Hearth Spirits

From: David Weihe <weihe_at_eagle.danet.com>
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1998 12:00:47 -0400


> From: "Jane Williams" <jane_at_williams.nildram.co.uk>
> While I'm picking on good bits, that Ernaldan hearth-stone was great!

The hearth spirit controlling the fire strikes me as excessive. Does it telekenesis the wood from the pile outside in and onto the fire, as well? Having the spirit do the work sounds like something from Bewitched, or the ADnD Invisible Servant spell.

Instead, I would have the spirits tell the hearth manager (probably the eldest daughter still at home) how to manage the fire. This means that the humans still have to do the actual work, including chimney sweeping every year or so (so Lunar Mundanists will ignore it until they realize that the fires are running at efficiencies *way* too high for "barbarians"). This way, mundane beings are doing the mundane work, with the "magical" ones supplying the knowledge (sounds suitably mythic, that way).

> With one of those in every home, who needs to know how to keep a fire
> going in the wilds?

First, not every home will have one (otherwise, it becomes technology, not magic [3rd Age only. Acceptable for 1st or 2nd]). Second, wouldn't the Star Bear (aka, Odalya, or Orlanth the Hunter) have to know this, as well as fire *starting*, which Mahome spirits might not need more than once or twice a year? Hunters make and break camp daily, after all.


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