Re: Re: Death of Orlanth

From: Andrew Solovay <asolovay_at_...>
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 17:25:18 -0700

L.Castellucci" <lightcastle_at_...>:

>

> Where they aiming at both? (It seems unlikely given how they have been
> able to
> suppress Orlanth in Tarsh without knocking Ernalda out.) Did they think
> they
> were getting the Greater Darkness? (and honestly, Orlanth isn't dead for
> that
> whole period, is he?)

I think the "Greater Darkness" is defined differently in different cultures.

In RQ2 sources (like the intro to "Cults of Terror"), it's simple: "Lesser Darkness" begins when Orlanth kills Yelm; "Greater Darkness" begins when the Spike is destroyed.

But I think in more recent sources, it varies according to the mythic cycle. Perhaps the Dara Hapans define it that way. But I think to Orlanthi, the "Greater Darkness" doesn't begin until Ernalda and/or Orlanth dies. (Not sure how they define the beginning of the Lesser Darkness. It might be with the creation of the Devil, or with the exile of Orlanth. I doubt it's the death of the Evil Emperor, which marked the beginning of the Storm Age, AKA "Happy Times".)

And yeah, I like the idea that the Lunars were trying to do something other than kill Orlanth, like enslave/imprison/convert him. After all, almost every god has *already* returned from death. Kill him, and you just let him reenact that journey. (Unless you're seriously Chaotic, naturally.) If you dismember a god (like happened with Nysalor & Genert & Belintar &...), that can have lasting effects--but if you kill him, you can't be sure how long it'll last.