Gods and Goddesses of Glorantha

[Jeff]

So I am wrapping up the text of this book, while making sure that it all ties into both the new Heroquesting chapters in the GM Sourcebook and into the Hero Wars Campaign. It is increasingly looking like this will be a two-volume book, as it includes the long form of more than 70 cults.

It is perhaps easier to say what the book does not have:

• The Invisible God of the West. This needs its own book, as my notes keep expanding. Additionally, the Invisible God needs to provide a materialist and humanist interpretation of the Gods and Goddess book - and serve as the Sorcery Book. So this one gets pushed into its own book.
• Godunya and the East. Same deal. 
• Pamalt and the South. Same deal - I toyed around with including Pamalt in this book, even wrote up his cult. BUT I've concluded that it would make far more sense to include Pamalt and his version of the pantheon in a Pamaltela facing book.
• Minor gods of purely local importance, such as Pavis, Lanbril, Flintnail, other city gods, etc. These are better placed in their settings.
• Deities that can be better handled as masks or variant names of other deities, e.g., Elmal, Buserian, etc.

So what is left? Well the book is more than 50% bigger than what was previewed at GenCon and has been pretty intensively revised. Here's the current list of cults that are definitely in it:

1. Kyger Litor
2. Annilla
3. Argan Argar
4. Gorakiki
5. Xiola Umbar
6. Zorak Zoran
7. Magasta
8. Choralinthor
9. Dormal
10. Engizi
11. Oslira
12. Ernalda
13. Aldrya
14. Asrelia 
15. Babeester Gor 
16. Caladra & Aurelion
17. Donandar
18. Eiritha
19. Flamal
20. The Grain Goddesses
21. Hykim & Mikyh (includes Telmor and Basmol)
22. Maran Gor
23. Mostal
24. Ty Kora Tek
25. Uleria
26. Yelm
27. Dayzatar
28. Dendara
29. Gorgorma
30. Lodril
31. Lokarnos
32. Lowfires
33. Polaris
34. Shargash
35. Yelmalio
36. Orlanth
37. Chalana Arroy
38. Eurmal
39. Issaries
40. Lhankor Mhy
41. Daka Fal
42. Foundchild
43. Heler
44. Humakt
45. Mastakos
46. Odayla
47. Storm Bull
48. Valind
49. Waha
50. Yinkin
51. Seven Mothers
52. Danfive Xaron
53. Deezola
54. Etyries
55. Hon-eel
56. Hwarin Dalthippa
57. Irrippi Ontor
58. Jakaleel
59. Nysalor
60. Red Goddess
61. Yanafal Tarnils
62. Primal Chaos
63. Bagog
64. Cacodemon
65. Crimson Bat
66. Krarsht
67. Krjalk
68. Mallia
69. Pocharngo
70. Thanatar
71. Thed
72. Vivamort

I am still debating about whether to add Horned Man, Triolina, Subere, Wachaza, and Voria to the list. 

For me this has been comparable to writing the Guide - especially realising how these various groupings of gods overlap, intersect, and form a magical whole. Even in the West, South, and East, these are the deities that form the cosmic foundation (although often with different names and different stories). 

Edited March 3, 2019 by Jeff

[jps]

This is really big, everything we need to play in the default setting, including Lunars and Chaos cults ^^

[jongjom]

2 hours ago, Jeff said:

I am still debating about whether to add Horned Man, Triolina, Subere, Wachaza, and Voria to the list. 

Please, please add! 

[Zozotroll]

Any even vague idea when we can see this masterpiece?  Rabid minds want to know

 

[womble]

4 hours ago, Jeff said:

1. Enralda

Just in case that's an export from the chapters list of the manuscript, thought I'd point out the typo... 

But more great news, Jeff. Thanks.

[hkokko]

Looking really good. 

 

will it have the usual compatibility matrix.

 

will there be the sacrifices that each of the gods expect (Storm Tribes style?)

no Voria?

—h

 

 

[soltakss]

4 hours ago, Jeff said:

I am still debating about whether to add Horned Man, Triolina, Subere, Wachaza, and Voria to the list. 

I would like to see Horned Man, Subere, and Voria, but not so sure about Triolina and Wachaza, as they have limited use outside a Seas campaign.

[soltakss]

4 hours ago, Jeff said:

Caladraland & Aurelion

Or Caladra & Aurelion, unless you are including a full writeup of Caladraland as well, which would be great

 

[Psullie]

Excellent stuff, I for one would prefer it that you hold off adding new material so we can get our hands on it sooner.

[kiryamo]

I see in the list some chaos gods. Was not a specific volume planned for them?

[Beoferret]

Will all variant names (e.g. Uralda for Eiritha) be listed for each deity?

[jps]

3 minutes ago, Beoferret said:

Will all variant names (e.g. Uralda for Eiritha) be listed for each deity?

That could be helpful 

[Rojo]

REALLY helpful.

[hkokko]

Would love to see Wachaza and Triolina as running a coastal campaign...

[Julian Lord]

17 hours ago, Jeff said:

I am still debating about whether to add Horned Man, Triolina, Subere, Wachaza, and Voria to the list. 

Horned Man seems necessary IMO

Voria itself is short, but adding her would seem to require also adding Asrelia, and Voriof, for the crone, mother, maiden "trinity" and for the boys cult corresponding to the girls one

Can see both pros and cons for the last 3

[Psullie]

8 hours ago, Beoferret said:

Will all variant names (e.g. Uralda for Eiritha) be listed for each deity?

As a reference that would be great, with the caveat that regional differences can be direct, refer to an aspect or simply speculative.

[Sumath]

19 hours ago, Jeff said:

I am still debating about whether to add Horned Man, Triolina, Subere, Wachaza, and Voria to the list.

I think Horned Man is a good shout, as a cornerstone of shamanism. The others would probably be better off in specific supplements (e.g. a sea / ships sourcebook, trollpak etc) as they will not be used in most campaigns.

[RHW]

 

20 hours ago, Jeff said:

Deities that can be better handled as masks or variant names of other deities, e.g., Elmal, Buserian, etc.

Wait, what? Buserian is a mask? So he’s Lhankor Mhy?

Edited March 4, 2019 by RHW
Typo

[RHW]

I would vote yes please for Horned Man, Subere, and Wachaza.

[Jeff]

25 minutes ago, RHW said:

 

Wait, what? Buserian is a mask? So he’s Lhankor Mhy?

Yes. He's the Dara Happan name for him. 

[Humakt]

Is gonna be subcults as well? 

[Joerg]

15 minutes ago, Jeff said:

Yes. He's the Dara Happan name for him. 

In that case, that's just an aspect of the deity. Really.

And if you need to branch off another deity from the list, why LM and not Irrippi Ontor?

The name (and original function) of the deity is "sacrificer of cows", the priest. Writing comes as an afterthought, and starts with record-keeping (counting) the tax and harvest.

Star-seeing is a special subcult, or possibly hero cult grown big.

But yes, Buserian the scribe or archivist is the mask of Lhankor Mhy the scribe, but not the Lightbringer, and neither the Lawspeaker - that's the province of Yelm alone. Buserian the tallymaster, bull sacrificer etc. has a number of other functions not shared by Lhankor Mhy in Esrolia or the far west.

Much like the flensing knife isn't standard Lhankor Mhy equipment, either, even though taking off the skin of living enemies for magical writing material is a well-beloved custom among the magical scribes of the West.

Makes me wonder why we get Shargash when we have Zorak Zoran.

 

I recognize the pressure of limited space in a printed product, but I really think that we would fare significantly better if we said "these are distinct deities, but in this list of myths we cannot say whether the one or the other is the original actor." The same myths do of course lead to the same magics, so from a spellbook approach (only) this makes sense. In the "Mythos and History" section, the differences should be pointed out, and limitations of the other ones. Elmal doesn't get Sunspear. Buserian doesn't get Lightbringer associated magics.

The dragonslaying for the waters (Enkoshons, Aroka, Barntar's Daga quest) is a shared myth between Orlanth, Vadrus and Barntar, and while Barntar might be presented as an aspect of Orlanth, Vadrus is harder to place there.

Is Odayla different from Orlanth, Arakang or Rathor, or just the same? IMO both cases are true. Some magic and myth is shared, other parts are unique to a specific aspect and not available to similar entities. The advanced quester or researcher may know how to use or exploit such parallel drifts to switch paths while questing. Some of the standard quests like the LBQ likely have incorporated such sideway switches into their mainstream version.

[Jeff]

1 hour ago, Humakt said:

Is gonna be subcults as well? 

Many cults have plenty of sub cults. Some don't. 

[Jeff]

20 hours ago, jps said:

This is really big, everything we need to play in the default setting, including Lunars and Chaos cults ^^

It is really big. Somewhere around 350k words. The Guide itself was 460k words.

[RustK]

2 minutes ago, Jeff said:

It is really big. Somewhere around 350k words. The Guide itself was 460k words.

This is just awesome !
But the more you put in, the more we wait ! But the more you put in, the more it'll be good ! But the more we wait, but the more is good, but ... 

You're just torturing us !