From runequest-digest-editor@glorantha.holland.sun.com Wed Jul 20 20:02:54 1994 From: runequest-digest-editor@glorantha.holland.sun.com Date: 20 Jul 1994 20:02:54 To: IN%"RuneQuest-Digest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM" CC: Subject: Volume 10, no 10, Introduction: The Aeolian Church of Heortland X-Status: Status: RO Return-path:Received: from cash.wharton.upenn.edu by wharton.upenn.edu (PMDF #6050 ) id <01HEXWOEVNQO9BVQX3@wharton.upenn.edu>; Wed, 20 Jul 1994 20:02:36 EST Received: (from daemon@localhost) by cash.wharton.upenn.edu (8.6.9/8.6.9) id UAA03136 for millerl@wilma.wharton.upenn.edu; Wed, 20 Jul 1994 20:02:55 -0400 Received: from Sun.COM (Sun.COM [192.9.9.1]) by cash.wharton.upenn.edu (8.6.9/8.6.9) with SMTP id UAA03131 for ; Wed, 20 Jul 1994 20:02:51 -0400 Received: from snail.Sun.COM (snail.Corp.Sun.COM) by Sun.COM (sun-barr.Sun.COM) id AA03469; Wed, 20 Jul 94 17:00:47 PDT Received: from Holland.Sun.COM (isunnl) by snail.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA19988; Wed, 20 Jul 94 15:14:03 PDT Received: from glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM by Holland.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1e) id AA27966; Thu, 21 Jul 94 00:13:58 +0200 Received: from aft-ms.Holland.Sun.COM (aft-ms-11) by glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA03006; Thu, 21 Jul 94 00:11:16 +0200 Received: from yelm.Holland.Sun.COM by aft-ms.Holland.Sun.COM (5.0/SMI-SVR4) id AA17168; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 00:11:08 --100 Received: by yelm.Holland.Sun.COM (5.0/SMI-SVR4) id AA26893; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 00:11:47 --100 Date: 21 Jul 1994 00:11:47 +0100 From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM Subject: Volume 10, no 10, Introduction: The Aeolian Church of Heortland Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM To: RuneQuest-Digest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM Reply-to: RuneQuest-Digest-Editor@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM Message-id: <9407202211.AA26893@yelm.Holland.Sun.COM> X-Envelope-to: millerl Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT X-PH: V4.1@cash.wharton.upenn.edu Content-Return: Prohibited Precedence: bulk Content-Length: 1981 The Aeolian Church of Heortland. copyright 1994 Joerg Baumgartner Contents: Part 1 - Cult Myth and History Part 2 - Cult Ecology Part 3 - What my Father Told me Introduction: This is the first try for Aeolian Church of Heortland's cult write-up, using the Blank Cult format by Troy Bankert. I used material copyrighted by Chaosium and/or Greg Stafford. In this form, it is copyrighted May 1994 be me. The Aeolian Church is meant to be an experimental detailed write-up for a "Stygian" or Henotheist Church. I would like to get feedback about the concept of a Stygian sect as I presented it. The side issue whether this kind of Stygian sect is appropriate for Heortland I am willing to discuss as well. But: if you dislike one aspect - either the execution of joining theist and Malkioni religion, or the placement of this organisation in southern Heortland - please comment on the other part objectively. I've been facing some adversary winds already (a good thing for an Aeolian, but anyway...). I am currently working on a detailed campaign setting for central and southern Heortland, complete with scenarios, background info etc. If anybody has done work on this area, I'd like to get in contact. Joerg Baumgartner, July 1994 Editorial: The final issue of volume 10 is a three part essay from Joerg Baumgartner. Above you find his own introduction to which I have nothing to add. [As usual] I took the liberty of correcting spelling and changing layout. The latter consists of changing line length to 65 columns, and adding more paragraph breaks. So don't blame Joerg for those... If you're going to Convulsion and haven't yet left, I will see you there... I will enable the sending of a Sunday Daily, just in case we have a network connection, and have something to report. -Henk Langeveld From runequest-digest-editor@glorantha.holland.sun.com Thu Jul 21 06:37:08 1994 From: runequest-digest-editor@glorantha.holland.sun.com Date: 21 Jul 1994 06:37:08 To: IN%"RuneQuest-Digest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM" CC: Subject: Volume 10, no 10, part 1 of 3: Cult Myth and History X-Status: Status: RO Return-path: Received: from cash.wharton.upenn.edu by wharton.upenn.edu (PMDF #6050 ) id <01HEYITRFPY89BVS0H@wharton.upenn.edu>; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 06:36:51 EST Received: (from daemon@localhost) by cash.wharton.upenn.edu (8.6.9/8.6.9) id GAA06060 for millerl@wilma.wharton.upenn.edu; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 06:37:09 -0400 Received: from Sun.COM (Sun.COM [192.9.9.1]) by cash.wharton.upenn.edu (8.6.9/8.6.9) with SMTP id GAA06055 for ; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 06:37:07 -0400 Received: from snail.Sun.COM (snail.Corp.Sun.COM) by Sun.COM (sun-barr.Sun.COM) id AA15785; Wed, 20 Jul 94 15:31:05 PDT Received: from Holland.Sun.COM (isunnl) by snail.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA21304; Wed, 20 Jul 94 15:30:31 PDT Received: from glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM by Holland.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1e) id AA28290; Thu, 21 Jul 94 00:30:25 +0200 Received: from aft-ms.Holland.Sun.COM (aft-ms-11) by glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA05565; Thu, 21 Jul 94 00:27:47 +0200 Received: from yelm.Holland.Sun.COM by aft-ms.Holland.Sun.COM (5.0/SMI-SVR4) id AA17298; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 00:27:39 --100 Received: by yelm.Holland.Sun.COM (5.0/SMI-SVR4) id AA27054; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 00:28:18 --100 Date: 21 Jul 1994 00:28:18 +0100 From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM Subject: Volume 10, no 10, part 1 of 3: Cult Myth and History Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM To: RuneQuest-Digest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM Reply-to: RuneQuest-Digest-Editor@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM Message-id: <9407202228.AA27054@yelm.Holland.Sun.COM> X-Envelope-to: millerl Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT X-PH: V4.1@cash.wharton.upenn.edu Content-Return: Prohibited Precedence: junk Content-Length: 22352 The Aeolian Church of Heortland. copyright 1994 Joerg Baumgartner MYTHOS AND HISTORY Glorantha was created when Creator formed Grower and Maker. From both sprang the Spirit pervading the world, Glorantha. Grower and Maker obeyed the Runes Creator had devised, and out of their actions formed the first element, Darkness, from which flowed Water, inside which grew Earth, above which lay Sky. Between these two Air sprang into being, the last and most sophisticated of Elements. As Creator had seen fit, each element held Stewardship of the world, until the next took over. Thus Nakala ruled through her triple offspring Subere, Himile and Dehore, Zaramaka through his triple offspring Daliath, Framanthe and Sramak, Gata through the other three corners of the Earth (Rune Empress Earth, Earth Witch and Genert), Aether through his three sons Dayzatar, Yelm and Lodril. Of these last three Yelm strove for supremacy, and took upon himself the title of the Emperor. When Umath, the Primal Storm, sprang from the union of Sky and Earth, Sky's time of Stewardship had gone, and Air was to take over. Dayzatar withdrew even further, and practical-minded Lodril turned to his work. But vain Yelm refused to pass the stewardship to his brother. Thus strife entered the world, and the harmony of the court was broken. Umath too fathered Sons through whom he meant to rule, but Yelm denied the Storm brothers their role in Stewardship. The brothers reacted each after his temper. Kolat populated the air with his children, Storm Bull wedded Eiritha and befriended her family, the Earth family, Humakt strove for mastery in the powers. Vadrus gathered the children of Umaths Sons around him, dissatisfied at their suppression by the Celestial Court, while Umath held back the forces that threatened Creation, now that Creator's plan was disturbed. The Vadrudi sought women of their own, and they took what they found with force, because they could not get their inheritance without it. Aerlit was a Kolati in the host of Vadrus the Woman-Taker, and when raging and searching with his brethren Kolati, he came upon a sea-nymph basking in Yelm's light on the shore. Instead of taking her by force, as was the wont of the Vadrudi, he fell in love with her grace and courted her. Their courtship was neither hard nor long, for Warera was pleased by the advances of the Storm god. Aerlit carried her into his airy realm, and together they flew to an island in the west. Forgotten were his brethren and their quest for wives, as Aerlit and Warera gazed into each other's faces. They made themselves a home, and the fruit of their love, a boy which became known as Malkion arrived at the proper time. But alas their luck could not last. Vadrus and his host fell upon the peaceful island to rape and to pillage. When Vadrus found the young couple, he bellowed in rage, for had not Aerlit betrayed his host and deserted them? Aerlit valiantly stepped between his former chieftain and his young wife, although he knew he would not stand a chance. Right he was, for Vadrus in his rage tore him apart, before he fell upon the unlucky daughter of Wartain's tribe. Luckily young Malkion had wandered off, and was not present when his parents fell under Vadrus' blows. After Vadrus had vented his anger, he gathered his host and moved on. Malkion was left on his own, without anybody knowing of his existence. Although only a baby alone in a hostile world, Malkion had inherited his parents' powers, and he made it into the Kingdom of Logic, where he learned of Creator and his laws. The child's advent to the Kingdom of Logic was memorable: In a basket spanned with hide, and with a sail hanging from a broomstick he was carried by friendly waves, relatives of his mother, and driven by gentle winds, of his Grandfather's tribe. The people of the Kingdom of Logic adopted the boy, and taught him their ways. They lived in a region that was designed by the Creator to reflect all of creation. There exist few such regions in Glorantha, all of which are special to the Creator. The people of the Kingdom of logic were the result of the Creator's use of the Man Rune, a people that did not know mortality, for death had not yet entered the world. They did not worship the gods, either, instead acknowledging them as representatives of single elements the same way they themselves were composed of all the elements, the synthesis of Creation. They called the child Malkion, and taught him their ways they had learned from the Creator, when he had visited the world and created them. The child grew up in the Kingdom of Logic, and although he learned the ways of Logic, he still felt attracted to the pure elements. Thus he chose his wives from the elements. From the first of his wives were born three sons, and to each of them he gave one third of his powers: Talar inherited his mastery, Zzabur his magic, and Horal his prowess in the arts of conflict. Each of them took a wife among the people of Logic, and their descendants each clung to the profession their ancestor was given by Malkion. Later Malkion undertook the Great Marriage with the land, and from this union issued Dronal, the provider. When Malkion returned to his mother's element, he met a maiden from the Ludoch merfolk, and from their love sprang Waertag, ancestor of the people living on the back of sea-dragons, in cities built among their living spikes. The two peoples grew in friendship, and although the descendants of Waertag were obstinate in their worship of ancestral water deities, only superficially accepting the Logic of their purebread human allies. The Kingdom of Logic thrived, and Malkion received the Blessing of Communication with the Invisible God through his Spirit. Malkion spread his enlightenment, and the people of the Kingdom of Logic, many of them his descendants, accepted the new creed, which helped them to deal with the consequences the struggle in the world. There, not only the Vadrudi were raging about the denial of their inheritance. One other son of Umath, Ragnaglar, who had suffered most heavily from the machinations of the Imperial Court, had met Rashoran, the Last God, and learned his secret. Together with his wife Thed and his mistress Malia he plotted to overthrow the self-styled Emperor of the World. With Creation gone askew, Umath received an inspiration from the Creator and fathered Orlanth to Kero Fin, Mountain Lady of the Nesting Ground of Dragons. Through this union, Creation was to be restored, but only through epic struggle. Orlanth was Creator born again within his world, and through him the Invisible God perfected his plans. Young Orlanth went to the appointed steward of the world, and found that his uncle didn't occupy the steps before the throne, as befitted his station, but had in his now legendary infatuation with his own splendour taken place on the seat of the King of Gods. Rather than accuse his relative of treachery, Orlanth resolved himself to shame him in a contest. How surprising came the insight that not only his uncle, but all the court had gone astray, when they as referees didn't acknowledge the power of creation (Mobility), because they feared for their station, and rather awarded Stasis, the way they knew! Still, Orlanth didn't want to dishonour family, and the contests became fiercer, until in the contest of weapons Orlanth taught Yelm the meaning of Stasis: Death. Orlanth then appointed Elmal, his cousin and son-in-law, to take over Yelm's former task as the Sun God and as Steward in his absence, and his loyal thane didn't betray him. The Sun, however, shone weaker ever after. Orlanth finally found that treachery can be found in family, and that it can become necessary to dishonor family, when Ragnaglar didn't succumb to his judgement as Law-giver and continued his schemes to attain rulership of the world. Finally Orlanth had to close him out of Creation, for he would not again kill his kin, for any reason whatsoever. And Orlanth found that dealing Death is dealing Stasis, and thereby working against creation, so that to heal the world beset by chaos he had to right this wrong. Orlanth renounced his tie to death, handing it over to Humakt his brother, and set out to bring Yelm back into life, and motion, thereby to restore Creation as it should be. While Orlanth collected his companions to save creation, and Ragnaglar led the hordes of the void on their rampage of destruction, the Kingdom of Logic was beset by a wall of ice which threatened to devour all of the realm. Malkion led his people into a new land, calling his youngest son's people to help them cross the sea. He founded the city of Malkonwal and ordered all things for his people before he finally departed to search for his parents. While he left human history, his teachings lived on through his children. Orlanth had fought the first Battle of Chaos and learned about the destructive powers of the howling void, brought into the world by Ragnaglar, and he realized that creation could only be set into the right path again by starting it anew. Together with a group of companions, who experienced the same motivation he set out and sought to redeem his slaying of his uncle, thereby gathering all forces of the world to withstand the outer enemy. Soon in his Quest he achieved the summons of the Spirit, which revealed itself as Ginna Jar, and accompanied the King of Gods. In an epic journey we know as the Lightbringers' Quest Orlanth and his companions brought Yelm back into life, and through the creation of time from the Spirit and the forces of the void, he opened the way for a renewal of creation. When Orlanth collected the gods into the compromise he gifted Yelm with motion, but no control over it. Of all the deities, Yelm was tied most closely to Time, which inherited the powers of Stasis. An official ieffectively leading other officials, Yelm and his court were reinstalled, to amuse Orlanth when he grew tired of his usual buffoon, Eurmal. Elmal taught his relative Yelm the virtues of Stewardship when he stepped back from driving in the Sun Chariot and returned to spread his light from Grandfather Aether's Sky Dome. The world had fared less successfully. Chaos had finally invaded the Spike, the center of Law in the world, and made it explode. All life was hard set on by the hordes of Chaos, and only the last heroes' single stand in the battle known as I fought we won kept it from falling apart. Only when Orlanth and all the divine Saints, led by the Spirit which now was called Arachne Solara, returned into the world, to refashion it, and then to keep to their own domains in accordance with the Compromise. SINCE TIME BEGAN The Beginning of Time is generally reckoned by counting the years from the Dawn. Already before this reckoning started, the peoples of the world started to recover from the Chaos wars, as the heroes returned from I fought we won. Heort Law-giver was the hero who brought his people back into the land of Orlanth's birth. Although he did not know about the Creator, he reinstalled Creation's course by proclaiming and enforcing the Laws of Orlanth. The Southern part of Kerofinela became part of the new reflection of Creation. The land of Ketha was ruled by the Only Old one, a distant relative of Orlanth both through his maternal side, which came from the Earth, and from his paternal side, which stemmed from Sky (and Darkness). He organized the land after the fashion of the old Kingdom of Logic, without realizing it, and assigned each of the Elements as well as the humans who don't worship the elements their place in the new order. The Land of King Heort represented the Air, most noble of the elements, and Heort himself acted as the Law-speaker of the new alliance. Even the Dragons' breed and the adherents of the primal principles of Grower and Maker, Aldryami and Mostali, participated in the new council. For a while, the renewed Stewardship of Darkness proved its worth. But then the Mostali initiated unrest, and the council began to crumble apart. The people of Malkion experienced the Dawn with troubles. The Rules of Malkion, which had kept their existance before Time's birth, suddenly failed to care for their need of Solace. Only after a full turn of the cycle the Invisible God revealed himself again through the Spirit, this time to the Talar Hrestol. But when Hrestol preached his revelation, part of the people of Malkion dissented, led by Zzabur, the second son of the prophet. Zzabur held that if the people remained outside time, by refusing to reproduce, they could remain in the state of the Kingdom of Logic. He took most of his followers with him to Brithos, and after this homeland they are called Brithini. They deny themselves Life, Change and Solace. Prince Hrestol instead propagated new freedom. While he didn't destroy the classes the Invisible God had reawakened in Malkion, he modified them, and he introduced the concept of Chivalry. His new Creed took over the ancient colonies in Seshnela and Akem, and only in Arolanit the old Way of the Five was held up. The Waertagi sided erroneously with the half-brother of their ancestor, and they kept the humans from braving the sea, except where they were aided by friendly merpeople, as was the case in Kethaela. In Kerofinela the peoples lived the Compromise of the Lightbringer, and they spread word of it over the world. They offered friendship and peace, but when they met the horsepeople of Peloria, they were met with hatred and violence. The Council countered the offenses with their combined might, and they drove the horsepeople back into the cold plains of Pent, once part of Genert's Garden, and liberated their subjects, the farmers of the plain and the city-dwellers of the Oslir River Valley. But these had been exposed to the hubris of the Sun as well as their former overlords, and soon they fought the Lightbringers' Council which had liberated them. The Council decided to teach them the superiority of the Compromise by giving them an example, and they began to invoke the Spirit to give them perfect leadership. This was too perfect for the creatures of darkness and breed of the dragons, an they pulled back their assistance. Thus also this council began to crumble. Still, they tried to meet the aberrant followers of Yelms shadow of a court, and these seized the opportunity to corrupt the pure project with the hubris of the Sun. At first they cooperated, but when they had taken the lead they wouldn't give it out of their hands, and the project became flawed from within. Thus did they abuse the Lightbringer powers of Creation, and the perfect God only seemed that way. At first the new bright deity was all the Lightbringers had intended, an example of the compromise. But the ichor of the Sun's imprisonment throbbed within, and when the Lightbringers revealed their lore of the compromise to the adherents of the Hrestoli way, the Solar hubris had robbed it of its meaning. The other side became dominant, and by means of foul tricks the leaders of the new empire betrayed their innocent followers by bending and breaking the laws which the Compromise gave. This abuse of Creation led to a reaction in the tragic figure of Arkat. This hero had grown up among the aberrant followers of Logic, and at firt he only realized that Creation was endangered. He didn't know why, but he set out to learn. When he encountered the minions of the Deceiver, he knew his enemy, and he swore to unmake him. In this he erred, for Creation can not be undone without invoking the void, but then he did not see this, and swore a most terrible vow. After his compatriots had ceased fighting the first abomination of the Deceiver, the evil Vampire kingdom, Arkat had discovered the Truth of Solace in the Invisible God, and studied the way of Hrestol. Armed with knowledge of the Creator and the revelations of the Spirit, he fought the abominations of the Deceiver, and drove his minions before him. Then he made contact with the Lightbringers that had not fallen prey to the empty promises of the Deceiver, and he learned of the Lightbringer. Just when he began to experience the holy trinity of the Invisible God, he treacherously was sent into the land of the dead, and was tainted with darkness. When Harmast Barefoot braved the realms of myth on his unprecedented attempt to recreate the great journey of Orlanth Re-Creator, though a mere mortal himself, he saved Arkat Humaktson from the darkness, and for a while bright Arkat swept the Deceiver's minions from the face of creation into the realms of Death. In these last lucky days Arkat lay the foundations for our Aeolian creed, which his disciples held true. But then the taint of darkness inside of Arkat became stronger with the unfulfilled, rash oath, and Arkat was ironically drawn away from the truth he himself had revealed. At first he betrayed the Lightbringers and joined the destructive way of Zorak Zoran and the trolls, and became one of them. Pity the ways of those who followed Arkat into darkness, and worship Black Arkat, but condemn them not, for their error is hard to find. Some say that in the end Arkat's obsession became so overpowering that he betrayed the trolls, too, and released the void upon the Deceiver. He destroyed the Deveiver and his stronghold, and returned in the guise of Black Arkat, but inside he was changed, burnt out by the powers he should not have called upon. He appeased his last victims of betrayal by giving them the Stewardship over the remnants of the Deceiver's realm in the North. Here in Kethaela he reinstalled the old hierarchy, but he remembered the last time he had truly been happy, and set the Hendriki who had learned his creed of Trinity as Rulers of Heortland. Alas, he himself could not participate, and at last he retreated to Ralios in the West and tried to impose a benevolent rule. Eaten from within by the cancer of the void, he didn't last long, and tried to refind his Solace in the sky, where we still can watch him searching. Without his leadership, the realm he created fell apart, and his secrets fell into the wrong hands. A group of Malkioni colonists on the middle Islands thought they had discovered the singularity of the Law. They didn't realise that deliberately following Arkat's steps, they'd fall into the same trap, and create nothing but emptiness. So when they stole and lost the secrets of Dragontongue, the bewildered people who had approached the Dragons fell prey to their lure and put the draconic way which lies only partly inside ceation over the truths of solace. Our brethren in the West had never received the insight of the Compromise, and so accepted the wrong conclusions the God Learners taught them, derived from the actions of the Gods; although they still strive for Solace, they have lost the Truth and the Law of Compromise. The God Learners committed the worst crimes against the compromise by tricking the unenlightened into accepting new, mostly wrong, ways. Their most heinous abomination was trying to create the Machine God Zistor, an impossibe combination of Maker, the instrument of Creation, with Grower's force. For a while it seemed to work, but in this creation their errors revealed themselves first. When it captured the Good Wind, all of Kethaela had to suffer from the resulting blight. The Aeolian Church was among those who restorated the old alliance between the peoples of the Land, and together with their deities humans, trolls and dwarfs marched against the Clanking City. There Orlanth saved the world again by slaying Zistor and freeing the entrapped wind. The alliance had proven that the God Learners' ways were wrong, and an insult to creation, so Orlanth the King released is secret storms, such as the Windless Typhoon, to ravage the God Learners' holdings. Distant Zzabur too experienced the unnatural development, and plotted to wipe out the ancient foes of his Allies, the Waertagi, by cutting them off their main routes, the seas. A great magic descended from Brithos and closed the sea to surface travel. Where the magic met land under the God Learners, the sea invaded the land, and a lot of valuable land became lost forever. Heortland too was hit by this catastrophe, and the island chain today known as Rightarm Islands was formed then from the hilltops of the former land. After the God Learners had gone, only the Dragon-Friends remained a threat to Kethaela, but the Only Old One managed to keep them restrained to their own lands. Only Volsaxiland was held by them, but with the Closing access to the sea lost its importance, and the land was given back to the Hendriki. The empire suffered from internal decomposition, and finally the Dragons' Breed turned upon the humans acting in their name, and expurgated all the self-ordained leaders of that empire. When the Sun-people from the north came to take revenge for this, the Only Old One sent his troops to assist the offspring of the Dragons. Few returned, but they had helped to vanquish Solar hubris once again. In return for this service, the Dragons' Breed and their inhuman allies promised to close Dragon Pass, and hold the Sun people in check. Thus it happened that while the empires of the world had failed, Kethaela survived. Another upheaval occured when Belintar the Stranger was washed ashore in Kethaela. He challenged the Only Old One for the Stewardship. The Only Old One accepted the Challenge, and in several epic struggles Belintar finally won over the Only Old One, and succeeded him as the ruler of Kethaela. Belintar was well aware of the special nature of the land and renamed it the Holy Country. He was fair to all who had supported the Only Old One, and as Pharaoh he spread peace and prosperity. His time of Stewardship lasted until recently, when he fell prey to the evil machinations of the new hubris from the Land of the Solar worshippers, the minions of the Red Moon, and disappeared without reemerging soon, as was his wont before. From runequest-digest-editor@glorantha.holland.sun.com Thu Jul 21 07:38:26 1994 From: runequest-digest-editor@glorantha.holland.sun.com Date: 21 Jul 1994 07:38:26 To: IN%"RuneQuest-Digest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM" CC: Subject: Volume 10, no 10, part 2 of 3: Cult Ecology X-Status: Status: RO Return-path: Received: from cash.wharton.upenn.edu by wharton.upenn.edu (PMDF #6050 ) id <01HEYKYR644W9BVRA5@wharton.upenn.edu>; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 07:38:08 EST Received: (from daemon@localhost) by cash.wharton.upenn.edu (8.6.9/8.6.9) id HAA06219 for millerl@wilma.wharton.upenn.edu; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 07:38:27 -0400 Received: from Sun.COM (Sun.COM [192.9.9.1]) by cash.wharton.upenn.edu (8.6.9/8.6.9) with SMTP id HAA06214 for ; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 07:38:25 -0400 Received: from snail.Sun.COM (snail.Corp.Sun.COM) by Sun.COM (sun-barr.Sun.COM) id AA15819; Wed, 20 Jul 94 15:31:31 PDT Received: from Holland.Sun.COM (isunnl) by snail.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA21355; Wed, 20 Jul 94 15:30:52 PDT Received: from glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM by Holland.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1e) id AA28304; Thu, 21 Jul 94 00:30:45 +0200 Received: from aft-ms.Holland.Sun.COM (aft-ms-11) by glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA05566; Thu, 21 Jul 94 00:27:59 +0200 Received: from yelm.Holland.Sun.COM by aft-ms.Holland.Sun.COM (5.0/SMI-SVR4) id AA17301; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 00:27:50 --100 Received: by yelm.Holland.Sun.COM (5.0/SMI-SVR4) id AA27055; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 00:28:29 --100 Date: 21 Jul 1994 00:28:29 +0100 From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM Subject: Volume 10, no 10, part 2 of 3: Cult Ecology Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM To: RuneQuest-Digest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM Reply-to: RuneQuest-Digest-Editor@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM Message-id: <9407202228.AA27055@yelm.Holland.Sun.COM> X-Envelope-to: millerl Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT X-PH: V4.1@cash.wharton.upenn.edu Content-Return: Prohibited Precedence: junk Content-Length: 16594 The Aeolian Church of Heortland. copyright 1994 Joerg Baumgartner CULT ECOLOGY The Aeolian Church of Heortland successfully combines the Orlanthi and the Malkioni religion. The truths of both religions offer Solace, a code of conduct, and support for everyday life, as well as explanations for all the world's phenomenons. The Hendriki are the main carriers of the Church. They had inherited the rule over Heortland from Arkat, in a woeful reminiscence of former happiness for the hero, and their way of worship served the land well ever since. All of the Hendriki tribes are strict adherants to the creed, and their influence has extended to the other tribes of the region as well, so that Aeolian churches can be found in every major town in Heortland, and chapels in every larger settlement of the Hendriki. The church's doctrine helps to hold up the Heortlending society, one of the most liberal in the world. The Aeolians have one main interest: to save and enhance creation through the Lightbringers' Compromise. They oppose every movement which denies the Compromise, or tries to break it. This includes the ancient foe, the Chaos from the Void, and all who associate with it. This includes the machinations of Solar hubris, which have threatened the compromise several times, their latest manifestation the Lunar religion. This too includes the soulless teachings of the God Learners, which have penetrated western Malkionism, and deny the holy Trinity. Chaos is actively pursued, for its very existance threatens the Compromise. The aberrant ways of the Sun Empire are strongly discouraged, but those who fell prey to them may be saved. The ignorance of the people in the West was until recently of little importance. Only when the Seshnegi Rokari usurped the spiritual guidance of the peoples of Heortland, these were fought, else the Aeolian doctrine is to teach by example rather than by force. Ignorance in related religions is a constant source of worry among the Aeolians. They recognize two ways of ignorance: The Malkioni Blindness for the Compromise is disturbing. Even the Trader Princes and the Arkati fail to see the part of the King of Gods in the holy Trinity. They are to be softly persuaded, but they mustn't attempt to spread their creed. Preach against their doctrine, show where they are wrong, and help them find the truth. The old Orlanthi traditionalists fail to see the true glory of Orlanth. Enlighten them, and encourage them to accept the truth that Orlanth is the third impersonation of the Creator. Accept their priests as holy people who lack the last insight, they work for our common good, if only unconsciously so. The Saints are mild to their misapprehension of the world, and only constant teaching will draw them towards the light. Live among them, and teach by your example, so that they too may find Solace in unity with the Creator. The Cult Holy Days and High Holy Days concide with those of Orlanth. The High Holy Days of the associated Saints are special festivals, too, and are celebrated in their own right. THE CULT IN THE WORLD As the name says, the Aeolian Church of Heortland is centered on Heortland, in the Holy Country. In Ralios there exist other communities of this creed, but these are separated from the Heortland Church by other forms of "Stygian" worship, and by tradtionalist theist worship of Orlanth and the Lightbringers. The special nature of the Holy Country does its own to prevent direct contact, but has stabilized the Creed in Heortland and kept it from the boiling religious factionism in Ralios. Archbishop of Heortland and the Archbishop of the Henotheist Church of Ralios regard each other as the main leader of the Creed in their respective lands. There is little exchange in doctrine, and barred from ever-changing influences, the Heortlending Church has preserved the original creed. Suranthyr the Nonheretic is far too busy keeping his separate factions true to his line that he worries about distant Kethaela, and receives only spiritual reassurance from the fact that the Heortlendings don't deviate from the Creed. LAY MEMBERSHIP To join as Lay Member, it is sufficient to repeat the Credo of the Trinity thrice. Lay members may attend the religious services of the Church, and may ask the clerics for healing and blessings, which these may deal out against an appropriate donation. Major Blessings (such as long-duration sorcery spells, Bless Crops, or major healings) require initiation of the recipient, unless the cleric chooses to set an example. The same restrictions as for Orlanth lay members apply. It is explicitely possible to join as a lay member if one is member in a cult belonging to the Orlanth pantheon. The character become effectively an associate initiate. INITIATE MEMBERSHIP Initiates are the backbone of the Church. In Hendrikiland the Orlanthi adulthood rites are supervised by the wizards and clerics of the Aeolian Church, and serve as full initiation into the Church. Children of Aeolian initiates need not join any "saints" cult within the church as long as they are content to be initiated in general. They are considered members of Orlanth Creator. Most, however, choose to obtain a patron saint, and have to fulfil some minimal requirements for acceptance, dependant on the exact nature of the saint's subcult. Strangers who want to join as initiates have to pass an examination with the clerics, abstracted as a test of Holiness (POW*4) plus rolls on ceremony, human lore ond three skills of importance to their patron saint, or of one of the aspects of Orlanth, out of these five three have to succeed. The acceptance into a patron saint's subcult are as per GoG for the theistic cult equivalent. One point of POW is sacrificed to the Trinity. Each new adult may choose one patron saint (or aspect) for no extra cost, as long as the subcult requirements are fulfilled. With initiation, the individual become a member of the Ceorl class, if not already so. Individuals of noble inheritance may apply directly for the Thegn class, but have to pass the examination. If supported by their family, they usually succeed. Heortland society knows four distinct classes: Ceorl, Thegn, Preost and King. The Thegn class is subdivided into Thegns by birth, worthies from the Ceorl Class (such as masters of a craft, or guild officials) counted among the Thegns, and fighters called Cniht. The Thegn class itself has no religious relevance, but there are certain religious positions which automatically promote an individual into the Thegn class, or into Preost class. To become a Cniht a candidate must have 50% in five combat related skills, and must prove his prowess at the annual wapentake (abstracted by succes in four of these). The new candidate for Cnihthood must find a lord to accept his service, or he may try his luck as a roving Cniht hiring out his skills to worthy recipients, thereby increasing his skills and reputation as well as the chance to find a Lord. To enter the Preost class, candidates have to prove themselves to the examiners (Test of Holiness: POW*3; skills: Ceremony, Read/Write Heortlending, three skills depending on patron Saint etc. at 25%). Once accepted, they are counted among the Preost Class on probe, and undergo a second initiation: They sacrifice another point of POW, and may learn the advanced techniques of magic. BENEFITS: Divine Magic: Initiates may sacrifice POW for restricted use of Divine Magic. They may learn spells from the general spells of the Church, or special spells of their patron saint, on the one-use basis (in my campaign they'd be allowed to regain one point of divine magic per High Holy Day). Other Magic: The Aeolian Church teaches a certain amount of sorcery. An initiate may study with the Aeolian Wizards to learn some basic sorcery, and the sorcery skill of Intensity. Aeolian sorcery follows the Stygian College of magic, but has some specialized spells available from certain patron saints and aspects. Spirit magic is not taught by the Aeolian Church, since it doesn't have or use the divine spell of Spellteaching. To be able to learn both spirit magic and sorcery spells, an individual would have to undergo a second initiation with one of the theist cults associated with the church. It is unlikely that these will teach them effectively, since their mind is attuned to another form of magic. The benefits of spirit magic will be lessened to former practitioners of sorcery, and vice versa people used to spirit magic find sorcery considerably harder to learn. RUNE LORD MEMBERSHIP [Not all saints subcults have this status] Rune Lord membership occurs only with advancement into the Thegn class or to Thegns. The various saints and aspects have different prerequisites, which are generally identical to those of the theistic cults, except for some differences in magic. BENEFITS and DUTIES: Similar to the theist equivalents. Cultural weapons of the Hendriki differ somewhat from general Orlanthi patterns, though. Reusable divine magic is more restricted than for the theist equivalents. I haven't decided on 1D10 DI yet, maybe Rune Knight DI ought to use Saintly Intervention rules instead: fixed POW costs, limited effect. Suggestions appreciated. SHAMAN MEMBERSHIP With only few exceptions, Aeolian saints' or aspects' subcults don't support shamans. There are however variants of Daka Fal and Kolat which do convey shamanic powers, and Chalana Arroy's openness toward all forms of magic remains unchanged. There are no shamans using the sorcery of the church. Shamans will be treated like associate theist members. ACOLYTE MEMBERSHIP Acolyte, or chaplain, membership forms the backbone of the religious hierarchy. They occupy most partly mundane offices, assist the full priests in lager parishes, or lead small parishes on their own. Chaplains are either apprentice sorcerers or acolytes, and can become both with time. PRIEST MEMBERSHIP Priests of the Aeolian Church are using divine magic as well as sorcery. They may not develop sorcery past apprentice stage. Priests becoming apprentices become deacons. WIZARD MEMBERSHIP Wizards are specialized members of the Church found only in larger parishes. They are fully fledged adepts and have access to initiate divine magic. They may become acolytes if they qualify and enter the ranks of the deacons. OTHER CULT LEVELS Bishops and Deacons are the parochial leaders of larger districts or head members of the saintly orders. The priests report to them. To qualify, a candidate has to be either priest/journeyman wizard, or adept wizard/acolyte. Their insignia are staffs running out into the vertical branch of the magic rune, and pendants of the spiral in the triangle on their hats. Bishops dedicated to a subcult will display the runes relevant to their patron. Smaller districts' leaders are the chorepiscopi or deacons. They report to a bishop, but preside over a number of parishes, typically coinciding with a shire. The Archbishop and the six Cardinals are the highest body of clerical hierarchy. The Archbishop represents the Orlanth Rex aspect, the Cardinals are the leading bishops of the other aspects' or saints' subcults. They meet regularly to form the Curia and keep spiritual court. CULT SPECIAL SPIRIT MAGIC/SORCERY SPELLS Simultaneous use of spirit magic and sorcery is discouraged. The church has no divine Spell-Teaching for spirit magic. Characters grown up among theist culture who have learned spirit magic before they joined the Aeolian Church may retain it, and may attempt to learn sorcery. This ought to be a lot more difficult than for characters grown up with sorcery. Current idea how to handle this: The characters must develop sorcerous skills from a base skill of -20, simulating the inherent alienness of this other magic. Likewise characters grown up with sorcery as their personal magic ought to have a reduced casting chance for spirit magic, POW*3 or POW*4. Suggestions welcome. Use only few variations of common sorcery spells adapted to imitate Lightbringer special divine spells. Examples: Fly Range: self only This variant carries 2 points of SIZ per magic point, but works only on the caster. Any intensity in excess of half the caster's SIZ enhances the flying speed by two. This is common Aeolian magic. Guided Teleport The sorcerer doesn't have to manipulate range; but to use the spell he has to spent the intensity twice: the first time at the temple with the homing circle, the other time when he actually wants to use the teleport. Range is Self only, Duration is instant. Any later manipulation exceeding the tuning has no effect, but the sorcerer may use less intensity for the actual teleport than for the tuning. Multispell has to be cast during the tuning as well. This spell is taught by the subcult of Saint Mastakos, but is available to all priests and lords. Slumber The caster must overcome the magic points of the recipient for this spell to take effect. Each round there is noisy or shaking action, the recipient may try to overcome the intensity of the spell with his INT. If wounded or targetted by any spell whatsoever, the recipient automatically awakes. This spell is taught to members of Saint Chalana's subcult members only. Comforting Incantation The intensity of this spell adds to the recipients factor when trying CON-rolls. Each recipient must be targetted individually. The caster has to concentrate for the duration. This spell is taught by the subcult of Saint Chalana Arroy to members of fertility-oriented subcults (including her own). Enhance Seed This spell is cast when the seed is sown. One point of Intensity affects enough grain to plant one eighth of a morning's plowing. The spell ensures that each grain will produce a shoot, and that each shoot will bear grain, provided watering and warmth are all right. This spell is provided by the subcult of Saint Barntar to all who will learn it. Duration is one season, so that without manipulation of the duration the grain won't be ripe when the spell expires. Thus this is usually cast by the local Godi. Locking A specialized form of Holdfast which allows certain people defined during the casting of the spell to open the affected container. A spell from Saint Issaries' subcult. Reconstruction This specialized form of Phantom Sight recreates a scene which happened in the location. The scene must have occured within the Duration of the spell. The location affected is the spell's intensity in cubic metres. Excess points of Duration add to the time the scene may be viewed. Taught by the subcult of Saint Lhankor Mhy to its investigators only. These are examples of divine spells transferred to sorcerous magic. There might be other spells also developed as sorcery variants by Aeolian wizards. CULT SPECIAL DIVINE SPELLS Use those of the Lightbringer Pantheon, with certain restrictions (e.g. no Bless Woad). In general, divine spells will be less readily available compared to theist worship. I plan to work out all major and important minor temples of Hendrikiland, and to specify which rare spells can be aquired by pilgrimages to special temples or shrines only. SUBCULTS What the Lightbringer cults have as associate cults, the Aeolian Church regards as saints' or aspects' subcults. Each of the Saints offers a special magic to the Church as a whole, and may offer another to certain other saints' or aspects' subcults. ASSOCIATE CULTS The Aeolian Church has no associate cults in the standard theist sense. The Orlanthi cults of their neighbours are to a certain extent associates, but they don't exchange divine magic - the saints' cults already have it. De facto Aeolian worshippers may use the theist cults of their patron saints, or the churches of other sects of the Invisible God, to a certain extent for their religious duties, and possibly Aeolian acolytes and up can regain use of divine magic at appropriate theist temples. NOTES This write-up is solely concerned with the Heortlending Aeolian Church. Similar cult structures exist in other Stygian Churches, but generally those are closer to the purer Malkionist ways. Other Churches which combine the worship of Lightbringer deities with the Invisible God are (no claim for completeness): The Henotheist Church of Ralios The Issarian Trader Princes of western Maniria and southern Ralios The Cult of Invisible Orlanth in Carmania The biases and society forms vary notably from the Heortlending example. From runequest-digest-editor@glorantha.holland.sun.com Thu Jul 21 03:28:09 1994 From: runequest-digest-editor@glorantha.holland.sun.com Date: 21 Jul 1994 03:28:09 To: IN%"RuneQuest-Digest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM" CC: Subject: Volume 10, no 10, part 3 of 3: What my Father told me X-Status: Status: RO Return-path: Received: from cash.wharton.upenn.edu by wharton.upenn.edu (PMDF #6050 ) id <01HEYC8GNBR49BVQVX@wharton.upenn.edu>; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 03:27:52 EST Received: (from daemon@localhost) by cash.wharton.upenn.edu (8.6.9/8.6.9) id DAA05396 for millerl@wilma.wharton.upenn.edu; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 03:28:12 -0400 Received: from Sun.COM (Sun.COM [192.9.9.1]) by cash.wharton.upenn.edu (8.6.9/8.6.9) with SMTP id DAA05391 for ; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 03:28:10 -0400 Received: from snail.Sun.COM (snail.Corp.Sun.COM) by Sun.COM (sun-barr.Sun.COM) id AA15818; Wed, 20 Jul 94 15:31:28 PDT Received: from Holland.Sun.COM (isunnl) by snail.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA21358; Wed, 20 Jul 94 15:30:54 PDT Received: from glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM by Holland.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1e) id AA28302; Thu, 21 Jul 94 00:30:45 +0200 Received: from aft-ms.Holland.Sun.COM (aft-ms-11) by glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA05567; Thu, 21 Jul 94 00:28:05 +0200 Received: from yelm.Holland.Sun.COM by aft-ms.Holland.Sun.COM (5.0/SMI-SVR4) id AA17304; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 00:27:57 --100 Received: by yelm.Holland.Sun.COM (5.0/SMI-SVR4) id AA27058; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 00:28:35 --100 Date: 21 Jul 1994 00:28:35 +0100 From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM Subject: Volume 10, no 10, part 3 of 3: What my Father told me Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM To: RuneQuest-Digest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM Reply-to: RuneQuest-Digest-Editor@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM Message-id: <9407202228.AA27058@yelm.Holland.Sun.COM> X-Envelope-to: millerl Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT X-PH: V4.1@cash.wharton.upenn.edu Content-Return: Prohibited Precedence: junk Content-Length: 14192 The Aeolian Church of Heortland. copyright 1994 Joerg Baumgartner WHAT MY FATHER TOLD ME Who are you? (titles: Cottar, Ceorl, Thegn, Cniht, Hirdman, Yeoman) I am Penda Oswiusson, a Ceorl of Ealdorman Wolfred. Who are we? We are the Seaslope family of the Jaraning Clan of the Hendriki nation. Jarani Stoutspear was one of the Hendriki fighters who withstood the oppression of the Iron Vrok and aided Arkat the Liberator when the Humaktsson came to our country. After the minions of Gbaji were expelled, he followed the Liberator up into Dragon Pass and fought at the battle of the Travelling Stone. He earned his spores there, and afterwards led his family here from hiding, and founded Jaransbyrig. When the Evil Empires crawled upon Heortland, our ancestors stood firm with the Only Old One, and threw down the Evil Machine God. After Belintar had won over the Only Old One, we served the Bretwalda in many wars against foes of the Six Parts. What makes us great? We are the free people of the wind. Ever since the Dawn have we lived in freedom, or fought foreign oppressors. Under King Heort we joined the Council of the Silver Age Heroes, and chose the Only Old One as Lord over the Shadowlands. When the Iron Vrok spread Gbaji's Deception, our forefathers hid in the hills and harrassed the occupants relentlessly, until Arkat the Liberator came. From Arkat, we learned Hrestol's ways of the knight, and Malkion's teachings of Solace, but never did we betray our origin in the Storm. Where do we live? We live in the Holy Country, which holds all of the primal forces of Creation in its folds. We are the people of the Air, the most noble element, and live in the land that King Heort freed from the Darkness. Our stead lies in the ... shire. The land we plow is bocland, granted by our King of the Hendriki with seal and vow, and set down in the landboc in the temple. We plow four hides of plowland, and we feed our cattle and sheep on the common pasture beyond it, and our pigs get fat on the acorns of the wildmark around our pasture in late Earth Season. We hunt small game and fowl, and we keep wolves and bears from the hills out of our pasture. We fish eel, trout and pike in the creek. Our longhouse is twopart - one half houses the husbandry in winter, the other half is our hall and hearth, and leads to our alcoves. We store our grain and wool in the upper storey of our storehouse, and keep our tools below. How do we live? We labour to multiply the bounty of the Earth. Our life follows the cycles of the year. In Sea Season, we draw the furrows and sow the seeds, in Fire Season we bring in the hay for the winter, in Earth Season we harvest the grain, and plow the fields to lay the earth to sleep. When Dark Season starts, we slaughter the yearlings, and during Storm Season we craft our tools. In Sacred Season, we help rebuild the world, so that the annual cycle of growth and harvest may begin anew. Our food is bread and porridge, made of barley, wheat, and winter's rye, and we brew our ale and distill our water of life. Our stew is flavoured by roots and cabbage, and a good piece of smoked ham from pig or lamb. For feasts we roast beef, pork and mutton, and we drink water of life, while our daily fair is stew, porridge with milk and eggs, bread and ale. Our roof is laid upon sturdy logs and the walls are of chalked thatch. We sleep in alcoves, and our housefolk on benches. Our sheets are of furs, or of finest dyed wool. We wear trew and shirts of wool and leather for work, but for festivals and feasts we have finest dyed cloth. In fyrd service, we wield spear and shield, and carry swords or axes in our belts. We attend the folkmoot at Jaransbyrig, and owe fyrdservice, feorm and upkeep of road and bridge to our liege, the Ealdorman. We tithe our tenth to the shrine to Saints Barntar and Esra in our village, and to the temple in Jaransbyrig. What is important in my life? You are a member of the family, and you will be a man of the shire. Son, you will have your manhood rite - do not shame us before the rest of the family and the shire. Then you will be an adult, and no longer have to listen to me and the elders in silence. You can join into the discussions, and your words will bear their own weight. You should be looking for a wife soon. You attended the fires on Flamal's day, but don't confuse that with marriage. I hope you have chosen someone rich and friendly when you dance those nights away in the barn. I see the girls looking your way when you train for the fyrd on Wilddays. Do you know which of them will have a rich dowry? Which of them will be good to raise your daughters if she leaves you? When you die we will burn your body with rune-carved logs, and gather the ashes and bury them alog with your ancestors. Your children will shout your name and the priest will summon a wind to send your soul to Orlanth. Your son will inherit your goods and your rights, just as you shall inherit mine. Who rules us? Cynric Oswiusson, my older brother, leads the Seaslope family at the folkmoot since my father fell at the battle at the siege of Carse, ten years ago. Ealdorman Wolfred of Jaransbyrig rules our shire, and leads the fyrd to the field. He selects the hundred for the King's service, and presides the folkmoot that gathers on Godsday in Truthweek of Storm Season, just before Sacred Season. He leads the Jaraning clan, and is advised by the Clan's rings, and the folkmoot. My father was in the Clan's Outer Ring ten times, and my older brother is aspiring to be chosen into it for the second time. King Hend is king of our nation, the Hendriki, and High King of Heortland - the kings of the other tribes, like the Volsaxi and Kitori, owe him allegiance. The king is the highest secular authority in this Sixth of the Holy Country, and only the Bretwalda may summon him to the City of Wonders. He has married a daughter of the Orshanti Clan, but their only son died two years ago. Belintar the Stranger swam to the shore of the Holy Country when none could travel the seas, and unified the Sixths under his rule, after proving his claim against the stewardship of the Only Old One. He is our ruler and saint, the Bretwalda, and inhabits the body of a mortal chosen when the previous body is used up. Then all over the Sixths, candidates chosen from the populace enter Godtime and participate in a contest of virtues, until there is one winner who will serve as the vessel of the Bretwalda, and join his predecessors in angelic existance. Across the bay, in the Queendoms of Esrolia and the forests of Caladraland they call him the Pharaoh. What makes a man great? You will always know a grat man from his virtues. These are the virtues of Orlanth and the Saints. Foremost of the virtues are courage, wisdom, generosity, onor, and piety. Freedom is the hallmark of a great man. While a man may acknowledge authority by achievement or expertise, he will follow this authority because he has freely chosen to do so. He will submit to judgement of the folkmoot, where free men meet to solve their problems, and he will take the advice from God and the saints. A great man may take wrong decisions amd actions, but he will stand to his deeds, and make right what stands in his powers. There is no shame in committing an error, as long as you are prepared to face its consequences. A great man will fulfil his duties: to his family, his clan, his liege, and his god. These are his first responsibilities. When he has taken care of these, he may strife for higher aims. What is the difference between men and women? You are old enough to know the physical difference, and you have already attended this year's dances on St. Flamal's day, so you should know the difference goes deeper than shirts or trews. Men and women share in growing and making. Man is the maker, and the sower, he plants the seed from which spring life. Woman is the bearer of life, and the provider, she cares for the young, and the weak. Men are stronger, and the first to be called to fight; they are made to conquer and explore. Women are the caretakers, but this will not prevent them from defending and protecting their charges. Men sing of great deeds, of valour and friendship. They gather to drink ale and exchange boasts. They laugh heartily and move purposefully. Women gather to spin the threads and chat about women's themes. You will find their chatter pleasant to hear - from a distance. Not every man or woman is ready to take the role the majority has. This is our freedom, that any man or woman may choose to live their own life, and pursue the profession they choose, as long as they do so honourably. What is evil? Chaos is evil, because it threatens Creation. Oppression is evil, because it constricts freedom. When chaos and oppression go hand in hand, evil is greatest, as was the tyranny of the Iron Vrok. Chaos is destruction without recreation, the final end. Chaos plots to make Creation Void, unmaking all future and past, unmaking even the divine saints. This is utterly evil, and must be fought. Oppression is evil. Freedom is the air that people breathe, it is life. Take freedom away, and you take away life. Unmaking is evil, because it negates the work of the Creator. In all your deeds, strife to create, and unmake only to create or preserve. There are other things which are bad. Life is a precious creation, whenever you kill, make sure you mean it. Honour may be greater than life, because only in honour you will reach the Solace of Orlanth. Sin is evil, but the only real sin is to do wrong and not repent and repair. Other sins are such only if done in excess, such as drinking can become a vice rather than a virtuous pastime if it leads to neglect of your duties. What is my lot in life? You should strive to work hard and marry well, rraise many brave sons and daughters. You shold go to the holy meetings and send your prayers to the Creator through Orlanth and the Saints. You should keep your spears sharp, maybe make a couple of extras, and visit the city when time and circumstances allow. If you do those things, and live a good life without some evil monster from the Footprint or some bloodthirsty wolf pirates raiding and destroying the stead, then you wil get our farm to tend after I die, and fill it with your own children to bring glory to the wind. If you are lucky and skilled you can become head of the family, and aspire to a seat in the Rings, and maybe even build a manor and live as a thegn. How do we deal with others? Our first duty is to Kin and Clan - they are the air we breath. The bonds of kinship transgress all borders, and kinsfolk in need will always find our help. Friends are better than treasure. Choose your friends wisely, for you are known by the friends you keep. When you see someone you don't know use the greeting. The Sixths have many different peoples, but all know and honour the greeting, even the trolls. If they do not answer correctly at least you know where they stand. When your uncle was outlawed by the folkmoot he travelled all the way to Handra, and whether he met citizens of the Sixth, tribal warriors or city dwellers, everyone he met greeted him properly. Be careful with strangers, even those from one of the Sixths. Most are harmless and entertaining in their ways, but remember they are different, and might not know to behave properly. Take offense slowly when they insult you or act stupidly - they are not blessed with our saints' knowledgeable ways. You can learn much from them, but always remember your roots. If they are enemies, fight them. Fight them as they fight you - fair and honourable against honourable foes, fair and foul against the rest. Kill those foes, if you can. Who are our enemies? Enemies are all who threaten our peace and freedom. The Bretwalda holds the greedy empire at bay, and the marcher barons keep the Praxian raiders off our lands. The greatest danger right now comes from the bloodthirsty Wolf Pirates against whose lightning raids no joint forces can be gathered, and from the Chaos cesspits in the Footprint. But the Red Moon hangs threateningly in the northern sky, and her tentacles reach out in all directions. Beware the fate of our cousins in Sartar. Because we follow the Bretwalda, his foes become our foes. He may call the fyrd to defend another Sixth. When he does so, follow his orders, like I did last year against the Ditali west of the women's lands. Rich booty was my reward. Who are our gods? We worship the Trinity of the Creator, the Spirit, and Orlanth the King, and the divine and human saints and prophets. Orlanth is the ruler of the universe, not only by virtue of is right and might, but because he recreated the world after fighting and destroying all that was wrong. The divine Saints and great heroes make up his household. His Lightbringer companions and his wife and children make up the inner ring of his advisors, and his companions and the heroes protect and lead those who follow their ways. The prophets have taught us the ways of Solace and cnihthood, and Arkat brought their truth to us when he liberated us from the Deceiver. For this we revere him. Yet he betrayed all the truths he brought, and fell to the lures of darkness and deception. What is there to do around here? We work in the days, but in the evenings or after the harvest is in the barn, there is time to look after yourself. We know many sports besides those which keep us fit to bear weapons. We like to wrestle, or we bet on other contests, like horsefighting as the Volsaxi practice. Each village can muster a kick-the-ball team, and before the folkmoot we play out the championship of the shire. Whenever we meet in the halls, we sing and boast and tell stories. When the musicians play, we dance as fits the mood - martial dances when we are among warriors only, clap-dancing and other festivities when we celebrate, or even courteous dance for the occasions when the Ealdorman hosts royal guests. Boardgames we play are Swords-and-Shields, or the Game of Kings the Bretwalda introduced.