The reason that I've been going on about trade versus war in Lunar Carmania
is because that's the biggest faultline I can see in the Carmanian
leadership. Everything that follows is IMO. In the (good? bad?) old days
Carmania was an empire that conquered Peloria and was in turn ruled by
Brolian Tawari and other bull-worshipping-fanatics, Dara Happan
sun-worshipping-fanatics, and Spolite darkness-worshipping-fanatics. The
Carmanian Empire (all three aspects, light, dark, and bestial) ruled by
conquest. Humakt was the sword-arm of the empire with an emphasis on
conquest and destruction. After the Lunar empire took over and killed off
the old Karmanos cult, including the most direct shahvian bloodlines, and
the (mostly Humakti) leadership of hazari mystery cults, Carmania no longer
had a need for unlimited warfare. As the land, increasingly led by
Etyries-worshipping nobility, developed along new lines that emphasized
commerce with Seshnela and the west, the Humakti traditionalists lost their
appeal. Humakt was irrevocably associated with the old way of doing things,
and was no longer acceptable in the new Lunar administrative district of
Carmania. The state-sanctioned cult of Yanafal Tarnils was poised to take
over, and it became the new war cult of limited military action. IMHO in
Carmania YT became a police cult and the source of guards for trading
caravans. The Humakt cult continually lost power to YT until the Syndics'
Ban scared people and made them turn to old traditions, and then the Hero
Wars came calling. Alehandro is a big fan of the Humakt cult, and he has
recruited heavily for it while preparing the Queen's Regiment for war in DP.
When you distill that down to a single catch-phrase, it's easy to see why
you can come out with "Humakt=war, YT=trade." Obviously that isn't totally
true, but it's pretty good for shorthand.
Also, remember that it's well established that Humakt in Carmania is not a
pretty cult reserved for honorable knights. It's also a cult for
bloodthirsty conquerors, barely distinguishable from those who follow Zorak
Zoran. IMO those Humakti don't think that the Death+Truth runes imply
honorable warfare, they think they mean true death delivered with the utmost
despatch.
- --
whoah!
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller <loren_at_hops.wharton.upenn.edu>
The City almost looks peaceful under a blanket of new-fallen
souffle. -- The Tick