who's running the empire?

[joshua neff]

Just like Christopher, I've been doing a lot of boy-oh-boy-I-can't-wait-for-HeroQuest-to-come-out reading up on the world of Glorantha. This morning, I came across this bit in the Kralorela chapter in Glorantha: Introduction to the Hero Wars:

To cause the Kralori woe and suffering, Sheng Seleris loosed devils into the land. Despite his death, these devils have not yet been banished. The most common devils are the Moon People that pollute Shiyang province. The Red Gardener of Kuchawn is their leader and claims to have been Emperor of All Under the Moon until Sheng Seleris enslaved him and brought him here. Imposters now squat upon his throne. When asked if he ever wants to go back, he shakes his head while gazing mournfully at the moon and blinking back the tears.

Now, we know that Sheng Seleris made a major incursion into the Lunar Empire, and according to Lunar history, the Emperor eventually defeated Sheng Seleris & drove him out of Peloria.

But--"Moon People" seems to imply Lunars, "Red Gardener" & "Emperor of All Under the Moon" seem to really imply the Moonson. Which all seems to imply that the decadent chap sitting on the Lunar throne isn't really the reincarnation of Takenegi but an imposter, & the real reincarnation of Takenegi is living in exile in Kralorela.

Woah.

[Nick Brooke]

"Moon People" seems to imply Lunars, "Red Gardener" & "Emperor of All Under the Moon" seem to really imply the Moonson. Which all seems to imply that the decadent chap sitting on the Lunar throne isn't really the reincarnation of Takenegi but an imposter, & the real reincarnation of Takenegi is living in exile in Kralorela.

Woah.

Heh. There's slightly more about this (inc. links to the Glorantha Digest posts where Peter Metcalfe (co-author of the Glorantha book) first promulgated the idea) at Lokarnos, the index to Gloranthan web material.

I agree that this is one of the really cool things in Glorantha. And everyone knows that Moonson today isn't exactly the same man he was before the defeat of Sheng Seleris; the best "official" summary is this article from Issaries' Q&A Service, written by Martin Laurie (co-author of the Imperial Lunar Handbook):

One must consider the change in the way the Emperor ruled after the wars with Sheng Seleris and the Emperors' return in the Mask of Magnificus. Before the death of Takenegi the Emperor was centered upon his Yelmic souls, as befits one who rules in the way of a Dara Happa. Yet this path was not fulfilling. It did not teach the way of the Goddess, the way of growth and change. Instead it brought stultifying conformity and Yelmic strictness. Therefore, in normal Dara Happan fashion, the emperor's Other was summoned to end his rule. Sheng Seleris was Takenegi's ritual Other, but Takenegi was not a normal emperor. Sheng Seleris inflicted the change which the Goddess and her Son needed to Turn the Empire upon its road to Zaytenera. Through the service of his Shadow, Takenegi became something new. No longer did his same body return from death, but instead his spirit occupied new Masks as the life of each ended. Thus the rigid unchanging Solar Way was modified from within to become the changable Lunar Way. After this change, another became apparent to those who studied the Emperor at court and in his actions. His Masks to varying degrees and in varying ways became more visceral, more bodily focussed...

So there's plenty of room for conspiracy theories there. If you love this kind of thing (and I do!), check out this Lokarnos article about the Masks of Moonson and an article on my website, http://www.etyries.com, about Who Rules the Lunar Empire?

Cheers, Nick

[simon_hibbs]

Now, we know that Sheng Seleris made a major incursion into the Lunar Empire, and according to Lunar history, the Emperor eventually defeated Sheng Seleris & drove him out of Peloria.

Although Sheng stole "a portion of the Emperor's worship and sovereignty" in a wrestling match. Perhaps it's this portion of the emperor's soul that is currently incarnated in the 'Red Gardner'.

But--"Moon People" seems to imply Lunars, "Red Gardener" & "Emperor of All Under the Moon" seem to really imply the Moonson. Which all seems to imply that the decadent chap sitting on the Lunar throne isn't really the reincarnation of Takenegi but an imposter, & the real reincarnation of Takenegi is living in exile in Kralorela.

I'm sure many Kralorelans would agree with you.


Simon Hibbs

[MarkAdri]

Doesn't it just sound too cool not to include in a campaign.