Erik Sieurin. Please note the difference between the names "Metcalf" and "Michaels." We'll admit to being incorrigible, but NOT interchangeable. ;-) Thank you.
OK. On to the comments.
Erik says:
>As a Messenger, I'm damn sure that Passage is a good spell. In
>these days, you bug telephone calls; in the days of yore, you
>kidnap a messenger and says you'll cut off his balls if he don't
>talk. Lock is another issue, but a spy-like aspect could teach
>UNlock. At least through some hero-cult.
What does threatening a messenger with castration have to do with the spell Passage? (Not that threatening an Irish Eachlach ["Rider"] with castration would do any good. In the sagas, Eachlach are always women of noble status.*) Also, Passage is NOT an "UNlock" spell. It is a spell which must be cast at the same time as the spell Lock, and essentially allows the caster to make a "duplicate key" to the Lock spell for a trusted friend/acquaintance. So, having Passage is of no use for getting past someone else's Lock. But since Lock is just a specialized Glue spell, all you really need is a lot of STR to break it.
*- That being said, I don't think that the Riders in the East Wilds are women. But I still don't think threatening them with castration would do any good, given their fierce loyalty to their chieftain.
Next, David P. feels the need to defend David D. by saying:
>Firstly Issaries is _not_ a trading god in Ralios. That
>function is filled by Doskior (the river god) as most trade in
>Orlanthi Ralios is river borne. Issaries serves the functions
>of communication travel and I believe that the create market
>spell is more a "create moot" spell whereas pathwatch is
>useful for travelers in general. I think that the bargain has
>less to do with trading than with "dickering for position" and
>status, etc that is so important amoung the Ralian Orlanthi.
Perhaps I didn't make myself clear in my original post. I never said that Issaries is a trading god in the East Wilds. I understand that David defines Issaries as the "God of Communications and Travel." But then, that's the same way Issaries is described on the "Staves from the Storm Priest" page from GOG, where he's clearly the god of merchants. IMO, David's cult description doesn't adequately reflect any significant difference from that of the Manarian Issaries. (If I were to lapse into psychbabble, I'd say the two cults were not differentiated enough.) His spell list is the exact same (including Spelltrading!) as that of the Goldentongue subcult, for whether you call the spell "Create Market" or "Create Moot" the effect is the same. (Or am I mistaken? It's still a specialized Warding against anyone with "hostile intent," isn't it?) And otherwise his cult is the exact same as the Harald Goodword subcult.
Off the cuff, my version of the cult would probably provide spells such as Pathwatch, Retell (David lists it as a spell for Issaries, and I assume it allows the caster to be able to repeat something word-for-word including inflections, etc. and maybe even in the other person's voice), and Hie Horse (similar to Hie Wagon, but just for unhitched horses).
I think Lankoring provides Create Moot, in his role as Lawspeaker.
My point is that I see the East Ralios Issaries cult as MUCH MORE than strictly neutral messengers-for-hire who act as gobetweens, negotiators, and language teachers. Instead, I see them as "the loyal and noble Riders, whom our Chieftain trusts as he does no others. They are his eyes and ears abroad in the land, and their words are as his own. Now bring them our best ale, and be quick about it!"
But then, it's just thought.
Peace,
Peter
End of Glorantha Digest V2 #346
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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