Elmal, Shargash, Kitori

        The principle of the eternal recurrence certainly holds true for the = Digest. The once=20
banned subjects of Illumination, Elmal, and the Kitori again grace the = internet. Joerg, I think
it's time to bring up wyters and pantheon initiation.

        Being one of those heretical Seattle farmer-questers running a campaign = in the=20
1300s, I'm afraid Yelmalio is the nearly irrelevant cult for my = campaign. Khelmal, yes,
Yelmalio, no. However, recently Pam gamemastered a Sairdite variant of = the Hill of Gold=20
that might be worth mentioning since the mythic participants included = Khelmal, Orlanth and
Shargash, all teaming up against Zorak Zoran. Unfortunately for the = poor Uz heroquester,
Shargash (Khorvash of Alkoth) was Orlanth's (Boltho of the Ogorvaltes) = enforcer and=20
Khelmel (Merkel of Imther) was a comrade of both of the Thunderers. No = one gained=20
immortality, although I think we got an early spring for our efforts. = Nonetheless, I'm certain that somewhere in Holay there is a small cult = to the Triple Gods of the Hill of Gold.

        In Pam and David's Post Dragonkill Campaign, my character, Boltho = Who-Talks-
With-Trouble has been faced with the dilemna of trying to make sense of = the Pelorian gods
his comrades worship. Khelmal, obviously is a barbaric variant of = Elmal, worshipped by a=20
people who never received the Laws of Heort. Shargash is more = problematic. As explained
to him by Khorvash, Shargash is a Thunderer - so he obviously must be a = brother of Orlanth,
or Boltho reasons. Boltho's current hypothesis (for he is a wise thane) = is that Shargash is
the violent god Vadrus, worshipped by the barbarians of Alkoth - who = again never received
the Laws of Heort and never learned of Vadrus' defeat at the hands of = Orlanth. Still, Boltho
is a wise thane and finds it prudent not to point this out to his good = friend Khorvash.

        Personally, I find it irrelevant whether the Orlanthi identify Shargash = with Vadrus,
with Orlanth (I've had a character in another of Pam's games who is = convinced that Shargash
and Antirius are just aspects of Orlanth), or with the Champion of the = Evil Emperor, except
in that identification reflects the attitude that Orlanthi clan may have = about Alkoth and the
Empire. =20

        As for the Kitori questions, last year Joerg and I put together the = Compromise=20
History of Northern Heortland. If anybody is really interested, maybe = Joerg will post it.

Yours truly,

Jeff Richard