And then I thought about the fact that the Red Emperor does something similar to the Pharoh and must face similar problems. And then I thought about the fact that parts of the people who combine to make the new Red Emperor *do* apotheosise. And then I thought about the Solar Doctrine that there are several parts to each person and even multiple parts to the soul.
And what I come up with is this.
The Intellect of the Pharoh is what is going on year after year on the Mundane Plane. At the rituals of Luck and Death not only does the old body of the Pharoh vanish but also the old soul. (The POW in RQ mechanics.) His mortal soul-part has become burdened by all the Magic he had had to make and has become exhausted with the strain of keeping the Pharoh in the Mundane Plane. What the rituals create is a new entity with the memory of the Pharoh and the body and soul of the young man chosen by the Masters of Luck and Death. The mind of the sacrifice is combined with the laden POW of the old Pharoh becomes another new entity, an 'angel' with a place in the pantheon of Esrolia's state religion. (Something similar happens to the Egi in the Lunar ritual.)
There! Perfect! (If I say so myself!) A neat way to sidestep the burdens of Godhood and have all the benefits.
Query: If this is true how much of the personality of the reborn Pharoh is changed? I think I would assume that the Personality Traits are carried by the Soul and not by the Intellect. Presumably the magical tests that the candidates undergo are partly intended to find someone whose nature is not too different from that of the soul they are to replace. But there would probably be some variation from incarnation to incarnation.
Anyone see any problems with this account?
- --
Michael Cule
Powered by hypermail