mysticism and immanent path

From: Peter Metcalfe <P.Metcalfe_at_student.canterbury.ac.nz>
Date: Thu, 07 Dec 1995 13:35:17 +1300


Andrew Behan:

Writes a useful set of rulez. The last paragraph caught my eye.

>The Worship (Deity) skill is special. This is the orthodox Kralori method
>for gaining real Divine Magic. In return for a Mysticism sacrafice equal to
>its POW value you get the spell permanently, for an MP sacrafice you get
>to use it right there and then. I think that this is the real importance
>of the Charismatic Wisdom skill.

hmm. I think from Nils' rules they need several other skills than just simply worship diety. For instance, a Kralori War Cult would require four other appropiate skills (ie Sword Attack etc) to connect the void to reality so to speak. Otherwise it becomes far too easy to gain this sort of magic compared with the average Theist, IMO.

Also I would adopt some exotic rules in using it to make it feel like it isn't standard Divine Magic, I'm working with. Frex, the time it takes for the effect to become reusable would initially be a year and can only be quickened by practice and/or mediation.

As for Charismatic Wisdom, I believe it was the False Dragon equivalent of the Mysticism Lore when they ruled the place. The Mandarins after they regained power plundered Charismatic Wisdom of its secrets (being technically Invented Here) and incorporated them into the Kralori Mysticism. Some independant Sorcerers may also know Charismatic Wisdom.

The mandarins permit the Immanent Path to survive mainly because they know all the Good Stuff which the Inner Circle devotees have lost since the War in Heaven. It would be more difficult for an orthodox mystic to do the Draconic Shapechanging that the Inner Circle does, so the Mandarins decry the Path magics as False Dragon Powers. Fortunately for the Mandarins, their bonsai strategy towards the Immanent Path has ensured that the orthodox mystics are capable of achieving greater power than the Immanent Path.

If anybody in the Immanent Path shows sings of being promising and innovative [ie a potential cult hero], the Mandarins either promote him to a position of powerlessness or secretly have him done in.

All IMO.

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