From: Sandy Petersen (sandyp@idgecko.idsoftware.com)
Date: Thu 18 Jan 1996 - 19:13:16 EET
Rob Stoll asks if magic is diminishing over time in Glorantha.
Possibly, but I do not believe it to be a steady decrease. Instead,
I point to four major events, after each of which all Glorantha
(i.e., 85%) concurred that the magic had altered, and not for the
better. These three events were:
1) The Darkness. The nearest thing to a universally-recognized
event in all Gloranthan cosmology is the myth of the first winter,
when the sun descended to the underworld, the inhabitants therein
were driven to the surface, the earth died, and everything went to
hell. Especially when the Greater Darkness fell, a little later.
Obviously, some huge alteration occurred in the world at
this time, as almost everyone agrees that things were great before
this event. Even those who believe it _was_ best just after the
sun's demise concurred that things then eventually did get bad (in
the Great Darkness).
2) The Dawn. Something happened at the Dawn. Every culture seems
certain of what it was, but they all disagree. Anyway, the magic
changed a lot. Maybe more than at any other time in history. The
gods seemed to go away, for one thing.
3) The SunStop. Everything changed in all Glorantha yet again. Most
folks agree that time altered, and that now people don't live as
long as before (this may have something to do with the fact that,
though the Gloranthan year is shorter than the terran year,
Gloranthan's don't live any more _years_ than we do).
4) The End of the Second Age. Once more the magic changed. Rituals
that were certain to work went bad. Usually just the God-Learners
are blamed for this, but it happened everywhere else, too.
Errinoru's plants went away. Mokato's Undernet was snapped. The
False Dragon Ring's ritual backfired and incinerated them. The Six
Legger magic and imperial might mysteriously failed them in the face
of naked spear-carriers -- everything went wrong at once for the
Six Leggers. The EWF's huge ritual was betrayed just as it reached
its apogee.
It's no wonder magic is so comparatively weak today, though major
feats still can be done (as witness the Red Moon).
Rob Stoll
>Genert is dead, after all. But what about Pamaltela? I've never
been >there myself, but I'd think that Pamalt would add plenty of
power to >Glorantha's "down under" continent
Pamaltela does appear to have more magic, generally, than
Genertela. Evidence for this abounds --
1) The Elder Races here are far stronger than in Genertela
- -- the dwarfs rule the _surface_ in Slon. The elves of Umathela
alone control more forest than all the non-Pamaltelan world
combined. The Tarmo is the largest troll stronghold in the world
(and I am increasingly convinced they have no trollkin). The slarges
expand their domains at human expense -- no non-human species in
Genertela has done this in centuries.
2) Really ancient races, even older than the Elder Races,
can be found -- Promalti, Ancestors, Goblins, Jelmre, Armali...
3) Powerful magic seems to be encountered more commonly,
and in larger pockets -- Kimos, the Invisible Island, Hoolar, the
Mother of Monsters...
Why is this? The existence of Pamalt, I believe, is not the answer,
except indirectly. The reason that Pamaltela has so much more magic
manifested is that Genertela was stomped all over during the Gods
War. The result of so much godly interaction is, of course, the
destruction of useful magic.
Direct divine intervention in Gloranthan affairs can be
demonstrated to, by and large, be less than worthwhile. The best god
is doubtless Dayzatar, who doesn't mess with us.
Peter M.
But I have to respond to this lamebrained comment.
Still doesn't say what he thinks "culture" is in any clear or
understandable way. Whatever it happens to be, every time I post a
counter-example it turns out that apparently my guys weren't really
cultured after all, at least not in the way _Peter_ was using it. So
to heck with the whole discussion.
>We do have instances of Third Age technological progression.
>Astronomical Questions that have plagued generations. Dormal
>managed to Open the Oceans which had hitherto stumped every Second
>Age Empire. The Yggites invented the longship. The Cultivation of
>Maize. The Great Battle Barges of the Kralori. Moonboats.
No ship today is as good as a Waertagi Dragonship.
No armor today is as good as the adamant suits worn in the
Second Age.
The Closing was not a Second Age event, but the harbringer
of the Third. The Opening is not a Third Age event, but the
harbringer of the Fourth.
THE HERMIT AGE
The Third Age is, of course, the age of stasis and decay.
For most of this age, no progress took place anywhere but Peloria --
for that land has always been the place for which no future was set
out by the Soul Arranger; the wild card of Glorantha. Future
generations will look back on the Third Age (assuming we survive the
Hero Wars) and see the Hero Wars as the bridge point between that
Age and the Next. THe Third Age will be studied not for the brief
decades after the break-up of the hermitical secrecy, but for the
centuries of isolation.
THE CLOSING: the most obvious effect. Everyone knows about this, so
I won't go into it.
THE CULT OF SILENCE: The Silent prophet spread a philosophy across
Pamaltela. It became popular in Umathela, Fonrit, Jolar, and Kothar,
among people of all sects. Animists, Pamalt worshipers, Malkioni,
all saw the virtues of silence and followed them. Roads fell into
disrepair. Public meetings and discussions ceased. Religious
festivals were replaced by silent communion. The cult still exists,
but not as strongly.
THE RENUNCIATORS: mainly an East Isles sect, at one time extremely
strong, now diminishing with the Opening. This faith teaches that
the practice of magic harms one's soul/psyche/whatever, and that
only by refraining from magic can we realize our true worth. This
refraining can be partial or whole, depending on the worshiper. The
Renunciators are probably the strongest Hermetical effect left,
because the practitioners _do_ get powers from their practice --
namely a near-immunity to magic.
THE SYNDIC'S BAN: Again, plenty is known about this.
THE SOCIETY OF ARKAT: Not really a cult, though often called one.
This organization was set up two ages ago. Its purpose is to unite
powerful heroquesters from around the globe to keep harmful or
undesirable heroquests from being performed. The notorious Dark
Warriors of the heroplane are all Arkat cultists, who are performing
their assigned task by the cult -- keeping folk from doing the
"wrong" thing while questing. The God Learners drove the Arkat Cult
into obscurity, but it blossomed again in the Third Age. Now the
Lunar Empire has beaten the cult back down, as they seek out unholy
secrets.
THE SLUMBER OF TESHNOS: There is little evidence for this famous
inertia before the Third Age.
ELAMLE AND ONLAKS: the strong elf presence in these two peninsulas
has led to the various human city-states remaining as unified as a
herd of cats. In Elamle, the elf presence is benign; in Onlaks, it
is hostile; but the end effect is much the same.
THE MOTHER OF MONSTERS: An additional encouragement to the humans
of Elamle, keeping them on their toes, and preventing them from any
real organization. Note that if not for the oppression of the
Mother, and the Onlaks Elves, the city-states here (which are all
friendly to one another) would form a coalition and be the strongest
naval power in Glorantha, no doubt soon spinning a trade web round
the world. They can even boast Waertagi sailors.
SANDY P.
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