At 02:56 PM 12/16/2003 +0000, bethexton_at_... wrote:
> > Also with women in a dominant position I also imagine that
> > Vinga probably has a much more prominent position locally than she
> > does in say Sartar.
>
>I would think so. More respected, more numerous, and also more in
>demand, since any one paying for an armed force in Esrolia probably
>wants at least some Vingans who can be trusted to keep their heads on
>straight, not like those unruly men. I think most military forces
>are headed by Vingans, from village militia to a queendom's armies.
>I get the feeling that Vingans don't become queens, though--that in
>Ernalda almost by definition a Queen is a follower (probably a
>devotee?) of Ernalda the Queen. But I'm sure ruling it otherwise in
>your game wouldn't create any major problems.
I don't know about this -- Vinga is the way Heortling (Orlanthi?)
women get access to "masculine power" -- the way Nandan allows men access
to "feminine power." Since masculine power is devalued in Esrolia, and
there are other deities who give access to combat and defensive powers
without the Storm baggage (various Gors come to mind, and I am sure there
are specialist deities in Esrolia that are largely unknown in Sartar), I
doubt that Vinga is more popular than she is in Sartar and Tarsh. Not that
Vingans would be picked on or anything, but they might be seen as a little
odd ("Why would you want to be a man when you can be a powerful woman?").
Peter Larsen