Sanguis Astroism

[JeVondair]

I have. Are you about to draw parallels between SA and the Church of God Awaiting?

I am. Not the tyranny part or the bloodthirsty belligerence, but the dominance of the northern realms by an ingrained religious authority is too much for me to ignore.

That, and I'm still waiting on the next book and am using this opportunity to vent  :P

[cenrae]

Well its starting to seem that Khari and the Farronites could gain much by staying neutral....

Only time will tell what we decide!

[Frostwood]

Yes!

Niselur and the Farronites need to find an Anti-Pope(Prophet) to champion! That would be great.

I'd prefer not to bring out the anti-pope unless really necessary.  It would irritate the person in question.

[Glaumring the Fox]

All these arguments in favour of preserving Astroism in its current form never take into account what would rise in its vacuum. After all great empires die the void is filled with war and dark ages vying kingdoms and chaos. And then once that has settled another faith or empire or group will perculate to the top, grow complacent, fat and lazy and then be torn apart. The inevitable decline of the alliances will either come with war drums or fade away with silly panflutes and bells, the thing to realize is when and how you die and whether it was kicking with a swird in hand covered in blood on a battlefield or in your bed as a weak old man.

[Wolfang]

Come on you silly northerners, your swords have remained in their sheathes for so long it seems you have forgotten how to put them to use, it's time you used less words and more actions. This is a unique opportunity to make a great change no matter the outcome, quibling and sending long letters back and forth is something which seems to have bored most of the northern nobility to death already.

[Fleugs]

All these arguments in favour of preserving Astroism in its current form never take into account what would rise in its vacuum. After all great empires die the void is filled with war and dark ages vying kingdoms and chaos. And then once that has settled another faith or empire or group will perculate to the top, grow complacent, fat and lazy and then be torn apart. The inevitable decline of the alliances will either come with war drums or fade away with silly panflutes and bells, the thing to realize is when and how you die and whether it was kicking with a swird in hand covered in blood on a battlefield or in your bed as a weak old man.

Yes, and that is brilliant. Everybody likes the war and dark ages part.  8)

[Vellos]

Not all Elders are like that, but the vast majority is. To understand the logic of those Elders we first need to realize their nature; they're mostly priests and politicians that don't benefit from intra-SA fighting, cause this diminishes their power and authority. Primarily authority. But on the other hand, they're eager to declare a crusade in those areas where SA's influence can spread and they're doing it to gain authority over larger mass of followers. For successful crusade means more people to do their bidding. It is a gutless politic of convenience that has no similarities with anything that can be considered spiritual. I find it highly amusing that this method backfired and that crusade in Terran has done more damage that what is worth.

It's not yet clear the crusade cost more than it was worth. Short-run, sure. The long run hasn't come yet.

But let's be clear: what you call "gutless" is simply pragmatism. We expect to lose a war: why would we start one?

Nobody except Asylon starts wars with a negative expected value. Plus Hireshmont has lost a major war before and didn't like how it felt. He's not willing to watch the same fate befall SA that happened to the Moot.

Niselur can attack if they want. But I don't know what Leopold expected. He's dancing with Hireshmont mostly, an incurable alliance-builder. When Leopold managed to out-ally Hireshmont, the jig was up for war, unless it's a war of raw Niselurian aggression and expansion.

[Vellos]

Oh also:

The "war hawks" are mostly the ecclesiastical authorities in SA. Most of the peaceniks in this case are more associated with non-ecclesiastical authority: Khari, Brance, Sergio-ish, Pierre-ish. Hireshmont is really the only "dove" who's purely ecclesiastical right now.

[Fleugs]

Can anyone summarize a few holy places of SA? Like the first temple, most important temple now, most important city, .... Just out of curiosity.  ::)

[Gustav Kuriga]

Can anyone summarize a few holy places of SA? Like the first temple, most important temple now, most important city, .... Just out of curiosity.  ::)

Darfix = closest to the stars
Caiyun = I believe this was where it started
Corsanctum = Holy Realm

[Fleugs]

Darfix = closest to the stars
Caiyun = I believe this was where it started
Corsanctum = Holy Realm

I presume you mean Caylin, in Morek, then?

Anyway, thanks. Now I can aim.

[Ironsides]

Don't forget Unterstrom (where Cryfdwr is buried) and Nifel (where he died).

[Gustav Kuriga]

I presume you mean Caylin, in Morek, then?

Anyway, thanks. Now I can aim.

Nope, I meant what I said, it's in Caiyun, just to the right of Cailyn.

[Glaumring the Fox]

Negative accepted value? The value is war that is the value, to fight to die to cut with sword, only you feathery outlanders need value , assurance and soft words to make war, for an Asylonian the greatest value in life is war! Whether we fight alone against everyone, or lose our entire lands these things meaning nothing to us. The only thing that means anything to Asylonian is pure war. You plan and talk and scheme just to hear the bellows of your own voice, Asylon uses the bellows to forge swords, to prepare to fight against the entire world! This is what is good and honourable and befitting of a noble. For an Asylonian to grow old is the saddest thing, better to die in battle.

[Fleugs]

Corsanctum looks easy enough to overrun.