> I like this quite a bit. I could imagine two variations on the idea -- sort
> of an "Inner" and an "Outer" approach, where an inner practitioner could
> develop a "Pharaonic Self" to invoke the power of Belintar-as-Holy-Country
> (Peter, you expressed this better in a previous post) -- giving personal
> benefits and (one assumes) becoming more and more like the Pharaoh until the
> identification is complete and the practitioner becomes Belintar (wins the
> Tournament).
I don't think your Inner Practitioner should aim to become Belintar. If anything they would aspire to join the ranks of the Holy Vessels, the 22 demigods whose bodies have served Belintar. Instead the Inner Practitioner would be intent on developing or manifesting their Holy Self.
> An outer practitioner would create external effects by evoking
> the Holy Realm to manifest in Gloranthan Reality.
In terms of external effects, these would be either blessed tools or fleeting manifestations, such as an elementals. I don't think people are strong enough to make a building by themselves although an organized congregation could.
> Which might give an insight into Belintar's motives -- perhaps winning the
> Tournament allows Belintar to incorporate some portion of the winner and
> his/her/its understanding of Glorantha into the Holy Real permanently,
> creating a correspondence between the two, that speads and deepens the Holy
> Realm.
I don't think Belintar is incorporating the winner or portion thereof. He's far too vast for that. Instead a much worthier target would be the Runes. Patterns in the policy of the Holy Country would be based on the Runes, for example Dormal's voyages took place when Belintar was developing either the Communication Rune or the Sea Rune. Likewise his current disappearance could be due to the Death Rune or the Underworld Rune.
I'm currently thinking that Rikard's belief in that Heortland is the ancient country of Malkonwal was inspired by an an experience of the Holy Realm when the Pharoah disappeared.
Hcarteau:
> Also, why is there a "Holy Realm" which, magical twin of the land,
> only for the Holy Country ?
Because it was created by or is a manifestation of Belintar.
> Or are there "Holy Realms" for other lands (Happy Hunting
> Grounds for praxians, etc.)
They exist on the Hero Planes and are versions of the places as they existed during the Great Darkness, Storm Age etc. My suggested Holy Realm is much closer than those places.
--Peter Metcalfe
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