>What are the cultural differences between the different types of Orlanthi?
>What makes a Heortlander a Heortlander and what makes an Alakori an Alakori
>and a Satarite a Satarite. That is other than the last great hero. I
>realize the heroes have a great deal to do with how the Orlanthi culture
>works. What I am missing is the break down that says this here set culture
>on this path and this hero set this path.
Well, there's a problem in that we only just have the Heortlings described and don't know too much about the differences.
Vingkot: Establishes the great Vingkotling kingdoms of the Storm Age. Previously the Orlanthi had lived in tribes and clans, both governed by the magics of Dar the Leader, but Vingkot's High Kingship rituals provides a focus for unity above the tribes and clans. Other Orlanthi peoples such as the Talastings, the Brolians and the Wenelians have different (high) kingship rituals or even none at all.
Harand: Eponymous hero of the Harandings. Because of his swine associations, pigs are favoured highly among the Wenelians. The Talastings might favour sheep for similar reasons.
Jarani: Vingkotling era Guardian of the Lawstaff and responsible for Tribal Law among the Vingkotlings and later the Heortlings. His lawcode is not accepted by the Wenelians, because he used his laws to prove their claim wrong in a famous dispute. For this reason, the Wenelians might not have very firm tribal identities.
Rastagar: A Darkness Age Hero. His influence is rather negative. He embroiled the Vingkotlings in the senseless war of the Sword and Helm, in which his kingdom of the Kogdivari was largely emasculated. The women of the Kingdom seized control, forming the Queendoms of Esrolia.
Heort: Responsible for the secrets of the I Fought We Won. This re-established the Orlanthi way after the Darkness and virtually all Orlanthi honor him for this. IMO he is also important to the Heortlings because Andrin, his lawspeaker, established the codes of clan justice by deriving them from the cosmic justice precepts that Orlanth made. Other Orlanthi peoples might have a different clan code or even none at all (making them more susceptible to foreign influences or kinstrife).
Harmast: Hero during the Chaos Wars. Responsible for the Lightbringer Quest. This gave the Orlanthi a clearer understanding of what their gods did during the Great Darkness, which in turn helped them to withstand Gbaji's deceit. I don't know if the Orlanthi of the East Wilds care for him and the Fronelan Orlanthi probably hadn't heard of him.
Hendreik: Hero during the Chaos Wars. He founded the Hendreiki tribe in modern Heortland that used the secrets of Larnste to keep his people ever free. When the Pharaoh took over, the resulting wars and transformation alienated many Heortlanders such that they moved to Dragon Pass.
Alakoring: Imperial Age Hero. As a result of the priestly abuses that lead to the alien EWF, Alakoring revealed a new understanding of Kingly Orlanth, the Rex subcult. This allowed the tribal kings to keep a firmer hand on the priests within their lands and also solidified the tribal identities among the Orlanthi. AFAIK the Alakoring peoples use the rites of Rex exclusively for tribal kingship whereas the Tribal Kings of Sartar and Heortland use both Dar and Rex. I don't think the East Wilds Orlanthi would care much for Alakoring seeing how they were friendly to the EWF.
Sartar: Established the kingdom that bears his name. Not much in the way of cultural differences, but he and his descendants are responsible for blessing the Sartarites with roads and cities.
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