Perhaps true back in the ancient times before Genert was KOed. I'm not sure that most of the Praxians nowadays think of the Earth as being Reptilian in nature. That's more a Theyalan thing. I would surmise that the Praxian feeling is that Herbivore = Earth, Carnivore = Darkness.
Here are my Official Sandy Answers to a batch of newbie queries:
R.A. Nicholls
>what about the other gates into the Rubble? Do people have to
>negotiate a Lunar guard upon entering (or leaving) the Rubble no
>matter what entrance they use (except for into the Garden and via
>the Troll Break possibly)?
Clearly this man needs a Pavis Pack. I don't have one at hand as I write this, but basically the other gates are occasionally guarded by Lunar patrols as possible/convenient. Note that the Lunars feel that parties of wounded folks coming back into New Pavis heavily laden with loot are obviously from the Rubble, and they'll fine or otherwise punish them if they didn't enter the Rubble via one of the authorized gates.
>Also, are Wyvern Gate and the others still intact or have they
>fallen into disrepair? Are they "merely" fortified archways?
Some are intact, some are ruins. It's really up to the gamemaster as to which is which. They're just fancy archways, with turreted towers. A defensive party could make it hard for people to get through, and sometimes a bandit gang will take over a gate for a while, charging passers-by a toll to enter (if they're "good" bandits) or ambushing and killing would-be gatepassers (if they're "bad" bandits). Some bandit gangs are smart enough to freely let folks into the Rubble, only attacking them on their way out (when presumably they're low on magic points and loaded with loot).
> I assume that those in the Rubble acknowledge Pavis, but do they
>still revere the Sun (Yelm or is it Yu-Kargzant) and the Horse
>Mother (Hippoi) and Golden Bow - I guess in a shamanic fashion?
I play that they do not still worship the sun god, though a few are fond of Yelmalio. I play that they regard themselves as urban sophisticates, scorning the shamanic traditions of the "rural" Zebra Riders.
>Am I totally off track with my ideas on the Zebra Riders?
It's your campaign. Do whatever fits your players.
>I'd be grateful for any ideas and opinions on Gorgorma of the Two
>Mouths, Dark Sister, Other of Yelm, Shadow of Many, Third Daughter
>of Genert.
Under the name of Gong Xi, Gorgorma is worshiped in Kralorela, where she fulfills basically the same role of the dark, suspicious underside of the Earth. She is also known in Pent, where she is a hell entity. Her daughter by the Lunar Empire is Yara Aranis. Note that the Lunar Emperor may have been unmanned by his mating with Gorgorma (Second Mouth, 'n' all).
Both in Peloria or Dendara, Gorgorma is very much a peasant deity hated and feared by the upper class rulers.
GORGORMA AND THE EVIL DREAMS
Yelm looked upon his empire and everywhere he saw goodness.
But he also saw sin and derision. Throughout the kingdom, men and
women engaged in abominations. He focused his vision to see beyond
the sin, to find the cause of it, and he learned that mankind did
wickedness because of the thoughts of their hearts. And the thoughts
of their hearts were formed by dreams, good and bad. Yelm called
together his hunters and told them, "Go forth. Capture the evil
dreams that cause men to sin continually, and to love darkness more
than light. Thus we will save the world and all will know only good,
so will do only good."
His hunters went forth and battled mightily against the evil dreams. Though they were opposed not only by the dreams, but also other horrors of iniquity, such as the Monster Man, they triumphed, though many hunters fell prey to the temptations of the dreams, and lost their souls. But three of the hunters returned to Yelm with the evil dreams. They were the mightiest hunters of all, and their souls lusted continually after righteousness.
"Good." said Yelm. "You are the best and noblest of all the hunters in my dominion. Never have you sinned."
But Gorgorma came and spoke with the hunters. To each hunter she spoke. And each hunter gave his share of the evil dreams back to her, so they were once more unleashed upon the world.
Then Yelm was wroth and went forth to punish Gorgorma for her misdeeds. Unrepentant, Gorgorma prepared for the battle. But Dendara stayed his arm.
"She is my sister." said Dendara. "Yet is she evil." said Yelm. "Did not all mankind have access to the evil dreams." "So they did." said Yelm. "And now they do once again." "But, did all mankind sin?" asked Dendara. "No," said Yelm. "For some were righteous, and loved truth more than lies, loved charity more than hate. Not all have sinned." "Then," said Dendara. "The dreams are not responsible for man's evil." "This is so," said Yelm. "But without the dreams, the evilswithin man's heart would remain impotent, and all men would act righteously continually. All would be just, and all would be kind."
"Yet," said Dendara. "They would not BE righteous, for they would have no choice but to be just and fair. They would have no other way to behave. You would be glorified by folk who had not chosen you, for they had no choice. You would be praised by folk who did not choosen to follow in your paths, for they had no other paths open to them."
"This is so," said Yelm. "All men should flee from sin, yet if there was no sin, there would be naught from which to flee."
So Yelm spared Gorgorma, and so Yelm allowed sin. Yet know that sin is made available to us only so that we may freely choose not to wallow in it.
Powered by hypermail