At the Dawn, the Dara Happans were ruled by several tribes of horse-herding pastoralists. Whether it is fair to call them steppe people anymore (and it is arguable whether one of the tribes ever were on the steppes) is another question.
>One thing that intrigues us is the suggestion they were actively involved with, if not the actual sponsors of the Nysalor Project and Bright Empire. Is this true?
Yes.
>By the time of Kavanyar have they renounced Nysalor, and accepted he was Gbaji (they are being menaced by chaos from Dorastor in 911/912 especially as I recall?) or do they still have some sympathy for Nysalor, and is he worshipped at all in the Second Age? We know the Third Age situation - but we are curious if Dara Happa after the Golden Dragoon Emperor has forgotten it's ancient involvement in the Sunstop and the Empire that followed. Was Dara Happa part of the Bright Empire? Sorry, just a few odd thoughts!
Do you have Fortunate Succession? Greg outlines some notes on precisely those questions (the Chapter entitled Illumination beginning on page 77-80). The history of Nysalorean Illumination in Dara Happa is a bit too complicated to put in a short digest post! :D
> Also, may as well ask while at it - Dara Happans do not in the Second Age Heroquest. Yet can not the Towers of Yuthuppa on the right nighst not be used to access certain key myths, when the stars shine through the windows? Or is this a later development? Can a Buserian plot a way to access the Heroplane through the Towers?
This is a misunderstanding caused by misuse of the term "heroquest" by many authors in the past. The Dara Happans have always performed tradition rituals that bring their participants into the Otherworld and reenact the deeds of the gods and heroes. In the First Age, they were more experimental; in the Second Age, they tended to be very cautious and circumscribed after the disasters of the Gbaji Wars (keep in mind that between a third and half the population of Dara Happa died in the Gbaji Wars).
> Finally DC suggested to me tonight the Dara Happan things was "maintaining the universe" - the Empire is deeply conservative, because following the ancient ways maintains creation, through keeping harmony and order in the world.
Yes. BTW, the animosity towards Orlanth and the Rebel Gods stems from this. All the gods were given their share and their responsibilities by Yelm in the Golden Age. The Rebel Gods destabilized and destroyed the universe by their rebellion against the just and harmonious order created by Yelm.
> Oh, and he asked if his sage from the Second age would have heard of any of the Celestial Court, or if the idea of anything predating Yelm is heresy? I have not checked GroY to see what it says ont he matter yet though.
Everyone knows Yelm was not the first. The Glorantay - the Celestial Court - predated Yelm and aided the One to rule the world. When the Many made it impossible for the One to continue to exist within the world, the One appointed Yelm to become the One-among-the Many.
Jeff
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