Re: Digest Number 1619

From: Joerg Baumgartner <joe_at_...>
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 12:07:06 +0200 (CEST)


> Message: 14
> Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 00:41:33 +0100
" <janewilliams20_at_...>
Me:
>>> So, when the Flame of Sartar gets relighted, how do we go about
>>> getting a "Sartar" affinity for our various Heortling and fringe
>>> Heortling but emphatically nationalist characters?

RR:
> I'd say "we don't".

> KoS 138, on the cult of Sartar, says that "his magics worked
> for his heirs to the kingdom". Yes, "The spirit of Sartar
> continued to live on in the hearts and souls of his people",
> but the paragraph inclines me to understand that active,
> magic-granting worship of Sartar is only done by his family,
> and quite possibly the magic *only* works for the heir, not
> even his brothers/sisters/children until they ascend the
> throne on their own.

It seems to have worked for Dorasar in Pavis, to close the circle. And unlike for city gods, the magic is not restricted to his country, but wherever his heirs were active.

El Jefe:

> Sounds a lot like a wyter or guardian which only lets the head of the
> group use its powers (Emanation type?) don't it?

> I can see the cult of Sartar being the wyter for the kingdom, can't
> you?

There's only the little problem that one daimon can either be wyter or deity, as has been flogged beyond death on the Whitewall list re: Larnste.

There has also been specific mention of Sartar performing a Westfaring to aquire a wyter for his kingdom.

Jane Williams replying to RR:
> That's *her* (non-existent) relatives, once it's been relit.

non-existent my ass - how many (potential) heirs of Sartar (aka Argraths) were present at that ceremony?

> But to return to the point...
> I have an idea that back in RQ days, the (unofficial) cult of Sartar
> came in two parts. The ancestor-worship one, as you say, for descendants
> only. And the "we think Sartar is wonderful" one, for everyone else.
> Useful for keeping magical roads in repair, and so on. You can't expect
> the Prince to do all of that himself. Once the Flame was no longer
> there, the roads sank into disrepair.
> TBH, the worshippers didn't get much out of it at all, they just put MP
> in and thereby supported the Kingdom.

As long as the Princes ruled, there was the Orlanthi notion of peace in the land (including the Elmali riots). At fairly minimum cost, too.

> Sartar's city confederation rings
> may well have used it to some extent, since they were his idea.
> So yes, you could get a Sartar affinity. Just remember that every feat
> in it will be of benefit to the Kingdom of Sartar, not to you directly.

"For the good of the principality of Sartar, I resist your foul magic (and turn it into something wholesome?)"

Quite a lot of what Sartar did (as peacemaker, bringer of trade) could be provided by Issaries Herald, though. The building feats are different, but I suspect they were more a leadership magic than actual building magic. In that spirit, the formation of the Sartar Magical Union (that hoary Dragon Pass boardgame organisation) might have used Sartar's magic.

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