Greetings!
Stephen R. Malelu asked an interesting question. I'm looking at
this from a gaming standpoint rather than a mythical experience
standpoint. There are two levels in the answer, the player and the GM
levels.
At the PC level, one answer is ``there are things that should not
be known.'' The God Learners tried to violate this fundamental
premise, and eventually, the right minded deities invoked their
``sendings'' to rectify the situation. So, the player's characters
could eventually discover that a previous race had been wiped out for
delving too deeply into the ultimate secrets of Glorantha. That would
tend to deter most of the PCs I've seen in campaigns over the years.
Also, knowing too much about the workings of a system take away
some of the magic of it. In Goethe's _Faust_, Faust complains that
learning about all the secrets of the universe has taken away its
wonder. In a place where spirits dance the nights and magic is
tangible and real (e.g. Glorantha), it makes it easier to suspend
disbelief if everything is *not* explained.
At the GM level, you are responsible for helping the players
suspend disbelief and making the gaming experience enjoyable for all
concerned. In determing how the world operates, there are three
complimentary principles I generally follow which flow from
observations of and discussions with Steve Perrin, Greg Stafford and
Sandy Petersen. (These are Rich Staats' paraphrases and
interpretations, not direct quotes --- any abuse should be heaped on
me, not these folks.) :-)
Perrin Principle: As a GM, consistency is desirable, and *what* you
do (although important) is not so significant as that you understand
*why* you did it. If similar circumstances arise again and the
characters involved undertake the same actions, they should reasonably
expect similar results. This helps the gamers become comfortable with
the gaming milieu. They will be able to picture the world in their
minds during and between sessions. This adds to a sense of fairness
and balance in the gaming world and the campaign.
Stafford Principle: As a GM, it is important to maintain a sense
of wonder in the world. It is not possible for any mortal to fully
understand the workings of Glorantha, and to do so takes away from the
pleasure of the unexpected. A dragon-newt won't do the same thing
every time you encounter one. Leave room in your campaigns for the
unexplained, the mystic and the mythic. No matter how much you learn
and experience, there is always more to discover.
Petersen Principle: As a GM, you should do things that make the
campaign fun. If you have a choice between two courses of action,
choose the one that will bring the most enjoyment to the GM and the
party. The party will come up with things you never expected, and
these plans and explanations might not bear any resemblance to what
you anticipated. So what!?! If the new explanations are more fun and
overall consistent with the workings of the world, go with them!
By applying each of these principles, you will go a long way toward
making your campaign world come alive for you and your players and
having that journey of exploration be a fun one for all of you.
In my campaigns, I have always assumed that Earthly phenomenon
operated unless otherwise noted. For example, Yelm runs from east to
west each day (the same as the sun), but if a character could find
some way of getting close enough, he or she would actually see (and
perhaps be attacked by) some guy in a chariot (quite a bit different
--- or at least I would be quite surprised to discover otherwise :-O).
OOPS, out of time! More to say, but I have to run!
In service,
Rich Staats
------------------------------
Powered by hypermail