Introduction to Glorantha

Magic and Religion

Pantheons and Arrays of Gods

Those groups called arrays are not formal pantheons, though a worshiper of one of the gods frequently worships (and respects) other gods in the group.

The Major Pantheons and Arrays of Glorantha are:

The Sky Gods Pantheon

For more information on the worshipers of the Yelm Pantheon and other people of Peloria, see:

The Storm Gods Pantheon

For more information on the Orlanth Pantheon, see:

The Earth Gods Pantheon

For more information on the Earth Goddess pantheon of Esrolia, see:

The Sea Gods Pantheon

For more information on the Merman Pantheon, see:

Pantheon of the Gods of Hell and Night

For more information on the Troll Pantheon, see:

The Lunar Gods

For more information on the Lunar Pantheon, see:

The Nomad Gods

For more information on the Praxian deities, see:

An Array of Primitive Gods

For more information on the worshipers of Primitive Gods, see:

Important Malkioni Sects

For more information on the religious beliefs of the Malkioni, see:

Each rune has myths associated with it. Some have elaborate cycles woven around their stories. All begin with a member of the Celestial Court who owned the rune, and end with the current Greater God who owns it. In these stories the runes are sometimes treated as things, or beings, or abstract powers, or even all three.

The powers of the Great Runes are universally acknowledged. The deities who command those runes are the Greater Gods. Those deities cannot be changed without altering the very fabric of the universe. Such alteration is against the Cosmic Compromise which begat Time, and cannot occur.

There are lesser runes, not shown here, and many signs and symbols as well.

	Name	Meaning or Association		Original Owner	Current Owner
	Air	air, storm, violence		Umath	Orlanth
	Beast	animal life		Hykim	Hykim
	Chaos	entropy, evil, corruption		Primal Chaos	Primal Chaos
	Darkness	darkness, cold		Nakala	Subere
	Death	separation, conflict, death		Kargan Tor	Humakt
	Disorder	disunity, trouble, trickery		Ratslaff	Bolongo
	Dragonewt	dragonewts		dragonewts	dragonewts
	Earth	earth, solids		Ga	Ernalda
	Fertility	love, life, growth, fertility		Uleria	Uleria
	Fire	fire, heat, sky		Aether	Yelm
	Harmony	unity, cooperation, healing		Harana Ilor	Chalana Arroy
	Illusion	tricks, falsehood, concealement		Tylenea	Eurmal
	Infinity	unendingness		It	Arachne Solara
	Law	***		Invisible God	Invisible God
	Magic	communication between worlds		unknown	Arachne Solara
	Man	humanoid life		Grandfather Morthal	Daka Fal
	Mastery	self-knowledge and internal unity		unknown	Arachne Solara
	Moon	illusion, time, balance		unknown	Red Goddess
	Movement	change, instability		Larnste	Mastakos
	Plant	vegetable life		Flamal	Flamal
	Spirit	discorporate beings		Horned Man	Horned Man
	Stasis	stability, law		Acos	Mostal
	Truth	truth, knowledge		Orenoar	Dayzatar
	Water	water, liquids		Zaramaka	Magasta

For more information on the runes described above, see:

Rune Lords

The status varies among cults. Most cults do not have Rune lords at all. Many larger religions have them -- warrior-nobles head the fighting arms of the Orlanth and Yelm religions, for instance. Some small religions, such as that for Storm Bull, have no priests but only Rune Lords whom they know as Storm Khans.

Necessary qualifications and received benefits for Rune lord status vary by cult and religion, as do titles: there are Wind Lords for Orlanth, Death Lords for Zorak Zoran, Karrg's Sons for Kyger Litor, Champions of Pavis for the god of the city of Pavis, and so on.

Acolytes

Necessary qualifications for acolytes are usually identical to those for full priests, and of course vary from religion to religion. Vacancies for acolytes are more common than for full priests; a few religions do not restrict the numbers of their acolytes.

Acolytes have access to the full range of priestly Rune magic, just as does a full priest. They may lead worship when no priest is present, and assist priests in services.

Acolytes may not ordain new initiates into the faith, collect tithes, or perform functions restricted to priests. Acolytes must spend 10% of their time working for the cult, and must donate 50% of their income to the cult.

Allied Spirits

Allied spirits are generally only available to high priests, full priests, Rune lords, and initiates who have been specially chosen.

The spirit is friendly and available. It will use its powers to benefit its mortal ally. Allied spirits usually reside in a special ceremonial object given to the honored recipient. A cult spirit of Humakt might reside in a ritual sword, for instance.

Some cults can magically wake the minds of specific animals, giving them normal intelligence. Several religions are associated with specific creatures which serve as scouts and companions for the priesthood. Orlanth, for example, uses cats.

Frequently an animal's intelligence is awakened with ritual magic which ties it to a single priest or lord of the cult, putting it in mental contact with its master.

The spirit's aura is always magically detectable. If a cult spirit's mortal ally shows signs of heresy or shows less than full devotion to the deity, the spirit will chastise him and attempt to guide him back to righteousness. If the mortal ally persists in error, the spirit will leave him, and the deity will inform the adventurer's high priest of the necessity to excommunicate the offender.

Subservient Cults (sub-cults)

Rune Metals

The "standard metal" of Glorantha is called bronze, for it is red-gold in color and can be made by mixing the equivalent of Gloranthan tin and copper. However, bronze ore can also be mined, and is more capable of being stretched or extended than is terrestrial bronze. This metal is used worldwide, and whenever a Gloranthan item is made of metal not otherwise characterized, it is made of the standard metal, bronze.

Other metals may be enchanted to increase quality and durability. Different religions know how to enchant particular metals; some smith priests claim to be able to forge any metal. Proper enchanting gives the metal (gold, for instance) the durability of Gloranthan bronze.

Metals retain any inherent magical properties in this improved form, if all is done properly. Adventurers may be found wearing solid lead, gold, silver, or even quicksilver armor, or using weapons made of such metals.

An important magical metal also may be bought or stolen from dwarfs. It is called iron, and its qualities are to Gloranthan bronze as is terrestrial iron to terrestrial bronze.

Untempered iron has the same physical qualities as bronze. However, it also affects magic. Untempered iron reduces the chance of both casting and being affected by a spell.

Certain of the elder races are vulnerable to iron. Elves and trolls take extra damage from this poison metal.