Hasni Mubarak asks various questions.
>Dormal: Do worshipers of Saint Dormal get DI?
>Other Saints: Do other saints give DI?
It depends on the church you're a member of.
In game terms only worshippers of Saints in the Aeolian Church (and similar Stygian churches) get access to DI. Remember the Aeolian Church includes saints such as Saint Humakt, Saint Chalana Arroy, etc. The worship of Saints in this church is very much akin to that of worshipping spirits and gods in a pantheistic cult, though many of their clerics would deny it. (There might be a case for making this DI mechanic different to the one used for pantheistic religions. Ideas?)
Worshippers of Saint Dormal in the Rokari or Hrestoli churches don't get access to DI since they do not worship saints as gods or spirits. Saint are viewed as paragons and role models, and the only magical powers that can accrue from their worship is if you take one as your patron saint. Read Tales #13 for more info on how the saint mechanics work.
As I remember, Galvosti Church worshippers don't receive any magical benefits from their Saints at all, since they see them solely as role models. Worshipping a saint for magical benefits would be anathema to them and smack of evil demon worship. Instead their school of magic has a whole lot of cool sorcery spells.
Seshnela is currently in conflict with many of the states of western Ralios (who are to the east of them). It's not really a war yet. They are trying to divide and conquer in easy bite-sized chunks.
Hypothetical Artifact. Personally, I'd choose a Uleria HQ to reverse the Blast Loins spell. It's not a question of healing, but re-fertilizing! Obviously such a HQ would have to involve a lot of crawling and fawning to women to make up for the previous heinous acts against them. And some weird and lewd ingredients.
Humakti armouring. Duncan Rowlands has written a Humakti armouring sub-cult that will appear in Tales #15.
Cat People:
I think that the Orlanthi (at least in DP) are descended from Cat Hsunchen people. This is where all the myths involving Yinkin as Orlanth's brother originate from. Since cats and dogs are always fighting it would explain the underlying antipathy towards dogs. Hmm... is that why no one trusts the Telmori?
The problem with Yinkin as he exists in the Orlanthi pantheon at the moment is that he doesn't have a decent role in society, and thus I can't see anyone worshipping him except as an extra in a mythic re-enactment. In the Whistling Caves he's a sort of Trickster/Fool figure, while his rune spell suggests a bent towards hunting. Unfortunately the Orlanthi pantheon already has Eurmal and Odayla for these aspects.
I'm moving to the view that within the Lismelder Uncle Yinkin is a sub-cult or co-cult of Odayla. He provides the perceptive skills and the link with nature that a good hunter requires. And, of course, the hunting cats that are a hunter's best friend. (Nick Brooke has proved to us all that shadow cats don't herd!)
Perhaps some other Sartarite clans don't know of Odayla as a deity and instead worship Yinkin as their Hunting god. Though this would limit the sort of hunting they do. I'd expect more "primitive" Orlanthi clans to follow this practice. Clans that rely on hunting more than farming would be closer to their hsunchen roots.
Deville:
Jose Ramos complains about the Deville stories aound his concept of heroism. Well, I have to say I'm not too keen on the stories myself. If these were PC's then they would be major powergamers - if only due to the abuse of their great powers and the certainty that they are invincible!
I suspect that I've read too many Falco books for my own good (these are excellent Chandleresque "detective" stories set in Vespasian's Imperial Rome by Lindsay Davis). I prefer to see my heroes more like Falco - vulnerable and full of human foibles! (IMHO). It would be sheer heaven if we could have Falco-like fiction set in Pavis! Where is Alan LaVergne when you need him?
Also IMO Argrath is one of the leaders of the Black Fang Brotherhood in Pavis! Or the New Teeth, as his part of the family is called (per KoS). Now *that* would make a feindish twist to the Deville story...
Cheers,
David Hall
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