lunar musings

From: Harald Smith (617) 724-9843 <"Harald>
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 1996 15:03:00 -0500 (EST)


  Nick B offers some wonderful Lunar pieces. I particularly liked the   King Argrath story--the ending was great (and the Dorastor bit seemed   inspired).   

> Do you suppose Sheng's "Shadowmoon Empire" directed worship to the Red
  Moon in her Dark Phase, emphasising the "downside" of the Lunar Way for   the profit of the rulers, while simultaneously wounding Yara Aranis,   anathema to horse nomads (and associated with the Full Moon Phase via   the Glowline)?   

  I think this shift to worshipping the 'dark side' fits quite well. And   perhaps Sheng's Shadowmoon Empire created the 'Shadowline' in the   wounding of Yara Aranis, thus causing the Glowline itself to change   phases just like the Red Moon itself.   

  Philippe Krait:
> How can the "Lunar way" have survived, when all that survives is a
  pitiful philosophy absolutely unsupported by any physical or magical   fact ?   

  Who says it is 'absolutely unsupported'? You've obviously imbibed too   much Orlanthi propaganda. Just because some illiterate Sartarite   refugees hid out in the Black Dragon mountains during the great wars and   later assembled assorted fairytales about the 'fall' of the Red Moon   hardly means that the great Dara Happan and Lunar traditions did not   continue unabated into the new age. Everyone knows that after Shargash   is unleashed at the end of each age to shatter the world that he returns   to the world and begins rebuilding it, always starting in the glorious   Dara Happan lands.   

> The civilization itself did not survive, neither did its religions or
  philosophies. So what is it that did survive ?   

  Why the White Empire, of course, that worships the Sun Father, the Moon   Mother, and whatever other deities that Shargash reassembled.   

> What ? The Lunars planned it ? Why did they fight like cornered rats
  to prevent it, then ?   

  Because all resurrections require an extreme sacrifice of magic and life   to overcome the powers of death. This was true in the Gods War, in   Arkat's destruction, in the Dragonkill, and again in Argrath's   destructions. The Lunar priests and leaders had to summon Argrath to   them and have him incarnate Shargash (hence the King of Saird and   Peloria bit), so that the world could be properly shattered and   resurrected as they wished it to be.   

  Harald


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