What you are saying makes sense to me.
My thinking on it is that it is a combination of place and secret. Particular shrines have links to particular myths, for whatever reason. They make it easy to get onto the path for that myth, but won't help you get on the path for other myths. My impression from things in the books and that Greg has written is that this is always true of shrines, that although they allow you to worship your god in all his or her glory, they only really link to one myth (and hence one feat). Possibly they also all support the basic initiation myths as well, but I'm not sure.
In most cases the myth that the shrine best represents is also known elsewhere. For example a clan shrine to Durev the Householder will probably support one of his best know and most common feats. However, certain shrines link to myths that are not widely known, and the local holy folk hold the myth as a secret. This could be for their own power, it could be because they don't think others are worthy, it could be because it shows a side of their god that most don't want to recognize, and they think if they told of it they would be punished as heretics. Since that myth path is hard to find without guidance (and dangerous to walk too!), the chances of anyone stumbling upon it aren't all that high. However, to make a good story there has to be ways for the heroes to learn of these feats sooner or later!
Note that this limitation of shrines doesn't bother most worshippers, because most are initiates who don't learn feats as such. However it is possible that you can only initiate into the sub-cult or aspect represented by the shrine, which could explain why Thunder Rebels suggests that in most clans, most of the men follow just one of the three aspects of Orlanth. They have a shrine to say Durev, so you can devote yourself to Durev through that Shrine, or initiate into other Orlanth Allfather cults, but you can't initiate into Orlanth Adventurous or Orlanth Thunderous there. You could at the tribal temple, but you'd also have to travel there for more of the ceremonies, which does make it easier to enter an Allfather cult if you aren't strongly pulled some other way. Given the progression factor with Ernalda it is possible that the rules are different there, or that somehow the loom house acts as a multi-shrine depending on who is officiating.
Note that this means that for many of the less popular deities that a devotee either has to tour scattered shrines, or find a temple somewhere. This is why specialist cult members will travel all across Sartar on holy occasions to worship at the one temple of their god—because they know that true devotion to their god will be much harder without that temple.
Regards;
Bryan
Powered by hypermail