Peter M:
>This seems to me to be falling into the same kind of error that
>labelled the early middle ages Dark.
With the exception of the lunars (and Kralorela which has always been the same more or less) I agree with David. The third age societies might be as technologically advanced as the earlier ones, but they don't have the same splendour or awe-inspiring quality in lack of a better expression.
>As for Nysalor's Empire being at least as advanced, I dispute
>this. I think the Lunar Empire is more advanced than the Bright
>Empire in terms of religious/magical awareness
That's the one where I agree with Peter. Also, the lunra empire has been around for longer time, and builds more closely on its predecessors.
>The 'more cultured' second age empires. I find this difficult
>to digest. I don't accept brute magcial prowess (Tanian's
>victory) as a sign of culture
There's surely a lot more to the GL empire than brute magical prowess! (Extremely sophisticated specialized magical prowess for example :-)).
>EASTERN SEAS: Let me see. All threads of Theya's Net lead to the
>Jeweled Isle of Mokato.
Not quite, all strands lead to Vithela.
>While they may have lead lives of unparalled
>sophistication before the Renunciation, I doubt that many of the other
>isles enjoyed this prosperity.
Oh yes they did. The Mokato empire was based on cooperation and mutual benefit, not conquest. Just about everybody (except the Haragalans who are on top now perhaps) were really well off under Mokato's rule: lots of friendly trade and no pirates.
>One of the reasons, methinks, for the
>inital success and survival of Valkaro's mission.
Valkaro's success stems from the fact that he through his holiness and magical skill managed to convert the god of Ambovombe to the Malkioni faith, turning him into a saint. Your island's patron deity is of prime important to an islander, so when the gods of Ambovombe and the neighbouring islands went Malkioni, so did the inhabitants of these islands.
>EWF: Ruled by the Dragons to whom the niceties of human culture
>were immaterial.
Hm? I thought it was ruled by humans who learned draconic secrets and tried to integrate human and draconic concepts.
Anyway, a couple of old empires are missing from the list:
The Artmali empire. Little is known of that today, but it is supposed to have been really advanced.
Dara Happa. You can't deny its importance.
Nils W | Here we are! Office: niwe_at_einku.ericsson.se | We sail on a ship made of dreams.Home: nilsw_at_ibm.net
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