--- Jani Mkitalo <jani.makitalo@saunalahti.fi> wrote:
> On 31-Jul-01 Brian Welch wrote:
> 
> > But you don't have to match absolute power/skill
> > levels to do that, only relative power/skill
> levels. 
> > In other words, match the most powerful/skillful
> demon
> > with the most powerful/skillful god/goddess.  If
> one
> > dies so does the other and the overall balance of
> > power (regardless of which side has more) is still
> > preserved.
> 
> So does this system take into account possible
> changes in skill and
> power level? Lessay we have a lazy goddess skipping
> her studies and
> stauing neophyte for centuries while her doublet
> pair grows in power
> and skill to become a really wicked major demon. The
> gods will say
> "stuff it! We'll go snuff our good-for-nothing
> neophyte to get rid of
> this threat..."

AFAIK, the Doublet system makes no allowances for
things like this.  It only matches potential power
levels.  However, neither side is in the habit of
bumping off their own just to gain the upper hand, or
Belldandy would be dead.  Welsper, her doublet, is a
rogue in Nifelheim - as much a pain for Hild as he is
for Kami-sama.  Why hasn't he been killed?  Probably
because neither side wants to start such a disruptive
thing, regardless of the potential benefits.  

> > It's seemed to me that things have been unbalanced
> > from the start, in the favor of Heaven.  
> 
> So the doublet system actually works to their favor,
> rescuing them from
> certain extinction. I mean, if the forces of the
> Almighty are superior,
> what else stops them from eradicating their mortal
> enemies for good -
> assuming their relations are (or have been) that
> strained. Of course,
> this is Fujishima's universe, so these things simply
> don't happen. ^_^

That didn't happen in Norse mythology either, though
the gods also had superior firepower there.  They
prefered to enjoy life in Asgard behind their wall
rather than to send Thor and company out hunting frost
giants.  A reading of the Ragnaroc prophecy clearly
indicates the gods would have had no trouble wiping
out the frost giants and even the Midgard serpent if
they had attacked while Fenrir and Loki were still
chained.

As for the frost giants, Loki was the only one
crazy/gifted enough to take action to destroy the
gods.

In AMS there seems to be some force preventing all out
warfare.  As I've said before, the Doublet system
appears to have been imposed on the gods and demons,
rather than being a voluntary system (which wouldn't
work - too easy to cheat, as you've pointed out). 
There seems to be some higher power acting as a
largely hands-off referee between the 2 sides, and
neither side is willing to risk the ire of that
referee.

> And... I'm lagging in AMG mythos, so: is there a
> counterpart for the
> Almighty? 

As CuSO4 said, Kami-sama's opposite number is Hild,
Urd's mom.  Maybe I should repost Urd's family tree?

> Assuming Nordic myths again and likening
> him to Odin, there
> really needn't to be one. The Aesir & Vanir were the
> only gods and
> their opposition were giants, not a bunch of evil
> gods (although Loki
> and his progeny did switch sides come Ragnarok). 

It could be argued that Loki's progeny were produced
specifically *for* Ragnaroc.  He had no more dealings
with Angerboda after producing his 3 children, and
they certainly weren't normal kids by either god or
frost giant standards.  They didn't even have physical
forms when they were born.

> The demons however are
> a concept beyond Nordic myths.

The demons in AMS are the frost giants from Norse
mythology, just a name change.  Consider the
following:

1.  Hild = Hel (see Urd's family tree I posted a while
back)

2.  The 2 races intermarry in both Norse and AMS.

3.  The computer system which Hild administers is
called Nidhog.

4.  DH/SP have translated some references to Mara and
Garm being from Nifelheim, but I haven't verified if
they're literal translations or just more insertions
on DH/SP's part.

Just for fun, this is how I see other anime demons
fitting into AMS:

The demons in Urutsoki-doji and such are at the level
of malevolent earth spirits in AMS.  Earth spirits
first class, probably, but not approaching Mara's
level of power.  As evidence: 

1.  Even the Earth spirit (5th classs?) in Megumi's
apartment could possess people and perform
telekinesis.  

2.  Most anime demons are interested in destroying or
enslaving the earth.  The really bad guys in AMS are
interested in destroying and then remaking the
universe, or something bigger.

3.  Mara does as she pleases to whom she pleases.  The
only reasons I can think of that she hasn't already
destroyed or enslaved the planet on a whim are:

a.  She'd get in trouble using that kind of power
without a fervent wish (like Sayoko's for the castle)
to back it up.  (Why is this?  More evidence for an
omnipotent referee, to my mind.)  As Hild once told
Keiichi, the price would be high - not that it
couldn't be done.

b.  She really couldn't care less about enslaving
humanity or destroy the planet - why bother?  It'd be
like me enslaving the toddlers in the neighbor's
sandbox.  Sure, I could do it but what would be the
point?  Not to mention I'd get in big-time trouble
with the Law, as would Mara.  Her real interest is to
antagonize the goddesses, the only beings worthy of
her attention.  Now offer her the universe and she'd
probably be interested, but a measely planet?

Of course, this leaves out a whole other class of
demons, those roughly corresponding to the ones in the
Judeo/Christian/Islamic traditions.  I don't see any
evidence of such beings in AMS, since Hild really
can't be compared to Lucifer/Satan any more than
Kami-sama can be compared to God.

OK, I'll stop now.  Comments?  Criticism?  Have I made
any stupid assumptions, here?

Brian W.