Re: Yelmic <> Solar

From: Nick Brooke <Nick_Brooke_at_csi.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1999 08:46:13 +0100


David asked me:

>> Deities of the Yelmic Pantheon are among the most widely worshipped gods >> in the Lunar Empire. (Note: "Yelmic" doesn't mean "Solar").

> Could you discuss this? They seem synonymous in your first sentence.

To give one example, Oslira is a member of the Dara Happan pantheon, commonly called "Yelmic". But she is a river goddess, not a solar goddess. Her elemental, runic, etc. associations are with Water, not with Fire/Sky. (Etc.)

> I understand that there can be Solar pantheons not led by Yelm, but
> then you would have written "Solar" doesn't mean "Yelmic."

This is also true, but not very relevant when discussing religions found inside the Lunar Empire. (Khordavu amalgamated the other solar gods into Yelm with his "Six Parts" story).



Alex wrote:

> The Orlanthi do have a person in the solar role, though, to wit your
> friendly (?) neighbourhood Elmal cultist. I'm sure they're also
> happy to use less-than-friendly Yelmalians, too...

In Greydog lands, we used to take hostages from the nearby Sun Dome Temple, keep them stuffed down in a pit until Sacred Time, then make them apologise, agree we were best, and let them go free.



Peter wrote:

> The Grazers herds can survive in chaparral but so can Brontosaurs.
> Suprisingly the barbarian horde cannot but I don't have Nomad
> Gods and so I can't tell whether this is significant or not.

I imagine this is a lingering inconsistency in "Dragon Pass", the kind of thing which should have been cleared up decades ago.

> The Red Moon article in Tales #16 indicates the viewpoints
> (materialist, theist and mystic) are pretty much seperate.

Except when united through those mortal, divine and mystical insights which are available only through worship of the Red Goddess.



Andrew asks:

>> Certainly, the Red Emperor can command the Idovanic School, the College >> of Magi, and any other Carmanian or Imperial institutions

> I always thought these were the same thing. What's the difference?

"Idovanic School" = all users of Carmanian Sorcery

"College of Magi" = the 100 top Carmanian Sorcerers



A Japanese Poster (sorry, couldn't decipher your name) asks:

> In Crucible of Herowars, popularity of Storm religion after Night of
> Horror increase in Pent. What is the situation of these tribe with Elder
> Kargzant?

Some Pentan tribes retain old-style worship of Kargzant, as ever. Of these, some are purists (who only herd horses) and more are modern (herd cattle, ride horses).

Other Pentan tribes have adopted -- or been adopted by -- various unusual spirits, after the cataclysm of the Nights of Horror (which kinda undermined their faith in the old ways, as well as destroying sacred regalia and bloodlines, etc., necessary to that form of worship). A significant number of these are apparently Storm Gods. They proved their worth by saving the tribes during the hard years after the Nights of Horror, and will be a Horrible Surprise for the Empire when they return in force, a few years from now...

Q: is there a bizarrely modern Pentan tribe that worships Storm gods, herds horses and rides cattle? (If not, why not?)

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