Re: RuneQuest Daily, Thu, 09 Sep 1993, part 1

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From: Clay Luther (clay@cool.vortech.com)
Date: Thu 09 Sep 1993 - 09:03:40 EEST


Steve humorously comments on other peoples' comments about Issaries being a God-Learner construct...

> Issaries
> ======
> Oh, and of course the Issaries cult is a god-learner construct. They swap
> spells and magic items around as if they were candy. They continually try
> and spread their wretched esperanto around the world, but do they ever tell
> you that it was the official Newspeak of the god-learners? They con you out
> of house and home with their so-called "bargain's" and they're almost
> always foreigners. Pah. Tar and feather the lot of them.
> And while we're on the subject...
>
> Someone said : The secret of the god-learners was that they must have
> played D&D
> ====================================================================
> Love it!
>
> Steve.

Regarding the whole Issaries-is-a-GLC argument...

Hmmm....I think this is too easy an interpretation. Although we know that Issaries was the God-Learners' favorite cult (for obvious reasons) and I might stoop to saying that Tradetalk is a GL construct (but I doubt it, Issaries would likely develop a lingua franca despite the GLs...but the GLs would certainly use it, of course), we also know that Issaries temples existed long before the advent of the GLs, in Dorastor for example. Furthermore, Issaries is firmly entrenched in the Lightbringers Quest and mentioned in or hinted at in several other myths (the gazellete myth, for example). While I don't doubt the GLs ability to subtley alter myths and gods, which they certainly did, I don't think they had the far reaching to so solidly emplace their own constructs, undetectably, in the myths. If I thought Issaries was a GL construct, I would look for tell-tale signs, such as a difference in the Lightbringer's myth from place to place. However, Issaries is firmly sconced in the LBQ, while others, like Vinga, vary.

But was Issaries affected by the Jrusteli? Certainly. I am quite certain the GLs latched onto and infiltrated the Issaries cult. This no doubt changed the god, but not to great extents. Perhaps tradetalk *was* invented during this period, or perhaps it was, like the rest of the cult, modified to suit Jrusteli values.

However, with the fall of the GLs, I think Issaries, without the external pressure of the Jrusteli to reform the cult, would return itself to its original (GodTime) principles IF most of the Jrusteli modified myth is forgotten after that time.

-- 

Clay Luther                              clay@cool.vortech.com
Software Engineer                        Kodak Health Imaging Systems
Yelo's gift was a necklace of clam shells from the Quel Stream strung on gut string with a delicate knot of reeds which performed the role of pendant.
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