Re: Dara Happans in Sun County

From: David Gadbois <gadbois_at_cs.utexas.edu>
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 17:27:49 -0600


Joseph Christopher Wehman asks about Dara Happan Yelmites in Sun County. I know of only 13 Yelm worshippers in Prax and the Wastes. All but one are immigrants. I have not heard of any in Sun County -- do fill us in.

In Pavis:

Count Elled Jenaro, of Ulifilas. Chief Magistrate of Military District 47. Priest of Yelm the Elder.

Joranor the Wary, of Good Shore. Deputy Commissar of Military District 47. Priest of Danfive Xaron, initiate of the Red Goddess and Yelm the Warrior. Agent of the Red Claw. Gimgim the Grim's worst nightmare.

Darius Elibus, of Alkoth. A Lunar bureaucrat in the Ministry of Culture and Commerce. Initiate of Yelm the Youth and Etyries. He is currently attached to Sor-Eel's staff.

Boral Khaible, of Yuthuppa. Junior Triarch of the Silver Shields. Initiate of Yelm the Warrior and Yanafal Tarnils. He is the agent-in-place for the Sun Network intelligence ring.

Luxus Alkos, of Raibanth. 2nd Lieutenant of the Marble Phalanx. Initiate of Yelm the Warrior and the Red Emperor. He is also active in the Red Army Faction.

Trantor Eiskolli, of the Eiskolli family of Pavis. Pavis deputy administrator. Recent initiate of Yelm the Youth and initiate of Pavis and Zola Fel.

Wanthan Nikapatis, of Raibanth. A trader. Initiate of Yelm the Youth and Lokarnos.

Sarenth Vrim, of Alkoth. A young noble touring the known world. Initiate of Yelm the Youth.

At Red Cliff Domain:

Gen. Solthip Vash (ret), of the Vash family of Yuthuppa, Count of the Red Cliff Domain of Prax, priest of Yelm Imperator, initiate of Yuthu and the Red Emperor, formerly lieutenant commander of the 81st Yuthippan Peltasts, formerly commander of the Third Imperial Logistics Division.

Markus Vash, of Yuthuppa. Solthip Vash's son. Initiate of Yelm the Warrior and Irripi Ontor.

Velus Khonos, of Yuthuppa. Solthip Vash's secretary. Initiate of Yelm the Warrior.

In the Wastes:

Ested Khorvesh, of Darleep. A roving scholar studying Solar ruins on the Plateau of Statues. Initiate of Yelm the Warrior and priest of Irrippi Ontor. He has recently returned from Kralorela with a most curious artifact, a gift originally from the Empire of the Wyrms friends to the False Dragon Ring.

Maniman Ulifil, of Darleep. Ested's assistant. Initiate of Yelm the Warrior and Irrippi Ontor.

Others:

Various female compatriots of these men are initiates of Dendara. Elled Jenaro's wife is a priestess. There are a few initiates of related cults, such as Dazatar monk accompanying the scholar, but not very many.

The two main centers of Yelm worship are in Pavis (led by Elled Jenaro) and at the Red Cliff Domain (led by Solthip Vash.) At each site, there are about a hundred Yelmalians and a few others who participate in the rites as lay members.

The Yelmalians are not considered Yelmites, though, since membership is a matter of ancestry. One has to trace one's lineage back to one of the Seven Families, and thence to Yelm Himself, in order to be a member.

Note that, thanks to Trantor Eiskolli, much of the Eiskolli family of Pavis has been proved to be descendants of one of the Seven Families, and so are eligible to become initiated. Trantor is the first one to have done so. Also, a few members of the Patroma family are eligible due to a recent marriage back in the Empire. (Ancestry for the Dara Happans is a mythical rather than a biological thing, so every marriage changes the picture in complicated way. A popular pastime in the Triopolis is speculating about the consequences of potential marriages.)

(There is a curious custom among the Dara Happan lower classes called "going for Yelm," that is, pretending to have the proper Yelmic ancestry. In the past, this was a pretty rare phenomenon. Given the pronounced physical differences between the nobility and the lower classes, fakers were pretty easy to spot. However, several hundred years of secret Lunar breeding programs have reduced the differences, and so there are more peasants going for Yelm and getting away with it. A kind of Dart Competition in the Triopolis is to attempt to prove the ignoble ancestry of enemies. There have been several cases where entire large families have been cast out of high society by this means.)

Relations with the Yelmalians:

I do not think any of the Yelmites are bothered, or even care about, the Yelmalians' theology. After all, the Yelmites know that the only sons of Yelm are Vrimak, Antirius, Bakos, Arashagern, Enverimus, Bijiif, and Murharzarm. Note that Yelmalio does not appear in the list, so the Sun Domers must be deluded. Typical peasants.

Elled Jenaro is fairly pragmatic about the relationship between Yelm and the Yelmalians. He sees the locals as dangerous peasant who, given the circumstances, must be treated cautiously.

Solthip Vash, on the other hand, is a recent arrival (1620) and does not fully understand the cultural landscape. He thinks that the Sun County are just like the Pelorian Lodrilite peasants, and is attempting to use, abuse, and generally lord over them. Count Solanthos Ironpike will be setting him straight shortly.

Yelm as ancetor worship:

Worship of Yelm *is* ancestor worship: All of the members trace their ancestry back to Yelm. There are two major differences between the Yelmites and, say, Daka Fal worshippers. One is that Yelmites distant ancestors were entities on the God Plane and so can only be interacted with in a highly stylized manner. Another is that there are a number of curious stretches of history where ancestors who should be there don't show up for the ceremonies....

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