Me>> But I think the Kralori and the Teshnans have their own sources of
>> Iron (the Teshnan army is decked out in iron) so there's no need to
>> posit great big iron caravans rumbling across the wastes.
>There is an Octamonist stronghold around here someway, and it is
>already stated that they threw out all their Diamonds, creatin a
>valley full of the stuff (but guarded by 'orrible stop-animation
>monsters, like in those Arabian Nights stories).
This is actually a damn fine theory of yours. What is stated so far is the Dwarvern conclave of Diamond Mountain is a stronghold of Octamonism.
>This was because
>Octamonists despise Diamond (according to my theories, they see it as
>a flawed attempt to recreate the Adamant extant before the world wars
>- - no Clay being can reach that kind of perfection), but we know
>Octamonists dislike _Iron_ as well! Maybe they threw out all that
>stuff too, or at least abandoned some well-stocked mines (well.
>perhaps with some nasty traps in it) which the humans can access.
I disagree with this bit. IMO (in attempting to give the Teshnan Mostali an eastern flavour) although the dwarves of Teshnos are Octamonists in that they do not have Iron or Diamond Mostali among them, they are not western octamonists.
I think they were made by Soravatoor during the Great Darkness to help get the Wheel of Life moving again. Thus they worship a massive wheel in Diamond Mountain made of the eight minerals (swiped from hellicona) which is continually revolving. Soravatoor fell to earth in the guise of a being made of pure diamond and fought with weapons wrought from Iron*. After smiting whatever demons he found and jumpstarting the Wheel of Life, he passed onwards in a hidden valley that is only accesible to Keeper of Crystal Wisdom.
The Keeper allows pilgrims to enter the valley and reach the tomb of Soravatoor. There after passing several tests, they are allowed to take home either a Diamond or a worked Iron. Hence the Teshnans have ample access to Iron.
The Kralori have defeated some mostali at the battle of Warring Ford in the Imperial Age. I suspect they have enslaved these mostali who provides them with their iron. I believe the mostali to be similarly exotic compared to western mostali.
*I don't consider this to be the only myth of Soravatoor. He's more like Krishna in that he has several incarnations and each time he saves the land of Teshnos from some terrible fate.
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