From: Erik Sieurin (BV9521@utb.hb.se)
Date: Fri 05 Jul 1996 - 19:44:25 EEST
Re: The Outer Atomic Exlorers
Re: Honourable Orlanthi vs Good Lunars
Damn good story! Kudos to Jim for this!
The most interesting fact about this discussion is the fervor with
which the debattants present their views. It seems to be not ONLY
done to present the in-game arguments. You guys really love the
Orlanthi or the Lunars, respectively.
can be said has already been said, but some notes:
Re: "If you do not fight the Lunars you don't go to "heaven""
There's a Barntar's Hall for non-fighting Orlanthi, mind you. And I
frankly think most people rather would end up there than in Humakt's
hall, where there is "more fighting than feasting". This aint one of
the monotheistic religions of Earth, where there is TROUBLE getting
into "heaven". Many people might be very interested in their POSITION
in Orlanth's Hall, however. That might be very improved if you die
fighting Shepelkirt, that foul wound to Orlanth. However, people going
along bringing with them the death of their kin through foolishly
slaying Lunars to the left and right are NOT going to be popular.
The effect of individual campaigns is great; I play in 1604, when the
foremost trait the Lunars bring out in your average farmer (for whom
Barntar is FAR more important than both Humakt end Storm Bull) is
FEAR; this is the people who succeeded in taking OUR incredibly
MIGHTY capital, who commands thousands of hordes of soldiers marching
in STRAIGHT LINES (absolutely chaotic! - see more below), and who can
use sorceries mighty enough to appearently slay the spirit of the
kingdom (not to mention summon and control the Crimson Bat)!
People who go around waving swords and vowing to destroy the Empire
(like all my players' characters) are seen as more or less lunatics -
their equivalent would perhaps be a serial killer who only killed
criminals. People wouldn't morn his victims much, but they wouldn't
want to be around him.
And yes, my players are playing the resistance - they have no real
trouble gaining allies, but they are all borderline nutcases of
various kind, just like themselves. (This means their army lists are
much more fun, BTW, and if your character gets killed you have a lot
of funky character ideas to choose among - just take one of the
allies of the other player characters!)
And they DON'T fight the Lunars because they are Chaotic, but because
they are THE GUYS WHO HAVE INVADED THEIR HOME COUNTRY WITH MUCH
BLOODSHED AND DESTROYED THE ROYAL DYNASTY THEY SERVED, FOR CHRISSAKE!!
Or as one character answered when asked about the chaoticness of
Lunars in general (when asked by a Praxian ally, a young Storm Bull
who was confused when the first Lunars he slew didn't have horns or
tentacles, and didn't tick off his Sense Chaos):
"The People of The Moon fears chaos greatly, but still their foul
sorcerers called on it, for otherwise they couldn't hope to defeat
us Sartarites, the best warriors in the world. You see, they feared
us even more."
Re: Chaos
In our campaign, there is "chaos" and "Chaos". Everything bad ans
strange is called "chaotic" - including strange furrin customs (like
building houseboats, see "Keep Your Head Above The Water" in earlier
Digests).
Educated people and adventurers distinguish between this use of the
word, which they admit is wrong, and REAL Chaos - which brings the
deepest fears to all ordinary people. The Lunars aint Chaotic - but
much of their war magic certainly is, and certainly everything of the
Invading Evil Empire is chaotic. But not Chaotic.
As noticed, my players fight the Lunars because they are Lunars. Not
because they are Chaotic. Really, only Storm Bulls and other holy
madmen fights broos because they are Chaotic. Others fight them
because they are raping, murderous, marauding, disease-spreading
monsters.
Actually, most ordinary folk who encountered a Teelo Norri soup
kitchen attendant wouldn't think of her as "Chaotic", or in some
cases not even "chaotic". She doesn't LOOK chaotic. Wise people of
course know that Chaos is most dangerous when it hides it face,
but if all people were wise, the world would be a strange place.
And if all Sartarite tribesmen where honourable, boy would it be
boring to play them.
Erik Sieurin
------------------------------
End of Glorantha Digest V3 #11
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