>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.
Societies routinely waste the potential of a large proportion of the population. The less flexible the society the more they waste. I don't think the complications avoid that waste but are ways in which the priviledged in the society can break the rules. E.g. acknowleding as your son the young man who you want to appoint to a position his caste does not allow.
> >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".
To the extent they need to. Lengthy education is uncommon in Glorantha unlike the modern RW. So there isn't time to learn multiple skill sets. I have a bigger problem with the Loskalmi system of progressing though the castes. The only way I can see it working is that selected individuals are fast tracked through some castes. A few years farming, a few years soldiering and then really learning the wizards work before becoming a Lord. Even so the Lord under 30 is going to be a rarity.
> >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.
Only if they are caught. And there's no incentive to catch a peasant who quietly makes life a bit easier for themselves. If you punish them they aren't working or paying their rents and taxes. So most of the time even the Rokari turn a blind eye to such sins.
>I think the whole ambiguity between "priestly" and "sorcery" caste is
>ripe for variable interpretation.
In the sense that different rules apply in different places and different churches. The church of sect X in place Y will have a definition which works for them. In a place which allows people to change caste the parish priest can be ordained and become a member of the priestly caste. In a place with fixed castes the shortage of clergy will mean that many parish priests are commoners and given a different title. There's probably a sect who object to full time clergy and insist on only using lay preachers.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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