Sanguis Astroism

[Vellos]

I think I know where Vellos is going on this, but he is a very surprising man, and hard to read.

Hireshmont is going in a very simple direction, and it's always the same one: exactly the direction he tells you he's going. He's been very clear that he wants a peaceful resolution, Niselur back in the church, and no war. He'll do what he needs to to accomplish those goals.

The reason Hireshmont is hard to read for you is because you're reading way to much into him.

[Indirik]

Maybe the massive infiltrator waves...

I don't think there are enough active infils on Dwilight to make what could be called a light ripple, let alone a massive wave...

[dustole]

Why would I waste political capital on infill attacks in Luria?  There ate better targets in thenorth.

[Perth]

Why would I waste political capital on infill attacks in Luria?  There ate better targets in thenorth.

Why would you waste political capital trying to wiggle out of the peace treaty with Phantaria that ended a war that already a huge point of conflict/contention within your Church? When the treaty was agreed to, in public, not even two weeks prior to your objections over it?

[Vellos]

Why would you waste political capital trying to wiggle out of the peace treaty with Phantaria that ended a war that already a huge point of conflict/contention within your Church? When the treaty was agreed to, in public, not even two weeks prior to your objections over it?

That's not a waste: that's a use!

[Solari]

There are two (well, probably like ten) games being played right now in SA. Those in the secular gallery trying to wield the levers of power to gain an upper hand, and those in the spiritual gallery sawing off the levers forever. A lot of people like SA as a purely religious force. They joined because religion in BM can offer something apart from the usual political chicanery. It can help one really develop a character. I'm willing to bet, given the stagnation caused by the secular gallery's regular (ab)use of the levers, that those same people will hand the "victory" to the spiritual gallery.

[dustole]

;DI know;D
Believe me, there are perfectly believable reasons, and your two posts to SA just increased the believability

What posts? You realize Vellos and I play different characters and that they don't like each other?

[Vellos]

What posts? You realize Vellos and I play different characters and that they don't like each other?

i.e. may actively be involved in chicaneries to undermine one another....

[Chenier]

What posts? You realize Vellos and I play different characters and that they don't like each other?

I have no idea how anyone could conclude that Jonsu and Hireshmont II have any affinity for each other...

[Vellos]

There are two (well, probably like ten) games being played right now in SA. Those in the secular gallery trying to wield the levers of power to gain an upper hand, and those in the spiritual gallery sawing off the levers forever. A lot of people like SA as a purely religious force. They joined because religion in BM can offer something apart from the usual political chicanery. It can help one really develop a character. I'm willing to bet, given the stagnation caused by the secular gallery's regular (ab)use of the levers, that those same people will hand the "victory" to the spiritual gallery.

This is true-ish.

But I think you underestimate the spiritual revisionism of many of the less conservative elements.

And, IMHO, SA is only really able to have spiritual flavor and vibrancy because of its temporal power. Hard to enforce orthodoxy without swords.

[Meneldur]

There are two (well, probably like ten) games being played right now in SA. Those in the secular gallery trying to wield the levers of power to gain an upper hand, and those in the spiritual gallery sawing off the levers forever. A lot of people like SA as a purely religious force. They joined because religion in BM can offer something apart from the usual political chicanery. It can help one really develop a character. I'm willing to bet, given the stagnation caused by the secular gallery's regular (ab)use of the levers, that those same people will hand the "victory" to the spiritual gallery.

The fact that SA has political power is in my opinion one of the things that make it different from other standard BM religions. Very, very few players are willing to sit through and write scores of theological disputes if there is no way for either party to "win" by enforcing itself upon the other; this is why most BM religions are dead boring and become little more than background flavor in a secular world. And yes non-political religions can of course make for good character development, but these characters will then typically act out most of their story within their realm (because there are only many long rp letters one can post before one needs to actually do something significant) leaving the religion a silent shell.

Also I'm not sure I agree with your characterisation of "spiritual" and "secularist" factions in SA. While I agree that  many secularists on both sides of the recent conflicts are trying to pull the levers of SA to gain political power, I don't think any of those arguing that the Church should have no political power are anything more than secularists themselves- they don't want a more "spiritual" SA, they want one that keeps quiet and damned well out of their business. Most of the characters that have actually contributed to the "spiritual" side of SA in the past seem more in support of a political Church than against it, likely as Vellos said so that they can actually enforce orthodoxy rather than their see their various beliefs become essentially meaningless.

[Penchant]

I have no idea how anyone could conclude that Jonsu and Hireshmont II have any affinity for each other...

*Coughs* Wrong player. dustole is Kabrinski, while Stabbity is Himoura. Both families with very notable players (dustole likely has the more powerful single character while Stabbity is the more influential family between the two).

[Chenier]

*Coughs* Wrong player. dustole is Kabrinski, while Stabbity is Himoura. Both players with very notable players (dustole likely has the more powerful single character while Stabbity is the more influential family between the two).

Oh right.

Jonsu and Alaster are just opposing faces of the same coin, though.

[cenrae]

War,

To be, or not to be?

I'm getting the feeling that the Farronites are like that scene in Reign of Fire when the Americans show up at the castle door with tanks and what's his name says to Christian Bale "we can do this easy, or real easy".

[Vellos]

War,

To be, or not to be?

I'm getting the feeling that the Farronites are like that scene in Reign of Fire when the Americans show up at the castle door with tanks and what's his name says to Christian Bale "we can do this easy, or real easy".

lol, yeah, no war. Not gonna happen.