In both of my running series there is currently no Orlanth initiate at all. In one group the best combat expert happens to be the Lhankor Mhy lawspeaker. Players tend to deviate from the "Orlanthi all". But that is no problem at all. In fact it can be great fun.
Most roleplaying systems I know "force" the players to play homeless and jobless people, wandering around looking for somebody to hire them. In Glorantha and HeroQuest you can focus on social interaction. If you already started with local clan politics it's the best way to do it. Let the NPCs be the war mongers. That gives your players the opportunity to use their abilities and concepts to the clan's benefit.
My advice on the epic question: don't start with the epic level. Start local. That gives the players the time to get adjusted to the world and their environment. Also players have to learn what is possible to do and what is not. Let the players feel that their actions have consequences – for better or worse. Maybe they take part in electing a PC's brother new clan chief. Maybe they form a strong alliance (through marriage or trade) with Blue Spruce clan. Maybe they drift into a feud with that clan and the PCs cannot prevent it. In any case the next level is already there: your series has gone from clan affairs to tribal level. From that you go on to epic!
RoM
>
> Hi All,
> I was wondering if anyone might have any advice for me regarding my group of Orlanthi PCs.. I have a female Issarite, healer, and huntress—her character sheet doesn't specify which god she worships. My single male PC is an Orlanth initiate weaponthane.
> The players have varying levels of commitment and understanding of the setting, as does the GM, though we're all fairly new. The player of the weaponthane has grasped the epic potential of the world recently and will be redefining his character a little as a result.
> Thus far I've been involving the players and their clan in small-scale stuff: raids, local clan politics, the local lunar population, amongst whom the Issarite has managed to cultivate a potential ally of sorts. I'm trying to figure out how to gradually ramp up everyone's involvement.
> Their are a number of potential hooks I could hang adventures on, ranging from the clan's current lack of a chief—seduced into adultery by the plant folk, to the strange jewel in the shape of a dragon's eye which the Blue Spruce clan was very eager to offer our trader recently. I'm jus wondering how people deal with gradually acquainting players with the epic potential in the setting, and how I might handle the odd situation of only having one Orlanth worshipper who also happens to be our most combat-capable sort.
> Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks much,
> Zack.
>