Hero Wars
Issaries, Inc. |
Why do I hate the lunars?By Dag Stålhandske1. They are here.The most interesting story about the American civil waris about a wounded and captured confederate soldier. The unionist soldiers are a bit curious about the other side of the story so they ask him if he owns slaves. And he says that he certainly doesn't, he was actually silently opposed to slavery. So the unionists ask him if he wanted his state to leave the union. No, says the prisoner, I opposed the cesession. The union soldiers are confused and asks him why the hell he is fighting. He is volunteer after all. The prisoner says: "Because you are here."The morale of this story is that in times of conflict patriotism comes naturally. It does not matter what the reason of a conflict is. When foreign troops invades your country, you do what you can to oppose and expel them. "We-are-here-to-liberate-you"-rethoric rarely works at all if the invaded people do not feel particularly oppressed to begin with. Even if the invaded people does feel oppressed it will not work for very long. People prefer to be oppressed by their countrymen. 2. They want to change our way of life.By modern standards, the Orlanthi are very traditional. Still, Sartarites can and do change their ways from time to time. However, it is important that they feel that it is they, the Sartarites themselves, who create the changes. Having change forced upon them from the outside will meet with determined opposition.3. They have tried to outlaw OrlanthReligion is very important to the average Orlanthi. Furthermore, Orlanth and Ernalda are the gods that define Orlanthi. To the Orlanthi this prohibition is obviously an attempt to change them into something else, to geld them magically and to rob them of their identity.Fortunately for all involved, this prohibition is not very diligently enforced. Lunar garrison commanders, like most people are concerned with: 1 staying alive, 2 stay out of trouble with their superiors, in that order. Will they gain anything from strictly enforcing this law? No. Will they risk anything? Yes, it will make the natives more hostile and the garrisons life more dangerous. You also risk the wrath of a locally very strong god. So the typical commander goes through the motions of enforcing the prohibition. As long as Orlanth-worship is sufficiently hidden not to be noticed by, for instance, a surprise visit from the garrison commanders superior, he will not notice anything. Therefore this is a comparatively minor reason to hate the lunars. 4. They killed my uncle.Conquest in 1602 was mercifully swift, but suppression of the rebellion 1613 cost a lot more in human life. Many of these were not slain in combat but executed, sometimes in a ritualistic fashion and often denied a decent burial. Therefore a great many people have a personal reason to hate the lunars. Orlanthi society puts much emphasis on the duty to seek vengeance for the blood of dead relatives.5. I wanna hate someone and the lunars are good for thisIt is a sad thing, but hate comes naturally to man, especially unhappy men. To hate some group of people who are different and blame everything that is bad on them seems to be a common human reaction to hardship. It gives purpose to existence, turns hatred and aggression into virtue ("it is good to hate evil") and gives a simple, satisfying explanation to complex situation. This mechanism is currently working against the lunars.6. They use chaos.Chaos is a great mythical foe of Orlanthi. It is the closest thing to metaphysical evil in Glorantha, at least from an Orlanthi perspective. Therefore the lunar tolerance of Chaos and even use of Chaos in war is an atrocity in Orlanthi eyes.7. They tax us illegallyThe lunars have given even the most materialistic Sartarites reason to hate them by demanding taxes, taxes that the Sartarites feel is outrageous. The lunars hope that their occupation will also bring advantages that will cause the rational Sartarites to realise that taxes are an acceptable cost to achieve such advantages as internal peace, more trade, better roads and public works and access to new goods. That is wishful thinking. Rational minds are in short supply in an occupied country. The tax payers see the taxes they are forced to pay and see the occupational forces, the advantages are slow to come, difficult to see and even harder to connect with the lunars. Especially if you have reason to hate them already.8. My god has told me to do soGod-talkers feel their gods and traditions threatened by lunar missionaries and are almost invariably anti-lunar. Therefore many Orlanthi feels that their gods want them to fight the lunars.9. They eat babiesIn wartime a great many stories about the enemies cruelty circulates. During WWI in Europe such stories were called gruel-stories if I remember correctly. Despite being cruel to the point of absurdity and physically impossible, such stories were widely believe by people who should have known better. In Sartar similar stories circulate. Sometimes they have basis in fact, there have been plenty of incidents of lunar atrocity. Most often, however, they are complete fictional. Still, they have resulted in many Sartarites honestly believe lunars to be immensely cruel.10. I don't want to be a Benedict Arnold.(Europeans, Benedict Arnold was a traitor in the American war of independence. To call someone a Benedict Arnold is the American equivalent of calling someone a quisling. Americans, Vidkun Quisling led the nazi government of occupied Norway. His name became synonymous with "traitor".)Given the general hatred for lunars, there is a great deal of social pressure not to collaborate with the lunars. He who is friendly to a lunar while other Sartarites are present risk social ostracism and suspicion of treasonous sympathies. He who is actually suspected of collaboration or treason put his life, and those of his family's at risk. Therefore, even someone who is completely indifferent to the occupation will often go through the movements of resenting the lunars, simply out of fear and social pressure. |
