Agreed - New Pelorian is an empire wide tradetalk, probably based largely on Torangi, (the birthplace of the goddess), and the dialect of Dara Happan spoken around Raibanth, with many words borrowed from Darjiian, Pelandan, and the Theyalan languages of Saird. I somehow doubt it is a language of poets with a rich oral tradition.
In my empire-based campaign, the Alkothi PC's all took New Pelorian as a second language. They are much more proficient in Dara Happan, and, except fot the Lunar initiate, consider uttering New Pelorian a regrettable necessity, to be avoided if possible.
GL's and ELEMENTAL CULTS
Lemens, Chris:
> Here's a problem: according to monomyth, Yelm was slain by Orlanth, which
caused the lesser dankness, which caused the greater
darkness in which the Spike exploded, which ended up in the Dawn with
the yellow sun rising. At which point did the red and blue components
get separated from the rest?
Don't look to the monomyth for your answer. Interactions between Yelm and the Red & White Moons belong to Pelorian mythology, not Manirian.
> We know the blue moon goddess' role in the seven mothers quest, but why
would Yelm not have likewise assisted?
The Seven Mothers were probably using an Orlanthi ritual to slay the evil emperor (the Carmanian Shah), and a Shargashi ritual to retrieve the good dead from the underworld (Nysalor/Verithurusa). Yelm's part would have been to meet them in the Hall of the Bright Dead and release their prize. I'm not sure if that's part of the Seven Mother's quest or not. Nick Brooke's your man for that one...
>How would a solar explain it?
Probably that Yelm returned his daughter, Verithurusa, who returned to lead the new way as the Red Moon goddess. (A solar who was comfortable with Lunar philosophy, anyway.)
>Perhaps the unification of the sun gods was another incomplete GL project.
Likely due to the fact that the GL's never got to Peloria, Land of the Many Confusing Suns. Where the GL's lived, they encountered only Elmal.
> "Ernalda" seems awfully far spread for an earth mother figure. I see
nothing that I could chalk up to the GLs for earth.
Meaning that it's strange that all the earth mothers are called "Ernalda"? But they aren't, really. She's called "Ralia" in Ralios, and "Oria" in Peloria. (FS mentions "Remalada" as a foreign goddess.) The earth mother is called Ernalda from Holay to Esrolia, in Theyalan lands.
Old theory held that the GL's combined the six subcults of Ernalda from various other cults. But since the Entekosiad came out, with its tripartite earth goddesses for different age groups, the Ernalda cult's origins may be in Peloria. (There was some interaction between Theyalans and Pelorians before the Godlearners.) There is even a tripartite earth god from somewhere near Rhinliddi.
OTOH, I don't think the simlarity of earth cults across cultures, (or storm cults, for that matter), has to imply that these cults were somehow tied together by past humans. Strong elements like earth, storm, sun, and water have common elements and themes, especially in a mytical/magical world like Glorantha. Don't rule out parallel evolution.
>One question is what was their [GL's] ultimate goal?
Wasn't it to blend similar cults, so they could manipulate the divine powers behind them for their own benefits. To rearrange the godplane?
Pam
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