Re: Vanganth

From: Tim Ellis <tim_at_...>
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 13:03:32 -0000

I know this one has been discussed before, and fortunately VANGANTH makes a fairly useful word to search on, even in E-Groups..

The relevant messages are 1054, 1071 and particularly 1104 - parts of which I'll copy below - These are all Roderick, replying to (a) me, (b) someone else and (c) the rules!

(a)
>Can these (single affinity) Hero Cults be worshipped without being
> an initiate of the "parent" aspect?

Usually no. A person shouldn't *want* to worship another god's aspect/hero, assuming he is a good worshipper of his own god. If the *player* wants to do it, then the narrator can ask him to come up with the justification, or even to create a sub-cult of his own god that gives a similar affinity. Maybe there is a clan somewhere that has a hero cult of Flying Humakti, Hunting Berserks or Healing Warriors. Issaries won't say that there isn't, but they probably won't publish one...

(b)
> So any Character who is a devotee of a god can never become more
> than an initiate in the Hero Cults of that God?

Correct - and this is the way that most sub/hero cults usually work. "I want to fly - I'll pop over to the shirine to Vanganth and pick up the ability." You don't need to Devote yourelf unless you really feel strongly.

(c)
Re-reading the text, I can see the problem in the use of the word "subcult". The "subcults" mentioned in the above extract refer to the worship of entities who teach one feat or affinity. Unfortunately, we used "subcult" in the Keywords chapter to refer to aspects of gods. This was a mistake on our part (hindsight is 20-20).

So how do you tell the different subcults apart? basically if a "subcult" has more than one affinity it is really an "aspect" of a god and needs to have its own Inititaion or Devotion. If it teaches only one affinity or less (only one feat), then it is a subcult and comes under the 10% rule extracted above.

So Hedkoranth (3 affinities) must be Initited to, while Vanganth (1 affinity) can be worshipped with only 10% of your time.

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