From:	Dave Stone <dstone@******.DREAMSCAPE.COM>
Subject:	Re: How do you run totems?
Date:	Wed, 13 Sep 1995 20:58:26 -0400

On Wed, 13 Sep 1995, Dustin McCraw wrote:
> How does everyone run totems in their games? In my game they are not
> exactly a single spirit but more of a collection of spirits working
> together. They never manifest to any one but a shaman of that totem and
> they are very subtle in what they do. They choose their shamans carefully.
> A totem will never manifest as a specific spirit only as the totem itself.
> All totems grow in strength as more shamans of that type exist but this
> never spills into gaming. They are a cross between a way of life and god.

Totems in my game are the Pattern of the souls of animals. From
Earthdawn, a pattern is a manifestation of what's IMPORTANT to a
creature. So, a manifestation of the stereotype, or ultimate dog is
Dog...cat is Cat...etc. This means that Totems are spirits from Astral
Space... I put 'em in different Demiplanes than the Horrors from
Earthdawn. Actually...I put 'em as the opposite of horrors, which are
the stereotypes of BAD things in man and other creatures.

Dave

| David Stone -- dstone@******.dreamscape.com |
| "Five ride forth, and four return. Above the watchers shall he |
| proclaim himself, bannered across the sky in fire..." |