Devotee oblications (was Re: Social Cult Ranks or Devotees vs Initiates)

From: parental_unit_2 <parental_unit_2_at_...>
Date: Thu, 06 Jan 2005 19:07:26 -0000

> I think this point about sacrifice is spot on. A Dureving fixing his
> own roof because it leaks is not IMO carrying out devotional duties.

It might not be Gloranthan, but there is another view of the matter. Namely, the devotee of an occupational god honors the god with her work and the way she does it. Her superior results honor the god, show the power of the god to others, and demonstrate the god's favor for the worshipper.

So, for example, a Dureving who works on his own roof in the ritually correct way in effect offers the task to his god, and uses it to demonstrate the power of his god to others. A fisher can honor the river goddess by saying the right prayer as she spreads her nets, offering some of the catch to the goddess, and returning the bones of the fish that she catches to the river afterward so that their spirits can be reborn -- even if she eats most of the fish herself.

In this view, a devotee of an occupational god is both a skilled worker, and an exemplary practitioner of rituals interleaved with the work. In game terms, this kind of devotion isn't likely to show up, but narrators could encourage it by asking players to describe the rituals their characters use for magic that aids them in their occupations.

Rob

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