From: Harald Smith (617) 724-9843 (SMITHH@A1.MGH.HARVARD.EDU)
Date: Wed 31 Jan 1996 - 22:03:00 EET
Nick B offers some wonderful Lunar pieces. I particularly liked the
King Argrath story--the ending was great (and the Dorastor bit seemed
inspired).
> Do you suppose Sheng's "Shadowmoon Empire" directed worship to the Red
Moon in her Dark Phase, emphasising the "downside" of the Lunar Way for
the profit of the rulers, while simultaneously wounding Yara Aranis,
anathema to horse nomads (and associated with the Full Moon Phase via
the Glowline)?
I think this shift to worshipping the 'dark side' fits quite well. And
perhaps Sheng's Shadowmoon Empire created the 'Shadowline' in the
wounding of Yara Aranis, thus causing the Glowline itself to change
phases just like the Red Moon itself.
Philippe Krait:
> How can the "Lunar way" have survived, when all that survives is a
pitiful philosophy absolutely unsupported by any physical or magical
fact ?
Who says it is 'absolutely unsupported'? You've obviously imbibed too
much Orlanthi propaganda. Just because some illiterate Sartarite
refugees hid out in the Black Dragon mountains during the great wars and
later assembled assorted fairytales about the 'fall' of the Red Moon
hardly means that the great Dara Happan and Lunar traditions did not
continue unabated into the new age. Everyone knows that after Shargash
is unleashed at the end of each age to shatter the world that he returns
to the world and begins rebuilding it, always starting in the glorious
Dara Happan lands.
> The civilization itself did not survive, neither did its religions or
philosophies. So what is it that did survive ?
Why the White Empire, of course, that worships the Sun Father, the Moon
Mother, and whatever other deities that Shargash reassembled.
> What ? The Lunars planned it ? Why did they fight like cornered rats
to prevent it, then ?
Because all resurrections require an extreme sacrifice of magic and life
to overcome the powers of death. This was true in the Gods War, in
Arkat's destruction, in the Dragonkill, and again in Argrath's
destructions. The Lunar priests and leaders had to summon Argrath to
them and have him incarnate Shargash (hence the King of Saird and
Peloria bit), so that the world could be properly shattered and
resurrected as they wished it to be.
Harald
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