Dreams from Jane Williams on 1998-04-24 (Glorantha Digest Vol 05)

From: Jane Williams <jane_at_williams.nildram.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 1998 20:56:17 +0000

Richard Develyn said:
> I don't recall anything in King of Sartar about dreams.
Someone mentioned Enostar, I think, who sent people bad dreams. I can come up wth one other reference, but I'm not sure if it helps the current discussion. Kallyr (you mean there are other people in Glorantha?) in 1613:
"Dreams had told her that she would be a king greater than her tribe, and she sought this as fulfillment of her desires." Whether this means she'd been sent a message by some deity or other (Sartar? Orlanth? Vinga?), had done a bit of prophecy (well, they have to come from somewhere), or just felt ambitious, I have no idea. Bit of each, maybe. And since this is CHDP, probably mangled by Denseros in any case.

> Furthermore, given that the Orlanthi are prone to interpret everything
> as an act of the gods, they'll do the same with dreams. Doesn't
> necessarily mean the dreams are sent by the gods.
Precisely!

And Joerg has come up with a really, really good idea:
> IMO dreams are one way to enter Godtime, to use the computer-analogue
> "in protected mode" (usually). By detaching the conscious mind from the
> dream experience, apparently whatever harm is experienced is muted just
> as much as is the experience gain. There are instances and
> circumstances where both dream experiences and dream dangers can carry
> over into the waking life, though.

Yes! Love it! And of course the HP follows the same "logic" as that found in dreams.

Now, have you read Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series? If so, think about Tel'aran'rhiod. There's the HeroPlane, complete with mechanics (sort of), descriptions of what it feels like, how spells work (or don't), the dangers of being followed, travelling by following "need" (i.e. the plot) - loads of stuff! It can't just be carried over into Glorantha, I'm sure, but it's a good starting point.

Does this sound like yet another reason to be well-guarded at night, BTW? If you're asleep, you're dreaming, and can be ambushed on the HP. The Celts had an idea that it was dangerous to wake someone who was sleeping soundly (wasn't it actually a geas for one of the heroes?) and I'm sure this should fit in somewhere.

Jane Williams jane_at_williams.nildram.co.uk http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~janewill/gloranth/