manufacturing dissent

From: David Cake <davidc_at_cyllene.uwa.edu.au>
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 18:14:52 +0800


>In our campaign, Ginna Jar is an alternate path for females. There are
>plenty of Warriors (Vinga, Bab Gor), Healer (C.A) and Earth Mother (Ern.)
>figures. Ginna Jar seemed to represent the mysteries of womanhood. The
>idea that there is power in being female and in those aspects; that these
>are not necessarily fighting or healing as roles in society.

        I think this is a subtle error - Ginna Jar is not about any particular role in society, Ginna Jar is about society itself. I certainly don't think that Ginna Jar is seen as a uniquely female role. Ginna Jar is about working together, but its not necessarily a female social role or whatever, its just as equally about military esprit de corps, or the right of the trickster to exist.

>Dave Cake dissents (as usual): to explain a bit further, we'd see "the Cult
>of Yanafal Tarnils of the Seven Mothers" as distinct from the Cult of the
>Seven Mothers itself, probably a sub-cult identical to any Humakt-based,
>non-Army-based cult writeup your campaign has been using for YT all these
>years.

	Do I really dissent with such regularity?
	Anyway, while I applaud your motivations, this does seem to divide
those who revere Yanafals Tarnils into three separate categories worshippers of Yanafals Tarnils, who are virtually synonymous with 'Lunar Army Officers', and have a cult rather like Humakts but not quite. worshippers of Yanafals Tarnils of the Seven Mothers, who are pretty much like Humakti with curved swords, with local variations and
worshipers of the Yanafals Tarnils subcult of the Seven Mothers, who have a wide variety of magic.

        This does seem a bit excessive. Even two versions is confusing enough. Surely we could relax the YT=Lunar Army Officer association a little, and say that some YT cultists exist outside the army, and there may be local variations (generally towards Humaktness in temples with many converts) at the borders of the Empire?

        BTW Nick - Vadeli characterisation superb.

Ian asks
>For some time now, I've been considering a campaign set in Afadjann and Golden
>Kareeshtu, using a mix of old Carthage and Moorish Morocco/Spain as rough RW
>inspiration. Can anyone tell me if any source material exists dealing with
>Fonrit in general and Afadjann and Kareeshtu in particular (other than the
>very
>brief mention they get in the Glorantha and Elder Secrets source packs)? I
>would be especially interested in material expanding upon the social order of
>the Veldang peoples.

        I can hear legions of Gloranthan completists (or proud owners of MIG) rushing to say that the information you require appeared in an issue of Heroes magazine. Quite a lot of it. Try to get hold of it, lots of good stuff.

        No information on the Veldang in there, though. Some in TOTRM #12, in a Paul Reilly scenario, but I'm not sure how widely shared Pauls ideas are, and besides, they refer to native Veldang, not the Veldang slaves of Fonrit, who might be quite a different situation.

>In another question, why do Orlanthi priests have to have an ox cart ? I
>could understand having a chariot because of the mythic link with Mastakos
>but why an ox cart, I have never read anything that involves Orlanth and ox
>carts except the ROC cult write up. So could someone explain why in 1620
>Dragon Pass/Prax a Orlanth priest has to have an ox cart and why not a chariot

        The important idea is that they have a mobile temple. I imagine a mobile temple, plus priest, plus priests stuff, etc wouldn't fit on a chariot, but does on an ox-cart.

        Personally, I would treat the ox-cart bit as a mere custom, only enforced by the most conservative high priests - but the mobile temple is very important. But if you really maintain some other sort of mobile temple of at least as great dignity, fine.

        Cheers

                David


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