> The example mooted also re-opened an old can of worms, the question
> of pantheon worship.
Joerg was sniggering visibly at this point. ;-) However, HW will make a lot of this debate rather moot, conducted as it was in terms of how much POW, tithe, etc, etc, a given pattern of worship might "cost". In HW, each clan will have one temple, and everyone in the clan will be initiated, and worship (when they can be bothered, at least there). This includes not only worship of Orlanth and Ernalda, but of all the (locally recognised) pantheon. Or to put in in crassly mundane RQ terms, they have a minor temple to Orlantha/Ernalda, with Associate Worship of other deities, pretty much. Everyone in the clan is an initiate of either Orlanth or Ernalda, whatever more specific role they may later be drawn to (or not). Not that I would ever have said RQ was a perfect model of this situation, mind you.
The only thing that bothered me at all about what Robin said was that he said separate "initiation" into a structurally separate cult, such as the Boldhome Lhankor Mhy temple in the example Jamie is citing, was "just a social thing". Try telling that to your friendly (or otherwise) neighbourhood Humakti, and see if a sharp stinging pain someplace results.
At any rate, "just" a social thing or not, I'm pretty hopeful that HW will preserve, nay, _enhance_ the "cult flavour" that was always on of the distinctive and Way Cool things about RQ. For example, the demo game had a Storm Voice, and a Vingan, and I'm happy to report that their spell lists-- err, I mean, magical affinities ;-) were _completely_ different. (Though perhaps artful character construction played a hand in this...)
Slainte,
Alex.
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