Re: Back from the dead, and ready to party.

From: Stephen Tempest <e-g_at_...>
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2004 12:38:52 +0100


"Light Castle" <light_castle_at_...> writes:

>The Second has presented me with another problem. He went Moorcockian on me. He's
>created an island of Sorcerers still bound by the closing. In fact, their rulers claim they
>brought the Closing down to hide from the evil of the GodLearners, who were destroying
>the world and themselves.

Sounds exactly like Brithos, with Zzabur in the role of the ruling wizards. However, it might be easier for you to simply invent your own island so you needn't worry too much about existing canon. Just assume the rulers are lying about causing the Closing, or at least that they cast their own spell at the same time Zzabur cast his, so they honestly believe that they were responsible...

>This player is a very prolific writer, so he should have no trouble coming up with his own
>myths and legends, which I will then tweak to offer him ways. He has brought some of
>his Chaotic sorcery with him, and is seeking some way to destroy Chaos, both facts
>should make him of interest to many sides in the struggles going on in the area. The
>biggest problem I have with him is determining how to do Sorcery that taps into Chaos.

Do these Sorcerors believe in God? If they do, then they can either take the Borist view (Chaos is evil, but it's our holy duty to control it so it doesn't harm innocents) or a more Lunar-orientated Manichean view (God created everything, including Chaos, and we should accept all of His creation). Alternatively, they can be Brithini-style atheist sorcerors who see magic as merely manipulating energy. In this case, they might regard Chaos as simply an extremely powerful and easy-to-use source of magic... wilfully ignoring (or rejoicing in) its corrupting and destructive capability.

IMG, I'd present Chaos sorcery as similar to the normal kind, but with narrative differences - it feels wrong and unnatural, the air becomes greasy as you cast the spells, you hear a shrill, wordless chittering sound just at the edge of perception (tekeli-li! tekeli-li!) - that sort of thing. Perhaps allow greater flexibility than conventional wizardry, but occasional random effects replace what you actually wanted to do. Harmful magic might hit innocents, too. Helpful magic might have unwanted side-effects ("you regrow the limb, but it's now got a faint whitish pattern of scales all over it")

Of course, bear in mind that most Gloranthans would regard a Chaos sorceror in much the same way we'd regard a drug-dealing, widow-robbing child molestor. Does your player fully appreciate this? It's not like D&D where you can call yourself "Chaotic" and the only side effect is that you can't be a Paladin. :) Unless he's extremely powerful (or has powerful friends) he'll need to keep his Chaos links really well hidden. And hope he never meets any Uroxi with their Sense Chaos feats... Alternatively, you could rule that most magic taught on the Isle is non-Chaotic, except they have a Grimoire of Chaos spells. As long as your player never actually uses those spells, he's safe from Sense Chaos...

All IMO/IMG.

Stephen

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