Frank or Stacy Giles:
So, a powerful stranger was being whomped on by a Lunar patrol and Spiro stole... er... "liberated" his chariot during the fight? Is that what happened? Is this the behavior you are asking us to define as "sane" or "insane"?
If so, then while Spiro's behavior may not have been SMART, it doesn't sound insane or crazy to me. Remember that Orlanth himself is known to have stolen things. Now, if Spiro had jumped into the chariot and promptly driven it off the nearest cliff in the belief that it was being pulled by winged horses or that it was actually Yelm's chariot in disguise, THAT would have been insane!
A self-centered stupid cowardly (sorry... "discrete") Orlanthi does not a Trickster make. Someone who is a "bad" member of a cult usually ends up being excommunicated from the cult. I think that for Orlanthi being excommunicated usually does NOT result in being declared Outlaw, but being declared Outlaw always includes being excommunicated.
So I don't think Spiro is a crypto-trickster. He might (depending on how you play him) eventually be excommunicated from the cult of Orlanth, but from your description I don't think he's in danger of being Outlawed. I'm not surprised he thinks the Sartar Humakti cult are "too confining," but I think he'd find the Esrolian Humakti cult to be a better fit. In my Glorantha they're kinda like the cult of Panash from Questworld, and they're ALL (well, Orlanthi "all") neurotically vain!
Also, a trickster isn't the type to aspire to anything like being the greatest swordsman in Glorantha; they aspire to things like staying drunk as long as they can or seeing how much money they can bilk the innkeeper out of or figuring out how to get into that haughty Lady Jezra's pants.
Lastly, Spiro's gonna have to do a lot of traveling to be tempted to learn Strike or Conceal, not to mention the problems he'll have in actually finding and gaining access to the shrines! The Murder aspect is found only in Zamokil and Peloria, while the Thief aspect incarnation which teaches Conceal is Raven, in Prax.
Rob:
I must respectfully disagree with you. I don't think ANY
Eurmali were ever first initiated into Orlanth and then
'switched' gods, as you imply might happen. The sorts
of wretches that get forced into or end up worshiping Eurmal
are pretty effectively socially isolated (except maybe for
close family and the Chalana Arroy types) by that time. Well,
the Comic Fool types may not be socially isolated, but their
"gift" for fooling around would still have been recognized by
then and they would still not be allowed to join a cult as
serious and important as Orlanth's. That person might be able
to run away and join an entertainer's cult before they are
forced into playing Eurmal's part in some ceremony, but not
everyone is so lucky.
As I've said before, I don't believe Eurmali are aware of the role of their god in the world or are conscious of their own role in their society. They are probably as aware of that sort of thing as your average ancient Indian Pariah or Roman "morion" was. I think most Gloranthans come to worship Eurmal either through extraordinarily poor judgment ("Gee, I thought the Temple of the Mooning Reach was the same thing as the Temple of the Reaching Moon. Are you telling me that I DIDN'T just join the Seven Mothers?"), because they are forced into it, or because it fits their self-centered personality and lifestyle (ie, they are nasty stinking drunken bastards, they are lying stealing sociopaths, they are selfish ill mannered louts, they are callous murderous thieves, they are lazy good-for-nothings who see they can get a "free ride" if they just make people laugh, etc...).
And lastly, just for fun, my take on the Praxian cult of Raven:
Raven (Prax) dB
Three Feathered Rival, The Clever One
Raven is one of the Three Feathered Rivals of Prax, along with Sun Hawk and Thunderbird. They are all bird spirits that were not originally from Prax, but who ended up residing there. All nomadic Praxian peoples tell tales of these spirits, and there is a common theme which runs through the stories. This theme is how the powers of each of these spirits always bests the powers of a second spirit, but are also always bested by the powers of the third spirit. For his part, Raven's cleverness always gets the best of Thunderbird, but Raven is no match for Sun Hawk's clarity of thought and keen eye. In addition to the Three Feathered Rival tales, other stories are also told about Raven.
I. MYTHOS AND HISTORY Before Time
Not even Waha is sure exactly when or how this spirit came to inhabit Prax. Sometimes Raven was silly, as when he kept asking his penis a question until it answered, and then he could not get it to stop yelling the answer. Often Raven was stupid, as when he challenged a poisonous snake to a biting contest. But sometimes Raven was helpful, as when he freed River Man from Frog Woman or when he stole Mahome away from Yelm. When the Great Darkness came, the Horned Man taught shamans how to work with spirits, including Raven, to share in their power.
After Time
During the Dawn, as shamans continued to regularly contact and worship Raven, he was able to solidify his part in Praxian nomadic society.
The God Learners came and explored Prax during the Second Age. They convinced several Praxian shamans that Raven's powers were of Illusion, not Darkness, and that he was related to Eurmal the Trickster, one of the Seven Seekers who live to the west. One shaman even traveled to the Isle of Slontos to bless a shrine to Raven in the Trickster United Temple. When the Isle of Slontos sank beneath the sea and the God Learners were destroyed, the Praxian shamans knew they were wrong and they cleansed themselves and their followers of all Eurmal and God Learner Trickster influences.
In the Third Age, Raven continues to be worshipped through a spirit cult.
Life After Death
Raven worshipers retain their Praxian beliefs about life after death, and follow Praxian funerary rituals.
Runic Associations
Raven is associated with the runes of Darkness and Beast.
II. CULT ECOLOGY Raven's magic provides a way for Praxian nomads to hide themselves from view. This magic is most often used to gain a military advantage or to obtain items they need that they could not otherwise get. As a Three Feathered Rival, he helps create a stable dynamic of magical powers in Prax. As a cultural figure, he provides awareness and knowledge of cultural boundaries.
III. THE CULT IN THE WORLD Although all Praxian nomads (excepting the Ostrich tribe) worship Raven occasionally, he has traditionally been worshipped most by the Morokanth and Zebra tribes. Since Moonbroth, Impala shamans have also been worshiping Raven more often. Most Praxian shamans, especially those who are actively bound to Raven, continue to be very suspicious of strangers who are interested in worshiping Raven. His cult has been under greater mythic pressure recently, since the Lunars have convinced Count Solanthos in Sun County to permit Praxian nomads to worship at an ancient Sun Hawk shrine near Yellow Sky (in the hopes of fomenting a stronger Solar presence among the Praxian tribes).
Raven can only be contacted in Prax. One place holy to Raven is said to be Spirit Mountain, in the south east range of the Eiritha Hills. Praxian shamans who contact and worship Raven regularly often gain the reputation for being both powerful and crazy. Most Praxian shamans only contact Raven when his powers are absolutely necessary for the tribe. Some Praxian shamans say that the hated Pentan shamans also know Raven, but that he does not help them in the same way.
IV. WORSHIPERS Requirements: most Praxian shamans will only allow someone from their own tribe to join them in worship. Outsiders almost always must have joined the tribe before they are allowed to worship Raven.
V. SHAMANS Requirements: The shaman rules for RuneQuest describe the correct practices for Gloranthan shamans.
The spirit cult rules for RuneQuest describe the correct way for shamans to contact and worship Raven. He provides the Divine Magic spell Conceal as a reusable spell.
When summoned, Raven can appear in one of two forms. He
usually appears as a large blue-black raven, but he sometimes
appears as a human with a raven's head, and (most rarely) as a
'normal' human. He always has a twinkle of mischief in his
dark eyes.
VI. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES Although actively rejected by the Praxians, from a God Learner [ie gaming] view Raven is an incarnation of the Thief aspect of Trickster (as defined by the Trickster cult description in Gods of Glorantha ). Praxian Raven shamans and worshipers may not automatically sacrifice for magic at any Trickster shrine. However, any Trickster initiate who manages to successfully worship Raven can gain the Conceal Divine Magic spell on a reusable basis. Also, if Raven's worship service is a special success, he provides his shaman with one use of a Divine Magic Illusory spell or Reflection .
Peace,
Peter
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