>In Prax they worshiped a fading sky god who was later revealed by a >Sartarite companion of Dorasor to be Yelmalio.
Has the explanation for Yelmalian folk along the Zola Fel as published in Sun County and in Pavis and the Big Rubble no longer in standing?
These sources all say the same thing. In 877, Joraz Kyrem, Lord of the City of Pavis requested aid from the Sun Dome temple of Dragon Pass... Additionally, 'The Light List: The Honored Counts of Sun County' lists the names of the rulers of Sun Country through all three periods of what they consider to be their history in the region from 877 into the Hero Wars.
Personally, I do have a problem with referencing to a Sun Dome temple in Dragon Pass in 877 ST. I assume it does not actually have to be a Sun Dome temple. They do at a minimum have to be Yelm worshiping mercenaries. They have to be Yelm worshiping because eventually they become Yelmalians even before there is Darra Happan influence through the advancing Luner Empire.
>Jeff continues-
>I doubt there was a Second Age temple to Yelm in the Far Point - >this was in the heart of Orlanthland. Maybe a shrine to Tharkantus, >a war god of the EWF. Maybe to some other Fire/Sky god of purely >local significance. Maybe to some star or planet. But not Yelm.
Here I have to disagree. My limited understanding runs as follows:
First, Alda Chur seems to have grown by being on or close to a number of trade routes during peaceful times in all three ages. I have no proof of this first statement other than that a ruined walled city of substantial size exists beneath it. If earth's history and archaeological study of settlements is any guide to such matters it seems likely that the site has been inhabited over and over again probably continuously up until the Dragon Kill.
Second, the Darra Happans were at least temporarily co-opted by the EWF by 770 ST -Darra Happa Stirs p.10 The EWF decline does not begin until after 875 -Glorantha Book page 23. The EWF made use of Darra Happan troops and mercenaries for a time in their war against the God Learners and also against various barbarian groups. And it seems likely that there were reasonably good relations even before 770 as a precursor to this union. One can conclude that there was trade and other exchanges of culture between Peloria and Dragon Pass over what would conservatively be at least 200 years of the second age. Also, while the EWF starts out culturally Orlanthi, it seems that by the time the EWF holds sway in Dragon Pass they have left the rivalry between solar and wind behind in furtherance of other goals. If I am wrong about this please enlighten me.
Third, during the first age the World Council of Friends interacts (OK, often wars) with the Pelorian river valley peoples. And later, as the Second Council from there new seat in Doraster, helps them to throw off nomadic control and so the Darra Happan empire rises again. It is reasonable to conclude that Pelorian worship of Yelm touched dragon pass on a number of occasions over this period not the least being when the High Council conquers Dragon Pass in 380 ST. -p.17-18 Glorantha Book. Agian, it's important to note that there is not a constant state of war and if there are any cities of any size anywhere one has to assume a high level of trade and with trade there is generally some level of multiculturalism. (More on multiculturalism etc in a reply to a separate post of this thread)
Finally, it seems to me that the dissemination of the feud between Sun worshipers and Storm worshipers goes back to before the Dawn and is fairly widespread already when the sun rises. As Yelm IS the god that travels across the sky daily and Orlanth IS the storm god upon which this cultural and theological feud is based, at least in central Genertela, it seems safe to assume that we start with an intermingling of beliefs throughout the region even if there is a prevalence of one or the other in certain regions. Some of this feud is cultural and cannot be maintained in absence of its other subject.
For these reasons it seems at least possible that one or more temples worshiping Yelm in some guise does indeed exist in Dragon Pass and why not in Far Point. In fact what better location?
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