Re: The number of devotees in a clan

From: ian_hammond_cooper <ian_hammond_cooper_at_...>
Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002 15:53:22 -0000

Peter Larsen wrote:
>I strongly disagree with this. I imagine there are quite a few
devotees of the providing sides of Orlanth and Ernalda (as well as Barntar,Odayla and, perhaps, Issaries). There's no real support question for these people -- they will produce more food for the clan than a similar initiate.

I think that the difference here is that I see a devotee as a specialist, an expert. An economic specialist, even an expert farmer, depends on the creation of surplus by the clan. To that extent they are 'supported' and societies at this level of agriculture and industry only generate a certain amount of surplus. Sure, an expert helps your yields to grow, and may pay for himself many times over, but you must have the surplus to invest to begin with. I disagree with the notion that the 60% time requirement can be met by anyone who worships a god appropriate to their profession, simply by being in their profession. But, as always, YGMV.

Ian Cooper