> > > Part of the Lunars problem is the worship of Orlanth comes in many
> > > forms
> > > for all the different subcults. Would the prohibition even extend
> to
> > > cover Vinga ? From the outside Vinga and Orlanth could be seen as
> very
> > > different gods.
> >
> > I'd be willing to buy into that. Especially for Vinga. Remember,
> > there's very little cult or caste mobility amongst the Dara
> Happans. So
> > the thought of the loyal Orlanthi carls and cottars hiding in the
> > worship of Barntar and other 'really, its not Orlanth' cults is
> > probablly quite foreign -- or at least, 'well, they're not
> worshipping
> > Orlanth'
>
> Heck, don't forget to throw in the language and cultural barrier.
>
> Lunar lieutenant, proud of his six weeks of language training in
> Tarsh: "Who you with dance honour?"
> Local yokel covered in gaudy paints: "Finnovan."
> Lieutenant: "Finnagan? What he god of?"
> Local yokel: "He'll help us find cattle."
> Lieutenant, to men: "OK, saddle up, yet another of these stupid cow
> gods, we'll leave the buggers to dance in the cow patties."
>
> For real world examples, look at how effective the Americans were in
> figuring out who the VietCong suppoerters were in Vietnam, or for
> that matter how much luck the british had in getting rid of the
> revolutionaries in their American colonies. (the latter particularly
> relevant when thinking of the Tarshite army in Sartar).
(snip interesting details)
I'm no expert in american history, but I think that the rots of the colonies
independence
were in the seven years war: the english used them against the french and in
doing so
trained them to fight and taught them their valour.
In the same way, Tarshites, armed to fight Sartarites, learn how to free
themselves from the Empire.
In my campaign I've applied the same mechanism in Prax: the Lunars try to
collect tribes and mercenary bands
to be used against the Heortlings, but in the same time they plant the seeds
of their own defeat.
By being used, warriors and chieftains learn the weak spots of their masters
from the inside.
But I suspect the Lunars had no choice: too few "heartland boys" were
willing to be used as
bow-fodder in a small and unglorious campaign. They needed local help.
The Provincial propaganda "Orlanth is our Big Foe" did not harvest much
success, probably, in the
enriched core of the empire.
Ciao
Gian
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