> The Basmoli Berserkers of Prax are about the only real Basmoli in
> Genertela that we know of.
I agree with your analysis of their traits, but wonder if you are missing sources? Cf. Genertela Book p.70 for Basim, in Ralios: "The region of the Sandrya tribe. Its ruling family is the Basmol clan, who trace descent from the lion god himself." ... sounds 'real' to me.
Two other instances you may not be aware of (or maybe you knew they were there but dismissed them as 'uncanonical'):
In my Carmanian researches, I discovered that some Basmoli survived the wars against the lion kingdoms of Seshnela (won by Hrestol's folk at the Dawning). They mustered as mercenaries in support of Arkat's wars against the Telmori, who ruled a kingdom on both sides of the High Pass between Ralios and Fronela (now called the High Llama Pass, though I believe its old name was the Wolves' Pass). A bunch of them joined Talor the Laughing Warrior when Arkat went East (leaving the final defeat of the Wolf-Lords for his Fronelan allies to complete). These were significant in the army of Loskalm until the Middle Sea Empire expelled Syranthir Forefront and his Ten Thousand from that kingdom. Their descendents were prominent in the formation of the first Carmanian Empire.
Also, when I visited Wenelia, I discovered that the locals are 'hsunchen' (animal-totemic) people, but do not live in the 'single-species' groups found elsewhere. So the Solanthi tribe includes clansmen of Wolf and Fox and Badger and Deer and, yes, Lion. Where did you think Greymane gets his name from? The affiliation is somewhere betwixt and between: Wenelians of the Lion clan have more feline attributes than Alynx Clansmen of Sartar, but less than, say, Praxian Basmoli would possess. It's uncommon for them to transform bodily, for example, though it is known. The Wenelians are also interesting in that their ancestral, tribal totemism coexists with worship of a pantheon of Storm and Forest deities: Vorlan the Storm God, Oak Woman, Mani and Wendel: this may be similar to the Fronelan Rathori adoption of (or evolution towards) Orlanthi religion.
> The Malkioni use this calender, and they are really into Theist
> constructs as we all know! <G>
The ubiquity of the ST calendar makes it look like a God Learner (thus Malkioni) construct. The coincidence that Hrestol brings back the Light of Faith to the world in the year the God Learners identify as having the First Sunrise may be merely coincidence... but I doubt it! Dara Happan records make your presumed "universality" of the First Sunrise rather a moot point.
> The Wane calender seems to be a Lunar missionary propaganda device to
> emphasize the worship of the Red Moon among the Theyalan barbarians
> (even if as Nick says they are hairy and smelly).
No, it's real, and magical! But the *Lunars* don't mind missionary work among hairy barbarians -- far from it! Those Moonies are always making converts. It's only the fastidious *Dara Happans* who shun contact with the unwashed, uncouth outlanders.
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