EWF religion - how does it work?

[cj.23]

OK, I think I have missed something important in how the EWF religion works. I get the pyramid scheme (I beat you chaps to that with the Children of Hermes in TMRE for Ars Magica 5th) method of recruitment and promotion. I get the emphasis on ceremonial purity, and avoding metal, and other presumably polluting items. I also understand the reticence to cast Draconic Magic.

Yet how does the mysticism work? Sure i know the rules, but is it supposed to transfer magic points up a Malkioni style "chain of reverence" to the Guiding Council, and hence the Dragon who is yet to come? Should my characters perform a rite at midnight every day to dispose of their MP left? Ah! Is thsi covered in the Cults of Glorantha volumes?

The only other possibility i could think of is that there eschatology is reliant on the personal purity and righteousness of the dragon mystics, and that casting draconic magic was an unclean act, defiling and requiring ritual purification, and in much religion of the ANE? (The Old Testament for example.) If you continue that analogy to include Covenant Theology with the Dragon That is to Come, by which "sinners" slow the coming of the Great Dragon by rendering the community impure, and have a number of apocalyptic works describing the Day to Come then you might have an interesting religion... especially if many believers expect to be "Raptured*" and hence are neglecting increasingly mundane matters like food, planning for their futures or trade, in favour of eschatological fervour as the end will come "any day soon!" (And how right they are! - CHOMP!)

cj x

* a concept common to 20th century American Dispensationalism, but largely unknown outside North America (like dispensationalism!) Effectively God takes the believers from Earth before the Tribulation and End Times. If you want to know more, wikipedia is good on this.

 

[Sinisalo]

I've been using History of the Heortling Peoples as well as the Mongoose stuff to work this out.

1. The Great Dragon To Come gets collateral worship from divine cults that are draconised. I suspect an extra cow is sacrificed and the worshippers get more tired after their rites to ensure they get the same resources as they got before draconisation.

2. Sacrificing to the ancestors and the village wyter (the village protective spirit or godling) is also discouraged in favour of making the same level of sacrifice to the Great Dragon. What those rites are is anyone's guess but a little creativity will probably answer that.

I suspect that for most people purity and contemplation have only marginally affected the basis of their lives (ie, the agricultural cycle). But there is evidence of draconic effects springing up: scaley cows and peasants with an inner light, etc.

What do your players need to do?
Carry on as in RQ3 and sacrifice as normal during holy days. If they are dragonspeakers then their contemplation emanates out transforming the land and their practice of the martial arts inspire wisdom with its majesty. What this means in metaphysical terms is unknown. In game terms it means research and practice.

 

[The King]

It seems to me, they try to keep all their power without casting any spell because spells disrupt the dragon scheme. The purpose is somehow to merge with the great dragon to come.
They try thus to progress (dance, martial art, illumination) without ever spending any magic. This is how I understand it.

 

[Sinisalo]

It seems to me, they try to keep all their power without casting any spell because spells disrupt the dragon scheme. The purpose is somehow to merge with the great dragon to come.
They try thus to pregress (dance, martial art, illumination) without ever spending any magic. This is how I understand it.

Exactly right for those who have progressed above Wyrms' Face Believer and for many of those on the bottom rank as well. For those who are more interested in growing their crops than illumination then they can continue to sacrifice to a draconic version of Barntar to get their Plough Strong, etc. Those more interested in raiding their neighbours can sacrifice to a draconic version of Finovan. There's no limit to their magic that I can see, though I may be wrong.

The empire is getting collateral worship from these draconic cults as if the Great Dragon To Come is the pantheon god. Therefore the empire is happy allowing its citizens to worship as before as long as they recognise the inner dragon mysteries of that worship. If they then convert to full blown dragon mysticism even better.