Re: Balazar

From: Roland <rmv1_at_...>
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 2004 05:38:05 -0000


[Peter Metcalfe has some excellent facts/suggestions for my meanderings. Many thanks!]

> >For instance, what should the primary Tradition of
> > Balazar be? Votank?
> Votank is depicted in ancient (really really ancient)
> Dara Happan wall carvings as being the child of
> Durbaddath (the Lion God) and Uryarda (the Goat Goddess).
> Both parents are described as being Gods in Anaxial's
> Roster so it is probable that Votank is also a God.
Were any spirit entities depicted as such? I'd been thinking of translating more directly from GM and making a Votank Helper Practice similar to Daka Fal. I'm not married to the idea, howevever.

> That said, the religion of the Votanki is mixed worship,
> they worship Gods and Spirits. The main spirit traditions
> are Foundchild and Heathmother while Blueface appears
> to be of the Sakkar (the Sabre-tooth) tradition.
My understanding is that Traditions are similar to Pantheons, and revere Great Spirits, while Practices are similar to Cults and revere Majestic Spirits which are somewhat less powerful. I imagined Foundchild and Hearth-Mother are Core Practices. I had been trying to come up with the Great Spirit for the Tradition, but I've got nothing.

> Devotees are already locked out of the region's magic
> by devoting themselves to their god. If you want a
> Yelmalion who partakes in the region's magic then make
> him an initiate and don't concentrate his magic.
I'd been trying to figure out how to translate a character who would be a shaman and priest; concentrating to be a shaman would exclude any affinities/feats from Yelmalio.

In checking over the characters, I no longer think it's a problem of translation. One character then has a slight problem with motivation, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it. I'd imagine Balazar would be a local Hero-Cult, granting some sort of Rulership affinity; the citadel warriors would gain only their status from his worship, while the kings would gain the magic.

> >I think Entra could very well be the "spirit pig" where
> > Mralota is the "god-pig";
> It's the other way around.

As I realized after having the book in front of me. GM quite clearly states "Mralota the Sow Mother," so I'd place it as a Helper Practice.

So I'm left with what Tradition the Foundchild and Hearth-Mother Practices belong in. I can figure the Sakkar Shamanistic Practice's powers from examining Blueface and reverse-engineering his Divine Magic and other abilities. I'd imagine Greyrunner Runefang is then a powerful spirit ally?

Roland

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