Bohemond

Well-written.

Has the Ernalda initiation ritual gotten a full write-up anywhere?

I would really love to see a Prax Pack with a scenario that really digs into this stuff to show people how the two compare.

LM's purification of sorcery is a specific ability granted to his worshippers through the Law Rune--the Alien Combination machine. That makes their sorcery a holy, 'godful' (not godless) thing in Heortling culture. So I would say that LMs who know sorcery can join other cults and still keep their sorcery, because the thing that makes sorcery objectionable (its atheistic quality) doesn't apply here.

Heroquests in the Godtime involve re-enacting a god's actions in an attempt to pull the power of those actions into the present Mundane world somehow--Orlanth won this battle with the Sky so if I recreate his deeds, I will be able to defeat these Dara Happens or Grazelanders. If a Spirit plane heroquest doesn't have a fixed narrative and spirit quests are more of a guided tour of meet n greets with spirits, does that mean that animists can't pull the power of their spirit's deeds into the present? Waha diverted the Good Canal to erode the Devil, but I can't repeat that to divert these Magasta worshippers from their goals? Are spirit quests limited to acquiring specific powers?

So what does all of this mean for hero quests and how an animist quest differs from a theist quest? Is it less of a fixed narrative and more of a map or travel guide?

Given the general dearth of Prax-based scenarios (other than Pavis/River of Cradles), please do publish this!

This seems to create a dichotomy between failure and fun. There are definitely times when failure is not fun, such as during a climax of a long conflict where the players are about to win and the dice crap out. That can really ruin things. But there are other times when failure can open doors to new and interesting problems for the players to solve, which can be a lot of fun. A couple years ago, I ran the Lawstaff quest for a Helerite. He did really well until he got into the Heroquest Challenge at the end. Then he ran into the worst run of concentrated bad luck I've ever seen in 40+ years of gaming: He rolled 4 fumbles and a failure in the 5 rounds of the Extended Contest. He burned through all his saved up hero points and got a Complete Defeat anyway. He had rather unwisely wagered his Water rune as the stakes in the Challenge, so he lost it completely. I felt kinda bad for him until I saw that he was excited to figure out a way to get his Water rune back and for the role-playing fun of how not having his Water rune would have affected him. Sadly that campaign folded soon thereafter so he never got to recover his Water rune (and I never had to figure out how he could do it).

"whether the Spirit World that a Shaman enters is the same "level" of reality as the one encountered in Heroquests [which, if I understand correctly, are mainly for theists," This raises the question for me of what animist hero quests look like and how they differ from theistic ones.

I guess for me, the core of the problem is that racism (and other forms of prejudice) make sense in human terms. I can wrap my head around how people can embrace a world-view like that precisely because it seems so human to do so. (Not saying I agree with it--I 100% don't.) The fact that humans can be like that is terrible. Cthulhu et al, on the other hand, are monstrously beyond human comprehension. Cthulhu-kitsch aside, no amount of human thinking can make sense of what Cthulhu and the other beings in that class are. They are terrible precisely because they are so far beyond humanity in scope and so utterly alien in terms of what they want. Nor can they really be defeated--just held at bay briefly. So these are very different flavors of horror. It seems like watching a film that is trying to be both a spooky traditional Western ghost story a la The Haunting of Hill House (original version) and a work of gory body horror simultaneously--they just seem so completely at odds to me in terms of genre that I can't picture how it would work. I don't think that's necessary true of all horror genres. For example, I think J-Horror ghost stories (The Ring, Uzumaki) could fit quite well with Lovecraft, because both ultimately offer a problem that has no actual solution except to never get involved in the first place, and both are often about inexplicable events that defy rational understanding. So I guess what I'm saying is that I can't see this working for me. There's definitely nothing wrong with the idea of trying to use horror to illuminate the problems of racism and bigotry. And I think there could be very interesting stories that try to deconstruct Lovecraft's racism by making a black man the protagonist of a Mythos tale, for example. But if some people find this a good way to shine a light on an issue that table-top gaming has tended to ignore, great!

Having just finished reading it after it arrived, I'm pretty happy with the revisions, most of which seem pretty smart choices to me. Addressing some of the racial and gender issues was a good move. And it's nice to see some of the obvious blank spots fleshed out (like where the rocket parts are coming from). My only let-down is that some of the art feels a bit of a step down. In particular, the picture of Jackson Elias isn't very good. For some reason, I find that really jarring.

While I appreciate the desire to make social justice an issue in tabletop gaming (especially given Lovecraft's notorious racism and antisemitism), I have to say that I think this idea completely goes against the grain of Lovecraftian horror. Compared to the idea that we exist in a cold, uncaring universe whose true nature drives us to insanity, a scenario that revolves around, for example, righting the wrongs of institutional racism feels like small potatoes. If Cthulhu is about to wake up and eat everyone, racism is the least of our worries. That's not to say that social justice issues aren't relevant to horror--horror films have often touched on social justice issues (going back at least to Night of the Living Dead and most recently, Get Out). But I think it's a poor fit for specifically Lovecraftian horror.

We know that ring members don't have to actually worship the god they speak for--an Ernalda healer can represent Chalana Arroy because she understands at least some of the goddess' concerns and can stand in for her. I think it's the same here. The Ginna Jar seat is given to someone who speaks for the heads of the households. In practice, I think that means one of the most prominent heads of household is given this seat and is expected to know what the other heads of households think about an issue and therefore be able to stand in for them and voice the concerns that headmen and headwoman have. While a rotating seat is possible, in think it is more likely that one headman/woman holds the seat long-term but talks regularly to their 'constituents'.

So here's my revised version of the Esrola side of the myth. Esrola’s Search (with thanks to Edan Jones) Long ago, in the Time before Time, in the time before Death, in the time before Orlanth had come, even before the time when the Bright Emperor ruled everything, there was the Earth, and it was great and fertile. Esrola the Bounteous covered the ground with Life, providing for all so that no one was ever hungry and nothing was ever wanting. But one day, things changed. Esrola’s fields were turning empty and Lifeless. Life became hard for everyone, and there was too much wanting and not enough of anything good. The radiant goddess did not understand, for she was young and beautiful and had never seen such a thing happen. So she set out for her mother’s hall, Great Ezel, because her mother Asrelia knew many things that she did not. There she asked her mother what she might do to fix this problem. The wisdom-goddess gazed deeply at her daughter, and wept. Her daughter was young, and so could not yet understand what happening. She knew that Esrola could not solve this problem until she could see it clearly. "Life is all important, but it is not enough," Asrelia said, and told Esrola that she would need to learn to see what threatened the land. The Life-bringing goddess must learn for herself what the problem was, because until she knew the problem, she could not knew the solution. Esrola listened to her mother’s wisdom, and resolved to go and learn what she did not know. When Esrola left her mother’s hall, Angdartha stood before her, because the Bright Emperor had sent his servant to bring her to his hall. He would have taken her away and left something much worse in her place. The always gentle goddess told him that she would do as he demanded, but she asked for a moment to prepare herself for the journey she was going to take, and he agreed to wait. The vibrant goddess took a knife and cut the ground and descended into the earth where Angdartha could not go. Afterwards, when she had returned, she gave that knife to her sister’s son Barntar, who was her favorite nephew, and he called that knife Plow and used it when he farmed. The Life-bringing goddess walked down into the earth, seeking to understand what could possibly threaten Life. She found the Labyrinth of Caves, where dark and terrible things lurked. She saw the Gnawer of Roots, which seeks to destroy from underneath. It sought to undermine her, but she showed it that her roots ran far deeper than it could ever understand. She met the Pestilent Cold, which wraps itself around its foe like a blanket and drains it of warmth. It tried to smother her, but she possessed the Warmth of Life and when it wrapped itself around her, it found that she was warming it instead, and so it fled from her in fear. She confronted the Withering Rot, which dries out that which lives and scorches it. It attempted to burn her vitality away, but her Life was inexhaustible, and the more it scorched her, the more vibrant she became. The more it burned, the less of her it had burned, and it exhausted itself like a candle that has run out of wick. It collapsed and flicked out and she continued on. But then she saw the thing that was beyond her, the thing that had been placed deep underneath to keep it away from the living, the thing that was what Life was not and could not be. And at last she understood. She saw clearly and learned to see the things that could threaten her. And from that, she understood that she needed someone to combat these things for her. Having walked the deep places of the earth, she returned to the world above and prepared herself. Esrola put on her radiant dress. She put her golden hair into the Courting Braids, which a woman wears when she wishes to attract a suitor, and pinned the braids in place with a jeweled comb. She clasped her necklace Lust for Life about her throat, which makes all those who live desire her, and walked the land, allowing all to see her as the Life-goddess she was. When she did so, the entire world stopped to watch. Every god hoped to please her, but only two she deemed worthy to help her with her problem, the clouds who had turned to grant her their cool rain, and the sun who had shone out to offer his warmth to her. Both gods were worthy, but they were opposed to each other. The sun sought to dry up the clouds, and the clouds sought to cover up the sun. At first, she could not decide which was more suitable. She thought she would have to choose only one, and so she decided to test them to help her make her choice. The golden Life-goddess showed the gods her fields and asked each to show her who was most worthy. Each god was eager to win her favor. Elmal poured his radiance upon the frozen crops, warming them and ripening them with his light, so that her children woke and returned to life. Then Heler came and rained down on the withered crops, nourishing them and covering the field with his mist. Esrola’s parched children drink thirstily and sprung up tall. The Life-goddess was happy that each had proven able to solve her problem. But each had done what the other had not, and both seemed necessary to her needs. The contest had shown her that neither was better than the other, and so she still could not choose. So she returned to Great Ezel to seek her mother’s advice once more. The crone of secrets laughed at her daughter's quandry. "It is no problem at all to have many worthy protectors. Although the men will insist you must choose one of them, in truth there is always another way. You do not need to choose between them. Instead, each one may serve you in turn, as the rain follows the sun, as your needs declare." Esrola thanked the wisdom-goddess for her insight. She returned to her fields, and told Elmal and Heler that she would not choose between them but take each as her year-husband in turn. This angered them, and each sought to defeat the other. But the radiant goddess simply smiled, letting them understand that she was the source of Life, and they were merely her protectors. The two gods saw they had no choice, and so they accepted what she offered them, and loved Esrola in turn, glad for the opportunity to serve and love Life.

Fair point.

Oh, great! Thank you!

So, here's what I think is a better version of the Elmal side of the myth. It feels more Gloranthan-mythic to me, and I think it captures what @Julian Lord describes as "reinterpretable words" better. The Contest between Heler and Elmal (Elmali Version) Once, Elmal looked out from his watch post and saw the loveliest of all goddesses, Esrola, walking the land. She was stunning to him, with her golden hair in the Maiden Braids, with a jeweled comb to hold it in place, and wearing her dress of Life. He desired to court her, but he knew that it is better to offer a woman a gift of service than a simple compliment. He saw that Heler, the dismal wet god, was trying to court Esrola, but was doing so poorly. He was flooding the land with rain, drowning all of Esrola’s children and making her shiver with cold. The Life-giving goddess asked Heler to stop, but he ignored her. Elmal went to the blue god and told him that he should be more gentle and give her rain only when she wanted it. But Heler scorned him derisively, saying that he had once been a woman and thus knew everything about what women want. But Elmal had watched men and women courting from his vantage point and knew there was more to it than that. He sought the Manifest Earth out and found her sitting forlorn in the rain, drenched to the skin. “Fair maiden,” he said, “can I be of service to you in any way?” She turned him and said, “Your warmth is welcome, for this rain is chilling me and all my children. But if you would aid me, send Heler away, for my children need the sunlight and the heat to prosper and grow.” Just knowing that there was a way he could serve her gladdened his heart. “If it can be done, I will do it for you,” said Elmal. The warm sun god went forth and blazed brightly, and dried away the rain, forcing Heler to retreat. Esrola smiled at Elmal and all her children rejoiced. But Heler was not happy at what Elmal had done. He gathered his warband from their cloudy beds and returned. He brought with him a torrential downpour greater than before, and a mist so heavy that no one could see Elmal, and so much thunder that Elmal’s thanes could not hear him when he called to them to stand with him. And so the problem was made much worse, and many of Esrola’s children were swept away and drowned, and the radiant goddess was made miserable. But the staunch war-sun was undismayed. He swore that he would solve the problem for Esrola. Then Lonely Joy appeared before him. She danced for him and called his name, urging him to spend time with her. She promised him that she would entertain him and make him forget his defeat. Her voice was sweet and her dance was beautiful. But Elmal saw that her beauty was hollow and she merely wanted a companion in her loneliness. He replied, “I have no time for you right now. I must keep the blue rain-god from drowning Esrola with his relentless waters.” But Lonely Joy said to him, “He has already defeated you once. This will be too great a struggle for you, and there is no reward in it for you. It is better not to try.” But the war-sun said to her, “I would not be a true warrior if I allowed a single defeat lead me to cease my struggles. I will fight and unless I am utterly destroyed I will not give up. There are rewards that you cannot understand and you cannot offer me.” And Lonely Joy departed and wept for her loneliness. The shining god went to Gustbran and asked his fiery kinsman to make him a shield that everyone could see. “I will gladly make such a shield for you, but that will be no small undertaking. You must find me some of the bright fire-gold, that I may forge it for you.” Elmal did not know where such a thing might be found. And so he asked Asrelia, the grandmother of secrets, who knew many lost things. The ancient crone-goddess told him that he should look for the band which Aether had given her mother back before the Air was born. It was the first love-token that had ever been given, but when the unruly storm Umath separated them, that band was shattered, and she said it would be a fitting thing to use to make his shield. She told him that he could find what remained of it on the Field of Broken Vows. When Elmal came to the Field of Broken Vows, he saw the fragments of Aether’s gold band. But Broken Vows commanded him to stop, saying that he was the Lord of Words that Failed and everything on that field belonged to him. Yet Elmal was undeterred and showed that true deeds were stronger than failed words. Broken Vows fled before him, and he gathered up the glittering pieces of Aether’s pledge. The steadfast god returned to Gustbran’s forge and presented him with the broken love-gift he had found. So the lord of the forge heated up his coals and pumped his bellows and took the sharp-edged bronze and hammered it into an impenetrable shield. Then he used the fierce craft-fire to melt the broken gold until it ran like glistening water. He poured it onto the war-bronze and shaped it with his mighty forge-hammer. He formed the brightest war-shield that was ever made, Reflart the Shining Blinder. On that shield he shaped the image of the whole world, with all its mountains and valleys and lakes and oceans, fixing each in their proper place, and with Elmal riding his horse high across the Sky for all to see. When he took it from his forge, the forge-heat did not fade, and so the great shield glittered like fire dancing and none could stand to look at it for long. Once the staunch sun-god had received Shining Blinder, he knew that he had to find a war horn with which to summon his loyal thanes. And so he went in search of Croch Crogach, the Bull of Black Slaughter. Croch Crogach had hooves of flint that crushed everything they trampled into dust and a hide so thick no weapon could pierce it. Everyone was in fear of him, and so he went where he pleased and did what he wanted. Many had tried to make him stop, but the great black bull had killed them all and ground their bones so thoroughly even their names were destroyed. Elmal found the dread bull and confronted him, demanding that he stop troubling everyone. Croch Crogach charged him, but Shining Blinder kept Elmal from being wounded, despite the fierce war-horns of the black bull. And so the war-god struggled with the Slaughter-Bull for three long days. Their combat was so fierce that they ground a mountain down into a valley, because neither could defeat the other. Finally, on the third day, Croch Crogach charged him once more and this time Elmal leapt upon his back. He grasped the bull’s horns and twisted its head beneath it as it ran, so that the Slaughter-Bull’s hooves trampled its own head and ground its skull to dust, all save one horn that Elmal held on to. And from that horn he fashioned a war-horn, Waking Blast, whose sound can be heard throughout the world and which no man can sleep through. Thus armed, Elmal went to confront the damp rain god. Although all was rain and mist and thunder, Elmal strode forth. He displayed Shining Blinder and its light blazed so fiercely that all of Heler’s mist was dispersed utterly. Then he blew on Waking Blast, which cut through all of Heler’s thunder and summoned Elmal’s loyal thanes to aid their brilliant lord. Then he mounted his faithful stallion and led his thanes to do battle with Heler’s war band. And Heler’s forces could not stand against him but were scattered and Heler was sent away reeling with defeat, unable to triumph over the staunch sun-god and his unbreakable shield. As the rainy warband dispersed, Elmal’s warm and gentle heat dried up the ground and warmed the radiant Life-goddess. She was overjoyed to see her children thrive and grow and prosper. She called him her Year-Husband and took him to her bed and gave him a son, Minlister, who brings joy to man wherever he visits. Her children flourished and grew, rejoicing in Elmal’s shining warmth.

Sadly, their site refers those of us outside of Finland to the Tradetalk site, which doesn't seem to offer the Zin Letters any more.

At that point, it becomes a question of why a clan would want to use them. If the cost isn't less than the benefit, it's hard to picture a clan actually pursuing this, unless it was a religious obligation. Maybe the ancestors demand it periodically.

I'm inclined to agree with Richard S that such a thing is a truly remarkable thing, perhaps the sort of thing that one clan learned how to do. Perhaps it's their Heroquest Secret ("We know the secret of Yoking the Earthshakers"). Maybe one a generation or so, a hero from the clan succeeds in the quest and soon thereafter the clan finds a nest of eggs that can be raised. Perhaps the quest angers Maran Gor and puts the clan on her bad side, so they don't do it too often.

To me, this is the biggest problem I would like to avoid. It's very easy to fall into the idea of the Earth goddesses passively waiting for male assistance, which is a problem with a lot of the myths around Ernalda. I've tried to make it clear that from the Esrola side of things, Heler and Elmal are essentially agents that she is calling and choosing for her purposes. I'd like to make that a bit stronger if I could.

Clearly, they need to invoke one of Lhankor Mhy's feats...

Very exciting news! Is there any word about when this gem might become available for purchase?

I was only able to get the first two. I'd love to see the other two, esp. #4

To me, these myths feel a little bit too 'fairy tale' and not quite Gloranthan enough. Any thoughts about how to address that?