Skip to content
The Well of Daliath
Menu
Menu

An Overview of Orlanth

Posted on November 9, 2024

Orlanth is worshiped in places where there is uncertainty in the air, and a strong leader can guide others through troubled times to seek peace and safety. Orlanth is manifest in the powerful atmospheric storms which range across much of the world, yet through the strength of his character he rules it lightly and justly. Key to his rule is the council of advisors who give him advice and powers, and who help him rule the diverse creatures within his realm.

The Orlanthi know that their god is the king of the universe through the might of his character which had him right the grievances that he had wrought in the Gods War. In the God Time the world appeared stable, but that was an illusion dispelled since the coming of the storm gods. Instead everything changed, and only those who change as well can survive. Orlanth led those survivors, and he brought them through all adversity. He faced the dead who hated him and the living who withstood him. Afterwards the world was born anew by his struggles, and now he is worshiped by those who know his ways.

The Orlanth pantheon is correctly viewed as a tribal organization. Power rests in the leader, but even he has not got all of the powers in his hand and must rely on his companions. There are often squabbles, and there are many historical stories about Orlanthi fighting Orlanthi, even as gods. Yet that is seen as natural and inevitable, and its opposite must be shunned.

The Orlanth pantheon is made up of many diverse individuals from many different origins. This is the mark of the many types of beings who follow this god. The bulk of nature which follows him is from the atmosphere, which he rules as its king, but many other spirits acknowledge his overlordship as they go their own way.

The Orlanthi view the Yelm way of life as being all they dislike. They have an advantage over water which they use as they wish. They are weak before the earth, but are wise to acknowledge that weakness.

This was some early concept art for Orlanth circa when I was working on the Guide to Glorantha.

Jeff Richard

Next
Previous
Art direction, Orlanth

Sections

  • Search Tips
  • Current RuneQuest Glorantha Publications
  • RuneQuest Glorantha Corrections and Q&A
  • Catalogue
  • References for Glorantha
    • Gloranthan Canon
  • Gloranthan Documents
  • RPG Systems & Versions
  • Gallery
  • About This Site
  • Get involved!

Latest Posts

  • RUNEQUEST: FANTASY ROLEPLAYING FAQ Redux
  • How Good Is My Skill?
  • Praxian Names
  • Sartarite Names II
  • A bit more insight on the RQG revised project
  • Why I Simplify Names at the Table
  • Appendix N
  • The fundamental difference between RuneQuest and 5e
  • Update on what’s happening with RQ
  • A European View of Sartar

Links

  • Chaosium
  • Chaosium’s RuneQuest RPG Wiki
  • Glorantha on BRP Central
  • RuneQuest on BRP Central
  • Prince of Sartar Webcomic
  • RuneQuest on Discord
  • Glorantha G+ Archives on Tapatalk
  • Search mailing list archive

Latest from BRP Central

  • Identify Scent - Why Yinkin but not Odayla?
  • Journey to Jonstown #82: Marsh Attacks!
  • Marsh Attacks! has landed
  • Epic Campaign or maybe something slightly different
  • Rune-spell "Restore Health" vs Shamanic Abilities' Characteristic-Sacrifice
  • Cult of Desemborth
  • Lunar slavery and cults
  • Gods with the Spirit Rune
  • Discussing the Gods of the Sea and Water
  • Death in Heroquests

Popular Tags

Boldhome (large city) Chaosium Contents Cult demographics Cults of Runequest (preview) DEU Entity glyph FRA Furthest (large city) G+ post GBR Gods Wall Greg Stafford Guide to Glorantha (preview) Humakt index Jar-eel Lunar Empire Lunar Pantheon Magazine Malkioni pantheon Map Michael O’Brien Mongoose MRQ1 New Pavis (small city) Old Glorantha Q&A Orlanth Orlanthi pantheon Photo reference Population demographics Prax (homeland) Q&A RQ3 RQG Sandy Petersen Sartar (homeland) single ref Spirit Cult Star Subcult Tarsh (homeland & Lunar province) Yelmalio Yelm Pantheon Youtube
©2026 The Well of Daliath | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme