From: DevinC@aol.com
Date: Fri 24 Jun 1994 - 12:14:48 EEST
Devin Cutler here:
Alex writes:
""a journalism major" (some Quaint Colonialist Insult, I understand), if
one does so."
Yeah, just like when I was in England and everyone on the street told me to
"bugger off", I determined that this was a quaint English way of saying
"Hello" ;-)
"(and I can see
Devin Cutler lathering up at the mouth already)"
RRRROOOOORRRRWWWWFFFFF!!!!!!!!! GGGRRRRRRRR!!!!!!
"They are? Not impossible, but not likely, I don't think, and not an
explanation to be invoked every time someone strays from the One True
Cult Writeup. Are all the B'stards in the KoW worshipping Humakt
illuminated,
too?"
Well, I can't say for sure about the Wild Chalanna Arroy Broo of the Rockwoods, but the Broo Troops of Ralzakark are Illuminated (DLoD page 80). His Chalanna Arroy Priestess is not specifically mentioned as illuminated, but considering the trend with Ralzie, I would assume she is as well.
"But not from Glorantha. In any case, RQ3 uses a different mechanism with
much the same upshot. 7D3 loss to each of four characteristics will
generally ruin your whole week, really."
Hmmm, how do you determine this...that is, what was dropped in RQ3 but not from Glorantha?
In any case, in RQ3, one usually cannot survive even 5 days dead.
"Probably partially true, but in many cases the Spirit of Reprisal will be
summonned/invoked by a high priest, rather than dreaming it up all by itself,
or doing so under direct orders from God HQ."
I could actually see it happening both ways.
"So if I perform the rituals correctly, I am, by definition, devout? This
merely leaves the question of how hard it is in practice to be Cynically
Devout."
Jonas writes:
"Devin sums up the debate on history rather well, with the
best arguments I've seen so far (in this forum, that is)."
Thanks Jonas. It's nice to see someone at least giving my viewpoint some credibility.
Scott writes about the availability of Resurrection.
I find that, from the few published materials like scenarios et al, that
Frex, in the River of Cradles area you have 4 in Pavis (per RQ2 Pavis Pack), 1 in Horngate, and several in the Sun Dome. This makes at least 7-8 all within a 3-4 day journey of each other. Add a Teelo Norri Priestess in Pavis to take care of Lunars and you're up to 8-9.
In Griffin Mountain, Elkoi has at least one such.
Admittedly, this is not a lot to go by, but then we don't have a lot of published sceanrios. My point is, however, that it seems as if every significant place has at least one Chalanna Arroy Priestess.
Regarding how many Resurrections that Priestess would have, if a Chalanna Arroy Priestess is ordained at age 30, then she will get to make 6 POW gain rolls (5 seasonal and 1 Sacred Time) per year. Assume she makes 2 of them. This means that if she expends only half of her POW on Resurrections, she will have 4 by the time she is 42 years old. I would hate to think of how many such spells an old 60-70 year old Priestess would have, but it would probably number around 20!!!!
Is this right? NO!!!! I agree with you that Resurrections should not be as prevalent as presented. I have always thought that Chalanna Arroy Resurrection should be one-use, but cost less than Seal Spirit or Daka Fal Resurrection. Perhaps even as low as one point on-use.
As Glorantha currently stands, Resurrection seems to be widely available throughout Sartar, Esrolia, Peloria, et al. I would love to see this reduced, so that death doesn't become a joke.
David (Dunham, that is) writes:
"otherwise
how could his seers identify horrible fates and wisely impose geases on
newborn nobles?"
Hmm, this sounds interesting. From what source did you pick it up?
Nick writes:
"Whyever not? You're the man who claimed to have identified the breed. And
reticence is hardly your forte."
Yes, I identified the breed and in my own dark depraved mind I might even have my own opinions on who(m) I think is a scholar, but I don't want to insult people or "call them names", so I rather thought that I would merely bring up the issue and let people place themselves into the camp of their choice. In any case, I thought it was very interesting to see who assumed what. Quite a little experiment!
Regarding your quote re: Anthropology, I will try to find similar supporting my beliefs. Tennis anyone?
"Especially if you cunningly conceal your expert knowledge of Ancient Earth
behind a convincing facade of superficiality and ignorance."
No reply, see Sandy's request below.
"Saying "Glorantha IS just like Earth" -- does anyone really do this?
Saying it differs: fine, we all agree. It's when you get onto the psycho- logical and religious specifics of *how* Glorantha differs from Earth that our collective gorges rise. Explain if you will how the Aztecs, Samurai, Christian Martyrs, Jews at Masada, Nazis, and today's terrorists in the Middle East, Rwanda and Bosnia echo your sensibilities. These are, after all, people "profoundly similar" at "an instinctual level" to you and your so-called So Cal 'rational' attitudes. <g>"
I can find similarities in all of them and will do so privately if you wish.
"Please look at this world, before telling me everyone in it is reasonable.
For a self-proclaimed expert on World War 2 to assume this is so, is odd.
Yours, in deep psychological disturbance,"
I never said that a common shared trait of humainty was reasonableness. In fact, I could quite argue the opposite.
Since we seem to be sinking into the depths of name-calling, why don't we either continue this thread offline, where we might really rip into each other without burdening the others, or I'll just end this thread and you can consider yourself having triumphed over Southern California ignorance and stupidity. OK?
Sandy writes:
"They breed with their god, who visits
every single one of them once a year on a special sacred night. This
arrangement suits them fine, as apparently sex with him is 294 times
as good as with a normal man. "
Cool!
Sandy also goes through some formulae for how Resurrection would be unavailble in a large town for everyone to use.
I agree with this exercise. In my own campaign, I do not use Chalanna Arroy Resurrect on the First Come First Served basis. Like you Sandy, I think they do evaluate the worthiness of the victim. Lightbringers (or Yelmists in a Yelm-oriented Chalanna Arroy Temple) get precedence. Nobles and worthies over beggars and thieves, etc.
Aslo, I say that it is very difficult to find a Chalanna Arory with a freshly ready Resurrect. Usually, my Player Characters, who are well known and respected members of their community, have to wait at least a day on average, to the apologies of the Priestesses "I pray your forgiveness my lords, but Shrid the Fisherman lay in the Temple hall dead for most of the day and no others were brought before me..."
In any case, I wonder if your analysis of 1% of the population being Healers and only 3% of those Healers being Priestesses stacks up with what has been presented.
Now, I happen to agree that you numbers make more sense. I imagine that, despite the respect everyone pays you, being a healer is no easy chore, requiring much dedication to one's job and a true love of helping the hurt. But when I look at places like Hazard Fort or Pavis or SunDome, et al, I seem to see a much larger proportion. Maybe it's just because these places are special or especially dangerous. I don't know.
However, I note that it may be that your death rate for Gloranthans is a bit low...what with the current state of instant Spirit Magic healing and easily curable diseases. I have always imagined that the death rate in a Gloranthan city of 10,000 to be fairly low as compared to a Terran ancient city
(Uh Oh, here I go again contrasting Glorantha with Earth. I'd better but on my asbestos jumpsuit!)
"I'd like to suggest that both Nick and Devin consider cooling off for
a day or two. To me, their discussion seems in places to be
degenerating into considerations of and attacks on one another's
background and training for the ministry. "
Fine, I will not post the rather vitriolic reply I had drafted to Nick's latest mega-flame of me. However, I would like to request that even if you disagree with me (Nick and others) that you not use terms like stupid, ignorant, superficial etc. There is really no need for name calling, and I don't think I have engaged in such, but if I have, I apologize. I have a right to my opinions and a right to post them and stand by them without being attacked personally or vitriolically.
Graeme writes:
"i) Resurrection as presented in the game is a remnant from the early
(ie D&D) days of the hobby, when life and death were cheap. It should
either be removed (my attitude) or made a great deal more difficult
(many other people)."
You are right, it seems way too D&Dish. I could stomach it being removed entirely, but I would rather have it more difficult.
Regards,
Devin Cutler
devinc@aol.com
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