[TML] China Regulates Buddhist Reincarnation - Newsweek Beliefs - MSNBC.com

[Terry Carlino]

shadow at shadowgard.com wrote:
> Ah, but if it's the Dali Lama or the like, being able to jail them 
> for unauthorized reincarnation will solve a number of problems. 
>
> Alas, it will likely *cause* far more trouble. But a bureaucrat won't 
> think of that.
> --
> Leonard Erickson (aka shadow)
> shadow at shadowgard dot com
>   
Which is, of course, the real point of this. The PRC is playing a long 
game. When the Dali Lama dies the PRC government wants to pick his 
successor. They will use this law as an excuse to arrest anyone else who 
claims or who has they claim made for them that they are the Dali Lama. 
We in the west will laugh about the whole thing, because most of us 
don't believe in reincarnation anyway and Tibet will fall even more 
tightly into their grip.

The Ob Trav of this is obvious and wide open:
1. The PCs are hired by the repressive government to track down the 
reincarnated rebel leader, who turns out to be a twelve year old girl.
2. The PCs are secret representatives of the Imperial government who 
aren't happy with the actions of the repressive local government, but 
can't  overtly interfere. The duke has decided that a reincarnated rebel 
leader living on the sector capital might be a useful lever against said 
repressive local government.
3. The PCs are members of the rebel religious faction who must protect 
the girl or are hire offworld mercs who must protect the girl.
4. The same as 2, except the duke hasn't authorized an extraction that's 
the idea of the NPC captain in charge of the Imperial agents, too bad he 
didn't make. Good luck dealing with the duke.



-- 
TerryC
All that is Gold does not glitter
Not all who travel are lost