Re: Different Worlds

From: Thomas McVey <tmcvey_at_sric.sri.com>
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 15:16:28 -0800


>
> Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 09:25:48 +0800
> From: David Cake <dave_at_difference.com.au>
> Subject: different worlds
>
> >Advanced GL theory:
> >
> >there is 7 viewpoints,
> >
> >4 of them are worlds (analogy to the winds) that
> >heroquesting mortal can visit.
> >
> >Another is Draconic/Dragonewt
> >
> >Number 6 is ... well, Anybody got an idea ? Dreamworld ?
> >
> >Number 7 is the extinct one Pete mention.
>
> You can assign these to directions if you want, the same as
> the seven winds.
> - - the four most people use are the four directions
> animist - south
> sorcery - west
> theist - north
> mystic - east
>
> the seventh is probably the centre - the Celestial Court, now destroyed.
>
> So that just leaves us with up and down.

Well, what ever the "sixth direction" is, it has to be "opposite" to the Draconic PoV. My bet's on Chaos.

You could see animism/thesism as being opposites in animism being about local narratives and stories and theism being about global myths and stories (Orlanth being "lord of all the middle air" rather than just the lord of the air around your local small hillock. So the animism/theism axis is the opposition of local/global philosophies/theologies.

Similarly, sorcery and mysticism represent the opposition between the ideas that what is "out there" is "reality", versus the idea that "what's inside my head" is the "reality". So sorcery/mysticism is the "physical/mental" (or materialism/idealism) axis.

So, what's the essential part of the Draconic PoV? Well, Dragonewts are striving to perfect themselves into Dragons. To perfect oneself into a higher being. Chaotics, on the other hand, want to degrade everything down to their level of pain and squalor. Dragonnewts want to move up, Chaotics want everybody else to move down. So the "Draconism/Chaotic" axis is the "perfection/degeneration" (or creation/destruction) axis. This would tie in with creation myths that feature a Draconic creator (there's one in Wyrm's footprints, IIRC).

You could even extend this to the Seven Mums (with some stretching): Jalkaleel - Animist
Irrippi Ontor - Sorcerous
Yanafil Tarnils - Theist
Deezola - Mystic?
Danfive Xaron - Chaotic (the Criminal Destroyer) One Who Waits - Draconic?
Teelo Noori - Celestial Court (the untainted Innocent, destroyed by chaos)

Bit harder to stretch to the 7 Lightbringers, but hey, that was the old days, things were different back then.

Any takers?

Tom


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