Re: The Glorantha Digest V6 #372

From: TTrotsky_at_aol.com
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 18:36:19 EST


Thomas Hobday:

<< Can he just be ritually adopted into the clan and become someone elses
child in a spiritual sense and therefore gain the right to call on his "adopted" ancestors?>>

      IMO, yes, but 'just' is probably not the right word. He would have to be actually initiated into the clan, with all the requirements that that would normally entail. He would then have to act as if a member of that clan, and not of his original one (there might be a few specific pairs of clans for which this isn't needed but they'd be rare at best). This might require initiation into clan cults (in my campaign he'd certainly have to be initiated into the Orlanth cult) and would certainly require lay membership in such. He'd also have to undergo the clan initiation rite, whatever that is. Once he's done all of that, he is effectively just as much a member of the clan as somebody born into it, and IMO, that would extend to any ancestor worshipping advantages. Some clans might not permit this type of adoption, mind, although its easier to say that the PC one does.

<< Is this what happens when a non-troll becomes a troll ?>>

     I'd think so. Again, notice the extreme changes and risk required in doing so. OK, so its probably not so dangerous changing from one human clan to another, even in different cultures, than it is changing from one species to another, but even so this is not something to be taken lightly.

<< Is this sort of adoption sufficient to allow ancestral "magic items" to be
used ?>>

    If the items are available to any member of the clan, then if you're good enough to be able to worship the ancestors, you can use their items too.

<< Is The flame of Sartar such an item?>>

    Yes, although it isn't one that can be used by just any member of the bloodline; to get the full advantages you have to be the rightful king.

<< If he is adopted what position do his other blood ancestors take?>>
 

     By joining a different clan, I'm afraid he's rather abandoned them (unless there's some specific reason why not). To join an Orlanthi clan he has to acknowledge that their society is superior to the Praxian one, and his ancestors won't take kindly to that. So he loses those ties, and if he's already an initiate of an Ancestor Worshipping cult, he has to suffer the cult spirit of retribution, even though he's just joining a different AW cult - they ain't the same ancestors!

    In short, IMO, you can't have more than one set of ancestors - unless you're illuminated, of course.

Forward the glorious Red Army!

     Trotsky


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