[Rq-rules] *** JUNK MAIL ***Re: spirit cults etc

[Simon Phipp]

Clive Wickens:
> Well, when I posed the questions I was using the term spirit cult in the Gloranthan sense of the word 
> ie: a small localised religion and/or shamanic based form of worship as opposed to a more 
> formalised hierarchial religion......maybe I've just answered my own question there, but I was 
> curious asto how one might transform into the other ( assuming they do of course ) and that gotr me 
> thinking about the various other questions I went on to pose.  

Well, this is the way I see it happening.

Joe Shaman contacts Spear Within The Earth, a spirit he met on a spirit quest to gain fire magic. Spear Within the Earth gives Joe the spell Firespear. Then Joe goes back to his clan and says "Hey, I've met this really great spirit who can help us in our fight against the cold winters, he gave me Firespear and I can use it to drive off the Ice Demons." He then sets up a Spirit Cult and some of the clan participate on an appropriate day and some of them gain Firespear and everyone is happy.

Then, just occasionally, Spear Within the Earth grants Earthwarm as well as Firespear, not often but more than once. So, Joe tries to contact Spear within the Earth again so that he can get Earthwarm regularly. He manages to do so and comes back with a Firespear, a burnt spear, that helps contact Spear Within the Earth and allows them to get Earthwarm more regularly.

Joe goes on another Spirit Quest and contacts Spear Within the Earth and goes deeper beneath the earth, getting access to Fire Within the Earth, another part of Spear Within the Earth, and gains access to Summon Salamander, so he returns and the clan combine the two and get Firespear, Earthwarm and Summon Salamander.

They start worshipping Spear Within the Earth and Fire Within the Earth every Season, then every week, and gain a few more sacred objects that help the contact. In fact, now the link is so strong that it never fails. Several shamans are involved in summoning Spear Within the Earth and many clan members attend every week. Then Spear Within the Earth sends a smaller spirit to live permanently within the shrine. 

Now, you have a cult that worships Spear Within the Earth, a form of Lodril, in a shrine. It just takes a bit more worship before membership becomes permanent, the spirit becomes a temple guardian and the shamans become priests of the cult. He carries on teachingFirespear, Earthwarm and Summon Salamander, but they can get more and more spells as their worship deepens.

Finally, a priest of Lodril finds out about the cult, goes there and shows them via a small heroquest that they are actually worshipping Lodril and opens up access to more spells. At that point it becomes a temple.

Anyway, that;s the way I see it working. Not necessarily about number of worshippers, more about nature and frequency of worship.

See Ya

Simon
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