Now a theist gains magical power by more closely emulating his or her god. Correct? The intensity of this connection is measured by the strength of the appropriate rune trait (modified by little things like initiation, devotion, ordination, and disciplehood I presume <grin>). So a theist seeking more powerful magics would (game mechanically) increase the relevant rune traits. Since the runes are also associated with personality traits appropriate to the nature of that rune, the theist is more likely to react (after all, if the game mechanics force a result it is a reaction not an action, and we are talking game mechanics here, not just role-playing) like his or her god (who presumable is possesed by and possesses the same traits). All perfectly fine (bar quibbling about the nature of the runes and which came first, the theist or the rune affiliation <grin>).
Now wizards and shamans (and their lesser ilk of whatever title) don't use runes at all when working their magic. Correct? They have no incentive to increase the value of their rune traits (at least if they want more powerful magic). So why would they have rune traits in the first place? After all, if they don't have any special ability or disadvantage at Pottery Making then there is no necessity to record this fact on their character sheet. So why should they record any rune affiliations at all? Would there be any incentive to acquire any in the first place? Or is possession of runes something innate to all things in Glorantha? And then, since it is stated that theists can drop their rune affiliations, what is to prevent a character from dropping them in order to pursue the path of shamanism or wizardry without bias? With the same end result, of having no runic affiliations at all. Thus runes become something only found in theistic culture (which, admittedly, are the eyes through which most of us view Glorantha).
[Of course, if runes are simply a cosmic shorthand for calculating your character's personality horoscope, isn't this innately applying a theistic filter on all characters, even where it is not really appropriate. A westerner would probably look at you blankly if you said he was Death aspected. But say he was on the path to {insert appropriate essence node here} he would agree. Is it possible to have a personality in absence of the rune default? (yes - rhetoric)]
YGMV Ian
-- Ian Borchardt (iborchar_at_...) Philosoph, Fool, and Magician "That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange Ians, even death may die."
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