Re: Bashing Runequest - why bother

From: jeffrichard68 <richj_at_...>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 18:20:09 -0000

> Presumably we all sold on the idea that temples to uncommon gods
> (e.g. Lhankor Mhy, Issaries, Trickster, Storm Bull, Indrodar)
don't
> grow on trees. There isn't one of these in every Sartar tribe or
> city (though there might "sometimes" be a shrine or a holy place).
> They only exist for a reason, i.e. the Indrodar temple is there to
> balance out Delecti, the Storm Bull temple near the Print is there
> because of the Scorpionmen, and the Lhankor Mhy temple in Sartar
is
> there because the Sartar kings once needed clerks as well as a
store
> of knowledge in order to run the country.

Although I agree fully with this paragraph, it raises an initial question - what is a Heortling "temple"? Is it a place (a holy hill, a building, whatever)? Is it a community without reference to place (members of a clan, members of the clan fyrd, whatever)? Is it both (members of a tribe gathered at the tribal center, folk initiated to an uncommon god gathered at a holy place to that god)? Which raises another question - who leads these "temples"? If my players is involved in one of these "temples" - what does that mean?

None of this is really answered in Thunder Rebels and much of the RQ material (with its meritocratic priests and well-defined system of priests, lords, and high priests) is simply inapposite IMO.

> But how do the local "Orlanthi" temples work? They can't be
generic
> clones found in every clan? That's boring.

Agreed. I think that the Orlanthi (and most other people) have a confusing mess of overlapping "temples". Things will tend to be organized on a clan and tribal level (since that's how the Heortlings organize their communities), but there will be all sorts of exceptions, intratribal "temples" (Chalana Arroy, Storm Bull, etc.) and holy places (Clearwine Earth Temple, Hill of Orlanth Victorious, etc.).

> Presumably some clans don't worship all of the aspects/subcults,
> just those of historical or cultural importance to them. They may
be
> aware of some of the others, and, like Hedkoranth in the Greydog
> clan, they might be *re-discovered* and come to prominence.

Yep. So for the Orlmarthing, "most of us are initiated into occupational subcults of Orlanth (Durev, Harst, Ohorlanth, Ormalaya, Orstan and Poverri) and Ernalda Allmother. However, several other subcults are favored by our clan:
Finovan (historical warband cult)
Helemakt (ancestral warband cult)
Vingkot (ancestral specialty cult)
Orane (ancestral Allmother's cult)
Uralda (ancestral Esrola cult)
Seria (ancestral Healer's cult)
Vinga (women's warband cult)"

> Do some clans worship the aspect or subcult rather than *Orlanth*?
> Do some clans worship Orlanth, but call him a totally different
> name?

Sure. And sometimes all three - frex, the Orlmarthing worship Orlanth at some ceremonies, Orlanth Thunderer at others, and Finovan at still others.

> Do tribal "Orlanthi" temples exist at all? Surely there are only
> clan temples?

No, I think that there are "temples" that serve the tribe and not just a clan. For instance, the Colymar cult of Orlanth the King is a "tribal temple", not a clan temple. Same thing with worship of Colymar the Founder - I think that the sacred regalia and places associated with that "temple" are controlled by the tribe, not a given clan. Priests for these "temples" are appointed by the tribe, not a given clan. Same thing might be true for certain holy places that the tribe collectively controls. Does that make any sense?

Jeff

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