Sandy P writes:
>I think the Lanbril cult write-up was ludicrous. It
>was way too well-organized and stank of modern hack'n'slash tripe. I
>simply cannot believe that there would be a huge canny cult of thieves
>worshiped in Orlanthi lands.
I agree with you that the cult structure is a bit weird. It seems a bit daft to train lay members in cult skills that are supposed to be secret... However, I still think that the Lanbril cult exists as such, and not only as a network. And no, Lanbril would probably not be worshipped in "mainstream" Orlanthi lands. I picture the cult as popping up where traditional Orlanthi ways clash with a more civilized world, such as in Pavis, Nochet and Handra.
>I do _not_ believe that it dismisses the GoG writeup. I believe
>in thief cults in Glorantha. I just don't think they are these vast
>organizations. And most don't have a specific deity as their founder,
>but are really more of a secular society.
Well, as I said in the last posting, I don't think there is much contact between Lanbril cultists of different cities. And I think that Lanbril in fact encourages this conflict, being a master of deception and guile. There most likely exists local thief "Heroes" in the different cities, which might be considered as the ring's founder.
>Look at Black Fang. What does
>he actually offer his "cult" members? Two Rune spells. That puts him
>barely a leg up on your average temporary spirit cult which, by the
way,
>are also accessible to his shaman-priests.
Well, Black Fang is an extremely local cult, and also more of an assassin cult than a thief cult. Seeing that he only is worshipped in Pavis, I see no problem with him just being a spirit cult.
>Pavis is a good haven for robbers, bandits, and murderers, _not_
>thieves.
But there's always other cults to infilitrate, warehouses to be looted, the occasional gullible trader to con, and so on. Lanbril may not have as large a following in Pavis as in Handra, but this doesn't mean that his cultists doesn't exist there.
Be seeing you,
Erik Nolander
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