Orlanthi in Ralios from Richard, Jeff on 1999-02-03 (Glorantha Digest Vol 06)

From: Richard, Jeff <Jeff.Richard_at_metrokc.gov>
Date: Tue, 2 Feb 1999 16:36:08 -0800

Morgan writes:
>Yes, I realize that this is actually Greg's fault, bne thing I've frankly
>NEVER understood about East Ralios is why the heck there are any Orlanthi
>there at all. In reality, it's about as far away from Sartar as possible,
>given that all the mountains are impassable! Zero communications with the
>Orlanthi heartland in Sartar. In the First Age, the whole area was overrun
>by Gbaji and Arkat, and it's now heavily inluenced by westerners and
trolls.

Ralios was contacted in the early First Age by Orlanthi Lifebringers who taught the local peoples about the Lifebringers, about the Dawn, and how to contact the gods - the gods of the Orlanthi, that is. As a result, Ralios became Theyalan and Orlanthi, even if it did not immediately embrace the political leadership of the Council of World's Friends or the High Council.

During the later High Council, East Ralios was firmly under the Council's political leadership - which reinforced their "Theyalan-ness". A few centuries later, East Ralios was a member of the Third Theyalan Council, aka the EWF. The Ralian Orlanthi were the first to successfully invoke Orlanth to fight the degenerate Empire and their hero Alakoring helped mythically define Orlanth the King to future generations.

For the Ralian Orlanthi, Top of the World mountain in the Rockwoods holds the same position as Kero Fin does for the Heortlings - it is the home of Orlanth. Additionally, there were Orlanthi in the First and Second Ages who could simply fly over the Rockwoods.

>I can imagine a lot
>of interesting cultures in East Ralios, but Orlanthi is about the last.

I assure you that they are there my friend. Well-established with a very strong and dynamic culture of their own.

Jeff