Insect Wars: Dark Zone or Light Universe?
Thanks Cat, a few thoughts:
“Shooting black sheets from your body is a pretty impressive power.” But it may not have been an inherent shadow power, it may have been technological. Alternately, so what, anyone with a blackpak could do the same. Shooting bullets out of your navel might impress the locals, but you’re not going to be the new Pope.
“10,000 years from Brigadoom.. who says that is literal?” I’ve considered that. I more than suspect that they just threw in those big round numbers because it sounded impressive. But then, Paul’s partial to epic scale, so it may have been deliberate.
It may not have been well thought out, it may not have been literal. But it’s there,
and it’s clearly stated, and two references are made, one to 6000 and one to 10,000. After kicking it around, I decided I had no choice but to accept the numbers for their face value.
“Brunnen-G may have been killed by a Shadow possesed individual long before the forming of the Divine Order,” The Gigashadow, referring to the first individual he took over says “And I became the first Divine Shadow…”
“Thodin knew about the Brunnen-G presumably because some records still existed of the Insect Wars and the Brunnen-G’s part in them. The Brunnen-G would have spent some time interacting with humans in the light zone after the Wars, both before the migration and before the shield was erected.”
I’ll agree with that, Stan was well aware of the Insect Wars long after Kai’s death 2008 years before. I suspect that the Insect
Wars and Brunnen G were well known in legend.
It’s also reasonable to assume that the Brunnen G would have sent scouting parties all over the Light Universe looking for their new home, and followed with embassies, trading delegations, whatnot. So, in all likelihood, they’re fairly well known.
But here’s a mystery. Kai knew about the Prophecy because the Time Prophet told him.
HDS knew about the prophecy because he ate Kai and visited the Time Prophet. But Kai never got the chance to talk much to anyone
outside, so far as we know. I don’t think HDS was the kind of guy to let something like that slip out after a few beers, not if he took it seriously. And the HDS did take it seriously, after the Prophecy, they never left the Cluster.
So how does Thodin know about the Prophecy?
As far as I’m concerned, the Time Prophet must have blabbed after the fact. I can just see desperate generals going “How can we stop the Divine Order?” and getting the
whole song and dance. Must have been right depressing.
Here’s a true story. Back in 2000, Brian Downey came out to Keycon, a Convention in Winnipeg as a Guest of Honour. Anyway, there was a question and answer panel, so
I thought I’d throw in a geekboy question.
“Did Thodin and Stan have any history, because they seemed to know each other personally, rather than simply by reputation in IWHS”
Brian said without hesitation, “Thodin was the courier that Stan was deputy backup for. Stan’s giving out the codes almost wrecked Thodin’s career, guilt by association.”
Wow, cool or what? Then, in his next breath
he said “You realize, I just made that up.”
The truth of it is that we can’t be sure just how much of it they thought through, or what parts. Some of this stuff they’d had in mind as early as 1993. Some of it they just pulled out of their butts on the day of shooting. Some of it, heck, some of it, they just don’t have a clue, and if you ask, you get wild guesses or sudden inspiration.
So, I think we’ve taken this debate as far as it can go. Nothing left for you to do, Sgt. Draino, but go ahead and ask Lex G when he shows up in chat. Maybe he’s got the
answer and its all been worked out. Or maybe he’ll pull a monkey out of his butt and give you an answer that isn’t a fraction as carefully thought out as we’ve been doing. But it’ll be an answer.