On 4/3/07, Nils Weinander <nils_at__JehEddxjNjaRyDlhqWW5ynmZ_n5hVnUGyUvbZCKVJSAfCNB3tcnTpjNPjoj8qCJIiK2Gzps33joMcHJ.yahoo.invalid> wrote:
> IMG, Thella is a mystic entity who has delayed her own liberation
> (bodhisattva style) in order to bind together the islands which
> shattered when Avanapdur falls and to protect the land of dreams
> from the Nightmare.
The parallels of this myth with the Northern Theistic myth regarding Arachne Solara is very interesting, and I'm sure God Learner researching made many parallels
> Oren Parond is the "pure" mystic expression, which cannot be
> worshipped in any meaningful way. But, as I think that "everyday
> mysticism", "mystic cults" or whatever we choose to call the
> cults which rise from the misunderstandings of lesser mortals,
> it is quite possible that the cult of Thella has both theist
> and animist magic, like the Teshnan cults.
I view Oren Parond as Sorcerous/Saintly Veneration. I don't have Revealed Mythology handy, but it does have a bit about how one of the groups in the Mirror War "contemplated the essence of Oren Parond", which sounds a bit like veneration to me.
Let's look at real world mystic traditions, like Hinduism. Though there is a great emphasis on everyone sitting in meditation and finding their own path to realization, one gives various saints and founders of mystical philosophy a great deal of worship and respect. It's not pure mysticism, but it gives magic that is useful to people.
Also from Revealed Mythologies, Reha Manari I believe found a way to Revere the Teachings of Mashunusan as a scripture. This is another example of this phenomenon occurring.
> The image of capturing dreams like spirits is tempting.
Yes, I think that Animism is another natural way of interacting with
dreams. I could see Shamans of Thella trapping dreams in intricate
knots that they tied together, similar to Native American/New Age-y
dreamcatchers.
In my campaign in Melib, there is one NPC who is a son of Harstar the Vile who hunts down nightmares and places them in tattoo's on his own body. A colorful way to deal with a serious problem.
> > And Dreams have a natural cyclicism of their own - all of existence
> > rotates between Waking, Sleeping, and Dreaming.
>
> But those who go for the deeper understanding seek to be
> both waking and dreaming, thus breaking the cycle.
Yes, Elucidation is the Fourth State, which breaks all the rules. In my campaign, I've been using a variant of the ILH-2's Illumination rules to handle it.
> Well, I'm one of the inventors of Thella, but I haven't
> played a game and explored this more practically since
> before Revealed Mythologies, when we had a very different
> understanding of both mystics and Thella.
Thanks for responding! Thella is an interesting figure indeed, and I hope to discover more about her as my campaign leaves Teshnos and continues into the East Isles.
--
-Santo
"Aum Shanti Shanti Shantih."
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