Shargash and Arkati Magic

From: Peter Metcalfe <P.Metcalfe_at_student.canterbury.ac.nz>
Date: Sat, 02 Sep 1995 23:42:24 +1300


Nick Brooke:

>Tricky question. Shargash is the wargod of Alkoth, chief god of that city,
>which is one of the three which make up the ancient Dara Happan Tripolis.
>This suggests he'd get a *lot* of direct worship. On the other hand, folk
>like John Medway and myself have speculated that maybe the Lunars now keep
>a lid on the more fanatically destructive aspects of his worship: the god
>chained in his temple, fed on deaths in the arena, not unleashed upon the
>land like back in the Good Old Days.

This speculation that the Lunars keep Shargash controlled seems to me largely a retrofit considering how Shargash's existance was unknown prior to the Glorious ReAscent of Yelm. If he is tightly controlled then we don't have to explain why he was unknown in Cults of Prax and other works. This is unsatisfactory to me as it seems inconsistant with the Lunar attitude towards other indigenous religions.

I have heard it said that Orlanth is viewed within some sections of the Lunar Empire as a debased form of Shargash worship. This accounts to me why Shargash is not found in the Southern regions of the Empire: the Lunars don't want Alkoth getting funny (read heretical) ideas.

I think Shargash is found in some miltary units elsewhere within the Empire. He would be quite useful as a patron god of the street gangs (like RW examples of Clodius's guilds in ancient Rome, the Blues and Greens in Constantinople and the SA in Weimar Germany) whose overt motive is political. Examples for usage would be terrorizing undesirable cults (like them White Moonies) or looting bazaars belonging to an opposing noble so that tax demons get sent upon him? Such usuage of the Shargash cult would be found in and around Alkoth and Darani.

However it must be said that on the battlefield Shargash's style of fighting (berserking) is dated. The standard tactics of hoplites and calvary are more effective and have been so for some time now. The only possible military use would be as rampaging thugs on the enemies weak spot to make their lives a constant misery (like Sherman's march to the Sea, the Red Armies antics in Germany in 1945 and Greeks ravaging the land during the Peloponesian war).

Pam Carlson:


>Shargash was wargod for the empire until the high Dara Happan era - (around
>800ST - wildly guessing here at work). After a particulary unpleasant
>Alkothi romp through Darjiian, the Northern Dara Happans felt that Polaris
>would be a more appropriate war god for their sophisticated empire. They
>even tried to write the Destroyer out of the pantheon. (FS)

Not quite. Arraz was the god that Polaris replaced as General of Heaven. Polaris is noted in the Fortunate Succession as 'superior of the rabble of War Gods who did the actual fighting'. So having Polaris lead the armies does not preclude Shargash from turning up.

Why the Dara Happans played musical chairs between Arraz and Polaris is a puzzle. The Fortunate Succession contains some demonstrabely false information which I won't go into on this forum.

>(Weren't the first lethal funeral games in DH held in honor of a very
>warlike emperor?)

Emperor Urvairinus. Incidentally he also ruled from Alkoth despite Plentonius's obsfucation to make Raibanth the Eternal Captial of the Dara Happans.

>Given the Lunar overtones of peace, I think they are interested in seeing
>that Shargash worship remains low.

Peace? I think the Lunars recognize that for now the warlike impulses cannot be totally subdued. The Fortunate Succession does mention that Emperor Magnificus 'organized the Kingdom of Conflict to the south, to send his bored and disaffected militants'. Emperor Robustus organized the South War as an institution. The two previous Emperors I just mentioned are Masks of the Red Emperor. So while, Lunar propoganda places an emphasis upon the New Age of Peace to Come, this seems to me like Soviet propoganda on the withering away of the state.

Ray Turney:


> On the off chance that it will annoy people, let me suggest that
>Arkati and Lunar sorcery may be essentially the same, and from a rules
>perspective should work the same.

I'm assuming that you're talking about the magic described as being practiced by the initiates of the Red Goddess? I do agree about the magic being derived mostly from one's illumination than the Red Goddess. The only effect she would have is the lunar cycle of such.

I don't agree Arkati sorcery and Lunar Sorcery 'may be essentially the same, and from a rules perspective should work the same'. That is a wee bit too strong for my tastes. I would rather prefer identifiable similarities and compatibilty. Frex, an Arkati Cult has a skill to work its special magic called Occult Wisdom which is very difficult to increase. A lunar mage inflitrating this cult would find that he could theoretically substitute the amount of Nysalor riddles he knows for Occult Wisdom instead. And likewise for Kralori mysticism and enlightenment but that's another story.

> As supporting evidence, let me point out that Lunar magic and
>Arkati magic fulfill similar military needs: to bring the power of sorcery
>to people who lack the training and traditions of Western sorcery {in
>Arkat's case, presumably Orlanthi and Trolls} and the social role of
>wizard, but need wizardry to fight their enemies.

But the problem here is that becoming Illuminated is not an easy job. It is much easier for a human or a troll to learn sorcery than it is to become Illuminated. Furthermore the Cult of Arkat known amongst the trolls does not require illumination whereas the humans who would perform Arkati Magic are more often than not Malkioni worshippers. The Orlanthi of the East Wilds don't use sorcery and they aren't Arkat worshippers. I don't consider the Henothiest church to be orthodox Orlanthi. I think their conception of Orlanth owes more to Worlath and Malkioni Mythology rather than Theyalan rites.

What I think the main use of Arkati Magic in Ralios is that it helps one to manipulate Divine Magic (or Saintly Blessings). This would be a lot tougher than for the spirit magic shown in the Red Goddess Writeup. I think the Ralian Theist Arkati mainly work their illumination magic via hermetic rituals in order to force their consciousness into alien thoughts etc. Thus one would spend ones time praying to Gerlant in rather heterodox ways in order to increase his blessing so that the sword burns a little hotter.

They wouldn't use their illumination to manipulate sorcery for they can easily do that with the sorcery skills. This is not to say it's impossible but by the time they're are illuminated, they've already learned some sorcery and it is quite redundant (IMHO) to learn Amplify and Combine in such a case. I think most of the Lunar Citizens (save for some of the Carmanians) learn spirit magic instead of sorcery which explains why the Red Goddess's magic appears to be focused on spirit magic. Perhaps the Illuminated Carmanian Vizers concentrate in some other discipline?      

Spirit magic manipulation (like the lunars do) is an obscure discipline in Ralios, IMO, for most of the Arkati magicians are urbanized folk removed from the rural spirit magic traditions. [I'm really going by proposed sorcery fixes here rather than the RQIII rules so that sorcery is more useful to the lower elements of society].

This really raises the question: What is the essential difference between Illumination Magic and Sorcery? Why aren't the Wizards Illuminated or have a spiritual state analogous to such? Sainthood would be ideal but the number of Saints in the West are certainly not 2% of the population! I think there's some sanctified status in which people are recognized as holy and can perform sorcery that is almost miraculous.

hmm. I seem to have rambled on a bit here. Apologies if anything isn't clear.

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