Re: Sense Runic Powers

From: Greg Stafford <Greg_at_...>
Date: Thu, 06 Jun 2002 16:27:33 -0700


At 12:06 AM 6/7/2002 +0200, you wrote:
>Is there *ever* a circumstance when a magician using something like Sense
>Runic Powers could ever detect Illusion?
No. Have I made it clear enough?
Exceptions to this are the stuff of story: exceptions, challenges and defiant realities.

>Since the effect of the Illusion is
>in essence to create a manifestation in reality of another Runic Power, then
>for instance, it would seem to follow that any magical effect which is
>capable of discovering the Runic associations of an object or person would,
>if directed at say a Trickster or a shrine to Eurmal, see only a void
>without any Runic ties?

They would see the runic cration that the Trickster made, not a void.

>And, since Truth and Illusion have in common that they are both only
>subjectively knowable, then it would seem to follow that Truth would
>probably also be undetectable. So, for example (if this follows) then all of
>the effects of Truth related magics of a Lhankor Mhy would be completely
>undetectable to every possible way to detect runic powers?
It would absolutely be able to detect the Lhankor Mhy Truths. This is the nature of subjectivity.

>I like that way of viewing things. It does give Truth oriented cults such as
>Humakt and Lhankor Mhy a sort of odd bent within Glorantha. It would not
>give them any extra power in any way to those cults that I can think of, but
>it would be an odd side effect relating to the nature of one of the Runic
>Powers that they each can wield. Also, this way of viewing these Runes would
>reinforce the odd status that Truth and Illusion hold within Glorantha as
>some kind of Powers Without Substance. They pervade the world, and can act
>upon the world, but they are completely intangible to all other powers
>within the world which attempt to act upon them...
All of the Gloranthan Court powers are basically that way.



Greg Stafford, greg_at_...
Issaries, Inc. 900 Murmansk St., Suite 5; Oakland, CA 94607 Phone: (510) 452 1648 Fax: (510) 302 0385 Publisher of Hero Wars, Roleplaying in Glorantha See our site at: <www.glorantha.com>

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