walking the right heropath

From: David Cake <davidc_at_cyllene.uwa.edu.au>
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 1998 18:19:18 +0800

>Looking at the discussions on changing Humakt, it looks to me that
>one of the problems that we have is that everyone has their own views
>of the HeroQuest rules and structures and that most of these views
>contradict everyone else's views. What we really need is a consensus
>of opinion on how certain things work.

        Well, I don't think we are going to get a consensus, but we might be able to get at least a popular model.

        Personally, I think that in many important senses a Gloranthan religion is a collection of heropaths, in much the same way as a real world religion is a collection of theological statements. Of course, in both cases there is a lot more there, but in some sense they are defined that way. If you create a new heropath that is acceptable to your religion, what use they make of determines what happens to it. If everyone in your religion accepts it and begins walking it, you have changed the religion (I don't know how to tell if you've changed the god). If some people walk it, but most people aren't interested (but don't really object), you have a sub-cult or hero-cult. And of the hierarchy objects you have created a heresy. Create enough variant heropaths (effectively new myths), or create a heresy that is big enough and lasts long enough, and you have a new religion.

        I don't think you even have to keep walking the path over and over, really. I just think you have to convince everyone that your way was the righ way.

        Cheers

                David

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