As I understand it, all ("Orlanthi all") the male gods in the Heortling pantheon are really aspects of the Great God, Orlanth, and the goddesses are aspects of Ernalda. (With possible exceptions for clearly imported/alien gods, like Lankhor Mhy.) The only question is how much you choose to emphasize that aspect--is it a matter of just recognizing that aspect with one prayer in your worship of Orlanth, or do you sacrifice to him in particular, have a separate shrine for him, have a distinct feast-day, etc? The more you emphasize the aspect, the more his magic will be distinct from that of the Great God. In game terms, it's the difference between "same affinities with a couple of special-purpose feats", "two of the same affinities but a different third affinity/different Secret", "one affinity in common", or "huh-- you *sure* he's a storm god?"
Of course, the whole Orlanth-is-Dead thing complicates it. Evidently people aren't getting magic from Finovan Thunder-Brother, but they are getting magic from Barntar. OTOH, maybe that's mythically appropriate-- part of the Orlanth story is that even when Orlanth himself was unavailable (outlawed, or dead on the LBQ), he was still able to help the tribe via his sons or friends (like Elmal). So it might be fitting that Orlanth is dead, but is magic still reaches his people through side-channels like Barntar?
>----Original Message----
>From: parental_unit_2_at_uXby58xwEVmRIqtgp2AIKf2DrMt2smMSo2yNNhmIdQRyCQT2Y5UrP99LgszwPuxy6u2eVrKx18ImGTByZAGn9fA3ros.yahoo.invalid
>Date: May 9, 2007 9:00
>To: <WorldofGlorantha_at_yahoogroups.com>
>Subj: Barntar: Son of Orlanth?
>
>A discussion on another list raised a question: Why isn't Barntar a
>subcult of Orlanth in _Thunder Rebels_? Instead, he's a very minor
>cult in _Storm Tribe_. [...]
>
>Making Barntar a subcult of Orlanth could create problems for past
>Sartar Rising materials, however. For example, it would prevent
former
>Orlanthi in Lunar lands from worshipping him.
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