> Is Defiancy a form of transcendence? In the same
> sense that Orlanth, the holder of the Storm Rune, is
> transcendent? In some other sense? Not at all?
I guess it's similar, but Orlanth as holder of the Storm Rune is probably beyond such distinctions, so I'm not sure about this question.
Defiancy is IMO more about not obeying the system than about being a form of transcendence per se, which is why I partially agree with Peter, that most Defiant entities are associated with Disorder (because it is a particular feature of Disorder to disobey the system : Eurmal let go of his strand of the cosmic web frexample).
However, an inability to obey the system is not the only possible reason for not doing so, although such variant reasons are quite unlikely. Storm Bull for example MUST disobey the system as his only chance of defeating the Devil, and the system supports this. He is also supported by a huge chunk of the Unified cosmic mountain, the Block, which is itself a Defiant object, certainly not a chunk of Disorder, even though Disorder is also part of it's make-up (but not the essential part).
I'd guess that all Truestone also exists outside the system.
Or to take the case of Great Orlanth, as the Holder of the Storm Rune, well he might be "defiant" himself BUT he certainly doesn't lend any defiant qualities to his worshippers. In other words, he _obeys_ the cosmic system that was established by the Great Compromise (or whenever).
Sure, you can use Misapplied Worship to, say, venerate him. But he wants you to obey the system, and sacrifice to him instead.
Uleria is defiant not only because she is a remnant of the old cosmic unity, but also because her Net is purportedly an embodiment of Arachne Solara's Web, so she explicitely exists in all the otherworlds (and everywhere else) and she likes it that way.
IMO the truly transcendent entities that exist in the Ultimate reality of Glorantha are not defiant as such, because they simply don't have any relation at all with the system, so I guess that my personal answer to your question, but not necessarily "the" Truth (tm), would be that no, Defiance isn't a form of transcendence as such, although Defiant entities are likely to have unusual insights into the nature of transcendence.
Julian Lord
PS Was Arkat a Defiant entity ?
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