At this moment, for In Wintertop's Shadow I am presenting Palashee as a hero cult, worshipped by the Exiles. Palashee represents the idea of 'Old Tarsh'. However, I would see his cult opposed to the current line of the Illaro dynasty (his forces killed Philigos, and he was killed by Phargentes). For that reason I doubt that current Tarshite dynasty would encourage worship of Palashee as a hero. Note how different sections of CHoDP are written by different authors - some see Palashee as the just liberator and others as the drunken usurper - you need to synthesize.
Here is my working draft:
Palashee Longaxe
Palashee led the Old Tarsh loyalists to victory over the Lunar dynasty. He ruled for 17 years before Phargentes killed him. The Exiles entombed his body at the Shaker Temple. The Kerofini still revere him as an ancestor, and his heirs live in the lands around Wintertop. He is remembered for being wise and strong and is revered for his fairness and ability to quaff mead.
Virtues: Fair
Flaws: Gluttonous
Rule Kingdom Feats: Inspire Loyalty
As for his who he worshipped - I would day Orlanth, perhaps Vingkot, presumably Alakoring Rex once King. I suspect his connection with the Shaker Temple is for one or both of: The Temple were grooming him to marry a incarnation of Sorana Tor, his mother might have been a Maran Devor warrior woman (so he would once have been a temple thrall - we could even question if his father had royal blood). The first is most likely; the second could make an interesting story.
>so I'm trying to figure out which deity he would be a
hero cult of.
Does not quite work that way, he is just a hero cult who receives communal worship or an aspect (see Storm Tribe p.17). It is possible that he could be worshipped as an aspect, but I have not explored that for IWS.
>While I'm at it, does it make sense that Yarandros
followed Elmal
(Rex?)? Yelmalio? someone else?
His hero cult definitely has an association with horses, which he stole from the Grazers, but I would not necessarily make him Elmali because of it. His hero cult would probably be worshipped by Tarshite worshippers of Elmal, Humakt, or Orlanth who fought as cavalry. I think he is significant enough to be worshipped in a hero band, probably a cavalry unit, as an aspect - but probably either of Elmal, Orlanth depending on the associations formed by the bands founders and perhaps by heroquesting.
Here is the working draft of Yarandros:
Yarandros the Charger King
Yarandros is the founder of the nation and, in the way
of Vingkot, of the first Tarshite dynasty. Yarandros
stormed the walls of Kafol and later stole the magical
horse, Glad Leaper. Glad Leaper could leap rivers, use
magic, and overcome instinct. Yarandros household rode
Goldeneye horses, and he used his cavalry to exploit
his enemies� weaknesses, earning him the name
�Charge-crazy.� His household numbered heroes, Jaldon
and Derik among them. The skalds recite hundreds of
songs of his deeds.
The Exiles still revere Yarandros as a warlord and
conqueror, in the lowlands his cult is worshipped only
as a stunted god of cavalry. Warriors sacrifice to him
before raids, particularly against the Pony Breeders.
The Yarandros cult teaches warriors to fight from
horseback, as cavalry, instead of dismounting before
battle. Followers raid the Grazers to steal Goldeneye
horses. The cult also knows the Horse Path heroquest,
a version of the Grazer�s Goldeneye heroquest that
allows them to bond with their mounts.
Hero Cult:
Virtues: Bold
Abilities: Mounted Combat, Riding.
Charger King feats: Thunderous Charge
Aspect:
Virtues: Bold, Reckless
Subcult of: Orlanth Adventurous
Abilities: Mounted Combat, Riding.
Charger King (Exploit Enemy�s Weakness, Force a Way,
Steal Enemy�s Secret, Lead from the Front, Thunderous
Charge)
Secret: Stallion King (Yarandros stole secrets from
Tarsh� former allies the Grazers, condemning his
nation to enmity with the Horse Spawn, but gaining
unique magics. Yarandros�s followers can gain the
Stallion King affinity from misapplied worship of the
Grazer�s Yu-Kargzant Tradition. Stallion King gives
the feats of Endurance, Leap, Speed Strength,
Virility).
This is all work in progress, so some of it will change by my final draft and UW's deft editing, but hope it helps. Ask more if you need to, but go to PM if its particularly obscure.
"Give the kids tools, so they can go build their own houses; not the blueprint of what the houses should be." Tori Amos
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