Re: Benefits of Illumination

From: Roderick Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2007 22:02:47 -0800

>I have recently acquired Under the Red Moon and I was most intrigued
> by the section on Lunar Illumination (since I am basically a newbie
> and don't have access to a lot of the neat old stuff that lots of
> people on the lists have).

That's okay - Lunar illumination is somewhat different from the Illumination presented before (the "Nysaloran" Illumination seen in Cults of Terror and Dorastor: Land of Doom)

> I was wondering what was considered being able to surpass normal
> barriers and separations?

The text is:
"
A common manifestation of the Seventh Soul is the awareness that the normal barriers and separations that differentiate the world's things can be ignored. In rule terms, this means that a hero with the Seventh Soul can ignore cult, religious, or Otherworld restrictions. Note that this does not mean that they are immune to the observations of others or to the inquiry of others or that their affliction will not show, grow, or continue to manifest in increasingly uncomfortable ways.
"

We're not talking barriers such as doors or gates here, but the barriers between the different Magical worlds. (Actually, you can't really "ignore" the actual 10w3 barrier that everyone must pass to get to the Otherside, but if someone casts "Detect Theistic Worshipper" on you, you wouldn't register as a theistic worshipper).

>Gravity seems to apply; are doors an example
> of a barrier or separation?

Neither, actually, are "barriers and seperations" as stated in Illumination.

Lunar Levitation is simply a variant of Solar Levitation (the main form of "Flying" for non-Rinliddi Solars). It's not connected to Illumination in any particular way. A person might gain levitation magic from his Denomination or by heroquesting without being illuminated. Illumination does not automatically include Levitation (for one thing, gravity is neither a Barrier nor a Seperation).

>Does Illumination allow an individual to
> obtain devotee-level magic from multiple entities (overcoming the
> apparent separation of these beings)?

Sort of. You always act "as if you are concentrated in the appropriate Otheroworld", so you can learn Devotee-level or Shamanic magic (The two levels that *require* Concentration), and you don't register as being of a wrong Otherworld if someone uses magic based on a magical connection like "Blast Theistic magic" or "Detect Chaos". So people will be willing to teach stuff to you because they don't know you're not a good [fill in the blank].

However, you'd still be bound by the time and resource constraints of your cults/practices/schools, so you *still* can't be a muiltiple-devotee - because Illumination won't give you more time so that you can fulfil two 60% requirements. Also, you're not immune to a mortal observing that you never show up on Thed's Holy Days, and that you've grown horns and and poison-slimed tentacles...

Illumination isn't true mysticism, and should not be described in that way (True Mysticism takes a really long time, and is incredibly boring to play). Illumination is, maybe, "Mysticism for Dummies". Enlightenment is equivalent to what Mystics strive for in their own way, but gets there from a different path.

Godly (10w4+) levels of Seventh Soul would allow you to godly things (like levitate, or ignore walls because "they are part of the All"), but that's because you've got God-like ability ratings, not simply that you're Illuminated. And even then the Gods (many of whom are Enlightened or the equivalent) can't do everything - Humakt can't raise the dead, for instance.

(Actually, Gods and Spirits and Saints et al. are not Illuminated or Enlightened in the way that the Lunars use the terms - they are restricted to their type of Magic and their "home plane", while a Lunar Illuminate can ignore those particular restrictions.)

RR
He was born with the gift of laughter and the sense that the world was mad R. Sabatini, Scaramouche

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