> 1. Why does Illumination work, how makes oneself immune from gods > retribution?
Even the gods don't know this. There are competing theories - on this list and in Glorantha both - which tend to boil down to the Illuminate freeing himself from the fear and guilt which the gods use to identify victims for their spirits of retribution: Illuminates being solipsistic enough to invent their own morality and ignore those parts of custom and tradition which they disdain.
There's more on Illumination in "Dorastor: Land of Doom", "Lords of Terror", and "Proceedings in Malkionism" (which has Greg Stafford's answers to audience questions about Illumination). Plus other places...
> 2. Is there a compass in Glorantha and where does it point to?
A properly enchanted tin needle will always point away from the centre of the world, if hung on a thread or allowed to spin freely floating on water. I don't think many people have these. The Red Moon is a fixed reference point you could use for navigation, I suppose -- mind you, don't we all do this in a very real and meaningful spiritual sense?
> (What myth do the Lodrili farmers of Doblian etc. have wrt the > reascent of the sun?)
Presumably similar to the Turos myths in the Entekosiad:
: Turos, as we know, followed the bat and found the Impossible Gate.
: He rolled aside the Gate Wheel, and thereby let the Musician out,
: leading his lover and bringing music back to the world.
:
: Afterwards the gods assembled farther to the east, and this same
: music was played over a lightless cave mouth. From there, DenegEria
: (Daughter of Life) emerged from her imprisonment. Before her came
: all the lesser beings first, scattering like her pets into their
: burrows.
:
: Finally, the ancient gods came forth again. Kargzant and Shargash
: reappeared, venturing forth from behind the Sky Dome to confront
: the sky world again. They mounted into the sky and Kargzant freed
: the stars. Shargash threw down the evil stars and escorted them
: into the Underworld. Then he re-emerged, doing this over and over
: until the sky was clean again. He then brought up Lokarnos to mark
: their victory and to count the days.
:
: After that the other planets were brought forth, until at last the
: sun rose again, and brought sunlight, wholeness and health back to
: the world.
It's always nice to see another "spin" on the LBQ. The Orlanthi think that the Lightbringers (by descending into Hell) were the prime agents redeeming the world; the Dara Happans think that Yelm (by transcending himself in Hell) did all of the really difficult stuff, while the Lightbringers (if noticed at all) were simply apologising to set the Cosmos right; now, the Pelandans come at it from a different angle altogether: it was *their* gods and heroes, outside Hell and never descending, who made the world into something worth returning to.
A lovely example of myth-interpretation, as everyone can agree to the actions described in the others' myths, but disagree furiously about their intention or importance.
> [Orlanth] Adventurous probably is a favourite of the semi-adults on > their nightly forays, but fails to serve the needs of the married > townsman IMO.
OTOH, the married towns*women* have no complaints, I understand: such is morality among the barbarians.
End of Glorantha Digest V4 #356
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