And in what sense is Keraun _not_ a storm deity? You mean in that she doesn't act like a member of the Orlanth pantheon? Darudism seems to me to be draconic in any way you can meaningfully ask the question, though: doesn't mean it's 'dragonewtish'. (Tap Peter lightly on the left shoulder and I'm sure he'll give you a fulsome account of why _they_ aren't the real draconic mccoy... And the EWF, they're just some crude barbarian misapprehension of some kralori ideas their brains couldn't handle, crudely misapplied, isn't that fairly evident?)
> Similarly, assuming that because Darudism is draconic it has much in
> common with dragonnewt practices or EWF practices seems to me to be
> a big mistake.
I'll agree with that. On the one hand, All the Divine Is One, but on the other -- die, you miserable heretic! But how do we get from that to 'well, it's not really very draconic, is it?', that's the part I'm still puzzled by.
> Though I could certainly have my mind changed on this issue, my
> impression of Darudism is that is involves more Eastern thought than
> draconic
I'm assuming by Eastern you mean Vithelan. The 'orthodox' mystical strand in Kralorela would be more exemplified by the NiangMao dudes (see Tentacles fundraiser book for some stuff on these guys), who would be somewhat closer in outlook to the 'orthodox' mystics of the East Isles. Hopefully some forthcoming Darudan article (which this discussion perhaps anticipates somewhat precipitously) will genteely crap on NiangMao from a great height, making the distinction more evident.
> and very little outward draconic manifestation
The key word here is 'manifestation'. Darudism is a draconic mystic exercise, so the chances are if you're going aroung manifesting, you're doing it wrong. Or else, circumstances are truly extra-ordinary in some respect, requiring this.
It seems mildly ironic that Kralorela is positively crawling with dragons, and you seem to think their religion has nothing much to do with 'dragons', while you're simultaneously convinced that the citydwelling, intensively agrarian, hsunchen-hating kralori are really harbouring a hotbed of neo-hsunchenism, Dave. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a bit of Revisionism as much as the next man, but in cases like this the Orthodoxy has barely been sketched out, much less had time to get Good And Ossified...
> Though Darudism and dragonnewt practices do both also involve
> avoidance of worldly entanglements.
Yup. Though if you think the Kralori and weird and squirelly, I predict that trying to work out what the Dragonewts are up to will _really_ do your head in...
Cheers,
Alex.
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