> Very roughly, yes. Here's a RQ-era map of who owns key runes
> (originally published in the RQ3 "Introduction to Glorantha" booklet):
>
> http://issaries.com/library/religions/intro-religion.html#runes
Wow. Very interesting. And completely unknowable by way of the HQ rule book. Intriguing.
> > ... otherwise you end up with the idea that their are 30 "real"
> > gods who own the main runes, and everyone else is just some kind
> > of lesser knock off, which seems completely wrong to the Glorantha
> > I had grown to know.
>
> That *was* a Gloranthan theory at one point (Major Gods are the ones
> who own the key Runes, and they are of fundamental importance to the
> world). Here's a quote from an old Jonstown Compendium entry
> (RuneQuest Companion, p.9, copyright (C) 1983 by Chaosium, Inc.):
>
> "[1474] There are several classes of gods. Some gods have an
> importance so great that to eliminate them from the universe would
> strain it, possibly even destroying all of Glorantha. Other gods are
> of lesser import. The Great Gods of the universe are: Kyger Litor,
> Magasta, Ernalda, Orlanth, Yelm, Aldrya, Hykim, Daka Fal, the Horned
> God, the Cosmic Dragon, Malkion, Humakt, Uleria, Mostal, Chalana
> Arroy, Eurmal, Dayzatar, and Arachne Solare [sic]. Wakboth the Evil is
> also included in this group, not because his elimination could destroy
> the world, but because if he were allowed freedom, his presence would
> destroy it."
>
> I leave the pairing of deities to Runes as an exercise for the reader,
> and the modern interpretation of this as an exercise for the writer.
Indeed. So. There are "the real, important gods who matter" and everyone else. And the Invisible God of sorcery fame is one of them, (and just one? The God Learners lowered their own god to just one rune among the others? Wow.) and a couple of spirits seem to have made it. (Subere, who I think is a Great Spirit, and Daka Fal.)
This completely changes the view of Glorantha I had. I didn't realize there were some "real" gods and others who didn't own runes and so weren't fundamental to the cosmos.
This explains why so many people defended Humakt as the one and only true god of death, at least.
Seems I'm going to have to rethink some things. I thought things were far less clear cut and simple than that. I don't suppose this is one of those things we can throw on the heap as "God Learner heresy" and not have to accept as a truth of Glorantha?
LC
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