Lanun history and culture

[Unirid]

Since thewyrm's Balseraph History and Culture thread came up with some interesting ideas on Balseraph society I decided to make one for the Lanun. So...

What do you imagine a Lanun city to be?

How does the “pirate king” ruler ship work?

How important is the Overlord religion?

Personally I imagine Lanun cities to be settlements that revolve around trading the goods the sailors bring in and satisfying said sailor’s needs. This means the cities must have a lot of taverns, prostitutes and various other cheap thrills your not going to get out on the seas. I also think that since there’s no official government the economy must be free from economic intervention and regulation. Due to the pirates that come and go into the cities I imagine they must be fairly lawless places. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Overlord followers simply kidnapped new dreamers of the streets and impressment by pirates is common place.

Then we have the pirate kings. I think that these kings followers are essentially giant gangs that claim territories both on sea and land. For example a king could claim a particular harbour as his, or a trade route that commonly has rich trader boats passing through. If anyone else attempts to use either they would pay the price.

Lastly I believe the Overlord religion to be common place in towns and settlements. Depending how important it is most likely relies on what type of kings “live” there and what the locals generally think.

Well those are my opinions, so feel free to give your own opinions and ask your own questions.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Most Lanun cities are ports where the pirates are free to dock. They are full of markets, brothels, taverns, etc. There is some government, but nothing too powerful. The water sphere has a very go with the flow philosophy, so there wouldn't be too much intervention. Recall the pedia saying that ship captains outrank the governors of their cities, but that implies that such governors do exist. I imagine that the landlubbers are considered lower class, but might still make enough money to support a more luxurious albeit boring life. Many pirates and most captains have several wives and families in different ports.

Their government is made up mostly of informal treaties between captains and port governors. There is honor among some thieves. Ship captains' reputations are based largely on how well they keep their word to their crews and allied ships. I imagine local governors don't allow overly cruel ship captains to dock, or at least charge them more so they can hire guards to keep an eye on them. Everyone trusts Falamar enough not to change him though.


It is implied that Falamar comes from an ancient royal line of pirate kings, and is loved and respected above all others. He is a charismatic and unusually fair ruler, seen as a first among equals by other Lanun captains. Hannah is a brutal tyrant who commands the largest fleet ever assembled, who is hated and feared by all.


The Overlords religion is fairly new, and although it has spread to most ports it is far from universally adopted. Falamar does not care for such superstitions. Hannah considers herself the messiah of this faith.

 

[Ekolite]

I tend to think of the Overlords as being more of a cult then an outright religion. It probably has relatively few members, with temples hidden away in basements or isolated cave systems. However, members probably include many sea captains (not Falamar), and lots of governors too. I always thought Hannah's main strength was on land (perhaps a lot of influence over the port towns), in her diplo she often mentions ''the kraken of fields'' which to me suggests that her interests might lie inland. It might refer to her desire to spread the Overlords cult, of which she is some sort of priestess (?), to other cities inland, therefore expanding her influence.

On the subject of religion, Lanun are probably a very superstitious bunch, but with little or no organised religion. Most people wouldn't ascociate with any particular religion.

 

[Unirid]

Thanks for the information MagisterCultuum, and cool concept on the Overlords Ekolite.

Anyway time for more questions. I want to know what Hannah’s past history was like since I’m interested

Hannah thinks she’s the prophet of the Overlords, why? Did she receive a “vision” of some sort? Is there any particular reason she’s so cruel or is that just a trait caused from the Overlord religion? And what was her childhood like generally?

Also what is Hannah’s personality actually like? I don’t think there’s any official stories with her in it (excluding her wiki entry) that shows her speaking or taking any sort of action. All we know is that she’s cruel and very scary.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Hannah is the daughter of an especially gifted dreamer and an especially unethical Cultist who used his authority to abuse her for his physical pleasure rather than treating her as the sacred seer she was. In Cinnia's 8th vision, she spoke in 3 different voices. One was enraged and threatened to level their city in a great wave if atonement was not made. A second spoke of a human terror to come, The Kraken of the Fields. The third screamed in pain and was cut short before it said enough to render it decipherable.

The wave was averted when they sacrificed Koun the Cultist on the beach. Cinnia died in childbirth, as did one of the twins she bore. The living child was deemed to dangerous to keep in the city, so she was given to a Lanun Pirate captain to raise. She jumped ship at age 15, and quickly led a mutiny on the next ship whose crew she joined. She is described as being as Temperamental and Powerful as the sea itself.




The Overlords themselves do not agree with each other on much (they mostly hate each other as much or more than anyone else), so their priests do not either. It is not one organized religion but a diverse group of cults. Some are far more evil than others.

 

[Aline]

I tend to see the OO as a twisted version of Hinduism, offering diverse deities, many of them however have just a few folowers and a very unique religious practice, some might acctualy worship a sea creature, others might blend in with a local cult.
However there is some unifying culture, that makes it one religion, they are all in some way or another focused on the sea and prophetic dreams.

 

[Rainbowsand]

I tend to see the OO as a twisted version of Hinduism, offering diverse deities, many of them however have just a few folowers and a very unique religious practice, some might acctualy worship a sea creature, others might blend in with a local cult.
However there is some unifying culture, that makes it one religion, they are all in some way or another focused on the sea and prophetic dreams.

Perhaps you got confused by the soundtrack?
I cannot see any connection between Lovecraft's Kthulhu and the hinduism, what details am i missing?

 

[Valkrionn]

Perhaps you got confused by the soundtrack?
I cannot see any connection between Lovecraft's Kthulhu and the hinduism, what details am i missing?

First off: OO is not Lovecraft's Kthulhu mythos word for word, and should not be taken as such. It is quite obviously paying homage to it, but is not the same thing.

Second... The simple fact that both religions are composed of a multitude of gods, so many that each person can pray to a personal god. I think that makes the "twisted version of Hinduism" a valid comparison.

 

[Aline]

I am not talking about any religious content merly about the organisation and the fact, that there is no absolute teaching in either of them.

 

[Rainbowsand]

I am not talking about any religious content merly about the organisation and the fact, that there is no absolute teaching in either of them.

I see. My misunderstanding.

Hannah is the daughter of an especially gifted dreamer and an especially unethical Cultist who used his authority to abuse her for his physical pleasure rather than treating her as the sacred seer she was.

Is this correct to use a term of "seer" towards her? As i do understand its meaning, "seer" usually refers to someone able to perceive distant places without moving his physical body, or discern the different paths future can take. The term for someone possessed by another will to use him as a speaker is "medium" or, well, "possessed"? Oh, yes, also an "oracle".

As for the pirates themselves, i'm offering this page for brief overview of them:
http://blindkat.hegewisch.net/pirates/pirates.html
For further studies you have to google it, stumbling upon widespread Disney crap. Alas, i do not know no good in english and too lazy looking for as no one likely shall care

 

[Avahz Darkwood]

Considering there is no longer a god of foresight, She may very well be a seer in that the Overlords let her see their limited and not so very objective view of the future. Is this based on lore? MC would be best to answer that...

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Well, yeah, Oracle probably would be a better term for a Dreamer. I liked the alliteration of sacred seer though.

 

[Rainbowsand]

Well, yeah, Oracle probably would be a better term for a Dreamer. I liked the alliteration of sacred seer though.

Alas, for sake of understanding, the meanings of words are set. I'd like to call her Kitty-Kat but

In advance i apologize for this sarcastic jab and many other that shall follow as i succumb to GIFT

And seeing those links under your posts i cannot hold myself from yet another offtop, in but a single world: Daemocracy

Considering there is no longer a god of foresight, She may very well be a seer in that the Overlords let her see their limited and not so very objective view of the future. Is this based on lore? MC would be best to answer that...

And i can call myself a seer because i see that monitor before me. Objectiveness of view is unnattainable because the perfect image of multiverse is only multiverse itself, and giant 'fantasy' squids are having different thought structure than humans. The best to answer here is Kael as it is he who had begun this quest, commanded by his order superiors or just after receiving some dreams. As giant squid mind is larger and more complicated than the human' their view is broader and "sacred" applied to a living being means "able to receive a blessing from the corresponding deity" where "blessing" is a god-specific empowerment/enchantment. "Learn definitions", as one lector on mathematical analysis likes to say...

 

[Rainbowsand]

Hannah is the daughter of an especially gifted dreamer and an especially unethical Cultist who used his authority to abuse her for his physical pleasure

AHAHAHAH I JUST GET IT AHAHAHAHA
Ahem...Well if dreamer maintains a constant mentalink with great kthulhus or they able to access [in this case] her memories (and those brightest are easiest to access) when this "unethical" cultist "surprise sexed" her... AHAHAHAH... erm, it had sensually (sensitively?) equalled to as if he had "surprise sexed" THEM!!!! No wonder these kthulhus got upset... Ahem... Apologies.

 

[Deon]

They are not Cthulhus (not Khulthus), and they are dreamed nightmares. "Octopus Overlords" sounds funny though, I prefer Old Ones by Ahwaric (c) .

 

[Bahmo]

The way I see it, there's two conflicting trends going on in Lanun culture. One is the more traditional trend, with little central authority or unity, but vast wealth thanks to a large amount of debauchery in the economy (ie, piracy, brothels), essentially represented by Falamar. The other, perhaps newer trend, is the one wrought by Hannah; that is, the forces of naval warfare previously used for a ship captain's own profit have been massed together and harnessed by Hannah in order to centralise the Lanun empire's government through force-of-arms. Though clearly Hannah doesn't mind the occasional independent captain so long as he (or she, as Hannah herself proves is possible) brings the state money, as evidenced by her favorite civic.

What the Lanun seem to remain perpetually independent from is the whole Heaven vs. Hell struggle that makes up the game's backstory. Their own gods don't seem to care; maybe their own gods are just acid trips.

 

[Ekolite]

The god of the Lanun ins Danalin, who generally tried to stay out of things and avoid conflict. This was even true of the Godswar iirc until he was finally dragged into it. Now of course Danalin is asleep and staying even more out of things. It's fitting for the Lanun to follow his example.

 

[Kranden]

Im pretty sure that OO is not a societal religion that everybody follows, it is a powerful cult that probably slowly took power in the nation, fear of what would happen to you if you were considered an enemy of OO probably keeps most people in line, I'm sure most of them have heard the stories of the drowned in whispers and do not wish to share that fate. Ironically the OO probably tends to keep the cultural aggression between different lanun cities to a minimum for fear of Hannah's wrath.

 

[esvath]

IIRC, Falamar was dragged into the scenarios by Danalin's Archangel (Condatis? sp?) who tries to fight Hastur's influence on her Lord. Thus, I presume that there is struggle between OO and the religion of "real" Danalin (and where did I read about Children of Condatis? FfH RPG?)

So, I think that while Lanun civilization is pretty much chaotic and un-organized, and a perfect place for OO to flourished, not every Lanun is a Cultist or even following OO. Most who followed OO did that because of the "freedom of expression" that the religion provide, via estatic dreams etc.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Yes, Condatis rescued Falamar from drowning when Keelyn had him thrown into the sea, and amthen charged him to save the world from Tebryn Arbandi so that she would be able to instead focus on trying to drive Hastur from her god's vault.

Falamar himself was never a religious man, and especially never cared for the superstitious of the Cults of the Overlords. I tend to think he discourages such superstition on his own ship, but doesn't care enough not to associate with other captains who are devout in that faith. I don't know how many true priests of Danalin are still around or if they have any influence in Lanun lands/waters, but they are quite different from and would not get along well with the Cultists. The only Priest of Danalin I've read about (in Ashes of Brigdarrow, which I cannot share) seemed to be among the sanest, most reasonable men one could ever meet, especially for a world like Erebus. Danalin's priesthood was likely marked for kindness, rationality, and especially common sense, the opposite of Bhall's often violent irrational passion. His teachings were extremely practical, encouraging self sufficiency and a work ethic similar to Kilmorph's but acknowledging that people will mess up and need help from time to time.


As far as Danalin's real religion goes, all I can say (and this is probably going to far) is that it definitely had a presence in the Illian village of Brigdarrow during Auric Ulvin's childhood there. I'm not sure when the Overlords came to be, but the behavior of the Nuckalevee that lived nearby lake indicates that the god had already fallen asleep and let him pets go feral. Danalin's priests definitely stuck around and played an important part in their communities during their god's slumber, but they may or may not have later been corrupted once the Overlords arose. (After reading Ashes of Brigdarrow I came to believe that Hemah created the Overlords and the Burnt Priest in his dreams the night after wandering into the ruins of Brigdarrow's temple. Kael shot down that idea pretty quickly though, and would give no hints to their true origin.)