Jeff: this is my understanding of the matters you've raised. All IMHO, of
course...
PHARAOH:
The Pharaoh may ritually die every year (in the crop ceremonies), but he comes
back in the same body. There's only a new Pharaoh when the current host body
really dies. Mind you, being inhabited by the Pharaoh's spirit seems to use up
bodies pretty fast: they age and deteriorate quickly. So the Tournament isn't
held every year, but only in years when the Pharaoh has recently departed his
body (outside of a recurring ritual context). When it's a ritual, he is fully in
control; we know that Belintar could come back from the dead (though the O.O.O
didn't, until it was too late).
TARSH:
Your analysis of the Tarshites is broadly correct, but ignores the Earth aspects
of their pantheon, which are *very* important. The Earthshaker's Cult is found
in the Tarsh Highlands (roughly equivalent to the green bit on the Dragon Pass
map), and it's Maran Gor and not Orlanth who is found "in all her gory glory"
nearest Wintertop.
All Tarshite tribes and clans have different female roles and role-models than
the traditional Orlanthi we're used to, and this includes everyone in North
Sartar (the pale tan bit north of the Creek on the Dragon Pass map). They are
far more used to being henpecked, downtrodden and bullied by tough women: if
Ernalda is a Mother Goddess, then Maran Gor is the Mother-in-Law Goddess.
Remember Flashman on Afghan women? That's why the Lunar "thin red line" truly
fears being captured by the Exiles...
I'm not even sure that the Old Tarshites use the plough; our Bush Ranger scouts
told us they didn't when we were marching through their lands, but I would not
trust those bandits with my life. Some kind of cult taboo, we thought. I'd be
surprised if Pelora is worshipped in lowland Tarsh, which probably isn't in her
land of Peloria by any ritual standards. Hon-Eel is certainly popular, though!
And the fastidious Dara Happan pantheon (unlike the Lunars) has never sought to
win barbarian converts; it's not that they're failing to make them: they don't
want hairy smelly folk in their temples!
EWF:
I am puzzled by your belief that the EWF wasn't particularly draconic. I don't
see what you gain by this, and am rather attached to what we lose. They had
armies of half-human half-draconic creatures; true dragons; even the mighty Sun
Dragon itself. More than you'd expect from a mere "cabal". Though if you'd say
the Roman Empire was run by a cabal on a hilltop in Rome, then I'll concede to
your terms. Have you read the Glorantha Book (G:CHW) or "King of Sartar" for
accounts of the EWF?
The True Golden Horde was primarily Dara Happan and Carmanian, with their allies
from Saird and elsewhere; there wasn't any Pelorian "power vacuum" filled by
Pentans at the end of the Second Age.
Nick