Praxians in Peloria and Making New Gods.

From: Peter Metcalfe <P.Metcalfe_at_student.canterbury.ac.nz>
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 11:19:58 +1300


Joerg Baumgartner:

Joerg answers Tim Ellis's question about why Lunar Nobles appear to wearing Praxian Dress as the latest fashion.

>Only the Sable People who took residence upon the barren Hungry Plateau
>managed to maintain their nomadic Praxian way of life to some extent
>(part of them have become civilised as well, but are sent back to the
>plain for a season a year, or so, not to lose touch with their roots).

Every one of them? I think that the Sable Clan folk that become warriors are sent to the Boot Camp on top of the Hungry Plateau. Besides the Hungry Plateau seems to have been given to all the Animal Nations of Prax after the battle of Argentium Th'rile. Wahnakar is cited as being the Khan of Khans of the Bison nation of the Hungry Plateau as well as governer of Kostaddi. I suspect the Sable Nation manage to off the other Animal Nations (over the edge of the plateau) before their conversion to the ways of the Red Moon.

>The Bison riders were absorbed by the Pelorian nobility rather quickly

Not sure about this. The Bison Lords are mentioned as being 'expelled forever' by Ordanestyu in the Elmexdros Rolls forever. Vorwaha Bisonlord is mentioned as sacking Lakrene for Arkat in Dorastor:LoD. It looks like the old Dara Happanized Bison Riders got their come-uppance by the Fresh Troops brought in by Arkat.

>- - while the Pelorian Praxians' representative at the Broken Council
>(freeform) apparently still was aware of his origins etc, he appeared
>as a Dara Happan provincial gouvernor. He was not yet a Yelm cultist,
>but a worshipper of Pole Star.

Arraz as stated by Shannon Appel. The whole status of Polaris is quite weird around this time. Polaris is mentioned in the Elmexdros rolls as being 'prepared' by Ordanestyu to administer the army yet it is not listed as a son of Dayzatar in Ordanestyu's List of the Twenty! Since the List also identifies Arraz as Lightfore(!), I'm getting the impression that (perhaps as a result of the Sunstop - the Glorious ReAppearance of Dayzatar), the Yuthuppan Starseers realized that the Star they called Arraz was actually Dayzatar's Eye and as a result, Polaris, Arraz and Lightfore are all playing musical chairs at this time. Polaris eventually becomes conglated with Arraz and Lightfore is recognized as the Sunpath planet.

The possibility does exist that I'm completely wrong. But I have no way of knowing for sure until I see the Perfect Sky (due to be released in the next edition of the GRAY).

>I have no idea what happened to eventually remaining Impalas or High
>Llamas, and there seem to be no Morokanth in Peloria after Argentium
>Thri'ile. Weren't they Council allies, or why?

Well we know the Plateau is the only place where their steeds can thrive. Elsewhere they favour competition from Horses.

I don't think the Morokanth were ever hired by the World Council. The Rhino Tribe was one of the Five Main Tribes include the Rhino and the Morokanth are noted as one of the exotic tribes (along with Newtlings, Elephantfolk, baboons and Agimori). Furthermore the World council has some bias towards Storm Worshipping Humans. Since the Morokanth have no kindred upon the World Council of Friends, they get the short end of the stick.

Robert Mcarthur:


Upon matters of making new gods, I had said:

>> Cult reprisals? I don't see any cult prohibiting the manufacture of a new
>> god. And even if it were prohibited, people go apostate for less. As for
>> their possible motives, let see:

Robert replys:

>I can certainly see Gods not wanting it! Firstly, they lose worshippers and
>thus power (small 'p' and capital 'P'). For example, the fight between the
>Red upstart and valorous Orlanth (:-) is a fight for middle air - in general,
>Gods aren't known for sharing things. I'm sure that, for one, Humakt isn't
>thrilled with the idea of another god of Death around...Irripi Ontor: if two
>peoples are searching for knowledge in the world, there's less for one people
>to find (first) so I don't think Llankhor Mhy love IO.

And I suppose Khordavu and the rest of the Ten Princes had to suffer cult reprisals from Antirius from trying to bring about the ReAscent of Yelm? Ditto for the particpants of the Broken Council? We know the Dragonfriend Orlanthi didn't suffer any piles for trying to bring about the Grand Dragon. Would Waha and Storm Bull get upset if some Praxian Shaman had found a way to resurrect Genert and was going to do so?

It's just that I objected to Cult reprisals as being a major bugaboo. These take either of two things: Political action from the conservatives, or taboo breaking. Political action is nothing new and hardly means that your god is angry with you. Taboo-breaking is grossly offending the tenents of the god and even so

>Secondly, _maybe_ the Gods understand the state of Nysalor/Gbaji and just
>what the hell happened esp. with Arkat. All the lightbringers, at least, are
>sworn to fight chaos (hmmm, Chalana Arroy? maybe not fight as such...). The
>creation of a Goddess, outside the cosmic compromise, is a) likely to let chaos
>into the world (look, it has - the Bat); and b) this particular Goddess is
>illuminated (if the other Gods know what _this_ means) and is different to
>every single one of them. Not many people can handle such a difference to
>the status quo happily.

For starters, Yelm is Illuminated. Consequently I don't think he cares. Nor do the Dara Happans have a myth about the Cosmic Compromise. Just because the Orlanthi say such an article exists in the Cosmic Compromise does not mean it is a universal truth. The God Learners have wrecked worse abuses upon the Cosmic Compromise. With regards to the charge of making new gods, I could cite Wachaza, Caladra and Aurelion etc. All which are still good cults and were not worshipped at the Dawn.

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