I can only respond in the most general terms to these questions. In "Cults of Prax" the Journal of Biturian Varosh presents his encounter with a Lunar Priestess of Eyteries. He speaks with her, she begins to cast influence magic and eventually he realizes it and attempts to avoid it. He is angry at this and obviously isn't prepared for it, even though she is a priestess of a trading cult. That seems odd given that Biturian is presented as a follower of Issaries and a man of the world. In some ways it seems that such magic might only be used against more primitive or foreign cults, but I'm not sure. That would seem to pose its own dangers.
I have to take the stand that much of the grand scale influence magic in KoDP is either an artifact or happens in a way that we don't see in the actual play of the game. Perhaps visions are granted to the people who you wish to influence, showing them the benefits of being nice. Perhaps people whithin the enmey tribe inclined to alliance who had previously been silent begin to speak up. Perhaps your own people become clearer in what they mean to say, avoiding misunderstandings. (This would be an interesting and subtle way to incorporate grand scale influence magic into a campaign; characters might have to notice such changes and realize what was happening). In day-to-day RPG play, and I have to confess that I don't use RQ to run Glorantha, we have a perception roll to spot the use of influence magic. Most PC's understand that when the duration runs out that the target is going to realize something is wrong if the influence is not subtle enough for them to rationalize it.
Your comments about are modern reaction I think hold true. Among the Orlanthi no one can make you do anything you don't want to, and yet these quests allow you to. I have a hard time imagining a culture where the use of influence magic by a foreign or opposing group wouldn't be considered hostile. I've been thinking about this more as I've been trying to build a working model of how Glorantha-esque faiths might operate in a modern setting, hoping to use those analogies to both run a game and show my players what living in such a society is like.
OK, that was rambling.
Lowell A. Francis
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