Donald made good points about pmaclanderson and my posts, but I think that there's still some juice in the (preventing) famine idea.
If it was the former body of the Pharaoh that was used as a sacrifice in previous ceremonies (and I don't know that it was - Holy Country rituals are hardly my bailiwick), then it seemed like fun to assume that the Moonson might be the one demanded in lieu while the Pharaoh is, ahhh, away.
Perhaps the Esrolian matriarchy wouldn't dare demand the Moonson (they probably wouldn't), but maybe they would. Claiming that this would be their price for acquiescence would make an interesting bargaining tactic, anyway. Perhaps not as a regular occurrence, but needed to bind the new marriage. No substitutes will suffice.
Adding a paranoid bunch of Lunars working at cross-purposes to the official policy of 'conquer, and marry Moonson to the land goddess' was mostly a potential ploy for the GM to complicate life for the players. Giving reasons to help some Lunars when you're generally against them is usually a fun headtrip for the GM to pull.
I agree that all Donald's potential solutions might well work, but letting the players try to sort things out should be fun. How far do the PCs want to go to help or hinder the Lunar influence? For instance, are there any corn blights or pests that would severely hamper Hon-eel? Could the players find some and import them? Even if a proxy's OK, should Moonson have to perform the proxy ritual in the Holy Country? Just trying to be constructively obstructive, in an MGF way.
Alison
> >pmaclanderson wrote:
"And there should be famine in Esrolia in 1617 or
1618, now that the Husband-Protector's blood is not
watering the land."
Alison [Use Moonson as a HP sacrifice.]
> Not a problem, he creates a proxy for that purpose.
The Lunars can also send Hon-Eel priestesses down to
introduce maize. Similar blood sacrifices needed but
it doesn't have to be anyone important.
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