/// Tall order, many questions. I'll try to keep it sweet and short.
So basically you'll need to know the history/myth of Orlanth to understand what the otherside is like?
/// Yes. The Other Side IS your myths. BTW, "myths" means "stories about real events" here, not "inventions". Myths tell us "Why we must die", or "how the sun rose for the first time", or "when Grandmother learned to feed babies". They explain our lives.
Myths happened and still happen on the Other Side, where there is no time. Learning these myths is a very important part of growing up. The more you advance in your religion, the more secrets (myths, ways to the other side) you know).
I assume there is ritual to get there.
/// There are many, for each Myth (ex. "Thunder Brothers trash the Sea demons", or "Uralda brings the cows back"). And they differ from tribe to tribe, even from clan to clan. Them neighbour no-gooders never properly worshipped the Great Storm. And the other cultures, with their own, different Pantheons also have their myths.
What happens to your body?
/// If you're theist, it comes along with you. Nothing stays in This World. If you deal with Spirits, it might be different. Who knows how it works for damn sorcerers.
What happens if you are killed there?
/// Depends on what you want to do in your scenario, and on the level of defeat. I'd kill a character in This World as well only on a complete defeat. The other levels of defeat eject you from the Other Side in This World, battered, bleeding and perhaps thousands of miles from your starting point. UNLESS dying / suffering was part of the Myth.
Is the god world and the spirit world the same?
/// No, but in some "places" they mix, and Gods fight Spirits. Sometimes it overlaps in This World.
Are there spirits floating around everywhere?
/// In Spirit Places, sure. But you can only see them, and talk to them if you're a shaman, or a good spirit-talker. Do you have the "Second Sight" or "Talk to Spirit" skill ?
Where is this essence plane?
/// BURN THE MELDEK !!! Death to god-learners !!! Get the torches !!
The Essence Plane is the Other Side for sorcerers, at the other end of Glorantha. Only they call it like that. We good sartarites, when we need to talk about it, which is as rarely as possible, call it "cesspool of demons". Generally, we call an ennemy culture's Other Side "hell".
What about all of your dead ancestors? If there are there, that would be a lot of fricken people!
/// The Host of Orlanth is made of countless daimones, and some of them were your ancestors. But they are hard to recognized, unless you came specifically to meet one. Even then it's difficult to find and recognized him, unless she/he is a Big Hero.
How do you determine which rune affinities that your character has? What makes him pick mastery over fire?
/// Game terms : the player chooses what he feels like chosing, after you explain the 25 core runes. Most orlanthi men are/have Air ; most women have/are Earth. Then there is a Power Rune, one of the Four Dualities (Harmony - Conflict, Truth - Illusion, etc.). The third one can be anything : another Power Rune, a Form Rune, The Magic or Mastery Rune etc.
Buy SARTAR : KINGDOM OF HEROES to read about a complete culture : that of the Glorious Sartarites (smelly hillbillies). It'll tell you what Runes are about.
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