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Elementals, spirits or corporeal beings in Glorantha?


svensson

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A thought occurred to me in a discussion of Spirits of Reprisal that I'd like some Collective Wisdom on.

I had suggested that a spirit of reprisal might consist of an elemental associated with a given deity entering spirit combat with the offender.

But are elementals spirits [that is, beings without bodies and present on the Spirit Plane] or corporeal beings [in that they have bodies, have most statistics, and are extensions of Gata]. Now, I realize that elementals interacting within their elemental environment will always be hard to spot... a calm air elemental would be hard to perceive as anything more than a refreshing breeze and good luck spotting an earth elemental at all underground and so forth.

So my specific question is this:

In a Glorantha magical context, are elementals spirits that take the form of an element [a fire spirit taking form as a bonfire, for example] or are they as ubiquitous but hard to spot like grass in a hay field?

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As I see it, elementals are spirits that have the ability to "possess" their element in the material world. Encountered on the spirit plane, they're just another spirit with only POW and CHA and a particularly strong elemental rune affinity, but if a nearby part of the material world has a high concentration of their element they can use it to make themselves a body, gaining STR. I don't think they often do so on their own though, most elementals in the material will probably have been summoned by someone.

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1 hour ago, Richard S. said:

As I see it, elementals are spirits that have the ability to "possess" their element in the material world. Encountered on the spirit plane, they're just another spirit with only POW and CHA and a particularly strong elemental rune affinity, but if a nearby part of the material world has a high concentration of their element they can use it to make themselves a body, gaining STR. I don't think they often do so on their own though, most elementals in the material will probably have been summoned by someone.

That's the impression I've always had, but other viewpoints are good too.

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3 hours ago, Richard S. said:

As I see it, elementals are spirits that have the ability to "possess" their element in the material world. Encountered on the spirit plane, they're just another spirit with only POW and CHA and a particularly strong elemental rune affinity, but if a nearby part of the material world has a high concentration of their element they can use it to make themselves a body, gaining STR. I don't think they often do so on their own though, most elementals in the material will probably have been summoned by someone.

I agree with this. Note that the Bestiary calls them "embodied", which seems to point in the same direction.

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32 minutes ago, Akhôrahil said:

I agree with this. Note that the Bestiary calls them "embodied", which seems to point in the same direction.

That was my inference too, but I wrong about the definition of 'undead' and  @Jeff had to be very specific about what that meant. With that in mind, I thought to ask the question about elementals too.

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14 hours ago, svensson said:

In a Glorantha magical context, are elementals spirits that take the form of an element [a fire spirit taking form as a bonfire, for example] or are they as ubiquitous but hard to spot like grass in a hay field?

They are spirits that manifest in a physical form.

14 hours ago, svensson said:

corporeal beings [in that they have bodies, have most statistics, and are extensions of Gata

Only earth elementals are manifestations of Gata, other elementals are manifestations of the Elemental Members of the Celestial Court. Lunes, Selenes are manifestations of the Red and Blue Moons.

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Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here

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You can summon elementals

but you need physical material 

So if you want a salamander you need enough fire

without the fire you may succeed to invoke the salamander but only a Spirit without any ability, and except if it has int, without any interest to stay in mundane world

 

so yes an elemental is a spirit from my perspective 

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5 hours ago, soltakss said:

They are spirits that manifest in a physical form.

Only earth elementals are manifestations of Gata, other elementals are manifestations of the Elemental Members of the Celestial Court. Lunes, Selenes are manifestations of the Red and Blue Moons.

I was using 'Gata' as a metaphor for a permanent Middle World physical body, but I do see what you're saying.

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