Elamle

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_bigfoot.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 19:53:26 +1200


Jerome Blondel:

>Her deeds were so incredible that the Errinoru House
>decided to rename the former land of Miirdek « Elamle », so showing their
>respect and admiration for her. No such honor has ever since been granted to
>a human by Aldryami.

However Miirdek turns out to be the name of Elamle's brother, i.e. the leader of the migration that Elamle made peace with. My guess is that the House of Errinoru was suppressing anything related to Miirdek (i.e. the human kings and their traditions of that land) and adding new emphasis to Elamle (by making friendship with elves paramount).

>Elamle-ata gives no magic, for she has disappeared forever and everyone
>knows she will never come back again (2).

I don't think this follows. People can still disappear and be called upon for magic/miracles/aid. Jesus is the most obvious example in the RW.

>Elamle-ata is the ultimate self-sacrificing hero of these people
>(5). She sacrificed herself, so that the people she loved did not
>suffer.

One can interpret her disappearance as apotheosis rather than self-sacrifice. She's made the Oath, she's brought Peace, what else is there to do but to Pass On?

>(2) I'm not too keen on making her a Chalana Arroy clone.

In which case, don't. It's much simpler to make her magic equal to the Oath of Friendship between Humans and Elves.

>I think each of the 592 parts of the Oath of Elamle refers to a load
>of services the humans must pay the embyli, most being quite benign
>everyday things, others being rather serious.

The oath is a two-way relationship, I think. While it could be interpreted as a 592 part treaty, I feel this is unrealistic for the Embyli are one of the last people in glorantha who would negotiate detailed treaties.

Since 592 is clearly highlighted in the text, I think it refers to the minimum number of people required to establish a community under the oath (x humans and y elves).

>The Olynois spend half their life in the Eastern Half of town toiling not
>only at their own everyday jobs, but also carefully tending special plants
>for the embyli that they are entrusted with upon maturity, so they
>can't stay away from town too long.

Since you don't posit any special connection with the plant and the Olyni (when it ripens, they give it away), I don't see why there should be a one-one Olyni-seed correspondance. IMO being human, the Olyni are more likely to have an exalted class of gardeners to grow these seeds with the rest of the community supporting them. That's a more efficient division of labour. Who gets a ripe seed could then become settled by lots, by general acclamation, by winning a contest and so forth.

>At some point of their life
>(usually after a very long time) the plant bears a single fruit that is
>given to the embyli. The fruit has strong magical properties (though
>it's useless for non-embyli). The Olynois then become Full Citizens
>and are allowed into the Western, secret Half of town, where they at last
>experience paradise on earth after so many years' hard work.

Why not make the Olyni eat the seed in the Western Half so that their souls becomes a tree (i.e. restricts their movement of their physical body, grants them long life)? The Full Citizens are also Aldryami (Awakened Trees) and so the local humans must support them as part of the Oath of Elamle.

>The counterpoint to this is that they haven't done much to improve the
>world, and really that's not what Elamle-ata wished. For example, they
>cannot fight the Mother of Monsters efficiently.

Well, nobody can fight the Mother of Monsters and nobody tries to. Rather they just stay out of her way and deal with her sprogs. I'm not too sure what world improvement has to do with this.

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