Before the Scourge, the Passions appear to have wasted little energy fighting among themselves. They did not compete for followers, nor did they exhibit jealousy of each other. Instead, they focused their vast power on bringing their particular ideals to the people of the world. The variety of human nature ensured that none lacked followers, and the Passions seem to have existed in mutual harmony.Earthdawn is a Registered Trademark of FASA Corporation. Original Earthdawn material Copyright 1994-1998 by FASA Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Any use of FASA Corporation's copyrighted material or trademarks at this WWW site should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks.The Scourge changed this, as it altered or destroyed so much else good and beautiful in Barsaive. Those dark times apparently drove three of the twelve Passions mad, and these three now work toward the destruction of the other Passions. No longer content with inspiring fervor and embodying ideals for mortals, these Mad Passions selfishly desire power and influence as mortals might. Fortunately for the world, the Mad Passions also share the mortal characteristic of distrust. Though sometimes the Mad Passions work together to accomplish their goals, more often they work alone or against each other.
The remaining Passions, unaccustomed to either cooperation or competition, have only just begun to respond to the threat posed by the Mad Passions. As far as we know, these beings seldom fight their crazed counterparts directly. Instead, they throw their questors and followers against those who follow the Mad Passions. The conflict among thePassions has sown strife among their mortal followers; though they seldom fought over their differences in the past, the presence of the Mad Passions has triggered ideological skirmishes across the land that may yet lead to a full-scale war.
The danger the Mad Passions pose to the world remains uncertain. Some contend the Passions will meet in final battle and wreak destruction across the earth that will dwarf the devastation of the Scourge. Others claim the insanity that possesses the Mad Passions will render them impotent in the long run, and expect them to fade away like the many arrogant, mortal dictators before them. Only time can tell whether the Mad Passions will destroy the world, or simply depart from it.
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