Re: Sub-cults, Hero Cults, Initiation and Devotees...

From: Roderick and Ellen Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 16:22:17 -0700


> 1) Orlanth, Orlanth Adventurous and Vanganth The Flyer
>
> One of my players has a character who is an Initiate of Orlanth
> Adventurous and a Devotee of Vanganth. Do people feel that this is the
> correct way to indicate this? Note that according to the Keywords
> "Vanganth is a hero cult of Orlanth Adventurous" and "Orlanth
> Adventurous is the subcult [of Orlanth] devoted to fighting and
> warriors" and both Orlanth Adventurous and Vanganth The Flyer are listed
> as "Major Aspects of Orlanth" which are normally chosen by Worshippers
> of Orlanth.
>
> This gives the character Combat, Movement, Wind and Flight Affinities
> and the Flight Feats of Vanganth.

In this case, the character is focused on Flying and the Flying God. Being a warrior is secondary. If you swap his Devotion/Initiation, he is focused on being a warrior first and a flyer second.

> (The following questions are mine to test the limits of what is
> normal//allowable and not an attempt by the player in question to create
> a 'superpowered' character)
>
> 1a) Can the Character subsequently become a devotee of Orlanth
> Adventurous?

Not without dropping his Devotion to Initiate - you can't be Devoted to two gods. He is using 90% of his resources (time, money, piety, etc) on the two gods right now. Two Devotions would require 120%.

Spending 30% of your resources on cult business is like saying your prayers, tithing and attending church services on the proper days. This is "normal" for the Orlanthi.
Spending 60% of your time in cult activity is like having a regular full-time job doing church business.
Spending 90% is like being a Priest *and* a Rabbi in your spare time.

> 1b) Can they become an initiate in one of the other Thunder Brothers
> (say Hedkoranth?)

No - see above.

> 1c) How about another aspect of Orlanth?

Ditto

> 1d) IIRC it is possible to switch aspects of a Greater God - Say this
> character decides to settle down having somehow acquired a farm, and
> wants to switch from worshipping Orlanth Adventurous to Orlanth The
> Farmer - will this have any affect (or be affected by) his devotion to
> Vanganth?

Probably not, except that Vanganth isn't the stay-at-home type. It depends on the hierarchy of the cults (ie, Narrator's Call). IN Orlanthi society, people are "called" to a god, rather than looking for the "best" one. If you are a warrior, then you are *probably* Orlanth Warrior (Adventurous). However, you may have heard the call of Humakt, or Hedkoranth, or whoever. If a person joins a cult just because he thinks it is "cool", then he won't ever feel truely at home in it. He'll break rules, miss worship services, etc., and get the cult hierarchy (and possibly the god) angery at him.

> 1e) Can the player initiate in a cult that is not an aspect of Orlanth
> (Bevara, Yinkin)?

Depends on the cults involved (again, narrator call).

> 2) Ernalda and Eninta
>
> Ernalda the Healer (a major aspect of Ernalda) has the mental skill of
> Midwife. Eninta, Goddess of Childbirth is listed as a Major Aspect of
> Ernalda with a single Affinity of Midwife, who is not otherwise
> detailed.
> 2a)Is Eninta a Hero Cult of Ernalda the Healer in the same way that
> Vanganth is of Orlanth Adventurous?

Basically yes.

> 2b) Can these (single affinity) Hero Cults be worshipped without being
> an initiate of the "parent" aspect?

Usually no. A person shouldn't *want* to worship another god's aspect/hero, assuming he is a good worshipper of his own god. If the *player* wants to do it, then the narrator can ask him to come up with the justification, or even to create a sub-cult of his own god that gives a similar affinity. Maybe there is a clan somewhere that has a hero cult of Flying Humakti, Hunting Berserks or Healing Warriors. Issaries won't say that there isn't, but they probably won't publish one...

Roderick

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