Rays piece on Chaos was good - a few times I thought that I disagreed, but then changed my mind in later context. Not that I agree with everything completely, but a great summary.
Peter Metcalfe quibbles with me about trolls attitude to chaos
>David replies:
>
>> Broo are an intrinsically chaotic species, while cave trolls are
>>not. If chaos had not entered the world, cave trolls would still be dark
>>trolls, but broo would not.
>
>Rubbish. Reread River of Cradles or Borderlands. Broos were a perfectly
>normal species before the Turning. Broos have a stronger connection to
>Primal Chaos but they are still victims of chaos as much as cave trolls,
>trollkin and diseased humans suffering from disease are.
I was aware of the 'mistress race broo' theory, but I am not
convinced that it really applies - certainly the broo race as it exists now
has very little in common with any original broo species, and more to the
point their method of reproduction is now intrinsically chaotic, so that any
member of the existing race of broos is a direct result of the chaotic power
of broo reproduction. All broos are unable to reproduce nonchaotically (a
chaotic all - meaning 95% true but could be almost anything for the
remaining 5%). Which is definately an order of chaoticness or more above
merely having a chaotic alteration that is tranmitted by normal the normal
reproductive process.
> The only reason
>the normal Uz spare the cavetrolls is that they recognize the common kinship
>and find the cavetrolls useful. They do not recognize any kinship with feral
>broos or diseased humans (for the most part) so they do not spare them.
>
I certainly never meant to imply that kinship or utility were not big factors in the uzko acceptance of the cave trolls, though. But if the cave trolls where as chaotic as broos are (or even, say, as chaotic as scorpion men are, with very common chaotic features), then I think the uzko would a) find them strange enough to not be kin and b) find them dangerous enough to not make good slaves.
I think, for example, that if a dark troll with 3 chaotic features turns up in a ZZ temple and asks to be let in, because he is kin and he is pretty tough, he will die swiftly and unpleasantly. I think ZZers and KLers actually do have a particular religious hatred of very chaotic things, and the acceptance of cave trolls is a special case, possible only because cave trolls do not in any way spread their chaotic taint to others, they make good slaves, and they are obviously kin.
>The ToTRM Sea Special in the article on the Oceans of Glorantha does mention
>intelligent ceteans. I'm inclined to believe these are equivalent to the
>intelligent fish of the Zola Fel to the normal fish (ie 1 in 1000). The
>Mermen beat them hands down coz they have more intelligent offspring and have
>hands.
>
I am inclined to think that intelligent cetaceans are a higher proportion than intelligent fish, for several reasons. I would guess that, as in most cases the merman are closer to cetaceans than fish, cetaceans make good domesticated animals and familars and allied spirits for mermen, especially the ludoch and ouri.
Cheers
David
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