Re: Lunar Chaos Figthing Cult

From: Chris Bell <kaiu.keiichi_at_gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 20:53:49 -0400

Well, we have to remember that despite the willful blindness of Dara Happan culture in this regard, the Predark exists and is otherwise known to all cultures. An important aspect of Dara Happan culture is there isolationism and a refusal to admit error, leading to the kind of solipsism that enables Yelmic thought and it's antecedent, Illumination. To the Illuminant, chaos as a thing literally ceases to exist - everything is just gods and powers one can emulate, and the violence of Ragnaglar (to harm and abuse others) is no different than the violence of Orlanth (to protect family and kin). That which does not bend knee to primal universal authority, the self as the cosmos and the law, is considered "barbaric". Given it's origin in the Light rune, Illumination and traditional Yelmic philosophy is really no different - remember, Yelm was the first Illuminant.

The Lunar Way and it's understanding of Chaos, however, is different. The Lunar Way is a syncretic tradition, with a solid Dara Happan tradition of Illumination as it's rock hard base but a deep understanding of what manifest chaos is due to it's large portion of Orlanthi and other lore taken from various cultures.

It can be argued that by conventional standards that any kind of Illuminant, including Sevened Lunars, are by normal worldly standards mad. Lunars believe that chaos can be by definition what it can not be - safely controlled. Lunar disasters like the Nights of Horror show and the prophecies of the Monster Empire and the Moonfall show that Chaos is (a)objective in Glorantha and (b) can not be controlled, despite the best wishes of the Lunar Empire. As the EWF fell due to greed and arrogance and the God Learners fell through lust for power, the Lunar Empire fell due to immense self deception and meddling in forces they had no right to.

The problem with a "chaos fighting cult" is that it has to regard chaos as the supreme enemy, which is impossible in the Lunar Way. This is partially why the King of the Bilini engaged Oddi The Keen and Halgrim to engage the forces of Dorastor - the Lunars don't have any real way to fight Chaos except with blunt instruments like the Vampire Legions or the Crimson Bat. In order to control Chaos, the Empire has to call upon it's own unsavory factions, like the Chaos alchemists of Al Azt or the cult of the Crimson Bat or worshippers of Primal Chaos to control such chaotic forces. Certainly, Examiners, the Red Emperor and other powerful members of the Lunar heirarchy can also call on such powers, but those are individuals. Also, such groups as the Colleges of Magic are better used elsewhere, especially when the Orlanthi are better at fighting manifest Chaos than anyone else, except maybe the Uz.

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