I know half-element runes are really out of keeping with the zeitgeist, at least officially, but they are useful to describe gods who have power in one area of an elemental rune but not all of it -- especially if one is making a very rigid link between a god's runes and the magic it can offer (probably a good thing, but not without its teething troubles).
Some of these are well known -- Darkness can be divided into Cold and Shadow, and Fire/Sky into Fire and Sky (but more usually called Heat and Light). Earth has the split (benign/malignant), but the main rune seems reasonably synonymous with benign Earth.
Storm/Air (to use the old name of the Storm rune) is ready-made for just such a split into Storm and Air, but I don't ever remember modified runes to reflect this (though Simon's reference to the Urox approach suggests that it did happen and I missed it).
Though if one were to use such a split, Storm Bull/Urox would be Storm-centred , as FWIW are Doburdun and Gagarth. On the 'Air' side are Molanni and Brastalos (little-worshipped), and (probably) Barntar-- I don't see Barntar cultists creating storms and firing lightning bolts, although I could see them performing benign ceremonial magic to make the weather better for farming-- and of course Barntar's power over Earth is through Storm/Air. Orlanth would have a full measure of both sub-runes.
I don't ever remember a sub-division in the Water rune, but then Water cults aren't that well documented. Maybe there isn't one? If there is, would it be between 'Sea' and 'Freshwater'?
Richard Hayes
From: Simon Phipp <soltakss_at_dDGNHi1dvZZ44PWCwXg0tGFC-aRdI8dlJstB5nI_pu9x8DqXNtExf0K_AsKv_fKw3OAh-7awlq5EiL1G.yahoo.invalid>
Subject: Re: Opposing runes and the circle of elements - Lodril
To: WorldofGlorantha_at_yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, 1 August, 2009, 10:59 PM
Donald:
> I think Doburdun should have the powers of "calm air" which if we
> follow the Urox approach means a separate rune for that subset of
> air powers. It probably isn't a core rune as it is mainly known
> among the Lunars.
Dorburdun is the god of the intercontinental thunderstorm, all bluster and noise and nothing much else. That doesn't sound like calm air to me. It looks to me as though he is one of the fertilising storms that make the earth fertile with his rain and seed.
See Ya
Simon
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