Call to the Four Lands

[Rhun]

Hey J. Alexander,

I just learned that Divine Metamagic had been errata'd...I'm going to have to make a few minor changes to my character's feats to reflect this.

Just wanted to let you know before I went in there and began messing with things.

 

[Scotley]

Oh, yes, I get the emails, but they are from the previous night (they cutoff around 11m or so). I can read the board (and usually respond) in the morning and the evening, so I have already read all of the posts by the time I see the emails at work. No worries, I don't think I'll have trouble keeping up. But if there is a burst of activity during the day I'll just have to wait to see it when I get home.

Its only fair that way. I can rarely get my teenagers off IM long enough to get in an evening post.

 

[Rath Lorien]

J. Alexander, What is the meaning of "Amster" which you use as the title of your entries in the game thread?

 

[Canaan]

J. Alexander, did Jaroth handle that questioning from Anniston appropriately?

 

[J. Alexander]

Questions

The meaning of Amster is that it is the port city you are currently visiting....just a way i keep track of where you guys are out so i can easily refercene it


REligoin/etc

Jaroth, yes you did to a certain degree, i want you guys to play your charcters how you want to but the Light is not that tolerant of the old religion and the priest and knight were going out on a limb with their tolerance...something that had higher authoriy overheard could have well had them before and ecclestical court...as for the druids they are about as tolerant as the light..for most people religion is not a safe topic to discuss outside of one's own church. The nobles of the borderlands play the light and the old religon off against one another whera the nobles of the southlands play one partiarc or bishop off against another...again distance works wonders as by the time a consulation with higer authority is received the crises is over with and the next one beind dealt tiwh

 

[Rath Lorien]

Yes I had wondered about the religous angle. I would probably play Anniston a little more aggressively, but I decided (for the convenience of party unity) to play him more in the role of good-natured evangalist rather than intolerant witch hunter, especially given his current standing in his order. I don't think Anniston has said anything that could be considered heretical.

Rhun sent this earlier:

Vadric addresses Jaroth as well. "No offense taken, Jaroth. Some of those who follow the light fear that anything unfamiliar or foreign to them is darkness. I, however, believe that darkness or light reside within a man's heart, and only through his actions may he be judged."

I tried to indicate by my character's reaction that I thought this was unusual for a cleric of the light to say. It seems to me that from the perspective of the Church of the Light that what a man believes in his heart, and the faith that he holds, is at least as important as what actions he performs (if not infinitely MORE important...). But once again, the media of the pbp is not an easy forum to discuss such delicate topics, particularly when a party is just trying to get to know one another.

J Alexander, please tell me if ANY properly trained follower of the Light would find ANY use of the Old Tongue to be heretical by definition. In other words, is its use grounds for immediate arrest and presentment before an ecclesiastical court. The answer to this question may go far to inform the players on how to react to it in the future (and in whose company it is appropriate to use the language).

Also, Fenris said:

Modjan comforts Jaroth in Northern Gaullic "Light comes from many places, the sun, the moon and the stars. Yet all three drive away the darkness. Still there are those who find one light better than the others. Still, best to leave the North to the North" says the veteran using an old saying from the Brotherhood.

Which discussion I might have taken up immediately except that I mistakenly thought that Modjan and Jaroth were still speaking in the Old Tongue (a language that Anniston does not understand) so I did not respond. Upon looking back at the quote I now see that the comment was made in Northern Gaullic and as a result, Anniston's opinion of Modjan will be affected by it.

Technically, I do not see the comments of either Modjan or Jaroth as being heretical, but rather paganistic. As such, they present themselves as oppotunities for enlightenment, rather than as heretics to be cleansed. Once again, I will take whatever advice you might have as to how we want to handle this as a party.

One more topic: Jaroth has hinted to his magic ability more than once now and Anniston will not let this dangle for long. I understand that if a spellcaster is a sorcerer then the magic is "granted by the light" and thus the practitioner can be saved (and is typically viewed as "blessed"). Whereas a wizard (or druid, or cleric of a non-light faith) is generally concidered beyond help and "evil" by definition. Please let me know how much latitude I have if this is the case so my actions can be determined appropriately.

Of course I also understand that to tell the difference between a sorcerer and a wizard is difficult and in an ecclesiastical court an arcane practitioner must be taken at his word. I assumed that after Canaan answered my last religeous post that I would ask him about the source of Jaroth's magic.

Sorry for the book.

 

[J. Alexander]

Religion

Sorry if it came across as you guys not being in character or true to your faith, I was just trying to give you guys a feel for the intolerance that does exist. It is perfectly acceptable for your character to take a tolerant view especially as the characters are working towards what will be a common goal for the common good. Having said that rember that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. While your actions may actually further the cause of the Light or or the Old Religion, other mebmers of the faith may not see it as such. For example your tolerance of a pagan could condem you before a rabid bishop and you wuold have no recourse from his authority unless you resoted to trial by combat or an appeal to a higher authority whcih could take months to decide. Think back to how powerful a bishop or even some abbots were in medevial europe, their word was law an only subject to being overridden by a superior who more often than not did not want to pick a fight with his subordinae. Likewise, a member of the old religion could well find himself and his friend both placed in a WICKER MAN and set aflame by an equally rabid grand druid. What religious tolerance there is is more or less out of mutual necessity. The Church of the light devotes most of it's resoruces to combating the elves and dwarves and the rebellious monarch of the southland not to mention the pagan D'shai empire while the Borderlands and Old Forrest are using their strength to turn back the Northalnds.

So to sum it up, it is a mess. Be carful as you never know when a nasty evil dm rolling random dice may get a great roll and give you grief over what is a perfectly innoncent conversation that happens to be overheard by the wrong ears.

I will try to and pull the notes I have on the Religous problems etc and put them in the Four Lands Document sometime soon. But for now you guys are doing a great job with limited information in a very complex world....I have not said much while it was developing as i did not want you guys to feel that the dm was being heavy handed or overbearing or dictating how you should play or develope your characters persona. As a group were still relatively new in figuring out our dynamics....but from the feedback and questions i am geeting I have the pleseant feeling that I am going to be able to make you guys miserable for a long time

J.

 

[Rhun]

I played Vadric as being a bit tolerant, as I figured that in his travels he would have had to deal with many people who's beliefs did not necessarily mesh with his own. However, he is certainly devoted to the light...I wasn't sure how to handle his interaction with Jaroth and Jaroth's hinting at the use of magic. Obviously that could cause contention, with both Vadric and Anniston.

Obviously, any information you can provide on dealing with religious issues is most welcome. As you've said you have read the Deryni series, I am trying to play Vadric as more like an Cardiel or Istelyn, and not anything like a Loris or Gorony (as I said earlier, I see a lot of parallels in the settings ).

 

[Canaan]

Ok, this all sounds good. J. Alexander, I now understand the Order of the Elder Druids to be in league with the druids and the Old Religion. Is the rest of what I said to Anniston true, however?

 

[Dracomeander]

And we haven't even touched the can of worms Finnian's allegiances might throw into the mix.

It's a good thing you equate Vadric to Cardiel or Istelyn, cause Finnian might just be even more troublesome than Alaric and Duncan were.