RE: Digest Number 591

From: Bruce Ferrie <bruce_at_...>
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 01:27:02 +0100


On Wednesday, September 19, 2001 4:07 PM, Stacy Stroud [SMTP:deadstop_at_...] wrote:
>

> Great stuff! I adore all your myths/stories; in fact, I re-read them all
> last night after reading this one. The Chalana Arroy/Voria story is
> probably my favorite -- a mix of Little Red Riding Hood and the Abduction
> of Persephone which simultaneously serves as a cautionary tale for the
> clan's children AND contains some of the White Lady's deepest secrets.
 Neato.

Thanks. That one's *my* favourite, too. Humakt as the Big Bad Wolf is just too perfect. I think it's worth reinforcing that Humakt *is* scary and occasionally at odds with other Storm Tribe types.

> I recall someone saying (right around the time Storm Tribe came out) that
> Redalda is the "Vinga" of the Elmali clans -- a way for women to access
> Elmal's powers as well as a goddess in her own right. "How Redalda
> Rescued Her Foal" makes an excellent background myth for that situation,
> and I would imagine that the heroquest could also be used as a cult
> initiation for those women.

Yeah, she is. And that is what this myth really is. In a way, it's about the first time she took up the spear and shield. The first outline for the story had her co-operating with Vinga and Eurmal on the journey. Vinga fought the Bad Dogs, Eurmal tricked Ssorssharn, and Redalda faced down the Fire Tribe warriors. But that weakened Redalda's role too much and so I dropped the idea and had Redalda solve all the problems herself. Demonstrating, of course, the three magical affinities she has - combat, light and horses. :)

The myth originated in my campaign. The "home clan" had a magical horse, and I'd never explained where they got it from. And, as you see, it's clear that someone went off heroquesting way back when. Whenever the horse dies, one of the clan's horse-y types always manages to "find" a replacement. This is how.

Regards,

Bruce

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