Re: S:KoH Nandan?

From: ryancaveney_at_s1JCyC7HySIlbrhPfcNJbLqVHgcznbqOHWW1VLmajuFobehtomwnFJRyilqu1P6R
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 2010 12:23:44 -0800 (PST)

_Storm Tribe_ says "Nandan is an aspect of Ernalda, and worshippers can join any subcult of Ernalda or Esrola as if they are women. Worshippers themselves are Nandan’s manifestation. They act and dress as women. Nandan has his place in Ernalda’s Loom House as one of the Weaver Women." The skills and personality traits of the Nandan keyword are identical to Ernalda Allmother. For magic, Bless Family is the same, but in place of her Bless Children he has Heal Kin, which matches Ernalda the Healer's Heal People.

Note carefully that while Vinga is the cult for women who act like men, ST explicitly says Nandan cultists are *not* just men who act like women! They are all officially transgendered. "Nandan is the god worshipped by women who are born in the shape of men. Many people do not understand this... Worshippers: Women who have the shape of men. Membership Requirements: Must be a woman born into a man’s body."

Personally, I don't like this interpretation. IMG, Nandan is exactly reciprocal to Vinga, and instead both male and female transgenders find their place with Heler (since s/he is the sexually-ambiguous, shapechanging hermaphrodite god/dess) or one of the outside normal society "I am my job" cults like Chalana Arroy or Humakt. As for player preference, while I haven't yet met someone who wanted to play a Nandan cultist, that's also true for most published cults. Furthermore, I would find an entire party of Nandani much easier to work into my campaign than one annoyingly self-righteous Chalanan you have to keep preventing from healing the enemy! YGWV.

Ryan

From: Colin <colin_at_ynB1QCn1_ml16qUP8fCFk8gfcSjQ7T1uir9jzOBCvnGX6UH4PIwL93BJensBM30QkYrFvZFboZw5VRBu3odr1XCTha7NAA.yahoo.invalid> To: WorldofGlorantha_at_yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sun, November 21, 2010 11:59:29 AM Subject: S:KoH Nandan?   

Hey all,

So, reading through SKoH again, I noticed this text in the Ernalda cult entry:

"All initiates of Ernalda must be women (although the Nandan subcult provides a means by which men can perform women's roles and participate in women-only rituals)."

However, there's no Nandan subcult mentioned or described in the subcult section, and in fact this seems to be the only mention of Nandan at all in the entire book.

Did I miss something (entirely possible) or was the Nandan subcult just not described at all? Could anyone describe the Nandan subcult for me in SKoH subcult description terms, please, in the case of the latter?

cheers!
Colin       

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