> Helemakt the Last Storm failed to thwart its advance upon the city.
It's
> also when Orlanth 'trapped' himself within the city, and the mythic
murder
> mayhem began in earnest.
Could be.
> But Jeff suggests that the precedent of Orlanth's fighting Artia (the
enemy
> Bat Planet/Moon Goddess) gives the Big O. a legit defence here.
> Jeff, can you elaborate on this please?
Sure. Pursuant to the Cosmic Compromise, gods are limited to the actions that they took during the Godtime - however, they can manifest in ways that they did during the Godtime. For instance, Kyger Litor herself manifested at Night and Day (not the best example, since the Compromise was at least bent at that battle), Orlanth manifested at the Machine City, and so on. Orlanth defeated Artia at least twice, maybe thrice (the stories aren't well-defined), so Orlanth can be called upon to defeat the Crimson Bat (assuming that the WW defenders have done a good enough job identifying the Crimson Bat as Artia and themselves as beleaguered Vingkotlings). With enough prayers, sacrifices and rituals (and bolstered by the prayers of all Heortlings), Orlanth can show up to once again defend his people against his Godtime foes. And he does - it is a big event, big magic, but not Compromise threatening.
However, that manifestation is enough to trigger the big Lunar anti-Orlanth spell. The Emperor, the Egi, the College and Magic, and so on, conduct an Empire-wide ritual that somehow identifies Whitewall with Orlanth - when Whitewall falls, Orlanth dies. We are talking really really big magic, with goofy rites performed throughout the Empire to be successful - way beyond the resources of just the Lunar army or an individual priest like Tatius, this is big time big league stuff with the full backing of the Red Emperor and the Egi. One of the eight or so Great Deities of Glorantha will be killed - which does more than just bend the Compromise.
Now, the Orlanthi bring Orlanth back (hey,they have their own big time big league magical secrets as well - and have done this at least twice before), but the damage has been done. The Gods War returns to Glorantha and the Hero Wars begin in earnest.
Jeff
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