Yelm membership, RQA et al

From: Stephen P Martin <ilium_at_juno.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 02:21:25 EST

David Gadbois <gadbois_at_cyc.com>
Yelmic nobility
>
> The argument originally was Yelm is a noble's only cult. I
[Metcalf] disputed
> this by saying the Yelm was an Urban Cult and cited evidence.
>
>Peter argued in V4 #131 that the existence of emperors who were
>originally from non-Dara Happan nobility invalidates the claim that
>Yelm is a nobles-only cult. (It took me a while to dig the posting
>up. It doesn't hurt to restate your arguments as the thread grows
>long.) From this argument, it does not follow that there are
>commoners initiated into the cult of Yelm. Rather, I see Yelm
>initiation as a sufficient condition for noble status: Getting into
>Yelm makes you a noble. That just isn't going to happen for Joe
>Lodrilite. Carpetbaggers and other Carmanians who weasel their way
>into high society are the exceptions that prove the existence of this
rule.
>

I have tried to avoid this whole discussion, for a number of reasons, but I just remembered something I thought _might_help. Back in Runequest Companion, there was a very short blurb in the Jonstown Compendium, about how one had to be _born_ into the cult of Yelm. Part of the beliefs of the various Yelm cults (back then, anyways) was that when you died, you would be reborn into a Yelm family (if you were a good Lokarnos or Tripolis worshiper, naturally).

So, the idea that only nobles can worship Yelm may be true. And the idea that you can join the cult, thus becoming a noble, while cool and probably true at times during Dara Happa's history, would seem not to be the norm. If that little blurb is still true -- since it is Jonstown Compendium, it may only be Orlanthi-accurate.

RuneQuest Adventures Fanzine

Although I am not directly affiliated with this fanzine (not since issue 3 anyways), I did ask John Castellucci about it recently. Now, he didn't _say_ that issue 6 would never be coming out, but he certainly didn't say that it _was_. Although he has done a fair amount of work on it already, I would not hold my breath waiting for it to come out.

As for the rumoured demise of Codex, I can only say I wonder how many people who subscribed to these two magazines are likely to get their money back once the official last issue has been sent out?

Finally, I doubt that New Lolon Gospel will be non-Gloranthan. My understanding of the Imther submission was that most of the cultural and religious information came from Harald Smith, with the scenarios, city description, etc., coming from others. If what was Imtherpack is going to be a non-Gloranthan release, I can only assume that all of Harald's stuff will likely be what is removed. This will hopefully give him a ready supply of material with which to inundate us -- Harald's Imther stuff is probably the most creative Gloranthan material I have ever seen, with the _possible_ exception of King of Sartar and GRoY.

Stephen Martin
ilium_at_juno.com

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The Book of Drastic Resolutions
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