The Lunar Way has certainly been known to reward independence - many of its greatest saints found their path independently, for example. And it shouldn't be forgotten that the Lunar path originated in rebellion (of the Seven Mothers against the Carmanian Emperors, among other things). You might be thinking of the Dara Happan distrust of independence, and indeed in some ways the Lunar Empire is a thin veneer of Lunar philosophy over a Dara Happan foundation. But then again, Dara Happans hate chaos too...
A better approach, rather than theorising about broad religious themes and values, is to look at the historical evidence. As has been repeated many many times, Tarsh etc. are proof by example that Lunars and Orlanthi can get along. The Orlanthi of Tarsh are not horribly oppressed, they are they waiting eagerly for rebellion. This, to me, is a far more convincing line of argument than a vague sense of historical inevitability.
No, there is no intrinsic hatred between the Lunar and Orlanthi way. Which doesn't mean that Sartarites don't hate Lunars (they invaded in living memory, wartime memories are still fresh, etc.), and it also doesn't mean that Sartarite Orlanthi might not feel that Lunar and Orlanthi hatred is inevitable. After all, the Sartarite Orlanthi don't know much about the Lunar way, except it involves governers, taxes, and legions (and the occasional poor house), and they also have no shortage of Orlanthi propagandists argueing vociferously against a lasting peace.
Everything else about Stephen message sounds fairly on the money - but there is no need to resort to explanations of inevitable historical hostility, plain old politics would supply the hatred even if their religions where very similar.
>Orlanth is by his very nature
>rebellious,
I am still waiting for an explanation of how a god of chieftains, who supplies spells designed to strengthen their hold, is intrinsically 'rebellious'. Orlanth highly loyalty and the rule of law. He just believes that the way to maintain this is by beating up on the unjust. (NB the Orlanthi admit that killing the Emperor was a mistake, don't they?).
>However, come the Hero wars and
>Orlanthi victories, the Orlanthi folk of Tarsh etc. will remember their proud
>traditions and rise against their masters.
I think its more along the lines of come the Hero Wars, Lunar mishandling of the political situation creates rifts in the Tarsh body politic that are skilfully exploited by the master political manipulator Argrath. Argrath goes to the aid of the Fazzurites - hardly the steadfast holders of Orlanthi tradition! Fazzur is a former military governer and a Yanafali! Though I'm sure Argrath does everything he can to justify himself by appealing to Orlanthi traditional values.
(PS once again, I am pre-empted - this time by Peter M, who said most of this better, as I discovered only after already writing this. I fear the long time digests denizens are becoming a chorus of orthodoxy).
Cheers
David
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