[Glorantha] Familiars in Glorantha

[Mikko Rintasaari]

Hello.

What is the status of Wizards familiars (and allied spirits) in Greg's
vision of Glorantha today? I think allied spirits aren't nearly as common
as RQ-2 would have us think, but I do seem to recall a hawk "familiar"
belinging to a character in one of Greg's Glorantha novels (that he read
from in Convulsion some years back).

Some of you are no doubt familiar with the "Song of Ice and Fire" books.
The magical wolves in those books are a pretty good fit for a magicians
familiar. The "talking dog/wolf/horse/griffin" that is just like any other
person paradigm is something I find very lame, but there is something in
the concept of a familiar that I'd like to keep.

The wolves in the books are very loyal, and somewhat smarter than regular
animals, at least in the sense that they are very quick in defending their
masters, and lie at their owners feet like loyal dogs when the situation
calls for it (like when spending time at a castle, with lots of people and
dogs around). The more sensitive characters in the books also dream of
what their wolves are doing, in effect being the wolf when they sleep.

Add something like the wizard getting some personality (or magical)
trait(s) relating to the animal, and being effected by harm to the animal
and I think we have a familiar concept I actually like. (Like a wizard
with a wolf familiar developing a keen sense of smell and a tendency to
sniff the air around a new person.)

But how well do the familiars fit with the Malkioni anyway? I guess they
can well be a part of some sorcerous traditions, but then again almost
anything can.

	-Adept

Thinker, dreamer and adventurer