The recent experience of playing an Orlanthi has forced me to look at some other old Gloranthan assumptions. The first that leaps to mind, is, why are the Lunars good? Or better yet, what reasons might there be that would make their ultimate victory desirable by *all* the inhabitants of Glorantha?
I'm not talking about the standard "The Empire represents civilization" argument that ordinary Lunars believe. I'm looking for solid metaphysical theory. For example:
The anti-Lunar way represents complete hostility and opposition to Chaos. We know that Glorantha exists as a small bubble in an infinite sea of Chaos. If principles of osmosis and surface tension (okay, I'm not a physicist; those might not be the exact terms) apply across the barrier between Chaos and Glorantha, might it be that a greater imbalance of Chaos between the inside and the outside could cause greater strain on the separating membrane? If that greater tension would cause the bubble to break, then a higher quantity of Chaos within Glorantha would be desirable to ease the pressure.
Another way of looking at it: Chaos is infinitely diverse, and will continue to attack Glorantha in new ways. Were Glorantha purged of all Chaos, it would lose the flexibility that could allow it to adapt to future threats to its integrity.
I realize that as things stand Chaos is a part of the Great Compromise. However, a Lunar or Orlanthi victory would surely affect the total amount of Chaos in Glorantha. I've always assumed that ultimately one side or the other would triumph, and that Time would end.
Just some idle speculation...
-->Pete
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------Editor, Interregnum RPG/science-fantasy APA/magazine -- email for info. Interregnum World Wide Web home page: http://www.tiac.net/users/maranci
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