hunts and flintnail

From: David Cake <davidc_at_cyllene.uwa.edu.au>
Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 15:56:38 +0800


Peter Metcalfe mentions Star Bears, a deep mystery of Glorantha if there ever is one. They appear in Orlanthi and Lunar mythology, and they seem to be talking about the same bears.
> The only other mention of Star Bears that I know
>of is in Lunar mythology where the Goddess herself is riding on a
>bear.

        I think Orogeria hunts them as well. If there was ever a Lunar goddess of the Wild Hunt, it would be Orogeria. Interesting, hey? She goes from hunting them (whatever they represent) to taming them. Perhaps they are merely symbolic of the middle air spirits? I'd like to think it was something a little more interesting, though.

        While we are talking Wild Hunts, I don't think Gagarth is necessarily associated with Whirlvishes outside Prax. Gagarth is the wind from above, IIRC, according to the Aroka myth anyway. The whirlvishes are above winds because they don't obviously go in one of the compass directions (they go around). I think in Dragon Pass, they are associated with other winds from on high, probably the frezing howling winds of the high mountains? Anyway, not always whirlvishes.

Flintnail
>Thus I would
>convert all the rune magic spells to sorcery equivalents (mould rock
>becomes form/set rock, warrior of stone becomes animate stone etc).

        One of the Flintnail rune spells, can't remember the name, is obviously the Mostali special sorcery spell Stabilise Masonry, from the Mostal cult writeup. This supports Flintnail being Rock Mostali, which doesn't really gel with the idea that it Flintnail is Isidilian the Wise (aka the Dwarf). I think Peter is quite correct in his assesments of flintnail magic - the Flintnail 'spirit' and 'rune' magic would all be sorcery in RQ3. Of course, it would seem likely that some Flintnail members are also in the Pavis cult (ie the Ginkizzie who is leader of the Flintnail cult and a Daughter of Pavis), which is still divine, so apostate they are anyway.

        Oh, and while we are on the subject - critical proof armour. for the only mention that I have seen outside Steve Maurers rules, take a look at Stabilise Armour, the Mostali spell.

>I don't think Flintnail would give Divine Intervention. IMO the
>cult is devoid of any spiritual element and most human cultists
>look to Orlanth and Ernalda for afterlife etc.

        I would have thought the Pavis ones (the only ones of whom I am aware) would be almost all worshippers of Pavis and other native Pavic cults.

        Cheers

                David


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