Note: I have a bias I want to admit up front - I don't like the idea of a
single homogeneous Western culture. It seems dull.
/// Duely noted. However, the west is anything but "dull". The original concept
of monotheism has devolved in many different sects which all have rich,
contrasting histories and Truths (NOT myths !) - even if all aknowledge that
"there is only one God". Which nature who/what that God is is open to debate
It would be nice if there were multiple Western/sorcerous origin stories.
/// There are. Just ask a loskalmi idealist, who identifies God with Irensavel,
or a rokari, who think It's Makan, or the many smaller Churches. They don't even
all aknowledge the official Bible, the Abiding Book ! They all more or less
recognized the Five Actions, but these take on different importances in each
sect. Malkionism is as diverse and rich as RW christianism.
I think calling the peoples of Western Glorantha a single culture may be taking
it too far.
/// Well they do have a common basis : One God. They all share a more-or-less
common language, oral and written, a caste system (more or less developped), a
hierachized Church... It makes them as much a "single culture" as, say, the
orlanthi.
For Glorantha, sources on the peoples of the west are few and generally come
from one admittedly authoritative source - Zabbur.
/// Yes. And he/it is a soulless, immortal bastard which is not human. Malkioni
came after Zzabur and tried to do Good in other ways, beginning with Hrestol.
Zzabur is an interesting source but of little use to mortals.
The Vadeli are an extreme example. They were Malkioni once upon a time but have
drifted pretty far from where they started.
/// Well they still are "people of the book" and malkioni today, although of low
standing. And to quote extreme examples, think of the Waertaegi - deep ones in
fact ! How's that for plurality ?
I don't see why there can't have been many Malkioni sub-cultures that have developed in their own direction.
There where also probably remnants of the other original Malkioni peoples like
the Kachasti and Tadiniti who moved, mixed with other people, learned new
truths, etc.
/// Yes, there are. The kachasti became the vinkoti a.k.a. heortlings. One of
the first Eransachula, Dadamus, became the "father of demons" which begat the
first darkness creatures on Subere. Who knows what else is out there, even
without using Short Worlds.
I like the idea of hitherto unknown peoples exploding out of nowhere and
upsetting all the carefully made plans of the major players.
/// Why not, although I feel there's already a lot to game with ! There are
about twelve malkioni churches developped enough to use in a game, and
potentially any kind of weird sect can pop up anywhere.
If there is one thing that the Hero Wars narrative should NOT be is predictable.
/// Well, I like it predictable enough to run an interesting and stimulating
campaign - it's all about Gaming isn't it ?
"I wanna be a Godlearner again"
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