Skip to content
The Well of Daliath
Menu
Menu

Mortal Approaches to the Cosmos

Posted on October 7, 2023

Core to Glorantha’s cosmology is that the world we mortals live in is the result of the gods and their deeds and conflicts. This so-called Gods War let Chaos into the world, and nearly resulted in the end of all. To continue their existence, the gods entered into a compromise that gave them immortality at the price of their free will. This compromise forms the web of Arachne Solara, the cosmic spider.

Almost all mortal cultures acknowledge this story in one form or another. Where they diverge is how they deal with it. Four basic approaches:

1. The most common approach is to enter relations with specific gods (through worship and initiation) and thereby wield some of their magic in the world of Time. Sometimes called “theism,” this is the default approach for most mortals since the Dawn Ages. Its main weakness is that it tends to lock worshipers into the same Gods War conflicts. The more powerful the god worshiped, the more this tends to be so. This allows use of Rune Magic.

2. Many mortals prefer to deal directly with the spirits that are everywhere in Glorantha. This is not necessarily incompatible with the first approach (and indeed is part of most cults), but spirit specialists (shamans) are often freed of divine entanglements. This allows use of Spirit Magic.

3. A few mortals use logic and reason to be able to force/manipulate the gods and spirits to act according to mortal will. The resulting magic is far more flexible than Rune or Spirit Magic. This requires study and intellectual rigour, meaning that only a small minority of the population can specialize in it. This allows use of Sorcery.

4. Even fewer seek union with the Absolute or the Void (and some even claim that there is no difference between the two). Sometimes called Illumination or Draconic mysticism (although others claim these are very much NOT the same thing), this might be several different approaches all misleadingly labeled under the same rubric. It is thought to be the precondition for such strange powers as Lunar magic (NOT Lunar Rune spells, but the esoteric spirit twisting powers of the Red Goddess) and Draconic magic.

All four of these approaches acknowledge the same mythological substrata behind the cosmos. But they take it in very different directions.

Now a cult is a mortal institution or tradition by which mortals are able to communicate with the eternal and immortal gods. As a result the cults do change over time, although the gods do not.

As a cult gains new experiences and insights with the god, the cult changes. These experiences are true and can result in dramatic changes in the cult (although the god has not). Cults can gain new magic, merge with previously thought to be independent cults, gain associations, etc. The history of the Orlanth cult in the Lightbringers Book documents this well.

Is it possible to bring back old dead cults, like Gata or Umath? Is it possible through heroquesting to bring back Umath, as Orlanth did with Yelm? Yes and no. You actually are talking about three types of events.

  • 1. Celestial Court deity. Except for Uleria, none of those deities are directly worshiped by mortals. Except for Uleria, they all failed in the Gods War. Their srvulai (a Malkioni term that means their lesser emanations) are far more practical to worship and in many cases one of the greater gods (e.g., Orlanth, Yelm, Ernalda, Magasta, etc.) wield their powers. Sometimes they are still worshiped as associated deities with those cults.
  • 2. Deities that died in the Gods War and have no cults. Lots of deities are little more than names and have no mortal cults. Re-establishing their cult happens occasionally in Time. Some argue that this is what the Red Goddess is, but if so, why did it require Chaos?
  • 3. Deities that were devoured by Chaos in the Greater Darkness. These deities are removed from the cosmos and do not exist any more.

Obviously the magical specialists in the third approach (sorcery) can be completely independent of the conflicts of the gods or their demands. At its extreme, such specialists might view the gods as little more than anthropomorphised natural forces. The myths are like sections of computer code that explain why and how those forces act and their limits, but are not something a human being should worship or devote itself to.

Jeff Richard

Next
Previous
Draconic mysticism, Illumination, Rune Magic, Sorcery, Spirit Magic, Srvuali

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

  • Sartar’s Transformation of the Economy

    One of the most remarkable transformations that Sartar made is …
  • The View From Boldhome, circa 1627

    Argrath was acclaimed Prince on Day 88 of 1627. Several …
  • Wolf Pirates 1625-1627

    Harrek the Berserk and his Wolf Pirates cast a looming …
  • Interacting with the Hero Plane

    Most cults limit their interaction with the Hero Plane to …
  • Notes on the Hero Wars

    As we think about the RuneQuest setting for 1621-1655, there’s …
  • Dragon Pass Dragonewt population

    A rough breakdown of the dragonewt population in Dragon Pass, …
  • Notes on King Blackmoor

    From 1615-1625, the Colymar tribe was ruled by Kangharl son …
  • Genertelan Worldview

    The first set of Cults books – Mythology, Lightbringers, Earth …
  • Spirit Cult Example

    Here’s an example of a strange little spirit cult (or …

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

  • Disadvantages of Becoming a Shaman- Obligations to Tribe/Cult
  • Ancestor Worship and Daka Fal
  • Telmori wolf brother/fireblade clarification
  • Black Friday / Cyber Monday sale at DriveThruRPG
  • How do I roleplay Argrath?
  • Glorantha game Six Ages 2 nominated for three Pocket Gamer Awards, including Mobile Game of the Year
  • Any Info on Twilight/Nightlight?
  • Visions of Myth
  • The God Learners Episode 28: Gloranthan Freeforms, with David Hall & Kevin Jacklin
  • Monty Python Pestilence - Exodus Plagues

Popular Tags

2008 Bestiary Boldhome (large city) Chaosium Cult demographics Cults of Runequest (preview) Doraddi pantheon Ernalda Esrolia (homeland) Fonritian pantheon FR G+ post Greg Stafford Guide to Glorantha (preview) Hsunchen pantheon Humakt Issaries Jar-eel Kralorelan pantheon 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 Troll Pantheon Yelm Yelmalio Yelm Pantheon

Recently added or updated

  • Sartar’s Transformation of the Economy

  • Wolf Pirates 1625-1627

  • CHA4038 The Pegasus Plateau & Other Stories (2020)

  • The View From Boldhome, circa 1627

  • CHA4036 RuneQuest Weapons and Equipment Q&A

  • What is the Third Age History of the Sun Dome Temple in Sartar (2008)

  • Breakout #34 (1989)(AU)

  • AH8574 Human Adventurer Sheets (Box 2 – 1985)

  • AH8575 Non-human Adventurer Sheets (Box 3 – 1985)

  • AH8573 Monster Coliseum (Box 1 – 1985)

  • Wolf Pirates

  • Le Maître des Runes (1988)(FR)

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

  • CHA4029 RuneQuest Gamemaster Screen Pack – Q&A

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

  • CHA4038 The Pegasus Plateau & Other Stories – Q&A

  • CHA4034 Red Book of Magic – Chapter 03 Spirit Magic Spells Q&A

  • Interacting with the Hero Plane

  • Petersen Games

  • Glorantha: The Gods War (2020)

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