Skip to content
The Well of Daliath
Menu
Menu

Gloranthan Canon

Last updated 5th July 2021

See also References for Glorantha.

Glorantha has been a world of continuous revelation since its discovery by Greg Stafford in the 1960s. For over 40 years Gloranthan details have been revealing themselves in new publications, and these have become refined or changed as new discoveries and revelations have been made. With the emergence of the world as a roleplaying setting, Gamemasters and players have made the world their own and interpreted it in their own way. Combined with an active fanbase, the subject of canon has been for some a contentious issue in Glorantha.

  • Does Canon Matter?
    • The most important Gloranthan works
    • The Stafford Library
  • Old Chaosium/Avalon Hill material
  • Mongoose Runequest material
  • Other works

Does Canon Matter?

Canon matters for official publications and for authors writing those publications. For your campaigns and adventures, for the Jonstown Compendium, fanzines, or fan websites, Your Glorantha Will Vary. We strive to ensure that official publications stick to canon so that your Glorantha can vary as much or as little as you want. However, that is a restriction on our interpretations of Glorantha, not yours. Again, always remember Your Glorantha Will Vary.

The most important Gloranthan works are:

The Guide to Glorantha (2016)

Glorantha Sourcebook (2018)

King of Sartar, 2nd edition (2015)

Please note that all of these books have their indexes included on this site, and are included in search results.

From the Stafford Library:

The Glorious ReAscent of Yelm (1993)

Fortunate Succession (1995)

The Entekosiad (1996)

Please note that all of these books have their indexes included on this site, and are included in search results.

What about the old Chaosium/Avalon Hill material?

That material is largely (probably 95%) still compatible, although here and there some bits have been supplanted by the Guide to Glorantha and newer publications. For example, the pseudo-medieval Glorantha West presented in the Genertela boxed set is no longer canonical (ironically, we largely rely on Greg’s older writings on the Gloranthan West). But we still heavily rely on Trollpack, the Prosopaedia, Cults of Prax, and Cults of Terror, as well as on White Bear & Red Moon, and Nomad Gods. Bear in mind as well that RuneQuest Glorantha has a later starting date so much of the older material deals with events that are now historical.

What about the Mongoose Runequest material?

The Mongoose Gloranthan material is not compatible. With the exception of the sterling work that Robin Laws and Lawrence Whitaker did within the absurd deadlines given by Mongoose for writing these books, we were generally very disappointed with the quality and artistic fidelity that Mongoose took to the source material. Greg and I did not rely on or referred to the Mongoose material at all in creating the Guide or any other subsequent work.

Are The Book of Heortling Mythology and Esrolia:Land of Ten Thousand Goddesses considered canonical?

Yes. I didn’t include them in the list because:

Esrolia: The Land of Ten Thousand Goddesses is very incomplete. It is more complete for the God Time and the First Age, less complete for the Second Age, and not at all complete for the Third Age. As a result, elements in it could change. (index on this site)

The Book of Heortling Mythology is a collection of myths. It is not comprehensive – just all the stories we had at that time. Those stories will get contradicted because that is in the nature of myth.

  • Mongoose Glorantha Titles by Robin Laws & Lawrence Whitaker

Related Pages

  • Catalogue
  • Gloranthan Documents
  • Gallery


Page Last updated: 2021-07-05 14:43:24

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
  • Role-playing in Glorantha
  • About This Site
  • Get involved!

Latest Posts

  • The Greatway

    Yesterday we were up around the Greatway, looking at the …
  • History of Orlanthi Cities

    If we think about the history of the Orlanthi, their …
  • Rural Sartar / Urban Sartar

    Thanks to King of Dragon Pass and the old HW …
  • Continuity with the Golden Age

    Several Gloranthan cultures claim continuity with the Golden Age – …
  • Kralorela and the Eastern Dynasty of Light

    Almost a third of the humans of Genertela reside in …
  • New to RuneQuest and Glorantha?

    If you are coming new to RuneQuest and Glorantha with …
  • New Orlanthi Adults

    Traditionally, new adults in Orlanthi cultures go through a period …
  • Watch your Red Moon Phase!

    A key thing to playing a Lunar character is remembering …
  • Solar Worldview

    Yelm is the Giver of Life and Death, the Source …

Links

  • Chaosium
  • Glorantha on BRP Central
  • RuneQuest on BRP Central
  • RuneQuest Glorantha on MeWe
  • Glorantha Wiki on Fandom
  • Prince of Sartar Webcomic
  • Glorantha G+ Archives on Tapatalk
  • Search mailing list archive

Latest from BRP Central

  • “Army of Duckness” Miniatures Kickstarter!
  • Seshnela Questions
  • Associated cults questions
  • Death of a Telmori's Wolfbrother
  • Teaser: Treasures of Glorantha 2
  • Axe Hall
  • Hrestoli in Tanisor
  • Solar worldview of Time
  • Caprati & Du Tumerine
  • Interracial Genetic Structure

Popular Tags

Avalon Hill Boldhome (large city) Chaosium Cult demographics Cults of Runequest (preview) Ernalda Esrolia (homeland) Fonritian pantheon FR G+ post Greg Stafford Guide to Glorantha (preview) Humakt Issaries Jar-eel Kralorelan pantheon Lhankor Mhy Lunar Empire Lunar Pantheon Magazine Malkioni pantheon Map Maps Michael O’Brien Mongoose Nochet (metropolis) Nomad Gods Orlanth Orlanthi pantheon Photo reference Population demographics Prax (homeland) Praxian pantheon RQ3 RQG Sandy Petersen Sartar (homeland) Spirit Cult Subcult Tales of the Reaching Moon Troll Pantheon Yelm Yelmalio Yelm Pantheon Youtube

Recently added or updated

  • CHA4034 Red Book of Magic – Chapter 02 Rune Magic Spells Q&A (A-M)

  • CHA4032 RuneQuest Glorantha Bestiary – Q&A

  • CHA4034 Red Book of Magic – Chapter 02 Rune Magic Spells Q&A (N-Z)

  • The Greatway

  • Rune Magic by Cult and Associate Cult – N

  • Rune Magic by Cult and Associate Cult

  • Rune Magic by Cult and Associate Cult – O

  • Rune Magic by Cult and Associate Cult – M

  • CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 18 Between Adventures Q&A

  • CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 12 Rune Cults Q&A

  • CHA4036 RuneQuest Weapons and Equipment Q&A

  • CHA4039 The Smoking Ruin and other Stories – Q&A

  • Rune Magic by Cult and Associate Cult – G

  • Rune Magic by Cult and Associate Cult – F

  • Rune Magic by Cult and Associate Cult – L

  • Dara Happan Depictions of the Orlanthi Gods

  • Chaos Gods – forms of worship (2012)

  • Rune Magic by Cult and Associate Cult – K

  • Rune Magic by Cult and Associate Cult – J

  • Rune Magic by Cult and Associate Cult – I

©2023 The Well of Daliath | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme