I've had the RQG books almost since release, but an opportunity to actually play hasn't really cropped up until recently, so I'm currently making some sample characters and toying around with the rules in anticipation of actually introducing some friends to the game. It came up while making a Babeester Gor worshipper that the only listed requirement for initiating to her in the RQG rules is to be a woman, and there are no additional requirements (aside from the usual relevant cult skills) to advance to Rune Lord status. I'm not exactly a longtime fan of Glorantha, but in my few years keeping apprised of the lore, I'd gotten the definite impression that Babeester initiates (or at least certainly priestesses) are celibate and probably have some extra ritual requirements or taboos regarding relationships with men, childbearing, or the lack thereof, for example. Maran worshippers have to be unmarried and celibate to advance beyond initiate level, but no such thing for Babeester, unless I'm missing something.
I'm aware that the cult writeups in the core book are fairly minimal and probably also meant to avoid burdening a new player with all the possible variations and complexities of Gloranthan cults, and I'm sure GaGoG is going to contain plenty of more detailed info, but I'm wondering what everyone else's take is regarding this?
Since I anticipate Babeester is a likely cult pick for a warrior character, I'm thinking of basically houseruling it into requiring at least non-marriage, if not celibacy, although of course a player is free to have a backstory and/or Passions that invite conflict with that requirement. At the same time, not having a celibacy requirement is interesting, as I imagine any man in a relationship with a Babeester Gori must have a peculiar reputation with both men and women. And of course, permitting physical and romantic relationships for Babeester Gori does raise the subject of relationships between women (including people ritually considered as such).
Marriage requires oaths that could come into conflict with oaths made to the cult. Shagging around for fun though....
Babeester Gor and celibacy
in RuneQuest
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Marriage requires oaths that could come into conflict with oaths made to the cult. Shagging around for fun though....