>Molanni is not an Orlanthi Goddess. She comes from Saird and is the
>daughter of Vadrus. She was significant enough to be depicted as
>attending the Emperor's coronation on the Gods Wall.
Where? She doesn't appear on the Gods Wall as Molanni (I just checked in the first edition, and I don't recall her in the second either). In the 1st edition of GRaY she appears only at the Wedding Contest.
I have no quarrel with her coming from Saird. Then from Saird knowledge of her spreads. First the Dara Happans (inc. Plentonius) learn of her, don't know much, but write her into a myth or two anyway, in a fairly neutral role.
Then a little later, at the time of the First Council, when people are comparing myths and such, the Orlanthi learn of her, and fit her into their mythology (its important that their worshippers know of her, otherwise they might just assume 'air goddess, must be on our side' - they need to be warned). The Dara Happans also learn of her and identify her with their goddess Entekos (herself adopted from Pelandan myth, and considerably demoted in importance at the same time). Originally she is a very minor figure, but is gradually upgraded in mythic importance as the Dara Happan and Sairdic religions interact, until eventually she is an important servitor of Yelm, and acknowledged as such by the Yelm cult.
>She is viewed
>as a Traitor by the Orlanthi because she is an air goddess on the
>_other_ side.
Sounds reasonable, though where does this 'Molanni and Yelm give birth to Daga' myth come from? Or is that just a later convenient framing of two known enemies? (In any case, its a working myth in my game, even if the Dara Happans traditionalists would shriek in horror).
I started to write something equating drought with the Bleak Period and comparing the roles of Entekos and Yelm, but then I gave up - the bleak period and drought may both be famine, but the bleak period was about the abscence of sun, drought is about too much. I think the Dara Happans just think drought is about Entekos (and all the other fertility deities) obediently withdrawing their bounty because Yelm is angered.
>IMO, "Molanni" is a relatively recent (First Age and later), Orlanthi
>invention to explain (and contact?) Entekos. I doubt the Eastern Orlanthi
>encountered Entekos before the World Council. And Greg has suggested that
>the Orlanthi might equate Shargash with Vadrus - a hostile stormgod. Don't
>they think of Molanni as a daughter of Vadrus?
If Peter thinks she is from Saird, I see no reason to disagree. But I am with you on her being a relatively recent addition to Orlanthi myth, pretty much inserted at the time of the First Council to explain the air worshippers among their enemies. I like Shargash as Vadrus.... heroquesting Orlanthi might become very unhappy with that particular identification... he he he.
>Best of luck to your Molanni PC
Nah. She's an NPC, and a villain. Social climber willing to cooperate with all sorts of Lunar perfidy in order to get the Yelm cult. I won't go into the details of what sort of perfidy because my most important player reads this digest (hi Martin), but the really smart might be able to work some of it out.
Cheers
David
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