>Is my interpretation of events the correct one? Did Orlanth slay an
>unjust Emperor, or was the Rightful Emperor cruelly assasinated?
Dara Happan answer: "What is this man talking about? An unjust emperor? What's that? How can anyone in power to command not be just?"
(Explanation: the Dara Happan equivalent to the word "justice", "denseb", literally translates as "measured command from above". This is a precursor to New Pelorian (or was it Ingsoc) Newspeak, where sentences like "The DoublePlusGoodEmperor (one word) is Ungood" won't even register as potential illumination bollocks.)
Orlanthi answer: "There is no rightfulness in the term Emperor." (Which probably sounds like "tyrant" or "dictator" in the modern sense...)
>Are spirits unimportant, or are they your friends, and it's the gods
>who are selfish and remote?
Now this is a better way to Illuminations. Correct answers include "Yes", "No", and "Depends".
>If one cult is correct, I can agree that its magic ought to work. But since
>both are sort of correct, shouldn't the magic sort of work?
I guess the problem is that you are looking for the One Cosmic Truth, with one Global Orlanth slaying one Global Yelm. However, that's neither what the original, magic-giving myths of either Orlanth or Yelm say. Orlanth says: "Orlanth slew the Evil Emperor." Yelm says: "Rebellus Terminus slew Yelm." It is human superposition which identified Orlanth with Rebellus Terminus and Yelm with the Evil Emperor. This superposition needn't be mythically true. If you find a cult which derives its magic from the one-to-one identification of Orlanth and Yelm I'd look out for unreliable magic (and look at the cyclical effects on certain deities' magics)...
>Is Glorantha a world were relativism rules magical power? (You can't cast
>Thunderbolt, Wind Priest, Orlanth is dead in this country)
Not quite. The answer is "you can't learn Thunderbolt her, Wind Priest, there is only a measly shrine to Orlanth which allows you to sacrifice for Cloud Call." If that much.
A priest can sacrifice for such magic if and when he has a congregation backing his request. A priest without a congregation cannot use the "cheap way" to divine powers (keeping it all in a well trodden localized ceremony) and would instead have to make pilgrimages (up Kero Fin, or similar stuff) or quest (and raid) for them.
>If one is to use magic so abstractly, one loses the context of
>mystery that surrounds it in our world. Rather, one makes choices
>based on gain, on concrete values.
This sounds like a fair summary of Viking theology... This is about like saying "If one is to use MS Windows in a failsafe way, one loses the context of mystery that surrounds it in our worlds."
I don't really see why the use of magic should be similar to bungee-jumping without a rope in a magical world? Why should Glorantha's magic be more unreliable than our world's gardening? (Although Glorantha's gardening seems to be about as reliable as our world's magic, at least in Prax...)
>I am strongly inclined to keep magical success or failure secret from my
>players.
Then why not sword damage inflicted on opponents? "He seems to have lost full use of his right arm" is more information than you usually get when facing an opponent in the rush of adrenaline. It could be a ruse...
>The closest magical act to spirit magic is superstitious acts
>(which often involve foci or repetitous behavior)... but the
>description of that sort of magic involves a great deal of luck,
>and the effect of the act to the practitioner is unclear (you can't
>say for certain that not changing your underwear really helped in
>the playoffs).
Yeah. I know people whose approach to computers is like this.
>The key to Gloranthan spirit magic is that the effect is pretty
>established. One can say with authority that the spell works.
>Nonetheless I think they work too well, or not randomly enough for
>my tastes.
You're obviously a member of the RQ3 generation. In RQ2, unopposed Battle Magic (Spirit Magic in RQ3) ordinarily had a 5% failure margin. The shift to the POW*5 mechanic lowered the success chance for a POW 10 character to Befuddle another POW 10 character from 47.5% (95% success in casting, 50% success in overcoming resistance) to 25% (50% each). Actually, I find the first approach more to my taste - failure comes not from goofing up your spell, but from failure to outpower the opponent. In RQ3 offensive spells were relegated to a secondary role - once you got your POW check per session, you'd use your MPs wisely for spells which you could rely on if you were a calculating statistician (aka munchkin).
>This needs to be developed... just how is Glorantha devestated? Are the
>green and pleasant hills of Sartar brown and weedy?
Not yet. The land still receives its proper amount of blood, sweat and pain from its dwellers, even though the kings aren't any longer sacrificed after their sacred period of rule, the battles make up for much. If Kero Fin ever should experience a peace lasting a few generations, I fully expect the greenery to wilt away.
>Keep in mind that the trolls -liked- the Darkness.
Now, did they? Then why did they participate in the Unity Battle? Did they appreciate to be separated from Korasting by the fiery invader to their Wonderhome? Why do dark trolls call themselves the Hurt People?
>I guess this is sort a plea for magic fuzziness in the new system.
>I can't say if it's playable yet. My players have initiates (no
>rune levels) so they are relatively simple to keep confused about magic.
Perhaps you should treat magic like going into the stock market. People who know what they are doing usually get out of it ahead, unless a mysterious desaster strikes. People who dabble in investments they haven't started to understand may be lucky, but may as well lose their last shirt. And overtaxing the entire system leads to a crashdown, while underusing it will increase the hurdles to success...
>Here are some spirit magic spells I think belong in a magical
>Glorantha (as opposed to a world where magic exists but seems
>mostly to belong to adventurers)
>Contraception
What for, and when to cast? I mean, in mainstream - fertility worshipping -
society this is quite blasphemous. Rather put in more magics to ensure safe
and painless delivery. Kids are one's future, who else is going to care for
you in your old age?
>Artistic Concentration
Like Bladesharp or Fanaticism, used on peaceful pastimes? Agreed, although
probably "guild secrets".
>Clean Body/Shave
Exists, is called Glamour. Unfortunately, this wears off soon. But so do
soap, perfume, and manual shaves...
>Understand Accent
Another case of Artistic Concentration used on language skills. And should
be uncommon, at least among settled people (including nomads keeping to
their grounds).
>Preserve Food
Salt, smoke, freeze? Or "Defeat Mee Vorala"?
>Ferment (obviously magic)
Oh well, then include "prepare porridge" as well - to make glob from
perfectly ordinary liquid water and as ordinary oats has to be magic.
Probably chaotic, looks like proto-gorp to me...
>Clean Clothing, Dye Clothing
Glamour again. See above.
>Remember Fact
Sounds like Lhankor Mhy divine magic.
>Affect Luck
Give it a 5% chance to work...
Magic I have been missing is magic cast in concert (probably even literally, one man singing out, the rest joining in the chorus). Work songs. "Heave to", coordination magics. Marching songs. Stuff where many people participate for the benefit of the group, without having to cast oodles of Mindlinks.
End of The Glorantha Digest V5 #527
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