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  1. #1
    Jim Cooper
    Guest

    An inquiry into Leira

    I have an inquiry into a puzzling aspect of Leira's personality:
    (BTW Ed, if you have some free time, maybe you can track down an answer
    for this? How did Allen Varney pass this one by you guys?!?)

    Okay: Leira is a goddess who does *not* encourage her priests to
    actively convert worshipers to her cause. There is nothing wrong with
    this by itself, but:

    Question: How does this explain the High Priest of the Binsadan Temple
    of Leira or, more precisely, how would Leira herself view this
    personality in one of her high priests? He clearly wants to 'convert'
    non-believers. In what way would this conversion take place? By
    conversion, does he imply convincing everyone to take up artistic
    endeavours? Or is it kinda like a 'Woodstock' sorta thing? Or is it
    more a 'traditional' jihad sorta thing?

    IMO one of Leira's portfolioes got the short end of a stick; she is,
    after all, also the goddess of fire! In her write-up in the BoP, all
    emphasis is placed on the beauty/art aspect of her respective
    portfolio. IMO wouldn't being a goddess of fire entail a more
    unpredictable/irrational/chaotic nature -- such that, at odd times she
    would just as soon convert by '*fire* & steel' as much as the other side
    of the spectrum (i.e. convert by love and understanding?) Or maybe, more
    game related, would she have no problem frying anyone in whom beauty and
    art/love is incapable of being expressed, but otherwise allowing anyone
    complete freedom in expressing beauty/art/love in their own way?

    What do you all think? Should I just throw out the Binsadan sourcebook,
    or is there room to expand Leira's personality?

    Darren

  2. #2
    Neil Barnes
    Guest

    An inquiry into Leira

    On Tue, 27 Jan 1998, Jim Cooper wrote:
    > Okay: Leira is a goddess who does *not* encourage her priests to
    > actively convert worshipers to her cause. There is nothing wrong with
    > this by itself, but:
    >
    > Question: How does this explain the High Priest of the Binsadan Temple
    > of Leira or, more precisely, how would Leira herself view this
    > personality in one of her high priests?

    The gods seem to be willing to accept a fairly wide variety of
    behaviours from their priests - Haelyn's willing to take LE priests
    after all, and Cuiracean's worshippers range from CG to NE - presumably
    a NE priest would disagree with Cuiracean about a lot of ethical issues,
    but C is still willing to accept worship from the Children of Khirdai
    (for example) and to grant them spells.

    So the gods seem to be pretty broad-minded (or just greedy :).

    > IMO one of Leira's portfolioes got the short end of a stick; she is,
    > after all, also the goddess of fire! In her write-up in the BoP, all
    > emphasis is placed on the beauty/art aspect of her respective
    > portfolio. IMO wouldn't being a goddess of fire entail a more
    > unpredictable/irrational/chaotic nature -- such that, at odd times she
    > would just as soon convert by '*fire* & steel' as much as the other side
    > of the spectrum (i.e. convert by love and understanding?)

    Leira is the Goddess of Love - how muchh more unpredictable/ irrational/
    chaotic can you get? And love can _burn_ (in both senses of the word).

    neil

  3. #3
    c558382@showme.missouri.
    Guest

    An inquiry into Leira

    > The gods seem to be willing to accept a fairly wide variety of
    > behaviours from their priests - Haelyn's willing to take LE priests
    > after all, and Cuiracean's worshippers range from CG to NE - presumably
    > a NE priest would disagree with Cuiracean about a lot of ethical issues,
    > but C is still willing to accept worship from the Children of Khirdai
    > (for example) and to grant them spells.
    >
    > So the gods seem to be pretty broad-minded (or just greedy :).
    >
    There is a section from the book of 1 Samuel (chap 15) which discusses the
    transition in Judaism from a religion of sacrifices and offerings to one
    of ethics and obediance. Saul was instructed to "Go now, fall upon the
    Amalekites, destroy them, and put their property under ban. Spare no one;
    put them all to death, men an women, children and babes in arms, herds and
    flocks, camels and donkeys." Saul raises his levy and defeated the
    Amalekites all the way to the borders of Egypt. However, Agog, king of
    the Amalekites was taken captive (all the others were killed) and the best
    of the livestock was taken. God was angry. Samuel went to Saul and
    reminded him that God called for the destruction of the Amalekites, not
    their plunder. Saul replied that he brought, "the best of the sheep and
    cattle, to sacrifice to the Lord." Samuel said (15:22-3) Does the Lord
    desire whole-offerings and sacrifices as he desires obedience? To obey is
    better than sacrifice, and to listen better than a fat of rams. ...
    Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as
    king. Samuel called for Agog to be brought before him and, "Then Samuel
    hewed Agog in pieces before the Lord."

    Are the BR gods like the Roman and Greek gods, favoring offerings and
    rewarding any who offer: "I give that you give", or are they commited to
    a theology (including alignment). It would appear that ritual is superior
    to morality.

    Kenneth Gauck
    c558382@showme.missouri.edu

  4. #4
    Neil Barnes
    Guest

    An inquiry into Leira

    On Sat, 31 Jan 1998 c558382@showme.missouri.edu wrote:
    >
    > Are the BR gods like the Roman and Greek gods, favoring offerings and
    > rewarding any who offer: "I give that you give", or are they commited to
    > a theology (including alignment). It would appear that ritual is superior
    > to morality.

    I'd suggest that they're more like the the Norse Gods - committed to a
    cause (a sort of general anti-Evil/ Azrainess), but with a whole bunch
    of stuff going on on the side. I suspect that they don't actively punish
    unethical behavious by their priests and that the causes they promote
    aren't strictly Good vs Evil.

    neil

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