Re: Mrs Pavis from Ian Thomson on 2001-09-28 (Glorantha Digest Vol 08)

From: Ian Thomson <arkat_at_primus.com.au>
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 13:29:19 +1000

> >I've been trying to find some reference to who the mother of Pavis's
> >daughter Shelbaris might be. I haven't got the Pavis and Big Rubble book
> >(it's rumoured to be in the mail), so just tell me to be patient if the
> >answer is in there.

It isn't, unfortunately
This is a good example of why I got motivated to ask Greg tonnes of questions about Pavis and start producing the P&BR Companion Zine - lots of fascinating unanswered questions.

>it seems more likely to me if the priests are called
>daughter because his daughter was the first priest.
Yes, it seems likely to me too, that his children started his worship. His son was the first High Priest, and at least 2 or 3 of his daughters were Priestesses. (And they drafted in others to stand as honorary daughters when the cult began to require additional staff. ) Exactly who began calling the Priestesses 'Daughters' probably doesn't matter. I speculate that it was a colloquial name at first, but then became officially adopted. Same with 'Son':

"Who's that man over there in all the draconic regalia?"
"He's the son of Pavis, the High Priest of the City Cult."
"Really, the Son of Pavis? Fascinating. Hey Mildred, you see that bloke

there...."

>> 6. Her mother is unknown and unknowable. Pavis did a lot of
>> experimentational heroquesting in the Green Age, we know this, and it is
>> very possible that her mother was from the Green Age, and so is one of
>> the "faceless entities" of mythology. (She could even have been a
>> heroquester from Gloranthan history, but would still be unknown
>> and unknowable.)

>That I do like, at least the unknown part.
Yes, me too. I've long imagined that Pavis tried to emulate his father's relationship with a Green Age related being. I reckon that her identity might not forever remain unknown, but its not at the top of my list of things to 'discover'

>I bet the Lunars are preparing some lovely young woman to go
> HeroQuesting to find out who Mrs Pavis is and then (re-)marry Pavis.
>I can see her dropping in on the marriage ceremony in the Paps, prove
> to all that_she_ is the proper bride and make for the marriage bed.
> Hopefully, the groom has better luck than in Tarsh (if I remember
> my history right). Anyway, this is what they _plan_ on doing.

Ooh, Lunars in the Green Age - like a bull in a china shop. They're so smart I reckon they would even think they knew what they were doing. Could have all sorts of unpleasant and unexpected feedback doing something like that. Hmm, have I just worked out why the marriage ceremony fails, I wonder... ?

I've got some more speculations on the Cult of Pavis lined up for the next P&BR Companion zine. (This will be out anytime between December- I hope, and hope sooner rather than later in that period.) I have to call them speculations cos altho they are based on stuff Greg and I have discussed, I doubt Greg will have time to review them (but I'll give it a shot). This includes some clarification on identities, and some specific Heroes of Pavis, but nothing on Mrs Pavis (tho I might well add something in now that speculation is rife).

Ian