On 17 Jan 2010, at 19:37, L C wrote:
> Indeed. I happen to like the Rune Affinity thing in its implication
> that
> Orlanthi in some way view themselves as tied to the primal powers more
> than they do the gods.
Regardless of the designers thinking (which might be partly motivated by a desire to hark back to RuneQuest), I don't think that that is how the Orlanthi see it. Thinking of the Runes as impersonal powers is thinking like an accursed soulless Meldek (to an Orlanthi). (And beware, the rules may be tainted with God-Learnerism :-)
I think that the Orlanthi see the Runes as powers that are personified in the Gods, and with no existence apart from the Gods. If I remember correctly they see the Gods as being or manifesting "in" humans (or at least in "real" people, and certainly not in those whose souls have been eaten by their own foul magics :-).
Seen in that light, the adult initiation would be awakening the Gods within you, perhaps more than one. Full Initiation and Devotion are a path to "becoming" the God. Being the God is the heart of the theistic path to magical power.
As an aside, given that the Air Rune is very common in Orlanthi men, I don't think we need any further explanation as to why they should be raucous and individualistic !
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