Re: Disease and opposing world views

From: Jeff Richard <richaje_at_JUfTqLfFNyHhhlRYNfYAidXE7fFVysAx8UwYCyM7yy_01iX3L-1aWLlWAQiC2WtevJQw>
Date: Mon, 05 May 2008 09:00:16 -0000


> >Good point - I had been concentrating so much on the RQ I had missed
> >this essential point which comes out more strongly in HQ.
>
> Some of it has developed since RQ.

A lot of this has developed since RQ and, frankly, RQ does not do a good job of modeling Gloranthan magic. It is based on presumptions that simply do not exist in Greg's stories.

Generally speaking, a theist emulate divine entities to drawn on the magic of the God World. Animists strike deals with spirits. Wizards cast highly specific spells learned from the esoteric study of texts to manipulate the abstract forces of the Essence Planes. Of course there are exceptions to this; sometimes theists re-enact ancient compacts with divine entities, sometimes animists are possessed by spirits, and so on. But in general, these are the three main approaches to magic - and nearly uses all three (in different proportions of course).

Chalana Arroy, as stated before, is the Great Goddess of Healing in Glorantha. She's known by many names by many different people, but she is definitely a major goddess. She also might be a bad example, since her cult has mastered many diverse healing traditions.

Jeff            

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