Peter told the tail:
>> The PCs, a group of young Orlanthi and Odayla Initiates, went on an
>> impromptu Lunar hunting expedition. They waited in ambush next to a
>> large road, and after letting several large groups go by they
>> dry-gulched a lone Lunar messenger. The messenger never had a chance
>> -- he was shot many times before he took a step.
Nick offered the moral suggestion of issuing a formal challenge to the poor slob. "Foul slime, curse of existance..." and all that good stuff.
And maybe in an ideal world, that would be how Orlanth would like you to behave, ESPECIALLY if you're a Wind Lord. But these are kids, young initiates, ruled by their hearts and not their heads. Not only that, they're children born and raised in a country that has been systematically occupied and oppressed by a foreign government. Now, while I can't personally justify terrorism, I have more than a few PCs that would consider whacking the Lunar mailman all in a good days work. Afterall, he is probably carrying correspondences relating to/aiding and abetting the Occupation. The Resistance in France in 1943 would've doubtlessly considered a lone German courrier riding his motorcycle down a back country road fair game, and offed him in a second if they thought they could get away with it.
It is of course the getting away with it part that's the problem. At the very least, I'd expect a rounding up of the usual suspects, maybe a cruxifiction or two. Don't forget what the Mongols did to people who killed their messengers. Or how uptight we got in Vietnam. A little Mai Lai massacre would not be an unexpected consequence of this kind of rash asct.
As to why a few hotheads in distant Alone would even do such a thing, Nick says:
>Coming from the remote lands around Alone, it seems
>unlikely they have any personal beef with the Lunar Empire (fathers
>killed, mothers raped, brothers enslaved, you know the stuff).
Really? Lots of people died during the taking of Sartar. Lots of people have lost their farms to Lunar colonists. And there is that part about trying to crush the native religion. My guess is every person in Dragon Pass has some personal reason to hate the Lunar invaders. And of course, I'd also guess that many Lunars are just a dumbfounded as the Crimson Nick when these kind of brutal acts of terrorism happen. "Why would they want to do that? After all, we're just trying to civilize the hairy louts."
Nick also proposes:
>Maybe giving your players (out of game) some real-world examples of
>the kind of behaviour their characters are indulging in (murder,
>terrorism, spurious religious arguments that their enemies are
>"unpersons") would be helpful, if it distresses you to see them
>behaving in such a cold and inconsiderate manner.
Definitely. And while you're at it, take a look at some historical, real-world examples of brave locals fighting back against imperialistic foreign invaders. Brave rebels shooting at any fool stupid enough to wear red in the forested hills of free men (be they in Alone or North Carolina). There are two sides to every story.
Further Nick comment:
>(I gave up DnD when I discovered what "genocide" meant).
No one in Sartar is backing genocide (at least not of the Lunars, broos are another story). I think most Sartarites would say all they want is for the Lunars to go back home and leave them alone. "And any Lunar poking their nose in where it don't belong deserves what they get."
Nick suggests further:
>Or introduce them to some "nice" Lunars (healers, teachers, explorers,
>humble conscripts).
Cultural Imperialistic dog soldiers of the foreign invaders. Lunars go Home! (Just providing an opposing view.) Fear the Lunar solider, for he will try to kill you and your friends, but hate the Lunar "teacher" even more, for he will try to kill your entire society. The Lunar response is of course something along the lines of "What? Me? But I'm just trying to help. Now be a good lad and recite today's lesson from The Glorious ReAssent of Yelm."
Free Sartar!
Robert
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