Runes

“	Runes are the building blocks of Glorantha. They are symbols, archetypes, embodiments, and actual matter or energy of the mundane world. Runes originated with the very creation of Glorantha. Their precise origin is unknown.	”
— Six Ages manual.

In Six Ages, runes are used on the lower right corners of Leaders' portraits to indicate their religion, with each god being represented by a rune. That may not be the only rune associated with the god, and other gods and even spirits may use the rune as well.

People also use runes on their clothing, jewelry, and (especially among the Rams) tattoos.

Runes mentioned in the manual include:

Elements:

• Air: Associated with the Storm People and their gods, most prominently Orlanth.
• Darkness: Associated with trolls and their gods. 
• Earth: In Six Ages, this rune is used on leaders' portraits to identify worshippers of Nyalda and Ernalda.
• Fire: Associated with the solar gods and their worshippers. In Six Ages, this rune is used to identify worshippers of Elmal. He shares it with other sky gods.
• Water: Associated with the forces of Water. Often drawn as multiple zigzag lines rather than just the one. 

Forms:

• Beast: Used for Dostal worshipers.
• Chaos: Any person or god with this rune would be dangerous and outcast.
• Man: A rune that often goes unmentioned, as it merely describes a humanoid form. Also represents your ancestors.
• Plant: Common to Cenala and at least one Ram goddess.
• Spirit: In Six Ages, this rune is used on leaders' portraits to identify shamans.

Conditions:

• Infinity
• Magic: This rune represents the Magic skill.
• Mastery: In Six Ages, this is Hyalor's rune.

Powers:

These runes are associated with the Celestial Court. They are grouped in opposing pairs.

• Death (opposes Fertility): Used for Humakt worshippers.
• Fertility (opposes Death)
• Disorder (opposes Harmony)
• Harmony (opposes Disorder): Used for Erissa and Chalana Arroy worshippers.
• Fate (opposes Luck)
• Luck (opposes Fate)
• Illusion (opposes Truth): Used for Raven and Eurmal tricksters.
• Truth (opposes Illusion): Used for Relandar and Lhankor Mhy worshipers.
• Motion (opposes Stasis): Used for Zarlen and Vinga worshipers. Also found on the Traveling Stone.
• Stasis (opposes Motion)

Miscellaneous:

• Communications: In Six Ages, this represents the goddess Ekarna.

There are other runes, more specific than those on this list, in some cases unique to a particular deity. Osara, Gamari, Busenari, Uryarda, Inilla and Reladivus are all represented by such runes, as is the foreign god Shargash.

According to external lists of Gloranthan runes, Gamari, Busenari, and Uryarda's runes appear to be (logically enough) Horse, Cattle, and Goat respectively, while Inilla's rune is Wilderness. Shargash's rune (seen on the shields of Alkothi soldiers) is unique to him. Osara's rune was created for her, but resembles a Sun rune sometimes used for Elmal with a stylized bow and arrow superimposed on it. And Reladivus has a variant Sun rune with rays coming only from the top half. 

Although Ekarna worshippers are identified by the trade rune, Ekarna also has a rune of her own, which is composed of the runes for Communication, Harmony, and Law and resembles her trade tent. 

Gallery

These are the runes as they appear in the game.

The unique rune of the farming god Barntar

The Bear rune, used for the Bear spirit.

The Beast rune, used for the hunter god Dostal and a variety of spirits.

The Bird rune, used for the Hawk spirit.

The unique rune of the god Buseryan

The Communication rune, used for trade gods like Ekarna and Issaries.

The Cow rune, used for the cattle goddesses Busenari and Uralda.

The Darkness rune, used for the Bat spirit.

The Death rune, used for Humakt and a variety of spirits.

The Earth rune, used for Nyalda, Ernalda, and a variety of spirits.

The Family rune, used for the Quail spirit.

The Fate rune, used for the Spider spirit.

The Fire rune, used for Elmal and various spirits.

The Goat rune, used for Uryarda.

The Harmony rune, used for Erissa, Chalana Arroy and other gods and spirits of healing.

The Horse rune, used for Gamari in Ride Like the Wind and Redalda in Lights Going Out.

The Illusion rune, used for Raven, Eurmal and other trickster gods and spirits.

The Life (or Fertility) rune, used for the Sow spirit.

The Magic rune, associated with Gods War rituals.

The Man rune, used for your ancestors and common to all humanoid beings, including elves, dwarves and trolls as well as humans.

The Mastery rune, used for Hyalor as well as the Lion spirit.

The Motion rune, used for Zarlen and the Antelope spirit.

Osara's unique rune.

The Plant rune, used for Pela.

The Pottery rune, used for Venurtera.

The unique rune of Reladivus.

The Smith rune, used for the Anvil spirit.

The Spirit rune, associated with shamans.

The Truth rune, used for Relandar and Lhankor Mhy.

Urox's unique rune, shared by the Scouring Wind spirit.

The Vigilance rune, used for the Owl spirit.

The Water rune, used for various spirits.

The Wilds rune, used for Inilla.

The Wind rune, used for Orlanth and various wind spirits.

The Ram Rune, used for Voriof, the sheep god.

The Annihilation (Destruction) rune.

The Disorder rune.

The Theft (or Unequal Exchange) rune.

The Force rune, associated with Shargash.

The Law rune.

Vingkot, hero-founder of the Ram People, has his own unique rune.

The Protection rune.

The Mineral rune.

Redalda has the rune of her ancestor Vingkot tattooed on each cheek, which might seem vainglorious in a less accomplished Vingkotling. She also has Earth runes combined with either Fertility or Law on her neck.

This healer wears jewelry and clothing evoking the Harmony rune throughout her life.

This trader proudly wears the Communication rune, the unique rune of Ekarna (most prominently on his hat in middle age) and the Fire rune as well.

This magician wears many runes, including elaborate combinations of the Magic, Mastery, and Fire runes.