Bell Digest vol10p10.txt

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From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM
Subject: Volume 10, no 10, Introduction: The Aeolian Church of Heortland
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The Aeolian Church of Heortland.

copyright 1994 Joerg Baumgartner

Contents:

	Part 1 - Cult Myth and History
	Part 2 - Cult Ecology
	Part 3 - What my Father Told me

Introduction:

    This is the first try for Aeolian Church of Heortland's cult
    write-up, using the Blank Cult format by Troy Bankert. I
    used material copyrighted by Chaosium and/or Greg Stafford.

    In this form, it is copyrighted May 1994 be me.


    The Aeolian Church is meant to be an experimental detailed
    write-up for a "Stygian" or Henotheist Church. I would like
    to get feedback about the concept of a Stygian sect as I
    presented it.

    The side issue whether this kind of Stygian sect is
    appropriate for Heortland I am willing to discuss as well.
    But: if you dislike one aspect - either the execution of
    joining theist and Malkioni religion, or the placement of
    this organisation in southern Heortland - please comment on
    the other part objectively. I've been facing some adversary
    winds already (a good thing for an Aeolian, but anyway...).


    I am currently working on a detailed campaign setting for
    central and southern Heortland, complete with scenarios,
    background info etc. If anybody has done work on this area,
    I'd like to get in contact.


    Joerg Baumgartner, July 1994
    


Editorial:

    The final issue of volume 10 is a three part essay
    from Joerg Baumgartner.   Above you find his own
    introduction to which I have nothing to add.

    [As usual] I took the liberty of correcting spelling
    and changing layout.  The latter consists of changing
    line length to 65 columns, and adding more paragraph
    breaks.  So don't blame Joerg for those...

    If you're going to Convulsion and haven't yet left,
    I will see you there...  I will enable the sending
    of a Sunday Daily, just in case we have a network
    connection, and have something to report.

						-Henk Langeveld


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The Aeolian Church of Heortland.

copyright 1994 Joerg Baumgartner


MYTHOS AND HISTORY

Glorantha was created when Creator formed Grower and Maker. From both 
sprang the Spirit pervading the world, Glorantha.

Grower and Maker obeyed the Runes Creator had devised, and out of their 
actions formed the first element, Darkness, from which flowed Water, 
inside which grew Earth, above which lay Sky. Between these two Air sprang 
into being, the last and most sophisticated of Elements.

As Creator had seen fit, each element held Stewardship of the world, 
until the next took over. Thus Nakala ruled through her triple 
offspring Subere, Himile and Dehore, Zaramaka through his triple 
offspring Daliath, Framanthe and Sramak, Gata through the other three 
corners of the Earth (Rune Empress Earth, Earth Witch and Genert), Aether 
through his three sons Dayzatar, Yelm and Lodril. 

Of these last three Yelm strove for supremacy, and took upon himself the 
title of the Emperor. When Umath, the Primal Storm, sprang from the union 
of Sky and Earth, Sky's time of Stewardship had gone, and Air was to take 
over. Dayzatar withdrew even further, and practical-minded Lodril turned 
to his work. But vain Yelm refused to pass the stewardship to his brother. 
Thus strife entered the world, and the harmony of the court was broken.

Umath too fathered Sons through whom he meant to rule, but Yelm denied 
the Storm brothers their role in Stewardship. The brothers reacted each 
after his temper. Kolat populated the air with his children, Storm Bull 
wedded Eiritha and befriended her family, the Earth family, Humakt 
strove for mastery in the powers.

Vadrus gathered the children of Umaths Sons around him, dissatisfied at 
their suppression by the Celestial Court, while Umath held back the forces 
that threatened Creation, now that Creator's plan was disturbed. The 
Vadrudi sought women of their own, and they took what they found with 
force, because they could not get their inheritance without it.

Aerlit was a Kolati in the host of Vadrus the Woman-Taker, and when 
raging and searching with his brethren Kolati, he came upon a sea-nymph 
basking in Yelm's light on the shore. Instead of taking her by force, 
as was the wont of the Vadrudi, he fell in love with her grace and 
courted her. Their courtship was neither hard nor long, for Warera was 
pleased by the advances of the Storm god. Aerlit carried her into his 
airy realm, and together they flew to an island in the west. Forgotten 
were his brethren and their quest for wives, as Aerlit and Warera gazed 
into each other's faces. They made themselves a home, and the fruit of 
their love, a boy which became known as Malkion arrived at the proper 
time.

But alas their luck could not last. Vadrus and his host fell upon the 
peaceful island to rape and to pillage. When Vadrus found the young 
couple, he bellowed in rage, for had not Aerlit betrayed his host and 
deserted them? Aerlit valiantly stepped between his former chieftain 
and his young wife, although he knew he would not stand a chance. Right 
he was, for Vadrus in his rage tore him apart, before he fell upon the 
unlucky daughter of Wartain's tribe. Luckily young Malkion had wandered 
off, and was not present when his parents fell under Vadrus' blows. 
After Vadrus had vented his anger, he gathered his host and moved on. 
Malkion was left on his own, without anybody knowing of his existence.

Although only a baby alone in a hostile world, Malkion had inherited 
his parents' powers, and he made it into the Kingdom of Logic, where he 
learned of Creator and his laws.

The child's advent to the Kingdom of Logic was memorable: In a basket 
spanned with hide, and with a sail hanging from a broomstick he was 
carried by friendly waves, relatives of his mother, and driven by 
gentle winds, of his Grandfather's tribe.

The people of the Kingdom of Logic adopted the boy, and taught him 
their ways. They lived in a region that was designed by the Creator to 
reflect all of creation. There exist few such regions in Glorantha, all 
of which are special to the Creator. The people of the Kingdom of logic 
were the result of the Creator's use of the Man Rune, a people that did 
not know mortality, for death had not yet entered the world. They did not 
worship the gods, either, instead acknowledging them as representatives of 
single elements the same way they themselves were composed of all the 
elements, the synthesis of Creation. They called the child Malkion, and 
taught him their ways they had learned from the Creator, when he had 
visited the world and created them.

The child grew up in the Kingdom of Logic, and although he learned the 
ways of Logic, he still felt attracted to the pure elements. Thus he chose 
his wives from the elements. From the first of his wives were born three 
sons, and to each of them he gave one third of his powers: Talar inherited 
his mastery, Zzabur his magic, and Horal his prowess in the arts of 
conflict. Each of them took a wife among the people of Logic, and their 
descendants each clung to the profession their ancestor was given by 
Malkion.

Later Malkion undertook the Great Marriage with the land, and from this 
union issued Dronal, the provider.

When Malkion returned to his mother's element, he met a maiden from the 
Ludoch merfolk, and from their love sprang Waertag, ancestor of the 
people living on the back of sea-dragons, in cities built among their 
living spikes.

The two peoples grew in friendship, and although the descendants of 
Waertag were obstinate in their worship of ancestral water deities, only 
superficially accepting the Logic of their purebread human allies.

The Kingdom of Logic thrived, and Malkion received the Blessing of 
Communication with the Invisible God through his Spirit. Malkion spread 
his enlightenment, and the people of the Kingdom of Logic, many of them 
his descendants, accepted the new creed, which helped them to deal with 
the consequences the struggle in the world.

There, not only the Vadrudi were raging about the denial of their 
inheritance. One other son of Umath, Ragnaglar, who had suffered most 
heavily from the machinations of the Imperial Court, had met Rashoran, the 
Last God, and learned his secret. Together with his wife Thed and his 
mistress Malia he plotted to overthrow the self-styled Emperor of the 
World.

With Creation gone askew, Umath received an inspiration from the Creator 
and fathered Orlanth to Kero Fin, Mountain Lady of the Nesting Ground of 
Dragons. Through this union, Creation was to be restored, but only through 
epic struggle.

Orlanth was Creator born again within his world, and through him the 
Invisible God perfected his plans.

Young Orlanth went to the appointed steward of the world, and found 
that his uncle didn't occupy the steps before the throne, as befitted 
his station, but had in his now legendary infatuation with his own 
splendour taken place on the seat of the King of Gods. Rather than 
accuse his relative of treachery, Orlanth resolved himself to shame him 
in a contest.

How surprising came the insight that not only his uncle, but all the 
court had gone astray, when they as referees didn't acknowledge the 
power of creation (Mobility), because they feared for their station, and 
rather awarded Stasis, the way they knew! 

Still, Orlanth didn't want to dishonour family, and the contests became 
fiercer, until in the contest of weapons Orlanth taught Yelm the meaning of 
Stasis: Death.

Orlanth then appointed Elmal, his cousin and son-in-law, to take over 
Yelm's former task as the Sun God and as Steward in his absence, and 
his loyal thane didn't betray him. The Sun, however, shone weaker ever 
after.

Orlanth finally found that treachery can be found in family, and that 
it can become necessary to dishonor family, when Ragnaglar didn't 
succumb to his judgement as Law-giver and continued his schemes to 
attain rulership of the world. Finally Orlanth had to close him out of 
Creation, for he would not again kill his kin, for any reason 
whatsoever.

And Orlanth found that dealing Death is dealing Stasis, and thereby 
working against creation, so that to heal the world beset by chaos he 
had to right this wrong. Orlanth renounced his tie to death, handing it 
over to Humakt his brother, and set out to bring Yelm back into life, and 
motion, thereby to restore Creation as it should be.

While Orlanth collected his companions to save creation, and Ragnaglar led 
the hordes of the void on their rampage of destruction, the Kingdom of 
Logic was beset by a wall of ice which threatened to devour all of the 
realm. Malkion led his people into a new land, calling his youngest son's 
people to help them cross the sea. He founded the city of Malkonwal and 
ordered all things for his people before he finally departed to search 
for his parents. While he left human history, his teachings lived on 
through his children.

Orlanth had fought the first Battle of Chaos and learned about the 
destructive powers of the howling void, brought into the world by 
Ragnaglar, and he realized that creation could only be set into the right 
path again by starting it anew. Together with a group of companions, 
who experienced the same motivation he set out and sought to redeem his 
slaying of his uncle, thereby gathering all forces of the world to 
withstand the outer enemy. Soon in his Quest he achieved the summons of 
the Spirit, which revealed itself as Ginna Jar, and accompanied the 
King of Gods.

In an epic journey we know as the Lightbringers' Quest Orlanth and his 
companions brought Yelm back into life, and through the creation of time 
from the Spirit and the forces of the void, he opened the way for a 
renewal of creation.

When Orlanth collected the gods into the compromise he gifted Yelm with 
motion, but no control over it. Of all the deities, Yelm was tied most 
closely to Time, which inherited the powers of Stasis. An official 
ieffectively leading other officials, Yelm and his court were 
reinstalled, to amuse Orlanth when he grew tired of his usual buffoon, 
Eurmal.

Elmal taught his relative Yelm the virtues of Stewardship when he stepped 
back from driving in the Sun Chariot and returned to spread his light from 
Grandfather Aether's Sky Dome.

The world had fared less successfully. Chaos had finally invaded the 
Spike, the center of Law in the world, and made it explode. All life 
was hard set on by the hordes of Chaos, and only the last heroes' 
single stand in the battle known as I fought we won kept it from 
falling apart. Only when Orlanth and all the divine Saints, led by the 
Spirit which now was called Arachne Solara, returned into the world, to 
refashion it, and then to keep to their own domains in accordance with 
the Compromise.

SINCE TIME BEGAN

The Beginning of Time is generally reckoned by counting the years from the 
Dawn.

Already before this reckoning started, the peoples of the world started to 
recover from the Chaos wars, as the heroes returned from I fought we won.

Heort Law-giver was the hero who brought his people back into the land of 
Orlanth's birth. Although he did not know about the Creator, he 
reinstalled Creation's course by proclaiming and enforcing the Laws of 
Orlanth.

The Southern part of Kerofinela became part of the new reflection of 
Creation. The land of Ketha was ruled by the Only Old one, a distant 
relative of Orlanth both through his maternal side, which came from the 
Earth, and from his paternal side, which stemmed from Sky (and Darkness). 
He organized the land after the fashion of the old Kingdom of Logic, 
without realizing it, and assigned each of the Elements as well as the 
humans who don't worship the elements their place in the new order. The 
Land of King Heort represented the Air, most noble of the elements, and 
Heort himself acted as the Law-speaker of the new alliance. Even the 
Dragons' breed and the adherents of the primal principles of Grower and 
Maker, Aldryami and Mostali, participated in the new council. For a while, 
the renewed Stewardship of Darkness proved its worth. But then the Mostali 
initiated unrest, and the council began to crumble apart.

The people of Malkion experienced the Dawn with troubles. The Rules of 
Malkion, which had kept their existance before Time's birth, suddenly 
failed to care for their need of Solace. Only after a full turn of the 
cycle the Invisible God revealed himself again through the Spirit, this 
time to the Talar Hrestol.

But when Hrestol preached his revelation, part of the people of Malkion 
dissented, led by Zzabur, the second son of the prophet. Zzabur held 
that if the people remained outside time, by refusing to reproduce, 
they could remain in the state of the Kingdom of Logic. He took most of 
his followers with him to Brithos, and after this homeland they are 
called Brithini. They deny themselves Life, Change and Solace.

Prince Hrestol instead propagated new freedom. While he didn't destroy 
the classes the Invisible God had reawakened in Malkion, he modified 
them, and he introduced the concept of Chivalry. His new Creed took 
over the ancient colonies in Seshnela and Akem, and only in Arolanit 
the old Way of the Five was held up.

The Waertagi sided erroneously with the half-brother of their ancestor, 
and they kept the humans from braving the sea, except where they were 
aided by friendly merpeople, as was the case in Kethaela.

In Kerofinela the peoples lived the Compromise of the Lightbringer, and 
they spread word of it over the world. They offered friendship and peace, 
but when they met the horsepeople of Peloria, they were met with hatred 
and violence. The Council countered the offenses with their combined 
might, and they drove the horsepeople back into the cold plains of Pent, 
once part of Genert's Garden, and liberated their subjects, the farmers of 
the plain and the city-dwellers of the Oslir River Valley. But these had 
been exposed to the hubris of the Sun as well as their former overlords, 
and soon they fought the Lightbringers' Council which had liberated them.

The Council decided to teach them the superiority of the Compromise by 
giving them an example, and they began to invoke the Spirit to give 
them perfect leadership. This was too perfect for the creatures of 
darkness and breed of the dragons, an they pulled back their 
assistance. Thus also this council began to crumble.

Still, they tried to meet the aberrant followers of Yelms shadow of a 
court, and these seized the opportunity to corrupt the pure project with 
the hubris of the Sun. At first they cooperated, but when they had 
taken the lead they wouldn't give it out of their hands, and the 
project became flawed from within. Thus did they abuse the Lightbringer 
powers of Creation, and the perfect God only seemed that way.

At first the new bright deity was all the Lightbringers had intended, 
an example of the compromise. But the ichor of the Sun's imprisonment 
throbbed within, and when the Lightbringers revealed their lore of the 
compromise to the adherents of the Hrestoli way, the Solar hubris had 
robbed it of its meaning. The other side became dominant, and by means 
of foul tricks the leaders of the new empire betrayed their innocent 
followers by bending and breaking the laws which the Compromise gave.

This abuse of Creation led to a reaction in the tragic figure of Arkat. 
This hero had grown up among the aberrant followers of Logic, and at 
firt he only realized that Creation was endangered. He didn't know why, 
but he set out to learn.

When he encountered the minions of the Deceiver, he knew his enemy, and 
he swore to unmake him. In this he erred, for Creation can not be 
undone without invoking the void, but then he did not see this, and 
swore a most terrible vow.

After his compatriots had ceased fighting the first abomination of the 
Deceiver, the evil Vampire kingdom, Arkat had discovered the Truth of 
Solace in the Invisible God, and studied the way of Hrestol. Armed with 
knowledge of the Creator and the revelations of the Spirit, he fought 
the abominations of the Deceiver, and drove his minions before him.

Then he made contact with the Lightbringers that had not fallen prey to 
the empty promises of the Deceiver, and he learned of the Lightbringer. 
Just when he began to experience the holy trinity of the Invisible God, 
he treacherously was sent into the land of the dead, and was tainted 
with darkness. When Harmast Barefoot braved the realms of myth on his 
unprecedented attempt to recreate the great journey of Orlanth 
Re-Creator, though a mere mortal himself, he saved Arkat Humaktson from 
the darkness, and for a while bright Arkat swept the Deceiver's minions 
from the face of creation into the realms of Death. In these last lucky 
days Arkat lay the foundations for our Aeolian creed, which his 
disciples held true.

But then the taint of darkness inside of Arkat became stronger with the 
unfulfilled, rash oath, and Arkat was ironically drawn away from the truth 
he himself had revealed. At first he betrayed the Lightbringers and 
joined the destructive way of Zorak Zoran and the trolls, and became 
one of them. Pity the ways of those who followed Arkat into darkness, 
and worship Black Arkat, but condemn them not, for their error is hard 
to find.

Some say that in the end Arkat's obsession became so overpowering that he 
betrayed the trolls, too, and released the void upon the Deceiver. He 
destroyed the Deveiver and his stronghold, and returned in the guise of 
Black Arkat, but inside he was changed, burnt out by the powers he should 
not have called upon.

He appeased his last victims of betrayal by giving them the Stewardship 
over the remnants of the Deceiver's realm in the North. Here in 
Kethaela he reinstalled the old hierarchy, but he remembered the last 
time he had truly been happy, and set the Hendriki who had learned his 
creed of Trinity as Rulers of Heortland. Alas, he himself could not 
participate, and at last he retreated to Ralios in the West and tried 
to impose a benevolent rule. Eaten from within by the cancer of the 
void, he didn't last long, and tried to refind his Solace in the sky, 
where we still can watch him searching.

Without his leadership, the realm he created fell apart, and his secrets 
fell into the wrong hands. A group of Malkioni colonists on the middle 
Islands thought they had discovered the singularity of the Law. They 
didn't realise that deliberately following Arkat's steps, they'd fall 
into the same trap, and create nothing but emptiness. So when they 
stole and lost the secrets of Dragontongue, the bewildered people who 
had approached the Dragons fell prey to their lure and put the draconic 
way which lies only partly inside ceation over the truths of solace.

Our brethren in the West had never received the insight of the 
Compromise, and so accepted the wrong conclusions the God Learners 
taught them, derived from the actions of the Gods; although they still 
strive for Solace, they have lost the Truth and the Law of Compromise.

The God Learners committed the worst crimes against the compromise by 
tricking the unenlightened into accepting new, mostly wrong, ways. 
Their most heinous abomination was trying to create the Machine God 
Zistor, an impossibe combination of Maker, the instrument of Creation, 
with Grower's force. For a while it seemed to work, but in this 
creation their errors revealed themselves first. When it captured the 
Good Wind, all of Kethaela had to suffer from the resulting blight.

The 
Aeolian Church was among those who restorated the old alliance between 
the peoples of the Land, and together with their deities humans, trolls 
and dwarfs marched against the Clanking City. There Orlanth saved the 
world again by slaying Zistor and freeing the entrapped wind. The 
alliance had proven that the God Learners' ways were wrong, and an 
insult to creation, so Orlanth the King released is secret storms, such 
as the Windless Typhoon, to ravage the God Learners' holdings.

Distant Zzabur too experienced the unnatural development, and plotted 
to wipe out the ancient foes of his Allies, the Waertagi, by cutting 
them off their main routes, the seas. A great magic descended from 
Brithos and closed the sea to surface travel. Where the magic met land 
under the God Learners, the sea invaded the land, and a lot of valuable 
land became lost forever.

Heortland too was hit by this catastrophe, and the island chain today 
known as Rightarm Islands was formed then from the hilltops of the 
former land.

After the God Learners had gone, only the Dragon-Friends remained a 
threat to Kethaela, but the Only Old One managed to keep them 
restrained to their own lands. Only Volsaxiland was held by them, but 
with the Closing access to the sea lost its importance, and the land 
was given back to the Hendriki. The empire suffered from internal 
decomposition, and finally the Dragons' Breed turned upon the humans 
acting in their name, and expurgated all the self-ordained leaders of 
that empire. When the Sun-people from the north came to take revenge 
for this, the Only Old One sent his troops to assist the offspring of 
the Dragons. Few returned, but they had helped to vanquish Solar hubris 
once again. In return for this service, the Dragons' Breed and their 
inhuman allies promised to close Dragon Pass, and hold the Sun people 
in check. Thus it happened that while the empires of the world had 
failed, Kethaela survived.

Another upheaval occured when Belintar the Stranger was washed ashore in 
Kethaela. He challenged the Only Old One for the Stewardship. The Only Old 
One accepted the Challenge, and in several epic struggles Belintar finally 
won over the Only Old One, and succeeded him as the ruler of Kethaela.

Belintar was well aware of the special nature of the land and renamed 
it the Holy Country. He was fair to all who had supported the Only Old 
One, and as Pharaoh he spread peace and prosperity. His time of 
Stewardship lasted until recently, when he fell prey to the evil 
machinations of the new hubris from the Land of the Solar worshippers, 
the minions of the Red Moon, and disappeared without reemerging soon, 
as was his wont before.

From runequest-digest-editor@glorantha.holland.sun.com Thu Jul 21 07:38:26 1994
From: runequest-digest-editor@glorantha.holland.sun.com
Date: 21 Jul 1994 07:38:26
To: IN%"RuneQuest-Digest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM"
CC: 
Subject: Volume 10, no 10, part 2 of 3: Cult Ecology
X-Status: 
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Subject: Volume 10, no 10, part 2 of 3: Cult Ecology
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The Aeolian Church of Heortland.

copyright 1994 Joerg Baumgartner


CULT ECOLOGY

The Aeolian Church of Heortland successfully combines the
Orlanthi and the Malkioni religion. The truths of both religions
offer Solace, a code of conduct, and support for everyday life,
as well as explanations for all the world's phenomenons.

The Hendriki are the main carriers of the Church. They had
inherited the rule over Heortland from Arkat, in a woeful
reminiscence of former happiness for the hero, and their way of
worship served the land well ever since. All of the Hendriki
tribes are strict adherants to the creed, and their influence
has extended to the other tribes of the region as well, so that
Aeolian churches can be found in every major town in Heortland,
and chapels in every larger settlement of the Hendriki.  The
church's doctrine helps to hold up the Heortlending society, one
of the most liberal in the world.

The Aeolians have one main interest: to save and enhance
creation through the Lightbringers' Compromise.  They oppose
every movement which denies the Compromise, or tries to break
it. This includes the ancient foe, the Chaos from the Void, and
all who associate with it.  This includes the machinations of
Solar hubris, which have threatened the compromise several
times, their latest manifestation the Lunar religion. This too
includes the soulless teachings of the God Learners, which have
penetrated western Malkionism, and deny the holy Trinity.

Chaos is actively pursued, for its very existance threatens the
Compromise. The aberrant ways of the Sun Empire are strongly
discouraged, but those who fell prey to them may be saved. The
ignorance of the people in the West was until recently of little
importance.  Only when the Seshnegi Rokari usurped the spiritual
guidance of the peoples of Heortland, these were fought, else
the Aeolian doctrine is to teach by example rather than by
force.

Ignorance in related religions is a constant source of worry
among the Aeolians. They recognize two ways of ignorance:  The
Malkioni Blindness for the Compromise is disturbing.  Even the
Trader Princes and the Arkati fail to see the part of the King
of Gods in the holy Trinity.  They are to be softly persuaded,
but they mustn't attempt to spread their creed. Preach against
their doctrine, show where they are wrong, and help them find
the truth.

The old Orlanthi traditionalists fail to see the true glory of
Orlanth.  Enlighten them, and encourage them to accept the truth
that Orlanth is the third impersonation of the Creator. Accept
their priests as holy people who lack the last insight, they
work for our common good, if only unconsciously so. The Saints
are mild to their misapprehension of the world, and only
constant teaching will draw them towards the light. Live among
them, and teach by your example, so that they too may find
Solace in unity with the Creator.

The Cult Holy Days and High Holy Days concide with those of
Orlanth.  The High Holy Days of the associated Saints are
special festivals, too, and are celebrated in their own right.


THE CULT IN THE WORLD

As the name says, the Aeolian Church of Heortland is centered on
Heortland, in the Holy Country. In Ralios there exist other
communities of this creed, but these are separated from the
Heortland Church by other forms of "Stygian" worship, and by
tradtionalist theist worship of Orlanth and the Lightbringers.
The special nature of the Holy Country does its own to prevent
direct contact, but has stabilized the Creed in Heortland and
kept it from the boiling religious factionism in Ralios.
Archbishop of Heortland and the Archbishop of the Henotheist
Church of Ralios regard each other as the main leader of the
Creed in their respective lands.

There is little exchange in doctrine, and barred from
ever-changing influences, the Heortlending Church has preserved
the original creed.  Suranthyr the Nonheretic is far too busy
keeping his separate factions true to his line that he worries
about distant Kethaela, and receives only spiritual reassurance
from the fact that the Heortlendings don't deviate from the
Creed.

LAY MEMBERSHIP

To join as Lay Member, it is sufficient to repeat the Credo of
the Trinity thrice. Lay members may attend the religious
services of the Church, and may ask the clerics for healing and
blessings, which these may deal out against an appropriate
donation. Major Blessings (such as long-duration sorcery spells,
Bless Crops, or major healings) require initiation of the
recipient, unless the cleric chooses to set an example.

The same restrictions as for Orlanth lay members apply.

It is explicitely possible to join as a lay member if one is
member in a cult belonging to the Orlanth pantheon. The
character become effectively an associate initiate.


INITIATE MEMBERSHIP

Initiates are the backbone of the Church. In Hendrikiland the
Orlanthi adulthood rites are supervised by the wizards and
clerics of the Aeolian Church, and serve as full initiation into
the Church.  Children of Aeolian initiates need not join any
"saints" cult within the church as long as they are content to
be initiated in general. They are considered members of Orlanth
Creator. Most, however, choose to obtain a patron saint, and
have to fulfil some minimal requirements for acceptance,
dependant on the exact nature of the saint's subcult.

Strangers who want to join as initiates have to pass an
examination with the clerics, abstracted as a test of Holiness
(POW*4) plus rolls on ceremony, human lore ond three skills of
importance to their patron saint, or of one of the aspects of
Orlanth, out of these five three have to succeed. The acceptance
into a patron saint's subcult are as per GoG for the theistic
cult equivalent.

One point of POW is sacrificed to the Trinity. Each new adult
may choose one patron saint (or aspect) for no extra cost, as
long as the subcult requirements are fulfilled.

With initiation, the individual become a member of the Ceorl
class, if not already so. Individuals of noble inheritance may
apply directly for the Thegn class, but have to pass the
examination. If supported by their family, they usually
succeed.


Heortland society knows four distinct classes: Ceorl, Thegn,
Preost and King. The Thegn class is subdivided into Thegns by
birth, worthies from the Ceorl Class (such as masters of a
craft, or guild officials) counted among the Thegns, and
fighters called Cniht.

The Thegn class itself has no religious relevance, but there are
certain religious positions which automatically promote an
individual into the Thegn class, or into Preost class.

To become a Cniht a candidate must have 50% in five combat
related skills, and must prove his prowess at the annual
wapentake (abstracted by succes in four of these). The new
candidate for Cnihthood must find a lord to accept his service,
or he may try his luck as a roving Cniht hiring out his skills
to worthy recipients, thereby increasing his skills and
reputation as well as the chance to find a Lord.

To enter the Preost class, candidates have to prove themselves
to the examiners (Test of Holiness: POW*3; skills: Ceremony,
Read/Write Heortlending, three skills depending on patron Saint
etc. at 25%). Once accepted, they are counted among the Preost
Class on probe, and undergo a second initiation: They sacrifice
another point of POW, and may learn the advanced techniques of
magic.

BENEFITS:

Divine Magic: Initiates may sacrifice POW for restricted use of
Divine Magic. They may learn spells from the general spells of
the Church, or special spells of their patron saint, on the
one-use basis (in my campaign they'd be allowed to regain one
point of divine magic per High Holy Day).

Other Magic: The Aeolian Church teaches a certain amount of
sorcery. An initiate may study with the Aeolian Wizards to learn
some basic sorcery, and the sorcery skill of Intensity.

Aeolian sorcery follows the Stygian College of magic, but has
some specialized spells available from certain patron saints and
aspects.  Spirit magic is not taught by the Aeolian Church,
since it doesn't have or use the divine spell of Spellteaching.

To be able to learn both spirit magic and sorcery spells, an
individual would have to undergo a second initiation with one of
the theist cults associated with the church. It is unlikely that
these will teach them effectively, since their mind is attuned
to another form of magic. The benefits of spirit magic will be
lessened to former practitioners of sorcery, and vice versa
people used to spirit magic find sorcery considerably harder to
learn.


RUNE LORD MEMBERSHIP

[Not all saints subcults have this status]

Rune Lord membership occurs only with advancement into the Thegn
class or to Thegns. The various saints and aspects have
different prerequisites, which are generally identical to those
of the theistic cults, except for some differences in magic.

BENEFITS and DUTIES:

Similar to the theist equivalents. Cultural weapons of the
Hendriki differ somewhat from general Orlanthi patterns,
though.

Reusable divine magic is more restricted than for the theist
equivalents.

I haven't decided on 1D10 DI yet, maybe Rune Knight DI ought to
use Saintly Intervention rules instead: fixed POW costs, limited
effect.

Suggestions appreciated.


SHAMAN MEMBERSHIP

With only few exceptions, Aeolian saints' or aspects' subcults
don't support shamans. There are however variants of Daka Fal
and Kolat which do convey shamanic powers, and Chalana Arroy's
openness toward all forms of magic remains unchanged. There are
no shamans using the sorcery of the church. Shamans will be
treated like associate theist members.


ACOLYTE MEMBERSHIP

Acolyte, or chaplain, membership forms the backbone of the
religious hierarchy. They occupy most partly mundane offices,
assist the full priests in lager parishes, or lead small
parishes on their own.

Chaplains are either apprentice sorcerers or acolytes, and can
become both with time.

PRIEST MEMBERSHIP

Priests of the Aeolian Church are using divine magic as well as
sorcery.  They may not develop sorcery past apprentice stage.
Priests becoming apprentices become deacons.

WIZARD MEMBERSHIP

Wizards are specialized members of the Church found only in
larger parishes. They are fully fledged adepts and have access
to initiate divine magic. They may become acolytes if they
qualify and enter the ranks of the deacons.


OTHER CULT LEVELS

Bishops and Deacons are the parochial leaders of larger
districts or head members of the saintly orders. The priests
report to them.

To qualify, a candidate has to be either priest/journeyman
wizard, or adept wizard/acolyte.  Their insignia are staffs
running out into the vertical branch of the magic rune, and
pendants of the spiral in the triangle on their hats.  Bishops
dedicated to a subcult will display the runes relevant to their
patron.

Smaller districts' leaders are the chorepiscopi or deacons.
They report to a bishop, but preside over a number of parishes,
typically coinciding with a shire.

The Archbishop and the six Cardinals are the highest body of
clerical hierarchy. The Archbishop represents the Orlanth Rex
aspect, the Cardinals are the leading bishops of the other
aspects' or saints' subcults. They meet regularly to form the
Curia and keep spiritual court.


CULT SPECIAL SPIRIT MAGIC/SORCERY SPELLS

Simultaneous use of spirit magic and sorcery is discouraged.
The church has no divine Spell-Teaching for spirit magic.

Characters grown up among theist culture who have learned spirit
magic before they joined the Aeolian Church may retain it, and
may attempt to learn sorcery.  This ought to be a lot more
difficult than for characters grown up with sorcery.

Current idea how to handle this:

The characters must develop sorcerous skills from a base skill
of -20, simulating the inherent alienness of this other magic.

Likewise characters grown up with sorcery as their personal
magic ought to have a reduced casting chance for spirit magic,
POW*3 or POW*4.

Suggestions welcome.

Use only few variations of common sorcery spells adapted to
imitate Lightbringer special divine spells.

Examples:

Fly

Range: self only

This variant carries 2 points of SIZ per magic point, but works
only on the caster. Any intensity in excess of half the caster's
SIZ enhances the flying speed by two.

This is common Aeolian magic.

Guided Teleport

The sorcerer doesn't have to manipulate range; but to use the
spell he has to spent the intensity twice: the first time at the
temple with the homing circle, the other time when he actually
wants to use the teleport.  Range is Self only, Duration is
instant. Any later manipulation exceeding the tuning has no
effect, but the sorcerer may use less intensity for the actual
teleport than for the tuning.  Multispell has to be cast during
the tuning as well.

This spell is taught by the subcult of Saint Mastakos, but is
available to all priests and lords.

Slumber

The caster must overcome the magic points of the recipient for
this spell to take effect. Each round there is noisy or shaking
action, the recipient may try to overcome the intensity of the
spell with his INT.  If wounded or targetted by any spell
whatsoever, the recipient automatically awakes.  This spell is
taught to members of Saint Chalana's subcult members only.

Comforting Incantation

The intensity of this spell adds to the recipients factor when
trying CON-rolls. Each recipient must be targetted
individually.  The caster has to concentrate for the duration.

This spell is taught by the subcult of Saint Chalana Arroy to
members of fertility-oriented subcults (including her own).

Enhance Seed

This spell is cast when the seed is sown. One point of Intensity
affects enough grain to plant one eighth of a morning's
plowing.  The spell ensures that each grain will produce a
shoot, and that each shoot will bear grain, provided watering
and warmth are all right.

This spell is provided by the subcult of Saint Barntar to all
who will learn it. Duration is one season, so that without
manipulation of the duration the grain won't be ripe when the
spell expires.  Thus this is usually cast by the local Godi.

Locking

A specialized form of Holdfast which allows certain people
defined during the casting of the spell to open the affected
container.  A spell from Saint Issaries' subcult.

Reconstruction

This specialized form of Phantom Sight recreates
a scene which happened in the location. The scene must have
occured within the Duration of the spell. The location affected
is the spell's intensity in cubic metres.  Excess points of
Duration add to the time the scene may be viewed.  Taught by the
subcult of Saint Lhankor Mhy to its investigators only.

These are examples of divine spells transferred to sorcerous
magic.  There might be other spells also developed as sorcery
variants by Aeolian wizards.


CULT SPECIAL DIVINE SPELLS

Use those of the Lightbringer Pantheon, with certain
restrictions (e.g.  no Bless Woad). In general, divine spells
will be less readily available compared to theist worship.

I plan to work out all major and important minor temples of
Hendrikiland, and to specify which rare spells can be aquired by
pilgrimages to special temples or shrines only.

SUBCULTS

What the Lightbringer cults have as associate cults, the Aeolian
Church regards as saints' or aspects' subcults.  Each of the
Saints offers a special magic to the Church as a whole, and may
offer another to certain other saints' or aspects' subcults.

ASSOCIATE CULTS

The Aeolian Church has no associate cults in the standard theist
sense.  The Orlanthi cults of their neighbours are to a certain
extent associates, but they don't exchange divine magic - the
saints' cults already have it.

De facto Aeolian worshippers may use the theist cults of their
patron saints, or the churches of other sects of the Invisible
God, to a certain extent for their religious duties, and
possibly Aeolian acolytes and up can regain use of divine magic
at appropriate theist temples.

NOTES

This write-up is solely concerned with the Heortlending Aeolian
Church.  Similar cult structures exist in other Stygian
Churches, but generally those are closer to the purer Malkionist
ways.

Other Churches which combine the worship of Lightbringer deities
with the Invisible God are (no claim for completeness):

The Henotheist Church of Ralios

The Issarian Trader Princes of western Maniria and southern
Ralios

The Cult of Invisible Orlanth in Carmania

The biases and society forms vary notably from the Heortlending
example.



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The Aeolian Church of Heortland.

copyright 1994 Joerg Baumgartner


WHAT MY FATHER TOLD ME

Who are you?

(titles: Cottar, Ceorl, Thegn, Cniht, Hirdman, Yeoman)

I am Penda Oswiusson, a Ceorl of Ealdorman Wolfred.


Who are we?

We are the Seaslope family of the Jaraning Clan of the Hendriki
nation.  Jarani Stoutspear was one of the Hendriki fighters who
withstood the oppression of the Iron Vrok and aided Arkat the
Liberator when the Humaktsson came to our country. After the
minions of Gbaji were expelled, he followed the Liberator up
into Dragon Pass and fought at the battle of the Travelling
Stone. He earned his spores there, and afterwards led his family
here from hiding, and founded Jaransbyrig.

When the Evil Empires crawled upon Heortland, our ancestors
stood firm with the Only Old One, and threw down the Evil
Machine God.  After Belintar had won over the Only Old One, we
served the Bretwalda in many wars against foes of the Six
Parts.


What makes us great?

We are the free people of the wind.  Ever since the Dawn have we
lived in freedom, or fought foreign oppressors.  Under King
Heort we joined the Council of the Silver Age Heroes, and chose
the Only Old One as Lord over the Shadowlands. When the Iron
Vrok spread Gbaji's Deception, our forefathers hid in the hills
and harrassed the occupants relentlessly, until Arkat the
Liberator came. From Arkat, we learned Hrestol's ways of the
knight, and Malkion's teachings of Solace, but never did we
betray our origin in the Storm.


Where do we live?

We live in the Holy Country, which holds all of the primal
forces of Creation in its folds. We are the people of the Air,
the most noble element, and live in the land that King Heort
freed from the Darkness.

Our stead lies in the ... shire. The land we plow is bocland,
granted by our King of the Hendriki with seal and vow, and set
down in the landboc in the temple. We plow four hides of
plowland, and we feed our cattle and sheep on the common pasture
beyond it, and our pigs get fat on the acorns of the wildmark
around our pasture in late Earth Season.

We hunt small game and fowl, and we keep wolves and bears from
the hills out of our pasture. We fish eel, trout and pike in the
creek.

Our longhouse is twopart - one half houses the husbandry in
winter, the other half is our hall and hearth, and leads to our
alcoves. We store our grain and wool in the upper storey of our
storehouse, and keep our tools below.


How do we live?

We labour to multiply the bounty of the Earth. Our life follows
the cycles of the year. In Sea Season, we draw the furrows and
sow the seeds, in Fire Season we bring in the hay for the
winter, in Earth Season we harvest the grain, and plow the
fields to lay the earth to sleep. When Dark Season starts, we
slaughter the yearlings, and during Storm Season we craft our
tools.  In Sacred Season, we help rebuild the world, so that the
annual cycle of growth and harvest may begin anew.

Our food is bread and porridge, made of barley, wheat, and
winter's rye, and we brew our ale and distill our water of
life.  Our stew is flavoured by roots and cabbage, and a good
piece of smoked ham from pig or lamb. For feasts we roast beef,
pork and mutton, and we drink water of life, while our daily
fair is stew, porridge with milk and eggs, bread and ale.

Our roof is laid upon sturdy logs and the walls are of chalked
thatch.  We sleep in alcoves, and our housefolk on benches. Our
sheets are of furs, or of finest dyed wool.

We wear trew and shirts of wool and leather for work, but for
festivals and feasts we have finest dyed cloth. In fyrd service,
we wield spear and shield, and carry swords or axes in our
belts.

We attend the folkmoot at Jaransbyrig, and owe fyrdservice,
feorm and upkeep of road and bridge to our liege, the
Ealdorman.  We tithe our tenth to the shrine to Saints Barntar
and Esra in our village, and to the temple in Jaransbyrig.


What is important in my life?

You are a member of the family, and you will be a man of the
shire. Son,  you will have your manhood rite - do not shame us
before the rest of the family and the shire. Then you will be an
adult, and no longer have to listen to me and the elders in
silence. You can join into the discussions, and your words will
bear their own weight.

You should be looking for a wife soon.  You attended the fires
on Flamal's day, but don't confuse that with marriage. I hope
you have chosen someone rich and friendly when you dance those
nights away in the barn. I see the girls looking your way when
you train for the fyrd on Wilddays.  Do you know which of them
will have a rich dowry? Which of them will be good to raise your
daughters if she leaves you?

When you die we will burn your body with rune-carved logs, and
gather the ashes and bury them alog with your ancestors. Your
children will shout your name and the priest will summon a wind
to send your soul to Orlanth. Your son will inherit your goods
and your rights, just as you shall inherit mine.


Who rules us?

Cynric Oswiusson, my older brother, leads the Seaslope family at
the folkmoot since my father fell at the battle at the siege of
Carse, ten years ago.

Ealdorman Wolfred of Jaransbyrig rules our shire, and leads the
fyrd to the field. He selects the hundred for the King's
service, and presides the folkmoot that gathers on Godsday in
Truthweek of Storm Season, just before Sacred Season. He leads
the Jaraning clan, and is advised by the Clan's rings, and the
folkmoot. My father was in the Clan's Outer Ring ten times, and
my older brother is aspiring to be chosen into it for the second
time.

King Hend is king of our nation, the Hendriki, and High King of
Heortland - the kings of the other tribes, like the Volsaxi and
Kitori, owe him allegiance.  The king is the highest secular
authority in this Sixth of the Holy Country, and only the
Bretwalda may summon him to the City of Wonders.  He has married
a daughter of the Orshanti Clan, but their only son died two
years ago.

Belintar the Stranger swam to the shore of the Holy Country when
none could travel the seas, and unified the Sixths under his
rule, after proving his claim against the stewardship of the
Only Old One. He is our ruler and saint, the Bretwalda, and
inhabits the body of a mortal chosen when the previous body is
used up. Then all over the Sixths, candidates chosen from the
populace enter Godtime and participate in a contest of virtues,
until there is one winner who will serve as the vessel of the
Bretwalda, and join his predecessors in angelic existance.
Across the bay, in the Queendoms of Esrolia and the forests of
Caladraland they call him the Pharaoh.


What makes a man great?

You will always know a grat man from his virtues.  These are the
virtues of Orlanth and the Saints.  Foremost of the virtues are
courage, wisdom, generosity, onor, and piety.

Freedom is the hallmark of a great man.  While a man may
acknowledge authority by achievement or expertise, he will
follow this authority because he has freely chosen to do so. He
will submit to judgement of the folkmoot, where free men meet to
solve their problems, and he will take the advice from God and
the saints.

A great man may take wrong decisions amd actions, but he will
stand to his deeds, and make right what stands in his powers.
There is no shame in committing an error, as long as you are
prepared to face its consequences.

A great man will fulfil his duties:  to his family, his clan,
his liege, and his god. These are his first responsibilities.
When he has taken care of these, he may strife for higher aims.


What is the difference between men and women?

You are old enough to know the physical difference, and you have
already attended this year's dances on St.  Flamal's day, so you
should know the difference goes deeper than shirts or trews.

Men and women share in growing and making.  Man is the maker,
and the sower, he plants the seed from which spring life. Woman
is the bearer of life, and the provider, she cares for the
young, and the weak.

Men are stronger, and the first to be called to fight; they are
made to conquer and explore. Women are the caretakers, but this
will not prevent them from defending and protecting their
charges.

Men sing of great deeds, of valour and friendship.  They gather
to drink ale and exchange boasts. They laugh heartily and move
purposefully.  Women gather to spin the threads and chat about
women's themes.  You will find their chatter pleasant to hear -
from a distance.

Not every man or woman is ready to take the role the majority
has. This is our freedom, that any man or woman may choose to
live their own life, and pursue the profession they choose, as
long as they do so honourably.


What is evil?

Chaos is evil, because it threatens Creation.  Oppression is
evil, because it constricts freedom.  When chaos and oppression
go hand in hand, evil is greatest, as was the tyranny of the
Iron Vrok.

Chaos is destruction without recreation, the final end. Chaos
plots to make Creation Void, unmaking all future and past,
unmaking even the divine saints.  This is utterly evil, and must
be fought.

Oppression is evil. Freedom is the air that people breathe, it
is life.  Take freedom away, and you take away life.

Unmaking is evil, because it negates the work of the Creator. In
all your deeds, strife to create, and unmake only to create or
preserve.

There are other things which are bad.  Life is a precious
creation, whenever you kill, make sure you mean it. Honour may
be greater than life, because only in honour you will reach the
Solace of Orlanth.  Sin is evil, but the only real sin is to do
wrong and not repent and repair. Other sins are such only if
done in excess, such as drinking can become a vice rather than a
virtuous pastime if it leads to neglect of your duties.


What is my lot in life?

You should strive to work hard and marry well, rraise many brave
sons and daughters. You shold go to the holy meetings and send
your prayers to the Creator through Orlanth and the Saints.  You
should keep your spears sharp, maybe make a couple of extras,
and visit the city when time and circumstances allow.

If you do those things, and live a good life without some evil
monster from the Footprint or some bloodthirsty wolf pirates
raiding and destroying the stead, then you wil get our farm to
tend after I die, and fill it with your own children to bring
glory to the wind. If you are lucky and skilled you can become
head of the family, and aspire to a seat in the Rings, and maybe
even build a manor and live as a thegn.


How do we deal with others?

Our first duty is to Kin and Clan - they are the air we breath.
The bonds of kinship transgress all borders, and kinsfolk in
need will always find our help.

Friends are better than treasure.  Choose your friends wisely,
for you are known by the friends you keep.

When you see someone you don't know use the greeting. The Sixths
have many different peoples, but all know and honour the
greeting, even the trolls.  If they do not answer correctly at
least you know where they stand. When your uncle was outlawed by
the folkmoot he travelled all the way to Handra, and whether he
met citizens of the Sixth, tribal warriors or city dwellers,
everyone he met greeted him properly.

Be careful with strangers, even those from one of the Sixths.
Most are harmless and entertaining in their ways, but remember
they are different, and might not know to behave properly.  Take
offense slowly when they insult you or act stupidly - they are
not blessed with our saints' knowledgeable ways.  You can learn
much from them, but always remember your roots.

If they are enemies, fight them.  Fight them as they fight you -
fair and honourable against honourable foes, fair and foul
against the rest.  Kill those foes, if you can.


Who are our enemies?

Enemies are all who threaten our peace and freedom.  The
Bretwalda holds the greedy empire at bay, and the marcher barons
keep the Praxian raiders off our lands. The greatest danger
right now comes from the bloodthirsty Wolf Pirates against whose
lightning raids no joint forces can be gathered, and from the
Chaos cesspits in the Footprint. But the Red Moon hangs
threateningly in the northern sky, and her tentacles reach out
in all directions.  Beware the fate of our cousins in Sartar.

Because we follow the Bretwalda, his foes become our foes. He
may call the fyrd to defend another Sixth.  When he does so,
follow his orders, like I did last year against the Ditali west
of the women's lands.  Rich booty was my reward.


Who are our gods?

We worship the Trinity of the Creator, the Spirit, and Orlanth
the King, and the divine and human saints and prophets.  Orlanth
is the ruler of the universe, not only by virtue of is right and
might, but because he recreated the world after fighting and
destroying all that was wrong.

The divine Saints and great heroes make up his household. His
Lightbringer companions and his wife and children make up the
inner ring of his advisors, and his companions and the heroes
protect and lead those who follow their ways. The prophets have
taught us the ways of Solace and cnihthood, and Arkat brought
their truth to us when he liberated us from the Deceiver. For
this we revere him. Yet he betrayed all the truths he brought,
and fell to the lures of darkness and deception.


What is there to do around here?

We work in the days, but in the evenings or after the harvest is
in the barn, there is time to look after yourself. We know many
sports besides those which keep us fit to bear weapons. We like
to wrestle, or we bet on other contests, like horsefighting as
the Volsaxi practice.  Each village can muster a kick-the-ball
team, and before the folkmoot we play out the championship of
the shire.  Whenever we meet in the halls, we sing and boast and
tell stories. When the musicians play, we dance as fits the mood
- martial dances when we are among warriors only, clap-dancing
and other festivities when we celebrate, or even courteous dance
for the occasions when the Ealdorman hosts royal guests.
Boardgames we play are Swords-and-Shields, or the Game of Kings
the Bretwalda introduced.