*nod*
>My view of Rokari doctrine is that a commoner can certainly perform
>magic but they should not because they will imperil their soul and
>probably harm the community if they do so. Just as they should not
>take up arms but rely on the warrior caste to protect them. That's
>what being born to a caste means - the invisible god has chosen
>your role in life because he knows what tasks you are suited for.
>By challenging the choice made by Makan you are being stupid and
>sinful so clearly cannot be trusted with anything. If you actually
>defy him by acting out of caste you are blaspheming. Maybe in
>ignorance, but it is still a crime deserving punishment.
Yeah, that's my view as well, that it is a case of imperiling the soul to the Rokari. Yes, people can do other things, but stepping out of your caste risks the kind of disastrous consequences that the GodLearners suffered.
At the same time, as Trotsky implied, I suspect it is more complicated than that and there are all kinds of subtle ways to not waste potential in the Rokari system.
>On top of this there is a lot of caste based training. It doesn't
>matter how much aptitude you have for magic you can't perform
>sorcery without learning to read and write.
Yes, and I think that the Rokari are big on removing temptation by not letting people get access to the "wrong kinds of training".
>So your commoner with magical ability is pretty much forced into
>using common magic and risks persecution by the authorities if
>they aren't careful.
Well, common magic other than receiving the blessings of the church would be a problem.
>Conversely the wizard who does not have any aptitude will get
>intensive training so that they can do enough of the job to be
>useful even if they end up in some make work position. I'm
>reminded of a friend of my mother's who after graduating from
>either Oxford or Cambridge got a job in the Bank of England
>through his father. Unfortunatly he wasn't bright enough to pass
>the banking exams so he couldn't get promotion. He did however
>spend over forty years in a well salaried position and retired
>on a good pension. Big churches usually have enough odd positions
>that they can find something for incompetent priests to do.
I'm sure that's part of it.
>I'm sure there are parts of the West where there is enough caste
>flexibility for that to happen. Another angle is itinerant clergy
>- monks, nuns and priests who wander the countryside rather than
>being part of a monastry, convent or parish. I doubt many of those
>come from the wizard caste.
*nod*
I think the whole ambiguity between "priestly" and "sorcery" caste is
ripe for variable interpretation.
LC
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