Re: Runes of the East Isles gods

From: nils_w <nils_at_a8fHpTxSxAx0EP5CJp3eX_QuRaPbbQaMrB1Z98dryF3TjzAoKqiQuOb_VLWdvprQ-o6kXh_>
Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:24:42 -0000

>
>
> Giving each and every one of the Parloth the rune of Cosmic Order is
> unnecessary. The Storm Tribe defends Glorantha against Chaos but not
> even Orlanth has the Law Rune.

Hmm, three things here:

• Obviously Cosmic Order isn't a good name
• The Parloth don't have the full rune
• I'm wary of the Storm Tribe vs Chaos analogy, but this makes me more convinced that Vith's "Cosmic Order" is not Law, but something else, less compelling and more moral perhaps. Vithelan myths are a lot about consciousness, but that isn't quite the term either. "Cosmic Order" is the pervasive rules and behaviour which promotes consciousness if that makes any sense. In our world terminology, Indian dharma is what I'm after.

> Secondly the Mysticism Rune should not be used for deities in general.

Definitely, only for those deities who are actually practitioners of mysticism themselves. Those which I listed are not typical in this case. The vast majority of Vithelan deities don't have the Mysticism rune.

> There is also a rune for Theism, Animism and the like but it's really a
> descriptor like the Man Rune for humans. It does not form part of their
> Magic.

The Mysticism rune does not give any magic IMO. Actually, descriptor is a good term here as the Mysticism rune indicates that the deity in question is not best approached as a god (or spirit or essence). You could of course express that differently, but I think it is rather neat to use the Mysticism rune for this description.

> If you really want to indicate the mind-blowing awesomeness of Vith and
> like Gods then the best rune is the Infinity Rune. Only the Avanparloth
> will have these - the ordinary Parloth won't and the Parondpara will be
> scratching their heads wondering what an infinity rune is.

Actually, mind-blowing awesomeness is not what I'm after, so there must be something lacking in my presentation. See above rambling on what I'm trying to express with "Cosmic Order".

Agree completely on the Parondpara btw, they are one rune (or possibly "one and a half") gods at the most.

> Another way of indicating the difference between the Parloth and the
> Adpara (the Good Guys and the Bad Guys) would be to have Good Runes and
> Bad Runes. Thus Illusion is a Bad Rune being held by Avanapdur. Light
> is a Good Rune and thus one who holds it is by definition a Good God and
> so forth

But that won't quite work, as there are runes which are used by both Gods and Antigods. I don't see any Gods with Illusion and Disorder, that's true, but the elements for example are used by both categories, as would powers like Motion and Stasis.

/Nils W