trolls & chaos

From: Stephen Tempest <gd_at_stempest.demon.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2003 18:35:26 +0100

Speaking personally, IMO, YGMV and all that, but I've always rather liked the idea that Chaos is the one enemy that everybody has in common, the one foe that can unite even deadly enemies against it. Saying that only Heortling humans really care about it, and to other cultures Chaos is just another bunch of funny-looking foreigners, seems to cheapen the whole thing.

Of course, that's not to say that different cultures will not have radically different ideas about where Chaos comes from - who was responsible for causing it ("our enemies...") and who did most to defeat it ("we did..."). People will often lump in their own racial enemies with Chaos, and in the finest traditions of Gloranthan subjectivity the Uz will be able to "prove" that Yelm is allied to Chaos, just as the Dara Happans could "prove" that trolls are actually Chaos monsters. It also doesn't mean that people couldn't turn a blind eye to Chaos occasionally, or believe that while evil, there are more _pressing_ evil forces which need to be dealt with first. But beyond all the subjectivity, the simple fact is that Chaos is the one force that could destroy the entire world, Light and Dark alike.

Donald says:

>I think the only reason trolls might distinguish chaos from anything
>else is if they can't safely eat it.=20

No - I'd say trolls would distinguish Chaos because IT could eat THEM. Permanently. And possibly from the inside outwards.

Stephen

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