Re: Digest Number 1667

From: Greg_at_...
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 11:15:15 -0700


Gloranthaphiles,

YGWV.
> From: "Mike Holmes" <homeydont_at_...>
suggests

> Let's say
> that the character is a Yanafal Tarnils Initiate garrisoned in Sartar
> somewhere. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that some of these folks
> had somewhat "gone native" and had joined the Destor cult in secret.

In my games this would be virtually impossible for an initiate. As an initiate you are a part of your god, and vice versa. Furthermore, you do not join cults out of curiosity. You are called to them, the deity (or spirit for that matter) has a part in it. The initiation into a cult has privilages and responsibilities--nay, obligations.
The "test for a cult" is not JUST about knowing the right answers, fooling the initiators or convincing people of your (apparent) sincerity. It is opening your very soul to the god in question and letting it scrutenize what is there.

If Destor saw a piece of Yanafil Tarnils in the candidate's heart, soul and mind then such candidate would not only never be allowed to join the cult, but would probably have a sword through him before he came out of the inspection trance.

> The
> Heortlings doing this would do so because they're trying to subvert the
> Lunars in question. The Lunars do it because they're curious, and far from
> home. The gods don't mind,

Well, as I point out above, they do.

> they're far from each other, and actually admire
> each other's principles. I'm making this part up, I don't know Glorantha
> well enough to say that this is Kosher - but in my Glorantha it'd fly.

as I said, YGWV. :)

> And
> even if it isn't canon, somewhere something like this is going on. To an
> extent, it's the entire case with the Lunars.

You have to quit any hostile cults before you can join a Lunar cult. And Destor is hostile.

> The point being that it's precisely a matter of the people that the player
> decides to put his hero into contact with that decides what cults are
> available to that hero for worship. It's precisely these situations that the
> hero wars are all about. The mixing and collision of religions and their
> myths causing the world to change with who knows what outcome. Maybe your
> new syncretic Destor Tarnils cult will become dominant over all of Heortling
> and Lunar culture. Well, farfetched, but maybe locally you make a difference
> this way. And in the long run, who can say what happens?

Having been adamant and ironclad above, I will subsequently add that this attitude in the previous paragraph is MGF as well as YGWV.

> The point is to look at what could happen, not to just play characters who
> accept what currently is the norm. The norm is no longer available, what
> will fill it's place? Isn't that the generic version of all of the hero wars
> maxims? Isn't that what you're playing to find out? It's what I play for.

As I beleive I have said, player heroes are the exception anyway. It is just important (to me) that everyone understands what the actual norms and "reality" are so that the plyers will have a clear idea of just how extraordinary their characters are.

-greg stafford

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