Re: The Glorantha Digest V6 #543

From: Brian Tickler <tickler_at_netcom.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1999 18:23:13 -0700 (PDT)


> Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1999 14:47:29 EDT
> From: <Kmnellist_at_aol.com>
> Subject: Praxian Thugs
>
> I thought that all Praxians were pathologically violent thugs. It is the Way
> of Waha. Storm Bull cultists are just bigger, more pathologicallly violent
> thugs. Put them in a horrible wasteland as far from civilisation as you can
> manage - oh that's Prax! They're there already.

Amazing Keith...this post made me laugh and "cry" at the same time...nice job... :)

I laughed because this post paints all of Prax and its Waha-based culture in the same 1 dimensional terms I've been arguing against for Stormbull, and I'm dying to see the responses to this from the "Waha is deep, Stormbull is shallow" crowd; yet its pretty sad to think that anyone might hold this POV about Prax (and yes, I can tell you're being humorous in this post, but there's some truth mixed in there; some people do see things this way).

Praxians have a hard life. They do not have access to resources that other cultures in other areas do. This does not make them as individuals barbaric or stupid. Violence is a necessity when there's not enough to go around, and unlike the RW where someone can move and make a new start, leaving Prax is not really an option, as other cultures will reject your average Praxian if they don't "civilize" themselves somehow, and leaving your tribe is pretty much unthinkable for your average Praxian anyway...

Frankly I believe that this particular situation lends itself to *more* possiblities for character depth and development, not less...how can the life of an average Lunar citizen in the Heartland possibly be as interesting as an average Praxian tribesman's daily struggle to support himself/herself and his/her tribe?  

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