From: Alex Ferguson (alex@dcs.gla.ac.uk)
Date: Tue 17 May 1994 - 21:12:18 EEST
Lewis:
> Alex: Why not write up your GLC scenario as a Free Form and run it at
> Convulsion?!?
This made me giggle and snort. But, hey--
<grabs by lapels>
because I'll be in the HtWW1 freeform, right?
> Matt Thale: Lorkarnos = MAstakos?
> Answer 1; as a God Learner I would agree that this is probably one
> god being worshipped by two different societies. Perhaps Lorkarnos
> is to Mastalos as Yelmalio is to Elmal.
I don't think they _are_ the same from a GL pov: different magic, different runic associations, one serves trade function, other is "purely" motion.
> Question; Do dwarfs have to sacrifice 1 POW to become initiates of
> the *Cult* of Mostal? After all Mostal is DEAD and offers NO
> benefits or even an afterlife! What is the Cult of Mostal anyway?
> 1) I believe that Mostali are automatically tied to their creator
> Mostal (thus NEVER needed the crude and primative mechanism of
> using 1 POW to tie their spiritual organ to Mostal).
Whatta horrible and unnecessary metaphor that is: why posit a spiritual organ when we know Gloranthan have a perfectly spiritual spirit?
Anyway, who ever said death was a hindrance to accepting POW sacrifice?
> We known and have had recently had reaffirmed by Sandy that an Extra point of
> POW is NOT REQUIRED in order to join a subcult.
> A GL viewpoint would describe Barntar and Voriof etc. as subcults of Orlanth
> which have just got a bit bigger than normal and evolved an independent
> existence.
Well, the trouble is, when this happens the GL subcult "mechanic" is going to break down, rather.
> Hence in areas where they are still worshipped as part of the pantheon
As part of the Orlanth cult, more to the point...
> there might be no need of separate POW sacrifice. This argument
> could be extended to Orlanth Lore Master, Orlanth Herald, Orlanth Trickster,
> Orlanth Death Wielder, Orlanth Charioteer (aka Lhankor Mhy, Issaries, Eurmal,
> Humakt (arround the upland marsh) and Mastakos).
Indeed, but this isn't much different from associate worship. Indeed, it may be the form much "associate" worship actually takes...
Jonas:
> The idea of splitting the cult into priests and initiates seems less
> repulsive after Joerg informed me of the the RQ4 suggestion that initiates
> should regain their divine spells once a year.
Is this the variant where you may roll to regain use of a spell cast _during_ the HHD ceremony, or something different?
Joerg:
> >> He is an initiate of the church, first of all.
> > Is this in the sense of theistic initiation, or more like wizardly
> > apprenticeship?
> This is more like theistic initiation. (I regard apprentice wizards as
> rough equivalent of acolytes or apprentice shamans.)
> > I think this person's link to Issaries, or at least "the usual" Issaries,
> > is fairly slight, so I wouldn't use the above description. As a general
> > principle while discussing cult structures, I'm inclined to ignore claims
> > of an afterlife: better filed under "cult propaganda".
> Thoughts of the afterlife were more important in people's lives
> than you seem to be willing to accept.
> I see the Orlanthi culture as similar to the Viking culture in this
> question. Your family and clan is made up not only by the living, but
> also by your ancestors. If joining another creed would separate you
> from their assistance in this life as well as the next, the decision
> to do so would be a desparate one. Such as joining Humakt. Whenever
> possible, a person would retain his family ties.
Alex.
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