Illuminates seem an awful lot like the mystical fringes of any one-truth theology; the ones you *see* are the fanatics, but they're outnumbered by the quietly diligent.
> 3. Why cant the Gods tell that the illuminant is not bound to
> them in the way that their other worshippers are. If there is
> some form of bond between the two why cant the god tell that
> in this believers case he puts it on and takes it off as it
> suits him.
Once there was a sage named Isger, who wanted to understand a point about the legends which had been unclear for many years; while it was understood how Trickster had stolen Death without Humakt noticing, there was a lasting argument (of interest only to Sages and philosophers and other impractical people) about when exactly Humakt had noticed - did he notice before or after Orlanth slew Yelm?
So Isger grew skillful, and strengthened his soul, and set out into the Hero Plane, not to fulfill any particular quest, but to make a new one, seeking this answer, and seeking this answer from the best source, Grim Humakt, who does not lie.
So Isger had many adventures, ducking and doging and trying to get away from the generally unpleasant circumstances that surround the well known deeds of Humakt, and he became one of the very few Grey Sages expert with a sword, because he did not always get away. His brethren saw him becoming strange and martial, and argued with him and pleaded with him, saying he should stop before he woke up one morning singing hymns to death and yearning to lead troops into battle, but Isger was a stubborn man, and he perservered.
Finally, he came upon Humakt sitting by the shores of the river of heaven with Death and his boots beside him and a fishing pole in his hands, and the God's feet were bare and in the water, and Isger grew hopeful, for here was an aspect of Humakt that might be asked a philosophical question.
So Isger approached with deference, and said: "Great Humakt, if I may ask, when did you learn that Trickster had stolen Death?"
And Humakt looked up from his fishing, and replied: "I knew this when I was born."
Isger was so startled to learn this that he sat down on the bank, and held his head in his hands, and thought with furious speed for he knew not how long. Then he looked up, and asked his second question.
"Great Humakt, if you knew that Trickster would steal Death, why did you allow this to come to pass?"
Humakt smiled, and said "because I did not know that Trickster would steal Death until he had."
Isger sat by the bank in silence then, and after a time rose, and bowed to Humakt, and went away, back to his temple and his brethern, and he spoke less and he laughed more, and he practiced every day of his life thereafter the arts of the sword by weilding a fishing pole.
saundrsg_at_qlink.queensu.ca | Monete me si non anglice loquobar.
End of Glorantha Digest V2 #31
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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