| From: | Bull <chaos@*****.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Totems |
| Date: | Sun, 20 Jul 1997 02:36:09 -0400 |
The one explanation that I cannot except is that
>they are Powers That Have Existed Since Before The Dawn Of Time. They damn
>well don't exist now in 1997 and so a good explanation is needed for where
>they came from by 2058.
>
While I agree that Totems are not PthESBtDoT, they are definately older
than you think...
What do you think Native American indians worshipped back a couple hundred
years ago (and even today), if not the memory of the totems from the last
age of magic?
There are no totems and magic Now, granted, though most of the native
american totems Do exist now. I think of them as "Sleeping", similar to
what it is theorized the Dragon's did. After all, with no mana, they're
powerless, as are their followers...
Granted, this doesn;t explain some of the Modern Totems, or the City totems...
I think this is a really wierd area, the thing with the totems...
Since I'm typing this already, I might as well formulate my own theories on
the subject. GM's have to do that sort of thing ya know...:]
BULL'S TOTEM THEORY:
((Warning: After thinking this through a bit, it starts to sound vaguely
like AD&D Gods, as well as "God's from hundreds of other Fantasy settings.
Deal with it. AD&D and SR have a lot in common, despite the vehement
dennials of most players.))
It's simple.
1. There are an infinate number of "greater Spirits" that live on the
metaplanes.
2. These spirits have a lot of power, but without "worshippers"
or"followers" of some kind, they cannot reach the "Plane of Man"
(What the
hell is our plane of existance called in SR?).
3. When a large enough group of people start to believe in something (Or
even a single person who believes strongly enough), like the Urban Gator
Totem, then one of the Greater Spirits can latch on and form itself around
this belief. The spirits grants power, but at the same time is shaped and
formed (and confined) by this belief. Thus, while some of the Totems
(suchs as the Native American Totems) have been around for thousand's of
years, gator, Leviathan, and Elvis has only been around sicne the Awakening.
4. Once "attuned" to their totem, whether by consious choice or by being
"chosen" by their totem, their opower is then linked with it. Thus, the
benifits and restrictions of a totem that must be followed, and the loss of
power should the Shaman turn away from his totem.
5. There may be different forms of the same Totem, as different "aspects"
of a Totem are called upon by different Shamans, thus allowing a Differnt
Greater Spirit to attach itself to that focus.
6. Insect Totems are NOT from this realm. rather, they are in essence
Minor Horrors, or something similar.
Ok, that's all I can think of now... Granted, it doesn;t all make perfect
sense, and as I mentioned before, smacks of AD&D or other fantasy concpts
(If any of you have read some of the recent Raymond Feist novels, I'm
actually basing the idea on the concept of how their gods work. Don;t ask
me to explain, though. I can;t. :] )
And, this will probably be the working theory behind my Totems and Shamans
in my game. I LIKE the idea of a Shaman being controlled and drawning
strength and power from a greater being. It makes the shaman more unique,
and gives them so many more Roleplaying oppurtunities...;]
Bull
--
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