Re: Actual Play

From: Roderick and Ellen Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 11:56:14 -0700


> > I'd be leery of allowing players to take their own
> > enemies into the
> > otherworld/godplane, unless the myth being enacted
> > specifies that the Hero
> > brought his enemy along with him on his journey,
>
> How about agreeing to meet an enemy on the Other Side?
> If you both want to fight, they might like the idea of
> having the whole thing escalated.

Well, first you'd have to agree on a common myth or pair of myths that feature a duel between the gods/heroes that you're portraying (which can be a bit difficult across Pantheon boundaries), and then you have to hope that the Godplane doesn't instead substitute someone else (who happens to be running the same quest as your opponent, or the "real" entity of the myth instead of a heroquester). Note pg. 192 - "The quester often cannot distinguish their nature or identity, for they appear in the guise of the entity that was faced in the quest for the first time". So you might or might not meet the person you set up to duel, and you might not be able to recognize him when it comes time to fight. Are you sure you're facing Oddi the Godi instead of Willy the Warrior or a real aspect of Orlanth himself?

On top of that, there are probably other stations in the quest - sure, you'll meet up with the Solar Guardian of the Sapphire Waters during the quest, but do you really want to pass throw the Forest of Poison, the Desert of Eternal Thirst and the Army of 1,000 Heads just to fight him?

I don't think "I'll meet you at the Hill of Gold" is a common dueling procedure :-).

RR
It is by my order and for the good of the state that the bearer of this has done what he has done.
- Richelieu

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