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Jonstown Library hierarchy 1625


Puckohue

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Reading the Starter Set I noticed that Garangian Bronze-Guts is High Priest of Lhankor Mhy and Chief Librarian (p. 38).

Mata Min is ”Chief Priestess of the Jonstown Library” (p. 39).

I guess the authority of the High Priest goes beyond the library, making Mata Min his subordinate in the cult. But who of the two is boss of the library? And what is a ”Chief Priestess”?

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As I read it, Garangian"s title is chief librarian.  

Chief priest or priestess is explained elsewhere as chief of a particular temple, not of the whole cult.

My estimates is that because the LM cult is about knowledge and literacy  the senior priest or priestess must normally be chief librarian.  But being responsible for all other aspects of the cult too, that duty will in reality be delegated as much as the incumbent wants to delegate it.

 

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7 minutes ago, Puckohue said:

Reading the Starter Set I noticed that Garangian Bronze-Guts is High Priest of Lhankor Mhy and Chief Librarian (p. 38).

Mata Min is ”Chief Priestess of the Jonstown Library” (p. 39).

I guess the authority of the High Priest goes beyond the library, making Mata Min his subordinate in the cult. But who of the two is boss of the library? And what is a ”Chief Priestess”?

she is the head librarian! she's not the high priest, but she's in charge of the library. Like, he's a bishop and she's the local diocesan priest.

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23 minutes ago, Puckohue said:

Reading the Starter Set I noticed that Garangian Bronze-Guts is High Priest of Lhankor Mhy and Chief Librarian (p. 38).

Mata Min is ”Chief Priestess of the Jonstown Library” (p. 39).

I guess the authority of the High Priest goes beyond the library, making Mata Min his subordinate in the cult. But who of the two is boss of the library? And what is a ”Chief Priestess”?

Large Cults had Chief Priests/Priestesses who were subservient to the High priest but who were higher in rank than Priests/Priestesses.

As the Jonstown Library is a Great Temple of Lhankor Mhy, with thousands of Initiates, you would expect a God-Talker for every 50 Initiates and a Priest for every 100 Initiates, so a Great Temple could have dozens of Priests. The Chief Priest/Priestess role effectively cuts down the number of Priests reporting directly to the High priest.

So, Garangian Bronze-Guts is the High Priest of Lhankor Mhy at the Jonstown Temple and is Chief Librarian. Mata Min is a Chief Priestess and reports to Garangian Bronze-Guts, both as a Priestess and Librarian.

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Mata Min is the Chief Priestess of the Jonstown Library, and is in charge of all magical training, including spirit and Rune magic, and sorcery, and also administers the temple’s service of evaluating treasures, for which she collects a percentage of the fees.

According to the Starter Set description, although Mata Min is a Chief Priestess of the Jonstown Library, she doesn't particularly seem to be a Librarian, instead concentrating on magical training and evaluating treasure.

So, Garangian Bronze-Guts seems to be in charge of the Jonstown Library, as a library. Interestingly, Jorjera Latish is the City Administrator and sits on the City Ring as the Lhankor Mhy representative, instead of Garangian Bronze-Guts. Jorjera Latish seems to be connected to the Library, being "a talented bureaucrat with a remarkable knack for finding the right scroll" and "Her knowledge of old clan and tribal disputes is second to none in the library".

 

One interesting thing that the Scholar's Quarter has a brothel, 3 Taverns and an Inn. Compare that to the Upper City (2 Inns), Merchant's Quarter (2 Inns), Crafter's Quarter (2 Inns and 2 Taverns), and the Scholar's Quarter wins out. The Scholars must need their outlets to relieve the pressure of studying.

 

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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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1 hour ago, soltakss said:

Jorjera Latish is the City Administrator and sits on the City Ring as the Lhankor Mhy representative

She's also the "Chief of Loremasters". I wonder if that's a guild (and if so, what's the relation to the "Free Sages"), a city appointment, or a cult/library appointment.

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23 hours ago, Puckohue said:

Reading the Starter Set I noticed that Garangian Bronze-Guts is High Priest of Lhankor Mhy and Chief Librarian (p. 38).

Mata Min is ”Chief Priestess of the Jonstown Library” (p. 39).

I guess the authority of the High Priest goes beyond the library, making Mata Min his subordinate in the cult. But who of the two is boss of the library? And what is a ”Chief Priestess”?

Here's the structure I'm using (I've an LM in my group). It's based on the Cults of Prax definitions of LM High Priest, Chief priest, Chief of Loremasters and Provost of Apprentices. 

image.png.de41d0edaeaa678e943fdaa422bc69f7.png

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  • 11 months later...

One of my players noticed that Mata Min does not have any visible tattoos per the portrait in the Starter Set (in contrast to, I believe, every other character portrair depicted in both the Glorantha book of the Starter Set and the GM Adventure book). Her name does not sound to me as if she is an Orlanthi from Dragon Pass, but it does denote her as a member of the Cinsina Tribe. Is there any further reference material for Mata Min, or has anyone come up with a background for her on their own? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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35 minutes ago, hemulaformis said:

One of my players noticed that Mata Min does not have any visible tattoos per the portrait in the Starter Set (in contrast to, I believe, every other character portrair depicted in both the Glorantha book of the Starter Set and the GM Adventure book). Her name does not sound to me as if she is an Orlanthi from Dragon Pass, but it does denote her as a member of the Cinsina Tribe. Is there any further reference material for Mata Min, or has anyone come up with a background for her on their own? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Mata the Green Goddess in First Age Safelster, is another name for Ernalda. She may well have adopted the name as a result of her research, or (one of) her parents have it as an old family name, or it was the the name of a character in one of the writers games (like Jorjera Latish). As for the lack of tattoos, pick any reason - removed in a heroquest, has geas or stricture - no tattoos. or maybe they are not visible to those not LM initiates or are under her clothes or are tiny.

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Search the Glorantha Resource Site: https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com. Search the Glorantha mailing list archives: https://glorantha.steff.in/digests/

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