>There's a discussion going on on the RQ list as to how the Open Seas ritual
>works. Does anyone have any Gloranthan insights into the nature of the Open
>Seas spell? What does the captain do? Can several people assist the ritual?
>Can they try several times? Do they get to know if it succeeded before they
>set sail?
Some indication of the ritual's nature is given in ML when several other people are listed as being important to the mission's success and crucially:
"Dormal taught everyone to pray to him, who was the only person capable of creating the protection. The prayer ceremony, or worship, has been infallible when done properly." ML p101
I'll say it's a mass ritual by the crew of the ship and automatically succeeds unless the GM decides otherwise for dramatic purposes. An example of such a purpose might be that if you're in a port that's being blockaded by merfolk, the Open Seas spell may require extra work so that the ship can run the blockade. One wouldn't know if the ritual succeeded until they actually got through the blockade.
OTOH if one just simply cast off without the ritual, then the Closing returns in full force. Peforming it generally negates it, but one minor cockup could cause a nasty episode for the voyage.
IMO to enter the Sea of Brithos requires one to scrap the Open Seas spell which is risky if the navigator isn't sure if the ship is within the actual sea or not. Then to leave the Sea of Brithos requires the performance of the Open Seas ritual. Old Trade is risky to get to because only their pilots know the precise location in the Sea of Brithos where to perform the Open Seas to reach that Isle.
End of The Glorantha Digest V7 #209
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