Shadow Lunars

[Flyck]

I always figured that Luna, like her chosen and the magic metal preferred by them, is as mutable as she feels she should be at the moment.  Some chosen she doesn't pay much attention to.  Others, she lavishes and consorts with daily.  Luna's not necessarily a 'she' all the time, either.

 

[Solfi]

Heh... Neph's explanation as to why there aren't any canonical deathy Lunars was that it's because Lunars are supposed to be the champions of Life.

Hm. Okay. I can accept that.

They are changing things' date=' vivid and vibrant, violent and intoxicating, never alike and always new...[/quote']
... This on the other hand sounds like bullshit to me. How are they "never alike and always new"? Admittedly, they take many different shapes, and can learn new ones with relative ease, but as far as I can remember (please prove me wrong. I kind of like the idea), they don't really have powers that allow them to dream up new shapes on the fly, or at all for that matter. They *imitate* shit when it comes to actual shapechanging.

 

[Solfi]

Also. Every single one of her Lunars is tied to a specific Solar

cite?

 

[Flagg]

This is apparently information from the yet-to-be released 2E book, so I don't think any citations will be forthcoming until tomorrow at the earliest.

 

[Kremlin KOA]

...is that just a rabbit or the Killer of the Black Forest in disguise?

It's Bunnicula.

How about this; the moon reflects light...

In reality, yes. While I don't think it's explicitly mentioned in the books, I'd assume that the moon in Creation gives off her own light. Try to tell a Lunar otherwise to his face. I dare you

Exalted novel 4: Pillar of the Sun


Page 250 paragreph 3


Panther, using knowledge given to him through his exaltation, States that the light of the moon is a reflection of sunlight.


While, as a novel, this may not be bining precedent, it is certainly a strongly persuasive precedent


As such I present this Deposition and request that the court recognize the Status of the Unconquered Sun ad the provider of light to Luna

 

[Jukashi]

Logically speaking, since Creation is flat, the sun either dissappears from the sky or goes under Creation during the night. So how is it that Luna can be reflecting it?

 

[memesis]

God bless WW's editting. They make things so much easier for the players......

.... who apparently cannot make up their minds for themselves, but require handholding on every conceivable detail of the setting.  Please.

 

[Vanman]

I don't mind if they leave things up to the players. But when they contradict themselves, it does make things quite frustrating. And they do this often.

 

[Dracogryff]

Logically speaking, since Creation is flat, the sun either dissappears from the sky or goes under Creation during the night. So how is it that Luna can be reflecting it?

This is Exalted. Logic was slain right along with the laws of physics.

 

[Flagg]

I'm with Jukashi. Even if some contracted novelist says that Luna reflects the Sun's light, there is no obvious cosmological reason for this to be the case in Creation.

 

[Dracogryff]

Other than Luna (at least in 1E) was a God, not a Celestine. If they made the distinction, there has to be a difference somewhere. Not saying which is right or wrong, just saying that while it doesn't say that Luna shines on her own...it does says that it isn't, even if only in a novel. Creation has shown itself to have some very illogical rules at times. After all, Calibration is five days without either the sun or the moon in the sky...if days can pass without the sun showing up, what else is possible? *shrugs* In the end, I suppose it comes down to preference. The fact that the laws of our universe are a loose guideline at best to how Creation works in the first place means that pretty much anything is possible there.

 

[Flagg]

Well, look at it this way: Since the moon has no physical reason to reflect the light of the sun, we might expect it to have a thematic reason to do so.


What would that reason be? In what other circumstance does Luna (specifically) "reflect" the nature of the Unconquered Sun?


The two are not lovers, nor are they even companions. In fact, Luna seems to have a LOT more to do with Gaia (both in actuality and in theme) than she does with the US.


So, if there's a reason she reflects the sun's light, what is it?

 

[Dracogryff]

Because the US is a dick who had to control everything? Considering he insisted Luna tie her toys to his toys, I could easily see him insisting that s/he reflect his light, too. *shrugs* There likely could be other explanations, but my head isn't screwed on quite right these past few days...the flowers brought to my work for easter have murdered my sinuses and they're now taking it out on my head. >.<


In either case, as I said, in the end, it comes down to taste. I was merely saying that if Luna is supposed to be less powerful...not giving off her own light could be an explanation. *shrugs* Who knows....by reflecting his light, s/he might be inderectly stealing some of his power. Can't you see her tricking him into letting her do it, too?


'Hey, big guy, you know, working twenty-four seven to light up creation must be an awfult lot of work...it must be terrible only having five days off a year...I'd love to help you out some...hey, why don't I take half of it and reflect your light down on creation so you can have some time off to enjoy yourself...it really isn't fair that the greatest god in all of creation doesn't get to go out and do anything, don't you think?'


All in how you look at it, I guess. She could give off her own light, sure, but she also couldn't, if you wanted it that way.

 

[Flagg]

Here's my take: The guy they found to write that novel inserted a tidbit of modern scientific knowledge of our cosmos into his story. He didn't put much thought into the whos, whys, and hows. The editor didn't care, and it went to print. Now it's quasi-canon.


One of the reasons I like Exalted is that it takes a very "mythological" view of reality. The idea that the moon reflects the light of the sun is a very modern astronomical one. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[Dracogryff]

*shrugs* Could be. I still find the idea of Luna swindling the US out of some worship by offering to help him with his burden by reflecting his light funny. But that's me.

 

[Solfi]

My sentiments in this matter have been aptly presented by Flagg. Thus; Luna shines with her own brand of brilliance.

 

[Dracogryff]

*shrugs* As I've said, to each their own, as I've said...although...what does a sneaky shapeshifting trickster god have to do with light? *shrugs* Either way, it's still cool. I like Luna. She can shine with her own light or reflect the US's because she swindled him into believing that this was a good thing for him. Personally, I think I'll stick with the latter, as it is sooo Luna to do something like that, but others certainly don't have to agree. I like having the trickster god being tricky.

 

[Flagg]

And I like Exalted being light on modern scientific knowledge, unless there's a compelling reason.


To each his own, I suppose.

 

[Jukashi]

It should be remembered that both the US and Luna's place in the sky is likely in imitation of the place Ligier had before the First Age.


Though if Luna did reflect sunlight, that would have made for a wierd look for her before the primordial war, since she'd be reflecting two things.

 

[Dracogryff]

In what way is Luna tricking the US into letting her reflect some of his light to get more worship (and thus higher status as a god) relate to anything modern?

 

[Jukashi]

Because it's based off modern beliefs rather than more mythological ones, I suppose.


Another reason against the whole reflecting thing in general is that it detracts from Luna's shapeshifting aspect. If she reflects, she's not changing shape; she's just reflecting from different angles. If she shines with her own light, then she's actually shifting around.


So, if she's reflecting, it messes up her connection to her Exalted.

 

[Flagg]

It should be remembered that both the US and Luna's place in the sky is likely in imitation of the place Ligier had before the First Age.

Does is say anywhere that Ligier was the sun of Creation before the Primordial War?


I always assumed the Exalted ganked Malfeas' previous fetich, so he made Ligier to replace it, in a mockery of the US.

 

[Jukashi]

I suppose that could be true. I just assumed that if Ligier had been around, he would have been up in the sky like he is now in Malfeas.

 

[Flagg]

The reason why I assumed Malfeas' original fetich was killed is because that's generally the way you go about changing the nature of a Primordial.


Malfeas didn't start out as an inside-out hell-prison.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

There's a reason his title was once "King of the Primordials."