> > >Except, of course, we have the clear example of kinstrife causing chaos
> > >amongst the Heortlings.
> >
> >How? I've addressed kinstrife before:
>Kinstrife being a source of chaos is so fundamental to the Heortling view
>point, that to ignore it is to remove any point in discussing the world
>based on the sources we have.
There is a big difference between saying that Kinstrife is a cause of chaos and Kinstrife is a chaotic act (which I am disputing because it leads to culturally relativistic chaos).
In the only myth of Kinstrife that we have - Storm Tribe p205 - Kinstrife results in a grievous death but no chaos appears. The Unholy Trio were no longer kin when they brought chaos into the world. Barbarian Adventures p37 states that a consequence of Kinstrife is either chaos eruptions _or_ reprisals from the Gods (indicating that chaos is not an automatic consequence). BA p45 states that it is the greatest evil, cannot be halted by Orlanth or Ernalda but does not call it chaotic. Likewise Thunder Rebels p43 likens it to a man cutting of his own arm but neglects chaos.
So the inference that Kinstrife equals Chaos is not a strong one. Yes, Kinstrife can cause chaos but it can also cause reprisals from the Gods.
Secondly both sides engage in Kinstrife. In many cases there is no clear villain or evildoer as exists in the case of treason or rape. So to make it a chaotic act would mean that its participants run the risk of becoming chaotic which seems untenable to me.
Hence I prefer to interpret the evil effects that result from Kinstrife as a breakdown in the Sacred Order that causes the Gods to withdraw their blessings from the clan in disgust. But the gods are also free to inflict other punishments should they so choose.
>By denying any possibility of a cultural component to chaos, you are, in my
>opinion, throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Sure there are
>universals, and sure they are important, but I have yet to see any
>suggestion that the story ends there.
Then you've missed the ugly futile discussion of CharUn Rape Etiquette?
--Peter Metcalfe
Powered by hypermail