Priest of Mitra

[Infidel-X]

Ok so in the Conan20 RPG its states that priests of Mitra required NOT to practice sorcery yet in the story "The Treasure of Tranicos" It shows that
a priest of Mitra used sorcery to locate Conan-

"How did you know where I was?"

The stout, bald man addressed as "Publis" gestured toward another man in the black robesof a priest of Mitra. "Dexitheus found you by his occult arts. He swore you stll lived and promised to lead us to you".

Ok so my question is this.. where in Howards stories does it state that priests of Mitra refrine from using sorcery?

 

[Infidel-X]

Sorry I guess this should have gone to the mighty RULESMASTERS :roll:

 

[Iron_Chef]

Ok so in the Conan20 RPG its states that priests of Mitra required NOT to practice sorcery yet in the story "The Treasure of Tranicos" It shows that
a priest of Mitra used sorcery to locate Conan-

"How did you know where I was?"

The stout, bald man addressed as "Publis" gestured toward another man in the black robesof a priest of Mitra. "Dexitheus found you by his occult arts. He swore you stll lived and promised to lead us to you".

Ok so my question is this.. where in Howards stories does it state that priests of Mitra refrine from using sorcery?

I don't know where Howard said this, but I do know that Tranicos is a pastiche by L. Sprague de Camp and not particularly faithful to Howard's original vision, like everything de Camp did with Conan.

 

[Iron_Chef]

There is more on Howard and priests of Mitra's use of magic in this thread, third post down:
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=796

 

[Infidel-X]

I don't know where Howard said this, but I do know that Tranicos is a pastiche by L. Sprague de Camp and not particularly faithful to Howard's original vision, like everything de Camp did with Conan.

Ahh yes some truth in that... the credits so it "as revised by de Camp" I personaly don't mind de Camp's work if it weren't for him we might not have seen alot of howards work come to light! :? :? :?

There is more on Howard and priests of Mitra's use of magic in this thread, third post down:
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=796

Thanks for the Heads up I.C.

 

[Iron_Chef]

I don't know where Howard said this, but I do know that Tranicos is a pastiche by L. Sprague de Camp and not particularly faithful to Howard's original vision, like everything de Camp did with Conan.

Ahh yes some truth in that... the credits so it "as revised by de Camp" I personaly don't mind de Camp's work if it weren't for him we might not have seen alot of howards work come to light! :? :? :?

There is more on Howard and priests of Mitra's use of magic in this thread, third post down:
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=796

Thanks for the Heads up I.C.

I completely agree that without De Camp, we would not have so much Conan goodness (and badness). De Camp deserves credit for keeping the character alive... however, he deserves far less noble treatment for the arrogant liberties he took with Howard's vision, practically erasing Howard's name and reputation in the process. As an example, Clark Ashton Smith, while an inferior writer to H.P. Lovecraft (as De Camp was to Howard), made sure that Lovecraft's work did not die with its author, and contributed to it without overshadowing Lovecraft. De Camp did not do the same.

 

[VincentDarlage]

There is no Howard source that I can find to the claim that Mitran priests cannot use magic. Even in Black Colossus, the temple of Mitra there used an Oracle, which is a type of magic.

The belief that the Mitran priests do not use magic lies entirely in the realm of the Tor pastiches, I believe.

I personally will allow Mitran priests, should any appear, to use magic in any campaign I run as a house rule.

 

[Infidel-X]

I completely agree that without De Camp, we would not have so much Conan goodness (and badness). De Camp deserves credit for keeping the character alive... however, he deserves far less noble treatment for the arrogant liberties he took with Howard's vision, practically erasing Howard's name and reputation in the process. As an example, Clark Ashton Smith, while an inferior writer to H.P. Lovecraft, made sure that Lovecraft's work did not die with its author, and contributed to it without overshadowing Lovecraft. De Camp did not do the same.

Really?? How/when did he do this?? Not trying to be a smart ass. I began reading Conan when was 13 (waaay to long ago :?) And never believed De Camp harmed the stories or was in any trying to overshadow Howard. IF anyone deserves that credit it should go to Roy Thomas! THE HACK! :twisted:

 

[VincentDarlage]

Here are some thoughts on de Camp:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/hosted/adilbrand/conan/decamp.htm

link should be fixed now.

 

[Iron_Chef]

Here are some thoughts on de Camp:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/hosted/ adilbrand/conan/decamp.htm

Broken link.

 

[Ordovician]

he deserves far less noble treatment for the arrogant liberties he took with Howard's vision, practically erasing Howard's name and reputation in the process. As an example, Clark Ashton Smith, while an inferior writer to H.P. Lovecraft (as De Camp was to Howard), made sure that Lovecraft's work did not die with its author, and contributed to it without overshadowing Lovecraft.

Agreed. I think you mean August Derleth, though, and not Clark Ashton Smith. Derleth was the one who came afterwards, and wrote all that stuff proposed the stupid good Outer Gods and had people carrying Elder Signs and stuff, and also started Arkham House. CAS was a contemporary. Sorry, I'm just very defensive of my HPL and all them.

 

[Iron_Chef]

he deserves far less noble treatment for the arrogant liberties he took with Howard's vision, practically erasing Howard's name and reputation in the process. As an example, Clark Ashton Smith, while an inferior writer to H.P. Lovecraft (as De Camp was to Howard), made sure that Lovecraft's work did not die with its author, and contributed to it without overshadowing Lovecraft.

Agreed. I think you mean August Derleth, though, and not Clark Ashton Smith. Derleth was the one who came afterwards, and wrote all that stuff proposed the stupid good Outer Gods and had people carrying Elder Signs and stuff, and also started Arkham House. CAS was a contemporary. Sorry, I'm just very defensive of my HPL and all them.

Yes, I meant August Derleth and his Arkham House publishing company, but got him mixed up with CAS. Sorry! I read Lurker At The Threshold by Lovecraft/Smith and it read like a bad DeCamp revision of Howard. Painful!

 

[Johannixx]

I don't have my copy of that particular book with me, but I believe Dexitheus was of some other (non-Mitraic) religion. Wasn't he a priest of Ishtar, or perhaps Isis? It's been a long time since I read the later, heavily-deCamp stories.

 

[VincentDarlage]

I don't have my copy of that particular book with me, but I believe Dexitheus was of some other (non-Mitraic) religion. Wasn't he a priest of Ishtar, or perhaps Isis? It's been a long time since I read the later, heavily-deCamp stories.

If I may be allowed to quote from de Camp's addition to Howard's tale:

"How did you know where I was?"

The stout, bald man addressed as "Publius" gestured toward another man in the black robe of a priest of Mitra. "Dexitheus found you by his occult arts. He swore you still lived and promised to lead us to you."

~From L. Sprague de Camp's portion of The Treasure of Tranicos.

(Note that I consider de Camp's rewrite as non-Canonical)

 

[SnowDog]

Ok so in the Conan20 RPG its states that priests of Mitra required NOT to practice sorcery yet in the story "The Treasure of Tranicos" It shows that
a priest of Mitra used sorcery to locate Conan-

"How did you know where I was?"

The stout, bald man addressed as "Publis" gestured toward another man in the black robesof a priest of Mitra. "Dexitheus found you by his occult arts. He swore you stll lived and promised to lead us to you".

Ok so my question is this.. where in Howards stories does it state that priests of Mitra refrine from using sorcery?

Um, I don't have the book with me but according to your wording it states that the priests of Mitra are not REQUIRED to practice sorcery. If that is actually the wording (and meaning) of the entry then I take it that they can practice sorcery but are not required to do so :roll:

SnowDog

 

[arai]

Also away from my books but I believe in de Camp's Conan the Liberator it is Dexitheus once again who wards off the sorcerer controlling the King when Conan finally bursts into the throne room. Afterwards, Dexitheus says something like "now I have to go do penance for breaking the commandments of the order". So I agree with the other posters here it seems it is de Camp who is responsible for the idea that priests of Mitra are forbidden sorcery.