I do have to agree with David Hall that Nick Effingham's "St. Orlanth" looked more as Sartar with sorcery than the West. And Surantyr is really bold if he uses the Nonheretic when talking with a malkioni.
However as his Glorantha is as true as mine, instead of discussing that, I will discuss the other thing that I did not like: SAINT Orlanth. All that follows is IMO.
There is a clear difference to me between Saints and Gods. Gods are powerful (some all-powerful, their followers say) entities that you may worship, either to get something, or just to give thanks for making the world such a wonderful place (or to avoid it becoming even worse).
Saints are mortals whose life was a show of right behaviour. By following their example, and living rightly, you hope to receive some benefit -from God-, usually salvation. They are a means, not an end in themselves. Usually their exalted position enables them to help those that follow their footsteps, specially in a magic rich world as Glorantha. Saint's blessings, however, do not depend on an established cult structure but on the private behaviour of the individual. They are personal, not communitary.
Most Malkioni (Rokari, Hrestoli, Galvosti, Boristi, Sedalpists...) consider there is no other God that the Invisible God. So only It may be worshipped, and any other worship is a crime of the worst kind. Saints are revered, imitated (different saints depending on the behaviour considered Right by each sect) and acknowledged, but not worshipped. Of course some illiterate farmers may prefer to pray to St. Gerlant, known as a good and just king, to make their ruler be like him, but that is ignorance, and the church is usually tolerant. Also some foreign gods have made their way into the saints list, but they are not worshipped, they are just models.
However there are many sects that recognize one or more gods, created by the Invisible God, and who have a hand in controlling and shaping the world. In this case, this entities may be worshipped to get benefits in the world, even though the IG is almost always supreme. Most of this sects still have saints as role models, but they are usually less influential, as cults of concrete deities already work as behaviour guides. Gods in this case are more like the angelic host in christianity: they were created to help God although some of them betrayed his trust and are now enemies. Usually those in the know (Carmanian viziers, Henotheists Bishops) worship only God, while lesser humans use lesser intermediaries to get to God.
BTW, at least in catholicism, it is not right saying St. Michael, or St. Gabriel, as they are angels, and so they are different than saints, as they did not have to work to be saved and were created full of grace. Of course there are churches called St. Michael, etc. which shows that Tradition can be stronger than Dogma. This confusion is also prevalent in the Glorantan West, at least in mixed religious areas.
As a rule of thumb, malkioni are those that follow the Laws of Malkion, and so recognise the Invisible God as supreme. The other trappings, helpers, etc. are what differentiates a sect and another.
If some of you think this makes the West too Christian, use another model. Myself I consider it as a mix of Medieval Japanese society with a monotheist religion. The IG has some common points with buddhism, and Shinto-like worship appears in some henotheist societies. The Japanese model (with plate armour) has it all: Ambitious lords, nominally hereditary, reckless samurai (knights) loyal to the death, nominally hereditary, saintly priests, far from mundane concerns, but popular as advisers and counselors, and peasants. There are always peasants.
Jose
End of Glorantha Digest V4 #232
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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