Pelorian speculations

From: Peter Metcalfe <P.Metcalfe_at_student.canterbury.ac.nz>
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 21:39:14 +1200


David Cake:

> The Yelorna cult. This might originate from Jarst or nearby. They
>supposedly have unicorn riding deities.

If there are unicorns in Jarst, it does not mean that Yelorna comes from there. From what I know, the Unicorn Tribe has been in Prax from the earliest times and Yelorna came there from Ralios after the Dawn.

> Polaris - most mentions of this god seem to be from Raibanth, but
>surely it seems more likely to have originated in Yuthuppa? Yuthuppa
>otherwise does not have a war god of any kind.

Polaris is older than Yuthuppa therefore his worship cannot have 'originated' there. Furthermore Polaris was not a war god originally so assigning him to Yuthuppa to give them a war god is nonsensical. Yuthuppa does not have a specialized wargod because Yuthuppa is not that type of City. It is the City of Starseers - the soldiers from there are of below average quality IMO while the real strength of Yuthuppa are the Buserium (Priests). They can call down just about anything under the heavens - Star Captains, Sunspears, Cold Porridge, Light etc. Polaris to them maintains the Order of the Heavens - his priests are in charge of the timetable of sacrifices to the Stars and direct the rituals. If a Yuthuppan wanted to be a soldier, he would worship Yelm.

IMO the cult of Polaris as a wargod really exists outside Yuthuppa because it was imported from there to bring some semblence of order to the Army. Even then, a Polaris worshipper does not get his hands dirty but stands at the command post and gives out orders.

>Yelm can occupy a
>similar position, but has the twin disadvantages of not being open to
>anyone outside the noble families and even for those in the noble families
>giving pretty poor access to magic until you reach Imperator or Elder
>status (which, requiring as it does getting to Sun Lord first, is pretty
>hard).

What are you talking about? There are non-noble families who worship Yelm and most of the Urbans of Dara Happa are members of Yelm the Youth at the least. The Nobles are a _select_ group of Yelm Worshippers in that they are closer to him than the plebs. Think of how political power was held by the Patricians of Early Republican Rome because certain offices were restricted to them.

As for lousy magic, one merely has to get to archer status and then one gets access to more spirit magic than Orlanth frex. If one is really desperate to become Imperator, he could always purchase a noble office IMHO.

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