From: T.J.Minas (T.J.Minas@soton.ac.uk)
Date: Fri 02 Sep 1994 - 21:52:45 EEST
Hello again everyone.
I just SO love Bank Holiday weeks, when
the mail machine is unavailable! Alison Place, I agree with you
about the effect of reading 10 days worth of Digest at once!
On another note, I was intrigued to read Alison Cloak of Sankes story, in which Vinga goes in for sword dancing. Having watched the TV version of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo just recently, I was inspired by the concept of Sartarite Humakti doing sword dances. It would seem that this custom has spread to all the Orlanthi!
Elk/Moose/Whatever
Could everyone who has a real strong opinion on this just outline
the following details. I don't want any Latin, or "common" names
that will set off arguments again, but "Just the Facts, Ma'am"
(To quote another older US TV show!)
Details required:-
Name of Hsunchen tribe (Eg Aleci, Pralori etc)
Description (in terms of size, habits, eating habits, etc, not
RW analogues) of the Totemic beast
Area(s) where these guys can be found
How many of them there are in each of these areas
Any other points on them.
I think this would help clarify exactly what all you guys have been arguing about for the last few weeks!
Nomad Gods
Possessing, as I do, an original version of this boardgame, anyone with queries on it is welcome to e-mail me with questions. I don't promise to know the answers to everything, but I will try.
Thief Cults
A couple of thoughts here. Only "civilized" societies would ever have thieves who considered themselves part of society. All other cultures would view thieves as outsiders, and thus, definitely they would fall under Trickster!
People (In these "non-civilized" societies) who stole from other societies/clans/etc probably aren't thieves, and would worship (eg) Orlanth Adventurous. Remember, these guys would NOT see themselves as thieves, and would be mortally insulted if you described them as such. No way would they worship a Thief god.
Thieves in civilized societeies thus tend to exist in towns and cities. Even here, they are unlikely to ever have huge numbers of people willing to cooperate (Thieves Guilds, sure, but they might well be rivals!), and so even fairly large cities won't have anything much bigger than a shrine. Especially if many of the thieves follow different deities. EG some might follow Trickster, others Lanbril, yet others Orlanth or Donandar, the City God, Ancestor Worship.
Why, then, is anyone moaning about the lack of a decent Thief God? The reason that there isn't a really powerful thief God('s cult) is because (Circularity strikes!) there ISN'T a really powerful thief God! Lanbril in the RQ" Pavis writeup was far too powerful.
Renewing Rune Spells
On Alex Ferguson's point re the ability to get a spell from a temple if you conduct some unknown locally ceremony to regain (eg) a Sever Spirit from a Shrine. Two points: a) It should be at a pretty big penalty; and b) Subcult/Associate deity spells should NEVER be available from a shrine that doesn't actually provide the spell.
That's about it for now, once I sit down and read all the printouts I'll get back to you!
Ian Gorlick, Thanatar/Vivamort cults please (Beg, beg or I'll send the Gatherer of Souls round!)
Bye folks
Tim Minas
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