"Orlanth the Warrior aspect" - the traditions and magics of the Warriors of Orlanth. (Much like "Adventurer aspect" in the old write ups.) Yes, Jeff hates the "Adventurer" name, probably because we never heard of "Zeus the Adventurer", or "Jupiter the Multi-Talented Lay-About", or "Odin the Wandering Heroic Type". So OW = the Old OA.
O. Warrior's skills are the traditional "hitting people on the head" ones. Magic covers three areas:
movement (great leaps, flying, that mythic leaping across mountain tops
bit, etc.)
personal fighting (sword or other weapon enhancing magics, vigor,
protection, that sort of thing)
wierd stolen magics (darkwalk, summoning mists, possibly ice stuff, etc).
Notably absent are thunder magics, sylphs, wards, and all those wiggy powers. Those skills and spells are the domain of priests - the Storm Voices. Storm Voices likely draw on a much older Umathi tradition, but it's been susbsumed into the 1600's Theyalan cult. (I'm treading on really thin ice here - this ain't my area of Gloranthan expertise, just my impressions as a player.)
Women can't be Storm Voices because they have no path to follow there. Vinga is their path to the Orlanth the Warrior analog. One can initiate to Ernalda, follow Vinga's path to Orlanth's side, and voila, one get's Orlanth-like fighting skills and magics. UNfortuately, we don't know of a storm loving daughter of Orlanth.
Frankly, and here's my own and rather brutal opinion, I feel that Vinga was created as a way to justify female warriors in Thelayan society, in order to make players happy. Basically, Vinga is a game world construct. I came to this conclusion when I realized how little other dieties or myths depend on Vinga. If she were dropped from Glorantha, little would change. That doesn't mean that Vinga can't be fit in well, or be written about ingeniously, or even be an inspiration to great NPC's or PC's.
I do like the suggestion on the kolating/shamanistic approach to storm magic. I think a woman would be just as effective as a man at learning the ways of spirits and elements, and placating, controlling, or manipulating them. I love the Storm-witch idea!
Pam
(ducking and heading for cover back in Peloria)
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