Peter Metcalfe:
'> An interesting thing is that these Octamonists reject
> both Iron and _Diamond_ and yet they are called Diamond Mountain.
> This has probably heaps to do with the fact that Banajasab is known
> as the Keeper of Crystal Wisdom. Methinks that the Diamondwarfs
> engaged in an experiment to try and transform the Dwarves into
> Diamondwarfs for the next battle against the Kralori and it backfired
> spectacularly shattering them into zillions of pieces and leaving a
> whole lot of magic crystals which the Dwarfs do not want lying around
> the place.
Why? They might be useful. Or is it simply the physical trouble of
there being a lot of crystals littering the place? (No, I'm not
joking. Dwarves have a completely different set of values than humans
and might find them useless - frex, if they had no effect on proper
dwarvish magic, but instead disturbed it in such great amounts).
> The local Teshnans find all these magic crystals lying
> and managed to make something useful with them. Suggestions?
This is not an answer to Peter's question, but I suddenly came to
think of those RW stories about valleys being filled with
gems/valuable oils/resins/spices/whatever. However, they are guarded
by snakes/basilisks/dragons/other nasty critters, so you have to use
strange tricks to gain the valuable stuff, like throwing down pieces
of meat that the valuable stuff will stick to, so that great raptors
will pick up the pieces of meat so you then can rob their nests
(gasping for breath). These stories also came from the Orient, and
aint Teshnos supposed to be a somewhat-analogue of India.....?
> Accordingly I think the Octomonists try and transmute the body of
> the Clay Dwarf into that of the metal caste from whence it came (ie
> into a crude approximation of the original mostali).
I have always assumed that the closer Dwarves come to perfection, the
more mineralic and machine-like they become, both physically and
mentally. That's why I opposed the idea that dwarves used mechanical
transplants for lost limbs and organs - that would be "speeding" the
process. Now, I have this theory about Octamonists: what they oppose
isn't Diamonddom per se, but the fact that Diamonddwarves are
otherwise thought of as being on par with Real Mostali. Thus, in an
octomonist council which lacks a True Mostali for one of the seats,
the seat will simply be vacant.
>
> As for the Kralori, I don't think they are hyperconservative either.
> They make a great show and pretence of doing so but Godunya and the
> Exarchs are IMO radical reformers like the Loskalmi in implementing
> major 'reforms' (read 'innovations') to 'return' (read 'propel')
> Kralori Society to the Great Days of Old (or what Godunya and the
> Exarchs feel those days _should_ have been like).
You are probably right - but then that may really be said about the
Octamonists as well. Reforms to Return to the Good Old Days is
Octomonist stuff: "Who cares if we have used Iron Dwarves since
before Time began. WE want things to be like they where before the
regular ages began, preferrably as before the universe existed as we
know it today"
And, BTW, GREAT post about Dwarven queing, Sam(?)!
Erik Sieurin