> >Why does an Aeolian want to go to Stormstead?
>E.g. to deal with Taurox using stick, lariat and grimoire?
Taurox isn't Urox and the Aeolians have no use of pagan quests for dealing with their own Saint. I suspect that Spiral Mountain also exists in the Storm Age and Orlanthi visit that place to get their tame skybull rather than visit the Godplane.
> >If he really wanted to visit a pagan realm, he would go from
> Aeolus's >node to Worlath's (false) node.
>Who's that Worlath god?
The Aeolian Divine Saint of Storm. He is mentioned in:
http://www.glorantha.com/hw/cultlong_aeolus.html
as being worshipped at every service.
>Why would any Kethaelan want to visit him?
I didn't say any Kethaelan wants to visit him, I was specifically talking about the Aeolians who do worship him.
>The Aeolians are Kethaelans, sharing a distorted version of the
>Heortling myths.
They do not share Heortling myths, they venerate Saints that have a Heortling equivalent. Heortling myth is meaningless to their religion.
> >Then he would find a way from Worlath's node to the Storm Age
> >and from there find a way to Stormstead. But for an Aeolian, Worlath's
> >node contains all the magic that he needs.
>Aeol's node contains all the blessings and spells he needs, you mean?
In the context of getting storm magics, Worlath's node contains all the blessing and spells that are needed. Aeol does not teach any storm magics and only provides his people with the correct way of understanding barbarian gods.
>Sure, but there still is the issue of getting the nice magical
>plunder on the side, like those lightning weapons taken from
>overcome enemies.
Which can be obtained within the Aeolian religion without having to go to barbarous Stormstead.
> >Well if your companions are Aeolians, there's no real problem in
> >getting into Aeolus's node - use the holy rituals.
>This was a more general question, not limited to the Aeolians.
In which case the answer can be generalized into - if your companions are of the same pantheon - use the holy rituals.
> >If they are from a different religion, then they don't visit
> Aeolus's >node for the same reason that outsiders are forbidden from the
> holy >places.
>Somehow, this "outsiders are forbidden" doesn't quite fit.
>Outsiders may be invited to join as spectators or collateral participants.
Which is a far different thing that being invited to understand the mysteries or to enter the holy of holies, which is what visits to the sacred spaces of the god or saint are.
> >The best way for people of different religions to heroquest together
> >would be to find some way onto the Hero Planes (which are common to
> >all religions).
>There would be some timing problems, unless you have lots of myths
>"How Orlanth (or insert appropriate Storm Brother) joined forces with
>(insert the appropriate deity or leader for this group)".
I fail to see the problem. I wasn't referring to a common ritual known by Orlanthi and by Aeolians (for example) but referring to a means to enter the Heroplanes. Since the Heroplanes are not the sacred spaces of a religion (and common to all religions), any outsider can participate in a rite to enter the heroplanes.
> >One can enter the Otherworlds (where Aeolus's node and
> >Stormstead are) through special places there.
>Is questing through these special places regarded as unsafe?
If you belong to the same religion as the Otherworld that you are questing in _and_ you are not heroquesting experimentally, then you are safe. Otherwise it's very unsafe.
>Yet we find famous hunting chiefs of the Grazers chasing metal deer
>in Ernaldi, i.e. just outside of Aedin's Wall.
I don't see any mention of Ernaldi in Thunder Rebels. All King of Sartar implies is that it is somewhere near the Engizi River. Hence Ernaldi could quite easily be in the Storm Age, which as a Heroplane is no problem for a Grazer Chief.
>Most great religions make provisions for "those not of us" coming
>before the "ruler of the (relevant parts of the) world".
I fail to see why your average companion would want to submit to these degrading rites. There's no need for a visit to your God's sacred space just so you can heroquest.
>So if an Orlanthi was to go along on a Loskalmi quest, he might be
>cast into an odd, neutral Worlath role, or as one of the guides of
>the otherworld.
There's no need for an Orlanthi to venture onto the Sorcery Planes if he wants to go along a Loskalmi quest. Most heroquesting is done on the Heroplane which is common ground to all religions.
>Orlanth's stead is a collection of all kinds of oddballs. Many of his
>ordinary followers are from the Fire Tribe (almost all the husbands of
>Ernalda's handmaidens are brothers of Mahome), Heler's spawn abounds,
>Yinkin is a "last-minute" deity, Kolat remains a spirit
Kolat is not found in Orlanth's Stead because he is a spirit.
>and I really really doubt that Torvald is the only inhabitant of
>Stormstead who tampers with the Essences.
I suspect Torvald is not in Stormstead either but only accessible through the Great Library.
--Peter Metcalfe
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