Skip to content
The Well of Daliath
Menu
Menu

The Lightbringers Belt & Old Gods

Posted on September 15, 2022

In between the Malkioni lands and the Lunar Empire are two regions the “Lightbringers Belt” and the “Old Gods”.

Now the Lightbringers Belt we all know – this is the area of Orlanth and the Lightbringers, spread in the First and Seond Ages past Peloria to Ralios and Fronela. Even in the late Third Age the Lightbringers cults predominate in these areas (at least among humans – they are certainly known to the Elder Races here as well).

The Old Gods are interesting – these are areas that in the First Age were predominantly a combination of Hsunchen and other Beast cults, spirit cults and shamanism. Pendali, Telmori, Galanini, Tawari, etc. They got exposed to both the Lightbringers and Malkioni, and sampled both like an à la carte buffet. Along the Janube River, we have the Arrolian Territories, as well as the Sky-worshippers. In Safelster, we have Stygian heresies, Ehilm worship, city gods, and grain goddesses, as well as Lightbringers and orthodox Malkioni.

Greg Stafford sketch map

Those “Old Gods” areas are going to be some of the more heterogenous areas in Genertela. Every city might have a different ruling cult, or even no ruling cult at all.

So let’s pick a few –

On the banks of Lake Felster, the large city of Estali has as its main cult the Great Green Lady (Ernalda), and also has a great library of Lhankor Mhy, the largest in Ralios. However, the ruler of the city is whoever can wield the Purple Sceptre of Serpent Sentience, which is thought to date back to the Second Age and the Empire of the Wyrms Friends.

Just 25 km away is the allied client-city of Gamol, home to a shamanic tradition of the Ancient Beasts Society. The shamans are usually women and they still worship the Old Gods.

About 35 km away from Estali is another allied-client city, that of Tolin, where Ehilm is worshiped as the Sun God. Each Sacred Time, the city stages a wild and drunken festival intended to revive the god in the Underworld.

Now of course there are also plenty of other cults in each city – I am sure there are minor temples or shrines to Chalana Arroy, Issaries, Orlanth, Humakt, and the Invisible God, as well as to the god of the city and so on. But little unifies the cities here.

Jeff Richard

Next
Previous
Ancient Beasts Society, Ehilm, Ernalda, Lake Felster, Lhankor Mhy

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

  • Thog the Giant

    In 870, Thog the giant appeared with an army of …
  • The Nine Good Giant Mountains

    The Nine Good Giant Mountains are about 60 km or …
  • Why Most Sartarites Hate the Lunar Empire

    From time to time it is worth reminding people why …
  • Suntown and the Eiskolli

    Suntown has always been in the hands of the Sun …
  • A Few Notes on the Grantlands

    To the south of Sun County are the former Grantlands, …
  • Sartar Cities

    Sartar can be thought of a confederation of small cities …
  • Catalogue of the Gods revisited

    This piece from the Mythology book is among my absolute …
  • Thunderbolts in Art

    One of the things that really got me down the …
  • RuneQuest Art

    So let’s talk RQ art for a moment. For the …

Links

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

Latest from BRP Central

  • The Gods & Their 'Free Will'
  • Babeester Gor Initiation Heroquest
  • Request of information: spying from above
  • Now on sale in Jonstown Compendium: Dine 'n Dash in Dragon Pass
  • RuneQuest Warlords. A Youtube Test
  • Wintertop Fair pdf?
  • Slonta is not in the Prosopaedia?
  • MORE RHINOS! [Come on, you love this stuff too...]
  • More Heroforge
  • Copy of the Guide to Glorantha for sale on eBay

Popular Tags

Boldhome (large city) Chaosium Colymar (Sartar tribe) Contents Cult demographics Cults of Runequest (preview) Ernalda Esrolia (homeland) FRA Furthest (large city) G+ post Genealogies Gods Wall Greg Stafford Guide to Glorantha (preview) Humakt 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) RQ3 RQG Sandy Petersen Sartar (homeland) Spirit Cult Star Subcult Tarsh (homeland & Lunar province) Troll Pantheon Yelm Yelmalio Yelm Pantheon Youtube

Recently added or updated

  • Eiritha

  • Annara Gor

  • RQG Cults allowing Sorcerers or Shaman

  • Bagog

  • Gbaji

  • Vivamort

  • Mallia

  • Wakboth the Devil

  • Kalikos Icebreaker

  • Primal Chaos

  • ISS1102 Glorantha: Introduction to the Hero Wars (2000)

  • Hero Wars: Beyond Humanity (2000)

  • Ropecon 2011 Heroes And More

  • Yanioth Work in Progress

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

  • CHA4037 Dragon Pass – Q&A

  • Erenava Chan

  • Vasana & Yanioth’s Apprenticeship

  • Reconstructing Slontos – 2nd Age

  • The Discovery of Glorantha

©2025 The Well of Daliath | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme
Menu