Odayla.

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_bigfoot.com>
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 01:25:21 +1200


Alex Ferguson:

>Odalya is the great god of the Sylilans, in the
>cultural sense (at least).

Odayla is not the Great God of the Sylilans because he is not a Great God (in Storm Tribe, it's only stated that he has several subcults in Sylila). Great Gods are not made Great because of what their worshippers think - Great Gods are Great because they are the theistic expression of a cosmic force.

Orlanth is Great because the Orlanthi are worshipping the Storm itself rather than a lesser Storm God. Ernalda is Great because she is the Earth. Yelm is Great because the Dara Happans are worshipping the Sun/Fire. Somash is Great because the Teshnans are also worshipping the Sun/Fire. Elmal is not Great because the worship of the Sun/Fire is incompatible with the worship of Orlanth and so the Orlanthi must worship a lesser Sun God.

Odayla as the Bear is not great because Bears are not a cosmic force. In the Lego blocks of the Cosmos, there is no primal rune marked Bear. Thus there cannot be a Great Bear God. No matter how much the Sylilans exalt him to the skies, he is not going to become Great.

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