RE: Howdy

From: Sandy Petersen <SPetersen_at_ensemblestudios.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 1998 11:37:57 -0600


Philip Hibbs
> Does anyone have any clear ideas about the Rokari policy on teaching magic to non-Wizards?

The Rokari commonly teach magic to non-Wizards, so long as they're Rokari. Using my own rules, such individuals can cast spells using the art of Intensity (only). This rule is pretty common among Malkioni that do not permit movement between castes. The precise Rokari rule (in my campaign, and supported by the rules) is:

ROKARI
* Peasants & Knights -- Intensity only, (and those spells
appropriate for their duty in life)
* Wizards -- no restrictions

The standard Rokari rule (above) is quite common, and I believe that both the Galvosti & Borists follow it, for instance. And as a bonus here are some more rules from my campaign -- I'm open to discussion on these, BTW:

HRESTOLI
* Peasants -- may learn no Arts. May learn spells, but cannot
manipulate them at all.
* Knights -- may learn Intensity.

CARMANIAN
* Only Wizards may acquire any Arts. (The other castes commonly
learn spirit magic.)

CASTLE COAST
* A Peasant may only learn Intensity.

SEDALPISTS
* A Peasant may only learn Intensity.

SYANORAN
* Only Clergy & Lords may learn Arts.

VALKARISM
* Work Folk may learn no Arts.

Vesa Lehtinen:
>there are Lanbril gang "alhemists" that manufacture Thunder Lung Dust and everything else described in Lanbril writeup

Peter M.
>I prefer to think the thieves of Pavis are much less sophisticated and they don't have alchemists at all.

Coming from years of play in Pavis, I am of the belief that the thieves of Pavis are reasonably sophisticated. I agree they don't have "guild" alchemists -- but there _are_ alchemists in Pavis, both dwarf and human, and some of them are certainly willing to manufacture banned products for sale to thieves.

Rex Bean
>Thieves Guilds would not exist for lots of good reasons already listed.

        Of course there aren't "Thieves Guilds" except maybe in the biggest Kralorelan cities (Kralorela is so atherosclerotic and ancient and rules-ridden that a thieves guild almost makes sense here), but Glorantha does have some organized crime. Notably Black Fang in Pavis & environs.

	In the Lunar Empire you get Krarsht. 
	In the West there is "Saint Dismas". 
	In Fonrit there are some thieves' organizations too, whose names
I tragically forget and don't have Gods of Gloranthan on hand. Strictly speaking, the Fonritian organizations aren't really a religion (though thats how GoG portrays them), but they do have quasi-religious overtones, much as did the Chinese tongs.

Simon Hibbs
> We know that Humakt slughtered the healers of Healer Valley, which is re-enacted in the outlawed Lead Cross heroquest. >Does that help?

Richard Ohlson
>Hm, I have heard of the quest, though I don't know the myth it's based on. Where can I find out more about it?

        It's not fully written up anywhere, so far as I know. Basically, there were evil healers who were subverting Death by bringing folk who ought to be dead back to life (like executed criminals and such). In the heroquest, you must kill a Chalana Arroy healer who has resurrected someone (i.e., most CA healers will do), in such a way that the healer can't be resurrected, you must destroy a soulless undead horror that has its original mind (like a vampire or mummy -- a ghoul or skeleton won't do), and you must destroy something that has been created from the dead (this varies), plus accomplish some other stuff. When you're done, you carry your sacrifice to the Lead Cross and you gain the power that people you kill can't be resurrected or reanimated.


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