to a better candidate ? sometimes yes sometimes no. What I say is that being a runelord is not just a test (minimum level) but a contest (a minimum ranking)

I can't agree 😛 because it means you get more runelords than you need. It is like any community (clan ring in glorantha, mayor irl and glorantha, CEO of irl company, etc...). You need one boss not twenty, even if you have twenty good proven candidates. I agree that sometimes, you may decide to have two runelords and not one, but that means you can "offer" them (standard of living, gear, supports, etc...)

by the way, is this notion still relevant : gods (like Orlanth or Yinkin) are different than great spirits (like Kolat or Fralar) ? I have deliberately opted for Yinkin because I have a memory of a war between gods and spirits with Yinkin "betraying" the beasts spirits, choosing Orlanth's side. both "no" and "yes" make sense for me, with the only issue with "yes" is there is a question to answer "what is the difference then ?"

there are, for me, different things to keep in mind to have a new rune lord. 1) there must be a need of a new runelord. the community/temple/clan/tribe/kingdom/empire opens a new position and is able (and wants) to support a runelord, or a previous one left the position (death, retirement, ....) And the cult agrees to appoint a new runelord. Of course this agreement is often obvious but sometimes... if the community is a band of mercenaries, or if the mundane leader who wants a runelord has... some disagreement with the temple leader.. Argh politics ! 2) there must be a good candidate enough abilities, enough power, enough probity (from the cult perspective of course). I see the rules requirements (90% in ..., x rune pool, ....) as a guideline, not a rule personaly. At least from the mundane position. If you need a holy warrior, you choose the best qualified and that's done. Of course if all candidates are unable to run more than 2 minutes well... you may wait and hire someone else 😛 Saying that... I imagine there is a ritual when a candidate can prove he/she has the capacity (morale, physical, magical) to become a runelord that may be an heroquest or maybe just a "mundane" heroquest reenacting the god(dess) activities. If there are several candidates and one position, it should be a tournament (same principle, the difference being that only the best is appointed, succeding the ritual is not enough). In fact I imagine something like the Melisandre tournament but more difficult, more dangerous. A kind of rare festivity (I would not say that all cults have new runelords every year) so initiates, priests, runelords, lay members, friends, families, clans, ... may participate in some ceremonies, games, etc... After a lot of more or less dangerous tests, the last step/station the candidate(s) is(are) expected to leave the community as initiate, and come back after days as a successful runelord once a heroic issue is solved : find a cult artefact, destroy a chaotic nest, save some community member trapped by a powerful monster/cult or community ennemy, etc...

How many people who can cast fire magic would like to join Yelmalio (so lose these powers) ? I don't know how different is PHP -yelmalio, but in all cases he would have at least the core (no)power : no fire.

well I was speaking about the 'traditionalist' Yelm, the one who ruled the world before this !$$* wind disturbed the perfect and endless world Of course when I spoke about shaman vs Yelm, it was about shaman who were not initiate of Yelm. Would Yelm be curious by this weirdos hunshen shaman who just want to say to his clan "hey have you seen that ? now I can let the sun blink with my hand !" That doesn't mean a hunshen shaman will always be "ejected", just that is not because a shaman is able to meet a god, a foreign god (I like @Eff's words), that of course the god will accept to discuss. it must be hard, it needs preparation. Hard like a heroquest. Preparation like a heroquest.

an interesting point I hadn't in mind. However it may depends on both the shaman and the god. Not sure Yelm will agree with you -or even to consider curiosity as a divine value, but Ernalda why not yes. the danger then is to consider (imo) that any shaman is by default "a curiosity". I would in that case ask why the god (or its guards) may accept to meet the character. In all case that should be a challenge

I think the point is not CA send an infection, she just doesn't care that now you have one.

Oh I agree i was talking about the goddess herself who tried (or not) to heal chaos In my view she had no enemy (aka no one she wants and tries to wound/kill)

See the gods as emperors or great kings. Forget that they are different in nature, just keep in mind that they have more powers and a court (their priests) So, now imagine that an unknown (a shaman) wants to talk to this emperor. I would say it is difficult. In some case, due to the culture (the pantheon), the emperor himself (the god), and the period (the cult) the access may be more or less difficult. For example it is very easy to speak with the actual french temporary king (yes we use the nickname "president" but it is the same) And I m pretty sure it was impossible to speak with the previous emperor of China. But in all cases, once our "noone" meet the emperor.. What could think the emperor ? Who is this guy who disturbs me ? Why should I hear him ? Now remember that our emperor is in fact a god. With all the dimensions, will all the divine powers. What will happen ? So impossible is not french shamanic but imo, it would be hard and in all cases the god reactions will probably be between neutral and hostile

oh I was convinced that CA try to heal everyone even chaos. But you're one of the lore master, I will not challenge you 😛

it depends on what did @Joerg mean by "beat". Of course if Joerg have in mind to "kill" these physical entities, we can conclude that he is an illuminate agent of Nysalor, Sedenya or Chaos trying to convince "pure" white ladies to lose their faith for something more ambiguous. But if the CA "fighters" do what they can to heal these physical entities the fight is a non violent fight, just huge efforts. After all CA try to heal Malia, I think ? how does their disease nature appear in the dead place ? - If it is physical, they can offer first aid, surgery or alchemy heal. - If it is more some kind of behavior, we may see disease spirits as spirit experiencings mental illness (after all if they propagate voluntary suffering, that's a kind of mental pathology) , then they may use fast talk, orate, sing etc.. to "confort" them and maybe "transform" them to "just spirit", no more disease spirits (if one day they live the dead place)

cut the limb ! quickly ! Another option would be that the dust itself may clean the wound. In the same way that the dust causes damage to your body, the dust may damage the slime. something like cauterization.

I agree Imo, Thed is the mother of the broos in the same way that Stormbull is the father of herds. There is no reason to see "previous" Thed as the mother of only goats in the same way that Stormbull is not the father of only cows the simple way I see is there was a couple of herds ancestors. The father is Stormbull, the mother is Thed. Then Thed was a victim of Ragnaglar or voluntary join her husband's brother in evil acts. Curse is not based on intention but on acts , and she was cursed. That may explain why Stormbull reacts as he reacts. Another option is there is no "previous" Thed, but only one herds storm parent. Maybe this parent was abused by Ragnaglar and "split" one part reacted to this evil act by developping a terrible hate of chaos. And this part used the most brutal form of herd : the bull. This part is Storm bull who wants to destroy his tormentor the second part reacted to this evil act by developping a terrible perversion to seduce (then to protect herself against) her tormentor. This part used a perverted form of herd: the broos. This part is Thed who wants to "fix" the injustice she lived by sharing her experience to any innocent people, like she was before she met the mad god.

I m not sure they are seen as heretics. I mean they (or their ancestors) where not here, not included in the covenant. They are outsiders. Of course {any pejorative word of your choice} not because they don't worship Waha ( why should they ? they are nothing for him) but because they are nothing, they are prey or danger, strangers, barbarians, etc.... Of course individuals may change the view, but more as an individual exception confirming the rule. In the same way that a Rathori would say that a Malkioni is a stranger, a barbarian, nothing for his god-spirit-ancestor so a prey or a danger

rune lord or priest, very very good warrior (included mounted weapon) > 100% (I imagine the only way to be rich enough to buy or get it from the clan chief) ==> war noble (occupation) ==> 50% war, 50% cavalry others ==> cavalry imo praxians tribes are not rich enough to provide war "machine" at will. A war mount needs a lot of season, it is a big investment. then only those who are so effective that they are praised (and have collected enough slaves) could hope to obtain the best mounts of the clan of course... when your dad is the clan chief and your not too bad, you may expect it after your first exploit.. more a question than an answer : is it so easy to bread mounts from another tribes (magically, mundane secret, ...) ? Is there even any taboo to ride them (from a praxian perspective) and worst to breed them ? I imagine that when a bison (or other) warrior get a sable (or other), he see it more as food than as mount (well maybe as a pack animal if there is a lot to carry)

I didn't know but as I indurstand the rules (p286) that's seems to me the author house rules. Not an issue, just to keep it in mind: however, if we see the wyter's worship as a spirit cult, there is no reason to not have one rune spell.

lay members have no access to rune magic. And the wyter doesn't provide rune magic for them to Only the Wyter's priest can order the wyter to do things. So see it more as a "guardian spirit of the community" than a source of power for the pc. so if they are not yet initiate, no rune magic at all 🙂 I would say that's up to you to decide you if want young guys, not yet initiates . If you think (event during the session) that they are not powerful enough, you have to choice : 1) the wyter or any other ally comes to save them. 2) just reduce the % and magic of their opponents. That let your players discover the world and the rules with less options than confirmed pc (so no need to think if the best choice is this spell or this one. For me, at 14-16 (before initiation) pc may have occupational skills (what do they do during their first years ? a farmer's child works in the field, a warrior's child see and is train the "honorable way", etc... ) they may learn 1 or 2 (at 10%) cult skills (because they participate and see their parents worship their gods), but not the cult lore (that's secret you learn once you are initiate) Same with personal skills (1 or 2, 10%) it allows players with the same occupation / cult (often the same couple by the way) to be really different. Maybe one has a friendship with an elf, or a lunar. Maybe one like to run alone in the wild, etc... Keep in mind that in middle age (so I imagine that's the same or even "worst" before), at 6-8 a knight's boy started to learn the different skills of his father and of his cult (animal lore, read/write, customs, sing, dance then later, riding, weapons) and I m pretty sure that until school is mandatory and "full time" or about, any child did the same, the only difference being what kind of occupation, depending on their wealth and opportunities.

personaly I would not believe (but who I am ?...) that lunars are the source of this massacre : if they were, I think they would claim it as a great victory of the greatest empire. Somewhere, if they did it, they did killed Orlanth avatar, some good omen for the next step: killing Orlanth god. As they kept silent, they probably (in this option) did not want to claim something that people may prove they lied. They did not need this kind of lie to be known as very powerful, and they did not need to be exposed as liars, that would "reduce" the fear of their ennemies. Another option is directly based on the broken vow. Maybe, Broyan summoned the devil to be strongest or to reduce dangers and, as he was already cursed, a) the devil did not come when it was expected, b) the devil was too powerful to be constrained So maybe the unwilling instigator of Broyan's fall is Broyan himself.

Mostal ? but is it dead ? is it a spirit ?

I would say it may be a good argument, at least to be "adopted" by his wife's "bloodline" (as any husband/wife who joins his/her partner's clan) However as GM-wise lankhoring I would tell the pc that to marry her is not enough, the pc must "leave" his family/clan to join his wife's family/clan. That 'would be accepted by his first clan of course (marry a goddess ?! whaou...) but with only one issue: There are not a lot of people still alive in his new family... a good mythical help for a potential heroquester to do however that's not because you are [skilled/powerful/ (put your word) ] enough that you will succeed the quest. There should be impossible if the heroquester is not "seen" in the mythical world as an heir. Obtaining the sword and helm is the proof you are a Vingkot's heir (at least you are now a Vingkot's heir). But if you were not before , hard to obtain it 😛 I'm just imagining things, not blocking the idea at all: from a gm perspective, that's not an issue, if GM wants the pc to get back the gear, the pc is one heir, even if the pc doesn't know it.) For example it is said that almost all French are "genetic heirs" of Charlemagne. Probably the same with German I imagine, and other europeans (of course among those who have a part of their ancestors in France/Europe for a long time)