or
`Meldek!'
Thanks to Nick Effingham for inspiration around the origins of an unusual branch of sorcery/mysticism.
There is sorcery in the Orlanthi pantheon. The questions arise as to where it originated, how is it maintained, and exactly what style of sorcery is it? Also, how does it survive in the face of widespread anti-sorceror superstition, and how can it be compatible with use of Spirit and Rune magics? Meldek is the Sartarite word for `sorceror'. It literally means `empty one'. There are few sorcerors in Sartar and Prax, at least few that are known. These days the majority of those that fit the usual definition of a sorceror are under the employ and/or protection of the Lunar Empire, and are officially commanded to keep a low profile when not on active duty. Of the other sorcerors there are four groups:
itinerant sorcerors attached to adventuring groups, who may be
from any sorcery background, trolls who worship Arkat and use
sorcery, the followers of the Spider Goddess, a Stygian Heresy
based in some city-states in Ralios, and in Safelstar, the focus
of this piece exiled sorcerors from any culture, who take
residence in a large city under the patronage of its ruler or
some other power group.
>From time to time various other individuals may learn a little sorcery
from one source or another, earn someone's mistrust, and gain the
title Meldek. However these have little skill or power, being not
privy to any consistent, quality teaching, and therefore are not
considered by this piece.
Meldeks amongst the Orlanthi.
Over time some unusual sorcerors have become part and parcel of regular Orlanthi culture, albeit a small and little known part, especially in the tribes with no urban structure. It has been inevitable that they have taught some of their skills to members of the Lightbringers Cults. Most specifically some Chalana Arroy Priestesses have traditionally learned some sorcery. Ambitious members of Issaries have also made use of these extra abilities. It is a big temptation for them because this sorcery is unique in its compatability with Spirit Magic Cults. Use of this sorcery does not affect one's skills in any way. Other cults within the Lightbringers traditionally steer clear of all sorcery, which does not mean that certain individuals have not availed themselves of it. With the sorcery, as with the very prescence of these particular Meldeks, comes the gentle but convincing message of Ginna Jar - be at peace with nature and your neighbours, there is strength in diversity and co-operation, and there is evil in forcing your own way on people as an absolute truth.
A Short Treatise on the link between Cults, Malkionism and Arachne Solara
Malkionism is the title of the worship of the Invisible God. Few know that is actually a corruption of the worship of Arachne Solara, Spider Goddess whose web holds the world together, and who gave birth to Time as a result of the Gods Compromise. In the initial part of the compromise, Arachne Solara (in her guise as Ginna Jar) formed an oath with the members of the Lightbringers Quest. This enabled the Quest to continue and eventually succeed. As part of the Gods Compromise, Arachne Solara stayed outside of Time in order to anchor the Web of the Compromise holding the world together, and to stand watch over the acts of the Gods. This means that she is unable to be worshipped and communed with in the normal ways.
Therefore, the Lightbringers linked with Arachne Solara, each including her as a sub-cult of their own. This was the only way to channel worshippers to her, and their main points of contact were, and remain, through travel on the Spirit Plane, and relayed through the Lightbringer Gods. For a long time this was adequate, and Arachne Solara supported active worshippers, drawn from these other cults. However, inevitably such worship dwindled as Arachne Solara sacrificed what little influence she had, righting the wrongs of the world. The final setback was the dual disintegration of the Empires of the God Learners and the Wyrms' Friends. The resulting upheavals and changes in history almost wiped out her worship once and for all.
In the areas following the Invisible God, the direct worship of Arachne Solara was also subsumed by Malkionism, however it has been kept alive and active throughout the centuries as part of a sub-cult of St. Orlanth. This sub cult believes itself to be the purest of all branches of Malkionism because it acknowledges the original identity of their God, who is in fact a Goddess. This gives them a unique viewpoint amongst the Malkioni, even amongst other Stygian Heretics, seeing their Goddess as the original head of all the world's pantheons, rathr than an entity standing apart from them. The worship of Arachne Solara in Glorantha is now rare, widespread and separated. One strength remaining to her followers is that all branches of her worship are effectively the same cult, and it is the duty of all worshippers to aid each other if the opportunity arises. All cultists must stand together to promote the will of Arachne Solara. The Spider Goddess stands for cultural harmony, understanding and acceptance, the repression of Chaos, and the preservation of nature.
Recent History
The spread of the Lunar Empire has revived worship in two regular cult aspects of Arachne Solara: "Greatest of Greater Gods", who may be reached by Shamans and HeroQuesters; and "Joiner, Interpreter and Mediator", the Lightbringer subcult, and of Deezola. Both are suppressed by the Empire, but still exist. Rune level worshippers of the "Joiner" form a small but influential behind-the-scenes power group that strethces across the Lunar Empire and Dragon Pass, into Balazar, the Holy Country, and (through its links with the Stygian worship of Ginna Jar) Ralios.
In Dragon Pass, the Cult of Arachne Solara "Joiner" never quite died out. HeroQuesters, and occasional returnees from the HeroPlane, popped up from time to time as her worshippers. Because all the various cults of Arachne Solara are actually the same, cult relations with the Stygian Heretics worshipping the Ginna Jar aspect were maintained. Amongst normal superstitious Orlanthi, such sorcerors, and sorcery using cultists, were seen with suspicion, however they played their part in the world, passing on Arachne Solara's sorcery and philosophy to those who could and would accept it. Most accepting of this sorcery have been the Chalana Arroy priestesses who found that it matched their ideals well.
To the average non-urban Orlanthi, both sets of mystics (the Lightbringer cultists and the followers of St. Orlanth) are Meldek. This means they are not acceptable as part of the established world view and something to be mistrusted. Behind the scenes a selection of Priests, and the mystics themselves, are working to alleviate this mistrust, but it is a long process.
The Stygian Heretics
The most common association of the word Meldek is with this faction of the Stygian Heretics. This is because these are the only coherent group of foreign sorcerors associated with Orlanthi culture and history.
Normal Malkioni are followers of the Invisible God, through the restored teachings of the Great Prophet Malkion. Not only is this `Malkionism' as it is known, a gross distortion of the original worship of the Invisible God, but also over the ages, Malkionism itself has split into many different branches. Most notable amongst these are the immortal Brithini, the Borists, the Galvosti, the Hrestoli, the Rokari, and the Stygian Heretics. The Stygian Heretics are a range of different groups that vary widely in their approach to worship. However, they all combine the worship of the Invisible God with the acceptance that other Gods are also real and have power (albeit subservient to the Invisible God). Members of some of these cults are permitted not only to worship Saints, but also these lesser Gods. Stygian Heretics almost approach cosmopolitanism in some of their branches. Perhaps it is not surprising that more than one aspect of the Stygian Heresies comes close to the world view of some of the other Gloranthan Pantheons.
Arkat Chaosbane
Another cult worshipped by Stygian Heretics is worth mentioning, before we move on. The members of this cult are devout and dedicated destroyers of Chaos, and is one of the branches of Arkat's cult that combines minor sorcery with Spirit Magic. The cult uses any and all methods to combat Chaos, including in a few areas working alongside the Lunar Empire to eradicate unlawful Chaotics. In Dorastor this cult comes into frequent contact with Orlanthi, and are respected as Chaos Foes. Even limited as they are, this cult's relations with the Lunars still mark them for suspicion, and those of the cult who specialise in sorcery are labelled Meldeks behind their backs.
St. Orlanth
In Ralios and Safelstar some of the Stygian Heretics follow this model of worship: Above all is the Creator, the Invisible God, and beneath him are various Saints, an important one of which is St. Orlanth. St. Orlanth was appointed King of the Gods by the Creator, and, despite several mistakes, performed bravely for his Lord and was rewarded with immortality. Stygians who support St. Orlanth as a prominent Saint have a great many affinities with more regular Orlanthi, such as Sartarites, but relations are strained and distant because regular Orlanthi distrust sorcery so much.
The cult of St. Orlanth, supports several sub-cults, the main ones being Thunderous, Four Weapons, Rex, and Lightbringer. Orlanth Thunderous is worshipped by the Wizard Caste, Four Weapons by the Warrior Caste, Rex by nobles, Kings and poets, and Orlanth Lightbringer is a special case, and the main focus of this piece.
This type of mystic sorceror could be described as bing midway between the strict Malkionic worshipper and the non-aligned pagan sorceror. The Pagan Sorceror owes no allegiance to any deity, and the followers of Malkion are enslaved to their Lord and Master. The mystic sorcerors of Ginna Jar have passed through the strict tenets of Malkionism to the source of creation, and thus found freedom. Rather than taking Vows, as the Malkioni, or pursuing tests of inner resolve, as the Pagan Sorceror, the mystic follower of Ginna Jar gains psyhic sorecery known as Resonances. These are of a set duration and intensity, modified byt eh mystic's Power, rather than spells with manipulable properties.
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