Brillant
Thanks
>
>
> Vithela is a bit of a tricky case because there the mythology is built
> around mysticism and the inferiority of three worlds. Just peopling it
> with monastic orders doesn't work because we are told at a number of
> places that the Vithelans worship and receive blessings from their gods.
> (for example Chaquandarath has priests [Revealed Mythologies p87] and
> people are instructed to worship these gods if they want something [RM
> p54]).
>
> Firstly what sort of beings are the Vithelan Gods and High Gods? Making
> the Vithelan Gods theistic gods seems wrong to me because they are
> supposed to be beyond theism (and animism and sorcery for that matter).
> I'm currently thinking that the gods are mystical concepts or runes
> made human in their myths. Understanding the gods as human deities
> gives low magic (whether it is theistic, animistic or sorcery depending
> on the wrong method used). The majority of Vithelans worship the Gods
> in this manner and are viewed as low worshippers.
>
> However the Gods have another way in which they can make their presence
> felt (and for the High Gods, this is the only way). It involves seeing
> the truth behind the myth in a way similar to Mashunasan's exegesis of
> Vithelan myth in RM p55. Cultured Vithelans worship the Gods in this matter
>
> Because the Vithelans have a superior understanding of the Cosmos, I'm
> inclined to give their magic a Special Ability Bonus (HQ2 p51) or +3 if
> they worship a Parloth (God) or +6 if they worship an Avanparloth (High
> God) against another gloranthan's magic.
>
> Limitations of Vithelan High Magic
>
> I can't just make Vithelan High Magic the same as ordinary magic (or
> even Lunar magic) yet at the same time it's pointless inventing new
> magic. So there has to be a limit or limits on what Vithelan High Magic
> can actually do, insofar as a Vithelan could reasonably believe there's
> a major difference between his magic and the ignorant magic practiced by
> everybody else (quoting the rulebook means nothing to them because it's
> not a source of authority _within_ glorantha). The best way is to
> choose simple rules that reinforce the look and feel of Vithela.
>
> Obviously number #1 is no flashy stuff. Flashy effects is a sign of the
> antigods and hence a big no-no.
>
> Number #2* is that when magic adversely affects other people, the effect
> should promote reverence for the High Gods. So no killing magics for a
> start. If the recipient is already respectful towards the High Gods
> then the magic has no effect. If the recipient is currently dissing the
> High Gods (ie worships foreign gods, has eaten human flesh and is
> unrepentant etc etc) then the magic causes a spiritual weakness that
> cannot be healed magically. Such a weakness can reduce the recipient to
> the point of incapacity but it never ever kills. If the recipient does
> decide to revere the High Gods then his worries vanish.
>
> Number #3 is that when contesting with each other, the good vithelans
> cannot wound each other. What they resort to a lengthy demonstrations
> of their ability (for warrior sages, this will be an extended combat,
> for scholarly types this will be lengthy argument over doctrine) in
> which they hope to impress the other side into admitting their inferiority.
>
> Priests
>
> Since Chaquandarath is the priest of the High Gods, it's only fitting to
> make his priests the intercessors between the pious population and the
> Gods. They instruct people in how to worship the other gods in the high
> manner, providing them with affinities and feats.
>
> Sages
>
> Since Sages figure so prominently in the Vithelan mythology, it seems a
> shame to have them unplayable. So I'm inclined to treat these as
> analogous to monks with only the NPCs and retired heroes pursuing the
> goal of unrealization, stillness or immotion. For the PC hero types,
> there is a lot of donkey work in swotting up the theory and state of
> mind to pursue the goal of mystical attainment, and so the PC Sage will
> be spending his time applying the teachings of his order to real life.
> Once his superiors have judged him ready to become a true mystic, he's
> effectively retired.
>
> Since the Sages are not gods, I'm inclined to make their magic sorcery
> with the basic grimoire being the Sayings of the Great Sage Equal to
> Heaven. Since they are such shy retiring non-combatants, the limits of
> their combat magic would be to strike the recipient with their bare
> hands while reciting the Great Sage's Admonition against Fools,
> Unbelievers and Sleeping Students. The learned masters are so skilled
> they can cause an unfriendly recipient to flee in shame after merely
> uttering a sharply word aphorism or two.
>
> Animism?
>
> If Chaquandarath is the theistic approach and the sages are the
> sorcerous approach then how would animism work? There is a deity known
> as Genderatha who is known as the Priestess of the Gods. The spirits
> she provides would be individual awarenesses of the Gods that provide
> tangible benefit (ie a charm) to the Vithelan. The biggest difference
> is that since obvious charms and fetishes are deprecated as low magic,
> the Vithelan should follow a taboo per spirit that he or she has.
>
> All IMO.
>
> --Peter Metcalfe
>
>
> *A corollary of #2 is that when Vithelans often have disputes which
> can't be sorted out through negotiation (ie disputed land between two
> monasteries), their magics won't be of any use against each other. So
> they'll have to rely on low worshippers for an edge when using force.
>
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