Re: Glorantha Digest V1 #163

From: Paul Reilly <paul_at_phyast.pitt.edu>
Date: Mon, 20 Feb 1995 16:02:42 +0500

Paul R. here.

 I wrote:

>> I think that Malkion's reasoning was based on the (quite apparent)
>>Law of Inverse Correlation of Power and Freedom that seems to hold in
>>Glorantha.

  (Note that Maike Holliday contributed much of this line of thinking)

Peter Metcalfe wrote:

>Before the Cosmic Compromise?

  Yes. It's quite clear that this Law held long before the Compromise. See GRaY for a recent source or Cults of Terror intro for an old source.

Peter wrote:
>Every act which we observe can be traced back to One Cause:
>I name this cause the Prime Mover...

  Yes, well, that too. I wanted to introduce a specifically Gloranthan element to show differences between Malkioni and Greek thought. Of course this line of reasoning was also a part of it.

• ---- Note that when ALL the laws of the Universe are breaking down, so does this one. Thus the IG is free to act at certain times:
  1. At the moment of Creation. The IG constructs the Universe, either out of Its own Being or out of Chaos (depending on your sect) and with it, the Laws of the Universe. The 'capstone' of the Laws is the Law of Inverse Correlation of Power and Freedom (LICPF) which "freezes" the Universe into being and freezes the Invisible God into non-action.

  Note the Divine Purpose behind this Law: It is the LICPF which protects Glorantha from dissolving back into primal Chaos! Primal Chaos, being absolutely Free, has NO POWER in Glorantha under this Law. This creates a logical 'seal' that protects the Creation. Only those beings WITHIN Glorantha may bring Chaos in and weaken the structure of law - thus all incursions of Chaos into Glorantha are ultimately traceable to Gloranthans summoning it in some fashion. (Not keeping the commandments of the IG may be such a summons...)

  --
2. At the "low point" when the Universe is due to "come apart" and dissolve. This is the 'time' of Malkion's Revelation: When the very structure of the Universe is about to dissolve under the onslaught of Chaos, the LICPF is of course (like all other Laws) weakened. This frees the IG to act. He strengthens the Creation and gives the created beings help in maintaining their world. (Malkion's Revelation, I Fought We Won). The IG resets the laws of the Universe, including the LICPF, and retires into inaction again.

3. When the Universe is "Rebooted" (The Dawn) The IG is again free for a timeless moment at the start of time. This of course correlates to Hrestol's revelation.

---

>Secondly, I would not repeat such speculations like 'the
>Invisible God is Total Power with Zero Freedom' within a thousand leagues of
>an inquisitor of the Iron Rod of Rokar.

  Sure. The degenerate Rokari are practically pagan anyway, and detract from the dignity of the True Priesthood with their theologically vacant babblings. (New Hrestol Way PoV there, folks, not my own...)

• -------

  David Dunham wrote:

>Paul Reilly has lots to say on reflection (people are like their gods). I
>think this is a bit simplistic.

  Yes, of course. Note that I did warn you that that was an unfinished draft.

  The point is to help people who are stuck for story inspiration.

---