I more or less agree with you, for the Carls at any rate. As you go down in the social order I suspect initiation gets less common, because people just can't afford the sacrifices. For these folk, life is more about survival. Which makes tricks their ancestors used to survive in the past kind of handy.
For what it is worth, here is something I started writing a few months ago for my own amusement, on common magic societies amongstt he Heortlings:
I figure common magic is most common amongst the most common of folk, that is to say, those without the wealth or position to participate more fully in their society's more specialized religion. Even amongst the initiation mad Heortlings, there will be those who can't afford to sacrifice so much time and wealth to participate at that level.
We see in Hero Quest that Flesh Man provides common magic talents to the heortlings, as the eponymous ancestor. However, it seems to me that even at those levels of society that can't afford theistic sacrifice, there may be the desire for more organized religion. Also, the heortlings include remnants of many other peoples, who didn't survive the darkness so well.
The result, I think, would be common magic societies, that provide some of the community and support that the theistic cults offer, along with their own unique combination of common magic. Here are ideas for a few.
The Boar Society
When Orlanth first descended the Spike he lived in the wild, barely
distinguished from animals. He met XX and mated with her, and they
had a child, Swentyr the Boar. When Orlanth came back with his clan
and later his tribe, Swentyr refused to join them, and refused to
choose to be man or animal, god or spirit, and continued to live in
the wild on his own, foraging and mating as opportunity allowed.
Although he had children human and swine, he never created a clan or
taught them, although he accepted their presence in the wild. When
the darkness came he showed others how to survive by his example, but
never gathered them together. When chaos finally came for him he
fought furiously, but alone, and was so destroyed that he never held
the net with the gods, and was not reborn. A few of those who
learned his survival tricks managed not to perish, and their
descendants still teach how to survive in the wilds. Members are
mostly those who eke a living out of the wilds, such as stick
pickers, poor hunters, and pig women.
Talents: be independent, endure weather, endure hunger. Feats: charge foe, find hidden food, fight anything. Charms: eat rotten food, ignore pain, scent food nearby.
Old Cloud Society
Once the helerings were a numerous people, peacefully settled on
lands their lord won for them through negotiation when conquest
failed. However they were not of Heort's tribe, and most perished in
the darkness. Lightbringer missionaries eventually brought them the
secret of I fought we won, and they soon were absorbed into heortling
culture, tending their sheep and many children. However, while good
with sheep they do less well with oxen and cows, ensuring that many
are still cottars. Many still remember stories of ancestral glory,
and some ancestral magic too.
Talents: avoid otherworld snares.
Feats: fertile coupling, go downhill.
Charms: lead sheep, enjoy rain.
Spells: Talk to cloud, assess water.
My Horns Society
In the gods age Uralda's clan included people and cattle, and they
learned from each other. The horned cows taught their human friends
that sometimes a good cow has to defend herself when the bulls
can't. In the darkness these lessons let a few bands of women and
their children survive once the warriors stopped coming back. Modern
members are known for their independent stances.
Talents: fight for my family, shame bull. Feats: toss attacker, kick hard, protect child, stand ground.
Seven Sons Society
The Durevings were one of the greatest of the Orlanthi peoples during
the storm age, but like the Helerings they were almost wiped out in
the darkness. The survivors were eagerly absorbed into Heortling
culture after the dawn for the knowledge they retained of effective
farm life. The survival tricks they'd learned in the darkness were
mostly ignored by the more successful Heortlings, but the seven sons
society has never forgotten them.
Talents: go without food, go without heat, support my brother, don't
quit yet.
Feats: make tool into weapon, hurt you more than me, fight beside
death, build with snow
Charms: sidestep bad luck
Spell: find every crumb
Deep Shadows Society
Under the Only Old One, people learned to get along with the trolls,
and to appreciate the protection they offered. The deep shadows
society retains some of the tricks from that time.
Talents: hide scraps, walk through darkness
Feats: obey deeper darkness Charm: don't be tasty Spell: read rocks by touch
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