Author Topic: Resurrection in Kulthea  (Read 2465 times)

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Offline Pazuzu

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Resurrection in Kulthea
« on: July 12, 2016, 02:55:20 PM »
If Eissa is the final arbiter of whether or not a Lifegiving spell is allowed to take effect and bring a character back to life, how does that play out in practical terms?

As a Lord of Charon, does she block the resurrection of followers of the gods of Charon?

Can the temples of Eissa increase the odds of a lifegiving if the fallen character's companions make a "donation"?

Are lifegiving spells restricted to clerics of Eissa?

How would the typical group of mercenary adventurers fare when trying to have a fallen comrade brought back?

By having Eissa as the gatekeeper for all souls, this kind of puts a damper on the traditional yo-yo effect experienced by the proto-typical adventuring party.

Offline egdcltd

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Re: Resurrection in Kulthea
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2016, 03:51:13 PM »
According to Eidolon, the Church of Zanar can also raise the dead. So it isn't restricted to Eissa.
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Offline Voriig Kye

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Re: Resurrection in Kulthea
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2016, 04:16:19 PM »
At least in my games, it is almost impossible for a Cleric of anyone but Eissa to cast lifegiving.
This makes lifegiving herbs all the more valuable.
In some situations in the current campaign, when an animist of Iloura tried some Divine Intervention to raise a recently slain friend, I allowed the spirit to return as a "guardian" of the location and its people. So it is a comeback for the character (they were always NPC so far) in the form of something akin to a nature protector. I find this the nearest Iloura would be allow to "resurrect" someone.
Of course if the character in question were important enough for a god (i.e. a High Priest of that god's religion) then you could imagine the god petitioning Eissa to bring the soul back as a favor.

Offline Pazuzu

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Re: Resurrection in Kulthea
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2016, 08:29:46 AM »
According to the description of the Church of Zanar, after the loyalty of the priests was turned to the Jarek Ahrenreth, all the souls of the believers of the Church of Zanar are channeled into the big crystal.

This would seem to run contrary to the idea that Zanarian priests could cast lifegiving. Perhaps they did this before the T.E.I.?

Offline egdcltd

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Re: Resurrection in Kulthea
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2016, 02:10:38 PM »
The description of Zanar priests being able to raise the dead is from the original Eidolon, and hasn't been changed for the new. the thing regarding the crystal is from Powers, which was written after Eidolon, which would suggest it's more up to date. Not sure I'm keen on Eissa having a stranglehold on raising the dead though; it kind of cripples the other religions.

« Last Edit: July 15, 2016, 01:44:35 PM by Terry K. Amthor »
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Offline Terry K. Amthor

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Re: Resurrection in Kulthea
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2016, 01:45:29 PM »
The description of Zanar priests being able to raise the dead is from the original Eidolon, and hasn't been changed for the new. the thing regarding the crystal is from Powers, which was written after Eidolon, which would suggest it's more up to date. Not sure I'm keen on Eissa having a stranglehold on raising the dead though; it kind of cripples the other religions.


I agree. I think other religions would be able to use Lifegiving, through other 'channels.' Eissa's power is part of the Lords of Orhan doctrine.
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Offline Pazuzu

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Re: Resurrection in Kulthea
« Reply #6 on: July 19, 2016, 11:47:45 AM »
I agree. I think other religions would be able to use Lifegiving, through other 'channels.' Eissa's power is part of the Lords of Orhan doctrine.

Would this then mean that worshippers of gods outside of the Orhan pantheon do not pass through the Gates of Oblivion when they die, and instead go elsewhere?

Or is it that Eissa allows the other gods (Charon, local, or otherwise) to bring back souls over which she has no "dominion"?

The "where do souls go" question can usually be left vague, but given the number of times the typical adventuring party will want to obtain a lifegiving spell, it bears some thought and consistency.

I'm thinking that at least for my game, I may use the Gate of Oblivion as the nexus for souls claimed by the gods of Orhan, with other gods having other destinations or uses for souls. This would seem to be supported by the big crystal consuming the souls of Zanar worshippers as described in the Powers of Light and Dark.

And for non-worshippers, there is either the Void, or nothingness. Kind of makes being an observant adherent of some kind of religion a bigger selling point.

At least if you want to ever be brought back from death.

Offline Malim

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Re: Resurrection in Kulthea
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2016, 11:12:47 AM »
How about a Klysus believer, how does he get lifegiving? (Other then Herbs :)   )
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Offline Terry K. Amthor

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Re: Resurrection in Kulthea
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2016, 12:34:40 PM »
This can be interpreted in many ways, so I would urge GMs so make their own decisions. It might all be about interpretation.

Some questions:
• Can a Shadow World 'atheist' be brought back from the dead via a Cleric?

• If only religious people, do they have to follow the same god as the Cleric raising them?

• Perhaps some dark religions require the sacrifice of another life to perform Lifegiving to a follower?

• How do Lifegiving herbs really work? Do they somehow bypass the religious system?

• Do Shadow World inhabitants actually have 'souls' as we understand them, or is it some kind of concentration of the Flows in living form?


« Last Edit: August 13, 2016, 06:01:39 AM by Terry K. Amthor »
Terry K. Amthor
Shadow World Author, Rolemaster & SpaceMaster Co-Designer, ICE co-founder.
Eidolon Studio Art Director


"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
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Offline metallion

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Re: Resurrection in Kulthea
« Reply #9 on: August 12, 2016, 03:16:39 PM »
Based on my interpretation/contention that the Essence and Unlife are vast nanitic fields from an ancient culture that humbles even the Althans in its technological achievement (and that the Lords of Orhan & Charon are AIs dating back to that culture at least)...

- Spirits are recordings of the personalities embodied by nanites.
- Lifegiving is a command to the nanites to download a spirit into a body.
- Eissa has strong access control over the Lifegiving command.
- Zanar, by which I mean the Crystal, has a mechanism to bypass Eissa's access control.
- Other Lords of Charon, Local Gods, and Unlife entities may also have that mechanism.
- The Gate of Oblivion is a VR construct isolating a VR "afterlife" to keep the essence of Kulthea and Charon less crowded.