> Trotsky, I think you're downplaying the unusualness of Devotion, and
> the common man's reaction.
At least in my Glorantha, I can't see why the common man's reaction should be so negative. These are people who share his ideals and values, and who are quite often the leaders of his community. They have dedicated more time than him to the practice of magic, and to being close to their gods in word and deed. That's unusual, sure, but it's not a bad thing.
> I'll make an analogy that reflects what how
> I see it, using a religion we're almost all familiar with, Christianity.
I'm not sure that the Christian analogy is a particularly good one for Gloranthan theists and Lunars, but let's stick with it anyway. The devotees are, in this model, to my mind rather like priests and lay preachers. And they are, on the whole, surrounded by their own community. The model I would look at isn't how liberals look at 'moral majority' types, but at how, say, baptists, look at their own preachers. Or how committed Catholics look at monks and nuns. And while, as Rory says, that's not the same way you'd react to Joe Bloggs next to you on the pew, it's hardly the same as you'd react to a nutter shouting on the street corner. (Which was, remember, the original description I was disagreeing with).
But, as I say, I don't think Christianity is a good analogy anyway. I think most people's reactions to devotees would be more like their reaction to people like doctors in the real world. Sure, they've spent more time studying than you, but is that really a reason to look askance at them and shuffle away if they get too near?
The bottom line, though, is this: a Glorantha where devotees are, as a general rule, regarded as strange people best avoided by the rest of us is not a Glorantha that I, personally, can tell interesting stories in. React negatively to some cults (Jakaleel, Danfive Xaron, Urox, etc.), sure. But not simply because they're devotees. That doesn't interest me, and I actively don't want a Glorantha that's like that.
YGWV, of course. And some people's clearly does :)
-- Trotsky Gamer and Skeptic ------------------------------------------------------ Trotsky's RPG website: http://www.ttrotsky.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
Powered by hypermail