Pharaoh's Magic from Jeff Richard on 2005-03-31 (Glorantha Digest Vol 11)

From: Jeff Richard <richaje_at_gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 09:29:11 -0800

>I'm sort of with Peter here. Belintar IMO is best covered as a common
>religion covering all of the known worlds. As Peter doubtlessly will
>thoroughly deny (and has done before), IMO his cult was included in the
>sovereignty worship of all the Holy Country and has drawn theist worship
>from that, as well as a form of veneration from the Malkioni and
>pseudo-Brithini and some form of ecstatic (animist) worship by the
>spiritually inclined Kethaelans.

I think this is right. I increasingly view Belintar as being a "pinnacle of the material world" - in some ways similar to the Red Goddess. His magic covers all the known worlds and seeks to unify them in his personage. He claims to be the mysterious Seventh Action which unifies the other Six. His body is the physical host for the unity of Kethaela and the Six Actions.

His followers offer him sacrifice, veneration and ecstatic worship. A myraid of societies seek to understand his occult knowledge, but the Pharaoh is inscrutible. At least in my campaign, the Pharaoh is aware of the future Hero Wars and of his own doom - and has plotted for generations to stave off his fate. By 1612, the Pharaoh knows that time is running out for him and writes "Belintar's Book". The fulfillment of several old prophecies the following year make it clear to him that the Hero Wars is upon him. The Old World is over - I must prepare for my return!

Jeff