> Actually, Orlanth has an absolute requirement on the Air rune, likewise
> the Earth rune for Ernalda. Back in the old days (RQ3 I think it was)
> Orlanth was open to anyone who breathed Air, now it has been tightened
> to those who posses the Air rune. As the principle expression of Umath,
> the primal air, this doesn't seem unreasonable. But it is a big shift,
> and leaves your Fire/Law/Truth person out in the cold. Can I interest
> you in joining Lhankor Mhy or Elmal? Much better fits for Heortlings.
>
Good points Doug, I was mostly positing this poor confused Orlanthi as a
thought-experiment though! :)
While it is true that Theists don't need to share all the runes of their
god, it does seem likely that most people are going to share at least
two (if the god has two...) so they can benefit from their Initiation and
probably join some kind of sub-cult that matches up with their third rune.
I suppose this might be a bit like the old HW/HQ1 problem with devotion (i.e. devotion is apparently rare in most cultures, but extremely common amongst players... at least in many people's experience).
> And isn't the solution in many cases to create a Thunder Brother who
> lets you use your Fire Rune do do stuff normally associated with Air? I
> mean, Barntar lets you use Air to do some Earth things, so generalize
> from that example.
>
Personally I just imagine that Barntar probably has Air and Fertility and has a lot more magic to do with Fertility than Air. ;) The whole "I use Air to do Earthy stuff" kind of irritates me. What is the point in this kind of categorisation if you immediately break it down by allowing this sort of thing? Grumble grumble!
> I have no idea where you'd go with an essay on Bat Shit Alchemy, but am
> intrigued by the title.
>
[Patent Pending]
Eyzaali alchemists who follow around the Bat trying to see if it excretes
powerful entropic nodes, ala Nibbler from Futurama. They may or may not have
magical hazmat suits made from lead and red-pained cult crowbars depending
on how silly I am.
Thus, they are interested in Bat Shit and are also bat-shit. [/Patent Pending]
(it's marginally more serious than this in it's true glory...)
> While the Runes are fundamental, I agree that they don't come up in
> every day conversation. The local manifestations of power (gods,
> spirits, saints, etc) are going to be way more common. The few folks
> with serious Hero Questing experience might cut to the chase and see the
> runes without the local trappings, but I think that will be rare.
>
My sentiments exactly. In my head most Sartarites are going to see an Air rune and think "Orlanth" or "Storm Tribe" and not "Cosmic Air"; most Westerners are going to see a Law rune and think "Malkion" or "the Good Book" not "Cosmic Law".
--
John Machin
"Nothing is more beautiful than to know the All."
- Athanasius Kircher, 'The Great Art of Knowledge'.
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