Gods, spirits & heroquesting

From: TTrotsky_at_aol.com
Date: Sat, 10 May 1997 09:49:37 -0400 (EDT)


Trent DiRenna:
<< 2. Similarly, some gods have been described as being powerful spirits,  rather than actual "gods". Spirit cults come to mind, but there are also  beings such as ancestor spirits, who aren't gods, but provide many more  powers than a spirit. What would you say the dividing line between a  "spirit" (reachable by a shaman) and a "god" (reachable only by worship or  HeroQuesting) is? >>

     The answer is bound to be a rules mechanic one. A god is something that does whatever gods do in your game system (provide lots of divine magic or whatever). A spirit is one that doesn't. IMO the Gloranthans, especially those in shamanic societies, don't see there as being a specific dividing line. Weak god, powerful spirit, it's all the same thing.  

   <<3. Some HeroQuests are described as being on the Material plane. Does  this mean that the events, situations, and enemies of the Quest just  appear out of thin air, or does the Quester have to set this up himself
(like in a High Holy Day ritual)? Could somebody not "in" the Quest
 interfere with it?>>

     Greg gave a talk on this at the last Convulsion. As far as I recall and understand what he said, the Quester does have it set it up, and somebody else can most certainly interfere. An example he quoted was the HeroQuest where Gore and Gash are defeated by Orlanth. To do it, the Orlanthi grab a couple of trollkin slaves say 'you're the gigantic troll twins' and beat them up. To those partaking in the HeroQuest, the trollkin _are_ Gore and Gash and the combat is truly epic. To throw a spanner in the works, all you have to do is sneak in a couple of well-trained trollkin warriors, thus making it far more likely the HeroQuester (Orlanth) gets defeated.

     I would imagine that the more 'experimental' HeroQuests, where you are trying to change reality in more fundamental ways, say, to give yourself a previously unknown ability, are unlikely to occur in the material world in this way.  

 <<4. Does a Quest have to be based in a myth, or can it be wholly original?  

(like if you go questing on the HeroPlane, which still seems to be
 somewhat within Mundame Space and Time)>>

     AFAIK it has to be based on a myth, except possibly if you travel physically to the Outer World.  

PS: If anyone still wants to argue about compasses and geometry could we do it through private e-mail? I'm willing to discuss it this way, and I should think most readers of the Digest are a bit bored by now...

 All hail the Reaching Moon

    Trotsky


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