From: Peter Metcalfe (metcalph@rocketmail.com)
Date: Mon 22 Sep 1997 - 13:00:09 EEST
Panu Pasanen asks for a setting where:
>1) There must be a totalitaristic goverment. There must be some
people,
>who are opressed heavily, and generally shades of gray must color
>the streets. SS-troopers would immediately arrest anyone who is
>having a loud party or practicing other obvious anti-state activity.
>Good example is nazi-German.
but then adds:
>I have already considered Glamour, but it lacks the necessary
>government. Although orlanthi are peppered with arrows very quickly
>indeed, most of the people are seemingly satisfied with 'bread and
>circus.'
I think you will find that the nazis relied on a great popular
support in germany (moreso than some democractic governments
today) as did Stalin even during the worst days of the terror
(cf Boris Pasternak). Just because the lunar proles are fattened
with bread and circuses hosted by our beloved emperor, Argenteus,
does not mean that the lunar empire does not have a secret police
that operates in the way you describe.
The Lunar Empire is in fact extremely repressive when confronted
with heterodox faiths like the White Moonies - the appropiate
earthly parallel is Nero's persecution of Christians. Even
orthodox lunar functionaries are frightened by the mere thought
of being questioned by a Danfive Xaroni.
>2) There must be guilds, or parties. People can't do anything by
>themselves, even with their armor and trusty sword, but they must
>get the people behind the idea they are vouching for.
The parallel in the lunar empire has monopolies and cults. If
one wants to trade for example, one has to join the cult of Etyries
(it's not compulsory, it makes life _much_ easier!)
>Also, what Ralian city-states have the elements 1) and 2)?
Probably those recently conquered by the Seshnegi such as
the Dangrim March. Here the Secret Police is the Order
of the Golden Lance (cf the Inquisition) which mainly
torches people on trumped-up charges to further the aims
and ambitions of the crown. Other Ralian Cities do have
repressive institutions but they are ineffectual and riddled
with Arkati, Boristi or even Wextenites.
Tadaaki Kakegawa:
>In Tales #12, The Cult of Granite Phalanx is assosiated with Red
>Emperor and provided the spell Moonspear (I think it is too powerful
>spell for such a minor cult, though),
A minor cult? The Granite Phalanx is one of finest forces in
the Lunar Army. Would the gloranthan equivalent of the Imperial
Guard be a minor cult?
>And if anyone can explain following spells?
>Moonripen (Deezola)
As Yelm's sunripen but the light of the red moon is used instead.
Trotsky picks his brains to help out:
>Panu 'Passo' Pasanen is looking for a totalitarian nation
>with strong factions:
>1) Ramalia. The Mraloti are heavily oppressed by Paruzal the Impaler
>and his followers. On the down side, nothing has been written about
>this region AFAIK, and it's difficult to know how much there is in
>the way of internal factions.
Having seen the latest version of Richard III (y'know the one
set in 30's britian), I think that Paruzal does not oppress
the Mraloti but instead has the boar as his coat of arms. He
instead preys on weak (ie peasants and foreigners) because they
are defenseless like Vlad the Impaler did. One can also throw
in a smidgeon of Ivan the Terrible in trying to modernize his
nation...
>2) Seshnela. The Rokari Malkioni oppress just about everyone who
>lives here.
The Rokari Church not an oppressive faith. Many people believe
in it because it is _their_ faith and not something imposed on
them by corrupt wizards-cum-inquisators. It is only with
religious non-conformists and disenters that the Rokari Church
tends to be rather unpleasant but then just about every
civilized country in glorantha is just as nasty.
Sergio Mascarenhas:
>I need help on the issue of when did Humakt cult appear in Dragon
>Pass. I don't remember the source but it is writen somewhere that
>Arkat introduced the cult of Humakt in Dragon Pass. That means that
>his cult would be unknown in DP before the end of the first era.
>Now, in Cults of Prax it is said that barbarians introduced the
>cult of Humakt in Prax in 35 ST. There is a contradiction here. Any
>clues?
No contradiction. Cults of Prax said that:
"Humakt was the first of the invaders. He came into Prax at the
head of an army of mixed humanoids out of Dragon Pass possibly
as early as 35 S.T., in the Dawn Age." ~~~~~~~~
35 ST is known to be the year the World Council made friendly
contact with the Praxians. The writer _thinks_ that Humakt was
introduced then but he is uncertain (as he is probably aware of
the Arkati claims to have introduced the cult) and is now known
to be wrong.
- --Peter Metcalfe
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