Well, he's not a carbon copy, but he's pretty damn similar. His cult is not all that similar socially to the Humakti cult, but I suppose one could argue that the YT cult is what the Humakt cult _would_ have been like if only Humakt had been worshiped inside the Lunar Empire.
>Yanafal is not tied to the Truth Rune, to the best of my knowledge
He is, actually. His Runes (until officially changed) have been Truth, Death, and Moon.
Anyway, my own theories on the "YT: for officers or ordinary folks" is that YT is important for any officers who are interested in promotion, and that it is, nonetheless, also considered a soldiers' cult. Probably most of its members are soldiers, but most of its influence is via officers -- since the officers are spread more widely.
If Nick is claiming that most of the lunar empire's regiments have their own regimental cults, I'll have to take issue with him. I think it's exceptional, and in any case most regiments which _do_ have their own cults also worship some other god (Hwarin Dalthippa or Lodril or whatever) in addition.
One last blow for CA vegetarianism
I note that Takehiro has weighed in on my side, pointing out that lots of Japanese are complete vegetarians. Then Brian Pinch agrees with me that the CA probably sets up ranks: people > animals > plants. Since they don't _have_ to eat animals, they don't.
Now, as a teetotaller, I believe I may have an insight into the beliefs of the peculiarly-vegetarian CAs. I do NOT believe that they claim, as do some modern vegetarians I've met, that all folk should be vegetarian. I don't drink, for religious reasons. However, I certainly don't object to anyone else drinking, so long as they don't throw up on me or drive while drunk. Further, I believe that it would be immoral and sinful for me to drink, and for any other practising Mormon to do so. But a non-Mormon has not subscribed to my vows -- it's neither immoral nor wrong for them to do so.
I do not think that CA healers proscribe meat for anyone not of their cult, and in fact I believe that they may well order their patients, at least sickly ones, to eat raw meat (or whatever) to gain their strength. They may even order that an animal be killed to provide this -- or (for instance) that a horse be slain so that a poisoned man could be put inside the steaming carcass to sweat out the venom (an old Italian recipe). Of course, they couldn't kill the animal themselves, and they'd want it killed painlessly.
The bottom line here is that the CA healers, unlike modern religions, don't view themselves as the correct answer to all life, the only religion. In an ideal, perfect world, a modern Catholic believes (and he should) that all men would be happiest being Catholics and adhering to their dogma. But a CA healer's ideal world doesn't have everyone being a CA healer -- it probably has no such healers in it at all, since there would be no disease or pain.
CA doesn't expect her worshipers to exist in a vacuum -- the assumption is that there will be Storm Khans or Yelm Sons or Wind Lords or priests of Lodril or _someone_ who can protect them from trolls and chaos. If a CA healer is trapped alone and murdered by broos, it is not a failing of the CA cult that she was unable to protect herself -- it is a failing of the Storm Bull or Orlanth or Yelm or whoever was supposed to protect her. And don't think the CA temple won't harp on that. "You guys failed to protect the healer sent with you?!"
CA also knows that she can't heal everybody. Her job is not to destroy all the disease and injuries in the world, just to mitigate it. CA isn't a minimaxing calculating faith, whining, "Hmm, if I were allowed to use a sword to kill this broo, that would save more lives than if I simply fled. Ergo, I should fight, now." Instead, the belief is that CA's (and the world's) purposes are better served by having her healers be different in the way they operate. "I will not wield a sword, even to save my life and honor." The fact that a CA won't fight, even in extremis, is salutary. It acts as an example to other CAs, plus should stimulate their so-called protectors to feats of valor.
CA doesn't need to be wimps. I play them as blackmailing bastards, threatening to withhold healing or charge extortionate prices if the local insert-group-here doesn't stop being recalcitrant and give them what they want. CA doesn't have to heal everyone, after all, since she can't. When there's a battle with CA on one side, and not the other, I don't automatically have the CAs heal the defeated foes. They'll generally heal the foes to the point that they won't die of their wounds, but only after their own side has been completely fixed up, and only if they don't think they need to reserve their own power in case of an upcoming fight.
My CAs painstakingly follow the rule that anyone Befuddled or Slept by them is under their protection. As a result, when entering combat against enemies, they usually don't cast any Befuddle or Sleep spells -- they don't _want_ the foes to be under their protection.
There's nothing immoral about triage, and CAs are pros at this -- and by definition an enemy's life is less valuable than a friend's. I've had folks taken aback by the ruthlessness of some of my CAs, but that's the breaks.
THE WHITE BEAR
Some time ago there was a conjecture that Harrek and the
White Bear were actually chums and that the White Bear _wanted_
Harrek to kill him. Okay. this was not so, according to either Greg
or me, and here is the truth (pre-approved from Greg).
The White Bear was a secret, known to only a few of the Rathori. He was the Rathori's secret power, kept in waiting for the time it could be used.
In essence, the White Bear's power was to permit the Rathori to awaken in winter, when their foes would all be vulnerable, and not expecting any sort of attack (since the Rathori normally hibernate). Of course, such a power can't be used too often, or the enemy get used to it, and can thwart it. In fact, as far as I know, the power had not been used in all recorded time -- the Rathori were still waiting for the Big Moment. Perhaps they used it once during the Gbaji wars or something -- I dunno.
When Harrek killed and skinned the White Bear, the Rathori lost their secret power. I predict that at some time during the Hero Wars, the Rathori will suffer terribly because of an inability to wake during the winter months in dire necessity.
The White Bear is now Harrek's ally, of course, but this is forced, not presupposed.
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