Out Now - Cults of RuneQuest: The Prosopaedia

[MOB]

Cults of RuneQuest: The Prosopaedia is the first in the new Cults of RuneQuest sourcebook series for the RuneQuest TTRPG. This book is an indispensable reference to the many gods and goddesses, monsters, locations, artifacts, and events that have shaped mythology in the world of RuneQuest since its making!

• An encyclopedia to the gods of the fantasy world of Glorantha
• A companion book to the other volumes in the Cults of RuneQuest line makes it essential for collectors
• New RuneQuest players will find an easy-to-follow and evocative description of the pantheons of Glorantha

This book contains no rules mechanics, and will appeal to those with an interest in creative mythology, or looking to inject full pantheons of established gods into their existing roleplaying campaigns.

Also available in a special leatherette edition.

Cults of RuneQuest: The Prosopaedia

CHA4042-H
152 pages
Hardcover, full colour
ISBN: 978-1-56882-466-6
Authors: Greg Stafford, Jeff Richard, Sandy Petersen
Cover Art: Katrin Dirim
Interior Art: Katrin Dirim.

$37.99 - hardback*
$90.00 - leatherette*
$18.99 - PDF
$18.99 - DriveThruRPG

*price includes PDF when purchased direct from Chaosium.com and from Friendly Local Game Stores that are part of the Bits & Mortar initiative.

Edited November 6, 2023 by Nick Brooke

[Jape_Vicho]

Just ran to the online shop to get it. It's as gorgeous as spected. At a first glace, it covers info on gods from all around Glorantha, I thought it would be only centered on Genertela, but it's not, and that's great. And as always, Katrin Dirim is an astounding artist.

[Steve]

Looks amazing so far. Where would you like typos to be posted? Presumably not a very urgent task since the books have been printed already.

 

[Martin]

I just got this and was pleased to see that several deities I invented and named for Fonrit have made it as "canon" 😀

[metcalph]

Shipping not available in Oz.  *Grump*

[PhilHibbs]

3 hours ago, Steve said:

Looks amazing so far. Where would you like typos to be posted? Presumably not a very urgent task since the books have been printed already.

I would expect the Q&A to be the place. @Scotty? But I guess we might not want that page to be cluttered with minor stuff that doesn't affect play. So perhaps it depends on the nature of the typo.

Edited July 13, 2023 by PhilHibbs

[Arcadiagt5]

5 hours ago, metcalph said:

Shipping not available in Oz.  *Grump*

I am also saddened by this. 😞

Still, it will be available sooner or later. Let’s just hope it’s sooner. 

[RandomNumber]

49 minutes ago, Arcadiagt5 said:

Still, it will be available sooner or later. Let’s just hope it’s sooner. 

Same. I've bought the PDF though so am enjoying that while I wait for the logistical shenanigans to resolve. At first glance it's a lovely reference, like the RBoM and Bestiary and will be a great boon when I just need the key points without having to sift through numerous other sources.

[Mark Mohrfield]

Dodurdun doesn’t seem to be listed. Anyone else missing?

[jajagappa]

12 hours ago, Mark Mohrfield said:

Dodurdun doesn’t seem to be listed.

Doburdan largely dropped from canon just like most "little" gods added in the HW proliferation period.

[Ian A. Thomson]

Hey folks. Where can I find an index to this publication?

[Richard S.]

2 hours ago, Ian A. Thomson said:

Hey folks. Where can I find an index to this publication?

Not quite an index but here's what it includes: https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/catalogue/publishers/chaosium/cha4042-cults-of-runequest-the-prosopaedia/prosopaedia-contents/

[PhilHibbs]

6 hours ago, Ian A. Thomson said:

Hey folks. Where can I find an index to this publication?

Page 144 onwards?

[JRE]

I have had only time to browse through, and I am impressed by the many names I barely remember but specially by the varied styles and detail of Katrin Dirim. I find her illustrations are key in showing the Gloranthan theist experience.

[Scotty]

9 hours ago, Ian A. Thomson said:

Hey folks. Where can I find an index to this publication?

I've added the Index here:

https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/catalogue/publishers/chaosium/cha4042-cults-of-runequest-the-prosopaedia/cults-of-runequest-the-prosopaedia-index/

(Formating needs finishing, but it's searchable. If you want to volunteer to help with anything message me)

[David Scott]

On 7/16/2023 at 8:46 AM, Mark Mohrfield said:

Dodurdun doesn’t seem to be listed. Anyone else missing?

It doesn't contain everything. We know from the Guide that Doburdun is the pale and timorous god of storm from the Darsen Hills, who is associated with Entekos. Other Darsenite gods are also not included such as Derdromus and Poralistor.

[PhilHibbs]

3 hours ago, David Scott said:

It doesn't contain everything.

My hopes of a full list of the ten thousand goddesses of Esrolia are dashed.

[David Scott]

27 minutes ago, PhilHibbs said:

My hopes of a full list of the ten thousand goddesses of Esrolia are dashed.

They will be in the Cults of RuneQuest Supplementary Volume 2: Lists of Esrolian Goddesses You Never need to run a game (Volume 1 is Adding complexity to RuneQuest with Fiddly Hero Wars cults no one cares about).

[Soccercalle]

1 hour ago, PhilHibbs said:

My hopes of a full list of the ten thousand goddesses of Esrolia are dashed.

I want long forms of all the different Thunder Bros and weird HQ/HW subcults 😉

Actually I’m glad that canon is cleansed. But I missed Rigsdal in the Prosopaedia. (But I really love the book. It is amazing).

[Tindalos]

Fortunately for myself, and anyone else who has apparently been devoured by Kajabor, the prosopedia does list a few goddesses in that vein.
Ana Gor, Delaeo, Dew Maid, Delaina, Eninta, Evening Star, Holder, Huraya, Imarja, Mahome, Morning Star, Orana, Rainbow Girl, Silonia, Voria.

None needed to run a game, likely counted as part of the ten thousand godddesses, but enlightening (enearthening?) none the less.

Edited July 17, 2023 by Tindalos

[Austin]

For those interested in reading reviews before buying, I've just put up a review of The Prosopaedia on my website. Hope it's interesting!

[Jeff]

19 hours ago, David Scott said:

It doesn't contain everything. We know from the Guide that Doburdun is the pale and timorous god of storm from the Darsen Hills, who is associated with Entekos. Other Darsenite gods are also not included such as Derdromus and Poralistor.

Incorrect David. Doburdan is simply a local name for Orlanth Thunderous, associated with the Entekos cult. Derdromus is an old Darsenite name for Deshkorgos, who shows up on page 29.

And for sanity sake I did not include the name of every river god, or every alternate name of a god known in one language or another.

 

[Jeff]

15 hours ago, Soccercalle said:

I want long forms of all the different Thunder Bros and weird HQ/HW subcults 😉

Actually I’m glad that canon is cleansed. But I missed Rigsdal in the Prosopaedia. (But I really love the book. It is amazing).

Rigsdal is there on page 100. He's known as Polaris.

[Steve]

Hopefully @Jeff won't mind me posting up here a useful snippet that he wrote on Facebook about the Prosopaedia:

Jeff wrote:

So now that many of you all have the Prosopaedia, let me talk a little bit about the book. The Prosopaedia was obviously inspired by the short pamphlet of the same name in RQ3's Gods of Glorantha. As I was working on the Cults Books, I added all the short entries for deities into the file so I could keep track of them. Eventually the file became so big that there was no reason not to turn it into a book.

This gave me an opportunity to do some God Learner mythic synthesis to the RQ canon. The book assumes the reality of these deities - they are real parts of the cosmos and not simply cultural constructs. Naming conventions were simplified - it doesn't really help to throw out a lot of First Age local names we now in the Third Age have a standard name for. So no Lanatum, Doburdun, Orlanatus, etc - Orlanth covers all of that.

A few exceptions get made of course - so Buserian gets an entry independent from Lhankor Mhy. The later Cults book makes it clear that it is the same cult, but scribes can't help but be pendantic. There are plenty of other intentionally loose threads, such as Bredjeg, the many names for Lightfore, etc. These exceptions are deliberate, and often are there to help explain things and resolve questions. 

Because the scope of the book is all of Glorantha, connections and ties become apparent. Where I felt it was important to throw a reference in the see other entry I did, but if I did that for every association the book would be a sea of red. 

The book is not intended to be read from front to back (any more than an encyclopedia is), but rather it is intended to let you take a meandering tour of Glorantha's cosmology. Start with a favorite god and then jump around. You'll find that all of the pieces together form an overarching story - the so-called monomyth. Each of the entries has its place within that mythic architecture, although it is often not apparent from the individual entry.

To me that is the genius of Greg's Glorantha. Individual myths might be standalone. But collectively there is an architecture to the mythology that ties it all together. My hope is that you enjoy the Prosopaedia as much as I have!

 
 

[Soccercalle]

47 minutes ago, Jeff said:

Rigsdal is there on page 100. He's known as Polaris.

Thanks! I remember that now.