>The old wizardly orders operate more like guilds for freelance wizards, with
>the more clerical types being trained and educated in magic through
>Cathedral Schools under the close supervision of the Bishops (they also
>train liturgists for the lower castes).
I'd really say that the wizard orders are a mixture of guilds and holy orders. No order is totally freelance (or else its members will be impious sorcerers) but some might be viewed as unreliable by royal or ecclessiastical authorities.
>Clerics of the wizard caste have
>limited sorcery, but of a broad type drawn from several saint's lives.
According to HQ, these are orderlies and most stick with one saint.
>Order wizards are specialists, and often very talented within their
>limited field.
>Wizards, even clerical ones, can marry, and nepotism, where a high ranking
>cleric gets his sons into well paid chaplaincies and comfortable parishes
>and cathedral chapters and marries his daughters off to nobles and great
>knights if he can manage it, is far from unknown.
AFAIK Rokari clergy are celibate and do not marry. There has been speculation in the past about baby wizards being made at the nunneries through the strenuous activities of the Father Superiors.
>A well connected preist
>can hold several parishes and their incomes, and pays a curate a pittance
>out of this to do the actual daily praying. These proles of the priesthood
>ofetn end up leading peasant rebellions.
Money and corruption is better suited to the Church of Nolos rather than Seshnela.
>Monasticism developed out of stricter rules for wizards who pursue yet more
>spiritual/magical power. They take serious vows of chastity and obedience
>and spend a lot of time grovelling to the Great Invisible and meditating.
I prefer to think of Monasticism as a form of magic practice distinguishable from wizardry and liturgy. Monasticism is ceaseless devotion to the Godhead and renunciation of wordly magics and powers. Monks shun spells and blessings (and even Joy) because they are pallid derivatives of the One True Being.
>However they are the best magi around and not to be trifled with.
Monks should be more common than that IMO. The best magicians in Rokari society are the wizards.
>Monastic orders also exist for peasant and
>soldier castes, and a few blur the caste boundaries by taking all comers
I don't think there's any separate order for peasants and soldiers. Caste is primarily for social life - Monks, by retreating from society, should be above such matters.
--Peter Metcalfe
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End of Glorantha Digest
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