There is another requirement, to have a Great Secret which binds the aspects together. Because of that secret's essential nature i think that if Vadrus was a great god then his great secret should be "Become Air". Furthermore if Vadrus ever was a Great God then he lost that status when Orlanth's realm came to implement the same features and adding more (such as marrying once baneful Earth, hmm, maybe in the way of Civilization cards). From that PoV it's rather another God who expanded beyond the former Great God's capabilities.
<< Also reduced from Great God would be Heler, who at one point
had multiple aspects (ruler, sailor, warrior, fisherman, etc) and lead a
people who were fighting the Vingkotlings and doing pretty well, but
now is just a Big God. >>
There's a striking parallel with Elmal.
<< Both of these gods could still be Great Gods in corners of the
world, but I doubt it. They both seem like "also rans" to me.>>
IMO, the community size factor is important here, as well as the worship, direct or indirect, that the god receives, which should be quite enormous. Vadrus is not a great god because no community that doesn't implement marriage and such features that Orlanth gives can grow successful enough to sustain a great Storm god. So he would rather be a big god heading a local reduced pantheon of storm deities. This could also be the case that the head god of a local pantheon, who once was a great god and whose cult could potentially grow tremendously as a result, is kept secretive by his worshippers or oppressed by bad guys, or is only viable in a limited area with members who don't have any desire or need to conquer, proselytize or change their traditions - whatever reason that the community doesn't grow large enough.
Jerome
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End of Glorantha Digest
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