For all of the folk who have the Lunar Empire summarily outlawing and suppressing the cult of Orlanth in Tarsh and Sartar, I have a couple of questions.
First, how do you think the Empire accomplished this? Did they pass a little law in Glamour, which the clans and tribes of Dragon Pass, being fabled for their prompt obedience to Dara Happan edicts, immediately obeyed. "Every man since the Dawn of Time has come to adulthood through the rites of Orlanth and the Second Son, but there's a new law now so we better stop it."
Or do you think that the army enforces the decree. With twenty-five tribes, four cities, three intra-tribal cults and probably around two hundred clans, that would be a very sizable undertaking, requiring a very dangerous dispersion of troops. Remember the entire lunar army is around 50,000-100,000 depending on how you count it. Is the Empire really going to allocate a third of that just to watch barbarian shrines?
Second, how do you deal with source material like KoS p.145. Starbrow's Rebellion began in response to an Imperial Army attempt to pillage an active intratribal temple to Orlanth. If the Lunars hadn't even suppressed intra-tribal cults of Orlanth, what makes people think that they have banned tribal and clan worship of Orlanth?
Personally, I think the Orlanth cult is alive not only in Sartar, but Tarsh, Holay and Aggar during the years of Lunar dominance. The Storm Voices and Wind Lords aren't necessarily happy with the tribal kings sucking up to foreigners and ignoring them, but that doesn't mean that the cult is outlawed.
Even in Pavis - a more easily controlled environment than Sartar - the Lunars don't ban Orlanth worship. They just have their client, Faltikus, installed as high priest.
Of course, Mr. Boatwright will probably eloquently inform me that I'm wrong or make an ever so witty personal attack.
Jeff
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