On Monday 01 October 2007 6:32 pm, Jeff wrote:
>
> I suspect that Tacitus and his operation were very Yelm-centric in
> their outlook. The Dara Happan experience with Storm Age and Greater
> Darkness was considerably different from that of the Orlanthi.
>
> Of course, it may be that he intended for Orlanth to make apeasement
> in the Halls of the Dead and offer Yelm fealty.
I think that's a very good point. Someone else mentioned the "Orlanth comes to swear Fealty to the Emperor" view of the LBQ that the Dara Happans (and presumably many of the Pelorians) have as well.
There could be some other version as well. There could be a NON-Orlanth myth being used here - either Rebellus Terminus (although he is already pretty strongly identified) or *someone else* from one of the many myths. We often discuss the Orlanthi using the tactic of identifying someone with a mythical target.
Given Tacitus' willingness to cut corners, he could easily have gone for this, and simply not mapped out the consequences. In fact, I like this idea a lot.
> As to Ernalda and Orlanth being different in Tarsh, you have to
> remember that the myths there have been thoroughly corrupted/altered
> by the Lunars over the past few centuries and that the Tarshite
> experience and mythology is different from that of the ultra-
> conservative Heortlings of Sartar.
Well, first off, I would argue against corrupted. I happen to not like the view where there are "true original myths" and every change is "wrong". Of course, I think it is canon that the lunars have been lying/wrong about the She Who Waits thing and so corrupted might apply here.
As pointed out elsewhere, though, there are lots of "Orlanth is away, Ernalda marries someone else as husband-protector" myths to work with.
Also, I happen to think the Sartari Orlanthi myths, while agreeing in broad brush with the other Orlanthi traditions, are not identical, so there may have been other reasons Tarsh was easier to do this way. (Also all the other Orlanthi peoples already in the empire.)
> I believe that Orlanth in Tarsh is
> suppressed and supplanted, but not destroyed.
I agree. And if it is true that for all Orlanthi everywhere "Orlanth and Ernalda are inseperable" then the very fact of not actively moving against Ernalda keeps Orlanth worshipped (albeit indirectly)
> Tatius wanted a fast
> and dirty solution to the Orlanth Question rather than spending a few
> centuries (and when would another Hon-Eel appear to do _his_ bidding)
> and doing it right. He was a brilliant man but shortsighted and
> blinkered by his own cultural limitations.
*nod*
I like having more than one explanation for what happened. One - they did the Greater Darkness and expected it to take Ernalda out as well. Two - they did the Greater Darkness and didn't expect the Ernalda effect. Ditto both of those with the idea of Fimbulwinter. One view is the Lunars intended to devastate the magic and ability to survive of the Sartari. They figured Lunar magic would hold loyal clans through the next few years while they finished the Temple of the Reaching Moon, at which point the Glowline effect would restore good weather.
Another is that they were aiming to stomp out Orlanth's magic, and the Ernalda loss and/or the Fimbulwinter were unanticipated blowback. Was that because they went for a Greater Darkness myth but didn't realize the effect? Was it because they linked the Whitewall fall to a Pelorian myth and then the Orlanthi twisted it to a Greater Darkness myth in order to have a known path to undo it? (Which might imply that it was the *defenders at Whitewall* who put Ernalda to sleep, to make sure the right myth was happening.) That also means it is possible Broyan and co caused the Fimbulwinter. (And in all cases where it got turned to the Greater Darkness myth, they were lucky that more of the LBQ gods didn't lose their magic or other gods known to be slain during the period.)
I am perfectly happy with a situation in which we don't have a canonical answer here for what was aimed for, as long as we have multiple possibilities that make sense and offer fun play possibilities.
LC
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