wrote:
> SNIP
> Remember that the Runes that we all know and love is a GL construct,
> synthesized from hundreds or thousands of similar forms. Thus Death is
> always two lines crossed, but the relative dimensions of the arms and
where
> they cross is extremely variable.
> The equal armed cross: 1. this is a map of the road where Denji had to
make
> his decison (Kothar story); 2. It's a symbol of the closed cave
"mouth" that
> Malkion the Wanderer led his people through when they left their
homeland;
> 3. it's the weapon that Heng Yo threw at his mentor and killed him
(East
> Isles).
>
> Note how they all deal with the central power: the first Death; but
the
> circumstances--the mythic story--differs.
>
> I know that the Harmony Rune is, somewhere, the claw marks of
something.
>
> --
> Greg Stafford
> Game Designer
Well, using the death rune as the example here, even if different
cultures use exactly the same shape of the rune I imagine their
description of that shape will differ. A Humakti Death Lord is going to
say it is the shape of the first sword, a Yelmali Light Son is going to
say it is the shape of Yelmalio's spear and a Babeester Gor Axe
Priestess is going to say it is the shape of the holy labrys.
It's not just the death rune that has different cultural connotations.
Using harmony as another example, within Orlanthi culture a Chalana
Arroy priestess (so nice and winsome that even the Voria priestesses
look at her funny) is going to approach the rune very differently from
the Odayla priest ("Heck, I'm bored. Think I'll go wrassle me a bear.").