Quote from: BillDowns;599730I am curious why you would have Rakshasha (or Fae) but not any active gods.

Because I like the idea of a cruel universe that has Outsiders, but no (real, or at least active) gods. And (directed) magic only coming from an evil place.

Besides, I find anthropomorphic gods in fantasy tedious and overdone.

Quote from: Kiero;599757Because I like the idea of a cruel universe that has Outsiders, but no (real, or at least active) gods. And (directed) magic only coming from an evil place.

Besides, I find anthropomorphic gods in fantasy tedious and overdone.

I'm curious to know what is the difference between these Rashasas and gods. If some people in your setting want to start worshipping these magic-providing beings, won't they effectively be gods?

Quote from: Thalaba;599765I'm curious to know what is the difference between these Rashasas and gods. If some people in your setting want to start worshipping these magic-providing beings, won't they effectively be gods?

Why would they worship evil beings that don't respond to their prayers? They're only magic-providing to the people stupid enough to swear pacts with them.

Quote from: Kiero;599766Why would they worship evil beings that don't respond to their prayers? They're only magic-providing to the people stupid enough to swear pacts with them.

You got me there. Faith that one day they will respond, or that gods work in mysterious ways beyond the ken of humans, I guess.

What makes Rakshas 'Evil'? By that I mean who decides that they are evil?

Quote from: Kiero;599766Why would they worship evil beings that don't respond to their prayers?

To avoid their rage ? Out of pure fear ? And, maybe, to direct their rage at their enemies ? Even if it means messing with a force so unpredictable and chaotic as storms and earthquakes (to give an example) ?

Quote from: Thalaba;599765If some people in your setting want to start worshipping these magic-providing beings, won't they effectively be gods?

Good question.

Suppose one of these evil-pact magicians establishes a cult. He's the great and holy leader, bearer of power, and his non-magician acolytes worship him and his patron Rakshasha.

(This is a common element of Pulp Fantasy, isn't it?)

At that point, the difference between "god" and "Rakshasha" is very thin. On the ground, from the POV of the cultists (or people in the area), there is no difference.

Cosmologically speaking, the difference seems unclear. The question comes down to: What, in your mind, qualifies as a "god"?

In this setting, any sufficiently powerful being can be worshipped as a "god". They're all cults to powerful monsters, but that might work for a while.

Suppose there is a Sphinx, who can terrorize a region, but holds back because people propitiate her with sacrifices. This can become a religion, where they build monuments, have gestures or words to ward off the Sphinx (which may or may not work), and host holy days or festivals to offer up sacrifices. In return, the Sphinx leaves them alone.

In this setting, it seems that religions can propitiate strong creatures (those amenable to such deals), garner power from Rakshashas, or just be false. No prayers are answered. Priests either draw power from Rakshashas or are knowledgeable in the lore of propitiating the local chthonic monstrosity.

All of this is interesting and distinctive, but boils down to: There are only maltheistic beings, and the cults that propitiate them. No beneficient gods exist, though churches to them do.

(Note: "Chthonian" — adj. Chthonic — might be a better name than Rakshasha. It's unique and colorful. They're not demons, but super-powerful beings associated with great power and evil.)

The crux is: decide what you think a God is ("benevolent anthropomorphic super-human being who grants prayers and inspires religions") and then you'll know what isn't there. Then fill in what is.

Quote from: silva;598336Also, Glorantha´s Uz, Aldryami and Mostali are non-playable and utterly aliens to humanity (at least thats the default assumption).

A comment about this despite off topic - one of Glorantha's features is how playable non humans are, at least with RQ. Especially since it features the outstanding Trollpak http://grognardia.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/retrospective-trollpak.html which has to be the best supplement for a 'monster' group ever published and manages to make trolls playable but without making concessions to their strangeness.

There's plenty of instances in a Gloranthan setting I can think of where players have played baboons, centaurs, tapirs, trolls! and yes, ducks as well as the intelligent plants, Aldryami and stone guys, Mostali. So I don't think Glorantha fits into the 'non-humans are inimical to humans' theme.

Bilharzia, I think thats one of the points that may have changed from RQ to HQ. The trolls as presented in Trollpack are very much playable. But I dont think, after reading most of the HQ´s line (and that includes the new Sartar and Pavis) that the non-human races are meant to be playable anymore. These days I think they are intended to be alien and kind of unscrutable to humanity.

Maybe Loz or Jeff (Richard) could clarify it ?

P.S: your avatar is awesome. Who is it ? Some Gilgamesh movie or something ?

Quote from: Daddy Warpig;599787Good question.

Suppose one of these evil-pact magicians establishes a cult. He's the great and holy leader, bearer of power, and his non-magician acolytes worship him and his patron Rakshasha.

(This is a common element of Pulp Fantasy, isn't it?)

Absolutely! In the original Conan tales, I think I'm right in saying that there is only one occasion where Mitra may have manifested his power in the world. Otherwise the religious set-up is as Daddy says.

And isn't it possible to argue that most religious practice in the world of the Ancient Greeks was to propitiate the Gods, so they would let you alone and not rape your daughter while disguised as a swan?

Personally I think this 'no Gods, just deluded worshipers' approach is the correct one for that pulp fantasy feel.

Quote from: silva;599800Bilharzia, I think thats one of the points that may have changed from RQ to HQ. The trolls as presented in Trollpack are very much playable. But I dont think, after reading most of the HQ´s line (and that includes the new Sartar and Pavis) that the non-human races are meant to be playable anymore. These days I think they are intended to be alien and kind of unscrutable to humanity.

Maybe Loz or Jeff (Richard) could clarify it ?

P.S: your avatar is awesome. Who is it ? Some Gilgamesh movie or something ?

You've got me with the new Hero Quest, I'm not familiar with the new Glorantha material written for it. The recent Pavis book is tempting.

The avatar is the sorcerer King Aeetes from the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts - at the moment Aeetes is conjuring the hydra's teeth...

Great image!

RPGPundit

"What does it mean to be 'Denuri'?

In game mechanics, it means the part of the population that is 'level-capable', one of the great destroyers of any versimilitude for most OSR systems.  I say this based on setting logic, and in terms of how the game mechanics progress in terms of balance.

In Accis, being a very bronze-age, mythic game, the idea of the Denuri is that this is the small part of the population touched by fate, and by the gods.  Now, the Gods have lots of plans and lots of threads that are woven, but this still means most, 99%+ of the population is not Denuri.  With 18,000 inhabitants in the area under her jurisdiction, there are probably just under full150 Denuri, with maybe the same number of potential 'companions to heroes'.  This means a lot of things.

Maybe 40-50 of these are casters, with maybe 25 priests and priest subclasses, maybe15-ish Scholars and scholar subclasses, and the remaining casters are subclasses with a few spells or Oraters.  
Rogues with a major destiny are rare, but they exist, while Fighting Men, warriors with a place in fate, are the most numerous.

Now, this also assumes that Denuri are almost always in positions of power, as heritary lines, etc, are normally more important to the Gods.  And augery, legend, prophecy, etc, all feed into this.  The fact that the high priest of the Furies of the Flame can produce miracles of healing and flame is looked at the same way as when Joras the Butcher wades into a group of 5 'lesser men', coming out battered and bleeding, but unbowed.   Their destiny is graven deeply in the weave; as opposed to the small threads of a normal life.

Now, in play, especially when starting out, this is always interesting.  Since most priests and scholars and Orators cannot cannot cast spells, though it is gauche to use magic lightly, it is pretty easy to prove a PC is Denuri.  Fighters and rogues have it tougher.  But also remember, the stories are full of helpers and foils and people who are heroic enough to test Heroes..."