While I believe that this is somewhat special to the less committed style the Praxians worship their secondary deities (besides their cultural ones, i.e. Oakfed, Pole Star, Raven, Malia, whatever else from Nomad Gods), I agree wholeheartedly that some sort of ancestor worship must be included in all the major theist deities' religions. Yelm is an ancestor cult with special spells rather than a cultural common cult already (that's Lodril or the Sun Sons in one of their guises - hi, Shargash debaters!). But I think that Orlanthi regularly have ceremonies for their ancestors within their clan or stead worship. They might have less personal contact than the outright Daka Fal people (with their Axis Mundi ritual), but I play that in Heortland there are tombs or burning places where the spirits can be called, and contacted. Mind you, special spirits mainly, ones who have displayed an interest in the well-being of the world and their people.
Perhaps there even is some sort of minor Lightbringers' reenactment involved, a visit to the Hall of Maggotliege where all the dead friends and family of the quester are assembled. Rather than an Axis Mundi, the participants would have to pass the Guardians of the Realm of the Dead, using whichever method seems appropriate (and giving those Humakti housecarls something useful to do), and then prove themselves before Maggotliege (not the full test, though, maybe little more than a jump through a bonfire) before allowed to interact with their ancestors as in Axis Mundi, etc.
Another path might use the female cults, Asrelia as a guide and Ty Kora Tek as the unwilling host. Other ideas?
The Lodrili of Peloria might reenact Lodril's contest with Monster Man (DiDediDaran in Entekosiad), with the gaming contest, and the sexual encounter with Ugly Woman.
>Perhaps a person keeps a talisman
>or part of the skeleton of an ancestor or ancestors and has a reuseable
>Worship Ancestor. While one would should still not have a DI, perhaps under
>certain circumstances they could incarnate a particularly favored and potent
>ancestor.
> Any thoughts? How blasphemous am I being? :)
Not much, except maybe for the rulesy part at the end. I prefer Ancestor Worship to be part of the ordinary religious life of the people, practically a subcult of any given religion except strange ones (like Humakt, some of whose adherents sever themselves from kin and ancestors - although IMO there are lots of happy Humakti families in Kethaela, with caring and even loving fathers worshipping the God of Death, and relying on the Pharaoh's Luck).
IMO the Orlanthi and Pelorian gods are more reliable than the Praxian spirits allied by shamans (unlike the tribal deities, Founder (Tribe-Waha), Protectress (Herd-Eiritha) and (of course) ancestors). In compensation, the ancestors' worship is subsumed more deeply within the cults. This means more ritual is needed unless you visit a place holy to that specific ancestor (for Orlanthi I use ancestral Alfar worship, from Vikings; for the Pelorians the more civilized Ancestral Kami from Land of Ninja might be useful). Your Glorantha may vary, and mine certainly does from place to place.
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