Re: Malia

From: Jeff Kyer <jeff.kyer_at_...>
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 18:09:22 -0000

Yes, however, I'd point out that the point of this list was to try to figure out how to play HeroWars rather than RQ...?  

> >Everyone else can just get on with their lives
> >with the benefit of 'ahem' private healthcare.
>
> Interesting analogy!

I agree. And also, if you are a poor and downtrodden cottar or stickpicker who is denied justice by, say, not being rich enough to invoke Orlanth or get the attention of those who dispense justice...

...wouldn't it be nice to get some revenge? I think that this is also how one might get into being a Disease Master (Malia Shaman). (Aww, come on... they took your pasture adn you know you'll never get any justice... you talked to the chief twice. He's in THIER pocket. Do you want to get THEM? I... I can help you....)  

> >I also suspect that many involuntary initiates might not even know
which
> >foul thing they are keeping at bay with occasional secret
sacrifice.
>
> I agree. If the normal healing doesn't seem to be working, or is
otherwise
> unavailable, then you might seek out shamans to help clear out the
disease
> spirits... and you might just come across some Malia worshippers,
who won't
> necessarily admit the fact.

Yep. Or other channels of ordinary society don't seem to work -- there is always another way. In this case, the cultural adge can be used against the very society it created.  

> <rant>
> I think the whole "misapplied worship" thing is over-rated. Aeol
proves that
> Orlanth is just a man with storm powers. Was he wrong, and therefore
> practicing misapplied worship? Or are all other Orlanthi wrong? If
Aeol is
> "objectively wrong", then what's the point of an identity challenge?
What's

My take, as pointed out was that Orlanth is a thing of the God World.  Sorcerous worship is a thing of the Sorcery World and you're just using the wrong methodolgy to worship Orlanth.

Its just not going to be the same. And if some person 'proves' that Orlanth is just Worlanth and Yelm is just Ehlim, does that make it true? They get power from it but, in Glorantha, it is not observably as powerful as the raw magics that the Yelm and Orlanthi enjoy when they worship theistically. The game reflects that fact.

> the penalty for being wrong, in the narrator's pre-determined
decision? Is
> "proving" something through HQ just self-delusion? I hope Greg comes
to his
> senses, and that we hear the words "Gee, Misapplied Worship, what
was I
> thinking about?" <raises back of hand to forehead> pass his lips.
Gloranthan
> entities, I say to you - defy! =>:-O
> </rant>

I do not think Misapplied worship will go away because you don't like it. I'm suspsecting that its more common than you might like. Anytime an Orlanthi clan worships a local spirit (such as the Black Oak spirit who controls the valley that clan live in), you're going to see tihs. You dwell on the sorcerous misapplied worship. There are others out there who are doing this as well -- The Cold Man and Little Brother cultists of Prax are probably even worse off.  

> Then again, I may be misinterpreting it, and reacting against a
perceived
> misinterpretation. I'm open to reason.

I suspect this is the case.

I think the problem lies in the nature of worship -- and the *method* of worship, not the object of veneration or sacrifice. I'd just sya that Orlanth doesn't like getting folks standing around singing hyms and much preferes getting cows, beer and the scarificed weapons of his foes. THAT is what makes it misaplied. You're using a sorcerous methodology to worship something from an entirely different world...

And one that works by entirely different magical rules. Only in the Middle World / Hero Plane do these worlds conincide afterall. Not the god plan or the sorcery plane...

I'm trying to think of a real world analogy but...

...acting like a football holigan is okay... if you're playing football. Its inappropriate behavior at a snooker tournament or golf match.

Hope this helps,

Jeff

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