> An odaylan devotee captures a magnificient stag, parhaps twice as
> large as a normal one, and eats it heart. The stag happened to be
> tainted with chaos, and as a result the hunter grows stag's horns from
> his forehead.
I agree that Peter was a tad dismissive - Chaos (in this circumstance) is sort of like AIDS - you might or might not know you have it, there are some tests that you can take (Belveren is less...drastic a test than Urox), but if people *suspect* you have it, you can be in for a rough time. Adept has already determined that he *has* contracted a chaos taint, and its form.
> Now we know that a tainted individual will know about it,
I'm not so sure this is true - a Taint isn't the same as whole-hearted embracing of Chaos. To me, a mere chaos taint isn't full-blown worship of chaos, it's more like a disease that you contracted (in this case against your will and knowledge), and something you want to get rid of, once you know about it.
Chaos-worship is going full against your gods and community and embracing the "Chaos Livestyle" (Whether that means hiding out in the wilds alone; leading a band of broo and scorpion men; or joining Krarsht and eating away at society from the inside)
but the rest
> of his community doesn't automatically. What if the poor tainted
> hunter manages to convince people that the horns are a blessing from
> Odayla, and become a holy figure?
As has been stated before, there are plenty of false religions/beliefs in Glorantha. They haven't been examined much in any source, but this would probably qualify.
> Does this happen?
Probably. Most definitely if *you* want it to!
Does the odaylan's magic, and his relation to his
> deity continue to work normally?
Is he merely tainted, or does he embrace chaos? If he's merely tainted I'd probably allow him to continue his normal worship, though it might get difficult for him if the taint continues or gets stronger. If he embraces chaos, he'll lose the comnnectuion to his god (barring Nysalorean illumination), and Odayla will "know" about it. Is he merely deluded, or is he actively trying to worship chaos? That's where some of your answers will come from.
Is something horrible going to happen
> to the community for worshipping this tainted individual, thinking him
> a deciple of Odayla?
Probably. If they are actively worshipping him, that's different than saying "Oh yeah, he's been blessed by Odayla, see the horns?" If he starts a new religion, and they all convert to it, then there will be repercussions from the gods. If he just starts a new cult and integrates it into the Religious structure of the clan, there may or may not be. Since your question is a bit nebulous, the answers have to be as well.
>And finally, what mechanisms, aside from the
> uroxi, protect communities (among the heortlings) from such things?
Curses from the gods, as mentioned in other replies. Also, the Wyter may pick up on the "Something wicked this way comes" from the guy - it might not know exactly *what* is wrong, but it may try to communicate its impressions to the community. Most wyters don't have "Detect Chaos" as an Awareness function, but it can probably sense *something* is wrong with *somone* in the community.
RR
He was born with the gift of laughter and the sense that the world was mad
R. Sabatini, Scaramouche
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