>For an updated Foes, a good start would be for everyone to type in one (or
more!) characters in their campaign. Since the worst nasties are often
fleshed
out quite well, this would provide a starting set of Foes.
I like this idea. I will try to send you several. I will also include some of the piddly little NPC guys too. (trollkin, Sartarites, Lunar soldier grunts, oasis folk, etc.) A line or two about motivations and general reactions would be helpful, I imagine.
I know precious little about text program formats and the internet, but would it be easier for you if you made a template available in several formats (I vote for at least MS WORD or EXCEL), which people could type the characters into? Might save you some time.
Talking with Delecti Scott, I suggested that someone start a central log of small, homemade scenarios that folks could pick up and run. Organizing them by culture or area would be additionally spiffy. Frex, I would volunteer my "White Buffalo" scenario for newbie Praxian PC's, which I ran and posted about last year.
PM>Despite this, I do not believe that citizenship is confined to the upper urban class.
You may be right. I dunno. Maybe it varies throughout the empire. In Home of the Bold, I played Terpetia Bosky, an accomplished Etyries merchant (from Furthest or Mirin's Cross, I think.) Although her 1/2 brother was a citizen, (he was High Priest of the Market in Bold Home), Terpetia wasn't. Becoming one was a big goal. She achieved it only after seducing a Lunar general, the sleeping with and then blackmailing the Yelmic Magistrate, and offering to secure the treasury of the Lunar Governor with her Etyries spells.)
PM>The chief problem I have here is that I don't know of any RW social system which has a closed nobility which was defined by exclusive worship of a ruling god and the masses worshipping a cluster of gods who are subject to the ruling god.
You have a point - but then, Nils' point in bringing up the relationship of humans to deities was to illustrate that Glorantha isn't the real world. (But how about the Egyptians? Did the Emperor worship a special god?)
> The Nobles must have some *backup* to enforce
their will in case of a social crisis.
Their backup are the Lodril priests, the Shargashi, and everybody else who benefits from society as is. Note that they _do _ have to reform things sometimes, or even the Lodril priests may turn on them. But I don't see how opening the Yelm cult up is going to make the average mob any happier. Dara Happa is a model of Yelm's court, isn't it?
>Having most urban commoners partake in some rites of the Yelm Cult
would give Dara Happan Society that robustness IMO.
True. But IMG, they take part in the Yelm cult through associate cults. sure, they can worship Yelm in the big ceremonies by donating MP, but they are _not_ initiates into the mysteries of "Yelm the Emperor of the Universe". (Note that I think in Dara Happan, the phrase "Almighty Godfather Yelm, Emperor of the Universe, Protector of the World, Keeper and Source of All Justice" - can be reduced to a syllable or two! Note how often Plentonius uses the entire phrase.)
The way I see it, in Peloria, Yelm is a ruler diety. This was clear even from the old Pelandan/Brightface myths. Brightface was chosen by the goddesses as the "best of the men's gods", and given the power of rulership over them.
Ok - here's the heretical bit. I view Yelm as sort of a "Lodril Rex". Think about it: both Yelm and Lodril are male fire/fertility deites. Both began in the sky and wound up in the underworld. Both still come and go between the underworld and the surface. Both provide complete life-paths for men. (Like Orlanth, Waha, etc.) Doesn't that sound suspiciously similar?
But now, after society became more centralized and complex, one is high and one is low. One rules and one obeys (ususally). For me, the parallel is Barntar-Orlanth/Orlanth Rex. Does every Orlanthi belong to Orlanth Rex? No. They're all Orlanthi, but only those involved in running things initiate to Orlanth Rex. Peter might claim that Orlanth Rex is akin to Yelm Imperator, but in Peloria I think cultic initiation splits along classes more than in Orlanthi society.
However, I see how Peter could come to his conclusions.
Yours in the spirit of compromise -
Pam
Powered by hypermail