Loren Miller and Nick Brooke have a yak about Carmanian worship.
PELANDANS:
LM>Pelandans, I believe, are mostly worshippers of an Earth pantheon of
>deities (Pela, Voria, Maran Gor, Lodrilio [little Lodril], etc).
The Pelandan cults would worship similar goddesses to those named (with the exception of Pela). Thus they would worship Oria the Earth Mother, Denegeria instead of Voria, Bosjerina instead of Maran Gor, the Ugly Old Woman as the Crone etc. I don't see why the Pelandans should worship Lodrilio when Lodril himself is just as appropiate.
BINDLERS:
NB>BINDLE, on the Sweet Sea, was in ancient times a centre for the
>followers of YarGan (cf. Tales #13).
YarGan actually worships Erstoro, who appears to be the same dude as GanEstoro/Ganesatarus. I think the Bindle worship of Erstoro has a very watery focus as the caves to which they congregate are waterlogged.
I've a feeling that YarGan's cult actually filfulls a Gorgorma-like cult role, (ie if the Bindlers are persecuted too hard, then they start worshipping YarGan and revolting). His worshippers IMO have a special cult magic that allows them to manifest a maw in their stomach (cf the GRAY and the FS where YarGan is called the Abominable).
I think the Blue Folk actually live among the Bindlers for the most part. They have intermixed with the Pelandrans to such a degree that their skin color is the same as the Pelandans. However some folks might have skin that slowly turns blue once they grow older. To be avoid being hunted down by the authorities, they retire to the murky deeps and take up the worship of YarGan and Erstoro.
SPOLITES:
NB>Their women worship Xentha and Xiola Umbar, and many of them wear a
>concealing black garment which leaves nothing except the eyes visible
>(Yolanela does not do so, although her daughters may).
The Night Goddess worshipped by women would actually be Netta as she is from the area. Since the GRAY does mention her as one of the Other Gods brought to Yelm, I believe that her cult looks like a combination of Xentha and Xiola Umbar. XU was the goddess worshipped by the Dara Happan heresy (and was probably gained from the Yolp Mountains). Mind you this is the _pleasant_ side of Spolite witchery. They have far nastier goddess to worship like Annara Gor when they're in a bad mood.
The chief god of the Spolites (and Lord of the Lie) is Ganesatarus. I think this is originally was the God Estoro from the Gan hills (in modern day Western Eol - north of Spol) and simply was a Cthonic God of sorts. Due to the Glooming of the Spolite Cults in order to overcome Dara Happa, it's developed into a Subere cult (although viewed as male). However the original cultic rites are still used (leaving sacrifices in the Caves and all that).
WORLANI:
LM>I suspect they have had to worship a truncated storm pantheon for a
>while, perhaps with Barntar or Elmal or my buddy Minlister at the
>head of the pantheon.
NB>Origin of the last, bull-worshipping dynasty of Shahs [...] I am
>certain it isn't occupied by cookie-cutter stock Orlanthi. In
>particular, their religion is derived from that of Bisos and Eses,
>the Bull Father and Cow Mother.
The Worion are Uroxi rather than Orlanthi. While Bisos was the bull god of old here; the Bullgods Tavar and Urox are also found in Worion. The focus of these bull cults were originally Fertility but gained a stormy focus later on.
JHOR:
NB> A local version of the cult of Maran Gor is popular [in Jhor]
>(though it hardly resembles the God Learner write-up, being concerned
>less with earth-shaking and -blasting magics than with the virtues
>that accrue by surviving in a harsh land).
I think the name of this goddess is BosErina and is known in Dara Happa as the Bad Sister.
CARMANIANS:
NB>Vizier Irrippi Ontor, Lhankor Mhy, Atyar, Ikadz,
>"Wizards" the Red Goddess, Subere, Valind, Dayzatar,
> unaligned Sorcery unaligned Sorcery
Rather than Dayzatar, I would have Zrethus (imported by the Carmanians). Dayzatar is very aloof and difficult to worship for run-of-the-mill Vizers IMO. They would find it much easier to become a Magi and worship Idovanus instead. I suspect Jakaleel the Witch is also worshipped by some female vizirs (being a useful Lunar counterpart to Subere).
Loren Miller:
Apropos of Carmanian Justice:
>I believe that the caste law courts have vizirs acting as legal
>counsel with a karmanos acting as judge.
This is the adverserial system. I think the Western tradition of the Carmanians means that they prefer the inquisitorial system instead (the rules of strict logic applied without mercy by an 'impartial' observer).
Rather than having the Carmanos as Judge, I think the petitions and accusations are delivered to the Carmanos. He then appoints a Vizier or a comission of viziers to ascertain the truth. They question everybody, examine the evidence, make divinations and take bribes and then make a written report to the Carmanos. For low-grade scum (ie thieves, highwayman etc), the vizier merely draws up a 'confession' with sundry details 'fitted' in to save time. The Carmanos then acts on the report and passes judgement. The defendant, accused and/or plantiffs may not be present when the judgement is issued depending on how high their status is. A condemned robber may not find out the judgement until he has been taken to the place of execution and has the judgement pronouced. Whereas a high-level judgement over a land dispute between two houses may be formally read out in Court.
Lunar Courts are conducted according to Dara Happan standards IMO. I think ten jurors and a judge are used, being more like the Roman Law Court used in the Trial of Verres etc. (The Heartlands equivalent of the lower courts is probably on the Athenian model IMO - - 100 jurors, very rowdy, mostly old men living off jury pay and a tenth is probably senile).
Joerg Baumgartner:
In the discussion about Iron Age Lifespans:
>No, rather like "by age 35 you will have lost most of your teeth,
>strength, etc.
This is generally a consequence of poor nutrition which is more likely to be found among poor farmers rather than the rich noblity. It's undoubtedly excabarated by bad years of farming which does nothing for one's bodily health. I don't think it is universal for all people in the culture (especially adventurers who tend to suffer from an overdose of iron rather than a deficiency).
If I were to simulate it, I would award an aging roll every time a farmer, say, has a less than good year and falls below some minimal nutritional level rather than assume everybody suffers it uniformly.
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