Re: Lunar Pantheon

From: Sandy Petersen <sandyp_at_idgecko.idsoftware.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 96 10:50:27 -0500


Doug Sim
>I've never been able to find a concise version of the lunar pantheon

The Lunar "pantheon" doesn't work the same way as Orlanth's or similar gods. You don't so much get initiated into a single cult as you become part of the Lunar Way. The major deities worshiped as Lunar include:

ANNILLA: goddess of the Blue Moon. Secretive, tiny cult. Most worshipers are trolls from the Blue Moon Patrol, and are not subjects of the Empire, but allies.

THE SEVEN MOTHERS: they can be worshiped as a group and are, in the frontier areas. They also have individual "cults" (more like clubs or service organizations) within the Empire.

        DANFIVE XARON = the closest thing to a empire-wide police force the Lunars possess. Technically, there are no laws within the Empire, so no need for police. I wonder what these guys are doing.

        DEEZOLA = healers and helpers. A resource used by most other parts of the Empire. Of all the Mothers, her society is closest to a "real" cult.

        IRRIPPI ONTOR = bureaucrats and librarians and researchers. The Memory of the Empire, if you will.

	JAKALEEL THE WITCH = don't ask. Don't tell.
	TEELO NORRI = feed the poor, help at disaster areas. 

	YANAFAL TARNILS = the backbone of the Lunar Army. Just as  
most of your body isn't backbone, so most of the Lunar army aren't YT groupies, but there would be no army without it. Almost all officers worship YT, at least on the side.

ETYRIES: an important goddess of trade.

HON-EEL THE DANCER: a goddess of culture, society, rank, and advancement, and other things.

HWARIN DALTHIPPA: a combination fertility/war goddess. (A typically Lunar combination.)

LUNAR GODDESSES: I believe that every phase of the moon has its own Goddess. So there. I don't think they're considered the most vital deities of the Empire, tho.

RED GODDESS: the dominant religious force of the Empire. But few worship her directly. Still, almost everyone worshipers her indirectly, which is nearly as good.

NYSALOR: not really a god, and not really worshiped. But an important religious figure/emblem nonetheless.

YARA ARANIS: yet another war deity (the Lunar empire's short history has been riddled with wars). She is most important in the Redlands, because she was specially-designed to be most dangerous to the Pent nomads. But she can be found anywhere.

YOUNG ELEMENTALS: Damsel Darkness, Squire Sea, etc. These are philosophical beings whose importance is primarily magical and mystical. But almost all Lunars would know about them, and they have shrines in lots of temples. They are the source of Lunar access to darkness, water, earth, and fire magic. No air deity is represented.

In addition, the old gods that preceded the Lunar Way are still worshiped everywhere they used to be (except for Orlanth, who is replaced by the "tame" air deity Molanni). Thus, you'd find Yelm, Dayzatar, Ourania, and Oslir in the riverlands, with various earth goddesses and gods (and Lodril) in the uplands. Go to Aggar, and you'll see that they worship Ernalda, Heler, etc. Or very similar beings. Carmania is still Malkioni, though the Red Goddess is substituted for the Invisible God.

        Orlanth alone is unable to be incorporated fully into the light of the Goddess, but perhaps his turn, too, will come someday. And of course, there are a few deities outlawed for fine civic reasons (like Storm Bull, the White Moon, Monster Man, and so forth). But these latter in _theory_ could be incorporated. Honest. Orlanth's case is different, because he has been specifically selected as the Last Enemy. His defeat makes symbolic and real the Goddess's domination over all Glorantha. Certainly conquering Orlanth will still leave vast lands untouched by the Goddess -- Kralorela, Pamaltela, Teleos, etc., but their conversion is made inescapable by Orlanth's upcoming demise.

Sandy P.


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