<< >I think Jane's reasoning is the More Correct, myself. One in seven >(that's probably an Orlanthi idiom, as is the dual fraction...) choose >not to follow 'traditional women's roles', which to my mind means >about that number join cults which _can't_ be followed from within >the usual Ernaldan path. Which is principally the warrior cults. If >you want (or need) to be an Issaries or Chalana person, that's in no >way departing from one's mainstream gender role. Of non-warrior >cults that would be demarcated as "normally male", only Odayla and >Heler spring to mind.
Hummm. Not convinced that CA fits within the Ernaldan path, and Issaries even less so. Ernalda's path is not simply 'Woman', it is 'Mother' and 'Wife'. I'm probably just over applying nunish imagery, but I don't see Healer- being an immediate combo. I would assume that Chalana Arroy's initiates were part of the 15%.>>
I have to disagree. 15% follow traditionally *male* roles, and I see CA as being even less a masculine, macho, deity than she is an Earth Mother type - especially since CA Healers take no vows of celibacy AFAIK. Even though she's a Lightbringer, I view those men that follow CA as being part of the 15% who follow traditionally female paths...
<<Issaries, even more so. Trolling off with a merchant caravan isn't what a good mother does. Part of the 15%.>>
I doubt most Issaries cultists actually traipse off with the caravans; rather most stay at home in the trading towns. I think Issaries can be either the male path or the female one, depending on what the trader specialises in selling.
<< Vinga is probably the one of the larger parts of the FEMALE 15%,>>
In most tribes, I'm inclined to agree, although there are always variations among the Orlanthi.
Alex:
<<Me:> Now, if it turns out that Orlanthi women access storm powers through
some
> cult other than OT, then that's fine by me. But given that kolatings ought
to
> pretty unusual people and women with storm powers shouldn't be IMO (no more
so
> than Vingans, anyway) this would presumably have to be some cult of which we
> were not previously aware.
I (largely) agree. Of course, it may simply be a Hero Cult of O.T. (or of Vinga), rather than some notionally separate deity, which would seem horribly contrived.>>
I would agree that a sub-cult is the most likely explanation.
<<Martin Laurie: It is perfectly likely that> any character can learn an ability in storm magic. So an> OW or Vingan could do this and become very capable in it.
I'd still like to know how the character comes about/regards/rationalises such add-ons, though.>>
One would assume that the powers come via associate cults - OT being selfevidently an associate of both Vinga and OA/W. There's something wrong about this if *anybody* can gain Orlanth-type storm powers, even if they happen to be, say, a Yelmic priest from Dara Happa.
Forward the glorious Red Army!
Trotsky
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