Actually the Yanafali are certainly not "most of" the army. There are several Heartland regiments who are entirely Yanafali but the majority of Imperial or Provincial soldiers belong to a plethora of cults. The Yanafali are the most _powerful_ cult as they are the liaison and cohesion between the diverse elements of the army and as such fulfil a strong leadership role, particularly at the middle levels.
>the Etyries (at least the richest traders), the Red Moon magicians, the
Bat cultists, >Xaroni and Jakaleeli. They believe in repression of rebels,
in forceful convertion of >Nomad tribes to the Lunar Way, in the complete
exploitation of local resources for >the sake of the Empire. They
impersonate the intolerant soul of the Red Goddess. >They use chaos to
further their goals and are rarely illuminated.
This attitude is certainly common but it could be from any group, often conflicting ones within the Empire. BTW, Illumination is no guarantee of being tolerant. By many standards Sheng Seleris was more mystically aware than almost anyone, he simply _chose_ not to be tolerant.
>The Helms are the moderate ones: they are supported by Moonson bureaucrats
>(who think that dead Praxians can't pay taxes),
Imperial bureacrats are Buserians, they hardly ever leave their dusty towers never mind care about Prax. The tax revenue from Prax for a year is less that the revenue generated through the sale of small meaty snacks on a stick in one _day_ at the Imperial Ampitheatre in Glamour. If anything Prax _costs_ the Empire money. They have to supply several large and expensive regiments in garrison as well as attempt to improve the regional infrastructure. Sor-eels grab for the cradle and the Lunar effort that went into it was certainly, in part, an effort to balance the books, making him look successful.
>Teleeo Norri, Deezolans, Nysalori fans, Irrippi Ontori and most of the
Lunar allies, >such as the SunDomers.
The 7Ms cult might have a more tolerant line but even this is a variable, they have many idealists but the also have many, many members who have been _exiled_ from the Heartlands to perform missionary work as a punishment. This is a common form of disciplining the recalcitrant Lunar citizens (as opposed to Non-Lunar citizens of the Empire).
Don't forget that much of the provincial population worships cults other than Lunar ones. Most of the Provincial Highlander regiments rarely see a real Heartlands Lunar. Provincial Lunars are not the same as Heartlanders. A comparison for you that might be appropriate, are Northern Italians (say Milan) the same as Southern Italians (say Naples) in many cultural ways? To a foreigner you're all Italians, to someone from the country itself, the differences are huge and immediately noticable.
The Ibex Moon Society is one force trying to bring tolerance, as an aid to travel. But for every positive force, there are many negatives which seek to plunder and control through the actions of war and realpolitik.
>They believe in cooperation with the locals (Faltikus, Sable
>Riders, Solanthos etc.), in politic dialogue and refuse to use brute force
>in any small stirring of nationalistic urge. They are the "good" Lunars
and
>usually abhor the employment of Chaos, tapping magic, Hazia and Black
>Network connections. What's your POV about this?
Yikes! Where to begin.
The Rufelza cult worships a Goddess born of Glorantha and Wakboth. Chaos is intrinsic to their nature and to their magics. The 7Ms are aggressive proselytisers who were forged in war. The Imperial approach to the region of DP has always been to call it the "Land of War" and it is used as a place to send the unruly and discontent by the Imperial system. Those who enter such a dangerous place are action orientated. Yes, there are those who would bring the bounties of civilisation to the Barbarian but as a percentage of the well oiled conquest machine that is the Provincial Govt and its Imperial overlords, they are small change and not very powerful small change at that.
The main objection I have to the parties idea you put forth, is the scope of it. Its easy to think of the Empire as homogeneous. Its NOT. Its not even consistent on a yearly basis in policy. The Emperor changes often as he is reborn and growns a new form of infinite expression.
Martin Laurie
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