Stephen about my Daruda theory:
> Last time I brought it up, Greg shot down by 99% identical theory (I
> didn't make the Vithela/Solar Empire connection), but that doesn't mean
> that you and I can't convince him now that we both know the other knows
> the truth.
I'll support your next try if I can!
Me:
>Or is there a secret
>code that makes some source quotes sacrosanct and
>others dismissable?
Peter:
>I suppose it goes something like:
> My source quotations address the issues.
> Your source quotations miss the point.
> His source quotations are completely irrelevant and untrue.
If you decide unilaterally that your quotes are valid while mine and others' are off the point there is no way to have a real debate. From the way you summarily dismiss quotes and arguments this seems to be the case. I apologize for the implied arrogance if I have misunderstood your position, through denseness, or substandard understanding of the english language or whatever. If so, I'll be back with more quotes.
Right now, the debate seems to be heading breakneck speed into nowhere. However, even if it may not seem so, when I post in the heat of the moment, I do read arguments for their content, not just to pick at details. Thus I rephrase and reevaluate my own position when something good and weighty comes up.
The only thing we can say for certain is that the published information about Kralorela is very scant. Until Greg or Peter or Sandy or Stephen or I or someone else writes the official version, all wide-reaching conclusions are conjecture and personal ideas. In case I have been unclear on that point, I will just say that I have no intention of passing my theories off as "canon", or of saying that anyone else's theories are wrong.
I do like to discuss the subject, because interesting stuff always comes up, but I can't do that when I'm talking to a wall.
To sum up my current position, I have realized after reading Peter's and Sandy's arguments that what I want for Kralorela is not as much non-change as continuity and unbroken tradition. I must accept that the amount of time which has passed and the periods with foreign rulers have caused changes, but I think the changes are gradual and within the basic framework.
While Kralorela has been under foreign rule, there has not been any large scale invasions, where entirely new peoples have populated the land, that I am aware of. Thus I don't think that the entire culture need to have changed radically during those periods.
In effect, in my Kralorela there is cultural continuity and some customs really do date back to the golden age. Not all do though, and in all fairness I can only admit that the Kralorelans themselves may not always know which things are really ancient and which are not, because the ancient ways and the newer ones share a common framework.
I don't want to bicker endlessly. I want to spend my Gloranthan time writing and inventing stuff about the east instead. Thus, over to the ideas of the Kralorelan afterlife. I really like Peter's idea that it used to be possible to go to the lands of the dead. I prefer it to always have been a heroquest activity, a path which is now closed, but that's just a difference in degree. (I see barges with heroquester officers and zombie oarsmen, the latter being already dead should be the perfect crew).
Last night I had the idea that this gives us the real purpose of Godunya's grand bridges. The seven bridges are preparations and "exercise" for the building of an eighth, metaphysical, bridge which reaches into the land of the dead and once more makes it accessible.
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