Lunarised Orlanthi after the great heave ho

From: Ashley Munday <Ashley.Munday_at_liffe.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 13:55:16 +0100


One thing vaguely has been vaguely swimming about in my mind: What happens to those Orlanthi converts that are left around when those pinko commy fag subversive Lunars are removed from an area? For example, when Argrath comes marching back into Boldhome, relighting holy flames and wearing his underpants on the outside of his trousers, is there a purge that looks like something out of the Warsaw ghetto?

Presumably, as Orlanth worship was severely discouraged during the occupation, Lunar worship will be paid back in kind after the liberation. One possible analogy would be the treatment of French collaborators after the liberation of Paris in the Second World War. Known lunar sympathisers are given a hard time, spat on, beaten up, shaved, tarred and feathered. Those that really went overboard supporting the invaders might even find their heads on a pole. However, after a generation, all that remains is a bit of a social stigma: "His family worship her! You know, the Red Woman."

Another complimentary idea would be that Lunar worship would perhaps even be subsumed into the Orlanth Pantheon. Make your own mystic excuse for this one up! However, to keep some semblance of power, some noble families and their clans would have taken Lunar worship on board, even if only lip service. This is a bit like Saxon nobles telling their youngest sons to become Christian to keep irons in all available political fires. Blackmor, short term king of the Colymar no doubt had this sort of thing in mind.

After the Empire moves out, you can see a case that some clans, or even just some notable people in those clans, might still be Lunar. Provided they weren't so blatant about this worship, it'd probably stick and maybe even propagate. Worship of Mithras in Britain after the Roman occupation is an example of what I had in mind: A lot of Warriors kept up the traditions.

Final point then I'll stop rambling: The ruling classes have a greater reason to convert than the proles do. After a couple of generations of occupation, the old ruling classes would might look like a bunch of Dara Happan Sun Worshippers, while their subjects still worship Orlanth as they always did. As far as they're concerned, the people in charge do their thing, the workers do their thing.

Ash


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