Maybe. But as I said, the Lunars use the 'masks' term because they want to emphasise that the mask can have a wearer. The Lunars believe that there is a magically immanent aspect to the gods, and in describing that your Lunar illuminated philosopher would probably agree on most of the important aspects with the God Learners. But the God Learners deny that there is a transendent, mystic, aspect to the gods, while this transcendent aspect is in a sense the true quest of Lunar mysticism. Of course, its not easy - I think the Lunars would argue that both illumination and Travel and Journey are necessary before you can truly begin to understand the gods.
About the gods originating as mortals
>> Are we talking Evolutionism here? If so, I'm disappointed. I really
>> rather like the notion of gods interacting to create the world
>> through exercise and development of their 'natures'.
I think you had both on the mundane plane evolutionism, and on the hero-plane the heroes who became the gods interacting to create the world (through exercise & etc.). The heroplane was an unformed place before the first magicians and heroes, but they carved it into their own image.
Pam on Dara Happan things
>IMO, SunLord is a relatively common cult rank for higher military
>officers political figures. Sunlords are eligible to compete in the
>tests to fill the relatively few Imperatur positions - heads of clans,
>sub-clans, large families, or other significant groups.
Yes. I think a lot of up and coming Yelmies qualify as Sun Lords. Its pretty difficult to do, but so is Hrestoli Lord status, for example. I think Sun Lords are expected to spend their time in service to the cult/state (almost the same thing in Dara Happa), but many of them may devote significant time to the worship of other approved cults as well, such as regimental cults or associate cults appropriate to their station. Becoming a Sun Lord is more of a social rank than a cult one, they have pretty minimal cult duties, and doesn't get much from the Yelm cult that Yelm the Warrior doesn't get either. Basically, its showing that you are good enough to enter the ruling classes, but you don't have a major position yet (and you aren't yet retired from the field like the Yelm the Elders). But you do get the respect of your fellow Yelmics and a chance to serve with honour (and a crack at Imperator, of course). And you get to boss around associate cult priests.
I rather like the way that Yelm the Elder is how Yelm Imperator retires, it has nice parallels to the various real world traditions of packing the old king/emperor/daimyo off to a monastery.
>Therefore, GRoy never really
>tells us whether Avivath was a sunlord, priest, or really just some
>street thug, or whether the historical contestants for emperor are
>already sunlords.
Avivath was almost certainly a heroquester of some kind, and thus his exact cult status is not easy to pin down. He could certainly have attained abilities normally reserved for priests through heroquest, for example.
I think the contestants for emperor are generally of Imperator status according to the Yelm cult description, that is to say already heads of houses or otherwise of high position. I don't know whether this is officially required, but it seems to be historically ignored quite often though.
Cheers
David
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