Re: Ompalam, Malia and other possibly chaotic dieties

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_5rpWsg2ys_uVweMoQjRspxYMcVdgfgQYvA8JEcPvx_kaNNtdM5QEKvmK6B07O6hDh6D>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 09:55:47 +1200


On 8/19/2012 10:52 PM, Tim wrote:

> Malia was one of the unholy trio, responsible for unleashing the devil into Glorantha, so even without the Broo connection you can see how people might see her being aligned with Chaos - but I agree that not every worshipper of Malia should be considered chaotic

The Unholy Trio is Orlanthi Mythology and is their name for three planets that dominated the sky during the Great Darkness. Malia is morally neutral and any malign intent imputed to her is only wishful thinking on the behalf of her victims. Furthermore Malia as the mindless goddess of disease doesn't possess the mental capacity to instigate world destroying plots that people blame her for.

> re-reading, I think "often" should be replaced by "may be" or "could be", We don't see much evidence of him in Genertela, but then that is true of all Pamaltelan deities...

But rather than speculate blandly about chaos societies, I think it more helpful to describe a chaos society which uses the worship of Ompalam. For me, I'm really seeing Ompalam as the Cultural God of Fonrit (which may or may not be true) to imagine his worship being used by chaotics.

> Canabalism is a chaotic act that can turn one into an ogre, but is a sacred act to the non-chaotic cannibal cult.

How can a god turn a chaotic act into a non-chaotic act? Why not go the whole hog and say they can cure chaos altogether? Secondly there is no evidence that cannibalism turns people into Ogres.

> Human Sacrifice is generally unacceptable to Orlanthi, except where carried out by the Ana Gor priestess.

Human Sacrifice apart from not being chaotic is generally unacceptable to the Orlanthi _even_ _when_ carried out by the Ana Gor priestesses. Look at the long list of people who tried to abolish human sacrifice in Storm Tribe - they tried to suppress the worship of Ana Gor.

> An Orlanthi who kills his brother, even if he deserves it, is causing Kinstrife and threatening Chaos, but a Humakti has ritually severed his ties and need have no qualms. On this basis I have no problem with an act that can be both chaotic and non chaotic depending on the state/status of the participants.

I'm not certain that Kinstrife is a chaotic act in the sense that rape is.

> Chaos is a "strict liablilty" cult in that you do not need to be knowingly worshipping chaos in order to do so. However there are ways of ritually protecting yourself and separating an otherwise chaotic act from this source

I don't think ritual protection can overcome chaos's strict liability.

>> If [Gbaji] was chaotic, then the Uroxi would sense him, no?

> If only he weren't able to hide behind his powers of deception.

I don't think Gbaji has powers of deception.

> I think a Nysalor Riddler who started asking too many strange questions around the Block would find relying on the argument "I can't be chaotic, or your sense chaos would go off" might find this not considered a compelling defence...

Considering the Uroxi of the Block habitually kill non-chaotic visitors for no other reason that they were in the vicinity, asking any sort of question is risk-seeking behaviour.

--Peter Metcalfe            

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