>I am involved in sorting out a few HeroQuests and am wondering how much
>the Quester knows before they begin?
As much as they possibly can know. Any sensible HeroQuester spends a lot of
time preparing by learning the many stories, praying beforehand for help
and guidance and preparing specialized tools that will be needed for the
task.
>It seems to me that a detailed knowledge of the Quest (coupled with
>community support) means almost guaranteed success
So the questers would hope.
However, guaranteed success is impossible to prepare.
1. The quest itself always has a variability factor (at least in certain
parts) that can never be fully pre-documented.
THAT IS: Stations along the quest have a variety of opponents, events or
other critical details that can vary from story to story. Thus people
preparing to go (for instance) to Luatha study (and if possible, visit) the
sites where Orlanth summoned Sofal to take him over the sea (the most
common version), where Orlanth was aided by the sea gulls to fly over there
(less common version), or even the rare events where Ekurdo the Triolin
carries them, where the Great Boatman sails them and even the "Orkastyan
version" where the LB walk the entire way there. In fact, many unique
events are known to occur in this epic sea-crossing as well (a troll
carried the party on his shoulder; a goddess stretched herself to become a
bridge, a wind carried them without trouble; a hospital dragon carried
them, etc.)
Thus it is impossible to prepare for every eventuality.
Furthermore, the stations that are known often have contrary requirements:
it is impossible for questers to prepare for BOTH the seagull and the
turtle assistance: it is one or the other (or neither).
2. Opposition against success may be increased by active participants. The heroquester generates enemies in the ordinary world or in the Heroquest Worlds. Those enemies generally enter into their own rituals and ceremonies to generate and assist established opposition. Thus your successful Orlanthi heroquester gets a troll enemy, who turns out to be a ZZ worshipper as well. A recommended method to deal with this is the "Foe of my Foes" practices that summon enemies of ZZ to give them gifts and information about the foe. Of course, they are doing a similar action against you.
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