>Having read the mechanics for Illumination in DLoD I thought that the
>basic idea was good, but that it's implementation was...I don't know
>flavorless. The idea for an earth shaking change in perceptions brought
>about by riddles reminded me of zen and koans.
Cos that's what it is. Now I realise that including Nysalor in books about chaos ie Cults of Terror, Dorastor and so on, give rise to the perception that Illumination is about grabbing chaos powers but that's not how the Lunar Empire views it.
>However the result of
>Illumination seemed like a rules construct to allow characters to glom on
>to any cult powers they could grab, plus chaotic features, and didn't
>(except for the first power) seem to encompas any change of philosophy.
That's the point behind illumination. It _frees_ you of _subconscious_ entanglements to the otherword. Normally people carry a lot of magical baggage based on their upbringing.
For instance, a Chaos worshipper is detectable by Uroxi beserkers, not because he worships Chaos but because he feverently believes the world sucks and should be destroyed. [Cults of Terror had an excellent piece on this and I hope it's in Lords of Terror.] It is this belief which the Uroxi senses. Now if one was illuminated, this subconscious belief would no longer be feverently expressed and so the Uroxi would pass him by (Unless of course, the said chaotic being had chaos feature like Horns on Head or Scorpion Arm...)
>Do the Kralori practice a different form then the lunars?
Probably. Sheng Seleris did import some Kralori philosophy into Dara Happa and tried to enforce uniformity, but that was a while ago.
>Also have any of you used the mysterious second age Nysalor cults?
They weren't mysterious. They were well known to the authorities. :-) The exact powers they had are as yet undefined. Some claimed to be able to resist the Dragons, others apparently used illumination to enhance their relationship with Yelm and so forth. The Lunar book will have a lot of stuff about this.
>Do chaotics have a _Gbaji_ cult?
Too disorganized, IMO. Only Ralzakark is capble of organising such a cult with a coherent set of philosophies but his rule does not extend outside Dorastor and any hero cult he builds is more likely going to venerate himself.
And now a Nysalor Riddle for the Malkioni....
'Humct the barber shaves only those who do not shave themselves. Does Humct shave himself?'
Alex Ferguson:
>Gah, more Alex-lag, this time brought about by a (botched) tonsillectomy.
You survived the Knowlege Assasins?
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