Why is it okay for bloodthirsty axe murder to be a suitable job for a woman in Dragon Pass and Kethaela, but not in Prax?
For my part I am happy for the scary women with big axes standing guard over the Paps to be called the Axe Sisters. I am less clear whether the 'Axe Sisters' should/could be a local name for a Babeester Gor cult, with a greater emphasis on guarding holy places than seeking blood vengeance and cutting bits off, or whether it should be a totally different local Earth cult which performs a social function (guarding Earth temples) that Babeester Gor cultists might perform in other regions.
Hopefully correctly, I seem to recall Jeff saying many months ago in another context that at least some Heortlings knew who Eiritha was (and that she was related to Ernalda), even though Heortlings didn't worship her. What is the point -- they don't keep domesticated Eirithan beasts?
At the Paps at least, is it possible that the priestesses or Eiritha know of Ernalda even if they don't worship her? If, as in Cults of Prax, the Paps is a remnant of a wider Earth religion which once included Ernalda as well as the spirits of the Waha/Eiritha tradition, then is it entirely fanciful that Babeester Gor cultists guard it?
However if the Paps is all about Eiritha and there is no Ernalda connection, it makes sense for the Axe Sisters to have nothing to do with Babeester Gor. Assuming that Babeester Gor still provides temple guards to Earth temples in other regions-- if her cult doesn't, who does?
Incidentally who provided temple security at the Paps in the Cults of Prax account? (Funnily enough I don't have a copy of Cults of Prax in the office)
The minor Praxian cults/spirit cults referred to below do sound interesting though -- where can one find out more about these? Though I'm not sure if all of these (e.g. Oakfed) are obvious alternatives for female characters
Richard Hayes
From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_R0_8foLZudItV-ruJD62GD3q-_JLw9K59vrksISBvi4SbN9nhsQo_t5sp7n9aqAAUCVczwCKUXPL05cSHzK4XA_C7lOS.yahoo.invalid>
To: WorldofGlorantha_at_yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, 3 May 2011, 9:01
Subject: Re: The Paps
On 5/3/2011 6:58 AM, Andrew Larsen wrote:
> As far as Babs Gor is concerned, her inclusion is partly practical. Praxian society has very few options for women other than Eirithan healers, so BG provides an outlet for female players and female PCs who want something else to do. My Praxian campaign has too many female players to squeeze them all into Eiritha.
Babs is not a practical deity but a fanatical one. Even if there were a
pressing need for the Paps to have temple security, Babeester Gor would
be as likely to provide it as the Shargashi at the Old Wind Temple.
Moreover if your concern is that Praxian society offers women too few
roles then it seems odd to provide a major alternative in the form of
one of bloodthirsty axe-murderers.
Better alternatives would be Daka Fal, Yelorna, the Star Witches, the
Serpent Dancers, the Wind Singers, Oakfed, the Red School of Masks, Zola
Fel, Lightning Boy, Grandmother of Spiders, Night Woman, Raven, White
Princess, Evening Star, Morning Star, Redwood, Father of Independents
and Hyena.
If your PCs wanted to be outlaws, then they could worship Dark Eater,
Malia, the Sunset Society or the Wild Hunter.
--Peter Metcalfe
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