From: mr happy (ajbehan@tcd.ie)
Date: Sat 02 Dec 1995 - 17:18:14 EET
Thomas Lindgren:
> (What do you make of the Godlearners, then? :-)
We know the God-Learners were originally Malkioni reformers who tried to
remove Arkati/pagan influences from the liturgy but ended up using the
Outer Planes for dubious theurgical experiments. The God-Learners
were fully conscious and had no remorse in abusing other peoples' gods.
> One need not take the bicameral mind as a literal truth.
I have told my players that his theory is literally true in my Glorantha
even if it's difficult to depict. Incidentally it strengthens the link
between PCs and those gods in their pantheon of whom they are not
initiates, because any god can speak to you.
> the Godplane is more the place where the Invisible God would hang out. The
> barbarian gods live with or close by their worshippers. It's _not_ unusual to
> meet your gods, in the fields, in the woods or in the temple (in fact, they
> are in the temple for precisely that purpose).
The Great Compromise prohibits the presence of gods in the Inner World. They
do live in the Outer Planes. However that doesn't mean that they are
actually distant from their worshippers. Avatars are known amongst the Dara
Happans and Kralori. The Theyalans are close to their gods, heroquesting
is an important part of their culture and even the least heroic folk
particapate in watered-down sacred quests several times each year. Also
there are places where one can wander onto the Outer Planes without
meaning to. Also a lot of hqs take place partly (or wholely) in the Inner
World. The PCs may meet people on such a quest whom they think are gods
but are mortal front men. For all intents and purposes they are what they
appear to be. Ambiguity and mystery help a lot here.
Heroquesting is not always associated with finding new knowledge. Cult
heroquests where you re-enact a known story seldom involve new knowledge.
Extrapolative heroquests a la Arkat are less to do with new knowledge than
using old knowledge with maximum efficacy. Blind quests a la Sir
Ethilrist do involve new knowledge. IMHO if you go wandering about Hell
without a "map" your experience will be a series of incoherent encounters with
powerful archetypal figures with strong but unclear motivations (think of the
Jerry Cornelius books for an analogy.) Only on returning does the quester, in
relating the tale of his adventures begin to make sense of it. I would
imagine such a quest might awaken unfamiliar spirit-voices as you
suggest. However IMO such quests are anathema to theists.
aving the God Time as the bicameral era is a nice idea, however third age
Glorantha is (with exception of the humanists and mystics) at about the
technological stage Jayne associates with the bicameral mind. Also what we know
of the Fourth Age from KoS suggests that the connection with the gods was more
tenuous subsequently. Finally the bicameral mind is just too useful/cool an
idea to put in the distant past.
- -----
Andrew Behan
ajbehan@alf2.tcd.ie
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