book of the new sun questions

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes · 03 Apr 2007, 20:35 · from 2007-April.txt.gz

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From: danldo at gmail.com (Dan'l Danehy-Oakes)
Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2007 13:35:30 -0700
Subject: (urth) book of the new sun questions
In-Reply-To: <8476d0320704030611g468b4339u39839c57bc526a3b at mail.gmail.com>
References: <8476d0320704030611g468b4339u39839c57bc526a3b at mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <1f7617370704031335m2c67996k23595aba953c37d7 at mail.gmail.com>

Bruce,

I think the first thing to consider is that the Hierodules may have
more than one reason for interacting with humans. Bringing the
New Sun is their goal; but who says that it's their *only* goal?

On 4/3/07, Bruce Hayles <brucehayles at gmail.com> wrote:
> Urth will only receive a new sun if its epitome is found worthy. Is it
> necessary that the epitome of Urth is always an autarch (and a
> thousand man in a single body), or could Typhon (if he was willing)
> act as an epitome? Was the autarchy created by hierodules to produce a
> line of autarchs to be tried in Yesod, and also hold the Commonwealth
> stagnant while they were produced? (The last autarch has the
> conviction that humanity will return the stars as a divinity or not at
> all)
>
> The coming of the New Sun results in the destruction of most of the
> Urth, but brings new resources and the New Sun, and a fresh start for
> humanity. Is the idea behind this that the epitome (if judged worthy)
> is proof that human kind can produce something worthwhile, and so
> should get a chance at reconstruction? Why will Urth, now with its new
> sun, progress any differently than it did with the  old sun? Is it any
> more likely that humanity will go to the stars as a divinity now, as
> opposed to going to the stars and conquering worlds (like it did
> before)? Since all culture and technology was lost, and humanity is
> starting over again, I do not see how it is any more likely. Is it
> just another roll of the die then?
>
> If the hierodules are behind the autarchy, why do they still do things
> like support Baldanders expressly so he can grow fat with knowledge
> and die, dispersing his knowledge to others? How could Baldanders
> death possibly affect the line of autarchs? Additionally, since the
> last autarch's conviction is that the Commonwealth stagnant while the
> line of autarch's march on and face trial at Yesod, why would any
> effort be wasted on spreading knowledge? The idea behind the
> hierodules sharing knowledge is that it somehow improves those they
> share it with, or others indirectly. Ultimately, the hope is to
> produce from humanity something close to divinity. If the hierodules
> are still working for that with the old sun, what does that mean?
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-- 
Dan'l Danehy-Oakes, writer, trainer, bon vivant
-----
http://www.livejournal.com/users/sturgeonslawyer
http://www.danehyoakes.com
Soon, where Toon Town once stood will be a string of gas stations,
inexpensive motels, restaurants that serve rapidly prepared food. Tire
salons, automobile dealerships and wonderful, wonderful billboards
reaching as far as the eye can see. My God, it'll be beautiful.

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