Larian Studios Forums General Chat Larian's Faux Pas

Larian made a pretty tacky mistake in its design of Act I-Citadel Level 7! The symbol on the floor is a six-pointed "Star of David." This is NOT an occult symbol and isn't really appropriate in this setting.

The pentagram, or five-pointed star, is more associated with the occult. However, (as any Wiccan could tell you), the way it's displayed has significance. A pentagram with a single point on top denotes "white magic" whereas an inverted pentagram denotes "black magic."

I don't think it's a huge deal. And I certainly don't think Larian meant anything by it. I just thought I'd mention it as an FYI.

Very true. To be honest, I think they chose the six pointed star because it was easier to distribute six rooms rather than five.

Perhaps a symbol of their own design would have been a better idea?

i don't think i like the sound of 'nonagon'. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I fear that most people - especially - cannot tell the difference anyway. I mean - who is *really* into magic nowadays, speaking from an esoterical point of view ?

not many people. oh the occasional person tries to do worship the devil and they die somehow or blow up or somethin. but mostly people are into science or religions. too bad no body ever tried to look at everything from everyone e'ses point of view and try to put all the pieces we have been given togeather.

I mean, some of the biggest religions in the world
Christiany, Judasim (sp?), and Islam all believe in one God, they all just call Him something else, and they differ on who was his chosen person. Jesus, Mohammed, or no body (yet). And yet they all (mostly) hate each other's guts!

Actually, you'd be really surprised how large the underground pagan movement is. You can even go to Border's and find a series of Young Adult fiction books about the adventures of a group of teens and their coven fighting evil. The thing is, they get really squiffy when you equate paganism with devil worship. There are weekend Satanist, of course. But most pagans don't believe in a devil, per se. They take a very pragmatic look at evil: What goes around comes around. If you do "bad" things, then bad things will come back to you in spades. The fundamental pagan/Wiccan principle is "Do whatever you like, as long as you harm no one." <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mage.gif" alt="" />

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexagram

hm, where don't I understand? Wikipedia.
Kiya

I think this is drifing into Chat.

@Lynn or someone else : Please move, if appropriate !

We here in Germany had a lawsuit (right term ?) against two people who murdered a man - these two were actually (as they said it) more or less worshipping the nameless one.

The thing is, that people don't realize the border ... I mean, they happily use symbols and signs without even understanding their original meaning. It's like tourists climbing upon the big mountain (I forgot the name) that is sacred to Australian natives. They don't know that it's sacred - and even more : They might not believe in that !

Our society has so much drifted towards technology and logical/rational understanding that the people are more and more losing their feeling / understanding / awareness of such things like spirituality.

Places with great importance ... churches built upon places with great "energy" ... most people are not sensitive enough to actually "feel" such things.

That's what I meant. These mistakes appear because people don't know it the other way.

Thank you, Alrik, I support <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> moving this thread. There are enough Esoteric forums in the internet.

Yggdrasil, no offence (offense, sp?) - I have no problems with this materia, as I'm in charge of parapsychology at my library, therefore informed and even have RL contact to Wiccas - but I have seen forums on the internet dealing in an irresponsible and facile matter with this theme (as Alrik already explained) - and I don't think it fit for this section of a game forum, where minors come. Please? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/puppyeyes.gif" alt="" /> (I'm just asking as a gamer...)
Kiya

Well, there's a lot of legal battles to get Paganism recognised as a religion in Australia.

Fairly recently, accusations of whichcraft were used in a political campaign for one of the Victorian council areas. The Casey Witch Trials.

Opps, it should read : " - especially gamers - " <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" /> Sorry that I haven't noticed that. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

And the "australian mountain" : I mean Ayer's Rock. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I don't really have a problem with spiritual things, or magic, or anything. I just think some people go to far when they worship satanic things and go killing people. and I just don't see how they could get it in their heads that that is a good idea.

IMHO of course.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/offtopic.gif" alt="" />

Kiya's right. This forum should just be about playing the game.

I really didn't mean to start a discussion, but I should have just sent my criticism straight to Larian instead of making a post. I'll keep my posts to gaming topics from now on.

Chat section would've be fine, Yggdrasil <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/kissyou.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />
Kiya

Hey, there.
Actually, if you check out New Age/Traditional Kabbalah, you'll find that the 6 pointed star has a good bit of occult signifigance. I guess it just depends on what tradition you are familiar with; it denotes the Sephirah Tiphareth on The Tree of Life (Otz Chiim), and has many correlations with Sun symbology-- as is appropriate for that particular point in the Divine emanation.
Hope that helps.
Abraxes

Thanks for the additional info.

I've read a few days ago that the eye of Kanaloa (related to Hawaiian Huna) has also a star in the midddle ... but is a bit more complex.

It's a Hexagram.


Actually the inverted pentagram is the symbol of satanism.

I've counterd : The star in the middle of the "Eye of Kanaloa" has 7 "appendages".

The hexagram is just as ancient an occult symbol as the pentagram, and both may be found in a number of early Renaissance (or late Medieval, depending upon your point of view) works, such as both the Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon. (Definitely not Jewish in origin. They were simply "fathered" on Solomon like so many other pseudononymous occult manuscripts of the day, but they were considered among the more respectable of that group. Each has been translated into modern English.) They were again revived for use by the occult lodges in the 19th century, such as The Golden Dawn. Both are used by modern pagan groups, to a varying extent. Speaking as a trad/Gardnerian witch and Wiccan, initiated 26 years ago, I can tell you that we make far greater use of the pentagram, but that doesn't mean the hexagram is any less worthy as an occult formula. Its meaning--the greater and the lower triangle inter-penetrating--is said to show the progress of the spirit as the higher and lower nature mingle in growth. That's certainly a worthwhile goal. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Incidentally, that business with the "two-points up, Satanism" stuff began with Eliphas Levi, a French renegade-priest-turned-occultist in the mid 19th century. Levi was pretty learned, but he also knew he could sell better if he made up whoppers--and did he ever! Witches didn't use inverted pentagrams for anything. Modern Satanists, eager to annoy Christians as much as possible, have adopted Levi's inverted pentagram for their own use, thus making his fiction into reality. But he's the inventor of the thing. As far as I know, my forebears in the Craft used a variety of symbols, depending upon their culture of origin, but they never thought of the pentagram in any position as a tool for evil.

Thanks for the enlightement, fable. I didn't know this.
Any connection between the goat and the inversed pentagram?