Re: Re: [HeroQuest-rules] Initiates and Orlanthi

From: Groovelord <coridan_at_...>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 21:17:33 -0400

While the majority of Orlanthi do initiate (they have to, since they generally have harder lives, IMO, than the typical Pelorian), that doesn't stop them from being Communal Worshippers. Unless you're a Devotee, your being an Initiate of Ohorlanth Thunderous doesn't stop you from attending the grain ceremonies of Esrola, or worshipping a local ancestor god. You don't forget the old Grandfather Mortal Talents you learned as a boy. And an Elmali and Orlanth Adventurous initiate both worship together on Ancestor day, if they're in the same clan.'

Initiation is a "together with" thing with Communal Worship, as opposed to an "instead of."

One final thing - you don't have to initiate. Those who concentrate on their communal pantheon's Common Magic (with the Selfrock teaching and such) can be effective witches, spellmen, and other strange fringe magicians who use a strange bag of tricks.

CB
----- Original Message -----
From: "Light Castle" <light_castle_at_...> To: <HeroQuest-RPG_at_yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 4:58 PM Subject: Re: [HeroQuest-rules] Initiates and Orlanthi

>
> Hi Peter, I'm moving this over to HQ-rpg, where it should have been in the
> first place.
>
> The thing is, you don't really have a choice for number 1, do you? I may
> be
> misremembering something, but it seems to me that you don't get to choose
> not to
> Initiate. If you don't, you're not Orlanthi. There are no communal
> worshippers.
>
> That sort of blows my mind. Probably because I see Initiation as a pretty
> big deal. It
> certainly seems you can't "drop" Initiation without being hammered by
> spirits of
> retribution and such.
>
> I realize this doesn't really describe Orlanthi life well, since they can
> slide from subcult
> to subcult and the like (although how that jibes with their being chosen
> of the god and
> touched by them, etc etc, is unclear to me).
>
> Anyway, it's not a complaint or anything. That's what they're like. They
> believe in more
> personal sacrifice. That's fine. I'm just sort of blown away by a culture
> of now communal
> worshippers. There's nobody who just shows up for the high holy days,
> participates in
> the general services, and then gets on with their lives. Even if not
> fanatical, that puts an
> intensity of religion in everyday Orlanthi life even higher than I had
> thought it was.
>
> LC
>
> On 14 Oct 2004 at 1:40, Peter Metcalfe wrote:
>
>>
>> At 08:09 PM 10/12/04 -0400, you wrote:
>>
>> >Something Greg wrote during the assorted traditions/practice/etc.. posts
>> >reminded me
>> >that Initiates really are "chosen by their god". And that's fine,
>> >except
>> >that when you tie
>> >that in with the fact that all Orlanthi initiate, then it seems the
>> >Orlanth (at least the
>> >Sartarite Orlanthi) are a pretty fanatically religious bunch.
>>
>> IMO you are misinterpreting the comment. There are two decisions here
>> 1) whether you initiate or not and 2) who you initiate to. Normally the
>> first is made as a conscious human decision while the second is
>> determined by the gods.
>>
>> So the Orlanthi initiate all their people because they choose to do so.
>> It's just the way things have been done. That does not make them
>> any more fanatical than the Dara Happans who only initiate a minority
>> of their people. It just means that their culture puts greater stress
>> on _personal_ sacrifices to the gods.
>>
>> --Peter Metcalfe
>>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>