From: Colin Watson (watson@computing-science.aberdeen.ac.uk)
Date: Wed 06 Jul 1994 - 13:49:38 EEST
> Are you sure you and Cullen are seperate people?
Geez, now I know how Gon Orta feels.
Excuse me while a speak with my alter ego...
>The god is one with the path, but the paths are also one
>with the god, and are therefore in some sense conscious.
My view is that a God's "consciousness" comes through his cult. Actions initiated by the god independently of the cult are simply the natural activity of the domain he represents (eg. storms for Orlanth); such actions could be seen as "subconscious" behaviour of the God (if you want to anthropomorphise to that extent). The paths themselves are about as conscious as a book or a relational database IMHO.
>CW> My theory is that anyone who does anything New leaves a small etching
>CW> on the godplane. If you do something so great that other people want
>
>Does this include actions taken off the godplane?
Yes and no. It depends how far-removed you think the mundane plane is from the GP. Essentially my current thinking (influenced by others on the net) is that any mundane action is reflected in the godplane. Whenever you do First Aid you're following the healing path; whenever you tell a lie you're following the path of illusion. The gods did things for the First Time; and people who specialise in following the paths of the gods (by copying the activities of the god; repeating the method of the First Time; and thus preserving the knowledge) comprise the cult. This includes mundane activities as well as magical ones.
If you were to do something radically New then it would provide the potential for a new path: whether you discover how to spin cotton; or make gunpowder or whatever. If people think the idea is great enough; and are prepared to dedicate themselves to perpetuate the knowledge; and specialise in the skills required, then a new path may be formed.
If you acted in the name of a God then this path might be added to your god's paths; on the other hand, maybe a new hero-cult might form, in which case there is potential for a new god (if you keep doing novel things).
Most of the fundamental stuff has been done already and is hence attributed to some god or other. I guess, if you wanted to run a campaign where Ascension To Godhood was the theme (:-)) then you should pick some Brand New idea (which doesn't exist in Glorantha yet and which would have great impact on society); let the players HQ to discover/invent it; and allow a cult to form. The hard part would be choosing "something new" without being cheesily anachronistic. Suggestions?
>I would say it is a little more complex than that, and involves the hero
>actively trying to create a set of paths on the Rune/Hero/God-plane.
I think this is the modern way of working. This is what that Arkat chap would do. But I don't think all the old paths were layed down on purpose. The gods just did stuff and folks copied it - whether it was deliberate or not. Humakt killed; a bunch of folk thought killing was a useful thing; hence a cult of killers formed. Did Humakt *want* to be Death? I'm not sure.
>I wonder if there aren't rituals (initiations come to
>mind) in which the aspirant doesn't know what is expected of him, and if
>he reacts in some way that the god would not...
>he gets kicked out/killed/whatever?
Could be. This would help to encourage "natural" initiates who think like their
god. But it wouldn't completely screen-out the cynics who think
"Well, I wouldn't normally do this,
but it's what I *should* do 'cos it's what god would do;
and since this is an initiation it's probably Right".
I agree that deadly initiation rites are sure to discourage cynics.
___
CW.
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