> John Machin wrote:
> > I think that the idea of a mystic who (for story reasons) *must* use
> their
> > powers is quite interesting.
>
> Except that it requires the mystic to actually have any powers worth
> using, which to me is a dubious concept. The aim of mysticism is not to
> acquire k3w1 p0\V/3rz! but to draw closer to the ineffable whether it be
> Dayzatar, Irensavel or Durapdur. I don't see how a mystic could start
> casting a killing bolt of doom just because he decides to play whoopsies
> with the dark side.
>
Sheng Seleris taught a practice of renunciation that took decades to perform properly. During the training were a series of tests, in which various entities tempted the practitioner in basically every human passion, and since they were all from a warrior culture, part of the temptations were with weapons, horses or other trinkets. If they resisted those, magical version were offered, and so on, right up to having the Bolt of Doom (really, it's little brother, but what the heck). At a certain point along this progression of renunciation (it is debated exactly where, of course) the Sheng Seleris practitioner stops refusing, and accepts one of the "high level" offers. Because of the way it is set up (clever fellow tha Sheng Seleris!!) his purity then "collapses" and he is offered the things he has refused. This is sort of "collecting weapons" for his followers, and at some point becomes "collecting junk" or he collapses.
By the way, if you call him "Sheng," it is sort of like calling a famous Native American "Sitting."
> 3) A borist is being persecuted even though he has lived a blameless
> life.
It must be his fellow cultists who are doing the persecuting then! It is impossible to "be a borist," i think, and be "blameless," as I understand these terms.
--
Greg Stafford
Game Designer
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