Re: What do the Lunars want in Dragon Pass; morals

From: David Dunham <dunham_at_pensee.com>
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2000 20:09:34 -0800


Theo Posselt asked:

>What do the Lunars want in Dragon Pass, anyway?

It's there.

The Lunars are an empire, and empires like to expand.

They can't expand north or west due to geography. East is places like Pent (which they are slowly expanding into) and Balazar (which again they are slowly moving into) -- places fairly different from what they now control.

So that leaves the south. They already know something about controlling Heortlings (Aggar, Talastar, Tarsh). At least part of the land can be cultivated with the same plow technology, and all of it is at least cultivatable (so they're dealing with settled people, not nomads, which makes it much easier).

(I don't think this is the only reason they want to go south, but it's a big one.)

> So, by that logic, what would a Yanafali be expected to do when
> confronted with a choice between exemplifying bravery, and pursuing a
> more tactical path?

Religions don't have to be logical. The Orlanthi religion says that violence is always an option -- but that there is always another way. It says that you must take vengeance against a killer -- but then can't deal with kinslaying as a result.

In Pendragon, you could always resolve this with opposed virtue/passion rolls, and you can do something similar in Hero Wars if you like.

Or just choose, nowing that either choice has consequences and may not be ideal.

David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_pensee.com> Glorantha/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html> Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein


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