Literacy is not a cultural norm anywhere in Glorantha. The average person of any gloranthan culture will not be able to read. You will note that "Read" and "Write" are two separate skills, available only to specific keywords. Most literacy is magical (or considered magical), taught by a cult or church.
> "In the same idea, I think the "Culture" skill should include the =
> relevant speak
> language (and read/write ?) ability as well, as a culture is defined by =
> a
> language (not only, but it is a major element IMO), and knowing the =
> language is
> essential to understand well a culture ?"
Speaking your own language is one of those skills assumed under the "things no hero will fail at", so we left it out of the cultural keyword. Reading & Writing are *only* available via specific keywords. If you want a hero that is literate but not a scholar, than you'll need to write it into his description.
Note that literacy in Glorantha won't be that useful for the "average person" - there are no street signs or menus, no popular fiction, no newspapers, no libraries. Even though your character may be literate, there is nothing to read, outside of the temples/government buildings. And if you think that a Buserian clerk will let your lion-worshipping skirmisher wander in looking for something to read, you're sadly mistaken!
There is certainly scope for literate characters and sagas in Glorantha (the entire "How the West was One" scenario/LARP practically demands that a character be literate), but most characters don't *need* to be literate.
Roderick
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