the way of right action

[reverancepavane]

Here's a little something that came to me recently. I don't know how much use it will be to anyone else, as it relies on stuff I haven't published concerning my home brew of Ironclaw for my Dragon Isles campaign. [A pseudo-Glorantha, since my original Runequest campaign started seriously diverging from the original back in 1978 (so much so at a Gloranthacon I had actually forgotten that iron was considered extremely valuable), and so I made the break official a few years back, especially in light with the increasing fanaticism of the Glorantha lists.] And given copyright and trademark problems with both will probably never get published. Anyway here is The Way of Right Action. Something that probably would work for a race that would never get played (but the fact that there exists a mechanism to do so means that the game physics of the universe are functioning well). The Way of Right Action The Way of Right Action acts pretty much like a standard Cult for Dragonewts. However it is also unique in that it determines not only the status of the Dragonewt in society but also the stage of the Dragonewt's physical evolution toward dragonhood. After a Dragonewt gains the appropriate Gift, the next time they hatch from their egg it will be as the appropriate form. The actual Cult Trait is known as Right Action. Right Action is not just a measure of the mystical evolution of the dragonewt, it is reflected in every action that the dragonewt takes. A dragonewt that stops acting like a dragonewt should runs a considerable risk of becoming apostate. When a dragonewt wishes to acquire a non-dragonewt Gift the only way they may acquire it is by retraining their highest Gift of the Way of Right Action. This means that any dragonewt imperils their mystical and physical development by the act of learning non-dragonewt things. If they were to die before they reacquired the lost Gift (through the normal experience processes), they would be reborn as a lesser dragonewt. For example, the Gift of Speaking is not considered to be a standard dragonewt gift (despite the fact that it is a Gift that only a dragonewt could take), as this Gift typically involves the surgical mutilation of a first-stage dragonewt in order that it might better communicate with humans. In order to take it, the first-stage dragonewt, now called Speaker to Mammals, must retrain its Gift of Righteous Servitude, endangering its next reincarnation. But to disagree with undergoing the procedure would not be Right Action for the Way of Servitude! To make matters worse, if a dragonewt does not act as a dragonewt should they might be required to acquire a non-dragonewt Gift (and be forced to retrain their highest Gift of the Way of Right Action in order to do so). For example, due to being forced to repeatedly interact with humans on behalf of its masters, Speaker to Mammals is no longer quite acting in the approved dragonewt manner, and is forced to take the Gift of Haggling to represent this common human activity on which it is frequently sent. As it hasn't had time to retrain its Gift of the Way of Righteous Servitude, it is now forced to retrain its Gift of Righteous Being, and is now an apostate. Since it no longer has a Right Action Trait it is no longer compelled to act correctly, and runs away and joins the circus. Or more probably, become a merchant of some sort since haggling could now be considered to have replaced its sense of proper behaviour. These Gifts are unique in the fact that the only way to acquire a Gift of the Way of Right Action is by retraining the Gift of Increased Right Action Trait. In other words the dragonewt must understand the Right Action before assuming the role. As such, studying for this Gift is a somewhat ubiquitous dragonewt activity. If the dragonewt loses all the Gifts of Right Action (and therefore has no Right Action Trait), they will have absolutely no idea of the proper behaviour that is expected of them, and this will allow them to do whatever they like. They will have become apostate and will no longer be able to reincarnate, as their egg will no longer be viable. Having lost their connection to the Way they may no longer take any Gift which affects of relies on the Right Action trait. Essentially they are no longer dragonewts. At least mystically. The Gifts of the Way of Right Action are, in order: The Way of Righteous Being grants the dragonewt a Right Action trait of d4. When the dragonewt dies they will reincarnate as an egg in their home nest. What this means is that the dragonewt is not yet ready for the real world and must spend another few years, decades, or even centuries in the egg before they can try again. The Way of Righteous Servitude grants the dragonewt a Right Action trait of d6. When the dragonewt next dies they will reincarnate and hatch from their egg as a first stage, or scout, dragonewt. Needless to say, a beginning dragonewt characters will actually have this level of Gift. The Way of Righteous Violence grants the dragonewt a Right Action trait of d8. When the dragonewt next dies they will reincarnate and hatch from their egg as a second stage, or warrior, dragonewt. The Way of Righteous Thought grants the dragonewt a Right Action trait of d10. When the dragonewt next dies they will reincarnate and hatch from their egg as a third stage, or noble, dragonewt. The Way of Righteous Authority grants the dragonewt a Right Action trait of d12. When the dragonewt next dies they will reincarnate and hatch from their egg as a fourth stage, or ruler, dragonewt. Naturally there are the standard requirements benefits and duties for each stage (as there would be for the equivalent Cult Gifts. It is possible that a member of another race (including an apostate dragonewt), might, through, much study and learning of Dragon Ways, aided by powerful Rune Quests to acquire the Dragonewt Rune Trait, eventually acquire the Gift of the Way of Righteous Being, but that is as far as they would get. Still this means that they would reincarnate as a dragonewt in an egg in one of the nests. And once all memory of their previous life had been forgotten, they would eventually emerge as a new scout dragonewt. [This is probably the only true way of becoming a dragon, and it is something that would have been considered beneath the dignity of any of the powers in the Empire of the Wyrm's Friends (if they had even paused to consider it as a viable path). Much rather to seek that final mystical transformation now!. Which was why the EWF was doomed by it's own hubris.] I think the mechanism of forcing the retraining of the dragonewt Cult Gifts does a good job of dealing with the idea of back-sliding in the evolution stakes, something that is important in my dragonewts. Of course if you can retrain the Gift fast enough (by performing Right Actions) then any indiscretion is soon healed, although you might be vulnerable until you have retrained (and of course, if you have a Right Action Cult Trait of d8 and you start acting cautiously in battle (as if, for some reason, you are afraid of dying), then you might have to buy the un-dragonewt Gift of Coward to explain this strange un-dragonewt-like behaviour.