Re: Connecting the dots between Anilla and Zaytenera

From: David Cake <dave_at_Qn9daWTT3mG54c7ZulqxFt3GgEQXQF6OpJDod30F-cgkUgcqfHbZDoFZNf-MjIdcRN9SXM4>
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:22:11 +0800

        While I appreciate that the Blue Streak Annilla isn't the former Blue Planet Lesilla etc, and that there is neither physical identity nor known family connection etc between the Lesilla and Annilla - the Annilla worshipping Uz seems to deserve more explanation.

        They are two separate physical bodies, with different mythic origins, etc. So, why do the trolls of the Blue Moon Plateau associate them?

        I find Peters explanation unsatisfying. Apparenlty, it means all the Uz Blue Moon Plateua Annilla cultists are apparently just mistaken idiots, who have never bothered to heroquest to find out if the basis of their religion is correct (and the Lunar Empire knows they are wrong and just doesn't bother to tell them)? Surely, with such a big mistake, any attempt to heroquest beyond the trivial would be fairly disastrous? And this for a cult that 1) is known to have access to a lot of unusual, hard to obtain information and 2) seems to have been surviving quite happily (if mostly in isolation) since the Dawn.

         Even though the fact that the two are associated with completely different celestial bodies isn't enough to tip them off? I'd prefer that Peters version is believed by many inside the Lunar empire (haha, stupid trolls! We don't need to afraid of the mysterious Blue moon assassins at all, just stupid trolls who don't even understand elementary astronomy!), but not, in fact, the whole truth. Of course there will be many people who believe untruths about the Blue Moon Uz, and the Uz will say nothing to correct them.

        I guess you could assume that the reason the Blue Moon trolls are so xenophobic is because their leadership knows their mythology is clearly nonsense and wants to prevent their lesser members from chatting to anyone from the giant empire nearby for fear they find out the truth :-) but in the long run it is much more fun to me if the various Blue Streak/Blue Moon/Bat God connections all have a solid mythic basis, and the Blue Moon Uz just know more than they are saying.

        Surely, instead there could be some mythic connection between the two different celestial blue bodies? Even if it was an invented/forged one (ie an adoption myth, or some other myth of claimed friendship between the two). Especially with such an odd, mysterious, deity, who is perfectly capable of reconciling contradictions (for example, her myth in troll gods has her giving birth to her own soulless body, then possessing it). For example, the trolls could understand the two are separate, but have a myth explaining the connection, such as the two meeting in the Underworld and Annilha teaching secrets that explain why Sedenya chose to become blue, or something like that. Or even teaching her secrets about how to climb out of the underworld that Sedenya used much later. Or who knows what - Annilla knows many mysterious things, for starters.

        I know in my Glorantha, if Lesilla and Annilla being distinct is verifiable by heroequesting (or just, you know, observation) then the Blue Moon Uz have a myth that not only acknowledges the two as being different, but also has a perfectly good explanation for why the two are connected. Of course, being the obsessively xenophobic, secretive, Blue Moon trolls no one may *ever* find out what this myth is - but merely knowing that it exists, and that they know what it is, has game consequences.

	Cheers
		David

           

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