From: Peter Metcalfe (metcalph@bigfoot.com)
Date: Thu 03 Feb 2000 - 00:59:38 EET
David Cake:
>The only dragon we really now about
>seriously interacting with the natives is Thrunhin Da, whose contribution
>to Kralori religion is the rather undraconic sounding cult of the Orca.
Is there a reason that you ignore the emperor and his exarchs and
Now these people may not look draconic but this is because they
generals, (all of whom are dragons in their own right)? The only
Kralori of major importance who is not a dragon is Yao Fune.
retain their old human forms so they can help others to become
dragons. They can manifest their full form at any time but such
as their full power that it would be as helpful to the Kralori as
a giant to earthworms. However they can still wield draconic
powers in their human form.
>And the Darudans mainly revere the sort of 'dragon' that looks less
>like a dragon and more like a wacky mystic guy, and doesn't do anything
>particularly draconic.
Given that he is depicted as "a human with the head, tail and wings
of a dragon" and taught "the secret of turning their souls into the
souls of dragons", one wonders what it would take to be more
draconic than this? Attain Perfection of Viscera and Limbs?
> Now, I grant you, they spend a lot of time thinking about draconic
>things - but really, what is the difference between Darudism, and Vithelan
>mysticism with a strong draconic motif?
Orthodox Vithelanism requires a rejection of the world which
is not Kralori belief. The Kralori see the world as being the
dismembered portions of the Cosmic Dragon and see it as their
ultimate duty to attain draconic awareness for the Many is
superior to One.
> Basically, what I am asking is what actual draconic powers does
>Darudism use
Rebirth: Kralori are reborn again and again until they become
Dragons.
Utuma: used by Kralori.
Dragonewt Roads: used by Kralori. Large sections are still usuable
in Puchai, Jaubon and Boshan after Sheng Seleris's activities there.
Dream Dragons: apply to Army of Every Death for demonstration.
>Orthodox mystics aim to become enlightened beings through various
>methods but refrain from manifesting overt powers because to do
>so will inhibit their spiritual advancement [...]. So I still
>don't see how the Darudists differ from orthodox mystics on that
>comparison
But the topic was whether Darudists differed from draconism. Simply
saying that Darudism does not differ from orthodox mysticism does
not refute its draconic nature.
>if the Five Dragon Warriors were Darudists not
>POIM, we could point and say - look, Darudan Draconism in action.
The Five Dragon Warriors do not follow the Path of Immanent Mastery.
They are as Darudists as you can get.
- --Peter Metcalfe
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