Realworld Origins of the God Learners

[Jaldon Goldentooth]

As a crusty old RQ2er who hasn't played in or read about Glorantha in over 10 tens years I am intrigued about the real world origins of the God Learners.

It seems from things such as the monomyth, Runequest Sight and the God Learners secret ("it's just a game") that they are some sort of reaction to a certain style of play. That being, the type of player who thought it cool to play a Humakti Death Lord/Priest Mistress Race Troll with maxed out characteristics decked out in iron plate brandishing a Maul.

Can anyone shed any light?

 

[Exubae]

I suppose you could draw a certain similarity to the Greek Chappy (Sorry been down the pub for a liquid lunch of old perculiar, his name escapes me at the moment). Who compiled the myths of the Greek Gods - he drew tales together and ellimnated apparent duplicate myths from his records...
Egyptians did a similar thing merging two gods into a form... when my head clears I'll post an example...
I'm sure my spelling improves after a couple of pints.

The other side of the coin could be traditional science that loves to catergorise and pigeon hole things...
Only the logic is a bit more skewed...
A bit like the cults type
All sun gods have Sunspear and Resurrect
Yelm is a Sun god, Yelmalio is a sun god.
thus they both have Sunspear and Resurrect.

 

[soltakss]

That's what the Romans did as well. If they found a foreign deity that had vaguely similar powers to one of their own, they worshipped them together.

But, I think the God Learners were there way before people were playing RQ. They appear in the RQ2 rulebook, I don't know about RQ1 but I wouldn't be surprised if they were there too.

Their form as myth-plundering sorcerers may have come later, but I doubt it.

Anyway, what's wrong with a Humakti Death Lord/Priest Mistress Race Troll with maxed out characteristics decked out in iron plate brandishing a Maul?

Mistress Race Trolls could join any cult - it said so in RQ3

A Humakti using a maul? Unless they have the geas Use No Non-Cult Weapons or Never Use a Maul then they can use it, they just can't train it.

Trolls wearing iron armour? As Derak the Dark Troll's player used to say "Twice Nothing is Nothing" - if the armour doesn't cause damage then it doesn't matter about being iron.

Full Plate armour? No problems, Mistress Race Trolls are strong and tough (and only the best is good enough - oh, wrong jingle)

Maxed out Characteristics? Clearly through HeroQuesting or training. It's a Mistress Race Troll, they can do it if they want to.

Humakti Death Lord? Ah, this one is a little trickier. Clearly, an Arkati Humakti Death lord, having joined the cults of Arkat Humaktsson and Zorak Arkat.

See, Humakti Death Lord/Priest Mistress Race Troll with maxed out characteristics decked out in iron plate brandishing a Maul are quite possible and reasonable, really

 

[Blackyinkin]

I would imagine, from knowing Greg, that the God Learners owe a huge amount to Joseph Campbell, whose Hero of a Thousand Faces established many of the premises of the Monomyth, that is the core of the God Learners view of the world.

Simon

 

[Adept]

<snip>

It seems from things such as the monomyth, Runequest Sight and the God Learners secret ("it's just a game")
<snip>

*sigh*

That is not the Godlearner's secret. That is a stoopid joke that was bad the first time it was told.

As far as I know, the Godlearners are the product of Greg Stafford reading a lot of Jungian theories about universal mythology.

[edit] argh! Campbell, not Jung, of course.

 

[anjin]

[edit] argh! Campbell, not Jung, of course.[/quote]

As far as I can remember, Campbell was influenced by Jung in the first place, so it's not that "argh!"

 

[Voriof]

As far as I know, the Godlearners are the product of Greg Stafford reading a lot of Jungian theories about universal mythology.

[edit] argh! Campbell, not Jung, of course.

Somewhat simplistic but... it will do for the moment. I have Greg's take on the why the God Learners in an email here somewhere. However, the RuneQuest Sight is an essential tool used by the God Learners.

A specualtive secret is that the God Learners have figured out how to use the magic of all the Otherworlds without penalty.

Jeff

 

[indrodar]

...a Humakti Death Lord/Priest Mistress Race Troll with maxed out characteristics decked out in iron plate brandishing a Maul.

I'd just like to point out the rune lord-priest was human. The Mistress Race troll was played by my brother. And he was only a rune priest. And he used a greatsword.

We were young. It was RQ2

 

[Quintus]

I used to be enarmored with a certain character named Cormac...what a nice fellow he was. All he needed was his trusty flint spear and knife, and the occasional hand from his buddies from the civilized world. Thats what I love about Rune Quest. It is what you make of it...

Q...

 

[HyrumOWC]

As far as I know, the Godlearners are the product of Greg Stafford reading a lot of Jungian theories about universal mythology.

[edit] argh! Campbell, not Jung, of course.

Somewhat simplistic but... it will do for the moment. I have Greg's take on the why the God Learners in an email here somewhere. However, the RuneQuest Sight is an essential tool used by the God Learners.

A specualtive secret is that the God Learners have figured out how to use the magic of all the Otherworlds without penalty.

Jeff

Maybe I haven't read enough of the new books, but what exactly is RuneQuest Sight?

And is there any way you can share that email?

Hyrum.

 

[Voriof]

Maybe I haven't read enough of the new books, but what exactly is RuneQuest Sight?

And is there any way you can share that email?

Hyrum.

RQ Sight shows up in CoG2 (and Magic of Glorantha, I think). Its the abilty for a sorcerer to see the runic associations and interactions of the observed (usually divine) target in great detail. Great enough to mimic/steal their powers.

I'll go exhume the email (and permission to use it) from my computer.

Jeff

 

[StephenT]

A specualtive secret is that the God Learners have figured out how to use the magic of all the Otherworlds without penalty

Which would mean they're Illuminated, wouldn't it? Or at least achieved the same result through different means?

 

[Voriof]

A specualtive secret is that the God Learners have figured out how to use the magic of all the Otherworlds without penalty

Which would mean they're Illuminated, wouldn't it? Or at least achieved the same result through different means?

Ah. No. Not really. Their viewpoint is entirely materialistic rather than mystic. Like the difference between working at living and living to work.

Jeff