Not as I run Issaries in East Ralios. To start with, trade there is largely confined to luxury goods, and conducted using canoes under the auspices of the god Doskior. And in general, East Ralios has less "civilized" versions of the Lightbringers.
>I don't think the rural orlanthi have much use of the merchant aspect of
>the Speaking God, except in the big cities. Trading is a spinoff from
>travelling (this statement is arguable, I know), and thus secondary
>(even if very important in the major trading centres). Rurally he has
>IMO a much more important position as Skald, Herald, Psychopomp
>and Traveller.
Note that Issaries the Trader is still prevalent in Dragon Pass -- you've got stuff like Gringle's Pawnshop, and when Sartar married the Feathered Horse Queen, he gave her a couple trading posts (i.e. Issaries temples).
And I think Issaries the Trading God is worshipped more in Heortland and Esrolia.
I see lampooning as almost more of a Eurmal thing, but this role could be played by Issaries as well. It seems likely Issaries plays a role as conciliator, especially with spells like Create Moot (=Create Market).
Note: My first (and still living!) RuneQuest character joined the cult of Issaries, and led a couple caravans from Wintertop to Balazar. She was bitterly disappointed when the RQ3 rules removed the Rune Lady status.
Here's my cult summary (RQ4 format, but PenDragon Pass rules):
ISSARIES
God of Communications and Travel
Worshippers: Messengers, heralds, explorers, travelers.
Skills: Bargaining, Compose, Memorize, Recognize, Religion (Issaries),
Ritual, Speak (Own), Speak (Tradetalk), Speak (language)
Duties: Conveying messages, acting as herald, telling stories and poems,
reciting genealogies, teaching languages.
Virtues: Energetic, Honest, Proud, Suspicious, Worldly.
Priests: 18 in Bargaining, Compose, or Speak, and 10 in four cult skills.
Cult Magic: Glamour, Glue, Mindspeech, Mobility.
Divine Magic: all common, Create Moot, Lock, Passage, Path Watch, Retell,
Spell Trading.
Associated Cults: Chalana Arroy (Regrow Limb), Eurmal (Clever Tongue),
Lhankor Mhy (Analyze Magic), Orlanth (Flight).
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