the Blue Vadeli

From: David Cake <davidc_at_cs.uwa.edu.au>
Date: Wed, 7 Aug 1996 22:43:11 +0800


>You also counter your own argument here. I note how grossed out many people
>have been on this subject. Why? BECAUSE I have been so graphic, NOT vague.

        You've missed my point completely. Your ideas on the Blue Vadeli sound exactly like the ideas of someone TRYING to gross people out.

        And my point was, if it creates that impression, then it destroys my ability to believe or play them, because they are no longer a culture but a demonstration of grossness. Whereas to understand that they do horrible things, but for reasons deeply connected to Vadeli culture and magic, which we can partly explain but not fully, makes them interesting enigmas (that the GM can experiment with) rather than an exercise in how to appall people.

        And as for your implications that the squeamish should just get lost
> If you can't handle a bit of detail then I suggest
>you go and lock yourself in a box because the RW is WAY worse.

        There is a world of difference between realistically confronting real world horror, and setting out to disgust everybody. The Blue Vadeli as you have described them are disgusting and unpleasant - but essentially they are a moral vacuum - they do these disgusting things because it is the only way for their race to survive, because they have been created to be disgusting. So their grossness serves no purpose other than to demonstrate your ability to be gross.

        Gloranthan roleplaying has such a following largely because it is adult. To realistically confront moral horror such as war or rape or torture is something that is part of adult roleplaying. To see how gross you can be is adolescent.

        David


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