> Does anybody have any information about Seshnela and the islands around
> there that I could FTP for? I am running a campaign where I'm afraid to
> let the PC's off the boat---I'm afraid they might want to meet the
> people of Seshnela!
Issue #13 of Tales of the Reaching Moon was a "Western Special" including a History of Malkionism (from a Western POV), a full write-up for the Rokari Church of Seshnela, and a bunch of other useful background articles. You can't FTP for it, though: try ordering a copy from your local Reaching Moon Megacorp rep (should still be in stock).
*Somewhere* in the archives of this digest is a companion piece by me, describing the history, theology and organisation of the Chivalric Hrestoli of the Castle Coast, who live west of the modern-day "Kingdom of Seshnela" ("Accursed, usurping Tanisor," as the Castle Coasters would say). If you think you'll need this and really can't find it, ask me and I'll email you a copy sooner or later: I'm working in France and moving house to Docklands in the near future, so normal service may be interrupted.
> How do devout Seshnelans react to Orlanthi and Humakti?
Better than they react to foul, heretical Hrestoli, Arkati, and the like(*). Think of the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine Emperors: nominally Christian Viking mercenaries, employed as the Imperial Bodyguard because they were so far below the theological concerns of the court as to be quite "above" them! My *real* enemies are the people who can confuse MY people and win converts (and destroy souls!): Pagans don't make converts very easily, whereas the vile Arkati, perfidious Hrestoli, notorious Flagellants, corrupted Perfecti and the like are all... hideously plausible. (Even the Guild of Chaos Monks might have some appeal!?).
(*) At least, that's so if your PCs are Orlanthi and Humakti types who need to interact socially with, and/or be employed by, Seshnelans. If your PCs are foreign Malkioni, then a rare spirit of oecumenical unity is in the air -- in this one region, temporarily -- and they're prepared to get along to crush a peculiarly vile Pagan threat.
> How can they have a navy when Dormal is required for open seas... I thought
> I read that the Invisibile God didn't let people worship real - er, false
> gods?
Calling Saint Dormal a "god" is a manifest heresy, brother Hasni. He was a mortal man from the long-sundered bishoprics of the Distant East, who through piety and contemplation discovered those Truths of the Invisible God which permit our valiant sailors to overcome perfidious Zzabur's Curse and once again sail upon the briny deeps. Only the most foolish of Pagans could mistake this mighty man of learning and valour for a "god"! (A full cult write-up for Dormal was in Tales #10, in case you missed it).
> Oh, and just as another note, what types of Lunar presence is there
> in the West? Next to none? I assume that the Red Moon is there
> though... right?
Yes, the Red Moon shines over all, and illuminates them with her Crimson Gaze. In the "Old West" (Seshnela, Tanisor, Arolanit) there is next to no Lunar presence: you might meet the occasional far-travelled merchant/explorer or missionary (by sea from Kethaela or overland through the Kartolin Pass and upland Ralios -- cf. the Dorastor book for a few details on the Lunar Trade Caravans to the West). There is no established Imperial presence (no squads of hoplites, etc.), and it's unlikely these would be present as anything more than guards of honour for peculiarly important delegations. About as frequent and "in-place" as a diplomatic delegation from Byzantium at the court of a Western European mediaeval monarch: it *could* happen, but don't count on it.
In Fronela, a partially-Westernised Lunar church, called the "Arrolian Heresy" by locals, is rapidly gaining ground and making converts. Unfortunately, they're doing so next door to the Kingdom of War. They have no connection to the Lunar Empire (they were founded two centuries ago by a mixture of heretics, refuseniks and refugees), though they worship the same deities (other than Moonson!) and have similar ideals -- perhaps they put these into practice more "perfectly" than the Red Empire itself can manage. The Empire is, however, interested in re-establishing relations (read: tribute!) with its long-sundered children, and rumour has it that the Temples of the Red Goddess may *already* have done so (and are they rendering unto Moonson appropriately?). An Embassy to the Arrolians has recently been mooted, and one Carmanian favorite of Moonson, Artaphaestos by name, is peculiarly keen to lead this diplomatic offensive.
My articles on the Arrolian Lunar Church (and how they have influenced the native Syanoran Church of Malkionism: they hail the "Red Moon Prophetess" and her Seven Saintly Mothers: yet more of these peculiarly able mortals!) were on the Digest a while ago now, and I may do a full-length piece for a future issue of Tales (though don't hold onto your hats: proof-reading the last few articles for the forthcoming Tales #14, the "Praxian Special", is currently taking up a lot of my spare time).
Hey, Hasni: if you like Humakti, the Kingdom of War, the Lunars and the West, why not sail your players on Northwards as soon as possible! There's some lovely ructions going on up there. Just dock at Sog City (a guidebook is available from the Reaching Moon Megacorp, naturally), get past the local Hrestoli Idealists (Tales #13), check out the local scenery (Gloranthan Digests passim), and you're away!
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