> 3. Mallia just forces herself on an unlucky shaman every so often.
> 3a. Is such a person tolerated or persecuted?
> 3b. Do this person keep this a secret (see #2)?
> 3c. Does this person run off and live like a mad hermit in the wilderness?
There's a Malia "worshipper" in King of Dragon Pass, though I wouldn't consider her a spirit-talker. Clearly disease can force itself on anyone, shaman or not. And many people with real-world diseases don't know that they have it, and lots of them can result in personality changes.
So the Malia worshipper may be your own kin, who may be acting a little strangely. (And despite the opinions of some about lack of privacy among the Heortlings, I'm sure there are plenty of opportunities to do things in secret.)
If your entire stead suddenly comes down with a virulent plague, and prayers to Chalana Arroy doesn't work, prayers to Malia always do IMO. It's a huge temptation, and perhaps it's a self-sacrificing mother that takes this upon herself to save her children.
You're unlikely to have a nest of Malians, except possibly in this last case.
Wulf added
> One thing, according to KoDP, you sacrifice stuff to Mallia, so
> presumably that's Misapplied Worship.
KoDP was written well before the details of Misapplied Worship were known, but I do think the default Heortling reaction is to sacrifice. And as I said, I think Malia will almost always accept certain sacrifices (with the expectation of receiving more).
David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_...>
Glorantha/HW/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html>
Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein
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