I know I'm not the only person who has found the rules dealing with
concentrating magic, the various separate otherworlds, common magic,
etc, confusing. Here are some questions that have been puzzling me:
- Men of the Sea, p 25, describes the Mirrorsea "pantheon" as a
common religion with gods and majestic spirits but no tradition
spirits or divine aid. Instead it provides common magic charms and
feats, both of which worshippers can keep even if they concentrate
their magic on the spirit world or the gods world. Is this the case
with other pantheons whose magic is normally mixed? For instance, is
this true of the East Isles, Kralori, and Teshnan pantheons?
- If a Rightarm islander is an initiate of Pelaskos and concentrates
his magic, retaining his Songs of Marsh and Placid Waters feats and
charms, he should be able to use the feats as active abilities,
correct? What about the charms?
- HQ, p 57, lists a number of Teshnan cults which provide both
affinities (suggesting an other side in the gods world) AND talents
(which are supposed to originate in the inner world). Can worshippers
of these cults concentrate at all? Can they keep both affinities and
talents if they do?
- People who concentrate their common magic, either by concentrating
their talents or by the Selfrock teaching, cut themselves off from the
otherworlds, correct? Does this mean that they cut themselves off
from worship of otherworld entities? For instance, would this
concentration prevent them from functioning as a lay member of a
church or a communal worshipper of a pantheon or from benefiting from
its blessings, from divine aid, etc? By the same token, can an
Issaries devotee (concentrated by definition on the gods world)
participate in rites honoring Flesh Man, who provides talents to the
Heortlings, but who is, after all, another one of the Lightbringers?
- The entity worshipped in a common religion resides by definition in
the inner world, correct? If so, how do people heroquest into the
myths of such an entity (eg, "Berentos has quested into the myths of
the Seabird Army several times, clashing with both Orlanthi and Sofali
turtle folk," Men of the Sea, p 72)? My understanding was that in
order to do a heroquest, one had to cross over to the other side ---
gods world, spirit world, or saint plane, depending on which other
side one's religion gave one access to --- and from there travel to
the hero plane (or gods' war, which I think is an interchangeable
term, yes?). If this is the case, I am puzzled as to how Avelania ---
who, since she provides only common magic, would seem to reside in the
inner world --- grants her worshippers access to her actions during
the Great Darkness. Did Berentos have to get a Sofali shaman or an
Orlanthi priest (ie, his ritual enemies) to help him cross over to the
other side? Alternatively, if the Avelania cult does know how to
cross over to the other side, which otherworld does it get you to?
- Do other common religions involve heroquesting? Some of them, like
Imarja in Esrolia or the Parondpara of the East Isles, are absolutely
central to the identities of the people that follow them. It seems as
though they must have great volumes of stories about them that people
should be using for heroquests.
- Do you have to concentrate your magic to learn symbolic
sight/spirit face/soul vision/moon eye? If a hero belongs to the
relevant cults (eg, he is both an initiate of Gerendetho and a
novitiate of a Lunar regimental immortal), can he or she learn more
than one of these four otherworldly perception abilities?
PS I hope this is the right list for these questions. If not, please
advise.