Re: Illumination

From: David Cake <dave_at_...>
Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 10:28:43 +0800

>Valare is Sevened, but she's not illuminated, per se. She has more likely
>acquried the secret of her cult. She is a saint, after all, because she is
>the Queen of Chronoportation.
>

        Valare is quite explicitly Illuminated. She is one of the Blinded Ones, those damaged by their exposure to Illumination, which sounds exactly like what you are talking about.

        And she is definately not an 'alien' on the hero plane.

>Basically, Illumination is a BAD thing becasue people are not prepared for
>it.
>

        If its always a bad thing, then this is redefining the word to the point where it would be preferable to make up a new term. Sure, its always been the case that to some people it was a disaster, but if all those Illuminated Lunars aren't Illuminated anymore, this is a Naff Retcon of major proportions.

>Illumination is the *unexpected and unprepared* collision with the Mystic
>viewpoint that can drive you insane.
>
>So all those Lunar Saints aren't "illuminated", they are something-elsed,
>which gives them cool stuff and doesn't screw them in the other world (like
>learning a Secret).
>

        Something else thats a bit like what we used to call Illumination? Then why don't we call THAT Illumination, and invent a new word for this new condition? Or better yet, keep the existing terminology in which its all Illumination, and some people can be damaged by involuntary Illumination, and are known as the Blinded Ones.

        Illumination should be collision with the mystic viewpoint - which can be unexpected and unprepared or not. One of the major purposes of the Lunar religion is to prepare initiates for the touch of the mystic (though it still strikes somewhat without warning, like Illumination and unlike Secrets, as far as I can tell).

        And I think this 'mystics are always aliens in the otherworld' idea is a Bad Thing. Take Tibbettan Lamaism, for example, which has immensely detailed descriptions of the otherworld and teaches them to its devotees (thats what the Tibbettan Book of the Dead is). Let along play balance considerations - I won't even bother to describe these, as its become obvious that playability doesn't seem to be an argument that Greg gives much weight, to the general detriment of the game IMO.

>But basically, there will be more explanations later.
>

	An explanation of why, as well as what, would be good.
	Cheers
		David

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