The arguments on all sides of the "time before time" thread have been very interesting. They have lead me to believe that there is a relatively simple explanation of the difference in Glorantha before versus after the compromise.
Before Time, Everything had to have a Cause. The sun set Because Orlanth killed him, and only because he got killed. Winter meant that Vadrus was Attacking with a host of Ice-Demons from the north, and if you did not ACTIVELY fight them back, It would be winter forever. People Matured by doing Mature things -- Actively gaining strength and wisdom, and grew old by losing strength to injuries and gaining more wisdom. No one DIED untill Granfather mortal met death. UzUz, elves and dwarves still do not die without cause (IMO). The Brithini, a pre-dawn culture, are Terrified of aging, and will go to any lengths to prevent it. There were no "Natural Cycles" to rely on. Just Chains of action and consequence. Events occured in a "linear" fasion, but always because someone or something DID something.
After the compromise, things "just happen." The Sun rises and sets,
people grow old and die, winter is Always followed by spring. Orlanth
doesn't Decide to kill Yelm Every day... Time has replaced Action as the
primary Cause in the world. And THAT to me is the primary meaning of
"Time did not Exist in the GodTime" (the pun is not mine). A transition
from an Entirely Action based causality chain, to a dual Time and/or
Action based chain of cause and effect. Thus, After the Dawn, the sun
rises and sets every day -- unless someone Stops it. Even then, it will
continue to Rise and set as soon as they stop Stopping it.
Thats the change. Before the compromise, there was nothing to prevent an action having permanent effect. After, Time is constantly pushing things back the way they were, the way they "ought to be."
Actions can still change things, but they must OVERCOME Time (and The
Compromise) to do so. In addition, those changes must be made ON the
Gods Plane -- the "template" for the cycles of Time. This explains why
"everything happens at once" on the Gods Plane... the actions have been
"recorded" as a pattern for time to emulate. At (well... shortly
before) the Dawn, the Gods sacrificed themselves to save the world from
Chaos. They sacrificed their ability to Act in the future, for the
Power to use their Previous actions to Constantly fight chaos.
<whew> um, hope I didn't bore or offend anyone too badly but It all makes so much sence to me... (which means it MUST be wrong :-)
danm
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