Re: Plastic was Re: Children's magic

From: Greg Stafford <Greg_at_...>
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 12:49:48 -0800


At 01:44 PM 2/21/2001 -0600, you wrote:
> I don't find essences a problem, because they are pretty abstract (at
>least the "nature" essences), and they have to be summoned (i.e. undines
>aren't just wandering around loose in the ocean). But are you saying that
>every pool on the tula that has a daimon also may have a spirit?

No, absolutely not.

>Or is it
>more a matter of theistic geographical areas tend to be friendly to daimons
>and drive out spirits, animistic geographical areas do the reverse, and
>sorcerous areas drive out both?

It is not a matter of "driving out," although is many places the people have done exactly that.

I hope this snippet of essay will help.

The World Is Made of Everything
By Greg Stafford

Hero Wars presents one prevailing opinion of how Glorantha was made. It says that four separate worlds came together to make the current world. Several mythologies claim that only their world was original, and that others grew off it due to errors, ignorance, sins or whatever. For this discussion, we do not care which of those might be true. Both are derived from data from the mortal realm, and it is that data that I discuss.

Much of the human realm (the Middle World, the Human World) is common. It has no inherent magic of its own and will be affected by all outside magics equally. This includes places, creatures and plants. These parts of the world are made up of equal portions from all the primeval worlds.

But the distribution isn't really equal. Some parts of the world are significantly charged with one of the magical powers. In a broad and general way this is why the west is Malkioni, the center is theist and the east is mystical.

More specifically, this explains why some features of the terrain are alive in special ways. It is clear that Kero Fin is a concentration of theist power, a goddess. The Paps are obviously a center of animist power. The world has many such sacred mountains, spirit valleys and holy rivers. Enchanted Aldryami forests combine divine and animist powers, Mostali tunnels are mixtures of only pure Essence.



Greg Stafford
Issaries, Inc. 900 Murmansk St., Suite 5; Oakland, CA 94607 Phone: (510) 452 1648 Fax: (510) 302 0385 Publisher of Hero Wars, Roleplaying in Glorantha See our site at: <www.glorantha.com>

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