First, I really like this idea from Richard Hayes:
> Another possibility is that to these Malkioni the pagan gods are
> anthropomorphised runes , so their myths can be seen as ways of
> mapping and manipulating the Essence Plane just as the lives and
> grimoires of a more conventional Malkioni saint can.
>
> However this last hypothesis needs to explain the metaphysics of
> how beings from the God Plane can leave something on the Essence
> Plane that those venerating the god/saint can follow. Maybe they
> interact with the God Plane without realising it (though previously
> this was said to be the secret only of Aeolian magic?)
>
> Maybe it is also all getting a bit Godlearnerish ...
Since the best way to avoid accusations of Godlearnerism is to use specific cases:
The Asharan Church doesn't actually venerate Ashara, who may or may not be Issaries. Instead, it venerates Caselain, who edited the Abiding Book in such a way as to highlight the truths revealed when Ashara comes from the east on his way to the west during the Darkness.
Let's assume Ashara was Issaries. Issaries moved through liturgical territory (is that the right term?) during the Darkness, interacting with the People of Logic as he went. It is plausible therefore that the Abiding Book had more than a passing reference to Ashara/Issaries in it, from a liturgic POV. This perspective would have used pre-existing wizardry & logic to make sense of Issaries, and things would go from there.
Of course things get infinitely easier if you reject the idea that Ashara was 'really' Issaries, but I doubt the Trader Princes would care one way or another. In either case, I think that's a plausible argument.
Second, I wonder if Chris' description of an animist deal with a god could have a possible parallel for an animist dealing with a saint.
Nick
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