>It is only when life is safe enough that a few Heortlings can afford to
>try specializing in one type of magic, or just one god, that
>concentrated theism beats mixed or misapplied magics, and only when
>they come into real conflict. That only happens once every 500 years
>or so (about the same period as an age -- think there might be a
>connection? :-)
>Plus when the conflicts start, things fall rapidly to the point that
>concentration and devotion can get one killed, because all the
>alternate sources of assistance are cut out.
My view is that devotees are specialists, they are extremely good at one particular thing and don't do much else particularly well. So if we think about a Heortling clan what jobs are important enough to require that level of specialism? A grain priestess, a farmer, a healer, a herder and maybe a warrior. That's a total of five out 1200 - less than half of one percent.
Devotees of other subcults are going to be at a tribal level, the tribal king probably has a warrior and *may* have a lawspeaker, a skald, a visionary, a peacemaker and a ceremonialist.
And yes the healer will neglect her children, if she has any, to attend the sick and injured. That's understood by the other women who fill in for her. Probably her children view some other woman as their mother for all practical purposes. The benefits to the clan are sufficent for this to be acceptable.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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