>IMHO Zzaburites are the "responsible" scientists, writing papers (addenda
>and errata to Grimoires) on what they can verify without distorting and
>getting on with "real" science - discovering what fundamental force has been
>corrupted by a rogue who had "gone theistic" e.g. Worlath, Humkt, Ehilm,
>etc. The list is (from their point of view) unfortunately endless .
It's largely, I think, a matter of window dressing. I'm not particularly fond of the 19th C "fussiness" that inhabits certain areas of Glorantha (the old version of Lhankor Mhy, for example), and the "mad scientist" model is part of that (at least for me). I think I would rather follow Mr. Metcalfe's idea that Zzaburi philosophy resembles that of the Ancient Greeks. I don't know enough about Greek philosophy to make any proposals, but (as I dimly remember) there was a fair amount of what we would consider modern scientific thinking (without the scientific method, though) mixed with religious ideas. (Which does not mean that I think they are Theistic; they just have to cope with gods.) One advantage of this model is that it gives a source for Western Mysticism: Greek philosophy mixed with other Mediterranian currents and gave us Plotinus and the Neo-Platonists (as I recall, frankly, it's been 15 years...).
The Godlearners certainly have some of that "Knowledge Humanity was not meant to know" feel, but there are models for that beyond the Mad Scientist, the Tower of Babel, for example, or Icarus.
Lastly, are all sorcerors Zzaburi or is that term reserved for Brithini sorcerors? (Are the Pelandan Logicians Zzaburi in any meaningful way?)
Nick Brooke says:
Some things about Vadrus -- Does "killed by Chaos" always mean "blasted into non-existence?" Genert was killed by Chaos (wasn't he?), and he isn't totally dead....
and
>Speaking as their creator, I intended the Perfecti to be rather like the
>Cathars. Particularly in their rejection of the institutional church as a
>route to personal salvation.
Perhaps I misunderstood Mr. Metcalfe; it wouldn't be the first time (my failing in most cases). And speaking of things Metcalfian, thanks for the Illumination material; it really helped define the difference between mysticism and illumination for me.
Peter Larsen
End of The Glorantha Digest V8 #124
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