MY TAKE ON THE TRICKSTERS
I'm not talking Eurmal here. I'm talking Eurmali, the people who
worship Trickster. All this is of course IMO, which among other
things include my idea that people in no way act as cardboard copies
of their gods. The higher the "level" of a cultist, sure, the closer
he is to his Deity, but Joe Initiate is in no way a perfect image of
what he worships. Also, I'm talking Sartar Orlanthi here, since
that's the location of my campaign.
So who worships the Trickster and Scapegoat, Eurmal? I think they can be categorised (being a shameless Godlearner) somewhat like this.
THE WANDERING ENTERTAINERS
The "poet, who sings", high entertainer, has a pretty high status
among the Orlanthi - in many cases higher than that of your everyday
foodproducing carl. Not so the low entertainer, the clown, the fool,
the juggler. In some reasonings in KoS, they are mentioned together
with pedlars and tinkerers and their ilk at the lower rung of the
status ladder. The low status of most entertainers seems almost
universal on Earth(1), so the inspiration has its sources. Furthermore,
I think it is important among the Orlanthi because these people are
itinerant; in many cases they are hardly accepted among their own
clan, and though a wandering juggler when asked may say: "What? Oh,
I'm a Colymar." most can in no way count on any other family support
than that of their travelling companions. In a society where Blood
Counts, this is Bad. And if you decide to become a juggler, your
father may well disinherit you.
Being almost-outlaws, and not (IMO) fitting with Orlanths status as a
once-outlaw, I think many of them go the whole way and worship Eurmal
in his aspects as Comic Fool, Imp and general Mischief Maker. The
cult gives magic that greatly enhances their abilities (a Group
Laughter at the right moment can keep you fed for weeks) and though
there is no "organisation" among them as such, I think there is a
general understanding among them that "since we are removed from our
kin, now the other Tricksters are our kin".
Many of them are probably small-scale thieves as well, and have a
sound reputation for that, whether they're Tricksters or not. I think
they have no real shrines - they'll visit the shrines of other Eurmal
worshippers, and some of them may be "living shrines" - see below.
Oh, and I hear you cry "But what about Donandar?". Well, this was
IMO, and in my book he is the deity of High Entertainers among the
Orlanthi - of skalds and minstrels (I think it was Mikael Raateroova
who produced the changed Donandar cult here on the digest, and I
liked that a lot). A comic nose-flute-player trying to join Donandar
would have the same luck as a music-hall singer trying to get a role
at the opera - which is to say it could happen, but rarely.
THE VILLAGE IDIOTS AND LOCAL MADMEN
Every community has them. The really slow-witted, the truly mad,
those who "see things". I think many forms of madness comes from
Eurmal, and I think he is counted as their protector. It's not like
in some Amerindian communities where you don't dare kill a madman
since all the horrible spirits will leave him and attack you, but
generally it is accepted that "they're not responsible for their
actions" as long as they do not act seriously threatening. Most
locals view them with good-natured contempt. One of them takes the
Trickster's place in rituals, which he generally appreciates, cause
he gets a lot of attention, food and drink. Often they live in a
shack in the outskirts of the village. Some wander around begging for
food, but seldom roam far. Their "initiation" to Eurmal is often of the
spontaneous process suggested for making, say, rapists Thed
initiates. Many of them are "living shrines" (see again below).
Despite the fact that as Tricksters they have no legal
protection, they are seldom harmed in any way. If a non-local for
some psychotic reason attacked the local bum and harmed him
seriously, the locals would not be able to "sue", so to say, but he
is certainly in for a not-so-friendly beating.
THE OUTLAWS
These are the nasty Tricksters. These are the kind that is lynched
without mercy if caught, and are not only a nuisance but really
dangerous. Some of them pose as beggars, pedlars or
similar innocents; others have a hideout in the woods. Most outlaws
are not Tricksters, but many of them might think that since they are
already outlaws they may well go the whole way, and I do not think
they need someone to Initiate them either. They might just shout
into the night that they from now on follow Eurmal, and he might
listen (or not, you know how he is). Though robbing and waylaying may
be easier, many go for connning, burglaries or other more "planned"
crimes. They are seldom city-oriented (though the crime-rate
increases dramatically in the cities) since there can be found more
reasonable cults like Lanbril to replace the "lawful" religions.
Think of the felons in medieval fabliaus (sp?) and you get the
picture - though some might fit more the image of the Dangerous
Madman from your average American action movie - "there is this
robber in the woods, see, that can shift his shape, and go invisible,
and cloud men's minds so they'll believe every lie he tells them".
Some may form a small band. In that case, there may be a small shrine
nearby, or the leader (if a Real Nutcase) might be a "living shrine".
These make good enemies of Honest Clansmen, especially since the
characters may have no idea what they are up against - when a band of
robbers start doing weird magic, the first thing any regular player
in Glorantha suspects is Chaos, which in this case is wrong.
Actually, they might also make good enemies of Not-so-honest Lunars,
which may cause foolish heroes of The Resistance to join them or ally
with them.
THE TAME TRICKSTER
The tame trickster often started out as one from the first two
categories. He has taken the Bondsman's Oath, and is found as a
combination of kicking-boy and court jester in the court of a
cheiftain or king. He takes the part of Eurmal in important rituals.
His aspects are generally Lightbringer-oriented: Firebringer, Thief,
Seducer, Rouge. Sometimes, he might be bright enough to actually take
a part in politics, or act as a side-kick to an adventurous chieftain
(like, say, Puck, or Falstaff). In other cases, he is kept like a
pet. Sometimes he is a living shrine or tends a real shrine (in the
last case often as a part of a temple to Orlanth), though that has
the obvious nuisance effect of a lot of shifty characters sneaking
around the court to learn spells, tricks and skills.
LIVING SHRINES
Instead of having an actual shrine, often a Trickster priest is his
own shrine; when enough other Tricksters start seeing him as their
"mentor", he'll become able to help them renew some specialties of
his own, and renew this himself. Often these living shrines have a
semi-mythical status; often their spell is something they
(wittingly or unwittingly) HeroQuested for, and is pretty unique -
performing an almost perfect trick might count as a Heroquest for a
Trickster, so that he afterwards may be able to do so magically and
teach others the trick.
EURMAL DUELS
Eurmal cultists have a special relationship with Humakti; the latter
hate the former. One spell quite common among the third and second
types of Trickster apes the theft and spreading of Death; it allows
the Trickster to create an illusionary weapon, which will be a
perfect copy of an existing weapon (often the sword of a Humakti).
Eurmali like to mock the Humakti, and one of these mockings is the
Eurmali duels, following The Essential Rule Of No Rules; tricking
your opponent is the important thing. Often the duel centers around
one central contest; the most famous are the Shapeshifting contest,
the Best Practical Joke Played On Innocent Bystander contest and the
"Knife? That Is Not A Knife. THIS Is A Knife" contest (which simply
includes producing an illusionary or not-so-illusionary weapon out of
nowhere). Sometimes the winner of the duel gets some special benefit,
but usually the idea is that humiliating your opponent (and stealing
his boots if you in Some Way get him unconscious) is enough,
especially if you get other Tricksters as witnesses.
EURMALS HOLY DAYS
Sometimes, there seems to be a lot of jugglers, tramps, pedlars or
wayfarers about in a community. At the same time, the village idiot
has not been in his hut for a week. The crime rate escalates. Strange
things are seen in the forest, like animals talking and walking as
humans, bizzare sprites and runners, strange lights and cackling
laughter out of nowhere. The Kolating leaves his holy site at the
mountain, mumbling about the winds being unhealthy and the skies and
darkness filled with spirits of unwholesome passion and madness.
People lock up their children, their livestock, and if possible, does not
leave the village.
Beware! The Tricksters are celebrating! The reason may be very strange,
mythically derived, or not important. Those who do attend may never
appear again, or they may be cursed, mad or so humiliated that they
never want to be seen around again.
Think of all the Goblin Markets and Fairy Outings of all the folklore
(and children's books) you addicted RuneQuesters have stuffed yourselves with, and you will
have a general image.
THE BAG OF TRICKS
This holy item is something few trickster priests or living shrines
are seen without. This is the source of many of their illusions.
Within the bobbing sack of garishly painted leather are hidden copies
(or the Real Thing?) of the Juggling Balls of Tylenea, which fell on
Eurmal's head when the Spike exploded and Tyleneas Palace of
Phantasms was destroyed. Angry Eurmal chased the hopping, cackling
items of delusion, caught some, and put them in his bag. Others
roamed free, and became the Bouncing Balls sometimes met on the
Spirit Plane or in areas close to it.
When you stick your hand in the Bag of Tricks, you can remove any one
of the balls, throw it into the air, and it will become anything: a
crow, a spider's web, the stench of dung, the taste of honey, the
shriek of a bat, your underpants (hey! how did he get THEM?!) or a
perfect copy of your sweetheart. If a Bag of Tricks are shattered,
all the Balls will escape, and will jump about, soon transforming
into weird, sponataneous illusions, perhaps of things thought of by
the bystanders, things imagined in the God's Age or things formerly
produced by that particular Trickster.
TRICKSTER AS SCAPEGOAT
"Scapegoat" is one of his titles, but I have never seen any scapegoat
rituals mentioned for the Orlanthi. I think that they exist - and I
do not think they are nice affairs. In a wonderful article in Codex
by someone whose name I have unfortunately forgotten, there is a
list of reading, which includes the short story "The Lottery". Read
it, and be scared.
Erik Sieurin
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