Me>> There is nothing in the SLBQ which requires the usage of the
>> bog-standard list of companions (such as Knowing, Healing etc).
>> Kallyr could easily choose to use the older form of companions for
>> reasons of her own IMO.
>But the Umath's Camp structure is set up for guarding and supporting a
>"secret place". It's for stationary quests, not ones that take you
>running all around the lozenge.
The Short Lightbringers' quest is also known as the Stationary Lightbringers' quest according to KoS p155.
Rather than gloat about an impressive own goal, I will dispute the notion that Umath's Companions are good only for stationary quests. Looking at the origin of the Ring, I see that it is originally used to convince herdmen to hand over their herds. Since the Ring is now used for much more than that, I do not believe that Umath's companions is similarly limited in application.
A related argument that I would also make is that Umath's Companions is a variant tradition. Looking at the report of the Orlanthi, I see there are _two_ sources for the clan councils. Which one is right to bring peace and prosperity to the clan? So it is with Umath's companions.
>As for companions required for the SLBQ (as described a century later).
>we have Tests of Knowing, Healing, Fighting, Communicating and Riddling.
We are also told there is a conflict phase when a polluted icon is destroyed (as per KoS p155). Strangely enough there is no similar test in the description in KoS 165-169.
>OK, so Orlanth can do all of these himself, but it's a pretty good match
>for the standard team. We are specifically told that the Trickster has a
>part to play: do you see a Trickster in the Umath's Camp team?
>Why on earth would she want to depart that far from the known "path"?
>Isn't an LBQ hard enough?
'Argrath changed that. He discovered that none of the
sixteen great ceremonies was really required to be
exactly the same as the rites to be preserved from
ancient history. He discovered that the participants
are left some options for originality and creativity,
especially to respond to external circumstances which
always modified events from the outside'
KoS p32.
Is it too much to propose that Kally was the one who made this discovery and that she adopted Umath's companions in an attempt to make things easier? Dropping out the Trickster might have been an experiment to avoid betrayal but I think that the effort was mistaken as the Cook betrayed her.
End of The Glorantha Digest V5 #550
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