HeroQuest (especially HQ2) is a game about telling stories. In that context the Glorantha materials are nothing more than tools to help make Gloranthan stories more fun. If you let go of the need to maintain fidelity to some abstract ideal of how Glorantha is supposed to work - which is a doomed proposition any way - then it is as easy for a novice to run a Glorantha game as anyone else.
For example, you could give a novice narrator a copy of HeroQuest 2 and tell her "Glorantha is a magical fantasy world where each society has its own myths and legends defining what is good and evil and providing magic unique to that religion." That Narrator and her game group could then run a perfectly grand game.
Yes, their Glorantha would vary more than an experienced group's would. They would depend more on typical fantasy tropes than a more experienced Glorantha group might. There wouldn't be Orlanthi and Lunars in it, and their elves probably wouldn't be trees. What matters is that they have fun. They can add more Gloranthan elements to future games as they learn and explore the material.
Basically, the focus should be on the story your group is telling *right now*. "Typical" and "Credible" are defined within that specific context. The "don't directly contradict each other" rule is vital for this, as others have mentioned. As a Gloranthaphile I am still fighting the urge to tell my players "No! That isn't how it is supposed to work!". The benefit to my games from making the effort has been well worth it, though.
Sorry about rattling on so long,
-Kevin McD
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