Gods of Law in the Young Kingdoms by Charles Green

Hmmm… i could swear some of the Dharzi material in this monograph originated in the letters i exchanged with Mark Morrison back in ’93 -specifically the parts about Dharzi beast creation. I was also advocating the arrival of the Mabden being linked to the Dharzi war as well, but i think that was a common conclusion many of us had come to independantly. Unfortunately, i could never seem to come to a satisfying take on the Dharzi that also agreed with what Richard Watts was already putting forward with the world lore. Oh well, even if i didn’t agree with Mr Watts on particulars, he still provided a much better explanation for them in Elric! than St Andre & Perrin had in the Stormbringer game and he did not contradict the vague details & hints provided by Moorcock. I think you have to be a conspiracy theorist of sorts to know anything about Dharzi! Unfortunately, Sci Fi channel is never going to pay you to participate in an episode of Ancient Aliens for sharing your insight! 🙂

However, i think Mr. Watts’ suggestion about the Dharzi serving the Balance is a reasonable one. Even if like me, you want to interpret them as some sort of a chaotic aberration, this suggestion still works because there are any number of workable angles to take from there. Myself for example, I see Dharzi sorcery as very communal, cooperative, & species specific. I might set the Lords of Dharzi as a cabal of powerful sorcerers within a Balance aligned society who are attempting to fight Chaos with Chaos, & navigate this slippery & ultimately doomed path. They may opt to “sell their souls” so to speak under any number of motives. Perhaps the larger war is already lost, & in defiance to Melnibone they simultaneously engages in asymetric warfare by beast, scorched earth, & plague while pursuing Ascension as demigods? In other words, they are becoming incarnations of Beastlords themselves -the Avatars of their own sorcerous breeds. But there is nothing to say that the decisions of a Balance aligned Dharzi ultimately turning to sorcerous Ascension was not in itself a strategic move by the Lords of Chaos to simultaneously compromise the Balance & begin to set the stage for the next phase of their endless struggle against Law in the Young Kingdom’s plane. We all know how extraordinarily fickle affections & manipulations of said Powers that be!

Understandably this Ascension of mortals into demigods would have pronounced metaphysical consequences. However, it could also serve as a plot device explaining the eventual outcome of the proposed Dharzi war. Perhaps this is why the native Beast Lords ultimately chose to honor their pacts with Melnibone? Ascension of the Lords of Dharzi into demigods completed, the Beastlords were free to take a more direct role in their destruction: Archetype vs usurping Archetype! No room here for new neighbors -imposters at that!

Alternately, the fact that until the time of Elric, the Beast Lords seem to have been largely ignored by & in turn ignored the Melniboneans for many generations could also explain why Melnibone had such a difficult time fighting the theoretical Dharzi war -they did not have that particular aid from the Beast Lords which could have enabled a timely victory.

The Ascension mechanism could have ramifications on Dharzi extinction for other reasons too -basically the shedding of mortal ambitions for immortal. Ascension completed, the Lords of Dharzi no longer had a primary interest in the realm of the Young Kingdoms, leaving mortal ties behind them, and existing instead in their respective nether-worlds as Demigods. The physical remnants of Dharzi was exterminated from the world of the Young Kingdoms, but not so easily its memory -much to Melnibone’s chagrin, who resent having to reflect on the names of the vanquished.

In any event, if you took the time to read all this, thank you, but of course i think it goes without saying do not read Gospel into it. It was just a passing idea, and it has been many years since i was actively trying to make sense of the Dharzi 🙂

Cool,
Though its a shame you had to strip out the ‘army of Law’ image – I was quite proud of that one, I suppose needs must for a quick down load 🙂

At last, many thanks!!!