From: Colin Watson (watson@computing-science.aberdeen.ac.uk)
Date: Fri 24 Jun 1994 - 20:40:53 EEST
I said:
>> Even in the event of success; if *any* other Humakti priests found out about
>> it, these "new worshippers" would be excommunicated so fast it would make
>> their heads spin clean orf. And they would be right back at square one.
Alex (thinks he) disagrees:
>
>I disagree with this particular bit: one should only be able to excomm.,
>or sic spirits of reprisal on, cultists from the same "hierarchy".
Indeed, but the way I see it, these chaps *are* effectively in the same hierarchy.
Remember the setup: Cacodaemonists cajole Humakti priest into revealing cult rites. They re-enact these rituals to become "initiates" and (maybe eventually) "priests".
My view is: because the Cacodaemonists learned the rituals by rote from the priest it is effectively as if he had initiated them himself and therefore he knows full-well how to excommunicate them. And so would any other priest who worships Humakt in the same way. Excommunication isn't (just) a social casting-out ceremony. It has a tangible magical effect in that it cuts-off the target's ability to work cult divine magic. This is how it might work:
A priest can excommunicate his subordinate because he knows everything (and
more) about how the initiate works his magic. He knows exactly which magical
(Chuggian:) paths the initiate uses to get cult magic and he can (using the
Excommunication ritual) interpose obstructions which thwart the initiate's
attempts to walk those paths.
Priests, who are naturally familiar with the ways of their god, can take
a more individual approach to their magic and are thus largely invulnerable to
excommunication by a fellow priest because they each know slighly different
paths. (However, a knowledgable High-Priest might be able to work it on his
priests if he felt the need... I dunno).
>(Otherwise Humakti duals between two High Swords becomes "Excommunication
>Quick Draw". <g>)
For reasons stated above this probably wouldn't work and, even if it did, Swords probably wouldn't stoop so low.
Excommunication *could* be a powerful force in war tho...
Perhaps if you knew your enemies' god/cult better than they did themselves
then maybe you could excommunicate their entire army just before the battle
thus disabling their greatest magic.
Sounds like a GodLearner stunt to me. In a time when the Monomyth was strong
it would be easier to do cos everyone would be worshipping in the same way.
___
CW.
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