Re: Where does 'gyrda' come from?

From: donald_at_u8WOqXc29kOGC_sFW3oQfEDZE09GU9xuoZmFigNT5rY6SMALl_X6TLyVLASx15XtmBaB5
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:14:38 GMT


In message <g64bob+me6q_at_eGroups.com> "Simon Phipp" writes:

>Yes, I know it's supposed to be deep and I know it's supposed to
>reflect the innermost Lunar Philosophies, but I found the chapter on
>Sevening, Occlusion and Illumination completely incomprehensible. I'm
>no slouch on these things normally, inside and outside gaming, and
>have read a fair amount on theology and philosophy, but there were
>parts of ILH2 that baffled me completely.

Apart from that chapter I can't find anything particularly difficult. For most players I'd explain Sevening as opening your mind to the infinite possibilities of the world. By following an immortal you are restricting yourself to that immortals world view. Sevening results either in an acceptance of your part in the world and what can be achieved (Illumination) or madness (Occlusion). Most of the rest is HQ game rules about the contests involved.

>Glorantha is a setting, whether a literary one of a gaming one
>depends on who is being asked the question. We can all make it as
>complicated as we can, but what is the point? Why make something so
>complicated that you need a degree in theology to understand it, or
>at least the impression that you ned the degree?
>
>Sure, make Glorantha deep and complex, that's fine. But there is a
>big difference between being deep and being overly complicated.

The problem is that what interests one person is overly complicated for others. People create what interests them and at some point someone (currently Rick) has to decide whether what has been created has a sufficently wide audience for official publication.

>> Secondly there are similar positions which aren't really comparable
>>- the Lunar preceptor is sufficently different
>> from the Malkoni litergist to justify a separate name.
>
>Where they are different and where there is a need to make them
>different, then fine. But, there does seem to be a tendency to make a
>whole host of new terms for all the levels of all the different
>models of magic-users.
>
>Has anyone ever listed the different terms for religious/magic using
>people in HeroQuest? It is a simple system gone mad, in my opinion.

This is why the new edition separates Gloranthan magic from the rest of the rules. The basic rule of magic being special abilities which can be used like any other is simple. Gloranthan magic isn't simple and needs different terms to reflect the different ways of working. If you use the same terms for things which are roughly equivelent rather than the same you just generate confusion.

-- 
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/

           

Powered by hypermail