From: Malc Smith (malcolm.smith@alcatel.no)
Date: Fri 17 Jan 1992 - 09:56:33 EET
In two previous issues of Discussions (numbers #25 and #26)
the topic of Shamans and Spirit Magic arose. Since I've had
no end of problems with understanding this topic (in fact,
with quite a lot of Gloranthian stuff) I would like to add my
thoughts on this subject in the hope that either I can get
someone to 'put me right', or, preferably, to clear something
up. Whatever.
The way I see the Spirit Plane is something similar to how the
cheap American TV movies perceive the 'afterlife' a dull
featureless expanse with a bit a mist swirling around. I see
the spirit plane as essentially this but with no depth, i.e.
there's no real up or down just around. I suppose it doesn't
matter how one sees the Spirit Plane as long as one is quite
comfortable with the picture one sees in one's mind.
Anyway, with this slightly twisted topological view of
the Spirit Plane I wouldn't like to have the Shaman belt off
into the Spirit Plane to check whether that there's a POW a
few metres in that direction which would co-incide with being
on the other side of the door on the Mundane Plane. I would
still have it that every point on either Plane is directly
adjacent to a single point on the other, there the mappable
similarity would end.
Since I imagine the Plane to be utterly boring there isn't
much point in the spirits wandering around as wandering off
from one's Entry Point into the Spirit Plane wouldn't achive
anything, except for a feeling of loss. Therefore, this is
about the only reason why I'd imagine spirits would hang
around a sacrificial site as something interesting might just
happen there. Sometime. Or, to put it another way, unless
one spirit literally bumps into another there's not much point
wandering away to somewhere else.
The RQ3 rulebook is quite clear on the point that "When a
discorporate creature is on the Spirit Plane, it is normally
incapable of interacting with the Mundane Plane, for there is
no natural communication between the two." (my capitals).
This I agree with quite strongly as if the Spirit Plane is as
dull as it sounds then the Mundane Plane, i.e. Gloranthia,
will be full of Spirits trying to return. I do like the idea
that most Spirits do have the ability to form a weak shimmery
appearance on the Mundane Plane. Ghosts, obviously.
As an aside. This could be taken further. A Spirit with a
high POW could perhaps manifest a place; for example, roll POW
against some figure to rattle a chain, or against another to
move/knock some objects over. As in a real live haunting
(which could explain why some bad tempered, prematurely
discorporated entities come back to haunt their descendants in
the more prosperous manor houses).
>From this point in I feel as if I'm walking on less sure
ground. I can imagine why a Spirit would be prepared to enter
combat with a character. Anything to get away from the dull
Spirit Plane and onto the less, er, mundane Mundane Plane.
The character, as we know has the possibility of gaining a new
spell and the spirit has the chance of gaining a body.
I ask the following questions; what is it that the Shaman, who
directs the questing character, gives the character that will
attract the 'right sort' of spirit, i.e. "Hello, I'm only
looking for those which know Heal 4 and can those which know
Heal 12 kindly not bother me as you'll discorporate me as
sure as eggs is eggs"?
Or, is it so? According to the rulebook, it says that if the
Spirit wins the combat then it will return to the Spirit Plane
free of control and keeping the spell. The question is, why
does it bother? What, then, is this totem that protects the
character from possession?
The rulebook goes further to state that most Spirits are
incapable of attacking anyone on the Mundane Plane. I would
suppose that the excellent example of Cormac fighting a
Disease Spirit came from the fact that a Broo Shaman ventured
onto the Spirit Plane, battled and defeated a Disease Spirit
and then brought it back to the Mundane Plane and then tied
it onto a skull by means of Binding. I assume that this means
that the Spirit isn't able to leave the mundane plane, or from
where it was bound until it possessed something else.
Otherwise why try to possess Cormac, as Cormac would become
'healed' when he was moved away from the skull.
So, would I be wrong in thinking that the only way to escape a
binding would be to possess someone else, i.e. move the
binding to another object but this time somethingliving? Whether
or not this is the case why didn't the Spirit try to possess
something else like a rabbit or a passing beetle?
Also, am I far wrong in thinking that a caputured Spirit, i.e
one that has not been requested to teach the spell, is
basically bound onto the character awaiting command?
Lastly, why must a spirit on the Mundane Plane make itself
visible before attacking? I can see no reason for this,
except for dramatic effect - surely the defendant needn't see
the attacker?
Comments?
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