Perhaps this isn't the wisest way to announce my presence on this list, but I feel that I have to contribute my two clacks to the ongoing debate. In opposition to the rest of this list (or at least the more vocal elements thereof), I actually like Martin's take on the Emperor more than the RMM version. It seems more consistant with my perception of Lunar society.
You see, I'm something of a late-comer to Glorantha -- I only started following the setting a couple of years ago. Thus, most of my information comes from the web site and those AH sourcebooks that were still available at the time (Strangers in Prax, Sun County, Lords of Terror, etc.) As a result, my first perceptions of the Lunars were a good deal more even-handed than much of the earlier material.
I like the Lunars. I think that they are, fundamentally, the good guys. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the RMM material seems to assume that the Lunars, while they may be rather sympathetic, are ultimately the villains of Glorantha. The RMM view on Moonson seems to derive at least partly from this -- it assumes that Moonson has relatively normal (and often base) motivations. In my opinion, it makes him too _human._
Moonson is a divine being. He interacts with the world on a level that few humans can imagine. While his corruption and decadence certainly seem obvious, it's just not safe to assume that he has human motives for what he does. The way I see it, Moonson treats life like a Heroquest -- he bases his actions on their symbolic value, rather than on motivations like pleasure and pain. I feel that letting humans choose the mask for him -- or, worse yet, letting the mask's personality cloud his vision -- damages that sense of purpose and ritual.
-----David Paul
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