[Glorantha] A quick muse on HeroQuests

[Simon Hibbs]

From: "Dr Martin Hawley" <Martin at martinhawley.freeserve.co.uk>:

> This is also how the God learners committed their fatal errors, they thought
> that by studying others myths that they could enact them in a way they
> wished to gain benefits. They did not truly understand the myths and this
> was their error.

Quite so.

I think for most people in Glorantha, even true believers in their
respective faith, they mainly think in terms of "If I do X, I will get
benefit Y" because they are far more concerned with the conditions of
their mortal life, their friends, family, etc than abstract theology.
Still, they know there is a clear moral dimension to their religion,
and that the religious truths of their faith are important and worthy
of respect, and of course there are a small but very significant core
of the very religious such as priests, adepts, shamans, etc.

The God Learners only saw the "Do X to get Y" side of it. To them, the
rest of is was stupid pagan superstition, and not worth taking
seriously. They got away with it for a surprisingly long time, but in
the end what they were doing wasn't sustainable.


Simon Hibbs