Re: Otherworld Mathematics

From: Trotsky <TTrotsky_at_blueyonder.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 12:31:20 +0000


Gian wrote:

>Yes, but in my campaign I *have* a terrestrial
>astronaut fallen on Glorantha and his main source of
>information about Glorantha is a *Zzaburite sorcerer*.
>So he (the astronaut) *is* asking mathematical
>questions and he *is* looking for
>mathematical/geometrical rules in his attempt to
>comprehend the Otherworld of his mentor and his own
>hopes to reverse the phenomenon which brought him to
>Glorantha in order to return to Earth.
>Has he any possibility to discern a mathematical order
>(in terrestrial modern terms) in Gloranthan Logic
>Otherworld or not?
>

Given the primary source of his information, I'd say 'yes'. And if its useful for your story then certainly 'yes' :) True, it depends on the exact type of Zzaburite we're talking about (YGWV, but in mine there's several different sorts), but IMO the typical Zzaburite otherworld is mathematically comprehensible in the same way that, say, the Heortling otherworld is mythically comprehensible. So there'll be surprises in it, naturally, but overall it will make logical sense because logic is what it's all about. Other parts of the sorcery world may be somewhat less easily defined by mathematics, but there's still more logic to them than there is in the theist or animist otherworlds.

>>> I mean 'tenth
>>> exponent of the Universal
>>> Constant of Myth'; well, it all may look very neat
>>> and defined from
>>> where we're standing, but does it really have any
>>> more inherent meaning
>>> in it than something a mystic might say?
>>
>>
>
>Precisely. Does it has a respondance in Gloranthan
>reality or not?
>

Possibly. YGWV. But I doubt that the Zzaburites are fundamentally, provably wrong (or at least, not all of them) so there must be some truth in it.

>A respondance which can be
>"scientifically proved and used" by a modern Avionic
>Engineer specialized in Astronomy (the Astronaut).
>

That's trickier, IMO. He may have to accept the methodology of the Zzaburite if he's going to get anywhere; I doubt terrestrial astronomy/cosmology/astrophysics will be much help, simply because Glorantha isn't Earth. But, heck, the astronaut got into Glorantha in the first place, so in your Glorantha at least, there has to be some sort of respondance somewhere!

>>> It's not as if you're likely to go there to find out
>>> in most games. Its
>>> advanced stuff. Indeed, it's Great Secret stuff,
>>> most likely.
>>
>>
>
>Is that the only answer?
>

If you're trying to get to Solace (or its Zzaburite equivalent) then very probably, at least in canonical Glorantha. OTOH, that might not be the solution the astronaut is actually looking for - he clearly didn't lose his identity coming through whatever it was the other way...

-- 
Trotsky
Gamer and Skeptic

------------------------------------------------------
Trotsky's RPG website: http://www.ttrotsky.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/



--__--__--

Powered by hypermail