I don't see why the above should be in any way mutually exclusive. Whether one or the other is the "cause" of schism, both are entirely likely to manifest themselves in one form or another. And I don't see why the need for a "popular" understanding of schisms between sects requires that the have a high degree of similarity to christian ones, unless one is of the view that saying "Think of the Acts of the Hammer as being like the Counter-Reformation" particularly helps anyone.
> While there is more to our Malkionism than another reheated form of
> D&D "Fantasy Christianity" (I truly hope!)
While I'll be the Last Person to defend D&D, and recognising this is one of the many proud debating traditions of the List (just like "That's Dirty Rotten Powergaming!" and its natural enemy, "That's not MGF!"), the generic form of D&D doesn't have any version of christianity in it at all. Of course it has all the other "mediaeval" trappings, up to and including the "Cleric", but one could fire a cannon down the middle of a D&D metropolitan thoroughfare and not hit a monotheist.
> we're trying to build a bridge between on the one hand our
> Gloranthan sources, and on the other the majority of gamers who (I
> hope) have the time and inclination for more interesting things than
> theological disputation in most of their gaming sessions.
As the West is likely only ever to be played in by a minority of a minority of an already rather small minority of "gamers" as a whole, I think one has to take these "popular appeal" arguments with a pinch of salt. One has to strike a balance between enough familiarity that it's not totally Way Out and Bogus-Seeming, while keeping enough distinctiveness that it and simply roleplaying in the european middle ages aren't essentially redundant.
But as I've said, I don't have many Huge Problems with Nick's expositions on the West, and it certainly seems that of the various people claiming to have the Malkioni ball, he's the one one making the most running with it. But I for one remain open to "non-Christian" (re)interpretations of the West, should anyone come up with one that's plausible and entertaining enough.
To my:
> > I agree that some of Nick's more Zealous Excesses, like wanting to
> > nail people to things, should be Firmly Curbed...
> The unscholarly authors read a Western text that said "Saint Hrestol
> was put to death at Sogolotha," and put a Lunar interpretation on this:
> [...] "put him onto a Death"!
Very adroit, Nick. Both amusing, and sadly, entirely plausible.
> I'm now of the opinion that Hrestol was horribly punished by the
> Brithini before his death: probably they used powers or symbols of
> the four castes he had abused to hurt and degrade him. Crown of
> Thorns, anyone? <ducks>
Perhaps not just punished "by" the four castes in this sense, but also _as_ each of the castes, since he had apparently usurped and assumed the roles of each. Now how the Brithini punish miscreants of each caste I wouldn't exactly know, but I bet it isn't a pretty sight. I'd think that Brithini fear of death would mean that they wouldn't execute any but the most serious of felons, so they doubtless have an impressive array of sub-lethal horriblenesses. Or maybe they executed him by _each_ of the castely disposal methods (as per my opus on various termination techniques, not that I recall what I suggested in these cases, if anything), resurrecting him in between so they can scourge him some more and do it all again.
> This is based on a suggestion by Joerg Baumgartner, a cruel and
> sadistic man (as Alex knows to his cost).
I presume Nick is here referring to Joerg's practice of scourging his foes with huge postings about the Hendriki. ;-)
Alex.
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