Re: Donandar, Mercario, others? Acrobatic entertainer

From: hcarteau_at_...
Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2012 19:13:38 +0100 (CET)

A Mercario worshipper, Lonergan the pretender, is presented in THE THIEVES' ARM (an excellent buy). Mercario is presented as a Minor Deity with the Runes of Entertainement and Entrancement (back in the day where each God had his/her own Runes). He is IMO some avatar of Donandar, with a slight tendency to mischief. The Feats mentioned as examples are Evoke Emotions, Create Trust, Throw Voice, Vocal Sound Effects, Eastern Islands Rope Tric, Make Small Objects Move, Make Person Dance. It's definitely low Magics and his worshippers are what heortlings would call "low entertainers" (as opposed to a Skald, with mastery of Poetry and Music).

Also, you find a Mercario cult write-up in HEROQUEST 1.0. It says Mercario is a man who became a god through trickery and Chance. His booth is before Lodril's palace, making him pelorian. He is worshipped by street entertainers and confidence tricksters. He's a juggler and has great sleight of hands (ie pickpocket). His only Rune is Illusion ("temporary reality"), with feats like Breathe Flame, Devastating Retort, Distract With Words, Hypnotic Tonality, Invisible Hands and Improbable Balance.

In the new Heroquest world, I'd give him the Runes of LUCK and ILLUSION. Nothing prevents him from being an acrobat as well as a conman, err I mean entertainer. I remember a Contortionist sub-cult of Lanbril, whose name escapes me for now.

Alas, it seems such dubious persons as street acrobats are seen by all Normal Folks as never-do-wells and thieves. Perhaps this is why so many actually are ? Playing a "noble" acrobat, trying to redeem the world through Harmony, would be something New indeed.

Hope this helped.