Lhankor Mhy marriage patterns and other cult whimsies

[Joerg]

RQG p.298 claims that Lhankor Mhy cultists may only marry inside the cult.

I recall quite clearly that earlier cult descriptions had the requirement that Lhankor Mhy cultists were only allowed to marry light cultists, emulating LM's partnership with the Lady of the Light of Inspiration (who may have been Ourania, Mistress of Heaven). It was quite hard to find female light cultists among the Orlanthi, unless you allowed Mahome as lowfire.

My LM character went for an initiate of the Redaylda subcult of Elmal, which went well with the character's fascination with fast horses and attempts to breed ones near Karse from exotic stock. A weird passion for someone from Pelaskite origins and strong in his roots, but anyway...

Then there is Broosta, Daughter of Pavis (the only female one) and Lhankor Mhy initiate, married to Fleeter Nemm, also a Daughter of Pavis. Does her priesthood in the Pavis cult override her LM marriage restrictions?

On the other hand, Broosta gives a model how to get your prospective partner accepted by the cult if only marriages inside the cult are sanctioned. The prospective partner has to become literate and a LM initiate on the side, wearing that weird veil, etc.

(I wonder whether henna tattoos or permanent ones on the chin, possibly in elaborate patterns, may serve for the "fake beard" requirement...)

[jeffjerwin]

There are the Star-Captain ancestors who one could be a descendant/initiate of, I think, as well as Rigsdal.

Elmalhara "beloved Elmal" (among the Dolutha) may be another aspect of Elmal that is connected to lovers. Hara is a genderless word, interestingly.

[soltakss]

22 hours ago, Joerg said:

RQG p.298 claims that Lhankor Mhy cultists may only marry inside the cult.

I recall quite clearly that earlier cult descriptions had the requirement that Lhankor Mhy cultists were only allowed to marry light cultists, emulating LM's partnership with the Lady of the Light of Inspiration (who may have been Ourania, Mistress of Heaven). It was quite hard to find female light cultists among the Orlanthi, unless you allowed Mahome as lowfire.

Did it? I canot remember seeing any marriage restrictions on Lhankor Mhy.

RQ2 Cults of Prax says "They (Sword Sages) may never marry an Initiate priest or a Lord of an elemental deity. Spouses must become at least a lay member of Lhankor Mhy." and "The Sage Priest must follow the same restrictions imposed on the Rune Lord of Lhankor Mhy. Furthermore, he is expected to give ¾ of his time to teaching and research.".

So Rune Levels must have spouses who are lay members of Lhankor Mhy, Since lay membershoip is not onerous, I would expect LM spouses to become lay members.

 

Then there is Broosta, Daughter of Pavis (the only female one) and Lhankor Mhy initiate, married to Fleeter Nemm, also a Daughter of Pavis. Does her priesthood in the Pavis cult override her LM marriage restrictions?

On the other hand, Broosta gives a model how to get your prospective partner accepted by the cult if only marriages inside the cult are sanctioned. The prospective partner has to become literate and a LM initiate on the side, wearing that weird veil, etc.

 

The spouse just needs to be a lay member, not too bad really. Also, LM Rune Levels may not marry an initiate or higher in an elemental rune cult, but nothing is said about those initiates already married who then become Rune Levels. Do they remain married or must they divorce? Yelmalians muct divorce, as shown in the Three Strikes of Anger note in the Yelmalio writeup.

(I wonder whether henna tattoos or permanent ones on the chin, possibly in elaborate patterns, may serve for the "fake beard" requirement...)

Almost certainly, at least, I would allow it.

Also, it adds to the fun when a different temple does not allow it.

[Jenx]

I think tattoos might be okay for lay members, but anything beyond that would probably require a long beard. After all, Lhankor Mhy's beard is really long, that's how you can tell he's so wise and knowledgable after all!

[scott-martin]

23 hours ago, Joerg said:

RQG p.298 claims that Lhankor Mhy cultists may only marry inside the cult.

Great thread. I was surprised myself recently to see that the roots of this go all the way back to Cults of Prax:

C. LOVE AND MARRIAGE

Members of Lhankor Mhy, of whatever station, may only marry within the cult, or marry those who can join the cult. This, again, is marrying Truth with Knowledge.

I suspect this is a vestige of the era when LKM lived among his own people away from the Ernalda complex. Of course the Talking God can intermarry as needed, one of that cult's strengths.

 

[soltakss]

7 minutes ago, scott-martin said:

Members of Lhankor Mhy, of whatever station, may only marry within the cult, or marry those who can join the cult. This, again, is marrying Truth with Knowledge.

Ooh, ooh, ohh, a Loophole - I love Loopholes.

"who can join the cult" - It doesnt say ""who join the cult", just "can", so I am a LM sage and I marry a non-LM person who satisfies all the requirements and so could/can join the cult. I can marry them according to that. They don't actually have to join the cult, just be able to join the cult.

If a player argued that, I'd let them roll the appropriate skill and see how good the roll was, then decide based on that. Actually, no, I wouldn't, I'd just sigh and say "I suppose you are right", while thinking "How quickly they grow up".

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, Jenx said:

but anything beyond that would probably require a long beard.

Well, Sorola's beard throughout the RQG illustrations is hardly long!  But it is very decorative and would seem a common style for Esrolian females in the Temple of Knowledge.

1 hour ago, soltakss said:

So Rune Levels must have spouses who are lay members of Lhankor Mhy, Since lay membershoip is not onerous, I would expect LM spouses to become lay members.

Ah, but you must also consider this as a lay member (CoP p.75):  "Apprentices must remain celibate and cloistered within the Temple most of the time except for occasional field trips to safe research areas."  Therefore, they have to be past being an apprentice/student and have become just a worshipper (i.e. "Worshippers: these are people of any race or age who come to the temple to worship and learn by paying for training. They pay all standard fees." and "All Lay Members take a vow to uphold the Truth") - that is they are paying good money to the temple and have sworn oaths to Truth (keeps the riff-raff and Eurmali out).

Edited July 6, 2018 by jajagappa

[soltakss]

Yes, I would expect spouses of LM Rune Levels to become general worshippers, not Apprentices. After all, they are not binding themselves to LM, but are joining to get a benefit.

[Byll]

Why does Lankhor Mhy not just give the women devotees a spell that grows breads for the day/week/season etc?

Is that too ikkily material for a God of intellect? But if that were the case surely he wouldn't care that they didn't have them, they'd just need to behave as if they had them (e.g. not wear elaborate necklaces or perhaps even low necklines to avoid entanglement or discomfort due to the discorporate beard)

[jajagappa]

2 hours ago, Byll said:

Is that too ikkily material for a God of intellect?

He doesn't have growth spells.  

[soltakss]

10 hours ago, Byll said:

Why does Lankhor Mhy not just give the women devotees a spell that grows breads for the day/week/season etc?

No need, as wearing false beards is fine.

I am sure that LM Temples sell a range of of hand-woven beards, made from real human/Mostali hair, at a very reasonable price.

 

10 hours ago, Byll said:

Is that too ikkily material for a God of intellect? But if that were the case surely he wouldn't care that they didn't have them, they'd just need to behave as if they had them (e.g. not wear elaborate necklaces or perhaps even low necklines to avoid entanglement or discomfort due to the discorporate beard)

Not care if they didn't have them?!

But, ALL Sages have beards. You wouldn't be a Sage without a beard. 

How else are you to know when a Sage is thinking or meditating, without the Sage runing their hands through their beard? Rubbing your chin just doesn't cut it.

 

Edited July 8, 2018 by soltakss

[scott-martin]

1 hour ago, soltakss said:

But, ALL Sages have beard. You wouldn't be a Sage without a beard. 

 

On further reflection "sage" is one of those non-binary Orlanthite genders like "nandan" or "vinga," all beards are equally notional in the library. 

[Jenx]

The beards must flow!

 

 

 

(Really. They should be long enough to flow!)

[Joerg]

One reason for the beard requirement might be the truth rune formed by the sideburns in combination with the goatee part in traditional long beards.

With sufficiently long and voluminous beards, I don't see why any sage would worry about the necklines.

Apart from that A-or B-rated rumor in Tales about using Regrow Limb to fight baldness (one point per strand of hair), I don't think there are any magics for growth of hair (other than Hsunchen transform body) anywhere in writing. There should be at least a trickster spell causing hair growth, possibly a Touch spell. Maybe active.

[Unferth]

16 minutes ago, Joerg said:

Apart from that A-or B-rated rumor in Tales about using Regrow Limb to fight baldness (one point per strand of hair), I don't think there are any magics for growth of hair (other than Hsunchen transform body) anywhere in writing.

There's a reference in the wiki, sourced to the Fortunate Succession, saying that Magnificus had "the beard-growing magic". Whatever that might be - apparently it was notable enough or rare enough to be worth recording, though.