What makes the Lunars very fascinating to me, is that the Lunar Empire strikes several chords with real world themes and issues.
Two major ones to look at:
-Christianity
You have a figure elevated to divinity within recorded history, a religion that is open to anyone to join, a shift from a variety of small cults and groups to increasingly structured heirarchies. You also have a link to historical Christianity in co-opting and redefining older religious beliefs and taking them as their own.
-Cultural Imperialism
The biggest point of "We are All Us", is, is it really? I mean, do the groups really keep their individual identities as cultures, or is it lost under the Lunar influence? What does it mean when the Lunar view of Ernalda replaces that of the Orlanthi view of Ernalda? What does it mean when a Lunar citizen can "study the mysteries" of Ernalda for a month in some Lunar approved cult and is "granted" the same status as an initiate, or even devottee who's spent their entire life at Ernalda's breast?
The ideas of cultural imperialism and appropriation all play a big role in this.
:)
Chris
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