Peter Larsen says
>I don't know about the god-talkers. I imagine they are people
>with a formal relationship to the god -- they know all the rites and
>rituals and can double up for other gods easily because they know the
>broad myths and a lot of general Storm Tribe lore. Most people, in
>most situations, I think, get by by finding the person who is
>"closest" to that god.
My understanding was that the god-talker is the person who is "closest" to the god - that is the nature of their relationship. If we are going on a raid then we find the person closest to Finovan, and they lead the worship ceremony asking for Finovan's blessing. Formal relationships to the god is the province of the priest.
While Robert Darvall says
>I see these god talkers as being the stead members with the best
>connection to a particular deity. Not neccessarily even high level
>initiates but the best the stead can provide.
That's right. For example we will need a Barntar Godspeaker to lead the worship at the start of the ploughing. He will have to come from our stead, since we can't afford to wait for an itinerant priest to turn up (every other stead, clan and tribe will be starting at the same time), nor can we afford to send all our farmers off the stead - particularly when there is work to be done...
>Can we petion or pay for more powerful blessings in hard times?
This is the stuff adventures are made of! ;)
>Granny normaly blesses the boundary stones each year cos shes been
>talking to Ernalda longest but this year the omens are bad so
>we'll get in the Gwyda from the clan to be sure.
There are also a number of "wandering" priests and/or god speakers who may turn up in response to some omen or event (we see examples of this in KoDP), or maybe on a "regular" schedule (Once a Season, Once a year, every 3/5 years...).
We may also send pilgrims to other clans/tribes, if they are known to have specialists or sacred sites (The Lankor Mhy temple on Jonstown, for example), and conversely may get petitioners visiting us if our tula is home to a person or place that other Heortlings seek to benefit from (Bringing us suitable gifts or promises of future favours, obviously).
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