Gareth Martin wrote:
>
> > Here you are, a good Heortling. A Lunar comes along and says your
> god
> > is worthless. Pretty annoying, but you know she has her own powerful
>
> > goddess protecting her -- she can get away with this for a while.
>
> Fair enough
>
> > Then a soulless Meldek comes along and says your god isn't really a
> > god. Really annoying, and even though he has no god at all, he isn't
>
> > struck down by lightning. How does he do it? What secret protection
> > does he have?
>
> OK. The term Meldek does not ring any immediate bells, but:
the word pops up in the literature when sorcerers are discussed. I think it first appeared in Strangers In Prax. It means 'Eaten' or 'Soul Drained'
> a) why is he "soulless" when the Lunar is not?
Because sorcerers cannot be contacted after death in any way, shape or form. This means that their practice of sorcery destroys their souls -- as far as most theists are concerned. Solace puts the recipient beyond the cycles of reincarnation and/or daimonhood that the theists revere. This is mentioned on the Issaries site in the library in several places.
In the case of the athiest Brithini and Zzaburi (who often seek personal immortality if they don't already have it), who do not believe in Solace, they seem to dissapate or disappear after death. Since this matches with what the Heortlings believe, it makes for a pretty good observation.
> b) The claim that orlanth is "not really" a god can be easily
> falsified by
> making orlanth act like a god - i.e. repsond to the appeals of
> worshippers
See 'Worlanth' on the Issaries website. Clearly this Worlanth is a powerful sorcerer who's duped these poor fools into serving him.
> c) I would not expect him to be struck by lightning - what he is
> saying is
> no threat to the manifest truth of my faith. But presumably they are
> protected by this insible god
Anyone theist who profanes or destroys an altar or sacred place of can expect retribution, if only from the priests. Any theist can expect HIS god to protect him from this sort of assault. Meldek, who openly proclaim they do not have a god, seem to enjoy protection too. Which really bugs theists no end.
Overthrowing Pagan altars is a hobby among many types of Malkioni. Taking over Places of Power (which often have temples and shrines on them) is a useful tactic for the budding Zzaburi.
> At the moment I would see the above as much less of a threat than the
> Lunar.
> If this Meldek is a threat, they are a threat as the worshipper of
> another
> (invisible) god, surely - and witghout Chaos (or so I believe).
They say they don't have gods. They say we don't have gods. At least the Lunars acknowlege other gods exist. Not only are the Meldek dangerous, they are INSULTING.
> Either way,
> the assertion that orlanth is not a god is meaningless - for orlanth
> demonstrably behaves as a god. Even if I were to accept the Meldeks
> argument, that Orlanth is some entity other than a god, I still don't
> see
Its still an insult. And do, please, check up on the Worlanth/Orlanth writeup on Issaries or in Gods of Glorantha. It will explain, if you're willing to read it, just how the sorcerers undermine the belief structures of theists.
The Heortlings have lost a lot of ground to the sorcerers since Time.
> why I should care - as long as orlanth delivers the goods, I have no
> worries.
A god is more than 'delivering the goods'.... And a devotee owes more than sacrifice. Support in thought, word and deed. And action against those that undermine your faith with their false miracles.
I find that trying to think like a Heortling helps a lot.
Jeff
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