"Yorocious" asks about Hwarin info. As Loren mentioned, the long-form of my cult writeup is available on the web (though if Yorocious does not have web access I can certainly email it to him). I would note that Hwarin's Conquering Daughter aspect is just the aspect most noted amongst the people of Southern Peloria. She is, of course, an incarnation of the Red Goddess herself and an incarnation of the Earth Mother of Sylila. In this, she embodies the Warrior Maid, the Giving Mother (her artisanal and fertility aspects), and the Old Woman (the oracular/divinatory aspect). Hwarin's worship is mostly in Sylila and Imther (possibly Vanch as well). Though she is found in Holay, she was not able to fully incarnate as the Earth Mother of that region--Hon-eel became such for Holay and Tarsh. And while some units of the local provincial corps and the Heartland Corps undoubtedly follow her warrior aspect, I do not believe that you can find her worship throughout the Lunar armies.
Loren also mentions the Daughter's Roads. There is some more detail on these in Heroes #2 (or WF #12) on the Second Wane of the Lunar Empire and also in the writeup on the Singing Road in Wyrms Footprints.
> There are two levels to the roads, supported by arches every 10 to
30m. The upper level is narrow, 5 to 10 meters above the ground, and
used mostly for ceremonial purposes. I bet that nobles also use it
to segregate themselves from social inferiors.
While I'm sure they would like to, the upper roads are not just ceremonial, but highly magical with heroquesting implications. The use of the upper level tends to draw appropriate foes to you which your standard noble may not be prepared for. If you do use such, possible foes include: river creatures/elementals/spirits, barbarians, grief spirits, and your own father (yes, the Red Emperor was a foe of Hwarin for a time). You might also encounter dream visions where your closest friends/relatives are slain or where you must enter the depths of the earth.
> The lower level is broad, 1 to 3 meters above the ground, and used for
normal traffic. Arches support the roads.
As much as possible the entire lower roadway is a gentle decline from either Hilltown (in the case of the second road) or Filichet (in the case of the first road) to the Oslir River crossing at the Bridge of Phirmax. Particularly in the hilly regions coming down from Imther, this results in some sizable valleys that are bridged where the roadway is considerably more than 1 to 3 meters above the ground. These are important trade routes from Imther and Holay respectively into the empire.
Since the "model" for the Daughter's Roads were the Roman aqueducts there may well be a third/top level which is in fact an aqueduct to which a river spirit has been bound by the priests of the Conquering Daughter.
> It would be prohibitively expensive to build such roads normally, so
the HD cult must have some amazing magic going on to make them possible.
Quite so. Note that both major roads were built during Hwarin's lifetime and both utilized "bound" labor to raise them (in addition to Hwarin's own magics). Since then many lesser spurs have been built off the main roads creating a 'web-like' effect.
Martin Crim raised the issue of 'independent magicians'. While I think I have a good sense of where he is coming from (since he cited my Imtherian Keepers of Dire Secrets as an example), I think the term 'independent magicians' is misleading.
Loren comments:
> Why do you need more atheistic magic-workers than sorcerors?...one of
the reasons I like Glorantha so much is that magic in Glorantha is not a
morally neutral force. It is connected to cult and culture.
I don't think Martin was implying local atheistic magic workers, just ones who were not strictly cult priests. Your final comment about the magical connections includes the aspect that I believe Martin was working towards--a culturally-based LOCAL 'magic'.
Taking a look at the Keepers of Dire Secrets in Imther: in a given village (say an average of 100 people), there are usually 5 such women. Usually these women are about 10 years apart in age with the oldest perhaps around 60 or 70 and the youngest around 20 (and just starting to learn the 'magics'). These women are initiates in the local women's cults: Nealda the EarthMother, Khalana the Healer, or Ralaska the Hearth Mother. They might be acolytes/priestesses, but aren't usually (partly because most villages can't support an actual priestess, but also because they have differing functions). Yes, these women have basic spirit spells and use them to heal wounds, etc.
But much of their 'magic' is not of spells. They interpret dreams, they gather herbs and make potions (for anything from aphrodisiacs to cures for warts to hangover cures), they read the paths of birds or the entrails of chickens to divine omens, they study signs of local spirits and make offerings to appease them (which I guess makes them something of a priestess, though it lacks the ritual or ceremonial side), they comfort women during pregnancy or giving birth (and not necessarily with spells), they serve as confidants, hear grievances, and suggest or provide 'curses', and they collect and tell stories and wisdom. They also raise their own families. Basically, they handle all the lesser 'magics' of life that integrate with the greater magics of the gods and the culture as a whole.
In other areas, these function may be taken on by a wise woman (or wise man or hermit, etc). Maybe in Pavis each city district has its Lore Woman who keeps a shop where divinations (based on the lesser magics of auguries or dream readings or palm readings) are done. Do the people disbelieve these because they are not detected as magics? No, they are equally valid, and they don't come with the same strings attached as a
Divination from the Lhankor Mhy temple. Look at our own modern 'priests'--physicians. Just because they offer powerful cures does not mean that everyone goes to them all the time. Instead they consult friends or relatives about the best way to cure a fever or a cold or they go to Health Stores to buy vitamins or herbal remedies. Priests are effective but often intimidating. Gods may want more than money, they may give strange, otherworldly answers that don't offer the comfort of a good home remedy.
Dane 'Danger' Johnson offers that:
> First and foremost, just about everybody can cast magic in Glorantha.
A lot of the minor "mischief" magic can probably be handled either by
yourself or your family or your friends. The lack of minor divination
(ie, tea reading) or 'curdle milk' spells in RuneQuest doesn't
necessarily mean they don't exist in Glorantha.
Which is quite true. And I think this is what Martin is working to do-- fill in these nooks and crannies of the local environment that gives it a color and life beyond the local priest.
> there are always the wandering 'Adventurers' or Evil Sorcerers to
do this sort of thing for you.
Though this is true and undoubtedly such are used, I think most villagers fear strangers. They are 'not us'. Giving power to one of these strangers is VERY dangerous to the entire community. Only someone with a total disregard for the community (or a dangerous obsession that overwhelms such regard) would venture to bring such 'evil' or 'chaos' into the local world. Of course, this does happen, and it makes for interesting scenarios.
> local Trickster cultists are going to be more than happy to cause
whatever trouble you might be willing to pay for and/or suggest, not to
mention being perfectly happy to lie to you about your future. :)
Oh certainly, but most people know the local trickster, I believe, and understand that there is a high risk that they will become the next victim. Far safer to use the wise woman or man of the area.
I would venture that Martin is not looking to create another type of magic or magician, but is looking to acknowledge that the Gloranthans themselves recognize things as magical that we might find commonplace, particularly in the rural communities. Any specialized artisan work, such as smithing and making potions, is magical. Dreams and omens are magical as are their interpretations. Those who deal in such may be wise or different or even mad, but are certainly used as much as any priest IMO.
Harald
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