All of this explains to me quite nicely the advantages of making a character first and doing the initiations in a flashback later, as indeed suggested by the book. Thanks. :)
I suppose a Vingan takes a more active role in her womanhood initiation and so on.
Also, I suppose a lay member of an unusual rune is expected to initiate to an appropriate god sooner rather than later. Certainly there doesn't seem to be as much place for them as there is for conventional lay members, although this is just a general impression.
>
>
> On 26/04/2012, at 2:58 AM, Daniel wrote:
>
> > Well, thinking of the things those elements are actually associated with in Glorantha,
>
> There is no universal agreement. But the Orlanthi think the Darkness is primordial and mysterious.
>
> > Darkness would involve discovering a link with the primordial rather than with any later powers (perhaps it's more of a realisation of being a part of Darkness rather than/more than an independent individual? Something Trollish, anyway. Finding the ties to your and everyone's primeval Mother?),
>
>
> > while Water is largely connected to refusing to define yourself in a clear and permanent way, or at least in any way that Orlanthi society would recognise as normal - perhaps it's more about refusing to acknowledge boundaries or assume a shape rather than awakening your True Self or your soul. Perhaps it is discovering one's Flow.
> >
> > No idea about Fire.
>
> Think in the context of an Orlanthi Adultthood rite (it will be different for another culture).
>
> In an Orlanthi initiation rite, the young men don't initiate to the abstract concept of Storm, they initiate to the cult of Orlanth.
>
> So, while the majority of young men are running off and discovering their link with Orlanth, usually via the Heort rites of the Second Son (at least in Sartar), those who discover a link with another element are usually discovering a link with another deity. Sometimes this means the character discovers a link with a different,non-elemental deity entirely (eg a Humakti might have the Darkness rune, but his Death Rune is dominant). Or it might mean discovering a link to an elemental deity.
>
> So, where the Orlanthi young chase off into the darkness and discover the secret of the Star Heart, the young men who connect to Fire (via) Elmal stay behind and defend, and learn to keep the Light shining in the Darkness. The Helerite learns the secrets of water powers, maybe he ends up fighting some of the Orlanthi initiates but makes peace, maybe the Orlanthi initiates save him from a dragon power. And so on.
>
> Cheers
> David
>
> >
> > --- In WorldofGlorantha_at_yahoogroups.com, Andrew Larsen <aelarsen@> wrote:
> >>
> >> Perhaps for Fire it would be something
> >> like your Inner Spark, or Inner Light.
> >> For Darkness it might be the Darkness
> >> Within or your Shadow. For Water it
> >> might be your Flow. Being Wet Inside
> >> just sounds uncomfortable, like you need
> >> to change your underwear.
> >>
> >> Andrew E. Larsen
> >>
> >> On Apr 25, 2012, at 9:12 AM, Daniel <von_das_at_> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Re-posting from the forum, just in case. This seems like it might be the more appropriate place for it anyway.
> >>>
> >>> I'm curious about some particulars of initiations for Sartarite children as described in KoH.
> >>>
> >>> Specifically, I'm curious about elemental runes. The initiation write-ups mention awakening your True Self (Earth Rune) for women and awakening your Breath (Air Rune) for men. I wonder how it works if you have a different rune? Presumably even Vingan women and Nandan men undergo the initiation of their sex first, but what does a future Nandan awaken? His True Self instead of his Breath? His Breath, which is in some way different? Something else?
> >>>
> >>> What of Darkness, Water, Fire? Do they awaken something else entirely, or a different variation on the same themes (sounds like it would be easier with a True Self than with a Breath, of course)? Would they be gender-specific as well? I suppose those things are all individual, of course, but I'm curious as to how you would approach it by default.
> >>>
> >>> Also, I'd like to hear about people's experiences with roleplaying initiations. They seem like they could be a nice touch, especially when helping people come up with characters and/or trying to immerse them in an unfamiliar setting from the start. On the other hand, of course, they would likely require a very different approach from normal roleplaying.
> >>>
> >>> Thanks in advance!
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
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