The Seven Mothers and Alakoring Magic from L C on 2009-12-19 (World of Glorantha)

From: L C <lightcastle_at_vZOO_iIgVQ1Ava1t4cPtAXSA9LaFJZBwMof2wz9zjTu3A3Ckvjf4z5O3sYpsfc7y>
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:45:29 -0500

So in the Three World Model discussion, I threw out the idea that the Seven Mothers Cult - which I recall from ILH1 and 2 as being in some ways a "gateway cult" to Lunar thought - was designed to work more like how Orlanthi religion worked in the Provinces so as to make conversion easier.

WARNING: Lots of Rambling to Come!

One option is that the Seven Mothers is a carefully run cultic operation, changing with each environment, drawing parallels in worship with the locals and being as obviously friendly as possible. You can't reinvent their myths, but you can make them obvious side-steps from local cults so they make sense to adopt.

This nicely fits the Balance through Change idea Greg mentioned earlier with the Lunars. (And Change through Regularity) All things Change, but they are the same. That the Seven Mothers are always the same, but always different also seems to work.

Now, a part of me also likes the blundering Empire arrogance of "We made it a simple, barbarian version" without any thought that the Orlanthi on their borders in Sylila aren't exactly like Orlanthi further south.

If I recall correctly, The whole Sylila-Tarsh section of Orlanthi worship is Alakoring in nature, so that is some unity. It could well be there is more diversity even there, though, with Alakoring really only taking up the Southern-most parts and along the mountains. (I personally think Alakoring covers this whole section, and then over the mountains into Ralios you get a new shift, and to the north in Fronela yet another.)

Still, I can see grand themes of how the Orlanthi of this region view their magic to be largely similar, even as details vary. I don't think the Alakorings should necessarily follow the pattern of the Sartarites exactly. (My impression is also that Heortling and Sartarite are basically interchangeable on the broad stroke of magic - i.e. -the System in the Sartar book should be used.)

So I'm starting to hash out an Alakoring system. Like the Sartarite one, it should be primarily Theistic from what I understand. Given the Lunar influence, Orlanth has been displaced, but I'm not sure that matters too much in designing things. (An argument can be made against that, of course.)

This could - mind you - fall more squarely under HQ2 nattering and so require a list change. At best it's borderline.

I see Feats as a high level effect still clearly showing up in Alakoring Theism. Emulating and Manifesting your god? Still a big, bad trick that the truly devoted can pull out.
I do think there needs to be a "link you to a Rune" aspect in some way, but I see the "3 runes at adult initiation" as a Heortling thing, not an Orlanthi-wide one. Given the "Men are air" thing keeps Orlanth too involved for Lunar comfort, it may be that it WAS standard practice until the Lunars showed up, though. I think I'd rather see linking to a Rune come with choosing/initiating to a God. Perhaps more than one.

Given that the Provincial Church worships the Seven Mothers as a unit (at least as described loosely in HeroWars, HeroQuest, and ILH1 from what I remember) I like the idea of Alakoring tradition having "suites" of Gods that one is bound to and gets magic from, up until one focuses on a level of devotion where you might get a feat.

So that's where I am at 2:45 in the morning when I should be asleep.