anonymous asked: people keep mentioning "two ethels" and i'm so confused. is there a real one and a fake one?
oh boy. okay. this is... a whole thing.
so historically there's been one Ethel - a persistent city realm that's been documented since the 70s at least. consistent geography, culture, history. the main shared dreaming community (the Ammonites) has been exploring and documenting it for years.
BUT in the last year or so, a splinter group has emerged claiming that the "mainstream" Ethel is actually a corrupted or limited version, and that there's a "true" Ethel (sometimes spelled Aethel) that's more powerful and magical.
the Aethelians (as they're sometimes called) claim:
- their Ethel has the tunnels still open (the mainstream version sealed them)
- there's a goddess figure who guides true believers
- the mainstream Ammonites are suppressing the real history
- "migration" (don't ask) is possible and desirable
the mainstream Ammonites claim:
- the Aethelians are visiting a separate, unstable realm that mimics Ethel
- the tunnels were sealed for VERY GOOD REASONS
- the "goddess" is actually a dangerous entity
- the Aethelians are basically a cult
i genuinely don't know who's right. both sides are completely certain they have the truth.
my advice for newcomers: stay out of this drama. explore shared dreaming without getting caught up in the faction warfare. if you ever do reach Ethel, form your own opinions.
this is a good neutral summary but i'll add: the "migration" ideology the Aethelians promote is literally suicide ideology with mystical dressing. people have died.
whatever you believe about the metaphysics, that part isn't up for debate.
^^^ this. i didn't want to get too heavy in the explainer but yes. the migration stuff is genuinely dangerous and has resulted in real deaths.
if anyone tries to recruit you into migration ideology, RUN.